[intense music] Dan: Previously on Relative Race... Carolen: There it is, there it is.

Go, go, go.

Dan: Teams were blown away by the challenge... Tia: Hold on.

Karen: Get it through-- Yes!

Dan: Deflating Team Green's winning streak.

You picked up your second strike.

And floating Team Red into first place.

And that benefit tomorrow is to penalize the other three teams at the challenge.

- I'm your auntie!

Leah: [laughs] Dan: Nolin met not one, but two of his mother's sisters.

Nolin: It just felt good to be embraced like that.

Dan: Tia was welcomed by a newfound aunt.

Tia: [laughs] Thank you.

- Grandma?

- Yes.

Dan: "Grandma" had been waiting 24 years to embrace Thaddeus, then introduced him to his youngest brother.

- Wow.

- Another brother.

Both: [laughing] Dan: And Kentrelle finally got to ask his grandmother the tough questions about his adoption.

- Do you know how old she was?

- Sixteen, fifteen?

Beverly: Fifteen.

That's a child.

Kentrelle: I'm hurt, I'm hurt.

- I believe it, I know it.

I would rather be his punching bag than Angela.

But I was, I was disappointed.

Kentrelle: I just found out my dad died, I just found out my adoptive parents are liars, and all of this, like-- Beverly: That is n-- that is not the end of the world.

I pray that in due time that you can start healin', that you can open your heart to me.

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

Following their own DNA, four teams are racing... Jon: It's gonna be right here.

Go, go, go!

Dan: To win $50,000... Nolin: We made it!

Dan: And to find their family.

[knocking] Singer: ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh-oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh-oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh-oh ♪ ♪ Dan: After six days of racing, the strikes are adding up, and for Teams Green and Black, one more loss would result in elimination on this seventh day of Relative Race.

Leah: We're definitely feelin' a lot more confident today.

We just feel like we're gonna have a better start and so that's definitely the goal.

Karen: Today we get a chance to give the other three teams a penalty.

Thaddeus: In order for us to win, the other three teams, they will lose.

- But we still love you all.

- Absolutely!

- [laughing] Dan: Today, Team Black begins the race in Klamath Falls, Oregon, with the rest of the pack in the south; Team Green in Sunrise, Florida, Team Red in Athens, Georgia, and Team Blue in Jackson, Mississippi, where Kentrelle makes amends with his grandmother, Beverly.

♪ Kentrelle: This mornin', I woke up with a new look on the situation because it-- it was a lot, a lot.

I had a chance to kind of sleep on everything that Grandma told me, and now, I'm just ready to build a new relationship with her.

Beverly: What you goin' through is a lot, I have not forgotten that.

You're goin' through a lot.

But the thing about the healing process is that I want you to know that we gon' be with you through the healin' process.

That's a promise as long as I got breath in my body.

I will be through the-- I will walk through the process with you.

And life is not easy, it ain't-- it ain't easy as they say.

But, like I said, when you got people to go through stuff with you, it makes it better, and we're gonna go through it with you.

You will not be alone.

- Wow.

I appreciate you for tellin' me that.

Beverly: Mm-hm.

And anything, any feelings, any thoughts?

- No, I'm okay now.

I promise I am.

- You sure?

- Yeah.

- For, for right now?

- Um, I feel loved.

Um, I feel, I appreciate it, um.

I, I needed this, um, 'cause I don't have a grandmother.

Um, I lost her too early.

But I got you, so that's all that matters.

Beverly: Mm, you got a souped-up version, I'm quite sure, as you will find out.

Both: [chuckle] Kentrelle: At the end of the day, I'm just grateful to even have another grandmother.

What touched me the most was when she told me that I was loved since the day I was born, it was just the circumstances.

And, um, I can't really be mad at her about that.

The love that she has for me, like, I can't be more grateful.

[shutter clicks] ♪ Tia: Uncle Dick and Aunt Sharron, they were adorable, and I didn't wanna leave and they didn't want us to leave at all.

- I have somethin' for you.

This is a dragonfly.

I made this.

But this is a special dragonfly 'cause it's in remembrance of your brothers that are passed and your mother.

Carolen: Aww.

Tia: Thank you, I love it.

Well, it's ironic, because when I met her, I had dragonfly earrings on and we were by a lake and there was dragonflies flying everywhere, so it's a sign, and I love it.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

♪ Thaddeus: We are on a high right now with my relatives, my grandmother and my little brother.

It's amazing.

Thank you so much for having my mom and I. I just wanna say I appreciate everything.

Mary: Thanks for finding your grandma.

- It was gonna happen.

Mary: Yeah.

[sighs] [emotionally] This has been a really wonderful experience for me.

You have to promise me that [sniffs] we'll stay in touch.

- Oh, I promise.

- I've been lookin' for my grandson since he was nine months old.

I want our relationship to bloom, grow, grow.

It's a miracle.

- And one other thing before you do leave-- - Okay.

Jarris: I would like to give you something.

This is a picture of, uh, me, Isaiah, and your mom.

Thaddeus: Oh, wow!

Jarris: [laughs] Thaddeus: There's those cheeks.

Jarris: [laughs] Thaddeus: Wow.

Jarris: Yeah.

- Oh, she's beautiful.

Karen: Mm.

- It was amazing to see my mom in another photo, just seeing that joy, seeing that love.

This is incredible, so thank you.

Nice meeting you, twin!

Both: [laugh] Jarris: You're amazing!

Mary: My, my, my, my, my.

Thaddeus: Yes.

[laughs] Mary: [muffled] I'm just gonna be real, I don't wanna let go.

Both: [laughing] Mary: Mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm.

Thank you Jesus.

Singer: ♪ Hope you know that I don't want to let you go ♪ [smooch] ♪ Shella: It's been a pleasure getting to know the both of you guys.

Leah: Mm-hm.

- For sure.

