As usual, Michel, your observations are very astute and well thought out. I am in TOTAL agreement about a couple of the edits.

First of all, much to the pain of Romber haters, I don't think it's a coincidence that Romber came in first in both legs so far. Furthermore, Danny and Oswald came in 2nd in both legs so far. And this is after the flight delay pushed them both to the bottom (while using identical strategies) and they both still worked their way back to the front two finishers. Clearly, the early line is that this is developing as a race between those 2 teams. Danny and Oswald haven't managed to get in front yet BUT they really aren't trying as hard as Romber to be THE front runner. They seem content to be among the front runners and try to make a strategic move later when opportunity arises. And by doing so they are staying off radar and not drawing anyone's ire or attention. I think this is SMART. This may account for them finishing 2nd twice instead of splitting.

I will make some enemies by saying this but Rob and I are A LOT alike. It is not a coincidence that Rob is helping one team and one team only AND that one team just happens to be the team that is most likely to challenge them. People like him (and I) respect good competitors and, if we're going to lose, we want to lose to the team that could be considered to be the best. We don't want to accidentally lose to an inferior team. There's nothing more bitter. So by helping the stronger teams stay around thereby letting the weak teams gradually get eliminated, he therefore gradually diminishes the threat of an embarrassing loss to an inferior team because there aren't any left. For that reason, I think he secretly wants Danny and Oswald around so that, if he loses, it would be to them although he would never admit it. And I think the fact that he is being edited as friendly to Danny and Oswald is less of an accident and more of the fact that that is the only type of interaction between these two teams so far that the cameras could have taped.

I agree that Uchenna and Joyce will be about 6th and will say gracious things such as we had our turn, we're happy to have been invited back and last as long as we did, and we wish the remaining teams the best. That just seems like Uchenna to me from what I saw in season 7 and now. I know if my wife went into the board room 2nd and came out 9th, I would be freaking out much more than he did.

The Guidos are getting a distinctively better edit. They will finish top 5 and maybe 4.

I agree with your assessment of Eric and Danielle. As I have observed and seen others observe in the past, the team shown having "trouble" in the previews for next week is NEVER the team to go. So given the fish "fiasco" they were portraying with Danielle, I think they should be safe for next week and, frankly, with some of the poor teams still in this thing, they're not going to get beat in the next few episodes. If they leave soon, it will have to be because they screwed something up and I don't see that yet.

Teri and Ian are all over the place edit-wise. Frankly, they seem like that song on an album that no one really thinks strongly one way or the other but fans demand at least 10 songs. They seem to be filler around the other teams. I just don't see them in the top half.

I agree that the Beauty Queens are getting an "upper hand" edit. People try to make these girls into fake people but I really think they they are just so comfortable being who they are that it seems like it just can't be so. I think they are being edited in a similar way as last time because that's what the producers have to work with. They are a consistent acting team. They balance each other well and neither is a drama queen. I started out liking them because of the obvious eye candy factor last season but after 2 episodes I said they would reach the finals. And if not for getting lost, they would have. Given that they've learned from getting lost and ask quickly now when they aren't sure, and given the surprising weakness of what should have been a much stronger field, I see them going far and I'm glad about that. Maybe I'll be right about them reaching the finals just one season off.

I agree with you about Mirna and Charla in that they will be around for a couple of more episodes but, as I will explain below, I don't think that because of the drama edit. I've mentioned that there are some edits that are the way they are because the producers really don't have much else to go on such as the interaction between Romber and Danny/Oswald and the Beauty Queens edit. This is especially true with as little face time as each team is getting in the early stages and the fact that teams can pretend (put on a good face) for the cameras for at least a leg or two. Here is another case of where the producers really don't have an alternative edit simply because Mirna and Charla haven't given them one but in this case, that's a bad thing. Mirna and Charla give no other edit possible except emotionally unstable drama queens who alternate between going spastic at the slightest provocation and playing the victim role. I don't know that their edit necessarily means they are around another couple of legs but I predict that they will be in 3 more episodes. One because David and Mary are as weak as they are and it's truly a flip of the coin as to who will go first and another because I see a non-elimination leg coming. The one following that (the 3rd from now) is when they will meet their demise (and it will not be too soon for me).

Good work again, as usual. If nothing else, you always keep it interesting.