The Amazing Race

The Amazing Race: We All Saw It Coming, But...

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:30:00 GMT

I feel bad for Gary and Matt's eventual elimination, but not so, because we all saw it coming. Sometimes it feels it's just circumstance that's getting in the way--although sometimes it's helped them reach the frontrunners and even reach first place in the Vietnam leg--but sometimes it feels that the little things would've kept them alive.

A few weeks back I complained about Matt's refusal to eat fish. Yeah, his refusal to do the task on the back of having to eat herring sounds a bit stupid, really, and if he did it, they would've been finished earlier in that leg and, who knows, maybe they'd be here still.

'The Amazing Race 15' Recap: "Are You A Candelabra?" And Other Sticky Bits

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:35:41 GMT

Last week's The Amazing Race marked the return of that infamous Roadblock back in season 6, with the hundreds of hay bales and the flags rolled on, say, three percent of the flags. While the first time around someone was stuck there for ten hours, this time around, there wasn't that much of a struggle--although that doesn't mean Gary and Matt would have a hard time this time around, especially since it's a non-elimination leg and they have a lot to do this time if they're to survive.

Here's the deal. Flight Time and Big Easy left the pit stop first, at 2:23am. The next team out, Meghan and Cheyne, left at 4:12am. Gary and Matt left at 6:29am. Four hours behind? Daunting, I know. But circumstances were on their side, really. The teams are headed to Tallinn, Estonia, and they'll go there via ferry across the Baltic Sea, a trip of 236 miles and 16 hours. But the only trip for the day is at 5:45pm, which means all five teams take the same boat ride. More than enough time to sleep, turns out.

The Amazing Race: Previewing Episode 15.08 "We're Not Meant For The Swamp"

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:30:00 GMT

Well, last week's The Amazing Race wasn't really much, wasn't it? Then again, that's always the feeling we get whenever it's a non-elimination leg, unless it involves a team we don't want to go. Too bad, too, since that leg featured one of the most tortuous Roadblocks yet--well, at least it was tortuous in the past. Everybody has left before the sun set.

On tonight's episode, the teams--still five of them, note--fly to Estonia, where invisible messages and muddy volleyball abound. Surely if you're the sort who wants to see racers sinking in mud like it was quicksand, tonight's the night when you tune in. The other question revolves around Gary and Matt, and whether they can be their bad luck streak in the last leg and beat the time difference and the Speed Bump to stay another leg.

The Amazing Race: Another Open Letter, This Time to Sam and Dan

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:30:00 GMT

Dear Sam and Dan,

Congratulations. You have taken the place of Lance and Keri as the most annoying team on this race, ever.

It's a mean feat, really. So many teams this season have shown potential in snagging the title of The Most Annoying Team Ever. Ericka, for instance, could've taken the top spot because in the last couple of legs she's become such of a diva. Mika could've taken the top spot on the sheer power of her phobias. Heck, even Maria and Tiffany could've taken the top spot, because the way they ended the race was annoying in an way that defies explanation, even if it's supposed to be endearing.

'The Amazing Race 15' Recap: Shut Up! Shut Up! Shuuut! Up!

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:55:46 GMT

I'm writing this recap fresh from a Singapore holiday, where I spent four days or so walking in humid temperatures and surprise rains. And I have two blisters on my left foot, too. Which leaves me to wonder: do these teams on The Amazing Race feel the same thing? You know, blisters after running around for most of three weeks or so? That sort of stuff, yeah. One thing's for sure, though: they do have the urge to break down and cry, or hug endlessly until it's all over. Or fight. Yes, fight, of course.

With Maria and Tiffany quitting the race after finding the both Detours harder than they imagined, we're left with five teams. Sam and Dan finished first, and have the privilege of opening the first clue: they're flying to Stockholm. To a theme park, in fact, and they'll have to get there by both train and ferry. They kick off the race by, of all things, arguing.

The Amazing Race: Previewing Episode 15.07 "This Is The Worst Thing I've Ever Done In My Life"

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:30:00 GMT

Perhaps the fact that Maria and Tiffany ended their stint on The Amazing Race by looking for a Detour that they can do, over and over again--and finding nothing, even if they said they can do both--is a bit endearing, but seeing these two hug over and over again? No, I don't hate it. I just find it funny. You editors, huh, you have something up your sleeves.

