In last night's first leg, the producers decided to:

1. Eliminate one team before they ever got on the course, robbing them of any joy that might have come from actually participating in the Race.

2. After distributing the remaining pairs on two flights to create a time gap, the contestants were sent to a task which required all eleven teams to be present before anyone could start. Why divide them up just to recombine on the other end of the flight? You tell me.

3. Once everyone was assembled, the order they could leave in was determined by -- random draw. Feeling lucky? If you're not, you could be there a while, especially as other teams start to leave: if that wheel stops on an empty space, it's another spin. Not 'team closest to it gets a shot'. Not 'move over'. Another spin. And another. And another. And another.

4. And if, between roulette wheel and happily wandering tourists, you were so unfortunate as to come in last? Two-hour penalty -- immediately eliminated by the wait for the next flight -- and no elimination. So the whole point of the first hour was to knock someone out immediately in no-course disgrace and send the actual initial last-place finishers onto a second chance. As opposed to, say, letting everyone run a normal first leg with real separation and task departure times determined by skill and effort with just a touch of luck, then removing the first team at a Pit Stop mat -- sending them out with a real experience to remember.

As far as I'm concerned, Jiffie got his wish last night: TAR just forfeited next year's Emmy. And deserved to.

The uncovering of Team PokeHer: random dumb luck or producer plant?