"The Amazing Race" giveth and "The Amazing Race" taketh away. Following a season that saw ratings drop on Fridays, "The Amazing Race" got a special Wednesday showcase after the "Survivor: Worlds Apart" premiere and with both long-running favorites instituting format twists this season, CBS was able to spare 90 minutes apiece for the two launches. Longtime readers know that I'm pretty insistent that you need to have at least a 90-minute premiere for "The Amazing Race," because the effort to establish 11 teams of 22 players while also giving the necessary exposure to navigating around international locations and for various challenges is almost impossible in only 60 minutes. I don't think "The Amazing Race" has ever had an entirely satisfying hour-long premiere. And the 90 minutes given to Wednesday's (February 25) "Amazing Race" premiere were enough to help me see some of the merit to the Blind Dating twist that gave us six teams of established couples,...
- 2/26/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Art Velez and J.J. Carrell won three Legs on this season of "The Amazing Race," coming in second behind Dave & Rachel's record-breaking eight Leg wins. Fittingly, Art & J.J. also found themselves coming in second for the season. However, when it came to stirring up trouble, nobody could top the two Border Patrol Agents. They fought with Rachel & Brendon over Team Big Brother's tendency to follow, rather than figuring things out for themselves. They fought with Nary & Jamie, after the federal agents attempted to pass themselves off as teachers. And they fought with Dave...
- 5/10/2012
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
The Amazing Race Review, Season 20, Episode 11
“It’s a Great Place to Become a Millionaire”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
In an unpredictable competition like The Amazing Race, it’s tricky to craft a final leg that provides a satisfying finish. The result often comes down to choosing the right taxi, which isn’t exciting for anyone but the winners. This season has included one of the most dominant teams in the show’s history. Dave and Rachel’s win this week isn’t surprising, but this is no cakewalk. The final leg includes difficult tasks that require both strength and skill. They even face a stunning rejection from Phil at the finish, but that only delays the victory. A directional mistake gives Art and Jj a great chance, which creates surprising tension. Despite their bickering, Dave and Rachel keep it together and roll through the final challenges for the win.
“It’s a Great Place to Become a Millionaire”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
In an unpredictable competition like The Amazing Race, it’s tricky to craft a final leg that provides a satisfying finish. The result often comes down to choosing the right taxi, which isn’t exciting for anyone but the winners. This season has included one of the most dominant teams in the show’s history. Dave and Rachel’s win this week isn’t surprising, but this is no cakewalk. The final leg includes difficult tasks that require both strength and skill. They even face a stunning rejection from Phil at the finish, but that only delays the victory. A directional mistake gives Art and Jj a great chance, which creates surprising tension. Despite their bickering, Dave and Rachel keep it together and roll through the final challenges for the win.
- 5/9/2012
- by Dan Heaton
- SoundOnSight
When Rachel and Dave accidentally skipped the Roadblock on The Amazing Race finale, first place seemed to be for the taking for Art Velez and Jj Carrell. The border patrol agents were already at the Hawaiian sledding and stone-tossing Roadblock and if Art could complete it, the finish line was next. Instead, they watched helplessly as Dave and Rachel arrived, finished the Roadblock and went on their $1 million-winning way. "Rachel asked me how long I had been there and I said about an hour," Art tells TVGuide.com. "She was like, 'Wow!' and then she completes it on her second try! I'm like, 'Are you kidding me?!'" Adding insult to injury: They lost to their mortal enemies, who backed out on their deal to U-Turn Brendon and Rachel. Get their take on the drama, their confrontation with Nary and Jamie and more.
Read More >...
Read More >...
- 5/8/2012
- by Joyce Eng
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Dave and Rachel Brown made history on The Amazing Race 20, claiming the $1 million for a franchise record eighth victory on Sunday's finale — but not before making some other dubious history. The married Army couple accidentally skipped a second Roadblock and arrived at the finish line, where they became the first team ever to be turned back by Phil Keoghan for not completing the final course. They managed to recover and officially win the Race. "Can we say we won it twice? I said on the show last night, we had eight and a half wins since we went there once," Dave tells TVGuide.com. "It was such a great feeling when we got back the second time knowing we did it correctly and realizing that we were still first." See what else they have to say about their win, what they're gonna do with the money, and their U-Turn drama with Art and Jj.
- 5/7/2012
- by Joyce Eng
- TVGuide - Breaking News
It would be impossible to fathom the emotional roller coaster that Rachel and Dave went on toward the end of "The Amazing Race" (Sun., 8 p.m. Et on CBS). They were looking to set a new record for legs won by taking their eight leg, and the million dollars. And they hit the finish line to the cheering of the eliminated contestants. However...
What a terrible time to find out that they'd missed a Roadblock! Even more shocking was when they went back to do it, Rachel quickly flew past Art on a Hawaiian sled and then just as quickly finished up the task. No one had ever been sent back from the Finish Line, but to get sent back and then come back and win it all anyway is nothing short of astonishing.
Art and Jj finally got it together after Brendan and Rachel arrived. They scored a second place finish,...
What a terrible time to find out that they'd missed a Roadblock! Even more shocking was when they went back to do it, Rachel quickly flew past Art on a Hawaiian sled and then just as quickly finished up the task. No one had ever been sent back from the Finish Line, but to get sent back and then come back and win it all anyway is nothing short of astonishing.
Art and Jj finally got it together after Brendan and Rachel arrived. They scored a second place finish,...
- 5/7/2012
- by Jason Hughes
- Huffington Post
It would be impossible to fathom the emotional roller coaster that Rachel and Dave went on toward the end of "The Amazing Race" (Sun., 8 p.m. Et on CBS). They were looking to set a new record for legs won by taking their eight leg, and the million dollars. And they hit the finish line to the cheering of the eliminated contestants. However...
