Life is very confusing.  Sometimes, TV can help you figure stuff out on accident.  Example:  I had always assumed that I loved Survivor and The Amazing Race because of the suspense, because I didn't know what was going to happen next.  So, last year, when I inadvertently read the spoilers (big, big spoilers) for both of those shows that extended deep in the season, I assumed that my viewing experience would be ruined.  This turned out not to be the case.  I was shocked to discover that I enjoyed both series just as much knowing the result as I did not knowing them.  It's not like I seek out spoilers these days, but I am no longer deathly afraid of them.  Therefore, when I found some big-time spoilers for the new season of The Amazing Race (premiering September 28), I read them without hesitation, seeing as it was journalistic duty. 


SPOILERS BELOW!!!!  HATERS BEWARE!!!!

Before I get to the spoilers themselves, the above realization (that spoilers don't particularly effect my enjoyment of a show) is an important one.  I've wondered, often, if this is a singular or universal phenomenon.  Does it mean that I have essentially tricked myself into liking some shows, and that my enjoyment is mentally falsified simply so I have a show I can say I'm a fan of (kind of like anyone who says they enjoy Bingo or knitting or Sandra Bullock films)?  Or does it mean that process is inherently more important than the result, and that the most effective aspects of The Amazing Race and Survivor are their production values and structure?  Is all reality TV, therefore, essentially the same thing, and viewers just enjoy seeing people do unscripted things on a television set? 

Who the hell knows?  Can we get a sociologist to look into this? 

Anyway, The Amazing Race spoilers below don't involve teams of any kind.  They are only a chronological outline of where the production was spotted in late April and early May, when The Amazing Race filmed its latest season.  Some are airport sightings, some are in cities.  I won't specify which is which – you can go to TV Squad for that.


Los Angeles, CA > Rio De Janeiro, Brazil > Salvador, Brazil > Fortaleza City Ceará, Brazil > La Paz, Bolivia > Santa Cruz, Bolivia > Santiago, Chile > Auckland, New Zealand > Siem Riep Town, Cambodia > Bangkok, Thailand > Delhi, India > Portland, Oregon

Now, this is almost certainly not a complete list.  There will be places in between, and a fair amount of these cities were only airport sightings.  However, it's a cool list of cities and I can't wait for the season to begin.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Source: TV Squad
(Image Courtesy of CBS)