Meeting two aunts, it's just been incredible.

Their love for me, it just felt good to, uh, be embraced like that.

Shella: I have a... baby picture right here.

Nolin: Aw.

Leah: Yeah, that's him.

Shella: Yep.

- That's me.

Leah: [laughs] Shella: So... Leah: So she had a picture of him.

Patricia: Oh yeah, your mom used to walk around the house with a, with a shirt with a picture of a baby on the shirt.

It says "Always in my heart."

It was you... in the picture.

- Hearing that story about how, uh, my mother would-- had a shirt with me printed on it as a baby, that was just super special and that, that just shows how much she cared.

Thank you.

- You're welcome.

Patricia: We have another gift for you.

Nolin: Really?

Let's see it.

Patricia: I hope you like it.

Shella: [laughs] Patricia: [laughs] Nolin: You made it into a shirt?

Shella: Now you have your baby picture and the shirt that Angie used to wear around the house.

- Wow.

My mom used to wear a similar T-shirt with me as a baby on it.

And I can just feel my mother's love but also my two aunts'.

That's something I hold close to my heart.

Shella: So this is how-- do them initial.

"Always in my heart."

Nolin: "Always in my heart."

It's-- just shows the love that she had and how much she cared.

Thank you.

Shella: [laughs] ♪ [ticking] [phone dings] Carolen: Oh, we got a text.

- See what it says.

Thaddeus: "Good morning teams--" - "And welcome to Day 7 of Relative Race."

Carolen: "Team Black, you will be traveling to Crescent Lake, Oregon."

- "Team Blue will be traveling to Biloxi, Mississippi."

- "Team Red will be traveling to Jonesboro, Georgia."

- "And Team Green will be traveling to Naples, Florida."

Carolen: "Today's first place prize is--" [laughs] Tia: "Immunity."

Immunity.

Kentrelle: Oh wow.

Jon: Okay, we need that.

- "Immunity."

Karen: Ooh.

- If we can get this immunity today, like, we have Day 10 in the bag.

- If we get immunity, that means we can meet all of our relatives.

- And we need that.

We want that!

- "Your time starts now."

- Let's go!

All right.

Kentrelle: It was good seein' you.

- You too, [indistinct].

Sharron: I love you.

Tia: I love you too.

Mary: First place!

Thaddeus: Yes.

Both: [laughing] Nolin: All right, let's go.

Tia: I'm driving.

Carolen: You're driving, you're driving.

Kentrelle: [grunts] Stella and Patricia: Bye!

♪ - Yep, this way, keep straight.

- Straight shot.

- Ah, you the bomb, Tia.

- You're the bomb!

- You're the bomb.com.

We know our route.

Singer: ♪ I'm the bomb, I'm exploding ♪ ♪ Walk about but with caution ♪ ♪ I'm a champion, always gonna win ♪ ♪ running in slow motion ♪ Dan: Team Black is ready to claim that immunity as they confidently travel to Crescent Lake, Oregon.

Once they arrive, they'll have to complete a challenge and find their relative in an allotted time of 1 hour and 55 minutes.

♪ Leah: I love seeing Dan every night.

He always makes us laugh.

- Yeah, he's always, he's always got something for each team-- - He's always got some jokes.

Nolin: I always like when he usually counts down to when he's gonna start, and he'll make the countdown, it's usually three, two, one, but he stops at two-- - Here we go, everybody.

In three, two-- [beep] Ready for Green's map?

Okay, here we go.

In three, two-- Team Green is traveling to Naples, Florida with an allotted time of 1 hour and 55 minutes.

♪ Kentrelle: I thought we should come up with something to say to Team Red.

My grandma did say my mom was into poetry, so let's see what I can do.

- All right.

[phone dings] Karen: We got a text message... [laughs] Okay.

Kentrelle: That's Team Red tryin' to do some, uh, poetry back... Mm... - Some misplaced confidence.

- That's, that's exactly what I'm gonna say.

Dan: The jabs keep on coming as Team Red heads to Jonesboro, Georgia.

They have an allotted time of two hours and six minutes.

Team Blue travels to Biloxi, Mississippi.

They have the longest allotted time of the day at three hours and nine minutes.

Thaddeus: Yesterday I met my brother, Jarris, and the similarities were amazing.

- We clearly look alike.

- We do!

[laughs] Jarris: Clearly.

So now that I have a older brother, it's-- I have someone to talk to now.

Thaddeus: Yeah!

And in the car today, I realized how important my little brother and I will be in each other's lives.

Karen: There's a brother that, he has gone through some things that he's struggling with.

- Ah, I really don't want to cry right now.

- It's okay.

- Because I look at him, and not only do I see myself, I really see myself in him.

Another younger brother!

Jarris: Yes.

- Wow.

Jarris: Yep.

Thaddeus: Even right here.

- [laughing] Thaddeus: The eyes and nose right here.

Even the mannerisms-- [laughing] Wow.

Jarris and I have gone through some of the same challenges, so finding him at this time in our lives has been such a blessing.

- God always has a purpose, and He has a plan.

Because you know some of the challenges that Jarris is facing.

You've already gone there, and now you're gonna have to navigate him through some of those same steps.

- It's a bunch of darkness.

- There's gonna be a lot.

And right now you're hurting for him.

- I am, because looking at him, I see my younger self.

I see that pain back there.

Karen: But who better to talk to him than his brother?

Thaddeus: I'm now realizing that I was supposed to be taken away.

Because God had a plan to somewhat strengthen me.

- Yeah.

- Because he's going through a lot.

- I know.

- And I know that feeling.

I know it.

- You're right.

Thaddeus: Jarris has given this whole journey a new meaning.

I needed my brother, and he needed me.

♪ Dan: As teams race forward to their destination cities, Team Black seems to be on the scenic route toward Crescent Lake, Oregon.