What a terrible time to find out that they'd missed a Roadblock! Even more shocking was when they went back to do it, Rachel quickly flew past Art on a Hawaiian sled and then just as quickly finished up the task. No one had ever been sent back from the Finish Line, but to get sent back and then come back and win it all anyway is nothing short of astonishing.
Art and Jj finally got it together after Brendan and Rachel arrived. They scored a second place finish,...
What a terrible time to find out that they'd missed a Roadblock! Even more shocking was when they went back to do it, Rachel quickly flew past Art on a Hawaiian sled and then just as quickly finished up the task. No one had ever been sent back from the Finish Line, but to get sent back and then come back and win it all anyway is nothing short of astonishing.
Art and Jj finally got it together after Brendan and Rachel arrived. They scored a second place finish,...
- 5/7/2012
- by Jason Hughes
- Aol TV.
The 20th season of The Amazing Race came to a close this week and once again the show delivered a phenomenal final episode. Everything you could want in the ending of a reality television show was present: Difficult challenges, unpredictability, gaffes, arguing and awesome scenery – we got it all!
One downside, though, was that both the penultimate and finale were aired back to back. Normally I do not have a problem with two hours of The Amazing Race; the more the merrier. However, this week the second to last episode was not very interesting at all and felt completely disjointed from the final leg.
Though not her fault, Vanessa’s ankle injury from the previous leg ruined any drama for what is a normally exciting race to the final three. Once she and Ralph were forced to have her complete the Japanese game show Roadblock, they had no chance of catching up and avoiding elimination.
One downside, though, was that both the penultimate and finale were aired back to back. Normally I do not have a problem with two hours of The Amazing Race; the more the merrier. However, this week the second to last episode was not very interesting at all and felt completely disjointed from the final leg.
Though not her fault, Vanessa’s ankle injury from the previous leg ruined any drama for what is a normally exciting race to the final three. Once she and Ralph were forced to have her complete the Japanese game show Roadblock, they had no chance of catching up and avoiding elimination.
- 5/7/2012
- by tiaradio@hotmail.com (Luke Dwyer)
- TVfanatic
And the 20th season (yes, really!) of The Amazing Race comes to its exciting conclusion! The CBS reality show broadcast its season finale tonight, and one of the three remaining teams won the million-dollar prize (and bragging rights, too!). So which team won it all? FInd out now... The final three teams, Dave and Rachel Brown, Art Velez and J.J. Carrell and Brendon Villegas and Rachel Reilly, found themselves in Honolulu, Hawaii for the last leg of the competition. Their first task, rappelling to the top of Waterfront Towers before rappelling down again, caused Reilly to have a bit of a meltdown. After the next Road Block, which involved one team member shaving ice with a...
- 5/7/2012
- E! Online
For the finale of the 20th season of "The Amazing Race," Vanessa and Ralph took fourth place in the first hour and left Rachel and Dave Brown, Art Velez and Jj Carrell and Brendon Villegas and Rachel Reilly competing for the one million dollar prize in the final leg.
The final leg had the racers finishing up in Honolulu, Hawaii, where they got to rappel down the Waterfront Towers and then save a distressed swimmer (not a real distressed swimmer) in the ocean. Rachel Reilly of Team Big Brother has a meltdown after the rappelling task that doesn't quite end with her crying in the bushes, but it's still pretty great.
After the distressed swimmer challenge, Rachel and Dave get taken to the wrong next section of the race and they paddleboard across a huge lake to the finish line, where they run to the finish mat amidst the applause of the eliminated teams.
The final leg had the racers finishing up in Honolulu, Hawaii, where they got to rappel down the Waterfront Towers and then save a distressed swimmer (not a real distressed swimmer) in the ocean. Rachel Reilly of Team Big Brother has a meltdown after the rappelling task that doesn't quite end with her crying in the bushes, but it's still pretty great.
After the distressed swimmer challenge, Rachel and Dave get taken to the wrong next section of the race and they paddleboard across a huge lake to the finish line, where they run to the finish mat amidst the applause of the eliminated teams.
- 5/7/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Twenty seasons in and yet The Amazing Race still has the power to be one of the most nail-biting shows on TV. If this season unsatisfied some with its especially shrill, unlikable final four teams, it more than made up for personality deficiencies with sheer excitement. In tonight’s Hawaii-set finale, Army officer Dave and his wife Rachel reached the finish line first. They won, right? Wrong! They had completely skipped a Roadblock challenge, a bizarre task that was some kind of Hawaiian grass sledding, so they had to go back and start it from scratch. That meant Season 20 was officially anybody’s game.
- 5/7/2012
- by Christian Blauvelt
- EW.com - PopWatch
Don’t let any roadblocks, detours, or speed bumps prevent you from being on EW.com tonight at 9:00 p.m. Et/6:00 p.m. Pt because Phil Keoghan himself is going to chat live with you during the second hour of The Amazing Race’s season finale. He’s going to be adding his live commentary to everything that happens as Rachel & Dave, Vanessa & Ralph, Art & Jj, and Brendon & “Big Brother” Rachel face a Japanese game show and a lifeguard challenge in Hawaii, then race to the finish line of the 20th season.
Expect Vanessa to suggest “surgical enhancements” to “Big Brother” Rachel,...
Expect Vanessa to suggest “surgical enhancements” to “Big Brother” Rachel,...
