Dan: Washington, D.C.

It's here in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol that our ten-day odyssey is about to begin once again.

This is "Relative Race."

Dan: DNA tells us who we are and where we came from.

Following their own DNA, four teams are racing... Come on!

Dan: to win $50,000...

Woo!

Dan: and to find their family.

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh!

♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh!

♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh!

♪ ♪ Dan: It's a brand-new season and four new teams have submitted their DNA.

We found their living relatives scattered all across the country.

Each team will try to find those relatives faster than their competitors by overcoming challenges and navigating without the use of technology.

Each team will go home with newfound family.

Only one team will go home crowned champion and with the check for $50,000.

Let's go ahead and meet our first team now.

Troy: I'm Troy Hitt.

Nicole: I'm Nicole Hitt.

And we're the Red Team.

From Humble, Texas.

Troy: We've been married for 13 years.

Nicole: We have four kids.

Troy: And we have a total of six animals.

You are so handsome.

Troy: I served my country in the Air Force, and, uh, once I got out, met Nicole, and we had the crazy idea to open up a CrossFit gym.

Come on, this is a sprint!

Come on, let's work, let's work!

Push, push, push, push, push, push.

Nicole: How competitive are we?

[chuckles] Go ahead, you can take this one.

Um, we will probably be the most competitive team you've had on the show.

♪ Troy: The biggest reason why I wanted to be on the show is to find out who my biological father is.

I grew up as an only child and sometime between the age of zero and five, my mom and dad split up, and I haven't seen my dad since.

In the back of my mind, I am definitely concerned if he's still alive.

Um...

I'm just, uh, I just want to ask him, you know?

If he tried to connect with me and if he even tried.

[guitar music] Dan: Welcome, Troy.

Welcome, Nicole.

Hi, Dan.

It's a beautiful day for a race.

You're going to need this.

Ooh.

Yes.

Troy: Thank you.

Dan: Please take your mark.

Jamie: Hey, I'm Jamie Grace.

Morgan: I'm Morgan.

Jamie: We're sisters and professional musicians.

From Los Angeles, California.

Both: And we're Team Green!

♪ ♪ Party like a princess.

♪ Both: We're sisters.

Yes, we are.

Both: We're two years apart.

Yeah, wow.

Okay, yep.

There we go.

[laughs] Jamie: I put my very first video on YouTube... ♪ Well, it kinda went "viral."

♪ Jamie: I would beg Morgan to sing on it sometimes, and it gradually led into some amazing opportunities.

♪ Party like a princess.

♪ Family is really important to us because sometimes that's all you have.

Jamie: Yeah, our mom has a rare medical condition and if we win the money, using some of it to help our mom with her medical bills would just help so much.

♪ Morgan: You know, I actually really hope that we do meet family that we have similar things in common with, like, you know-- Jamie: Like I keep thinking, "We're going to meet a relative that we're going to start a band with, and they're going to join us on tour.

Let's see what happens.

[both laugh] ♪ All my girls gonna party like a princess.

♪ Welcome.

I've got something for you right here.

Morgan: Oh!

Wow.

Oh.

Well, thank you.

Michael: Hey, I'm Michael Anderson.

Dylan: And I'm his son, Dylan.

Michael: And we're from Concord, North Carolina.

Both: And we are Team Blue!

My dad and I have always been close, no matter what we've been doing, and that includes work.

Michael: I've been a professional photographer for the past eight years, and working with my son has been awesome.

Tell me what you think.

And we're good.

[rock music] Michael: I want to be on this race to find my biological family.

I was adopted at birth.

My adoptive father died when I was nine.

My adoptive mother died when I was 12.

She told no one where I came from.

Dylan: I know everyone on my mom's side, but I don't know anyone on my dad's side.

Michael: When my adoptive parents passed away, I was a 12-year-old boy with nobody in the world that I felt loved me.

I felt so alone.

Um... [sighs] Meeting family just...

It would change my life.

[guitar music] Dan: Michael and Dylan Anderson from Concord, North Carolina.

Make sure you keep that with you, all right?

Michael: Yes, sir.

Rebecca: Hi, I'm Rebecca Hoyt.

John: And I'm Johnathan Hoyt, and we're from McAllen, Texas.

Both: And we're Team Black.

Rebecca: Currently, I'm a stay-at-home mom to our three-year-old daughter, Parker.

John: And I'm a United States Border Patrol Agent.

♪ I've been in law enforcement for about 10 years.

Rebecca: And we're on "Relative Race" to find family.

Mostly mine.

When I was two years old, my mother, Karen Richards, fell down a flight of stairs and hit her head, and a few days later, she passed away.

The only memory I have of her was crying in my crib and looking up into her eyes.

That's the only memory I have of my biological mother, Karen.

My father, Charlie, a few years later, remarried a woman named Susan Neer.

One night, she didn't come home from work.

I was five years old and I remember the police showed up at the house... And I screamed for them not to take my dad.

But eventually he was convicted of her murder and put in prison.

[somber music] My sister, Ashley, and I were adopted by my father's sister.

We went on to grow up into lives not knowing anything about our biological mother, Karen's, family.

I haven't had a conversation with anyone about my mother, have any information besides the pictures that tell me that she has brown hair and brown eyes and a beautiful smile.

Dan: Good morning, Johnathan.

Good morning, Rebecca.

And this is for you.

Thank you.

♪ Dan: Welcome, teams.

Are you ready for this?

All: Yes!

Dan: Love the enthusiasm.

Let's go over the rules.

First, if you break a traffic law, you'll receive a strike.

Second, you may not use a smartphone.

It all stops right here, right now.

Take out your phones and please put them in the box.

Nicole: I think we're going to be just fine.

What could go wrong?

[laughs] [dramatic music] Bye!

Dylan: So Dan took our phones and immediately I felt like he took a part of me.

[laughing] Dan: Each of you has been given a backpack.

Inside are paper maps, a camera, as well as a flip phone, and you are able to text with it.

However, I'm not the only one that you can text.

For the first time, you'll all be able to text each other.

[all laugh] That opens up a whole new taunting game, I think.

Oh yeah.

The ability to play-- Game trash talk.

[chuckles nervously] [dramatic music] Dan: Each day of the race, your team will be given your own allotted time.

The allotted time consists of the time that it should take you to arrive in the city where your relative lives as well as the time to overcome two challenges.

When you meet your new relative, take a picture, send it to me, and your clock will stop.

We hope you like your new relatives because once you find them, you'll be spending the night with them.

The team that goes over their allotted time the most each day will receive a strike.

Three strikes and you will be out of the race.

If you're the team that comes closest to your allotted time, you'll receive a first-place prize, either a game benefit or a Day 10 benefit.

One may help you in the following day of the race.

The other will only help you if you make it to Day 10.

So choose carefully.

♪ There is a lot of money on the line, but ultimately, the show really isn't about the money; it's about discovering new family, and that actually starts right now.

Troy Hitt from Team Red, will you please step forward?

Troy: I just got so many butterflies.

I'm like, "What is going on right here?"

Dan: Johnathan Hoyt from Team Black, will you please come forward?

The two of you are both from Texas, correct?

Yes.

Dan: Well, as we've done your research, we discovered something really amazing.

The two of you are not only from Texas.

The two of you are cousins.

Oh-hoh!

Michael: Wow.

Oh, wow!

[exclamations of surprise] What's up, cuz?

Dylan: Oh, that is awesome.

Michael: Wow.

Troy: You know, it's emotional, you know?

[laughs] Troy: I'm here to meet family, to experience it right now-- [clears throat] I wasn't ready.

Obviously wasn't ready.

John: That's-- That's incredible.

Mind-blowing!

To start that experience right here, right now...

It's amazing.

♪ Dan: You now have a taste of what lies ahead.