Carolen: Huh, let's go.

Crescent, Oregon.

Tia: Crescent.

Yeah, Crescent.

- Have you ever been to Crescent-- - Crescent Lake.

Crescent Lake.

- Really?

Tia: Yes.

Carolen: Crescent Lake?

Tia: Crescent Lake.

Carolen: That's what the text say?

Tia: That says "Crescent Lake."

- Oh.

I didn't even read that.

- "Team Black, you will be traveling "to Crescent Lake, Oregon.

Your time starts now."

Well, we are about to be in Crescent.

Tia: Oh my.

- What?

- We're in the wrong place.

Carolen: So what you're saying is-- Tia: We gotta turn around, yes.

We cruised up 97 directly into Crescent.

Carolen: However, we found out that we were going to Crescent Lake and not Crescent.

Tia: You're driving.

You're costing us time.

You've got to turn around.

- All right, relax.

What, you want me to make a U-turn right here?

Tia: Find a turnaround place.

There was, like, three of them back there.

- You, you can't make a U-turn on a highway, um, Tia.

- Yes you can.

- So we end up flipping a U-turn and... Carolen: It did cost us a little time, but hopefully not too much.

I'm just concerned with getting to the challenge and getting it over with.

♪ - Oh, we're here!

- Where?

- Jonesboro.

♪ Kentrelle: Look and see.

Leah: There's a sign.

- There's Naples.

[phone dings] Karen: "Welcome to Jonesboro."

- "Your challenge is located at..." Leah: "...3440 15th Avenue."

- Make sure we're going the right direction though.

- There it is, right there.

Nolin: See the flag?

We made it.

Thaddeus: Right.

Nolin: [grunts] Leah: 'Kay.

Jon: Let's see what we have here.

Nolin: "Welcome, teams."

- "Are you ready to fill your face?"

Dan: For Day 7, our teams must get ready to Fill Your Face.

In this challenge, each team will be blindfolded while taking turns filling their face with food.

Without using the name of the food, they must describe the food they are eating to their partner.

Once the teams correctly identify 10 food items, their challenge is complete.

Leah: Okay, and we also have a penalty.

Kentrelle: "You have been penalized."

Leah: "In today's challenge, you must identify..." Kentrelle: "...one unpleasant food item."

- All right, let's go.

Jon: Of course.

All right, let's get it over with.

Kentrelle: Let's go, let's go.

Carolen: Welcome to Crescent Lake.

We made it.

When we finally arrived in Crescent Lake we drove straight to the challenge.

And the first thing we see was the penalty.

Tia: "In today's challenge you must identify one unpleasant food item."

Carolen: Let's go.

♪ - Today's challenge was the most fun.

Thaddeus: Disgusting.

- [laughs] Carolen: We are tasting things blindfolded.

- There's a lot of things I don't like, so I'm a little nervous.

Tia: Okay.

Uh.

Kentrelle: Mmm.

Thaddeus: Um, egh, what is that?

- Tastes like, it's a desert, similar to bread.

- It's round.

Um... - Cheese?

Tia: No.

At first I thought that it would be really easy, but it's kind of hard to describe foods that you, that you eat, and you've never really described them before.

- Um, um, breakfast food.

- Break-- eggs.

Thaddeus: [gags] No.

- Powdered sugar?

Kentrelle: Yeah, but powdered sugar what?

Leah: Brownies.

- Um, but more sugar.

Leah: Cinnamon.

Nolin: I had to use my face and my tongue to kinda get it in my mouth, and then the powder just kinda went everywhere.

- Donut.

Nolin: Clo-- That's closest in the sugar.

- Powdered donut.

- Yeah.

Jon: A donut hole.

- No, what you said first plus what you just said.

Jon: Powder, uh, powdered, um, powdered sugar donut.

Kentrelle: Yep.

Thaddeus: If a lady excused herself from the table, she-- Karen: Powder.

Thaddeus: Yes, yes, say it!

Say--!

- Powdered donut, powdered donut.

- Yes!

[ding] ♪ - It's candy.

It's sweet.

- Small, little, fruit-flavored... - Fruit snacks?

- Flavorful.

Different flavors.

- M&Ms, Skittles.

- Skittles.

- Skittles.

Karen: No!

Leah: It's like a dried fruit.

- Dried apples.

Leah: [laughingly] I thought it was a yogurt-covered rasin.

A little red box.

We had them in the car.

- Oh, raisins.

Leah: Yeah.

And then-- [buzzer] - No?

- Oh.

Carolen: My favorite one is the green ones.

[jelly beans clattering] Karen: Sometimes it has black in the center.

Thaddeus: Black in the center?

What?

Jon: There are black, there are pinto, there are-- Kentrelle: Beans?

What were you-- What you mean, like?

Jon: Fruit-flavored what?

- Oh, jelly beans.

Jon: Yeah.

Leah: Around Easter time.

- Jelly beans!

- Yes, jelly beans!

♪ - Oh, I don't like that!

Okay.

Kentrelle: It starts off as a liquid, then you cool it in the fridge, and then it turns into what?

- Jello.

[ding] - Perfect.

Nolin: It's similar to pudding, very similar to pudding.

- Jello.

- Yes.

- Old people eat it!

Karen: Old people eat it?

- Yes!

In the hospital!

- Uh, Jello.

- Yes!

♪ - Ugh, bleh.

It's... [disgusted sound] Tia: [laughs] - Oh, it's a condiment.

Karen: Um... - What do you put it on?

- I don't know.

- You put it on ribs.

Kentrelle: Barbecue sauce.

Jon: Exactly.

[ding] Kentrelle: So far we're doing pretty good for time.

We might have a great chance for first place.

♪ - Uh!

[gags] Jon: Mm.

What the... - Mmm.

- [laughingly] Ah, what is this!

Carolen: Some of the food was good.