- 5/7/2012
- by Christian Blauvelt
- EW.com - PopWatch
Don’t let any roadblocks, detours, or speed bumps prevent you from being on EW.com this Sunday at 9:00 p.m. Et/6:00 p.m. Pt because Phil Keoghan himself is going to chat live with you during the second hour of The Amazing Race’s season finale. He’s going to be adding his live commentary to everything that happens as Rachel & Dave, Vanessa & Ralph, Art & Jj, and Brendan & “Big Brother” Rachel face a Japanese game show and a lifeguard challenge in Hawaii, then race to the finish line of the 20th season. Check out a video sneak...
- 5/4/2012
- by Christian Blauvelt
- EW.com - PopWatch
The Amazing Race kicked off Season 20 with what Phil Keoghan called the "most bizarre Pit Stop." On Sunday (8/7c, CBS), the season will close with the series' "biggest shocker ever." For the first time, the team who arrives first at the finish line will be turned around for not completing a task correctly. "We were shocked as the viewers are gonna be," Keoghan tells TVGuide.com. "We were like, 'What just happened?' ... I couldn't believe it happened. Never have we had to tell the team that comes in first that they didn't win the $1 million. But it's good to know we can still have firsts 20 seasons in!" Of course, that team still has a chance to win if they can rectify their mistake at the Roadblock before the next team arrives.
So which team — married couple Dave and Rachel, Big Brother's Brendon and Rachel, border patrol agents Art and Jj,...
So which team — married couple Dave and Rachel, Big Brother's Brendon and Rachel, border patrol agents Art and Jj,...
- 5/4/2012
- by Joyce Eng
- TVGuide - Breaking News
In an "Amazing Race" season that has sometimes struggled to find teams worth rooting for, self-described Kentucky boys Mark Jackson and William "Bopper" Minton never had any trouble endearing themselves to viewers. Mark & Bopper were so immediately relatable and sympathetic and their enthusiasm for the experience of "The Amazing Race" was so contagious that at one point during the season, Art & Jj offered a chunk of a first place reward to Bopper, to assist his daughter. "The Amazing Race" isn't a show in which teams routinely give away their prizes, so that's not a gesture to take lightly....
- 5/2/2012
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
The Amazing Race Review, Season 24, Episode 10,
“I Need Hair to Be Pretty”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
Some of the best Amazing Race moments have shown players overcoming serious fears of heights, tight spaces, and even jumping into a pool. Seeing their thrilled reactions after overcoming these challenges is one of the reasons the show remains popular. In season seven, Uchenna and Joyce became fan favorites after she won the Fast Forward by getting her head shaved. His supportive reaction during and after the experience showed their tight bond. Thirteen seasons later, that challenge is back in a similar spot late in the season, but the results are much different. Brendon and Rachel could guarantee themselves a place in the final four by completing this task. This is the type of moment that could alter their status in the game and the eyes of viewers. He’s a...
“I Need Hair to Be Pretty”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
Some of the best Amazing Race moments have shown players overcoming serious fears of heights, tight spaces, and even jumping into a pool. Seeing their thrilled reactions after overcoming these challenges is one of the reasons the show remains popular. In season seven, Uchenna and Joyce became fan favorites after she won the Fast Forward by getting her head shaved. His supportive reaction during and after the experience showed their tight bond. Thirteen seasons later, that challenge is back in a similar spot late in the season, but the results are much different. Brendon and Rachel could guarantee themselves a place in the final four by completing this task. This is the type of moment that could alter their status in the game and the eyes of viewers. He’s a...
- 4/30/2012
- by Dan Heaton
- SoundOnSight
Despite winning the head-shaving Fast Forward on The Amazing Race, best friends William "Bopper" Minton and Mark Jackson became the second team in franchise history to get eliminated despite completing the Fast Forward. "We were too far back. We started three hours behind everyone else, so it was tough to make up even with the Fast Forward," Bopper tells TVGuide.com. "The Fast Forward just helped us finish the leg quicker." The self-professed ol' country boys from Kentucky fell so far behind last week after Mark toiled for hours and suffered heat stroke in the Indian sun while learning a Bollywood dance. But he says he would do it all over again for his best buddy. See what else the fan favorites have to say about their tight bond, being threatened by Art and Jj and more.
Read More >...
Read More >...
- 4/30/2012
- by Joyce Eng
- TVGuide - Breaking News
One of my favorite Jerry Seinfeld jokes is about coming in second place in a sprint event at the Olympics. He jokes that the margin of defeat is so small, how can the competitors live with losing by so little? The sprinters start, run for 10 seconds, get close to the finish and... eh?!? Aww... they lose.
The “Eh?!? Aww” joke perfectly describes how I felt at the end of this week’s episode of The Amazing Race. Before the leg began, every Mark and Bopper fan knew that even though the team avoided elimination the previous leg, they were still significantly behind the other duos. When the leg began an approximately three-hour deficit was revealed.
However, a glimmer of light was developing for the Kentucky boys at the Fast Forward. Art and Jj and Rachel and Dave had already taken a Fast Forward and were precluded from another. Vanessa and...
The “Eh?!? Aww” joke perfectly describes how I felt at the end of this week’s episode of The Amazing Race. Before the leg began, every Mark and Bopper fan knew that even though the team avoided elimination the previous leg, they were still significantly behind the other duos. When the leg began an approximately three-hour deficit was revealed.
However, a glimmer of light was developing for the Kentucky boys at the Fast Forward. Art and Jj and Rachel and Dave had already taken a Fast Forward and were precluded from another. Vanessa and...
