Details on the teams are still to come at CBS.com, but for now, the network has announced that the new season begins Sunday, Nov. 4, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Lesbians, Goths and Aspiring Actors? Oh my!

Can I just say how psyched I am that in about half an hour, I'll be watching The Amazing Race on my TiVo?

Thanks.

I'm SO psyched that in about half an hour, I'll be watching The Amazing Race on my TiVo.

Ah.

That's better.

Rassin' frassin' 60 Minutes... (grumble)

Delaying The Amazing Race for half an hour so Andy Rooney can make some vapid, empty commentary ("It can't be easy being President. I'm sure I'm not smart enough to make all those hard decisions. But I'm pretty sure I would have been smart enough to keep us out of Iraq.") Please!

But The Race did eventually begin.

Liked the geeky brother and sister team, the father/daughter team, the Goths (but please, let's not spend a lot of time saying that you're trying to show that Goths are people, too. Just BE, and let the chips fall where they may), and the lesbian pastors (so far). Disliked the team that was eliminated, the blonde gals (how's it going, using your bodies to get ahead?) and the boyfriend/girlfriend team that kept calling the Goth couple "freaks." You just never look good calling people "freaks." Can't say I hold out much hope for grandpa/grandson team.

I kept waiting for someone to say, "My donkey's BROKEN!" like Colin a couple of seasons ago...

I loved the high-wire bicycling RoadBlock!

And we saw proof positive, yet again, that if you ever get to be a contestant on The Amazing Race, you should work very, very hard on your map reading skills.

My pre-race favorites are Kate & Pat and Rachel & TK.

Most likely to melt down: Azaria & Hendekea

Most disliked: the Beautiful People team - Jennifer & Nathan

There are way too many Southern California people. And way too many waiters (and waiter-hyphenates).

We saw it, too. My wife made the astute observation that THIS time, there's no one for the Bimbos to flirt with!

First team eliminated doesn't seem like a big deal. Don't really think they'd have added much to the show. Their thing seemed to be willingness to backstab -- would have gotten tiring quickly. No sense that I wanted to get to know them more as has sometimes been the case with 1st round eliminated.

They added something, alright: annoyance. This was the best first-round elimination I can remember. Get those folks out of the show NOW, please. Thankyouverymuch.

As for the other teams, LOTS of young, attractive people. Seriously. Shapely blondes, fit men ... but no models, right?

I'm concerned about the couple that had survived infidelity. Already we have trust issues being raised -- weren't they the team with the woman who said, "I don't know if I can spend my life with someone like that," or words to that effect? I'm tired of the Race-as-prelude-to-wedded-bliss-or-imminent-breakup.

Maybe I have the wrong team. They sort of run together in the early stages of the season.

I agree on the good first elimination.



I thought that was a different team, but maybe not. The comment that grabbed my attention was her "don't compare me to other women" remark. OF COURSE, keep in mind that any small comment by either of them that IN ANY WAY could be interepreted in reference to the fidelity issue WILL end up on the show, so we're seeing a very distorted record.

What is it with pretty blondes on this show (excepting those two from last season, who almost won) and their tendency to make horribly racist comments any time they’re in a country of dark-skinned folks who don’t have indoor plumbing?

I was OK with the first two eliminations, but last night, I really wanted Shana and Jennifer to go. Here’s hoping they bring up the rear in the next episode.

I gotta admit that Burkina Faso is an interesting place to take them. And I liked the learning or teaching language challenge.

Ooh, they went to Burkina? Now I'm sorry I missed the episode. I have a friend over in Ouagadougou involved in relief/development/mission work. I was traipsing around Italy with her last month, but now she's back in Burkina.

At first, I didn't like the idea of using the children as a means to the end of finishing the task - I was afraid some over-anxious American dad would start browbeating them - but the idea of the challenge turned out to be great.

And hearing the bazillion different pronunciations of Ouadadougu (or however the heck it's spelt) was comic genius!

Got to watch the episode on tape; it was recorded by the family of Jane, my friend in Ouagadougou. I hear she was actually at the airport when the teams arrived. All she knew was that it was a large group of ugly Americans, and she stayed as far away from them as she could.

Not only did the blondes make horribly insensitive comments on the train, they also bickered with their taxi driver over an amount of 1,000 CFA francs. The CFA franc is trading at 442 to the dollar right now, meaning that they were sitting in a taxi in one of the world's poorest countries arguing over two dollars and fifteen cents. Yes, it's smart to conserve money, and yes, taxis in less developed countries often charge tourists more than they would charge locals. But this is a race—you look pretty stupid letting other racers pass you while you try to squeeze money out of a taxi driver whose monthly salary is less than what you spend on getting your hair cut. Teams paid 50 euros ($75) in Amsterdam for a cab ride and never batted an eye.