Some of it not so quite.

- Oh!

Oh.

Wait!

Oh!

Um, oh, I know this taste.

It's a nasty taste.

- Whatever it is, I'm enjoying it.

Nolin: They ha-- They come in, like, packages that you can squeeze.

Tia: And it's, it's sour.

- Greek, Greek!

Karen: Yogurt!

- Yes!

Nolin: Yes.

- Okay, go.

Nolin: So we're doing pretty well, but now we're off to our penalty dish, which is different than what Team Red is going to have to eat for this dish.

Carolen: Oh, I was just so nervous.

Kentrelle: Um, is this Fear Factor?

Like, what is going on here?

We about to eat some bugs.

- Eat something crawls on your face.

- [gags] Karen: The penalty for the other teams hopefully was moving, crawling.

Carolen: When I take the top of the tray off, the first thing that goes through my mind is please don't be a prune or sauerkraut.

♪ Kentrelle: The candied yams were supposed to be, I guess, the nasty one.

Um, it wasn't, but it was pretty easy to describe 'em.

- Mmm.

My family actually likes sweet potatoes.

- I was worried that it was gonna be gross.

- Okay, sometimes you have them at Thanksgiving.

Actually, I was pleasantly surprised.

I do like sweet potatoes and yams.

- It's a Southern food.

And it's usually orange.

Nolin: Maybe it's a, a vegetable.

Tia: You can put marshmallows and brown sugar on 'em.

Carolen: Um, potatoes, sweet potatoes?

[ding] - Sweet potato?

[ding] - Sweet potato.

[ding] ♪ - Okay.

While the penalty dish for the other teams was hopefully something gross and disgusting, our non-penalty dish was.

♪ Uh!

Uh!

Uh-uh.

Uh-uh.

Karen: [laughs] - My dish was black licorice, which is disgusting.

Karen: C'mon, what is it?

- Your favorite candy!

- My favorite candy?

Oh, licorice!

[ding] - Ugh.

[spits] That's disgusting.

But it's my mom's favorite candy.

And she got it right away.

♪ Leah: We finally get to the last one, and it is beans.

Carolen: This stink.

- Oh, what the...?

Oh!

I know what this is!

- Okay, describe it!

- Okay, so it's like at cookouts and stuff.

You use it as a side dish.

Karen: We eat this on the regular.

Went out once a week.

- Pizza!

- No, no, no.

It's one of your favorites.

It goes-- - Hot dogs.

Karen: No, no, the other one, the other one.

- Hamburgers.

Karen: No!

It goes with the hot dogs.

- Sausage!

Karen: What do we have with-- - Ketchup!

Karen: No!

- Oh, you eat it with barbecue.

It's, um, it's a side.

It comes in a can.

- Oh, baked beans?

[ding ding ding] - Beans?

- Bea-- Yeah.

[ding ding ding] - And make it with any dinner.

- Beans.

- Beans.

[ding ding ding] Karen: With the hot dogs.

We slice 'em up sometimes and we have-- - Oh, beans!

Baked beans!

- Yes!

[ding ding ding] Nolin: Hoo!

Leah: Woo, let's go, let's go.

Nolin: Dang, it's so bright.

Jon: Okay.

Kentrelle: Come on.

Jon: Come on.

Thaddeus: [laughing] - Let's see where we're going.

Karen: "Your relative lives at 56..." - "...Clearspring Way..." - "...Naples."

Let's go.

- Let's do it.

- Let's go.

- All right, let's do it.

Karen: Let's go.

♪ Dan: With the challenge in their rear-view mirrors, teams scour their destination cities, trying to find their family.

Karen: The drive here was a nightmare.

Excuse me, do you know where Savannah River Road is?

- We found a gentleman right on the side of the road.

Hi.

Can you tell me where Clear Spring Way is?

- Yes.

And he knew exactly how to get us to our relatives.

Thank you so much.

- Thank you.

Leah: The road was closed, which was awesome because it made our choice really easy.

Just kinda lucky at that point.

- [laughs] Okay.

- You would've gone straight.

Thank goodness that road was closed.

Nolin: [laughingly] Yeah, for real.

Turns out we were headed in the right direction.

Jon: Of course we had to stop at a fire station to ask for some directions.

In the end we were looking for silver but found gold, a map of the entire city just sitting on the wall waiting for us.

Kentrelle: Look, we got this.

Jon: Just, we follow Cedar Lake Road straight to it.

Kentrelle: I got the map.

Jon: Thank you very much.

Kentrelle: Thank you so much.

Jon: Cedar Lake Road.

Carolen: Yep, Blue Sky.

Good job, Tia.

Leah: Take a right.

Nolin: Right here, right here?

- Yes.

- 536.

Kentrelle: Right here, right here.

Carolen: 745.

That's it.

This is it.

♪ Today was difficult.

Karen: I don't care which direction we went in.

We couldn't find the street.

I believe both of us kinda gave up.

Karen: We were not in sync on the ride here, and so we blew it.

♪ Dan: In Biloxi, Mississippi, Jon and Kentrelle approach their awaiting relative, nervous about the familiar face waiting to receive them.

Kentrelle: As soon as we walk up to the house, I already knew in the moment what this was about to be.

- Mm-hm.

♪ Kentrelle: All I saw was a older face of Jon.

[laughs quietly] ♪ - How's it goin'?

Man 1: Pretty good, yourself?

Neal.

- Jon.

- I'm Kentrelle.

Neal: How are you doing, Kentrelle?

Jon, my name is Neal.

I'm your father.

- I figured.

Neal: [laughs] - It's nice to, it's nice to finally meet you.

♪ Neal: Seeing Jon... wow.

Um, wow.

I'm, I, I've missed so much.

[sigh] It's really hard to even know where to begin.

- How are ya?

- Uh, I'm well.

Very nervous, but well.