- 4/30/2012
- by tiaradio@hotmail.com (Luke Dwyer)
- TVfanatic
The Amazing Race Review, Season 20, Episode 9, “Bollywood Travolta”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
There’s a clear reason why The Amazing Race visits India so frequently. The combination of serious crowds, crazy driving, and excessive heat can send teams scrambling to keep their sanity. Also, the producers tend to use this setting to deliver some of their toughest challenges. A good example was Luke’s demise in the “Unfinished Business” season while tasting hundreds of cups of tea. A similar fate befalls Mark this week and sends the Kentucky duo to the brink of elimination. The combination of heat, motion sickness, and poor dancing skills (he’s not the only one) nearly derail them completely. Although it seems like the end for Mark and Bopper, the non-elimination leg gives them yet another reprieve. While they’re the most likable team, this seems a bit unfair to the remaining players.
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
There’s a clear reason why The Amazing Race visits India so frequently. The combination of serious crowds, crazy driving, and excessive heat can send teams scrambling to keep their sanity. Also, the producers tend to use this setting to deliver some of their toughest challenges. A good example was Luke’s demise in the “Unfinished Business” season while tasting hundreds of cups of tea. A similar fate befalls Mark this week and sends the Kentucky duo to the brink of elimination. The combination of heat, motion sickness, and poor dancing skills (he’s not the only one) nearly derail them completely. Although it seems like the end for Mark and Bopper, the non-elimination leg gives them yet another reprieve. While they’re the most likable team, this seems a bit unfair to the remaining players.
- 4/24/2012
- by Dan Heaton
- SoundOnSight
If you didn’t like The Amazing Race this week, you don’t have a soul.
Everything you could ever want in an episode of reality television was packed into this week’s episode. Mark and Bopper stole the show with their emotional scene at the Roadblock, but there was plenty more to keep us entertained.
At the start of the season I’m sure many Race watchers decided they didn’t like the Kentuckians because they were “loud and proud," to use their own words. In reality, the pair turned out to be everything you’d want in a race team: enthusiastic, energetic, competitive and funny.
Perhaps some of you viewers were still not sold. Maybe some of their culturally-challenged comments or the way they mispronounced some foreign towns made you think they were not very smart.
Then the good ole boys showed their sensitive side and the number...
Everything you could ever want in an episode of reality television was packed into this week’s episode. Mark and Bopper stole the show with their emotional scene at the Roadblock, but there was plenty more to keep us entertained.
At the start of the season I’m sure many Race watchers decided they didn’t like the Kentuckians because they were “loud and proud," to use their own words. In reality, the pair turned out to be everything you’d want in a race team: enthusiastic, energetic, competitive and funny.
Perhaps some of you viewers were still not sold. Maybe some of their culturally-challenged comments or the way they mispronounced some foreign towns made you think they were not very smart.
Then the good ole boys showed their sensitive side and the number...
- 4/23/2012
- by tiaradio@hotmail.com (Luke Dwyer)
- TVfanatic
The Amazing Race Review, Season 20, Episode 8,
“Let Them Drink Their Haterade”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
If there’s one thing that unites fans of The Amazing Race, it’s a hatred of the non-elimination legs. Since the show is unlikely to expand the cast due to added costs, they’re a necessity to produce the expected number of episodes. The non-elimination penalty has varied over the years. There was nothing extra during the first four seasons, but Phil started “mugging” the teams by taking their money in the fifth season. Since that didn’t seem like enough, he also started taking their possessions a few seasons later. Viewers didn’t enjoy seeing teams lose everything, so the producers have tinkered with other variations over the years. The current penalty is the Speed Bump, which requires the last-place team to complete an extra task on the following leg.
“Let Them Drink Their Haterade”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
If there’s one thing that unites fans of The Amazing Race, it’s a hatred of the non-elimination legs. Since the show is unlikely to expand the cast due to added costs, they’re a necessity to produce the expected number of episodes. The non-elimination penalty has varied over the years. There was nothing extra during the first four seasons, but Phil started “mugging” the teams by taking their money in the fifth season. Since that didn’t seem like enough, he also started taking their possessions a few seasons later. Viewers didn’t enjoy seeing teams lose everything, so the producers have tinkered with other variations over the years. The current penalty is the Speed Bump, which requires the last-place team to complete an extra task on the following leg.
- 4/17/2012
- by Dan Heaton
- SoundOnSight
Federal agents Nary Ebeid and Jamie Graetz started off nearly three hours behind everyone else on The Amazing Race's second Tanzanian leg, but — thanks to two Double U-Turns — managed to finish only 15 minutes behind. "I'd say it was a damn good effort!" Jamie tells TVGuide.com. "We made up several hours. It was hard for viewers to see how far behind we were with the tent thing last week, but we were hours behind. It was pretty awesome when we saw Ralph and Vanessa at the Speed Bump because it was like, 'We're still in it!' And then it was over!" Their elimination is sure to bring some smiles to the faces of Art and Jj, who are still peeved about the girls not admitting to using a kindergarten teacher's cover. "I don't understand why it's such a big deal to them that we didn't tell them," Nary says.
- 4/16/2012
- by Joyce Eng
- TVGuide - Breaking News
What did we learn this week on The Amazing Race? Unfortunately, the leg itself was not very challenging or dynamic, so very little about the team’s ability to compete. One thing we know for sure now is that Jj is a very angry man.
What we don’t know about Jj’s psyche is why he reacted so aggressively to what made him angry. He blew up this week when Rachel and Dave did not honor their agreement that whichever team arrived at the Double U-Turn first would U-Turn Brendon and Rachel.
In Jj’s world this is an unforgivable offense. Sure, everyone gets why her might be a little annoyed or would decide not to work with Rachel and Dave anymore. But Jj took it to another level. He spent a long cab ride obsessing over whether Rachel and Dave did not honor the agreement and seethed even further when he confirmed it.
