Good observation Serendipity. So, provided that neither is eliminated next week, it looks like RaYo will be in deeper roadblock trouble than L/M. Wonder how that bodes for future episodes?

There are some really good posts by some really astute people in this thread. However, I think that we need to depart from the assumption that the kind of edits from past episodes are indicative of this season and here's why. CBS has a ratings problem. TARFE just about killed this franchise. The ratings have not recovered and now they have moved time slots to try to help. The show suffers from a bit of burnout because it is the 9th run. Everyone was a bit surprised (and relieved) when CBS announced that there were at least going to be 2 more seasons. My point is, ratings are more important than at any time in the past except perhaps season 1 when they wanted to make sure to kick off well. That leads me to one conclusion. Having viewers that feel like the team they liked won and all is good in the world of the amazing race so we can ride into the sunset is more important than ever. I think that is why they have made BJ and Tyler so likeable. I saw somewhere that they had an over 50% likeability while the other teams hovered at 10 or below. I think that is critical. Yes, CBS needs some suspense to keep us glued to the set but I don't think that's as important as having a good feel this time around. And believe me, CBS is the number one network for a reason and Bruckheimer is a winner too. They are aware of this. So, again, I think it's unwise to assume that the past is the best guide on editing this season.

By the way, I don't know of the official time between finishes for this last leg but it appears that the remaining teams are now pretty close together. The Frats and Hippies were pretty far ahead the others were also clumped. However, the delay of the opening of the first clue location (don't remember its name) caused a tightening so the effects of mistakes and/or delays will be magnified if they happen in the next episode.

We have had a superleg but not a non-elimination yet. And we are roughly half way through. I think it's time. Therefore, my first prediction is that no one leaves next episode. But I do think that we will see Fran and Barry slide down to last place. The reason behind this is that I think that they are now the weakest team left and the stress of the race and the sleep deprivation, etc. will wear on them more than the others through the race. They continue to place 4th and not be able to crack the top 3. Since teams have been leaving, that means that the bottom spot keeps inching closer to them without them moving closer to the top. The edit that they showed of the fear of heights problem next week would not have been shown (from my observations) if they were being eliminated. However, it has to cost them some time in what is a close race now. Therefore, they finish last next week without being eliminated. They will be eliminated the following week after some drama and artificially created last-minute doubt.

No team other than the Frats and the Hippies have finished in the top 2 yet. I think they are the better racers with the Frats being more athletic. Now that the girls are gone and they are starting to really believe they can win the money, they are turning it on. I don't see another team overtaking them and therefore, I agree that it will be a stroke of misfortune or another team that does them in and does it outside of the final 3. I can agree with the previous poster that they (or less likely the Hippies) go in a surprise prior to the final 3 and I also can go along with 5th place though I wouldn't rule out 4th or 6th either.

I think that Lake and Michelle are quietly staying in striking distance and slowly getting adjusted to this race. They were making more mistakes early on. Like other posters, I'm now starting to think that their arguing is just normal for them and not race stress meltdown. Therefore, I don't that that will be there downfall. Also, since Michelle appears to be doing the next roadblock too, I think they are solving that problem. I also think (maybe I'm imagining) that some of Lake's funnier lines are now being included in the edit and his jerk factor is being pulled back just a bit. I think this bodes well for them. I think they will be final 4 but hard to say where except to say that it just doesn't feel like a winning edit they are being given.

I have to disagree with others about how RaYo will end up. While I do think they are getting a positive edit, I don't think they are making the finals. I think the positive edit may be a CBS "suck up" to their demographic as well (remember the ratings). There are also just times when certain things don't make the edit or maybe their cameraman was just "off" that day. Others have used the fact that they were not shown lost in Segesta or having a hard time finding their car since they ditched it in Siracusa as an edit that favors them. They may have already been close when they ditched their car and, if so, there may have been no drama or delay in getting back to it. And in Segesta, it wasn't hidden from us that they were lost but I think the editors wanted to spend more screen time on the drama surrounding the Double Duh's getting yielded. If anything, I think not making a big deal over RaYo getting lost in Segesta bodes well for Lake/Michelle. If they had focused more on making RaYo seem hopelessly out of the race, it would have reflected worse on Lake/Michelle that the ONLY reason that the Double Duh's lost was because of the yield. By making it seem that RaYo only went a little out of the way and that they were closing fast, it made it seem (at least to me) like the Double Duh's might have lost anyway even if they weren't yielded. Just one man's opinion.

MoJo is hard to get a read on. Yes, they keep making her sound braggadocious only to be proven wrong. Yes they are getting screen time. However, I think the screen time is for the men in the audience. The eye candy known as Double Duh is gone, ratings are down, and good looking girls get male viewers attention. I just think that they are too prone to meltdown and I can't help but think that something is going to happen to them. That said, they have been in third for 3 of the 5 finishes so that bodes well for them. They have clearly been the best team outside of the "top 2" so far. In the end though, their edit (and maybe their real personas) seems to be Mr. Nonpersonality and Ms. Spoiled Barbie. I just don't see that as a winning edit. I do think they make the finals.

As far as the hippies go, I think the little bit of arrogance the edit showed us in episode 6 was to provide some suspense. Through episode five, they had placed 1st in half of the legs and 2nd in half of the legs. They were obviously being portrayed as likeable and as knowing a bit about the places they were going. It seemed like it was going too easy. I still think they win but I think the edit is going to take some twists to throw the viewers off a bit and shake things up. They are not the most athletic of the teams (as was on display for those who watched their "fight" on CBS's extra clips page.) However, if the Frats exit due to mistake or misfortune and RaYo exits because they keep hanging around last place and it finally bites them, the Hippies won't necessarily be at a disadvantage by not being athletic. CBS wouldn't invest so much making us like a team that ended up not winning but they need there to be some suspense too. That's what makes views both happy and interested. This is a winning edit...especially for this season (again with the ratings).