So, now, we're down to five teams, and we're almost on the home stretch, and what better way to do that than by reliving one of those hellish Roadblocks of seasons past. On The Amazing Race tonight, the teams head to Sweden, where exploding dynamite and all the good scenery have nothing compared to the season 6 classic of looking for clues hidden under rolled up bales of hay.

The Amazing Race: But Salted Herring and Onions Look Delicious, Matt!

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:30:00 GMT

We've all mentioned this in one way or another, but one of the things I love about The Amazing Race is the way we get to travel around the world without having to get off our couches. Of course, nothing beats the real thing, but watching the show beats reading all those Lonely Planet guides, trying to imagine the actual place, which is what I did when I was in high school.

Of course, when you read those guides, you only find out what's there, not get to do it. For example, I've read all those Hong Kong pamphlets since I was a kid, but never did I imagine that the weather there is cold and many of the trendy kids there wear leather boots--until I got there myself. The closest we get there is, of course, watching the race, seeing cultures fly and people buckle badly.

'The Amazing Race 15' Recap: Put Your Frustrations Into Four-Letter Words (Like "Hugs")

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:45:00 GMT

This is a weird metaphor to make, but the last two legs of The Amazing Race can be connected to that Katy Perry song. Now, forgive me for this metaphor, kids, but hear me out: hot deserts, cold ski resorts, hot hookahs, cold shark-infested-ish waters... you get the idea. But we're done with Dubai, and we're on to Europe, and with the admittedly immature Mika and Canaan out, well, we'll see what happens next.

But first, to 60 Minutes, and a pretty sensible bit from Andy Rooney... airlines. Musings on airline security and airline pilots. Very fitting. I'm taking a plane this week! And so are these guys!

The Amazing Race: Previewing Episode 15.06 "This Is Not My Finest Hour"

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:30:00 GMT

Hah, Mika, you were sooo bratty last week. And you, Canaan, you were sooo forceful. You can take one opinion or the other--or both--but their elimination last week wasn't really as graceful as many hoped, or expected. So I guess you both deserved the (playful!) taunts from the Globetrotters.

I don't know if tonight's The Amazing Race would provide as much in annoying moments--the only clue we have is another Ericka breakdown, which is a bit scary considering last week she was shutting down during the Detour. I'd like to blame it on fatigue and the heat--oh, and her obsessive-compulsive tendencies, too. Fingers crossed that won't get in the way of their race, because if that does, the good karma they're relying on won't come to help them.

The Amazing Race: The Unlikely Couple... Couple (It Must Count Twice, Right?)

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:30:00 GMT

For a moment now, let's forget what Mika did. Let's forget that she virtually shut down after facing her "worst nightmare," that she threw a tantrum and had to be pushed (although it was useless too), and that for ten minutes watching The Amazing Race was like watching a home video of you as a kid taken by a mischievous uncle that you hoped didn't exist in the first place. We have to forget that because we all saw it coming--young kids bickering more than we hoped, seemingly incompatible and immature--not to mention constantly late, too.

Let's talk about something that I didn't see coming: Maria and Tiffany finishing the leg in second place. And no, it's not exactly because we saw them in swimsuits today--although it's a welcome distraction. I always thought they'd be in last place forever, until they're at the bottom of the ladder. Until they're conveniently kicked out. But luck is still on their side: they have this little alliance with Sam and Dan.

'The Amazing Race 15' Recap: Two Minutes to Change the World

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:30:51 GMT

We are still in Dubai, the land of (really) tall skyscrapers surrounded by barren deserts, which is odd when you're not used to it. And we're still on The Amazing Race, and what is perhaps the best episode last week, on the sheer power of Lance and Keri's elimination. That aside, I'm prepping myself for either a terrible disappointment or something that we've all seen coming. I'm going for the latter, but not before I whistle to my favorite television theme song ever. If only I knew how.

Meghan and Cheyne finished first on the back of a Fast Forward, so they start everything with a randomly-chosen suitcase and a taxi ride to the Dubai Creek Yacht Club. From there, it's a Roadblock: one has to row across the water to an anchored yacht, where they'll retrieve a watch, row back, and open the briefcase with the combination that's on the watch, which is stuck at 8:35.

The Amazing Race: Previewing Episode 15.05 "Do It For The Hood! Do It For The Suburbs!"

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:30:00 GMT

It's amazing to think that Dubai is the place for everything big, or high, or tall. Just on the last leg of The Amazing Race, we saw the world's tallest building (124 floors and still not done!), a pretty big ski resort (bigger than four football fields!) and a really wide desert (it's a given). Oh, and temperatures, too--of course, being in the Middle East, you should expect to breach the 130 degree level.