What we don’t know about Jj’s psyche is why he reacted so aggressively to what made him angry. He blew up this week when Rachel and Dave did not honor their agreement that whichever team arrived at the Double U-Turn first would U-Turn Brendon and Rachel.
In Jj’s world this is an unforgivable offense. Sure, everyone gets why her might be a little annoyed or would decide not to work with Rachel and Dave anymore. But Jj took it to another level. He spent a long cab ride obsessing over whether Rachel and Dave did not honor the agreement and seethed even further when he confirmed it.
- 4/16/2012
- by tiaradio@hotmail.com (Luke Dwyer)
- TVfanatic
The Amazing Race Review, Season 20, Episode 7,
“I Didn’t Make Her Cry”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
During its early seasons, The Amazing Race was known as the antidote to other reality series because its cast felt like regular people. The teams generally got along, and even the fights were typically over a race infraction. As this series has evolved over the years, more bombastic players have enhanced the tension and built a more combative atmosphere. The producers have added tasks like Yields and U-Turns that encourage negative behavior and rile up the teams. Those devices haven’t played a role yet this season, but that hasn’t kept some teams from resorting to personal attacks. The main recipients are Brendon and Rachel, who have an immediate target on them because of their Big Brother past. Rob and Amber faced an equally cold reaction during their first appearance,...
“I Didn’t Make Her Cry”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
During its early seasons, The Amazing Race was known as the antidote to other reality series because its cast felt like regular people. The teams generally got along, and even the fights were typically over a race infraction. As this series has evolved over the years, more bombastic players have enhanced the tension and built a more combative atmosphere. The producers have added tasks like Yields and U-Turns that encourage negative behavior and rile up the teams. Those devices haven’t played a role yet this season, but that hasn’t kept some teams from resorting to personal attacks. The main recipients are Brendon and Rachel, who have an immediate target on them because of their Big Brother past. Rob and Amber faced an equally cold reaction during their first appearance,...
- 4/10/2012
- by Dan Heaton
- SoundOnSight
We said goodbye to Joey and Danny in last week's episode of The Amazing Race, but who'd be leaving in this episode? Or could we have our second non-elimination leg of the season? We begin in Baku, and first to leave are last week's winners Rachel and Dave. But where are they going? Only to Kilimanjaro! They head straight to the travel agency and discover that the best way to get there is to catch a flight to Nairobi the next morning. They're followed by Art and Jj, Bopper and Mark, and Brendon and Rachel. But the tension's already beginning to rise - Art and Jj are annoyed by Brendon and Rachel, and when they get to the travel agency they beg the agent to keep quiet about their travel plans so that Brendon and Rachel can't copy them. Bopper and Mark are next to arrive (though Bopper's mostly...
- 4/9/2012
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
Maybe federal agents are only impressive in the United States.
Outside of their jurisdiction – traveling the world on The Amazing Race, for example – federal agents are just like you and me. No weapons, no badges, no special powers. That was certainly the case for Nary and Jamie this week.
It is no secret that I’ve had enough of the self-promotion that fans of reality television have witnessed over the past two years. The bravado displayed by Philip on Survivor a few seasons ago was bad enough with him beating his chest about his former job. Nary and Jamie took it to another level this season feeling the need to hide their profession on the race.
Why they felt that if people knew they were federal agents it would impact their chances is anyone’s guess. No one can vote out another team on The Amazing Race, so even if people are impressed,...
Outside of their jurisdiction – traveling the world on The Amazing Race, for example – federal agents are just like you and me. No weapons, no badges, no special powers. That was certainly the case for Nary and Jamie this week.
It is no secret that I’ve had enough of the self-promotion that fans of reality television have witnessed over the past two years. The bravado displayed by Philip on Survivor a few seasons ago was bad enough with him beating his chest about his former job. Nary and Jamie took it to another level this season feeling the need to hide their profession on the race.
Why they felt that if people knew they were federal agents it would impact their chances is anyone’s guess. No one can vote out another team on The Amazing Race, so even if people are impressed,...
- 4/9/2012
- by tiaradio@hotmail.com (Luke Dwyer)
- TVfanatic
The Amazing Race Review, Season 20, Episode 6,
“This is Wicked Strange”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
During The Amazing Race’s first four seasons, a Fast Forward was available on every leg. Teams had to decide the best time to go for it, and it provided an extra layer of strategy to the competition. From a production standpoint, the downside was the extra money required to set up this task. In some cases, no one went for the Fast Forward, so this investment went unused. To keep costs down when the show was struggling in the ratings, the producers severely cut back the Fast Forwards to two during the fifth season. Since that time, they’ve played a minimal role and were basically unnecessary. That trend changes this week, where two teams face off in a risky battle to gain first place. Once Dave and Rachel win this prize,...
“This is Wicked Strange”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
During The Amazing Race’s first four seasons, a Fast Forward was available on every leg. Teams had to decide the best time to go for it, and it provided an extra layer of strategy to the competition. From a production standpoint, the downside was the extra money required to set up this task. In some cases, no one went for the Fast Forward, so this investment went unused. To keep costs down when the show was struggling in the ratings, the producers severely cut back the Fast Forwards to two during the fifth season. Since that time, they’ve played a minimal role and were basically unnecessary. That trend changes this week, where two teams face off in a risky battle to gain first place. Once Dave and Rachel win this prize,...
- 3/27/2012
- by Dan Heaton
- SoundOnSight
On "The Amazing Race" (Sun., 8 p.m. Et on CBS) Sunday night the teams made it to Azerbaijan (or "Azerbergistan" as Border Patrol Agent Jj put it).
At the Naftalan Health Center, teams had to give men an oil bath. "Is this normal?" asked incredulous Border Patrol Agent Jj as he regarded a guy sitting in a pool of thick, black oil.