Jon: [chuckles] No, I'm, I'm the same way.

I'm the same way.

- I guess you got some questions.

- Just a couple.

Just a couple.

So when did you find out that I existed?

- I did not know that you existed.

And, one of my daughters calls me up one day and says, Hey, there's a lady, a genealogy lady that's trying to reach you about a relative.

I was flabbergasted.

Jon: Yeah.

- [laughs] Jon: I'm glad that I met my dad today.

It's definitely a moment of shock, complete shock, 'cause I kinda'd reconciled to myself that I wouldn't be able to meet my parents, um, but no, I've wanted this for 20 years, and I finally got it, and I don't often get things like this.

Um, one of the happiest days of my life.

I haven't felt like this in a long time.

I live in, uh, the San Francisco area right now.

- I was born and raised in San Francisco.

- What, whereabout, what parts?

Neal: Noe Valley.

- Okay, yeah.

Neal: Yeah.

Jon: Uh, do you know where the Tri-Valley is?

- Yes.

Jon: I live there.

- Is that right?

Jon: Yeah.

So... Neal: That close all this time.

Jon: Not far at all.

Neal: [laughs] - Not far at all.

Neal: Wow.

I've never been one to, to, you know, express myself emotionally like that, um, but when I saw him, I knew... [laughingly] that's my kid.

That's my kid.

I'm grateful for finding out I have a son.

[laughs] - [emotionally] Happy.

♪ [crying] Oh man.

I always thought it was the kind of thing where it's, like, Jon doesn't get to feel happiness.

That's not his deal in life.

But I was wrong.

♪ [sniffles] ♪ Like, feeling this sense of joy, I don't know what that feels like.

This is the first time for me, you know?

I've had depression all my life, and it just locks me down.

It locks me down.

But, like, I have a dad who wants to be a part of my life, and honestly, dude, I can be done with the race right now.

I, I don't need the money.

'Cause I don't need it.

I have my dad, that's all I need, you know?

♪ [ding] Leah: Oh man.

Nolin: Huh.

Leah: Huh, I wonder.

♪ Nolin: When we got out of the car, I kinda had a feeling I knew who it was, just how smiley he was.

[laughs] Hey.

- Nice to meet you.

Nolin: You too.

I'm Nolin.

- I'm not, I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little nervous, but I've been looking forward to meeting you guys.

Especially you, especially you.

Nolin: And what's your name?

Man 2: Uh, Raul.

I'm your older brother.

- [laughs] - Wow.

♪ Being able to meet my brother for the first time and actually seeing him and knowing that it was true, it just seems natural.

It just seems right.

Like, we hadn't even been apart.

- Oh my goodness.

It's so surreal just seeing you in person.

- I know, you too.

Raul: It feels crazy.

Leah: It is crazy.

Nolin: How long have you known about me?

Raul: [sighs] I wanna say, like, a good six years now.

Nolin: Six years?

- Mm-hm.

- Since they adopted me, we've heard about an older brother, and just, I just got so much excitement 'cause then I was, like, wow, I get to, I hopefully get to meet an older brother, and so it's just special to me.

Leah: This was a really cool moment for me to watch because not only is it the first sibling on his mom's side that we've met, but it's also the only person we knew of besides his birth mom.

This person, like, came to life today.

Nolin: Right.

Leah: And it didn't disappoint at all, like, he's just very much welcoming and at home.

♪ Carolen: There it is.

Tia: [laughingly] I know.

Carolen: Perfect.

Tia: Right?

♪ Are you nervous?

Carolen: Yeah.

Tia: Me too.

♪ [car doors click] [doorknob clicks] ♪ - Hello.

Man 3: Hello.

- Hi, I'm Tia.

- I'm Carolen.

- My name is Vincent Swoape.

- Who are you related to?

- I'm related to you, Tia.

I'm your nephew.

- Hi.

Vincent: Hello.

♪ Tia: I have a nephew I've never had before, and I just wanted to hug him and tell him it's okay, and I'm thankful that he went out of his comfort zone to do this for me, and that means the world to me.

Vincent: Meeting this family member that I didn't know that I had, that's really exciting.

I don't know, it just, it just was really cool meeting, meeting a family member that you didn't know you had, like, that's my aunt, you know?

That's my dad's sister.

That is so cool.

♪ Carolen: I know that it's important for Tia to meet her nephew, to have younger family members, you know, to look up to her, for her to be a role model for, and especially to just, you know, mainly start a new journey.

- How was your trip?

Tia: It was long.

[laughs] Vincent: Yeah.

- But fun.

Vincent: Heck yeah.

- Yeah.

Vincent: Would you two like to come inside?

- Yes.

- Absolutely.

♪ Tia: I'm an auntie.

Carolen: You are.

[whoosh] Dan: Back in Athens, Georgia, Team Red desperately searches for their family's address.

Karen: We've had a very good day up until the drive here.

Thaddeus: Do you know where Savannah River Road is?

Karen: Savannah River Road.

Thaddeus: Savannah River Road.

- Savannah River Road is?

Thaddeus: We kinda lacked on the communication and positivity.

Okay, I'm... don't know where to go.

I kept on seeing a street, and at the last minute I said, Mom, we're going down this street.

- Wow.

Okay, here's Savannah River Road.

What's the address?

- And the house was actually down that street.

Karen: Here's 13, right here, 13.

Right here.

Park, park, park.

[ding] Thaddeus: Ultimately, we did make it to the house, and we found the address, and she is out there waiting for me.

Hello.

Woman 1: Hi.

Karen: Hi.

- My name is Thaddeus.

This is my mom, Karen.

- Hi, nice to meet you.

- I'm Lynee.

Thaddeus: Lynee?

Lynee: Yes.

- And how are we related?

- We are cousins.

- Cousins?

[laughingly] Hi!

How are you?

Lynee: I'm good.