Now, normally, right about now I'd say something like "three, two, one, go!"

and you'd dash off to find your cars to start the race, right?

Yeah.

That's not going to happen today.

Send Team Black transport in, please.

Woman 1 (on radio): 10-4.

[laughs] We really don't know what's happening.

Dan doesn't start the race.

He doesn't tell us where we're going.

He just puts us in the back of these black SUVs.

♪ Morgan: And then everything changed.

[gasping] ♪ Dan: Normally, right about now I'd say something like "three, two, one, go!"

That's not going to happen today.

Rebecca: We got our instructions to go walk to this car that's going to take us away.

We have no idea where we're going.

See ya, cuz.

Good luck!

Bye!

Jamie: Dan didn't tell us where the race was going to end What's up with that?

Michael: And I see this luxury SUV.

No idea what to expect.

Thank you.

Nicole: We have no idea where they're taking us to or why.

[sighs] Where are we going?

I don't know.

[laughs] ♪ Throw me the bag.

And that is a whole bunch of maps.

Oh yes.

That's our phone.

How do you work the camera?

[phone dings] [gasps] We got a text from Dan!

John: Dan.

Under what seat?

Uh-oh.

I got it, I got it.

You got it?

[gasps] [laughs] Nice.

Um... Is there anything under your seat?

I'm so nervous.

That is so cool.

Michael: I don't have anything under my seat.

It's a boarding pass!

I told you.

Oh my, we are getting on an airplane.

[laughs] Ah-hah.

Here we go.

Spokane, Washington?

To Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Huh.

We're going to Seattle.

We're going to Tulsa?!

Oh, I love Tulsa!

I love Tulsa so much!

♪ Tulsa, Tulsa, Tulsa.

I just saw the Red Team walk by us.

So you're going to Washington?

Yeah.

We're going to Chattanooga.

Sweet!

Nicole: Chattanooga?

Both: Chattanooga!

♪ Dan: All four teams are off, but this year, the rules have changed.

Team Green will start their race in Oklahoma.

Team Blue will begin in Tennessee.

Teams Red and Black will begin in the state of Washington.

Although the race won't start until the morning, our teams still don't know what to expect as they land.

Hey, Team Red.

That's us.

Nicole: That's us.

Hello, ladies.

Jamie and Morgan: Hi.

You must be the Andersons.

Michael: Yes, we are.

Hi, I'm Rob.

I'm your driver.

I'm your driver tonight.

Awesome.

Hi.

I think this is you.

The red shirts weren't a giveaway?

I'm your driver.

I'm Greg.

Hi, Greg.

Nicole.

We see a guy holding a Team Red sign.

I thought we were going to probably go stay in a hotel tonight.

Thank you, sir.

I'm Jamie.

Very nice to meet you, Jamie.

Rob: Okay, we're all buttoned up.

I'm pleased to be your driver.

But let me also tell you that I'm your relative.

Really?

Yes.

[laughs] Also, one more thing.

Yes?

I'm your relative.

Mine?

Yes.

I told you.

[laughs] Well, it's nice to meet you!

[both laugh] So I'm not actually just your driver.

I'm actually your relative.

Oh, really?

[laughs] No way!

That's awesome.

This was absolutely a total curve ball.

One we didn't expect.

Dan: While some teams get to know new relatives, Team Green remains in the dark.

Morgan: We're just walking and walking and we're like, "Okay, like who is this dude?"

Are you from here?

I am.

Where are you taking us?

Who are you?

Jamie: I said to Morgan, I said, "Should we be running?

Because we just really didn't know what we were doing.

I am your relative.

I need to figure out what we need to do to meet these folks.

I feel like there's like a big thing that I'm missing.

It was like my brain literally could not process it.

Can we put our stuff in here?

Go right ahead.

Wait, are you our relative?

I am your relative.

Wait, for real?

For real.

So...

I really am your relative.

No way!

[laughing] Morgan: Like, it completely caught me off guard that he was white.

I just couldn't-- My mind was not there.

Are you serious?

I am serious.

Jamie: No way!

Yes.

Jamie: Girl, we got redhead relatives!

I am your relative.

Dan: Meanwhile, Team Black discovers more about Rebecca's newest relative.

My name is Karie Austin.

I'm 29 years old and this is the first time I've met Rebecca.

We asked her, "Whose relative are you?"

And she says, "I'm yours."

Do you know if you're on my mom's side, or dad's side?

I am on your mom's side.

We're first cousins.

Are we really?

♪ [cries] Sorry.

This is great.

[cries] Karie is the first relative I have met on my mother's side.

Amazing.

Who is your mom?

Karie: My mom is your mom's sister.

Really?

Yes.

Is she still living?

Mm-hmm, my mom is, yeah.

♪ Wow!

[laughs] Rebecca: She's my first cousin.

My mother's sister's daughter.

[laughs] I have like a hundred questions for her and I can't-- I don't even know where to begin.

I think she and I might be staying up late tonight.

[both laugh] Dan: Evening approaches as teams travel home with their newfound families, and the connections just keep coming.

My name is Greg Byrge.

I'm the executive director at a senior housing community, and I'm Nicole's cousin.

Nicole: Hello, buddy!

Oh, I love it.

We walk into the house.

I was expecting a regular meal.

We came in, they have a chef in the kitchen.

Hello.

This is the guy who prepared everything.

So luckily, I had access to one of my chefs that works at the community.

So he did it special just for us.

It was amazing!

Troy: To, um, new family.

Yeah, to new family.

That's right.

Okay, gentlemen, let's go up here.

We'll meet the rest of the family.

I'm Rob Bateman.

And I'm Brenda Bateman.

And Michael and Dylan and I are cousins.

Michael: So Rob takes us and we meet the rest of his family.

Nice to meet you, Michael Anderson.

The rest of the family's wonderful.

It was a special moment for sure.

Rob: We've got some food.

Let's go eat.

Michael: Fantastic.

Hi, I'm Clayton Lucas.

I'm Laura Lucas.

Clayton: I'm the city manager of the city of Sallisaw, Oklahoma.

And I am Jamie and Morgan's cousin.

♪ When we walked up to the door, I started to get really nervous because Clayton said that he and his wife have five kids, and I love kids, but you never know what to expect with an abundance of small humans.

Hi!

I was really nervous, and we walked inside, and we turn the corner, and it was just like straight up, like, "Sound of Music."

All these children just standing with flowers and huge smiles and I just went and hugged them all.

It was so sweet.

Oh, thank you for my hug!

Dan: As family connections continue to grow, Michael and Dylan sit down to a special dinner with their cousin, Robert.

Michael: So we sit down for a wonderful dinner on the front porch of this beautiful little cabin up here with somebody that is actually related by blood to me and my son.

Right here, this moment.

I mean, you are the first blood relative I have met this show and we're eating together.

I can't tell you... A real blood relative.

It's something I've never experienced in my life.

I've never had this.

This is truly a blessing for me and my son.

Well, Michael, you have a great big family and I can't wait to show you all about it.

I-- This is one of the best moments of my life.

♪ Rebecca: We got into this really good conversation where I was able to ask her about her mother, who is my aunt.

So, Karie.

I don't even know what your mother's name is.

It's Kathy.

Rebecca: Kathy.

Karie: Yes!

[laughs] It's exciting.

I have so many questions that I hope that Karie can answer for us.

Did your mom know much about my sister and I?

Yes.

Did she ever want to find us, or... Karie: She did.

See us again?

Karie: Mm-hmm.

Our parents talked about you quite a bit.

Rebecca: Really?

Mm-hmm.

I was always curious about where you guys were.

I'm sorry.

And that information was something that...

I've wanted to know for a very long time.

Karie: She cares very deeply about you and your sister.

That's what I wanted to hear.