"What the heck is going on, Art?" he asked his partner.
But then Jj figured it out. "Remember how the Romans did it?" he said. "Like in Rome, do like you're in Azerbergistan!" So they grabbed their modern-day strigils (shoe horns) and prepared to scrape the thick black oil off of the bathing man, who Art said looked like he was covered in Nutella.
As they scraped away Jj tried to cover his embarrassment with jokes, but Art told him to stay focused. "I'm trying," said Jj. "I'm kneading his thighs!
At the Naftalan Health Center, teams had to give men an oil bath. "Is this normal?" asked incredulous Border Patrol Agent Jj as he regarded a guy sitting in a pool of thick, black oil.
"What the heck is going on, Art?" he asked his partner.
But then Jj figured it out. "Remember how the Romans did it?" he said. "Like in Rome, do like you're in Azerbergistan!" So they grabbed their modern-day strigils (shoe horns) and prepared to scrape the thick black oil off of the bathing man, who Art said looked like he was covered in Nutella.
As they scraped away Jj tried to cover his embarrassment with jokes, but Art told him to stay focused. "I'm trying," said Jj. "I'm kneading his thighs!
- 3/26/2012
- by Catherine Lawson
- Huffington Post
On "The Amazing Race" (Sun., 8 p.m. Et on CBS) Sunday night the teams made it to Azerbaijan (or "Azerbergistan" as Border Patrol Agent Jj put it).
At the Naftalan Health Center, teams had to give men an oil bath. "Is this normal?" asked incredulous Border Patrol Agent Jj as he regarded a guy sitting in a pool of thick, black oil.
"What the heck is going on, Art?" he asked his partner.
But then Jj figured it out. "Remember how the Romans did it?" he said. "Like in Rome, do like you're in Azerbergistan!" So they grabbed their modern-day strigils (shoe horns) and prepared to scrape the thick black oil off of the bathing man, who Art said looked like he was covered in Nutella.
As they scraped away Jj tried to cover his embarrassment with jokes, but Art told him to stay focused. "I'm trying," said Jj. "I'm kneading his thighs!
At the Naftalan Health Center, teams had to give men an oil bath. "Is this normal?" asked incredulous Border Patrol Agent Jj as he regarded a guy sitting in a pool of thick, black oil.
"What the heck is going on, Art?" he asked his partner.
But then Jj figured it out. "Remember how the Romans did it?" he said. "Like in Rome, do like you're in Azerbergistan!" So they grabbed their modern-day strigils (shoe horns) and prepared to scrape the thick black oil off of the bathing man, who Art said looked like he was covered in Nutella.
As they scraped away Jj tried to cover his embarrassment with jokes, but Art told him to stay focused. "I'm trying," said Jj. "I'm kneading his thighs!
- 3/26/2012
- by Catherine Lawson
- Aol TV.
This week’s leg of The Amazing Race wasn’t the most grueling ever run, but it may have been the most uncomfortable. Interestingly, the main components of the two challenges, oil and water, are opposites of each other - but they provided equally skittish situations.
You can’t be afraid to confront your fears on The Amazing Race!
After an uneventful beginning - which had the teams catch up to each other at the airport - and after arriving at the first clue marker in Azerbaijan. the leg immediately became interesting. Along with their next destination the teams were given the Fast Forward option.
Normally I do not like the catch up points. Certainly I understand that at times these are unavoidable. They happened in the first few seasons. With so many in recent seasons, however, they seem more contrived and against the spirit of the game.
However, if...
You can’t be afraid to confront your fears on The Amazing Race!
After an uneventful beginning - which had the teams catch up to each other at the airport - and after arriving at the first clue marker in Azerbaijan. the leg immediately became interesting. Along with their next destination the teams were given the Fast Forward option.
Normally I do not like the catch up points. Certainly I understand that at times these are unavoidable. They happened in the first few seasons. With so many in recent seasons, however, they seem more contrived and against the spirit of the game.
However, if...
- 3/26/2012
- by tiaradio@hotmail.com (Luke Dwyer)
- TVfanatic
The Amazing Race Review, Season 20, Episode 5,
“Uglier Than a Mud Rail Fence”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
There’s no simple formula to determine which teams will dominate The Amazing Race. It takes a certain level of physical strength to handle the challenges, but plenty of superior athletes have failed in early legs. There are also countless examples from past seasons of older and less agile contestants who’ve thrived. Arguably the most dominant team not to win is Season Five’s Colin and Christie, who won six legs but ultimately finished second. They seemed destined to take the top prize, but were passed near the end by Chip and Kim, a couple in their 40s who barely avoided elimination in the first three episodes. There’s so much luck involved in this contest that very few teams can avoid major problems.
During the past three legs, Art...
“Uglier Than a Mud Rail Fence”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
There’s no simple formula to determine which teams will dominate The Amazing Race. It takes a certain level of physical strength to handle the challenges, but plenty of superior athletes have failed in early legs. There are also countless examples from past seasons of older and less agile contestants who’ve thrived. Arguably the most dominant team not to win is Season Five’s Colin and Christie, who won six legs but ultimately finished second. They seemed destined to take the top prize, but were passed near the end by Chip and Kim, a couple in their 40s who barely avoided elimination in the first three episodes. There’s so much luck involved in this contest that very few teams can avoid major problems.
During the past three legs, Art...
- 3/20/2012
- by Dan Heaton
- SoundOnSight
At its core, The Amazing Race is about two main principles: completing challenges and finding your way to the challenges. The best teams are adept at both and the ones that go home are often deficient in one, if not each. This week deficiencies with directions cost one team the race.
