One thing about The Amazing Race is that you can always tell when Phil dislikes a team.

As of last night, Matt and Michelle have now finished first for two weeks in a row. Last week, Phil could barely force a smile at the sight of them. This week, he seemed downright indifferent to them. Phil also was clearly not happy when Daisha and Dalton arrived in second place. Their sin was apparently not helping Riley and Ann-Marie at the Detour.

Phil likes the teams that help each other out, and I imagine that he really likes Riley and Ann-Marie. Myself, I’m a little bit tired of Riley and Ann-Marie. I’m sure that they’re nice people, and I was happy that Riley took the time to let Anuar know what he was doing wrong at the first Roadblock. (If she hadn’t, Anuar would have been there all day.) But Riley and Ann-Marie both tend to be a little self-righteous and preachy, and I get a little bit tired of them going on about how important it is that everyone help each other (especially since that usually translates to “everyone needs to help us”).

This leg saw the teams traveling to Albania. This was the first time that the Race went to Albania, and it really did look like a lovely country. Matt and Michelle pretty much spent the entire leg in first place. By being the first to arrive at each Roadblock, they were in “the Driver’s Seat,” which means they got to determine how difficult each Roadblock would be for each team. Needless to say, this didn’t make them popular with the other racers, but seriously, what were Matt and Michelle supposed to do?

At the first Roadblock, teams had to harvest and grind a certain amount of grapes. Matt and Michelle publicly assigned 50 pounds to themselves, Ann-Marie & Riley, and Erin & Javi; 75 pounds to Conner & Garrett, Dafina & Saran, and Daisha & Dalton; and 100 pounds to Ali & Joanna, Anuar & Andrea, and Doug & Dylan. The only thing I really disagree with there is assigning 100 pounds to Doug & Dylan. That did feel mean. I would have assigned 100 pounds to Ann-Marie and Riley because they’re the stronger team.

At the second Roadblock, teams had to roll out dough for a pastry. (I would have sucked at this challenge, but my sister would have kicked its ass!) Matt and Michelle publicly assigned eight pastries to themselves; twelve pastries to Ann-Marie & Riley, Dafina & Saran, and Doug & Dylan; and sixteen pastries to Ali & Joanna, Anuar & Andrea, Conner & Garrett, Daisha & Dalton, and Erin & Javi. Erin struggled with this Roadblock, to the extent that she and Javi probably would have been eliminated if not for Dafina & Saran getting lost on the way to the Pit Stop.

Here’s how everyone finished last night:

1st — Matt and Michelle. Phil and the other teams may not like them, but Matt and Michelle are a strong team. Matt pretends to be goofy, but in his way, he’s just as ruthless as Michelle.

2nd — Daisha and Dalton. They came on strong during this leg of the race. As for them not sticking around to help Ann-Marie and Riley… hey, it’s a race. You don’t get an extra trophy for being nice.

3rd — Conner and Garrett. I never thought that Conner and Garrett would become my favorite team, but they have. They’re good-natured, they work well together, and unlike some people, they can be nice without feeling the need to brag about it.

4th — Ann-Marie and Riley. I’ve said all I need to say about them this week.

5th — Ali and Joanna. The soccer players finally used their Express Pass and still only managed a fifth-place finish. They’re a good example of a team that’s strong but somehow still not as strong as they should be.

6th — Doug and Dylan. Doug and Dylan actually did better than they usually do during this leg. They moved up from 9th to 6th, despite being targeted by Matt and Michelle.

7th — Anuar and Andrea. Anuar and Andrea struggled this week. First, Anuar didn’t understand how to grind the grapes. Then they got lost and ended up arguing with each other. Still, they avoided elimination.

8th — Erin and Javi. Erin and Javi narrowly avoided elimination this week. They’re going to need to pick things up a little because, other than when they use their Express Pass, they’ve struggled in almost every leg.

9th — Dafina and Saran. Dafina and Saran came in ninth and were eliminated. I knew it was going to happen eventually, but I was still sorry to see them go. They were a team that never gave up and worked well together.

Next week, the Race continues in Albania. Conner and Garrett still have their Express Pass, so I imagine they’ll use it at some point during the sixth leg, which is the last leg in which it can be used. Everyone else is going to have to depend on their own skills to make it to the Pit Stop in time to avoid elimination.

I really thought it was going to be a non-elimination leg.

