Amazing Race Tidbits
CBS' The Amazing Race 10th Edition
Thoughts on Episode One -- The Race Is On
Episode One was a double elimination leg. The first elimination ended with a three-way scramble from the cabs to the kiosk at the Meridian Gate in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China to the mat, with Bilal and Sa'eed coming in last, thanks to a slower cab driver. Phil promised twists, turns, and surprises in this edition of the AMAZING RACE. The other teams looked on in shock as Phil delivered his now familiar, "I'm sorry to inform you that you have been eliminated from the Race" to the large, but friendly team from Cleveland. There were hints in the clue about checking in, and the last placard ominously read "Last Team" instead of a time.
One team member had to eat all the fish eyes from a dish of fish heads.
Episode Ten Roadblock |
||
|---|---|---|
Team |
Team Member |
Result |
| Tyler and James | James | Fifth to arrive, fifth to leave, but gained in the cab ride |
| Peter and Sarah | Peter | Third to arrive, third out |
| Duke and Lauren | Duke | Second to arrive, second to leave |
| Karlyn and Lyn | Karlyn | First to arrive, first to leave |
| David and Mary | Mary | Fourth to arrive, fourth out, but slipped a place in the cab |
| Rob and Kimberly | Rob | Ninth to arrive, ninth to leave |
| Dustin and Kandice | Kandice | Eighth to arrive, eighth to leave |
| Tom and Terry | Terry | Seventh to arrive, seventh to leave |
| Kellie and Jamie | Jamie | Sixth to arrive, sixth to leave |
| Vipul and Arti | Ray | Tenth to arrive, tenth to leave |
| Bilal and Sa'eed | Bilal | Eleventh to arrive, eleventh to leave, but lost a place in the cab ride |
| Erwin and Godwin | Erwin | Last to arrive, last to leave, but gained in the cab ride |
Departing at 7 AM the next day were Peter and Sarah, Duke and Lauren, Lyn and Karlyn, Tyler and James
Departing at 7:15 AM the next day were Kellie and Jamie, Tom and Terry, David and Mary, Dustin and Kandice
Departing at 7:30 AM the next day were Rob and Kimberly, Vipul and Arti, Erwin and Godwin
Labor: In Beijing, China, teams chose a pedicab and traveled one mile to the Run De Li Market where they needed to use traditional Chinese bricks and methods to pave a 45 square foot section of sidewalk in a specific pattern. Each team had to lay bricks in a specific pattern, larger blue or gray bricks had to be placed on outside two rows, and the smaller red paving bricks on the inside in a herringbone pattern.
Leisure: Teams chose a pedicab and traveled two miles to Beihai Park to take part in a new Chinese relaxation exercise known as Taiji Bailong. They needed to successfully perform the routine of balancing a ball on a paddle in unison to earn their next clue.
Episode One Detour |
||
|---|---|---|
Members |
Detour Selected |
Result |
| Tyler and James | Labor | In first four to start, first to leave |
| Peter and Sarah | Labor | First to arrive, second to leave |
| Karlyn and Lyn | Labor | In first four to arrive, fourth out |
| Duke and Lauren | Labor | In first four to arrive, third to leave the Lost City |
| Dustin and Kandice | Labor | Fifth to arrive, fifth to leave |
| Erwin and Godwin | Labor | Next to last to arrive, next to last to leave |
| Rob and Kimberly | Labor | Seventh to arrive, seventh to leave |
| Tom and Terry | Leisure | First to arrive, first to leave |
| Kellie and Jamie | Leisure | Second to arrive, second to leave |
| David and Mary | Labor | Sixth to arrive, sixth to leave |
| Vipul and Arti | Labor | Last to arrive, last to leave |
Both the cheerleaders, Kellie and Jamie, and gay couple, Tom and Terry, lost time due to a traffic jam on the way to the park location for the Leisure Detour. Places for those leaving the Labor Detour site got scrambled when Tyler and James mistakenly went to a bus terminal instead of taking a cab nearby. That lapse by the models vaulted Peter and Sarah into first, and Duke and Lauren into second getting to the Great Wall of China.
Episode One: Climb the Wall |
||
|---|---|---|
Members |
Place |
Result |
| Tyler and James | 1 | Third to arrive, climb quickly |
| Peter and Sarah | 3 | First to arrive, Sarah struggled |
| Karlyn and Lyn | 9 | Fourth to start, struggle badly |
| Duke and Lauren | 2 | Second to arrive, good climbing by both |
| Dustin and Kandice | 4 | Fifth to arrive, climb quickly, both passing the struggling Karlyn |
| Erwin and Godwin | 7 | Ninth to arrive, climb past three struggling teams, edging Tom and Terry |
| Rob and Kimberly | 5 | Eighth to arrive, pass three struggling teams |
| Tom and Terry | 8 | Seventh to arrive, Tom struggles with climb, passed by Kimberly |
| Kellie and Jamie | 6 | Tenth to arrive, climb quickly to pass four struggling teams |
| David and Mary | 10 | Sixth to arrive, David not fast, Mary is frightened |
| Vipul and Arti | 11 | Last to arrive, appear to do OK once there |
Outlook for Episode Two
The twelve teams have diverse backgrounds, including the first Muslim team, a team of black single mothers, the first Hindu team, 2 gay men, the first lesbian. Each of the teams has a unique combination of strengths and weaknesses.
The Race started with a bang, with two eliminations for the first time ever in the opening episode. James and Tyler had just one mistake by going to the bus terminal. It could have been costly, but it was not as they recovered in style. They appear tough to beat. The bottom teams of David and Mary, and the moms, Lyn and Karlyn, are in real trouble.
Tyler and James overcame adversity to take first place through physical fitness, strength, and speed. If they can avoid mental errors, they could be virtually unstoppable. Peter is making outstanding decisions, as long as Sarah does OK. Duke and Lauren have chosen to communicate effectively, leveraging their intelligence and Duke's world of experience. Team Miss America is surprisingly athletic. Likewise the cheerleaders made quite a recovery, making use of their athletic skills. Kimberly and Rob have potential, if they can avoid the negative outbursts.
Mary is afraid mainly of the unknown due to her lack of travel experience. Karlyn said she had never climbed before, hinting a lack of experience of physical challenges. Are she and Lyn limited in what they can attempt, not unlike Ray and Yolanda in Race 9? In the confusion of the early competition, all teams had to sort out how to navigate in a strange land. One wild card is the mechanical problem Sarah encountered with her prosthesis. The other is the promise of twists, turns, and surprises never seen before in the Race. What will Episode 2 reveal about the racers and who will be eliminated next. Watch Sunday, September 24 at 8PM Eastern/Pacific.
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