- Oh my gosh, you're beautiful.

Lynee: You're beautiful too.

Thaddeus: [laughing] Lynee: I am Lynee, and I am Thaddeus' cousin.

Seeing him, it just, it made it, it-- I can't explain it.

It's like a comforting feeling.

It was just, like, perfect.

You gonna make me cry already.

Don't do that.

All: [laugh] Lynee: Hi, can I have some love too?

Karen: Oh, nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you too.

Thaddeus: You're beautiful.

Lynee: You're beautiful.

Thaddeus: So, cousin on what side?

Lynee: Your mom is my cousin, so your nama is my aunt.

- Really?

- Yeah.

I've known about you since I was able to know about everybody in the family, so since I was little I've known about you.

I'm your big cousin.

Lynee Ervin.

Thaddeus: How do you spell it?

Lynee: E-R-V-I-N. Thaddeus: What?

- Yeah.

- My last name is Ervin.

Lynee: E-R-V-I-N. - Yeah.

Lynee: Oh, that's cr-- Thaddeus: [laughs] How?

What?

Oh my gosh.

My biological cousin, Lynee, she and I share the same last name.

For me, that's my adopted name, so it's crazy that we share that bond even through names, which is amazing.

Lynee: Y'all ready to come inside?

Karen: Sure.

Thaddeus: Yes.

- Well, come on.

♪ Dan: After a life-changing afternoon, Jon begins to foster a relationship with his father, Neal.

Jon: So, um, what do you know about, uh, my mom?

- Uh, her name is Michelle Cook.

She's very down-to-earth.

- Mm-hm.

Neal: And we were together for a while.

I think back to that time, and she and I just used to run all over the city.

She and I had some good times, but her demons got the best of her.

Jon: Mm-hm.

- And... our... joint problems drove us apart.

- Mm-hm.

- I managed to beat some of my demons, and she just never has.

- Sure.

- I haven't seen her since.

Up until 2008 and my rescue, um, I just, I wasn't a pleasant person.

I would never have wanted to meet my son and inflict that upon him, you know, that lifestyle.

Now?

Completely different person.

Completely different.

And this is my life.

And now I get to share it with my son.

Jon: My dad displays a lot of authenticity, a lot of, like, brutal, brutal honesty.

Um, and that's something that I'm attracted to.

My mom, you know, if there's still substance abuse going on, um, things of that nature, I recognize that that's a big struggle, so for me to be introduced to my mom, um, it might not happen.

I know that dealing with her kids was always a traumatic thing for her.

Jon: Yeah?

- You know, um... - Yeah.

Neal: When she talks about her kids, you can tell that it's, it's... it tears her up.

- Mm-hm.

- You know?

But she knew in her heart of hearts that it was best because of the way that she and I were living at the time.

Unfortunately some demons are harder than others to get rid of.

- Yeah.

So, do you have any photos of mom at all?

Neal: I have a picture of her Facebook account.

I believe that that is the homeless shelter down by the bridge.

Other than that, when she and I were together, we thought everybody was nuts, something I remember.

- Sure.

Neal: You know?

- Yeah, no.

Neal: And you can see you have your mother's nose.

- I definitely have the nose.

Neal: [laughs] - Yeah.

I share the nose.

The hair, everything.

Looking at a picture of my mom's face for the first time, it was a little cut off, the photo, so she looks like me just a little bit.

But, um, you know, I also saw, like, the homelessness, addictions, um, and things of that nature, just things that can take a body by storm and, like, really take a grip on someone.

- I tried to find her, you know.

I did try and find her.

I went down there.

I have a couple of friends who know her and, you know, they hook up every now and again and hang out, but... nobody had seen her for a while.

Jon: Um, why did you try to find her?

- Myself, having been given this opportunity, I, I really think that it would be a shame if I couldn't find her and at least offer the opportunity to meet you.

- Yeah.

No, if possible, I would really like that, but... Neal: And I can't honestly tell you how she would react to it, but the Michelle I knew back then, if given that opportunity now, would definitely want to meet you, you know?

Jon: But, like, I have you, so... - Yeah.

- Yeah.

It's more than I ever thought I would ever get.

We had 20 years of catching up to do, and, you know, now he has me, and I have him.

Um, it's time for me to, you know, have that relationship with my dad because, you know, I don't have one right now, and I want one.

It feels good.

It feels good.

Yeah.

I really appreciate you taking the time to meet me.

You know, you didn't have to.

- Oh, yes I did.

Both: [laugh] Jon: I really appreciate it.

♪ Lynee: I have known of you since I was little.

Like, me and my cousin, we were kinda close, so I know about you.

So when I got the phone call that you were actually looking for us, you opened up some empty spots, so... - Wow.

- But you've always been in my heart.

I've always known about you, and I've always wanted this moment because our family is so small.

- Mm-hm.

Wow.

Today I met my cousin, and today marked the first day I met any cousin.

And for me, that is special because I am very close with my cousins back home, and [laughingly] this is gonna be great.

Lynee: I just wanna know how it was, like, you know, growin' up and stuff.

- How was my life?

Lynee: Yeah.

- Um...

Both: [laugh] Thaddeus: I was very fortunate to be in my mom's life.

She, she was a great mother.

She has sacrificed so much just for our little happiness.

Um, I'm an actor.

I've been acting since seven.

Lynee: Okay.

Thaddeus: Went to school for it.

I absolutely love it.

Lynee: Okay.

Thaddeus: Um, I love art.

I love to dance, sing.

- I dance.

I write poetry.

Thaddeus: You do?

Lynee: Mm-hm.

I used to draw.

I don't draw as much anymore, but I do poetry a lot.

- Wow, so the family's very creative.

Lynee: Yes.

Thaddeus: Wow.

Both: [laugh] Thaddeus: I'm hearing a lot of poetry, a lot of, um, art, a lot of dancing as well, singing.