♪ Jamie: At the end of the day, like, when you feel that comfort and peace sitting on your relative's couch, that, like, it's all worth it.

It just-- I don't know, it just feels like you're at home.

It feels really cool.

Michael: I walk into this day not knowing anything.

And at the end of the day, I'm looking at stuff from the 1600's.

That's a good day.

I was shocked.

I was very excited to meet a relative on the first day.

Troy: It gave us an opportunity to take it all in, and I think that that was what we really enjoyed the most.

Yeah.

♪ Rebecca: I had some pictures of mine, and she was able to tell me who some of the relatives in the pictures were.

Karie: That is my older brother, Bud.

You have an older brother?

Mm-hmm.

And she filled in some of those blank pages and gaps that no one's been able to answer for me.

So here are your sleeping accomodations for tonight.

A bunk bed!

[laughs] Michael: So we're sleeping in a bunk bed tonight.

We're going to get some shut-eye and hope for the best tomorrow.

Dan: Our teams have made important family connections, but the race still has not started.

Morgan: It's definitely an emotional roller coaster.

We haven't even gotten to the physical part yet.

[laughs] Dan: And sleep will not come easy...

Nervous?

That's one of the many emotions that I have starting tomorrow with the actual race.

Dan: as contestants prepare for battle in the morning.

Your time starts now.

Let's go.

[intense music] Michael: See?

We're going south.

We need to turn around soon.

♪ Dan: After a night filled with anticipation...

I'm feeling nervous this morning.

A little freaked-out about the possibilities.

Dan: the first day of racing has officially arrived.

Troy: I'm looking forward to some challenges today though.

Nicole: Yeah, I need to kinda get my game face back on.

Dan: And our teams prepare for the unknown.

Morgan: What I'm learning with "Relative Race" is whatever you had in your mind, just expect it to be the opposite.

They gave us a bunch of maps that are pretty much all the fifty states and...

But they're pretty basic.

Michael: We don't know where we're going.

North, south, east, west, we don't know.

I mean, I don't even know how to get off this mountain.

♪ Troy: We're just waiting on Dan to start the race and hopefully there's no more surprises.

Dan: "Relative Race" is only moments away.

Teams are spread out all across the country, eagerly awaiting further instructions.

We will soon see who has the stamina to endure and eventually win this ten-day odyssey for $50,000.

Morning, everybody.

Let's get this race officially started.

Morning, Dan.

Morning.

All the teams are ready to go and the cars are in place.

It's go time.

♪ Jamie: We're like, sitting there and Clayton's like, "I have a surprise for you girls."

Morgan: Yeah.

But before you leave, come with me.

Morgan: Like at this point, it's like surprise overload.

I know.

I was like, "What is it going to be?

So now that we're out here, you're probably wondering what the surprise is.

Yes.

Yeah, a little bit.

Jamie: Oh gosh.

Clayton: Are you ready?

I hear the garage.

The garage door starts opening.

I couldn't even bring myself to turn around, I was so scared.

Are you sure you're ready?

Jamie: I don't know.

I'm so scared to turn around right now.

All right, here we go.

Can I turn around?

Oh my gosh, yes!

[laughs] It's so cute!

There it is.

Is that our car?

That's the car.

Oh my goodness, it's tiny.

Oh man.

Woman 2: We don't know what you have in store for the day, but we want to be sure that you keep your blood sugar up.

Troy: Whoa!

You are Nicole's favorite cousin.

[laughter] Nicole: Thank you.

That's going to be a lifesaver.

[phone dings] Uh-oh.

John: Getting a text.

Oh, we got a text?

It's from Dan.

Yep.

Okay.

What's it say?

"Good morning, teams, "and welcome to Day One of 'Relative Race.'

"Team Red will be travelling to Portland, Oregon.

"Team Blue will be travelling to Asheville, North Carolina."

All right!

"Team Black will be travelling to Palouse, Washington."

Palouse, Washington?

Jamie: "And Team Green will be travelling to Dallas, Texas!"

Oh my gosh!

You-- She lived in Dallas.

We know Dallas.

Morgan: Okay.

John: "Today's first place prize is a ten-minute penalty to give to another team or a Day 10 benefit."

Jamie: "Your cars are waiting for you outside.

Your time starts now."

"Your time starts now."

Okay, bye!

♪ Drive safe!

The trunk's kinda small.

No, that won't fit.

Backseat, backseat, backseat.

Rebecca: Bye Karie!

Michael: What're you doing?

Go, go, go, go, go!

We gotta go!

♪ No, throw this in the backseat too.

I think you're going to go left.

Left?

Do you want me to pull over and wait?

Yeah, expand it!

There you go.

I don't want to mess up the cameras with this massive map.

Let's get out of here.

Okay.

Okay.

They're off.

Contestants have hit the road, and this year's "Relative Race" has officially begun.

Jamie: Do you want your banana opened like this or do you want it opened like this like the monkeys do?

Morgan: How do you know how bananas eat their monkeys?

I mean-- [both laugh] Dan: Today, Team Green is travelling to Dallas, Texas.

They must complete their challenges and find their relative in an allotted time of four hours and 30 minutes.

Dylan: Ugh, I hate bumpy roads.

Michael: You know our time is going, right?

[laughs] I'm trying, man.

Dan: Team Blue is on their way to Asheville, North Carolina.

Their allotted time, including challenges, is five hours and 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, Team Black and Red begin in Washington state.

Nailing this!

My cousin would be so proud of me.

My cousin would be so proud of me.

Too bad I'm competing against him.

Let's see how my cuz is doing today.

[phone dings] Who's it from?

Team Red.

Oh-ho-ho!

Already.

It says: Ooh.

Ouch!

Dan: Team Black will be travelling to Palouse, Washington.

They have the day's shortest allotted time of two hours and 21 minutes.

All right, so am I texting them?

Text them, yeah.

Say "only Day 10 matters, and we're all over Day 10."

[phone dings] Team Black responded.

What'd they say?

"Only Day 10 matters!

See you there!"

[laughs] Troy: Too bad I'm going to take all the Day 10 advantages.

Taking all the advantages!

Dan: Team Red's destination is Portland, Oregon, and they have an allotted time, including challenges, of three hours and seven minutes.

♪ Now, teams fight for first, armed with nothing but paper maps and their own wits.

Michael: So yeah, we're going left because we're going 157-North.

We get on the road this morning.

On the very first turn... On the very first day of the race, we screwed up.

Oh, wait a minute.

That's 157.

I need something, man.

He said left, he said left.

Okay, left it is.

Michael: We were supposed to go right and we went left.

This don't make any sense.

Why are we going south?

This is wrong.

Dylan: Did we already mess up?

Michael: It is very difficult to figure out how to navigate this mountain.

But still, we lost time right off the bat.

We're going south!

We're not supposed to be going south.

That's a nice house.

Dan: While Team Blue corrects their course... Seventy miles an hour!

Whoo!

Let's go, let's go, let's go!

Troy: Come on, mama speed!

Let's go.

Get it!

Dan: The other teams charge ahead.

The prizes for today, so, you got the ten-minute penalty to give to another team or a Day 10 benefit.

If we get a strike, we choose the game benefit.

I think the Day 10 prize is great, because that's where it matters.

John: Yeah.

189 South.

See?

We're going south, man.

That is, uh... Michael: We're wrong.

We need to turn around soon.

Dylan: Okay.

So we gotta take on these challenges superhero-style.

Like, full-force, tough game face.

Morgan: For some reason, I keep imagining the Red Team, that they've done some crazy road trips before.

I don't know why.

Jamie: Yeah.

I bet you they're singing the whole time.

Oh, I'm sure.

You can make up a rap for me.

♪ ♪ We're going to Dallas, it's going to be fun.

♪ ♪ We're gonna have a time with everyone.

