“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

That was my reaction last night when Phil told Matt & Michelle that they had been eliminated from the race.

Now, to be clear, it was pretty obvious from the minute that Matt & Michelle got lost while trying to find the detour that they would be the last team to arrive. They spent so much time searching for the market that almost all of the other teams got an almost insurmountable lead on them. The Double U-Turn didn’t help, but I think, even without the U-turn, Matt and Michelle would have struggled to catch up. That’s actually one of the things that I like about The Amazing Race. Even the strongest team can have a bad day and get lost. Unlike a show like Big Brother, where it’s pretty obvious that production always tips the scales for certain players, The Amazing Race is a show where sometimes it really does all come down to luck.

That said, I don’t agree with doing two Double U-turns in a row. Erin & Javi U-turned Matt & Michelle, even though they knew Matt & Michelle were running far behind. Anne-Marie & Riley U-turned Daisha & Dalton because Little Miss Let’s Help Each Other is still crying because Daisha & Dalton didn’t share the solution to a roadblock in Albania. When Christie & Colin ran the race back in Season 5, they refused to U-turn anyone, and it’s one reason why they’re one of my favorite teams. I’m not a fan of kicking people while they’re down.

This episode felt like it was all about kicking Matt & Michelle while they were down. From the constant shots of the other teams chortling over Matt & Michelle being in last place to Phil once again reminding us that it’s been a long time since a team of two women has won The Amazing Race, one got the feeling that the show’s producers failed to predict that most viewers would prefer the unapologetically competitiveness of Matt & Michelle to the forced plastic positivity of Anne-Marie and Riley. At the Pit Stop, Anne-Marie pointed out that no mother-daughter team had ever won before. I’d love it if a mother-daughter team won. My mom and I used to joke about trying out for the show together, and we really should have because America would have loved my mom. But I would prefer that the first mother-daughter team to win not be made up of two totally annoying fakes who have spent the entire race begging other teams to help them.

(As soon as I saw that the teams were going to have to take part in a martial arts exhibition to receive their next clue, I said, “Riley’s going to brag about being an expert.” Two minutes later, Riley bragged about being an expert. Did you know Riley was a Marine? She tells us that every episode. I had no idea that the Marines did so many photo shoots.)

One final note: I would be happy to see a new rule put in place that teams cannot share answers with each other. It makes for boring television.

So, with Matt & Michelle gone, here is where we stand at the end of the eighth leg.

Anne-Marie & Riley came in first. I am so sick of these two, but you probably already guessed that. When Riley asked Javi to let her and her mom have first place, I nearly threw a shoe at the TV.

Erin & Javi came in second. Good for them. They’re growing on me.

Conner & Garrett came in third. With Matt & Michelle gone, these two are my new favorites. As opposed to Anne-Marie and Riley, their positivity feels genuine.

Daisha & Dalton came in fourth. I actually like these two, but the other teams seem to have it out for them. I’m just hoping that Anne-Marie & Riley get eliminated first.

Ali & Joanna came in fifth. They’re a good team, but they always seem like they should be stronger than they are. I’d probably like them more if they hadn’t taken a knee during our national anthem. If you can’t stand up for America, I really can’t root for you.

Anuar & Andrea came in sixth. This wasn’t a great showing for them, but with Matt & Michelle so far behind, it really didn’t matter.

Matt & Michelle came in last and were eliminated. They got lost and never recovered. They were still the best team this season.

Next week, I’ll be hoping for the best for Conner & Garrett. With the strongest team no longer in the race, it’s time to root for the most likable team.