The Amazing Race is back, for the first time in crisp high definition. While I was not too thrilled initially to learn that the teams would be returnees — especially since they’re mostly from the past couple of seasons — I’m happy to say that I really enjoyed this first episode and some of my favorite teams are back to complete their “unfinished business.” The teams I’m rooting for are Margie & Luke, Mel & Mike (I interviewed Mike White for an article about the movie he wrote, School of Rock), Gary & Mallory, Justin & Zev and Kent & Vyxsin.
The race got off to a good start in what looked to be a freezing Palm Springs, where the teams had to race into the desert and figure out what Phil’s clue, “Queensland and Northern Territories Aerial Services,” meant. I don’t know about you, but I just learned that QANTAS was an acronym. Some teams figured it out pretty quickly, and others struggled. The twist to this challenge was that the first team got an Express Pass (yay, Margie & Luke!) and the last team got an automatic U-Turn at the first Detour (sorry Kris & Amanda).
The first eight teams also got a 90-minute head start on the flight to Australia but a medical emergency caused that flight to divert to Honolulu, putting them behind the second flight. I can’t be certain, but I’m pretty sure that’s the first time a medical emergency involving a passenger not part of the race caused a flight to be delayed. Pretty scary stuff, but hopefully the gentleman is okay.
In Australia, the teams had to swim with sharks and stingrays to find a compass which would help them decipher the next clue. Poor Vyxsin was having a hard time managing her breathing, and I can totally sympathize with her. If you’ve never been scuba diving or even snorkling before, trying to breathe underwater — even with the apparatus — can be quite a difficult thing to do. I panicked the first time I went snorkling and I was just floating on top of the water, so I can only imagine what Vyxsin was feeling. But she pulled through and did herself proud.
I hope that what followed isn’t an indication of how things are going to go for the rest of the race though. Half the teams sped through the last clue, which required them to decipher rows of flags based on the letters on the compass and form two sentences. All of the teams managed to get the first part of the clue, which was the location of where they were to deliver the second part of the clue. Half the teams either missed a word or didn’t bother to finish and relied on other teams to help them. Zev & Justin helped Flight Time & Big Easy (and thank you, producers, for not playing the Harlem Globetrotters theme every time they are on camera), but refused to help Margie & Luke and Jaime & Cara (Ron & Christina eventually helped them while Margie gave Kent & Vyxsin the answer). It’s nice to help your fellow racer, but this is a game for a million dollars! I hope that the teams will realize they have to stop and read clues and actually complete tasks and not rely on their allies.
While I enjoyed pretty much everything on this leg of the race, my favorite part was seeing the looks on the teams’ faces as Phil told them at the Pit Stop that they were still racing. Most of them looked like they were going to start crying, and Mallory (who came in first with her dad) was so in shock that she wanted to stop and have a conversation with Phil even though he kept telling her to get going. That was pretty funny. And what of Jet & Cord? After three attempts, Jet still hasn’t gotten the second part of the clue right and has not been able to move on to the Pit Stop. They’re in last place so no one else can help them. Is all hope lost for them?
To Be Continued…
Clacked by Chuck Duncan 
on Feb 21, 2011 @ 00:05 EST5EDT
*POST AUTHOR*
Correction about the Express Pass: Gary & Mallory won for being the first team to check in at the Pit Stop, not Margie & Luke.
I thought Gary & Mallory had no business being brought back (whose favorites were they? not mine! and they didn’t even make it that far), so I was surprised to see them in the front of the pack. Only I suppose they weren’t, really, just that they benefited from the medical emergency on the plane that was supposed to be in front. Anyway, I’m opposed to anything that keeps them around longer. I found them dull compared to a normal group of contestants, much less these all-stars. I’m also not really a fan of Amanda & Kris, or the cheerleaders. Anyone else I’m cool with. I hope Jet & Cord can rally after this early pratfall, because they should have won their season. It was weird seeing Zev & Justin bail out the Globetrotters so thoroughly, but I guess they can do what they want to do. I really doubt Flight Time & Big Easy will return the favor if it comes up, even though I do enjoy watching them.
*POST AUTHOR*
I liked Gary and Mallory last season, but the constant praying is a bit much. I’m sure God has better things to do than help someone win The Amazing Race! Jet & Cord, I liked during their season but then afterwards Jet had said some not very nice things about the gay contestants during his season (Carole & Brandy and Jordan), so that’s not cool in my book.
I’m still pulling for Jet & Cord despite what they said afterwards. Carole, Brandy, & Jordan were some of the most annoying and horrible people on the race in recent years. They were an awful representation of the gay community and an embarrassment for their actions and attitudes toward others. The way those 3 portrayed themselves throughout the race is nothing different than the way earlier seasons had the dominant, semi-abusive husbands and their wilted wives. Total trash!
*POST AUTHOR*
SD, criticizing their game play is one thing, but making derogatory comments about them because they’re gay is quite another (I thought Carole and Brandy came off as terrible people in general regardless of their sexual orientation). They may not have represented (or been portrayed – remember, the producers create heroes and villains through editing) themselves in a positive way, but calling someone a “f**” shouldn’t be tolerated or celebrated.