♪ ♪ We're going to take a selfie at the city sign, ♪ ♪ oh my goodness, my oh my.

♪ ♪ Gonna meet my relatives this morning, ♪ ♪ I'm gonna meet my relatives tonight.

♪ ♪ I don't really know what's gonna happen, ♪ ♪ but it's gonna be fine.

♪ ♪ All right, let me hear you say "all right!"

♪ All right.

Jamie and Morgan: "Welcome to Texas!"

Whoo!

Dan: Meanwhile, Team Blue continues to acclimate to the road.

Michael: Why don't you get over, son.

Get over, get over, get over.

I've got no room, man.

You slow down and you get over, son.

Yep, yep, yep.

I'm going to have to.

There's a huge tractor trailer you just pulled in front of.

Are you kidding me right now?

Everything worked out.

Son.

[sighs] What?

After that close call, I think Dylan needs some driving instructions.

Yeah.

All right, speed limit's 50.

Set it on 50.

You got cruise control.

Okay.

How do you-- I've never used cruise control.

What?

I've never used cruise control.

Ever.

I've just never needed cruise control.

Well, I know this isn't going to fly for the next ten days, so we're going to fix this right now.

Are you doing 55?

Fifty-five on the dot.

Michael: Set.

Now let your foot off the gas.

Welcome to the world of cruise control, son.

I feel so not in control.

Michael: You're totally in control.

All you need to do is tap the brake.

I don't like it.

This is going to be a long trip.

Yep!

[laughs] Dan: Team Blue cruises onward... ♪ as Team Black approaches their destination city.

I'm kind of worried that there might not be signs if this town is just so small.

Dan: and prepares to take a selfie.

Oh look, what does that say?

There's "entering Palouse" right there.

Luckily, we see a grain tower with Palouse written on it, so we quickly pull over and we get our city selfie.

[camera shutter clicks] Rebecca: Yeah, you can see that.

You can see it in the background.

Send it, send it.

Dan: John and Rebecca, with the shortest drive of the day, are the first team to send a city selfie, allowing them to receive the address to their first challenge.

[phone dings] John: Okay, yep.

Rebecca: You ready?

Michael: Asheville Inn.

All right, take the first exit.

Troy: Fort International-- I know, do we park right here?

We park in there.

Turn in there, turn in there, right in there.

I'm not trying to be too confident, but we had this.

Morgan used to live in Dallas.

Leave the car open.

So we felt so confident about coming to Dallas, and there's a spider on your hat.

Oh gosh, get it.

Ah!

I got you.

You're good.

Troy: 10-minute parking.

Perfect.

We're really happy with how fast we found that.

Front row parking, quick sprint, done.

Okay, uh, I think this should do it.

Team Green.

That's not right.

No.

Volume button.

Not the volume button!

Come on!

Get down here with me, because we gotta get low.

[camera shutter clicks] [camera shutter clicks] Nicole: Come on!

Sending, sending, sending.

Come on.

Dan: The clock continues.

As some teams make progress... and other teams fall behind.

Troy: Just looping and looping-- Taking forever to send the picture.

Troy: Send, send.

Come on, technology!

[phone dings] Oh.

It said-- It got rejected because Morgan's face wasn't in it.

What in the world?

♪ Dan: The teams have finally reached their destination cities, but some are still struggling with their selfies.

"Photo rejected.

Where is Morgan?"

What in the world?

Dan: while others take the lead...

Right there.

Right here.

Michael: Here we go.

Good job.

Dan: and prepare for their first challenge.

♪ Troy: Sending, sending, sending.

Oh my gosh.

Come on, come on.

Our message is sent.

Sent!

Okay, we gotta wait for Dan.

We were so glad when that thing finally went through.

It finally sent, and then we're, like, waiting for Dan to respond.

Okay, okay, okay.

Jamie: As we were sending the first selfie, we actually took a second one as a backup.

Oh, that's better.

Morgan: Yeah.

That's right.

So we sent it so fast after, and that one got accepted.

[phone dings] Okay, let's go!

All right.

Okay.

Okay.

I guess we need to go to Park Avenue.

How do we find Bennett Avenue?

Okay, what's it say?

It says, "Build and balance."

Michael: "Use the blocks to construct a tower "to a height of five feet.

You must use all yellow pieces."

Michael: "Your allotted time for the day includes 20 minutes to complete this challenge."

All right, let's get started.

Dan: The first challenge on "Relative Race" is to build a tower.

Using the blocks provided, teams must successfully stack their pieces to a height of five feet.

They may use any of their team-colored blocks.

However, they must use all of the oddly-shaped yellow blocks.

Once they reach five feet, a flag must balance on the top of their tower for five seconds before they will receive the address to their second challenge.

All right, so you want to do big blocks first, or little blocks?

So we have to build this tower using the pieces that were on the table.

We're going to have to build some support on the side of these.

Yeah, but we have to have height too.

Oh, wow.

That's not-- Don't even bother yet.

This was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be.

John: All the yellow ones, they were all different sizes.

I thought this was already impossible.

See, that's solid right there.

Dan: While Team Blue stumbles on their first challenge... the other teams quickly catch up.

Troy: All right, we're going to turn up in about a quarter mile.

This is it!

Bennett.

Dan: and are all ready to stack towers of their own.

Jamie: What in the world is this?

Morgan: Game on!

Whoo!

This looks like a kindergarten class or something I love blocks.

I, like, work with kids at church.

We build blocks together.

I was like, "Oh, this is exciting."

And then I realized it wasn't going to be as exciting.

Nicole: As we were building it, we found a balancing trick we didn't know we had.

Yeah.

Nicole: If I put it here?

Wind, don't blow.

We get all the way to the very top and the cup falls off and cracks.

Troy: As soon as I saw that thing shatter on the ground, I was like... How's this going to work?

Rebecca: Come on!

John: It fell quite a few times and we had to start from the beginning, but each time we did better and better at building the structure from the bottom.

Learning what didn't work.

I think we can do it!

We just gotta be really, really careful.

Okay.

Troy: We just kept going and I'm still messing with the cup and I literally just say, "Babe."

Babe.

One, two, three, four, five.

Whoo!

So I'm proud of us.

We got thrown a curveball today.

Right at five foot.

Whoo!

Oh!

And we still overcame it.

All right.

"Food is an important tradition to your relative.

Head to Brazil Grill."

Let's go.

Dan: Team Red is the first to complete their tower and head to their second challenge, with Team Black right on their heels.

Right in there.

Can we put 'em between?

Yeah, like that.

Will that work?

Will that hold?

I think overall, we did a pretty decent job of getting the tower up.

Three, two, one.

Congratulations!

Yes!

Come on.

John: The best thing about our team is our communication skills, and it worked out really well for us.

Organization.

"Your relative loves to quilt.

Head to Grammy G's Quilt Shop."

Let's go!

Dan: Our leading teams are off, but won't have to run far to find their second challenge, which is somewhere nearby.

This challenge will be a unique task based on the interests of the relatives they are racing to find.

Meanwhile...

Team Green's progress hits a stumbling block.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

Morgan: Dude, Jamie, it's fine.

It's not fine.

I really wanted to do it.

My brain was just, like, so, like, blank, and so I just was like, straight-up emotional and didn't do so great.

Morgan: We'll just keep going until the time runs out.

It doesn't run out.

The sun goes down and you don't have anywhere to go.

I'm really glad that we have the relationship that we have, because I don't-- I wouldn't have been, you know, steady without her.

What in the world are we gonna stack on top of that?

Morgan: But I was like we gotta figure out what we're going to do.

Ooh.

Two feet?

That's such a distance.

We both were trying to think outside the box at the same time.

The problem was we were thinking in different directions and we couldn't get on the same page.

Dylan: And every time I tried something, it would go to him, then he would try something, and then what I tried, it was ruined.