The blondes seemed to know how to count in French, but nobody knew common French words for things like "school" and "train station."

None of the women seemed to give any thought to dressing modestly in respect of being in a Muslim country. Particularly not the blondes, one of whom nearly lost her shirt.

One of the teams, I think they came in second, was guided to the final spot by a local boy. They stood there and high-fived each other and completely forgot to thank their guide.

A couple of teams waxed reflective about Burkina Faso. Witnessing those rare moments of personal growth is one of the most gratifying things about the show. But I think the more you know about a particular country or culture, the more potential this show has to produce cringeworthy moments for you if it visits that country. I say this after watching this episode with people who've been to Burkina Faso and drunk camel's milk, and have better-informed ideas about how to behave there.

It was an interesting episode.

I was wondering how many were still traumatized by the Irish donkeys and were wary of the camels. Kudos to the teams that realized the camels had no problem running along with them.

That guy reminds me of a shorter (and younger) version of Jeffrey Overstreet.

Yes, camels can get up a pretty good clip when they want to, but I guess that isn't common knowledge.

Who, the one with the hysterical girlfriend who couldn't milk a camel if her life depended on it?

Bingo!

Heh. Good one.

I think Anne could milk a camel without dissolving into the screaming mimis, and I think Jeffrey would realize that yelling encouragement at her only made the camel more anxious.

Hey, there's an open casting call for Amazing Race 13 in Tacoma next Friday...

Martin, if I were in the neighborhood, I'd definitely go for it with you. Good angle, too: We could be listed as "Cyber friends" (or "hopeless nerds"), if you prefer.

Well, that could describe me and Jeffrey as well. I see him online more frequently than in person, even though we live about two miles apart.

Some random thoughts on tonight's episode:

• The U-Turn - better than the Yield, I think. I have to say, though I am not fond of the blonde team on this Race, they did in fact use the U-Turn strategically and appropriately. They didn't do it out of vengeance or spite, but U-Turned the team they believed to be in last place, and for all appearances bought themselves the time they needed to finish not-last.
• Shut up, Jen. Azariah and Hendekia should LET you arrive first because they have already been first twice? What part of "Race" don't you understand? You want to finish first? RUN.
• No chicken, no check-in. Hah!
• It was the beast that killed the beauty. What's his name and what's her name were eliminated this leg because Lorena (that's her name!) melted down in the camel challenge in the last leg. There was no air travel this leg, it was all in-country, and so there was no serious bunching to give them an even playing field. For all that the editors tried to make it appear that it was Blonde-karma, we have no way of knowing at this point how far behind the Blondes they finished. They lost because Lorena couldn't control her emotions whilst milking a camel. Plain and simple.
• Ron's physical mishaps and trials look like an enduring theme of this show until he and Christine get eliminated from the Race. And they WILL be eliminated from the Race, because there's no way he can compete whilst dragging his intestines along in a bag. There are other ways to prove you've got guts.
• Azariah and Hendekiah are WAY too hyper. Chill, breathe, and realize that the Race is not everything, kids.

Crimson: You had me until that last line. They're my favorite team right now. I think they understand that the Race is "not everything," and yet, while you're running it, it's best to think of it in that way, no? Seems to be paying off for them so far.

FWIW, they are my favorite team on the Race thus far, too.

Racers, in order of my preference for their victory, at the moment:

• Azaria and Hendekea - a bit hyper, but they Race hard, and seem smart and grounded
• Kent and Vixen - they seem very un-Goth, to my eyes, but in any case they Race hard, and treat others kindly
• TK and Rachel - perhaps not competitive enough to be good Racers, but inoffensive and fun to watch
• BIG DIVIDE HERE
• Nicolas and Donald - okay, so Donald's crusty and foul-mouthed, but they seem like a good team
• Shana and Jennifer - tiresome and vain
• Ronald and Christina / Jennifer and Nathan (tie) - each team has at least one unpleasant member, and they speak rudely about other teams, making them a drag to watch

Also, did anyone else gag at Lorena and Jason's closing words about the possibility of marriage after their elimination this week?

Speaking of Vixen, her comments about Africa last night made me choke up. She seems genuine, as does Kynt, although when they said they thought the Africans would find them funny-looking, I confess that I thought to myself, "So do Americans." But they're a decent couple as far as I can tell.

@#&^!^# football!!!

Instead of TAR, I TiVo'd sixty minutes of, well, 60 Minutes. I have to extend my Season Pass by an extra hour because of all the #$&*@$^ sports delays. No wonder I generally hate professional sports (except for last night's Pats/Eagles game).

I feel ya. We turned on "Breach" and watched 75 minutes of it while waiting for "Race" to begin. This is a constant problem during football season. By the time the show ended, we were ready for bed. We'll have to finish up the movie tonight.