The teams started the leg departing from Turin, Italy with instructions to make their way to Bavaria, Germany by way of Ehwald, Austria. Art and Jj were over 2.5 hours ahead of the other seven teams by virtue of their fast forward in the previous leg. Mark and Bopper, last in the previous leg, were nearly nine hours behind them.
In the past few seasons The Amazing Race has dispensed with telling us when a team got to the Pit Stop in the previous leg and how that would equal their corresponding departure time that leg. With many seemingly dubious departure times of 4:37 a.
The teams started the leg departing from Turin, Italy with instructions to make their way to Bavaria, Germany by way of Ehwald, Austria. Art and Jj were over 2.5 hours ahead of the other seven teams by virtue of their fast forward in the previous leg. Mark and Bopper, last in the previous leg, were nearly nine hours behind them.
In the past few seasons The Amazing Race has dispensed with telling us when a team got to the Pit Stop in the previous leg and how that would equal their corresponding departure time that leg. With many seemingly dubious departure times of 4:37 a.
- 3/19/2012
- by tiaradio@hotmail.com (Luke Dwyer)
- TVfanatic
The Amazing Race Review, Season 20, Episode 4, “Taste My Salami”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
Digiorno! This cultural gaffe from Big Brother Rachel (in place of buongiorno) perfectly summarizes this mess of an episode. The Amazing Race has surged back creatively at the start of its 20th season, but those gains slam to a halt this week. The challenges are painfully easy and aren’t interesting to watch. There must be more exciting options in Turin, Italy than washing fake statues. Next week, the teams could dress up like gangsters and eat pizza! The challenges this week meet that level of originality. Turin is a gorgeous city with plenty of attractive landmarks. The elevator ride up the inside of the Mole Antonellianna (home of the National Museum of Cinema) is stunning and easily the highlight. Unfortunately, this remarkable location is just the set-up for a less-interesting Detour.
“Taste My...
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
Digiorno! This cultural gaffe from Big Brother Rachel (in place of buongiorno) perfectly summarizes this mess of an episode. The Amazing Race has surged back creatively at the start of its 20th season, but those gains slam to a halt this week. The challenges are painfully easy and aren’t interesting to watch. There must be more exciting options in Turin, Italy than washing fake statues. Next week, the teams could dress up like gangsters and eat pizza! The challenges this week meet that level of originality. Turin is a gorgeous city with plenty of attractive landmarks. The elevator ride up the inside of the Mole Antonellianna (home of the National Museum of Cinema) is stunning and easily the highlight. Unfortunately, this remarkable location is just the set-up for a less-interesting Detour.
“Taste My...
- 3/13/2012
- by Dan Heaton
- SoundOnSight
After saying goodbye to Andrew and Elliot last week, there are eight teams still remaining in The Amazing Race. We haven't had a non-elimination leg yet - will we be bidding farewell to another team this time? The pairs are travelling from Paraguay to Turin in Italy this week, with Art and Jj getting to depart first. But that's not much help, because when they get to the travel agency they discover that the earliest flight arrives in Turin at 10.35am the next day. The other teams also soon get tickets for the flight, except for Bopper and Mark, who decide to go straight to the airport. When they get there, though, Art and Jj inform them that they have to go back to the travel agency. They eventually get their tickets and are relieved to be reunited with the other teams, but it's only when they're comparing tickets that...
- 3/12/2012
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
We got it all on this week’s episode of The Amazing Race. The good, the bad and the ugly. This is partly what we’ve come to expect out of the best reality show on television. This week, however, the good and the ugly exceeded even the lofty standards The Amazing Race has set.
As with the order of the saying, we’ll start with the good. The ending of this week’s episode was tremendous, from two different angles. For starters, one of our favorite teams, Mark and Bopper, avoided elimination thanks to a well-placed non-elimination leg.
The duo from Kentucky got behind early and could never recover. Amazingly they got within sight of Kerri and Stacie at the car museum, but that was as close as they got. Nothing in the leg was dynamic enough to give them a chance to make up the one hour and...
As with the order of the saying, we’ll start with the good. The ending of this week’s episode was tremendous, from two different angles. For starters, one of our favorite teams, Mark and Bopper, avoided elimination thanks to a well-placed non-elimination leg.
The duo from Kentucky got behind early and could never recover. Amazingly they got within sight of Kerri and Stacie at the car museum, but that was as close as they got. Nothing in the leg was dynamic enough to give them a chance to make up the one hour and...
- 3/12/2012
- by tiaradio@hotmail.com (Luke Dwyer)
- TVfanatic
The Amazing Race Review, Season 20, Episode 3, “Bust Me Right in the Head with It”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
In the past few years, The Amazing Race has faced criticism from long-time fans about easy challenges that involved more luck than skill. This changed slightly last season with harder clues, but the trickiest part was usually deciphering the messages. It’s been refreshing this time around to see challenging tasks that push the teams out of their comfort zones. This week, nearly everyone struggles to complete the leg and even strong teams start falling apart. In the show’s first visit to Paraguay, the excitement builds to an extremely close finish between two athletic teams. Last week’s exit for the Clowns was predictable, but the endless series of twists and turns make this a surprising classic.
“Bust Me Right in the Head with It” maintains this season...
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
In the past few years, The Amazing Race has faced criticism from long-time fans about easy challenges that involved more luck than skill. This changed slightly last season with harder clues, but the trickiest part was usually deciphering the messages. It’s been refreshing this time around to see challenging tasks that push the teams out of their comfort zones. This week, nearly everyone struggles to complete the leg and even strong teams start falling apart. In the show’s first visit to Paraguay, the excitement builds to an extremely close finish between two athletic teams. Last week’s exit for the Clowns was predictable, but the endless series of twists and turns make this a surprising classic.