That was a mess.

There's no way.

Dan: As Team Blue falls further behind at their first challenge, Team Red is now approaching challenge two.

Let's go, let's go, let's go.

Hello!

Hi.

Welcome to Brazil Grill, and this is your second challenge.

Thank you.

Come on.

Come on, come on, come on.

Nicole: "Food plays an important role in your relative's culture "You must correctly identify "the country of origin for each dish.

"Your allotted time for today includes 15 minutes to complete the challenge."

Rebecca: "Your relative is a pro on a sewing machine.

"Sew a replica of the quilt.

"Your allotted time for this day includes 20 minutes to complete this challenge."

My name's Debbie.

Rebecca: Hi, Debbie.

Debbie: Come on back here and I'll show you what you're going to do.

What are you thinking?

Um... No.

Nicole: we had to identify six different dishes and which country they came from.

Troy: Then we got to try the dishes too, so that was good.

Mmm.

Does that say Portugal?

Troy: We tried to recognize the ones that we knew, and I knew one off right at the bat.

We probably got them all right the first try.

Probably.

[dings bell] They're all wrong.

Nicole: All of them?

Yeah.

[laughs] Oops.

Guess that wasn't right.

That wasn't the right one.

John: She showed us these little squares that we're supposed to piece together into rows and ultimately put it all together to make a big square.

Rebecca: Oh my goodness!

Okay.

John: Okay, now I'm going to give you the next row.

This one was right.

What?

This one and this one.

Troy: Portuguese right here?

Nicole: Yes, that was right.

Second time we got one.

Mm-hmm.

Then we got two and we're like, we're on the right track.

Then we went back down to one.

Man 1: Still just one.

[Nicole laughs] Well, then I know that one's right.

So I pin like this, right?

John: Rebecca gets done with her two rows and I jump on there.

Rebecca: How's it going?

I'm not as good at this as you are.

I got the second two, I kind of went off the line a little bit, so I had to pop a few stitches and then go back and once I got the-- that square done, I did a lot better.

These represent a very dark time in my life.

I need that other cup.

You're literally sitting here trying to figure it out.

Hold on, hold it, hold it.

And we'll just see if it turns out all right.

Yeah.

Morgan: Thankfully, it did.

Both: One thousand five!

[blows whistle] All right, we got it.

Oh my goodness!

It looks kind of right.

Debbie: You did it.

Congratulations, you did great.

Rebecca: Thank you!

You're welcome.

"Your relative lives at 1005 West Hatter Creek Road."

Do you know where that's at?

"Your relative loves knitting."

Like you!

"Find the table of yarn for your next challenge."

I see yarn!

You can't miss it.

I mean, once you get through Potlatch, this is just going to continue on through the farm country.

Great.

Thank you so much, Debbie!

Okay, let's go!

Dan: Having completed both challenges, Team Black races to find their relative and stop their clock... [groans] So close.

Dan: while Team Blue still works to complete their tower.

Eventually, we got it.

Both: One thousand four, one thousand five.

Michael: And I hope we never see those blocks again.

"Your relative is a seasoned lumberjack.

Head to the tractors in the park."

Jamie: "Your challenge is to unravel skeins of yarn "until you find the correct one.

Twenty-five minutes."

Okay.

So, it has to be one of the ones that's not totally raveled.

♪ The card says that we have to start ripping apart the yarn.

We have to find the right one.

We have to find something I guess inside of it.

Pull out the middle.

I'm going to go for the ones in the back.

[ding] Got to be three.

You guys got it all correct.

Congratulations.

[cheering] That's what I'm talking about!

Nicole: That was a magical lucky guess.

I think we nailed this one on accident.

We nailed it though.

On accident.

[laughs] "Your relative lives at 12594 Southwest 131st Avenue."

Let's go.

Jamie: I was searching through all the yarn and I didn't know what to do, but Morgan knows how to knit and taught me the strategy of how to pull it apart.

Yeah, try to pull as much as you can from the inside.

Oh!

So yeah.

I actually knit also.

[shouts] I found it!

Oh my gosh!

It's a music note.

The charm was a music note.

I think maybe our relative is a singer or a choir teacher or something like that.

I'll read it, I'll read it.

Okay.

"Your relative lives at 4624 Junius Street."

We gotta find Junius Street.

Okay, off we go.

Where's my hat?

I don't even know.

Wow, no wonder we didn't know this relative.

They're-- Whoa, dirt road.

[John laughs] Way out in the middle of nowhere.

Wow, that was unexpected.

Dan: While most teams drive towards their relatives... one team is left in the dust at their second challenge.

"Your relative works as a logger for the family business.

"For this challenge, you must transport lumber "into the dump truck and across the finish line.

"Your allotted time for this day includes 15 minutes to complete this challenge."

Bulldozer.

Which one do you want?

One of us has to navigate through an obstacle course using a dump truck while the other one clears debris out of the way with an RC bulldozer.

Whoa, that turns it.

Yeah, get used to things before you do anything.

Like, right now.

Play with it.

What?

Dylan: Yeah, because if you don't know what you're doing, it's weird.

Michael: You've got to do it at the same time.

Dylan: My first task is to clear the debris from the course so my dad can get the dump truck through.

Michael: There you go.

Push, push, push.

There you go.

Then I have to navigate the course and pull up to a ramp where Dylan is going to push lumber into the back of my dump truck.

You gotta center it up.

If not, you're going to push them sideways.

Slowly, slowly.

Get it in there.

[wood clatters] Yes!

All right, good job.

The last part of what I had to do was back the truck up and dump the logs in the back of the dump truck.

Don't hit the side, please.

Michael: Done.

Dylan: All right.

Michael: We may not have played a lot of blocks together him growing up, but we played a lot of video games.

"Next stop is one you may recognize.

Go to 77 Kenilworth Road."

Dylan: 77 Kenilworth Road.

Michael: It says I'm familiar with this next address, and I think I am.

Oh, that's crazy.

I totally did not expect that.

♪ It should be on this road.

Are you sure?

Dan: All four teams fight to stop their clock.

How are none of these roads on here?

Dan: But the navigation heats up... Great.

Dan: as teams search for their relatives.

What in the world?

Twenty-six.

Troy: Twenty-six right there.

Twenty-six West, yeah.

Troy: We got to the vicinity of where we needed to be really quick, so we were really pumped up.

Excuse me, sir.

Sir?

Michael: I think I recognized the address, but I still have no idea how to get there, so we start asking for directions.

Do you know where 77 Kenilsworth Road is?

[hoarse voice] Over this way.

That narrows it down.

Thanks so much!

Morgan: Do you know what street this is?

In front of us?

Can somebody help us?

We're on a TV show.

[indistinct] Okay.

Seriously?

So just go up here and to the right?

All right, thank you!

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Look for Hideout Creek.

Hopefully there's a good sign.

My fear is though, if it's a little farm driveway out to a little, like, house, that the street won't be labeled.

Fire department?

Troy: One right there.

You know how to do the pride-swallowing thing and ask for directions.

The fireman have got to help.

And the guys seemed very knowledgeable.

Nicole: Do you know where 131st Street is?

Troy: Avenue is?

Man 1: I do.

Troy: So I extended my conversation to see if I can really get the scope of the land.

Let's do it!

This is West Hideout Creek.

Take this.

Take this?

This way?

John: Yeah.

Are you sure?

Okay.

Oh, this is such a farm.

Okay, so we're going the right direction.

Okay.

Here's the problem.

It ends.

Finally, after stopping at the fire station and then putting us on the right road, but it was the wrong city.

Where do I go?

So we were 50 percent there, but 100 percent wrong.

This is so not 131.

Okay, we're going to turn around.

Dan: Team Red realizes that the firefighters gave them bad directions... Maybe we're better off going to the fire station.

