As usual, Michel, you have some really great contributions. By the way, you mentioned you haven't seen race 1 or 2. You can get season 1 from Netflix. It will come in 4 DVD installments with 3 episodes each. Without commercials, each episode is only 42 minutes meaning that you could probably watch 2 per night and be finished between Sundays of the current season. I wanted to take a moment to add my "two cents." As you might recall, we have had some interesting discussions about the editing last season as I believe that there is evidence the pattern is not necessarily fixed and unchanging but has to be adapted to both the teams and the "feel" of that season but also to audience and ratings pressures. I have stressed repeatedly that as this show has gotten a little stale that the editing has changed to try to give us a bit more of a "warm fuzzy" and "ride off into the sunset" feel about the teams that are doing well. Villians have not made it as far in the later seasons because CBS hasn't had the luxury to take chances with turning people off during mid-season so our teams that go far start getting good edits early. With that said, I think the editing for this season could be the most different other than TARFE simply because of the fact that these teams are already known and our perceptions can be altered but not shaped. Here is my take...

Uchenna and Joyce

I totally agree with your assessment of Uchenna and Joyce. I think that we won't see much of them unless they are to be eventual finalists and then I believe it will be later. No need to rehash the reasons as you stated them eloquently.

Rob and Amber

The team to beat, in my opinion. I agree with all of those who said that CBS got Uchenna and Joyce on the plane to Miami in season 7. I'm not saying that CBS wanted Romber to lose or that they were playing faves with U & J although I have seen that said in other places. I believe they would have done the same if Ron and Kelly were sitting at the gate instead of U & J. But the point is that CBS did get another team on that plane so as to not completely ruin the finale. With a 90 minute head start, Romber could have had the problems in Little Havana and still won handily, especially with U & J having no money. Therefore, in all honesty, Romber has "won" this thing before and they know how to do so. They are the lightning rods so I don't believe seeing a lot of them early means they are an early exit. It just means that CBS knows they attract attention.

Eric and Danielle

I agree that they have the "new" feel to them. It's a lot like when a band that is in their twilight releases a greatest hits album, it might have a new song or two even though technically it wasn't a hit. Well, technically they weren't a team but it adds something new. I see them as a middle of the pack exit unless they get some real breaks. We will see a lot of them until the exit because new is interesting.

Teri and Ian

This team seems blah to me. I think they are cunning and streetsmart enough to make it to the late middle especially given that this really isn't the best teams to have raced but fan favorites (except Mirna/Charla...what's up with that??) Anyway, they can beat the weaker teams and will exit somewhere in the middle. However, with a little tailwind, they may stay under the radar and sneak into 3rd or 4th.

Danny and Oswald

This team seemed focused early when they raced the first time only to wear down due to the fatigue and the stress. They just get to missing their creature comforts too much. They seemed very reminiscent to their last race. They are part of the middle unless they get lost. With this team, I can see luck altering them down the ladder but really can't see luck helping them up the pecking order.

Dustin and Kandice

I proudly claim that I picked them to go a long way in TAR 10. I thought they would be the first all-female team in the finals. They actually should have been. Team Alabama got a lot of help along the way and in a critical point in the race, the Beauty Queens got lost (one of the few times that they did). They should have been team 3 last season. It wouldn't have mattered in the end. The Andy Gibb lookalike and his partner were going to win but the Barbies would have been more deserving of being in the finals (and definitely more fun to watch) than team Alabama. I think they can make it into the top half but I don't see a 4th place or better finish again. But I am not going to fall into the floor in shock if they do. They have potential. And, as I observed before, the pageant world is cut-throat and they are no strangers to stiff competition. It prepared them well.

Joe and Bill

The original team to try Survivor type techniques on the race and it seemed to backfire on them (unlike Romber). It appears that either they don't have the same fire or they have mellowed some or they figured out that being turds didn't really help them but only alienated them. Unless the editing is just way different, they just don't seem like the same team. They seem almost likeable and that definitely was not their season 1 edit. In season 1, they were playing against competition that didn't have the luxury of seeing 10 seasons of racing. All of these other teams not only have seen it but they have done it. And the "grampas" are older now too. They just won't challenge. I see their edit shaping positively simply because they won't have the ability to really threaten to win. Without that threat, the villian role really doesn't stick anyway.

Drew and Kevin

It has been a recent experience for me that I saw season 1. Therefore, my memory is better than some others. These guys were kind of argumentative and grumpy in the beginning of season 1. It really wasn't until around the 4th episode that the funny edit started showing through. Maybe they relax as they go along and see that they aren't going to be embarrassed with an early exit. Let's hope so. But I do agree with those who are saying that these guys are more out of shape and crotchety than before. They are probably due for an early exit. They definitely will not be able to afford many mistakes.

Mirna and Charla

Is it just me or is anyone else wondering what's going on here. They were not a fan favorite nor a good racing team. Does someone at CBS think Mirna is eye candy and we needed some more of that? Or is this some nod to diversity by bringing back someone from the physically challenged demographic in Charla? If that's so, I guess it's better than Peter and Sara. He was awful. I am frankly surprised they weren't eliminated first. If John Vito and Jill didn't get such misguided directions, this would have been our first out. To see episode 3, they either need a non-elimination leg or some luck.

David and Mary

This team would have been 4th out in a weak field last season if the Cho's didn't give them a diversion and a pass to the Fast Forward. Nobody's making friends here. And without that, we will see where Kentucky really belonged all along - at home on their couch.