“Bust Me Right in the Head with It” maintains this season...
- 3/6/2012
- by Dan Heaton
- SoundOnSight
We've said goodbye to two teams on The Amazing Race so far, with no non-elimination legs yet; will we be bidding farewell to a third team tonight? We're leaving Argentina for Paraguay tonight, with all the teams having to fly to the country's capital and largest city Asunción. Two-time leg winners Rachel & Dave leave first, but there's not much celebration when they arrive at the airport to learn the next flight is 8.45am and it's full. They have no choice but to put themselves on standby, with Art & Jj, Bopper & Mark, and Nary & Jamie following suit. > Read Digital Spy's full Amazing Race headlines The flight delay gives all the teams time to arrive at the airport, although luckily for the front four, there isn't enough room on the standby flight for everyone else, so the later five teams end up on a 10.40am flight. (more)...
- 3/5/2012
- by By Lara Martin
- Digital Spy
Holy cow, that was a difficult leg!
This week on The Amazing Race was nothing short of brutal. Those who stayed in the contest certainly earned it and not simply by taking advantage of an early start from the previous leg. No, not finishing ninth was a major accomplishment here.
What was particularly interesting about the goal of not finishing ninth was that the teams did not realize how difficult this would be, for all of them, until they got to the Roadblock. Prior to that there was a discouraging flight followed by a very difficult Detour. At a number of points in the leg teams believed they were in a far worse situation than their competitors.
The first example of this intriguing aspect was Rachel and Dave at the Detour. After switching from Stacked to Strung and realizing the trailing teams had caught up, the pair burned their express pass.
This week on The Amazing Race was nothing short of brutal. Those who stayed in the contest certainly earned it and not simply by taking advantage of an early start from the previous leg. No, not finishing ninth was a major accomplishment here.
What was particularly interesting about the goal of not finishing ninth was that the teams did not realize how difficult this would be, for all of them, until they got to the Roadblock. Prior to that there was a discouraging flight followed by a very difficult Detour. At a number of points in the leg teams believed they were in a far worse situation than their competitors.
The first example of this intriguing aspect was Rachel and Dave at the Detour. After switching from Stacked to Strung and realizing the trailing teams had caught up, the pair burned their express pass.
- 3/5/2012
- by tiaradio@hotmail.com (Luke Dwyer)
- TVfanatic
The Amazing Race Review, Season 20, Episode 2, “You Know I’m Not as Smart as You”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
During its early years, The Amazing Race thrived on unpredictable moments that no producer could plan in advance. The first season included an airport strike in Rome that caused delays and serious chaos for the teams. It also produced a classic moment when Team Guido tried a strange blocking maneuver to delay the other teams at the airport. In the third season, a 24-hour bus ride was derailed by a blown tire that slowed down a large group of players. These moments happen regularly during the race, but they’ve been less frequent during recent installments. Part of this trend is luck, but it also relates to the overall design of each leg. The teams need to compete in unpredictable environments where anything can happen. The results aren’t always fair,...
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
During its early years, The Amazing Race thrived on unpredictable moments that no producer could plan in advance. The first season included an airport strike in Rome that caused delays and serious chaos for the teams. It also produced a classic moment when Team Guido tried a strange blocking maneuver to delay the other teams at the airport. In the third season, a 24-hour bus ride was derailed by a blown tire that slowed down a large group of players. These moments happen regularly during the race, but they’ve been less frequent during recent installments. Part of this trend is luck, but it also relates to the overall design of each leg. The teams need to compete in unpredictable environments where anything can happen. The results aren’t always fair,...
- 2/29/2012
- by Dan Heaton
- SoundOnSight
The Amazing Race Review, Season 20, Episode 1, “Tears of a Clown”
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
One of the most intriguing aspects of The Amazing Race is the extensive game design required to keep the teams moving through the planned course. The right combination of clues, transportation, and tasks can provide great drama and an exciting finish. If the leg is created poorly, however, teams become spread out and can fail based on random events. The trick is keeping everyone close while offering them a chance to pull ahead. The 20th season begins with a well-designed leg that gives the trailing teams a shot at survival. The master stroke is placing the empanada-making contest right near the Pit Stop. This task requires skill and takes a long time to complete, so even teams that fall behind can change their position by blowing through the challenge. It also increases the...
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
One of the most intriguing aspects of The Amazing Race is the extensive game design required to keep the teams moving through the planned course. The right combination of clues, transportation, and tasks can provide great drama and an exciting finish. If the leg is created poorly, however, teams become spread out and can fail based on random events. The trick is keeping everyone close while offering them a chance to pull ahead. The 20th season begins with a well-designed leg that gives the trailing teams a shot at survival. The master stroke is placing the empanada-making contest right near the Pit Stop. This task requires skill and takes a long time to complete, so even teams that fall behind can change their position by blowing through the challenge. It also increases the...
- 2/20/2012
- by Dan Heaton
- SoundOnSight
Chicago – One of the reasons that CBS’s “The Amazing Race” has been as critically-acclaimed and award-winning as it has over its successful run is the balance of regular people with more typical larger-than-life reality personalities. The show’s stellar editing team is the main reason the program works and host Phil Keoghan would be right behind in close second. But in third place, I would argue that the show works because its dynamics are relatable thanks to the program’s stellar casting. There’s typically a pair of siblings, a newly-dating couple, a married couple, two friends, etc. And it’s often easy to put yourself in at least one of their shoes and say, “What would I do in this situation? Would I fight with my spouse/sister/buddy? Would I do better at that challenge? Would we totally collapse into hysterics and get eliminated?” When “The Amazing Race...
- 2/19/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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