Jamie: Yeah, probably the fire station.

Dan: As Team Green spots a fire station of their own.

Jamie: It looks like they're out for duty.

Dan: and decides to give it a try.

Excuse me, excuse me.

There were some firefighters that came out and then we asked them for directions.

Hello, hi.

Do you know where 4624 Junius Street is?

There was some handsome-- Some handsomeness happening, and I was like, do I go find my relatives?

Do I stay here and-- Find one that's single?

[both laugh] Right on Junius.

Right on Junius.

We've got to find our family.

That's the most important thing.

We love firefighters.

Thank you so much for your service.

Jamie: You're the best!

We love you.

Thank you.

Morgan: Thank you, City of Dallas Fire Department.

You saved the day.

[laughs] Troy: It was kind of an emotional rollercoaster after we talked to the firefighter.

We go the other way and go in the right direction.

You know what?

That fire department guy got us on 131.

He did.

He got us on 131, but if he needed this address, it would just burn down.

Rebecca: Oh my goodness, this really is a back country road.

1005.

There's 132nd continued.

Right there.

That's probably it right there.

Found it!

Let's go.

Hello.

Hi!

Come on, babe.

Rebecca: Nice to meet you guys.

Do you mind if we get a quick photo with you?

Okay.

Hi.

Let's take a selfie, and then we'll-- Uh, we'll catch up.

How about that.

Rebecca: Okay, ready?

Ready.

[camera shutter clicks] Dan: Team Black has arrived and their clock is stopped.

But Team Red is close behind.

All right, everyone smile.

[camera shutter clicks] Dan: Team Red's clock is now stopped.

Both teams have clocked in ahead of the others, but remember, placement is determined by the team who comes closest to their allotted time, not necessarily who arrives first.

Okay, who are you related to?

I am related to Troy.

And you are?

Your cousin.

Troy: Well, what's up, cousin?

[laughter] Debbie: I'm Debbie Bowen.

I'm a homemaker and I'm related to Troy.

We have a lot to catch up on, but we have an activity to go to first.

Really?

Yes.

I'm excited.

All right.

We're going to go do that.

Let's go!

Troy: All right.

♪ Rebecca: All right.

So, whose relative are you guys?

I am your relative.

Mine.

How are we related?

I am your mother's sister.

You're Aunt Kathy.

I am.

You're beautiful.

You look so much like her.

[Rebecca cries] Rebecca: You do exist!

Kathy: You found us.

John: We started this journey to find Rebecca's family, to find that piece of her that she's always been missing.

Here we are, Day 1, and we have it already.

[laughs] I've always wanted to find you, but I never knew your name.

I didn't even know your name until Karie told us.

I'm Kathy Austen.

I'm 61 years old and I am Rebecca's aunt.

Karen Richards was my sister.

Rebecca: I always suspected that my mom had sisters.

We never gave up on you.

We always wanted to be in your life and be a part of your life and so I'm so glad this happened.

This is awesome.

[laughs] Dan: New bonds are created after Rebecca finds her lost aunt.

Meanwhile, Team Blue nervously approaches their final destination.

Michael: So we're driving to the address on the card, and the closer we were getting to it, the more familiar it was becoming, which has me a little bit worried of what's going to be there when we get there.

Being back here in Asheville is definitely bringing back some deep memories for me.

Dan: And Team Green... Jamie: Junius, okay.

We're looking for 4624.

Dan: prepares to stop their clock.

4624.

Jamie: This is it!

Morgan: Aw.

Jamie: We made it!

Michael: I thought it was the same location and it sure was.

As soon as we pulled up, I knew where we were.

[music builds] [knocks on door] Hi!

Hello, you have blue hair.

Are you our relative?

Yes, I am!

Can we take a selfie with you?

Okay.

Oh my gosh, we have the same hair!

[laughs] Okay, one, two, three.

[camera shutter clicks] Dan: Team Green has arrived and their clock is stopped.

Results will be given at the end of the night, but for now, it's time to meet family.

Oh, thank you so much.

Well, our cousin answers the door when we knocked on the door, and we were so excited.

The first thing I noticed was that she had blue hair.

Your hair!

I love your hair.

We're like twins.

Thank you.

Not really.

Sorry.

I love it so much.

You're so cool.

Aw, man.

And I have colorful hair and it just-- I was really excited.

What's your name?

My name is Renaissance.

Hi, I'm Jamie.

I'm Morgan.

Renaissance: Nice to meet you.

You guys are beautiful!

Thank you!

You're beautiful.

You're so cool.

So are you like our cousin?

Yes, I am your cousin.

Oh!

So exciting!

I'm Renaissance Austen and I am a professional vocalist and jewelry designer and I am Jamie and Morgan's cousin.

Well, you guys want to come in?

It's hot out here.

Yes, please.

Okay, come on up.

Jaime: Thank you so much.

Knowing that they are my cousins, I was like, wow.

That is what family is supposed to be.

Dan: While Team Green sits down with their new relative, Team Blue approaches their mysterious finish line.

Michael: "Open now," "open later."

Dylan: Open now.

Michael: Seeing the "Relative Race" banner in front I knew things were going to be different.

We're supposed to stop the clock by meeting our relative.

That didn't happen.

"Congratulations, you've made it.

Take a selfie together and send it to Dan to stop your clock."

Here we go.

[camera shutter clicks] Dan: Team Blue has arrived, stopping their clock.

Unlike the other teams, they don't have a relative to greet them.

Instead, mysterious instructions explain where they are and why they have returned.

[phone dings] Dan.

New message from Dan.

Yes, it does.

The text said that our clock is officially stopped and that he hopes that this spot brings back-- [sniffles] Brings back memories, good memories, and it does.

Right now, I mean...

I'll never forget that day.

Michael: So, it's a few weeks before "Relative Race " and we get a phone call from the producer saying that they're coming to town and we're going to go somewhere, we're going to do some stuff.

I don't know what we're going to be doing today, but it's going to be fun because we're Team Blue.

[nostalgic music] We get in the car, don't know what we're doing, don't exactly know where we're going, don't know what to expect.

We pull up to this bed and breakfast.

We get out of the car and we walk down the sidewalk.

And there was this man and this woman standing there.

I had no idea who they were.

Go ahead.

Hey.

Man 2: Hello, son.

I'm Wayne.

I'm your dad.

[gasps] [cries] [cries] I'm your grandpa.

This is my son, Dylan.

[sighs] Michael: A part of me just got filled in.

A missing piece in the puzzle just got placed.

Wayne: I didn't know that you were born or you'd've been with me, buddy.

Michael: You didn't know about me?

No, no.

I never did know nothing about you two.

Michael: I wasn't prepared for this.

I didn't know what was coming up here.

And I'm very happy that I wasn't too late.

Wayne: I'm very, very sick.

I ain't got long to live here.

What?

That's the reason we met today.

My kidney's done quit working.

He's not going to be around much longer.

But having this completes me more.

So you're the one to thank for my bald spot.

[Dylan laughs] [laughs] Michael: Oh.

I found my dad, my father, my blood.

"Happy" doesn't describe it.

This is absolutely one of the best moments of my life.

Come on.

Happiest day of my life, son.

Same here.

♪ Dan: After a long day of racing, our teams spend time with their relatives and look forward to new relationships.

♪ Rebecca: Can you tell me about my mom?

Kathy: Yeah.

She was really kindhearted and a lot of fun.

Rebecca's mom-- Karen and I, she was my best friend.

She was my sister.

After my sister had died, we really wanted to be a part of the girls' lives.

They were my sister's children and that's all we had of her.

Rebecca: So the biggest question I had when we came on "Relative Race" was did my mom's side of the family care about us?

Were they ever looking for us?

And did they want to know us and be part of our lives?

