From the brilliant MR:
The Amazing Race is in its 15th season and may be the best reality show on T.V. Twelve teams race around the world in a scavenger-hunt-like race with a limited amount of money, no phone, and no idea what they’ll be up against next.
At the end of almost every show there is a “Pit Stop” where the teams meet up with host Phil Keoghan. The first team to arrive gets a prize, and the last team gets eliminated. The remaining teams get approximately 12 hours of mandatory rest before learning where the next leg of the race will take them.
Scattered between destinations the teams perform tasks that can slow them down for moments or hours, depending on a particular team’s abilities, patience, and pure dumb luck. Prior tasks included bungee jumping, counting thousands of objects perfectly, learning a country’s traditional dance to an instructor’s satisfaction, eating huge amounts of food (sometimes raw meat or bugs), putting together tricky puzzles, or finding a hidden object within piles and piles of other objects. Sometimes a single team can complete a “Fast Forward” for the privilege of skipping all other tasks to be first to the leg’s Pit Stop. Prior seasons’ Fast Forwards have required teams to shave their heads or get tattoos (the permanent kind).
The contestants fight (with other teams and with their own partners), cry, scream, and get frustrated, scared, lost, and sick while missing flights, losing sleep, and dealing with language barriers and idiot cab drivers. Teams lie to, hide from, and form allegiances with other teams in their quest to be team number one at the final Pit Stop where first place earns $1 million.
The teams:
Herbert “Flight Time” and Nathaniel “Big Easy” (SL) are Harlem Globetrotters who claim their biggest strength is that they’ve traveled to over 65 countries with the Globetrotters, although they admit using handlers to check into hotels and make all their reservations. They claim “Flight Time” hasn’t lost a game in 10 years and “Big Easy” hasn’t lost one in over 4-5 years—someone should tell them that the Washington Generals are paid to lose every game to the Globetrotters.
Mika and Caanan (CS) are singer/songwriters from Nashville. Originally from Hazard, Kentucky, coal miner’s daughter Mika looks/acts like a Carrie Underwood wannabe and admits that she is “not a great swimmer,” and fears water so much that she’s bringing hot pink floaties on the race. She’s also “hoping to God” that there’s no bungee jumping. The couple has been dating for only a couple months. I predict Caanan, age 26, will be carrying this team while she does a lot of crying.
Meghan and Cheyne (pronounced Shane) (KCoo & AM) met in elementary school on the tetherball court, have been friends since, and began dating in college. They claim they aren’t afraid to “stab the other teams in the back.” Both are athletic. They say Meghan is high strung, Type A, and detail oriented. Cheyne’s credo is “We’ll figure it out when we get there.” They’ve never traveled together, so with these different personalities, it could get interesting. And if there’s a tetherball challenge, watch out!
Garret and Jessica (JE) are dating off and on, which means they’ll have conflict. Jessica is half Columbian, both speak Spanish, they met in Barcelona, and they’ve traveled a lot in South and Central America. They could be a good team, or they could be at each other’s throats. Garrett doesn’t like to miss sleep or meals and he’s bad with maps, but he’ll handle the physical tasks, and eat anything disgusting. Jessica is afraid she’ll let her emotions overrun herself.
Ericka and Brian (SCan & GB), a married couple, say this will be the honeymoon they never had. Brian also wants to prove to his mother-in-law that he’s here to stay because she hasn’t accepted him 100% yet—I guess nothing says commitment like the Amazing Race?!. They say they’re opposites, but the only examples of that they gave on their video was that he’s white, she’s black, he’s male, and she’s female. Ericka, a former Miss America, wants to shed her beauty queen persona. They claim they’ll “play clean,” but “we’re not dumb.”
Marcy and Ronald (KCar), the oldest couple, are dating and met online. Marcy normally likes long-haired rocker types and Ron is a balding stock trader, but she contacted him because his screen name was “Harmonic Ron” and she plays the harmonica. Their video could be an E-Harmony commercial if the race doesn’t work out. Anyway, after her psychic gave her the okay, Marcy gave Ron a chance. Ron is admittedly nerdy and says “Be Sixty and Sexy.” Marcy has a knack for languages and speaks French, Italian, and Spanish, and knows phrases in Chinese, Russian, and Arabic.
Zev and Justin (KM & MO) are friends aged 26 and 30 who met when both were summer camp counselors. Zev says Justin’s strength and weakness is his aggressiveness. Justin says Zev, who has Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism) has a steel trap memory, but doesn’t have a filter when speaking his mind, which may get him into trouble. Zev has a tough time with strangers and social situations. They agree their team will make for “good t.v.”
Maria and Tiffany (AS & BH) are friends and professional poker players aged 26 and 25. They believe playing and traveling on the high-stakes, male-dominated poker circuit will be an advantage to helping them become the first all-female-team winner of the race. They’ve watched lots of prior races and learned to drive stick shifts in preparation. Maria speaks Chinese, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Tiffany knows sign language, but doubts it will help, but says they both can speak in body language and batting eyelashes.
Dan and Sam (MR) are small-town Missouri brothers. They are both gay and Christian and want to get the word out that you can be both. However, they want to trick other teams into thinking they are straight so they can flirt with the girls and create problems for other teams. They think they’ll probably struggle with each other and claim they will bring “a lot of fun and deception” to the race.
Gary and Matt (DS) are a father/son team. Gary admits to being conservative, while Matt has pink hair, piercings, and tattoos. They claim their biggest hurdle will be Gary giving up control and taking advice from Matt. If they win, Matt wants to buy a motor home and travel around the country, but Gary said Matt should pay off his student loans first. Gary would buy a new tractor with his winnings. The pair have spent more time together preparing for the race than ever before and have given up caffeine so they won’t need it on the race.
Lance and Keri (KA) are engaged. Lance, a trial lawyer, says he’s aggressive by nature and that, just like in his job, he’ll be a “deceiver not a liar.” Keri is more laid back. Lance says their obstacle will be his selective hearing. Lance talked over Keri during the whole interview. Lance says Keri is emotional. Keri says she’s not but Lance only listens to her when she yells. They will be entertaining.
Eric and Lisa (SCoo) have been married, divorced and remarried to each other. They are both yoga instructors and recovering addicts and alcoholics. They want to learn more about each other on the race. Eric would specifically like to learn that Lisa has learned to read maps. Eric says they will bring to the show passion, fire, smarts, shiftiness, lovemaking, nudity, praying, chanting, singing, and pranks. What???
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