Only a problem for those who don't live on the Left Coast. We never have to deal with that. And World Series games never go to midnight. Only problem is the early NFL game is during church time.

But I'm sure no one in Amsterdam gave them a second look!

Yep, my Season Pass for TAR is 2-hours long. And this week, it was almost not enough!!

Tonight's leg had some fun moments, but was marred (IMO) by some really horrible people. Fortunately, one of those teams was eliminated.

Nate and Jen seem like a terrible couple - the things he says to her are awful, and the way she treats him is insane. These two should not be together, and if it takes the Race to help them figure that out, then praise God. I think they have the idea now, though, so let's eliminate them next leg, shall we?

These blondes are everything that folks falsely accused last two season's blonde team of being. They are vain, catty, prejudiced, and all around horrible to watch. On the one hand, you need to not harp on past decisions. On the other hand, don't disregard your partner so totally. Ugh! Buh-bye and good riddance!

It was WEIRD seeing TK and Rachel come in first place. But they Raced well, outpacing everyone else in the stilt competition. Ronald needs to be hospitalized, STAT! Kent and Vixen continue to charm, and Azaria and Hendekea continue to perform competently if a bit too intensely. It looked like the two teams who had to find the hair salon got the short end of the Lithuanian stick, which left Donald and Nick scrambling just to stay in it.

The counting task was hilarious, if for no other reason than the weird costumed ladies making strange noises at you the whole time. How anyone could have kept count while that was going on, I'll never know.

Doing plenty of culling before any non-elimination legs (or two week legs). Anybody sorry about the elimination last night?

2 weeks in Burkina Faso, then Lithuania. I like the itinerary this season.

I cannot believe that last night was a non-elimination leg! That means they've burned 6 out of 11 teams straight! And that there are two non-elimination legs still to come in the next four! Yeeps!

I'm struck by Jen's tendency to say "Oh my GOSH."

No adult says "gosh" unless they've got some moral worldview, or were raised with one (usually not even then, though). Nate and Jen don't strike me as particularly Christian, but the question crossed my mind more than once last night.

She really melted down, though, didn't she?

Maybe their grandmothers threatened to wash their mouths out with soap if they swore on TV?

They are an unpleasant couple to watch, perfectly mismatched in every way. I was stunned to see Azaria and Hendekea eliminated, though it looked like they were not far behind Nick & Don. Ah, the perils of international travel!

In other news, Nick & Don seemed more irritated with one another this leg than normal, and Ron & Chris less so. The previews for next week show Kent & Vixen having a bit of a blowout, which is surprising given their general equanimity thus far.

That first zipline, in Superman-position, looked like a blast! Why do so few people know how to ROW anymore?

Why is it that the blonde team kept talking about not having makeup, not having makeup, and yet Kent and Vixen have all of their makeup? I wonder if the producers asked that the blondes not carry any, while insisting on K&V keeping up their Goth.

Oh - and how Goth is it to say, "she's just a little pink kitten!"?

I loved the cannoneer setting off the "boom!" as they all approached the pit stop.

Glad to see TAR again! But sad to see Kent and Vixen go. Well, sad to see Vixen go. Kent was starting to grate on me. Not as much as Nate and Jen, but his rampant vanity was becoming increasingly annoying.

The big question, of course, in this leg is: How stupid were Kent and Vixen to U-Turn Nick and Don rather than Nate and Jen? I'm torn on this question. They were just at the flower-stringing detour alongside Nate and Jen, so they had good reason to think that they might be behind them. I should think that would outweigh the supposition that Nick and Don are generally a slow team. But we've heard a number of times this season that teams don't always know where the other teams are in relation to them. TK and Rachel famously went an entire leg not seeing anyone else. So I understand K&V's confusion. Ah, well.

This is my first season of watching TAR, and I DVR the eps every week. And of course, I keep forgetting to set the DVR in case CBS preempts the program due to football.

Thus, I only caught 20 min of it. And I was forced to read the results on televisionwithoutpity.


Wouldn't it make sense for CBS to re-air potentially pre-emptive programming, on another cable station, like how NBC re-airs shows on Bravo and USA?

Nick, just do what I do. Don't buy a DVR and yell at the TV every Sunday when you turn it on, only to discover that "60 Minutes" is at the 10-minute mark.

Sigh. Four teams left, and no one to root for. Yes, Kynt was a little vain, but I liked the guy. You gotta love a guy who talks about how his girlfriend -- who I don't find all that attractive -- is surely distracting the yoga teachers, as she bends and stretches.

Guy's in love. Whaddya gonna do?

Yeah, I have my TiVo set to tape TAR for an hour and a half after its scheduled ending time. It's the only path to TARsanity!