We didn't know you guys even existed.

I had guessed she had a sister and I had a suspicion that she had a brother.

She does.

Ken.

When everything went down with your father, Kenny was putting in for that adoption and when we moved into this place, the back bedroom, I could picture two sets of bunk beds because you girls were going to be in there.

We were fighting for you.

Rebecca: Do you know why my dad didn't want us to go with you guys?

My brother Kenny and I have no idea.

Ashley and I always thought that maybe you guys didn't want to be with us and that's why you disappeared.

We loved you girls so much.

Rebecca: She's been looking for me since we left their lives and they've wanted to be part of our lives and they've loved me since I was born, and that's everything to me.

You couldn't get away from us.

That's amazing.

Dan: While Team Black enjoys new discoveries... Come on into the building.

Dan: Team Red is about to make new memories.

We approach our activity and realize it's a dance studio.

Nicole: Tell us what we're doing.

Debbie: Uh, you kind of have an idea, don't you?

Hah.

Troy: Then I'm introduced to Debbie's father, Manuel, who is not only our instructor, but he's also our cousin.

Pleasure to meet you.

And he's prepared to tell me about my Portuguese roots.

So basically, you are true Azorean.

True Azorean.

Yes.

Okay?

We're going to teach you how to dance Azorean dance.

Okay.

Nicole: The dance was tiring.

I'm impressed.

[laughs] It was fun.

[dance music] Troy: One minute I'm just meeting them and we're total strangers and ten minutes later, we catch up and we're dancing on a dance floor.

Manuel: See?

You got it.

Nicole: I got it!

That's all we've got to do.

Manuel: See?

[dance music] Nicole: It was actually a lot of fun to do and, uh, that was a good experience.

Yeah.

[music ends] Dan: As Team Red steps it up, Team Green strikes a common chord with their cousin, Renaissance.

So, wow.

What do you do?

What do you do for a living?

Oh my gosh.

I am a professional vocalist.

Jamie: Oh, that's so cool!

Morgan: Awesome!

Jamie: So are we!

Jaime: Well, where do you sing?

Renaissance: I sing at the House of Blues with a group.

Jamie: We have a cousin who's a professional vocalist.

This is so cool!

And then she tells us something crazy.

So is it the House of Blues, Dallas?

No.

Actually, it's the House of Blues in Anaheim, and San Diego.

Wait, wait!

No way!

I was there three weeks ago!

What?

Oh my gosh.

What?

Do you live in Cali?

I am actually from Long Beach.

Both sisters: NO WAY!

We were born at Long Beach.

I can't believe Renaissance flew all the way from Long Beach to Dallas just for us.

I cannot.

I need a minute.

We love her so much.

Renaissance:I actually flew in and for this reason, you know, there's a hurricane near Houston, and there is a relative there that was not able to meet you guys because of the hurricane.

Oh, no.

Oh my gosh.

Do you know if they're okay and stuff?

News Anchor (Male): It's been called one of the worst hurricanes to breach the coast of Texas.

News Anchor (Female): Massive flooding.

News Anchor (Male): Citizens are being asked to evacuate.

Renaissance: They are safe.

Okay.

But they're flooded in.

Oh my gosh.

Yes.

We find out that we have another relative we don't get to meet who's stuck in Houston.

We're really worried about them and we really hope that they're okay.

So, what we're going to do later is we're actually going to meet them over Skype.

Oh, wow!

Morgan: This is such a surprise.

[thoughtful music] [phone dings] So we get another text from Dan and it says to open up the second envelope.

Wow, this is a lot-- There's a lot.

Oh.

[inhales] [exhales] Wow.

And it's a whole bunch of pictures from the day that I met my father right here.

That was right after he told me he was my father.

Dylan: It was.

♪ I'm Wayne Brendle.

I'm Ollie Brendle.

For a living, I do logging and I'm Michael's daddy and proud to know it.

I'm very, very sick.

I ain't got long to live here.

My aorta’s busted on the inside and I wish that I could change things, but I can't change things.

I'll never get over it, but I never did know that I had a son, and I want him to be a part of our life for the rest of my life.

So I sat down with my dad, and after all these years, I finally got to ask him the questions that's been in my head with no answers.

Who was my mother?

Rhonda.

Rhonda.

Michael: Is she alive?

I-- Son, I don't know.

[sniffs] If she'd had told me about you, you'd have been with us.

[laughs] Michael: All these years of looking, wondering, questioning.

It's formed new questions, but it definitely helped me a lot.

You'd have been in the woods helping us log.

[laughs] And then he pulled out the photos.

This is us when we was younger.

Michael: So I have four siblings.

Three sisters and one brother.

Wow.

[emotional music] And they're just dying to meet you.

After looking through photos with my dad and pictures of his family and everything, we had to get some pictures together.

So I've been looking at photos of you.

I say we take a picture of us together.

That'd be fine.

All right.

So I've been a professional photographer for the past eight years, and I've never had a picture of my dad, so when I was standing in front of him, getting ready to take a picture, it really hit me hard and the moment just got me.

Take it a little bit higher, but not much.

All right, here we go.

Wow.

Taking pictures of my father.

[exhales] [sniffs] Okay.

[sighs] And I took a picture of my own father.

I will never forget that.

[music ends] [upbeat music] Troy: I'll do that.

It's almost ready.

Nicole: It's wonderful.

It's so nice to just be invited in.

This is my husband, Greg.

Hey, Greg.

Troy.

Hey, Troy.

Pleasure to meet you.

Nicole: And all the work that her mom put into cooking.

I can't even imagine.

♪ Troy: So when I made a joke about flip phones and I pulled it out, Debbie's dad actually pulled his phone out and it was an identical phone.

Now we're real cousins.

Look at that.

We must be related.

[laughs] Nicole: Having a full table tonight, and we literally had a full table, which was fantastic.

That's exactly what we define family as.

Yeah, that's delicious.

Dan: Team Red enjoys a family dinner as Team Green prepares for a video call to meet their relative currently stranded in hurricane floods.

Morgan: That was a huge moment when the laptop is lifting up and there's a woman sitting there.

Oh, hello!

Jamie: Hello!

Hi!

Morgan: Hi!

I'm Jamie, by the way.

Hi, I'm Jamie.

Hi, Jamie.

When I was a kid, everybody called me Becky, so you can call me Becky if you want.

And I'm Morgan, and we're sisters.

Hi, Morgan!

Yes.

[laughs] Next time-- I'm crushed that I didn't get to hug you.

Jamie and Morgan: Aw!

We are too!

Are you okay?

Yes.

Exhausted.

Everything is wet, everything is underwater, but we're okay.

Our cousin Rebecca was on the screen and she was really sweet.

The first thing I thought was I was really bummed because of the hurricane and so we were all kind of experiencing that together, the heartbreak of what that must be like for them.

Oh, I'm so glad you guys are okay.

Yeah.

Troy: So, after we have a great dinner, we sat down and we started talking about the lineage.

Well, Troy, we are a direct relationship through your dad's mother.

Mm-hmm.

She said... My dad's mom.

I'm like, my dad's mom?

I've never met anybody on my dad's side of the family at all.

Debbie: It's all been a mystery?

It's been a mystery until today.

To have that connection, that's some direct lineage that opened up a whole side of my family and I'm really excited to explore that.

♪ Rebecca: My Aunt Kathy, she brings me this photo book.

Kathy: I made you a photograph album.

Oh!

Really?

[sniffs] A scrapbook that she's made for me with pictures of all of our family and the history that I've been looking for, all in this book.

So this is your mom.

[laughs] This is my mom?

Kathy: Mm-hmm.

Rebecca: Wow.

She's so pretty.

I've never seen any of these.

I see my mom Karen, that she was every bit as beautiful as I'd imagined.

