TAR EDITION: Teams Take Off and Hit a Wall!

So... what do we think about the first surprise of the 10th edition of The Amazing Race? I'm not a fan, but it does explain why there were 12 teams instead of 11 this time. I was a little suspicious when the camera focused on that special "Last Team" marker and Phil informed us that this destination was where the teams would encounter their first surprise of the race, but I wasn't expecting them to eliminate a team without a Pit Stop. It just seems so un-Race like that I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. I don't know, maybe I'm just bummed because I was dying to see if Bilal and Sa'eed's devotion to their religion (Islam) would interfere with the hectic pace of the race. I was also thinking that through this team's participation on this show, which is great at breaking stereotypes, people may come to understand Islam a little better and stop assuming that all Muslims are terrorists, but no such luck as this team was definitely gone too soon. What did you think about this interesting turn of events? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. And here are some more random moments:

*Team Cheerleader apparently forgot to take a religion course while studying and cheering at the University of South Carolina. For if they had, they would have known that the people who worship Buddha are known as, and I know this is difficult, BUDDISTS! Forget the religion class -- maybe they could have simply, I don't know, watched the news at any point during the last five years to know that Muslims do not worship Buddha. I'm just sayin'.

*Why does every single team have a sob story this time? Don't get me wrong, I love it because it instantly endeared me to every single one of them, but my poor emotions can't handle it all. There's Duke's partial acceptance of Lauren's sexual orientation, the single moms who sometimes just need someone to kill a damn spider, the Kentucky people, the recently dating couple where she has a prosthetic leg and is training for the Iron Man, the former drug addict turned models who fought their addiction together and the poor brothers who are trying to desperately fight the "meat head" stereotype. OK, so I'm kidding about the last one, but you get my drift. So much drama, and yes, this is what makes them one of the best crop of teams ever!

*OK, so Sarah is beginning to wear on my patience. I don't want to hate her, I really don't, but she's using her disability as an advantage. Granted, boarding the plane first gets you nowhere, but telling the cab driver that "it's an emergency" and then pointing to your prosthetic leg to drive the point home as an unsuspecting couple give up their cab and ruin their evening out because they're never going to get a cab now (an exaggeration I know, but it could have happened), is taking things too far, especially when you keep telling us that your disability doesn't affect you and you're training for the Iron Man. She's also annoying me because she's letting her spankin' new boyfriend patronize her as they approach the final challenge at The Great Wall of China ("You're doing great Sarah!"). Oh wait, she just conquered that rope climbing challenge from hell and she's getting all emotional. Crap! I'm back to not hating her.

*Speaking of that Great Wall of China challenge, how much did you laugh, then cry, then laugh and cry at the same time to the point where you weren't sure whether they were tears of laughter or triumph? When the entire scene finished, I felt like I had climbed that damn wall! I laughed hysterically at the boyfriends, especially when Kentucky Mary tried to help one of them with her encouraging words (see, I told you in my review of this edition that you needed to stick with Team Kentucky because they sorta grow on you) and he replied, "But I'm only halfway there!" And then I got all teary-eyed when Mary went ahead and climbed that thing herself. In fact, I teared up for Sarah, both of the single moms and Lauren and Duke.

*Speaking of Lauren and Duke, they are my absolute favorite team. I just love the way they are using the race to work on their father/daughter relationship. We all know that Duke is not comfortable with his daughter being a lesbian, but he's doing everything in his power to love and accept her the way she is, and Lauren is so patient with it. She began to cry at the end because she was just so overjoyed with the way the race has begun to bring her relationship with her father back to where it used to be, and I decided then that this team must win the race (or at least make the final 3).

*Happy dance time because the race isn't even an hour old yet, and we're already being treated to an eating challenge! Oh, and it's a good one too. Roadblock! One team member must eat a bowl of fish eyes, which Phil insists is a popular food in China even though Americans don't eat them. I've said it once, but it bears repeating -- My "Phily" (Stay back Tyler and James) is so worldly! Back to the fish eyes -- I'm so dying to see how Team Cheerleader and Team Beauty Queen handle this one! Oh, and Team BQ (Beauty Queen) just said that they're hungry! Perfect. Too bad their taxi driver took them to the wrong place and we're going to have to wait while they wander around aimlessly, all hope seems lost, we take a commercial break, and then a nice local helps them - to see how they react. But wait, Team Cheerleader just arrived! Yes! Bummer, she downed them all right away with barely a gag. Same with Team BQ. This entire challenge would have been a bust had it not been for Kentucky David's excitement over his wife's progress. "She done got 'bout 4 or 5 of 'em done," he exclaimed. Thank goodness for Team Kentucky.

So yes, The Amazing Race is off and running with the same wonderful-ness that makes it TV's best reality drama/competition. I'm so hooked already and I can't wait until the next heart-pounding hour. I will miss Bilal, Sa'eed, Vipul and Arti, though. All of the pictures in this edition are courtesy of cbs.com.

What did you think about the premiere? Are you excited for another season? Drop me a comment with your thoughts.


Get even more of your TV fix at PassTheRemote.net! A comprehensive television site with news, reviews, photos and much more!