(photo via CBS)
Another season of The Amazing Race has started, even at its 16th season, it still looks quite good. I have no doubt that it will be nominated for the Emmy next year and probably win it again.
After a brief introduction to all eleven teams, I also believe that again no all women’s team will win this season.
All teams gathered at a park in downtown Los Angeles, and they are soon released and running towards their backpacks for their first clue. They will have to take public transportation to LAX, where they will catch a flight to Santiago, Chile. The first three teams to arrive at the airport will be on an earlier flight, while the other nine teams will have to take another flight that leaves an hour later!
Some teams take the railway, while others take the bus.But it’s the teams on bus that arrive at LAX first. And the first three teams are Monique and Shawne, Jordan and Jeff, and Dana and Adrian. However, a mechanical failure postpone their departure and have them changed to the later flight with the other teams. All teams are on the same flight. Before their departure, the cowboy team Jet and Cord make a bad decision by exchanging all their American dollars for Brazilian money.
After their arrival, teams are headed for Valparaiso, which has been dubbed the San Francisco of Chile. They have to get there by bus, and they need the right currency to buy tickets. The cowboys are rejected for using Brazilian money, so they have to exchange their money again, making them the last team to leave the airport, along with Jody and Shannon.
The first contest that all teams encounter is a Road Block. Each team has to decide who to accept the challenge as the clue says, “Who has the balance of a cat and the courage of a lion?” The challenge is a cable-walk across a ravine. Catie is the first to take the challenge, next up is Jordan, both women make it look quite easy. However, as Dan and Adrian walk on the wires, they struggle and then fall. Dan continues without much difficulty, but Adrian is not that lucky. He is forced to return to the start and begin the challenge again.
Brent and Catie are on their way towards the next clue when the other teams arrive and decide who to go across the wire. Jeff and Jordan are right behind them, while Dan and Jordan is the third team to leave. The teams are told to take a Funicular lift down the hill. But Brent and Catie walk down the hill instead.
The next clue is “Time to paint the town”, each team is greeted with a ladder, four cans of paint and two brushes. There are colorful houses scattered about the hillside that are periodically painted by the towns folks. The teams have to match their specific color paint to the house that has an unfinished section and complete the painting. And they have to walk uphill with the ladder, paint cans and their packs to find the houses.
First to finish painting are Jeff and Jordan, then Catie and Brent, they are given the next clue by local painters. Dan has lost his paint brush and fails to find it. At the same time, Adrian falls again!
Jeff and Jordan are the first team to arrive at the pit stop, winning a trip to Vancouver where they will be treated to a whale-watching tour. Brent and Catie catch up right after them, however they are incurred a 30 minute penalty for not taking the Funicular.
Monique and Shawne take the second place, while the cowboys make their way to the third. Steve and Alice, although incorrectly paint the inside of a house, make up for lost time and finish in fourth. Taking the fifth place is the parent team Joe and Heidi, and Carol and Brandy take sixth.
Catie and Brent finally waited out their penalty and are the seventh team. Dan and Jordan, who are issued a fifteen minute penalty for their brush loss, hold on to eighth. Ninth team is Louie and Michael, in tenth is 71 year old Jody and her granddaughter, Shannon.
Adrian can not make a third try on the wire, as he’s too exhausted, so along with Dana they are eliminated.
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