With last week ending on a cliffhanger, I was certain that this week’s episode would open with either Doug and Dylan or Jodie and Jenn reaching the pit stop and Phil saying, “You are the last team to arrive. Fortunately, this is a non-elimination leg and you are still in the race….”

Instead, Jenn and Jodie showed up last and were promptly eliminated. Despite all of the attempts to use the magic of Amazing Race editing to make it look like they were neck-and-neck with Dylan and Doug, it seems pretty obvious that Jodie and Jenn were doomed by the jug-smashing roadblock. The lesson of their elimination? Don’t waste your express pass.

As for the rest of this episode, the teams remained in Morocco and had to complete three fairly tough tasks before they could move on to the Pit Stop. There are three teams that still have express passes: Michelle & Matt, Conner & Garrett, and Ali & Joanna. Interestingly, none of them used their express pass during this episode. All three of them appear to be saving it until they really need it. The express pass is only good for the next two legs of the race.

How did everyone do during this leg of the race? Let’s take it by the order they finished in:

Coming in first were Matt & Michelle. These two have developed a technique that works for them. Matt is laid back while Michelle yells at him. They purposefully declined to help any of the other teams. Personally, I think that was a smart move on their part. (It’s a race, after all.) That said, Phil sounded notably unenthusiastic when they were the first to show up. Phil always seems to dislike the teams that don’t help out.

Coming in second, for the second leg in a row, were Anuar and Andrea. They managed to come in second despite not having an express pass. I was pretty dismissive of this team when the season started, but I’m starting to think they might be dark horse contenders to make the final three.

Coming in third were Erin and Javi. After finishing seventh and eighth during the previous legs, Erin and Javi came on strong during the fourth leg. With them, it’s just a question of consistency. Can they keep finishing strong?

Coming in fourth were Daisha and Dalton. They had a good leg but, much as with Erin and Javi, it’s still a question of consistency. Did they get lucky or have they finally found their rhythm? We’ll see next week.

Coming in fifth were Conner & Garrett. Conner and Garrett have been a consistently strong team, despite the fact that they haven’t had a first-place finish yet. They’ve still got their express pass and they’ve got a good attitude. For all the nonsense about the Boss Lady Alliance (which, for the most part, seems to be an alliance where everyone helps Anne-Marie and Riley while Anne-Marie and Riley don’t help anyone else), it’s interesting that both Ali & Joanna and Dafina & Saran said that they wanted to work with Conner & Garrett.

Coming in sixth were Dafina and Saran, who burned off their Roadside Assistance advantage and really didn’t finish any stronger as a result. Dafina and Saran’s main strength is that they work very well together. In many cases, that’s the best advantage you can have in the race. But they’re going to need to break free from the bottom of the pack at some point.

Coming in seventh were Riley and Anne-Marie. I really can’t stand Riley and Anne-Marie. Everything about them just strikes me as being fake. Mostly, I’m just tired of them expecting everyone to “work together” at the roadblocks and detours. As Dafina & Saran learned, working together means that everyone helps Riley & Anne-Marie but Riley & Anne-Marie don’t help anyone else. For all of their “we’re strong, badass women” talk, their only strong finish was due to using the express pass.

Coming in eighth were Ali and Joanna. They’re strong and competitive, even if they did struggle during this leg. Conner and Garrett have made an alliance with them. I don’t know if I could be in an alliance with someone who won’t even stand for the national anthem. If you can’t be loyal to your country, why would you be loyal to me?

Coming in ninth were Dylan and Doug. I really like Dylan and Doug, but I’ve made peace with the fact that they probably won’t be around much longer.

Coming in tenth and last were Cody and Jaime. The siblings were amusing and I was touched by their desire to run the race for their mom. I’m sorry to see them go. This week, they just ran out of luck. Getting lost while carrying that carpet definitely did not help.

Next week, the racers finally leave Morocco and head to Albania! Judging from the previews, it looks like Anne-Marie & Riley are going to be upset because someone didn’t stick around to help them. I can’t wait.

“To be continued….”

Really, Amazing Race? We’re ending on a cliffhanger!?