Thankfully we won't have space for big idiots like Lance. Hoo-ray!

The Amazing Race: We're Too Busy Being Nice To Actually Compete

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:30:00 GMT

First of all, there's nothing wrong with doing good deeds to other teams in the middle of The Amazing Race. It's happened time and time again. There are the alliances (of sorts, since I don't think that exists in the show) and there are the people you do good to because you just plain like them. Crushes, yup.

And then there was last night's episode, where I saw an unusually high number of good deeds being done. I did list it down, right? Tiffany helped with a ladle during the Roadblock. The Globetrotters warned of a really cold ski resort (although admittedly, Mika and Canaan should know that). Sam and Dan staying behind when the poker players' car started leaking. And then there's Brian, who helped from the airport to the desert to the ski resort, all in a belief that karma will pay them back with good tidings--which happened, when they almost ended in first place, if not for Meghan and Cheyne taking the Fast Forward.

'The Amazing Race 15' Recap: More Karma in the City of Extremes

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:31:25 GMT

I never thought it's possible: The Amazing Race starting exactly 74 minutes past the time it's supposed to start. Thanks, football. That gives me 74 more minutes to convince my mother to watch the show again--she's heartbroken after seeing Zev and Justin eliminated on the back of a missing passport last week. I don't think I'll be able to convince her. Then again, I still have to watch it. She doesn't really have a choice.

Sam and Dan finished the Phnom Penh leg first, perhaps in a stroke of luck, and they get first dibs on the clue: they'll have to search for the world's tallest building somewhere in the Persian Gulf. Not really specific, but it means they're going to the Burj Dubai in, well, Dubai, which will stand 124 floors once it's finished. Sure, some of the teams don't really know where they're going ("it's not a country, it's a general area" Sam or Dan said) but they're all taking the same flight anyway.

The Amazing Race: Previewing Episode 15.04 "I'm Like Ricky Bobby"

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:30:00 GMT

What is it with celebrities on this season of The Amazing Race? Last week's episode floated Sean Penn's name. This week, we have Ricky Bobby.

Oh, wait, Ricky Bobby is Will Ferrell's character in Talladega Nights. Still, it counts, if only halfway through.

The Amazing Race: Zev and Justin, You Broke My Heart

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:30:00 GMT

Now this just sucks.

Zev and Justin were one of my favorite teams on The Amazing Race this season. It's hard to explain, really. It's not just their (mostly) cool attitude throughout the challenges. It's not just their quick thinking and subtly humorous quips. And no, it's not because Zev has Asperger's syndrome, although that helped in training the spotlight on these two. Whatever explanation there may be, they're just the team that you'd root for without knowing why. And I'm not being lazy.

'The Amazing Race 15' Recap: Monkey Karma Can Be Frustrating

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:59:58 GMT

Last week on The Amazing Race, the teams continue racing in Ho Chi Minh City, and a poignant Marcy and Ron were eliminated after a bad end to their detour. And then there are broken giraffe statues, ripped-up VCRs, oh, and Lance and Keri arguing. You very well know where I stand on this one.

I thought I was late for the show, but what do you know, it's still 60 Minutes! Brain injuries suffered by football players! Now, I haven't played football, but watching that bit scared me. I was literally touching the back of my head.

The Amazing Race: Previewing Episode 15.03 "Sean Penn Cambodia Here We Come"

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:30:00 GMT

I was thinking about my rankings for this week's episode of The Amazing Race before I spotted a promo for their Cambodia leg. And I am so not happy to see that it's Zev and Justin who encounter such a nasty fate twist.

Spoiler much? Sorry. I didn't ask for it.

The Amazing Race 15: An Open Letter to Lance

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:30:00 GMT

Dear Lance,

Almost always, there's a team on The Amazing Race that we all love to hate. I won't claim to know everyone, but I'll think of names at the top of my head. Jonathan and Victoria? Ugh. Colin and Christie? Ugh. The earliest I can remember, Flo and Zach--well, I only hated Flo, so I've GOT a half-ugh for that. Same goes for Terence and Sarah.

I'm sure you know where I'm going here, right?

'The Amazing Race 15' Recap: Breaking Things Apart Is The Man Thing To Do

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:44:03 GMT

Last week on The Amazing Race, Eric and Lisa got tossed before the start of the race, and Garrett and Jessica got tossed after being stuck herding ducks in Vietnam. Oh, and most of what we thought of the teams didn't really hold.

