I’m going to keep this short since the show will be on in a few hours, but I did want to weigh in with my thoughts. I read some of the pregame bios, but I didn’t get a chance to watch any of the videos.

The first thing that jumped out at me was when Phil said “which combination of brains, brawn and teamwork” will win. The race is obviously going to be even tougher and more grueling than in the past, and the team that demonstrates all three the most often will win.

The teams that impressed me the most during the first show were Tyler and James and Kandice and Dustin. Tyler and James impressed me because they played their own game, knew when to ask directions and stayed calm. They were described as “fighters” which given the theme this year is a good sign. They are strong and smart racers. Kandice and Dustin did much better than I expected. They shot that blonde beauty queen stereotype to pieces! They were competitive. I think their experience in dealing with beauty pageant stress could help them stay calm and focused during the race. Their edit didn’t dwell on their looks and they recognized that Tyler and James were dangerous opponents. They also stayed calm when they were lost and pulled themselves up to fourth place.

The teams that I’m not sure about are Peter and Sarah, Duke and Lauren, Erwin and Godwin, and Lynn and Karlen. Peter and Sarah ran a good race but if their edit keeps focusing on Sarah’s handicap, that will be their story. They are fit, but the Amazing Race is unpredictable, and not controlled like a triathalon is. I was cheering for them, but I didn’t get a good feeling for their longevity. Duke and Lauren’s story is supposed to be about father and daughter bonding, but they came in second. They worked well together and have potential as racers. I was really disappointed in Erwin and Godwin. They have book smarts, but not a lot of street smarts. Also, they are followers. Before the show started it sounded as if they had a lot of potential to do well. Time will tell if they’ll develop into racers. They need to learn to think for themselves. Lynn and Karlen have the drive and determination to do well, but I don’t think they are fit enough to make it to the final four. They arrived at the wall in 5th place but ended up at the mat in 9th place. I also noted their strong antipathy towards Peter and Sarah, but we haven’t seen the two teams interacting.

The teams I don’t think will go far are Mary and David, Kelly and Jamie, Tom and Terry and Rob and Kim. Mary and David have a lot of heart, but they don’t have the experience or fitness level to continue much farther. I watched the show twice and still have no impression of Kelly and Jamie as anything but perky cheerleader bobble heads. However, they are very fit – they climbed the wall very quickly, passing 2 or 3 teams. Tom and Terry may have good teamwork, but they aren’t smart enough or fit enough to last in the race. Rob and Kim may be strong, but their volatility and lack of teamwork will do them in.

I was surprised that Bilal and Sa’eed and Arti and Vipul were the first teams eliminated. From their bios, I thought they would have lasted a while, especially Arti and Vipul.