Well, kind of. Watching last night’s episode, it seemed pretty obvious to me that this was going to be the first non-elimination leg of the season. When you’ve got a roadblock, a detour, and then an extra task that are all as difficult as the ones last night, it typically means that the leg is going to turn out to be a non-elimination leg. The first roadblock, for instance, was pretty much dependent on luck. (Jody and Jenn had some bad luck, and Jenn spent two hours smashing vases and searching for the next clue.) The detour involved either learning a difficult language or rolling a giant tiger through the desert. And then the extra task was designed to upset and frustrate the players. This was a leg designed to generate drama as opposed to an elimination.

I would also point out that the fourth leg also appears to take place exclusively in Morocco. So my feeling is that whenever Dylan and Doug or Jody and Jenn reach the Pit Stop, Phil will say, “You are the last team to arrive. However, you are still racing, and here is your next clue!”

Here’s where the teams stood at the end of the episode.

Ann-Marie and Riley, both of whom strike me as being a bit fake, are currently in first place. They used their Express Pass to get out of doing the fruit stacking.

Anuar and Andrea are in second, mostly because they used their Express Pass to get out of doing the detour.

Ali and Joanna are in third place, and they still have their Express Pass. They’re doing well, but it’s hard for me to root for anyone who took a knee during the National Anthem.

Connor and Garrett are in fourth place and still have their Express Pass. After struggling last week, they came on strong this week.

Cody and Jaime are in fifth place. They seem to be getting stronger as the race goes on.

Michelle and Matt went from second to sixth place. They seem to be a good, middle-of-the-road sort of team.

Dafina and Saran are in seventh place. Dafina and Saran have achieved some good karma by helping out some of the other teams. They also received the Roadside Assistance Advantage, which means that both of them can work together on a roadblock if it is used. (Usually, only one player is allowed to do the roadblock.)

Erin and Javi are in eighth place. It looks like their earlier first-place finish was pretty much entirely due to using their Express Pass, because they’ve been struggling ever since.

Daisha and Dalton are in 9th place. They really need to have a good leg to break their cycle of finishing in the back.

Finally, Dylan and Doug and Jody and Jenn are competing for 10th and 11th place. Dylan and Doug did surprisingly well at the Detour, but then, when they had to stack the fruit, Dylan seemed to be letting his frustration get the better of him. As for Jody and Jenn, I’m sure they spent this leg regretting that they wasted their Express Pass in Madrid.

“The last team to arrive may be eliminated!” Phil said, but I don’t think that’s going to happen to either Dylan and Doug or Jody and Jenn, at least not at this Pit Stop. The fourth leg, though, will be a whole different story.

We’ll find out next week!

For the record, here are the three teams who still have Express Passes: Ali and Joanna, Connor and Garrett, and Michelle and Matt. They’ve only got two more legs left before they expire.

Up until I checked the schedule to see whether or not the Big Brother finale was going to be two hours, I didn’t realize that CBS was going to be airing the second leg of The Amazing Race on Friday. Since I already had something else planned for Thursday night, I didn’t get a chance to watch the latest episode of The Amazing Race until this morning.

I was really happy about the second leg taking place in Madrid. My maternal grandmother was born in Spain and came to the United States after World War II. (Growing up, I was usually the only girl in any of my classes who knew who General Franco was.) I love Spain, even if it is currently being governed by a smug Socialist.

My sister Erin Nicole and I often joke about trying out for The Amazing Race and I think we would have done well during this leg. I would have let her do the Roadblock with the tomatoes. We definitely would have been able to tell the difference between Puerta del Sol and Puerta del Sur. I would have totally dominated the Slice of History detour. Along with the fact that our grandmother was born in Spain, I’ve got a degree in art history and I’m a big history nerd in general. I would not have needed to ask the locals who Picasso was and who Dalí was. We would have made it to the pit stop without having to use the express pass and I totally would have hugged Phil when he said that we were team number one.

I rolled my eyes a bit when Ann-Marie and Riley decided to form the Boss Lady alliance with Ali & Joanna, Jody & Jenn, and Dafina & Saran. I always cringe whenever the people on this show, Big Brother, or Survivor try to do the “all-girls alliance” thing because it always starts with everyone going, “Girl power!” and it always ends with people getting mad over the pettiest of things. We saw some of that during last night’s episode, when Ali ignored Dafina at the roadblock. I also noticed that, for all the talk of women supporting other women, they didn’t bother to invite Katie & Charlotte to join the alliance. In truth, The Amazing Race is not a game that really benefits from alliances. I can think of one season in which an alliance really worked and most of the viewers hated that season because the alliance members were all so unlikable.