- Yes, we are dancers.

This family, it runs in our blood.

Thaddeus: I think it's so amazing how people biologically can have so much in common.

We have this creative gene where we just love art.

Lynee: And what I want to do is open up a gym for dancing.

- Really?

That's awesome.

- My daughter wants to do majorette, and I actually train all ages.

- That's amazing.

Lynee: Yeah.

I plan on spending a lot of time with Thaddeus 'cause I've missed a lot of time, and he missed a lot of time, but we got a lot of catching up to do, so... ♪ Raul: I can't believe-- It's so surreal seeing you guys, like... - Been waiting for this for 20 years.

Leah: Do you remember how you found out about Nolin?

- I was in, I believe, eighth grade.

My mom called me, and I can tell that it was-- I guess she was having a bad day.

You know, she was crying a lot.

She told me how you're out there somewhere.

Back then, I asked her, like, you know, what happened, but I was young.

She was like, don't, don't worry about all that.

Just know that you have a brother out there.

Nolin: Right.

Raul: For, like, six years now, I've knew of him, and, you know, just thinkin' about, you know, havin' another sibling out there, you don't know where he's at, you don't know how he looks, you know, so it was just, it was a full-circle moment finally seeing him face-to-face, getting to hold him and hug him, and get to know how he was, and things like that.

Nolin: Awesome to hear that.

[chuckles] I was a topic in your household.

- Always, always.

Nolin: And I feel special.

Raul: You should.

- [chuckles] Just hearing about how I've always been in their, in their minds and in their hearts, that feeling is something that, that I hold close to me.

That's something that a lot of people want, and some people don't have.

Do we have any other siblings?

Raul: We do.

We have... four.

- Four other siblings.

Wow.

- Our brother just turned one on September 29.

Both: [laughing] Leah: That's so cool.

Raul: Yeah.

Nolin: Wow.

Just turned one.

Raul: Just turned one.

Nolin: So I'm the second oldest?

Raul: Second oldest.

Nolin: Wow.

To hear that I had a sibling just born, a baby boy, that's so exciting to me, and I can't wait to hold him and just, just to be with the rest of my younger siblings.

To know that I have siblings now that are younger as well, and then hear about an older brother, too, that dynamic is just exciting for me, 'cause I've never had that, so I can't wait to just show them love and just to get to know them.

- They're gonna be really excited to meet you, that's all I can say.

Nolin: Yeah.

- Very, very excited.

Nolin: Learning today that I have more brothers and sisters, I just, I was just instantly covered with joy, like, it felt, um, refreshing.

It felt right.

It felt good.

♪ [whoosh] Dan: In Crescent Lake, Oregon, Tia talks with her nephew, Vincent, about her brother, Mickel.

- The reason I'm here is to tell you about my dad, I guess.

Uh, he, he passed I wanna say, like, three or four years ago.

Uh, he drank himself to death.

Uh, he, he was in the military, and, uh, when he got out, he couldn't talk about a lot of the stuff that he did, and so he started drinking.

Tia: Oh.

Vincent: Yeah.

Tia: I'm sorry.

I wish I would've met, met Mickel, my brother, before he passed away, you know?

'Cause I think that I've missed out on meeting people that I could've actually met before they passed away.

Vincent: Mike had a really hard childhood growing up.

Uh, Linda and J, uh, were not spectacular parents, I guess you could say.

The story that I heard is that J was at a bar one day, and he was walking home, and he walked into the middle of the road, and he got hit by a bus.

Uh, and then one day Linda just up and left.

My dad basically had to raise his brothers, and, uh, eventually, eventually I'm pretty sure a CPS worker did come in, uh, and they all ended up getting sort of split apart.

But, yeah, he, he, he had a really, really hard upbringing.

Tia: Hearing someone else's story that's gone through childhood trauma, and then knowing that that's your story, and knowing that that's what could've happened to you, I'm not past any of it, so, you know, I understand.

Vincent: So this is, this is Mickel when he was a boy, yeah.

Tia: Okay.

Well, we definitely have the same hair.

Vincent: Yeah.

Tia: [chuckles] And the same nose.

Vincent: Yeah.

Tia: So... Carolen: He looks just like his dad.

- Right?

You, yeah, you definitely-- Carolen: The eyes, and... Vincent: Yeah.

Me and my dad's relationship was, it was volatile, extremely volatile at times.

Being his only son, I think that he really, he really saw a lot of himself in me, and think he didn't want me to end up like him, and so he was exceptionally hard on me.

But I loved him very, very much.

Even through all of his drinking, he was a really, really loving father.

He always had a full-time job, he always was trying to take care of his family.

He was just insanely love-- in love with my mom, and that, that's one of my favorite things about him.

Knowing that there was someone else, that he-- a sibling, I guess, you know, another sibling, I think, I think that that is something he would've, he would've liked to have known and been able to meet her.

I do wish that my dad were still alive, but it's really exciting to be able to, uh, connect with somebody, and I'm looking for a second chance at family.

It's, I think it's so cool that I have an aunt that I don't know about, because, you know, like, my dad's gone, Josh is gone, and I just, I want to be more connected with my Swoape side of the family.

I think it's awesome, and I, I'm so excited.

- Me too.

Vincent: Yeah.

- Definitely.

- Yeah.

Tia: Maybe that's why God took me on this journey, is to reunite this family that deserves to be a family, you know, and hopefully maybe I can be somebody that he can look up to, you know, that I can be there for him.

I really thank you for inviting me and meeting me, and, so, yeah.

♪ I'm an aunt.

[laughs] ♪ Dan: Night quickly approaches, which means a strike is about to be delivered.

But, for Teams Green and Black, a last-place finish would result in elimination.

- I have sweaty palms.

I mean, the stakes are high.

Tia: They are.

Nolin: We did have our bumps.