We start in the Mekong Delta, where the pitstop--a local boat--traveled to the town of Meto with everyone inside! A nice way to have everyone race without them knowing--and a nice way to disorient the racers. From there, they have to head to Ho Chi Minh City, specifically to a puppet theater where the clues are attached to the mouths of dancing dragon puppets in the water. Gary and Matt start first, and everybody else look for taxis, except for Lance and Keri, who are convinced that they're in Ho Chi Minh already. Argument along the way. But of course.

The Amazing Race: Previewing Episode 15.02 "It's Like Being Dropped On Planet Mars"

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:30:00 GMT

What if the first leg of The Amazing Race this time around wasn't a non-elimination leg? I mean, it would've meant we'll have three teams tossed in a space of two hours. Instead, we said goodbye to yoga teachers Eric and Lisa--they barely got there, point--and to since-engaged couple Garrett and Jessica.

That means we have ten teams left as the race continues going around Vietnam. It's quite rainy when they got there--reminds me of all this talk about rains and floods in that part of the world--but tonight, it seems, will be the complete opposite. I mean, check the episode title, which is always a quote form somebody. Planet Mars? It's dry there, right? Barren, perhaps icy, but barren?

Exclusive Interview with Garrett and Jessica from 'The Amazing Race 15'

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:39:48 GMT

Garrett and Jessica, the on-and-off couple, were one of my initial bets to make it far on this season of The Amazing Race. Never mind their potential to become a bickering couple--they were strong physically and had the smarts to boot. Their stay in the race, however, was pretty short: after doing well in the Japan leg, and being ahead of most teams in the Vietnam leg, they found themselves stuck in a ducky Roadblock, and went from second place to last pretty quickly. They were last on the mat and second eliminated.

In my interview with Garrett and Jessica, we talked about their experiences on the race, the reasons why they took so long doing the Roadblock, and the happy ending that we didn't see on last night's season premiere.

Exclusive Interview with Eric and Lisa from 'The Amazing Race 15'

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:31:16 GMT

Being the first team eliminated on any season of The Amazing Race is quite heart-wrenching, partly because you're the first one to get dropped, but mostly because of the embarrassment that came with it. It's not really a nice position to be in. That's exactly what happened to Eric and Lisa, the married yoga teachers, but the circumstances were different: in a twist this season, one team was to be eliminated right on the starting line if they didn't finish the challenge. Eleven Japanese car plates and eleven plane tickets later, it was them who went home before even taking a step--or, in this face, driving a car to the airport on the way to Tokyo.

I interviewed to Eric and Lisa earlier today, and we talked about their shocking early elimination, their first impression of the other teams, and what they have going in the future.

'The Amazing Race 15' Recap, Part 2: What the Duck is Going On?

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:07:16 GMT

Read Our Recap of Part 1 of The Amazing Race 15 Season Premiere>>

Twelve hours after the end of the first leg of The Amazing Race, a little after midnight, the first team leaves. They're dating couple Meghan and Cheyne, and the way to remember them is that his hair is as douchey as his name. As expected, no flights to the next location, Vietnam, leave at midnight, so it's the second bunch of the Race.

All the teams get on the same plane and then take a taxi and bus to their destination. Based solely on this episode, I now believe Vietnam is Atlantis, because the whole country seems to be under water and every road is flooded about a foot high, yet cars and motorcycles still drive through. It's insane.

'The Amazing Race 15' Recap, Part 1: The Teams Survive a Japanese Game Show

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:07:09 GMT

Finally, The Amazing Race is back! TV's best reality show is ready for its 15th season, and things are a little different. We have professional poker players, Harlem Globetrotters, an awesome guy with Asperger's Syndrome and the show's first interracial couple. Grab your passports and pack smart, because it's time to start the race around the world.

Or at least it's time for 11 teams. For the first time ever, The Amazing Race starts off with a challenge, and before they even get their first plane tickets, one team is eliminated. That sucks out loud for them, but luckily, it's not a team I care about.

The Amazing Race: Previewing Season 15 Premiere "They Thought Godzilla Was Walking Down The Street"

editor@buddytv.com — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:30:00 GMT

Seven straight Emmys and full-on domination? Something must be going on.

The Amazing Race finally returns tonight for its 15th season: another three months or so (in television time, really) of racing around the world, facing challenges along the way, and staring down at fellow racers willing to do anything and everything--depends, of course, on what you do--to win a million dollars.