(Interestingly enough, Ann-Marie and Riley also suggested that all of the players doing the Slice of Ham roadblock should work together as well. Ann-Marie’s definition of working together appears to be that everyone else should do all the work while she benefits. If I seem to have issues with Ann-Marie, it’s just because I can imagine her being the passive-aggressive HOA president from Hell. Of course, if I was actually running the Race, I would want to get Ann-Marie eliminated because there’s only room for one Marie.)

In the end, the main lesson of this week’s episode was to always make sure that you’re on the right train. Katie and Charlotte got on a train going to Puerta del Sur instead of Puerta del Sol and it basically led to their elimination.

Here are my thoughts on how each team is looking after this leg.

Coming in first were the soccer players, Ali and Joanna. Ann-Marie and Riley really want to work with the soccer players but I never really got the feeling that Ali and Joanna really wanted to work with them. Ali and Joanna are too competitive for that. I personally would not enter into an alliance with Ali. It’s hard for me to trust someone who won’t stand up for her own country’s national anthem.

Coming in second were Michelle & Matthew. Michelle and Matthew are a strong team, even if Michelle did go a little bit overboard while yelling at Matthew during the Roadblock. So far, they’ve finished 3rd and 2nd and they’ve done it without wasting an express pass.

Coming in third were Cody and Jaime. Cody and Jaime used their express pass to get out of doing Slice of Ham. They seem like a strong team and I was touched by their backstory. I’m hoping for the best for them.

Coming in fourth were Ann-Marie and Riley. Initially, I liked the mother-daughter team but, after tonight’s episode, I just see them as being the type of neighbors who smile when they visit and then make fun of your furniture when they think you’re not listening.

Jody and Jenn came in fifth. They totally wasted their express pass to get out of doing the Slice of History detour. Jody said that, as a history teacher, she was embarrassed. She should have been. Seriously, I’ve got no respect for that team now.

Daisha and Dalton used their express pass to get out of doing the Roadblock and they still only came in sixth. If I were them, I would be worried.

Erin and Javi came in seventh. I actually liked Erin and Javi more during the second leg than I did the first. They work well together.

Coming in eighth were Anuar and Andrea. My main impression of them is that Andrea is one bad leg away from having a massive meltdown.

Conner and Garrett finished in ninth place. I was a bit surprised that they finished so far back. Conner and Garrett seem like a strong team, though. I expect they’ll be around for a while.

Doug and Dylan came in tenth. I like Doug and Dylan but they’ve really struggled and they no longer have an express pass. I don’t think they’re going to be racing for much longer.

Dafina and Saran came in eleventh. They were doing well until they hit the Slice of History detour. They no longer have an express pass but I think they’re still stronger than they seemed to be last night.

Finally, Charlotte and Katie came in last and were eliminated. They got on the wrong train and it cost them.

Six express passes have been used. The express passes are only good through the sixth leg. Here’s who still has them:

1. Ali & Joanna
2. Michelle & Matthew
3. Ann-Marie & Riley
4. Anuar & Andrea
5. Conner & Garrett

Next week, the teams head to Morocco and discover a whole new twist!

Previous Amazing Race 39 reviews

1. Sorry, Guys, We Used Our Express Pass

Of all the reality shows that we watched together, The Amazing Race was always my mom’s favorite. She enjoyed watching the racers as they traveled to different countries and struggled to make their way through new cities without getting eliminated. I’ve always enjoyed it too. If Big Brother is about getting production on your side and Survivor is about strategy, The Amazing Race is often about the importance of just being nice to the people that you meet on your travels. It doesn’t matter how athletic or clever you are. If you tick off your taxi driver by yelling at him, there’s a chance you won’t make it to the next Pit Stop in time to avoid being eliminated.

My mom also always liked Phil Keoghan, the Race’s longtime host. Just as Jeff Probst was once the perfect host for Survivor, Phil is the perfect host for The Amazing Race. Phil is earnest and enthusiastic and, unlike both Probst and Julie Chen Moonves, he seems to actually have a sincere investment in each team of racers. When a team does their best and still gets eliminated, Phil is there to offer comfort. When a team does something sneaky to get to the Pit Stop, Phil is there with a look of disappointment to let them know that they’ve failed to live up to the mission of The Amazing Race.