- Yeah.

- Um, we're not sure about the challenge.

- Right.

- I think it's a toss-up, 50/50.

Leah: Mm.

Carolen: I keep replaying the progress that the other teams are making in my head.

Tia: Right.

Carolen: So it makes me a bit nervous.

- They seem like they're doing better.

Thaddeus: All right, let's see how we did it.

[click] Dan: Welcome, teams.

It is not often that we have all four teams left in the race at this point in the race.

And yet, all four of you are here.

Congratulations.

Karen: Thanks, Dan.

Carolen, is it fair to say that you and barbecue sauce are not friends?

- [scoffs] It's-- ugh!

Ooh, it stinks so bad.

Mm.

No, Dan.

No thank you on the barbecue sauce.

I do not like it.

I do not believe that's a condiment that should exist.

Like, no.

I do not like barbecue sauce.

- [laughs] Team Blue, what was your favorite food, and what was your nemesis?

- My favorite food, it probably was the barbecue sauce.

I could tell you-- Nolin: [laughs] Jon: I could tell you what brand it was, too, just from the taste, um, just 'cause I like it so much.

- Oh, fair enough.

Well, there was a rumor goin' around that you guys were doin' some Dan impersonations in the cars today.

Thaddeus, Karen?

Thaddeus is crackin' up, so... Thaddeus: [laughing] Okay, this is, okay.

Three, two...

Welcome to Relative Race.

This season on Relative Race, we are starting at the beautiful Atlanta, Georgia.

- Wait a minute!

Do I do this?

And Team Red.

All: [laughing] Dan: Do I do that, guys?

- Dan, you, you pose with those... - [laughing] You-- you guys have got me now worried.

I actually go... [ding] All: [laughing] Kentrelle: That's even worse.

Dan: [laughs] Oh!

All right, guys.

The most important part of every day is the moment when you arrive at your relative's address.

So, Thaddeus, who was waiting for you?

- Today there was a beautiful woman waiting for me at the door, and it was... my cousin!

[laughs] - Hi.

Dan: Hi.

- I'm Lynee.

Dan: Lynee, you and Thaddeus have a strange twist of coincidence.

Thaddeus, she shares your adoptive name.

Lynee: And it's spelled the same and everything.

Thaddeus: Yup.

Dan: That's really cool.

Tia, who was waiting for you today?

- Dan, I got to meet my nephew.

Vincent: Hello.

Tia: This is Vincent, and he is the son of my full brother.

Dan: Oh, wow.

Tia: And he's no longer with us, but I got to meet Vincent, and so, I was really excited.

Dan: Nolin, on this day of discovery, who was waiting for you?

- Waiting for me tonight was my big brother.

- Hello.

Nolin: [indistinct] Raul: Nice to meet you.

Dan: Wow!

You have younger brothers, and now you have a big brother!

Nolin: Yes.

I didn't think I would meet any older brothers, but here we are.

Dan: Wow, that is so cool.

Nolin: Yeah, it is.

- Team Blue, yesterday was Kentrelle's day.

Today, it was all about you, Jon.

A very important day for you, I would imagine.

Who was waiting for you?

Jon: Yes, sir.

Um, today was a very special day.

Um, today I was gifted with the opportunity to meet my father.

Um, this is Neal.

And I've been waiting 20 years on it, so today, safe to say, was one of the best days of my life and I'll never forget it.

Never in my life will I ever forget it.

- Wow.

Jon, I am so happy for you right now.

So, so happy for you.

Oh, wow.

Dad, thanks for comin' on our show.

Neal: Thank you for having me.

And thank you for introducing me to my son.

Dan: We've never been involved with anything more satisfying than finding families and then putting them together with those that are searching for them.

And again, Jon, congratulations.

So happy for you.

- Thank you, sir.

I appreciate you.

Dan: Absolutely.

It's now time to find out who finished in first, and who will pick up a strike.

As a reminder, Team Black and Team Green, you both have two strikes.

♪ Team Red and Team Blue, you each have a single strike.

Perhaps the most important thing to point out on this day is whoever finishes in first receives immunity tomorrow.

Finishing only one minute over their allotted time, congratulations Team Green.

Nolin: Let's go!

- Oh my goodness.

- Woo!

Dan: Only three minutes behind Team Green, four minutes over their allotted time, and safe for this day, congratulations to Jon and Kentrelle, Team Blue.

And so it comes down to Team Black and Team Red.

Team Black, you went to the wrong city, and you struggled at your challenge.

Team Red, your difficulties throughout your time on the road might go down as legendary.

In the end, one of you finished eight minutes over your allotted time, and the other finished eighteen minutes over their allotted time.

♪ Finishing eight minutes over their allotted time and remaining in the race is Team Black.

Tia: [quietly] Oh!

Dan: Team Red, you finished eighteen minutes over your allotted time.

You have picked up your second strike on Relative Race.

For all of you, what a great day.

A day of family discoveries, important days each and every one.

And I say this to all of you.

Thanks for being on this journey and allowing us to be a part of it.

Tomorrow is another great day waiting for all of you on Relative Race.

Good night, everybody.

All: Good night.

- No more Dan impersonations!

All: [chuckling] - Can't promise that.

- [laughs] Thaddeus: How are you feeling?

- Well, we got our second strike.

- Mm-hm.

- We can't afford another one.

- No, we cannot.

Nolin: We did it.

We did it.

Raul: Good job.

Leah: Thank you.

Nolin: Immunity.

Leah: Oh, man.

- That feels good.

- That was awesome.

Carolen: Well, we did not get another strike.

- Our third strike.

- However, we still gotta bring the heat.

It's two strikes.

- Yep.

- One more and we're out.

Jon: It was an absolute honor to get to introduce you.

Neal: Ah, I look forward to continuing to get to know you.

Jon: Oh, you have no idea.

No idea.

♪