I was surprised that Miss Alli at TWOP didn't even mention the U-Turning in her recaplet. Browsing through the TAR forums at TWOP, that was hands down the most frequent topic of conversation. I can't wait to read Miss Alli's full recap, though.



I would not mind if Don and Nick won, or TK and Rachel. I'll definitely root for those teams over Ron and Christina or Nate and Jen.

Similar reaction: Sorry to see K&V go, especially over something as stupid as a mis-used u-turn. I *do* very much like the "speed bump" idea instead of stripping non-eliminated teams of money, clothes, etc. K&V came through like champs in that regard, which made their ultimate defeat all the sadder.

So TK and Rachel end up three hours behind everyone else due (as best as I could tell) to bad flight information from their travel agent guy. Sometimes on this show, the contestants ask for the fastest available flight, and the agent books them on the one that leaves the soonest, rather than the one that arrives the soonest. Perhaps that's what happened here?

The "drive a cab in Osaka" road block looked HARD, although only Nick seemed to have real problems with it, and then only on the way back, and even then he wound up only ten minutes behind the others.

Otherwise, a fairly "blah" episode. Nate and Jen started out interacting well, and when the stress hit, they bickered yet again. Blah blah blah. I guess I found out that I emotionally prefer Ron and Chris to Nate and Jen, because when they intercut editing at the end, I was happy that Ron and Chris got first place, but to be honest I don't really care for either team, and none of the remaining teams thrill me to any great extent. Ah, Kent and Vixen, I miss ye already!

Yeah, I found myself cheering for Ron and Christina, too. He’s a pill, but she’s got moxie. I like her.

Jen was a real peach tonight, wasn't she?

This episode had my favorite post-elimination moment. Scratch that: There have been several deeply moving post-elimination interviews, and this one wasn't a "favorite." I liked that it was different, and that it didn't try to present some false sense of resolution.

The Race starts ON TIME, and Nate and Jen are eliminated? Great leg, dude. My wife and I high-fived each other when it was over.

We liked that N&J weren't eliminated due to bad luck, or poor cab driver-ing, but because they made some bad decisions that cost them. Also: the mother of all bunches! Can TK and Rachel make up a three-hour delayed start? Yes, when the producers rig it appropriately.

Yeah, Christian, you're right - the post-elimination interview was different. I'm not sure what to make of it, but it was different.

Did some thinking about this last night.

My assumptions:
1. That the three-hour bunching activity at the beginning of the leg was a last minute addition to bring the pack back together.
2. If the pack had not been re-bunched, TK and Rachel would have gone home instead of Nate and Jen.

Which is more important in a show like this? The purity of competition, or the elimination of odious teams? I suppose one could express it as the keeping of "nice" teams.

If I were a contestant, I'd want the Race kept pure, and as a viewer, the purer the better. But I did not want Nate and Jen to win. Dilemmas, dilemmas!

On another front, I really do not care who wins in the finale next week.

A satisfying end to a satisfying Race. I didn't particularly care which team won - they were all equally acceptable in my eyes as victors. I didn't particularly love any of these teams, nor did I particularly dislike them. That meant less drama than in Races where I *really* liked or *really* disliked teams, but then again, there was less chance that I'd be bitterly disappointed at the end (Kris and Jon got beat! boo hoo!).

The final Roadblock was...well, the toughest puzzle I've EVER seen on this show. Very cool. Very hard. Big applause to the producers for that one.

I really liked this final episode. After the last few seasons, t's a relief for once to have a winning team that I don't mind seeing them win. The final roadblock was terrific, it was almost like you could watching the wheels turning in the racers' heads as they're staring at those piles of stuff and trying to figure out what belongs there. Although I was a little nervous after the end of the task, that a bad taxi ride might change the outcome, but good thing that didn't happen.

And the Alaskan scenery was gorgeous. But that roadblock - digging into those fish guts would have been disgusting. I wonder what it would have been like to be the poor sap whose job it was to stuff a mini-canister containing a clue into that fish, or to tie an Amazing Race ribbon to the claw of one of those lobsters!

Hopefully there will be a TAR 13. And since there is an The Amazing Race - Asia version, I wish there was a way we could see it on some cable channel in this part of the world.

A Nick and Don victory would've bothered me, although I have some reluctant respect for the team because of Don's age. I was rooting for Ron and Chris, but I like TK and Rachel and was happy that a couple that didn't snipe at each other won. Great "season" this time around, with a satisfactory conclusion.

WOO HOO!!

We are psyched that TK&R won. Any of the teams could have won and we'd have been happy, but we were particularly pleased to see them win.

All three teams really learned to work well as teams. TK&R stuck to their principles of playing fair and nice; Nick and Don learned to play off each other's strengths, very effectively balancing experience and physical strength; Ron and Christina learned to trust each other.

One of the greatest ARs yet. And, yes, that was a great road block.