[sniffles] Everything that I wanted to know is in that book.

♪ Dan: As all of our teams enjoy an evening of discovery..

I mean, this is-- This is such a treasure here.

A lot of firsts on this trip for me.

[laughs] Dan: the results of today's race are being prepared, and everyone anxiously awaits with their new relatives.

Kathy: How about we get out and have some fun and take a look at the property?

Yes, that sounds great.

Absolutely.

Let's go.

John: It has been quite the emotional day, and they want to do something fun.

[rock music] So we jump on some four-wheelers and ride the property.

♪ Aunt Kathy and Uncle Steve have 80 acres of property.

Rebecca: That was amazing.

It was so fun-- Incredibly beautiful.

To actually get to share that with them.

♪ Dan: While Team Black rides off into the sunset... We're going to try the acoustic version.

Morgan: Yeah, let's fingerpick it.

Dan: the sisters and their cousin, Renaissance explore their common passion of music.

♪ Little girl dreams are bigger than the sea, ♪ ♪ I'm thinking about the future and my daily routine ♪ ♪ own a blue house and a picket fence.

♪ Renaissance: I could see that they were amazing songwriters.

♪ I'll be standing face-to-face ♪ ♪ with a love I know is true.

♪ Renaissance: I was just like... wow, these girls, they really got it.

[harmonizing] Renaissance: We just bonded, like just automatically.

Michael: Being here back in the same spot, but my father not being here, it really puts things in perspective.

I love you, Dad.

Love you, Son.

I love you.

It's so great to finally meet you.

That's right.

A day I'll never forget as long as I live.

And I just pray that I have an opportunity to find my mother because she's the only one that can answer everything.

Rebecca: So pretty.

I don't remember my mother, but when I look at her pictures I see her eyes in my Aunt Kathy, and she looks so much like her.

And I feel that somehow, even though I don't remember her, that I still have always known her.

Kathy: You are important to us and we never quit caring.

Rebecca: That's everything to me.

That's exactly what I came searching for and we found it on Day 1.

[John chuckles] [music ends] [intense music] Dan: After a day full of emotion and suspense... How's it looking?

Got everything in.

Dan: the results are finally about to be presented.

John: I think overall the day went really smoothly, so I'm feeling really good about the call tonight.

Dylan: Today I think the biggest downfall was the puzzle.

Michael: We don't know how everybody else did, so yeah, we're definitely nervous.

Let's do this.

All right.

Dan: All of the teams anxiously prepare... Jamie: We are pretty confident about most things we did, with the exception of the first challenge.

Dan: waiting to find out who came in first place...

I feel like we did really good.

I want first place, but more importantly, I hope we don't get a strike.

Dan: and who will be ending the day with the very first strike of "Relative Race."

Welcome, teams.

Day 1 has finally come to a close and what an unbelievable last 24 hours it must have been for you.

I now know, and have been watching throughout the day and getting feedback as to how your days went.

Team Blue, you literally started the race by making a wrong turn out of the driveway.

[laughs] Michael: On the very first turn on the very first day of the race, we screwed up.

Yeah, it was my fault.

I was the navigator because I can read a map, but obviously apparently not that well.

And with that, I see three other teams that all have hope in their eyes.

Rebecca, who did you find today?

I met my mother's sister, my Aunt Kathy.

Dan: And why is that important to you?

Why is that special?

Meeting my mother's sister means I get to find out who my mom was and the entire rest of my family.

That's awesome.

Jamie: We can't imagine at all what that must be like for them and so happy for her and Team Black.

Michael: I don't care if they're our competition or not, it makes me feel good to know they made those connections.

Rebecca, your journey's just beginning and we hope that those kind of discoveries continue and we know that they will last a lifetime.

Michael Anderson.

Yes, sir.

Dan: The other teams don't know what we all know at this point.

Nope.

Dan: You've been looking your entire life for whom?

Michael: My mother, my father.

I was adopted at birth and both of my adoptive parents died before I was 13, and I have no idea about anybody on either side of my family.

Today, you reflected back on who?

Who did you meet through "Relative Race"?

I met my-- Mmm, sorry.

I met my biological father.

Yeah, I met my father.

Dan: Your father, when you met him earlier, was dying.

Yes.

Troy: I'm really happy that he was able to connect with his real father.

For guys like us who are just looking for that closure, we can't be picky as to what that closure can be.

"Relative Race" becomes very real, very quickly.

Yes, it does.

It's time to find out who finished in first and who will receive their first strike.

And so, the results of Day 1 are as follows: Finishing in first and having to make a decision of an immediate game benefit or a Day 10 benefit... Thirteen minutes over your allotted time... Johnathan and Rebecca Hoyt, Team Black.

Yes!

My cousin is my biggest competition right now.

That's great news, Dan.

[laughs] I'm really excited that we won.

Yeah.

And on the first day.

I think we will take Day 10 benefit.

Dan: The Day 10 benefit.

All right.

We'll have your relative give you that benefit when we finish this call.

There's no need for your competitors to know what it is.

Oh.

Okay.

Dylan: We still don't know what that Day 10 benefit is.

Michael: And we need to find out soon.

All right, let's move on.

Finishing in second place, 32 minutes over their allotted time... is Michael and Dylan Anderson.

Dylan: Second place.

Oh yeah, I am so relieved.

Team Red and Team Green... finishing in third place and safe for another day... All I could think of over and over in my head was chanting, "say Red Team, say Red Team, say Red Team."

Forty-three minutes over your allotted time...

Team Red.

Yes!

Yes.

Troy: I've never been happier to be in third place in my life.

Dan: Ladies, finishing 58 minutes over your allotted time, you have received your first strike.

It was like not a surprise because we feel we did so badly.

Blocks.

It was those blocks.

But honestly, what the other teams went through-- We did not even deserve that first or second place.

I know, seriously.

I'm sitting here like those stories are powerful.

We got a strike, we'll move on, we're going to tough it out and it's going to make us stronger for tomorrow.

♪ Tomorrow is a new day for each of you.

It brings new challenges.

It brings new relatives.

It brings you one day closer to $50,000.

Good night and good luck to all of you.

Thanks, Dan.

Bye.

[laughs] [sighs] Whoo!

Yes!

Oh, that feels good.

Yeah... Man.

Yeah, it was the blocks.

Go Team Black!

Day 1 in the bag.

Dan: The opening day of "Relative Race" has come to a close.

In first place is Team Black, only 13 minutes over their allotted time.

Second place, Team Blue, yes, sir.

Yeah.

By you choosing to stay at the park and talk to those people in the park to get directions to our final spot-- That saved us.

Dan: In second place is Team Blue, 32 minutes over their allotted time.

Nicole: I'll take third.

I'll take third as long as we're not getting a strike.

Debbie: Yes, yes.

Dan: Coming in third place, Team Red was 43 minutes over their allotted time.

Girl, you should have seen us with those blocks.

Yeah.

Jaimie:You would have been like, yeah, y'all got a strike.

Renaissance: Very interesting.

Morgan: There was just no way.

There was no way.

Dan: And in last place, Team Green came in 58 minutes over their allotted time, giving them the first strike of "Relative Race."

You won today.

Yay!

Aunt Kathy handed me a-- Day 10 benefit.

Day 10 benefit box.

[laughs] A coin.

And on one side, it said "Relative Race" and on the other side was a picture of the capitol building in D.C. And then it just said "Relative Race Season 3."

I suspect that means we're going back to D.C. Whoo.

John: We're going to find out what it means, this "Relative Race" coin "with Washington D. C. Season 3" on it.

Rebecca: The other teams have no idea what our benefit was.

For all they know, we could have got fuzzy dice.

We'll see what it means.

Hopefully it'll benefit us on Day 10.

Hopefully we make it that far.

[music ends]