I think my mom would have enjoyed last night’s season premiere. I know I did. At a time when every long-running reality show is piling on twist after twist, The Amazing Race has thrived by keeping things simple. Even when a twist is introduced, it’s usually a fairly straightforward one. This season, every team is starting out with an Express Pass. The Express Pass can be used only once, and it can only be used through the sixth leg. Also, only one team can use an Express Pass per challenge. So, if the team ahead of you uses their Express Pass to get out of doing a Roadblock, you can’t then use your Express Pass to catch up with them. It’s not a bad idea and, by giving all 13 teams a pass, the show keeps things fair. (That’s the sort of thing that Big Brother has still not figured out how to do.)

The first leg took place entirely in Vancouver and, by the end of it, three teams had already used their Express Pass. Erin and Javi used their Express Pass to get out of the season’s first Roadblock. (Personally, I think they’re going to regret using it that early in the season, especially when they probably could have done the Roadblock fairly easily.) Because the Detour featured two tasks to choose from, two teams were able to use their Express Passes. Dylan and Doug used their pass because Doug was exhausted after the Roadblock. Dafina and Saran used their pass because they realized they were running behind.

Here are my thoughts on each team, in the order in which they arrived at the Pit Stop.

Coming in first were Erin and Javi. Erin and Javi are newlyweds. Erin is the self-described “breadwinner” and Javi… well, who knows? Javi seems kind of useless. This team came on strong during this leg, but they’ve already wasted their Express Pass, and they seem like a couple that’s going to end up fighting as soon as they find themselves running behind.

In second place, we’ve got Conner and Garrett. They’re childhood friends! They both seem kind of obnoxious, but they still came in second without wasting an Express Pass, so I think they’re going to be around for a while.

In third place, it was Michelle and Matthew! Michelle owns an auto parts store, and Matthew says that he’s a former R&B singer. I actually think these two are going to do well in the Race. They both seem to be athletic, they worked well together, and they don’t seem to secretly hate each other like Erin and Javi do.

In fourth place, it was Doug and Dylan! Doug is 72 and his grandson Dylan is 18. I liked Doug from the minute he said, “Oh heck yeah,” during the Roadblock. That said, Doug was moving pretty slowly after that Roadblock, and they had to use their Express Pass to come in fourth. I’m hoping for the best for this wholesome team, but I’m not optimistic.

In fifth place, it was the sisters, Katie and Charlotte. I always support the sister teams because Erin Nicole and I often joked about trying out for The Amazing Race. Otherwise, they didn’t make a huge impression this episode. They seem like a middle-of-the-road team.

In sixth place, it was Anaur and his daughter, Andrea. This is another team that just seemed like they were kind of there. They finished right in the middle of the pack, so it’ll be interesting to see if they move up or if they start moving down.

In seventh place, Anne-Marie and Riley! Anne-Marie and Riley are the mother-daughter team. A mother-daughter team has never won The Amazing Race before, and I have a feeling that it’s not going to happen this season either.

In eighth place, Jody and Jenn! They’re best friends and they’re both moms. They didn’t make much of an impression otherwise. I don’t really see them sticking around for too long.

In ninth place, Dafina and Saran. They’re sisters and they seem nice. They had to use their Express Pass to come in ninth. That’s not really a reason for optimism, but it does seem like, every season, there’s a team that surprises the viewers by surviving a bad first leg and then becoming one of the stronger teams. It wouldn’t surprise me if that happened with Dafina and Saran.

In tenth place, Ali and Joanna. Phil introduced them as being “soccer royalty.” Sorry, Phil. The World Cup is over and I’m back to not caring about soccer. Ali was one of the players who took a knee during the national anthem, so I’m actively rooting for this team to be eliminated.

In eleventh place, we’ve got Cody and Jaime. They are a brother/sister team, and I don’t think they’re going to be around that much longer.

In twelfth place, we’ve got Daisha and Dalton, this season’s dating couple. Again, coming in next-to-last is never a good sign as far as the early legs of the Race are concerned. On the plus side, they’ve still got their Express Pass.

And finally, brothers Zack and Nate were the last to reach the Pit Stop, and they were the first to be eliminated. It’s a shame because they did seem nice, but they were also struggling from the start of the leg to the end of it. As soon as they got a lengthy profile about their lives back in Dallas, I knew Zack and Nate were probably going to be eliminated.

I’m happy The Amazing Race is back! Hearing Phil shout, “Go!” was exactly what I needed to hear. Tomorrow, the Race heads to Spain!