Amazing Race 14: E1 "Losing a Couple of Tools"

As in this year's Survivor pool, I'm handing out some handicaps based on last season's performance. Here's where we started:

1st: Matt 1010
2nd: Paul 1005
3rd: Experts 1000
3rd: Kim 1000
3rd: Mom 1000
6th: Dawn 995
7th: Carl: 990

The Amazing Race always has lots of quick shots, but with 11 teams meeting the viewing audience for the first time, the editing was completely out of control. We zipped through some airplane flights to Switzerland and wound up at a very scary-looking bungee jump. Usually these "fear of heights" challenges are pretty ho hum, but somehow they really conveyed how terrifying this plunge would actually be.

Then it was another rapid fire sequence of train riding, and we finally arrived at the memorable part of the episode-- a cheese-hauling detour that just knocked the stuffing out of the contestants. Teams had to take a kind of rickety wooden backpack up a steep, slick hill to collect 50 pound cheese wheels and bring them back down the hill. The combination of breaking carriers, unwieldy cheese, and rough terrain made it virtually impossible for most contestants to carry the cheese down in their intended carriers (excepting the surprisingly able Brad and Sylvia).

Kim and I found ourselves rooting for Margie and Luke, who flew through the task and maintained their composure and charisma at the same time.

In the end, the least likable team was the one to be eliminated-- the young, contentious Alabaman couple of Preston and Jennifer spent most of the episode sniping at each other for little to no reason. We didn't get to see too much of them in this jam-packed opener, but what we did see was unpleasant at best. They ended in a footrace against Christie and Jodi, a race that they lost with Preston literally carrying Jennifer piggyback to the Pit Stop. I'm sure the producers were hoping they would stick around to provide some color in future episodes, but I'm happy to see them gone. Or at least I would be, if it wasn't for this damn pool...

Finishing Order

1st: Margie and Luke
2nd: Tammy and Victor
3rd: Mark and Michael
4th: Mel and Mike
5th: Amanda and Kris
6th: Brad and Victoria
7th: Jaime and Cara
8th: Kisha and Jen
9th: Steve and Linda
10th: Christie and Jodi
11th: Jennifer and Preston (Eliminated)


The Standings

Margie and Luke came in first, but no one chose them as the FT (Fastest Team), so no bonus points were awarded for them. Instead, Paul and Mom split 24 bonus points for choosing Tammy and Victor, the team that arrived at the Pit Stop in 2nd place. Dawn was the only one who correctly pegged Jennifer and Preston as losers, and so she has snagged the early lead in the pool. I earned a distinction of a different sort, losing as many points as was humanly possible by picking Jennifer and Preston to win it all. At least I'm only 10 points off the three way tie for fourth.


1st: Dawn 975 (-20 +0)
2nd: Mom 972 (-40 +12)
3rd: Paul 927 (-90 +12)
4th: Experts 920 (-80 +0)
4th: Kim 920 (-80 +0)
4th: Carl: 920 (-70)
7th: Matt 910 (-100 +0)