The Amazing Race 14!!!
 

The teams have been announced! Here is CBS's straightfoward introduction to them, and here is Reality News Online's more editorialized report.

The teams include SoulForce founder Mel White. He will race with his son, Mike, who wrote for and produced Dawson's Creek, Freaks and Geeks and Nacho Libre. He also wrote and appeared in School of Rock. We also have the first deaf racer, who graduated as valedictorian from the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind.

Alas, those wanting to cheer on Team GC -- nittanyalum and MysticCat -- will have to wait. http://www.smilieshq.com/smilies/sad0137.gif

I am sooooooo excited!

I love that show!!! But I didn't like the families edition too much.

My bf keeps threatening to sign us up for the show. I didn't get the job I applied for which would start next year, so he seemed even more set on it. Ohhh but he doesn't have a passport! Bam!

Our time will come, my friend, our time will come... ;) :D :cool:

Anybody else want to slap some sense into Tammy and Victor?

I like Tammy and Victor, I really do. But I really don't like how everything has to be HIS decision and Tammy just friggin' enables that!

I still like GayDad/GaySon, DeafKid/SigningMom, and the stunt men. The basketball sisters are also starting to grow on me.

I felt really bad for the couple eliminated last night. What bad luck. They really could have still been in contention if they stayed with the pack.

I can't stand Tammy and Victor. Where's the team work/communication?

I like the mom and son team, Cara and Jaime (friends of mom/son team), and the basketball sisters. I don't have a favorite team yet but I'm really liking this season so far.

Oh, and what was up with that husband/wife team from Virginia? I felt really bad for the wife. She was so worried that her husband was going to be upset and yell at her for taking the wrong path. Poor thing.

Tammy and Victor won't last long if they keep up like this. This race takes teamwork!

I don't have a fave yet either. I'm not sure I will either. There are several teams that I think are good but nobody is really standing out. The only ones who stand out are the ones I can't stand.

Can't he just apply for one, or is he prohibited from leaving the country?

I started to watch the show yesterday but had to write some papers. what happened?

Was anybody else a little shocked by the last Road Block? In her thong? Really?

I'm still not sure I have a favorite team to root for or even a favorite team to hate at this point.

Forcing someone to run in her thong is NOT okay, IMO. It's one thing to run in the cold, but to run in her skivvies in Siberia on national TV is not cool. They should have at least provided the last two women with spanky pants or something.

At this point I'm rooting for gay dad/gay son. I really hope Margie and Luke get what's coming to them.

This probably has got to be the most boring season ever.

I'm enjoying this season so far and like all of the teams except Victor and whats-her-name. I actually like her, just don't like Victor.

I kindof miss the West Virginia couple...their mess-ups provided some comic relief.

You're right, it's not too bad. I totally forgot about TAR The Family Edition. Now THAT was the most boring season ever.

I have to admit, those stuntmen are a little funny. I'm surprised that guy could even drive that car in Russia.

Yes, that season was wrong in so many different ways. Ugh.

I saw your other post and was going to disagree about this season being boring. Since I complained that last season had absolutely no teams that were likeable or worth cheering for, I have been pleasantly surprised that I actually like all the teams. Well, save for arrogant Victor, however, his sister makes up for it.

However, maybe that is the problem... no true villian team this year.

I laughed out load watching the teams try to figure out how to get the cheese down the hill, watching Tammy try to figure out how to do a summersault (?!?), wondering how long it takes to find a house that needs repair, and, well Luke just makes me laugh period.

Now, the trans-Siberian railroad was a bit boring, because all the teams had to take the same train. However, it seems there have been more opportunities for strategies/various flights with the air travel this season. No more "these are the two or three flights you can choose from."

The addition of the "Blind U-turn" was also long overdue. No one ever would do it before, so this has been a welcome addition. However, I do think that the u-turn should only be in the game when it is realistic that a team can complete both challenges and still stand a chance of not being elimnated. Those two challenges (stacking wood and the shutters thing) both appeared to take HOURS. Therefore, by the producers placing it in that episode, it virtually guaranteed that any team that was u-turned would be eliminated. That is a little excessive, IMHO.

I also loved, loved, loved the first few episodes that were in Austria, Switzerland, etc. The scenery was just absolutely beautiful.

Anyway, my opinion is thumbs up this season. Having a villian to cheer against, or having Team GC involved, would make things a bit more interesting, but overall I am satisfied.

Editing can be misleading. According to Amanda and Kris in their Reality News Online interview, they were only about 10 minutes behind the stunt brothers at the pit stop. They said it it took them about 10 minutes to find the place to take the shutters (although it seemed like forever) and that it didn't take that long to do the woodpile the second time, but it took them 10 minutes to get to it from the u-turn and 10 minutes to get back to the clue box.

That means that, even with the u-turn, they probably wouldn't have been eliminated if they hadn't bailed on the woodpile when it collapsed the first time. That's what cost them the race.

(They also said that Kris also got lost coming down the mountain in Switzerland and ended up at the road like Linda did. He ran and still got to the bottom of the trial before 3 other runners on the mountain.)

I agree that it was time for the blind U-turn, and although it resulted in the team I was liking the most getting eliminated, I think Marge and Luke were right to use it (although they did it for the wrong reason). It's a race, and if you have a chance to get rid of one of the strongest teams, go for it.

^^^ Interesting. Thanks.

I thought Marge and Luke said they used the blind U-turn exactly for that reason: they were a strong team and tried to eliminate them. Did I miss something?

They said they did it because they wanted to give Jaime & Cara more time. Targeting the strong team was smart; doing so to protect another team, not so much, I don't think -- it's an indication that you might be letting your alliance with another team cloud your judgment.

We saw a little of the same thing Sunday night, with the drive to the stadium. Tammy and Victor did the right thing by heading on once they had directions instead of waiting. Marge was smart to follow, while Lucas spent too much energy worrying that they weren't waiting for Jaime and Cara.

Alright, was anybody else totally disappointed that this was a non-elimination leg, even though it was kind of expected because it usually comes around this time. I want these rule-breakers gone. Does Phil seem totally pissed off or what?? Gone! They need to be gone!

I'm liking Tammy and Victor more and more and they (Victor especially) have really grown and are working so much better as a team. I want the nasty girl gone.

Shoot, I wanted double elimination -- I'm tired of the brothers and the sisters. Does nobody read the freaking rules?

The only value in Mark and Michael last night was the comment that they were in the taxi with beautiful women. Oh boy. :eek:

The Mai Tai Trannies! They looked like a fun crew to be karaokeing in a cab with, at least! Everyone looked like they REALLY enjoyed that task.

Margie and Luke are definitely a team to be reckoned with - she completed that entire leg's tasks alone!

I do agree that the rules need to followed and I'm glad that they are suffering the penalties... I wonder if there is a "third pit-stop penalty, you're out" rule?

The one I'm really getting sick of is that nasty cheerleader girl. She is so mean to the cab drivers and people in the countries that they are visiting. YUCK!

I'm with you on that, too.

That's the nasty girl I was referring to also.

And yes, then they said they were with beautiful women, I was also cracking up!

I worried about that team because they weren't world-savvy, wily, or physically strong. So I wasn't too surprised when they were eliminated early. But I almost cried when he said afterward that there was no one in the world he would rather have shared this with because there was no one that he trusted more to watch his back. And this was AFTER she had messed up again and again, finally resulting in their elimination. They may not have the million dollar prize, but I'm glad they have each other.

The first time I saw Phil signing to Margie and Luke "You are team number one" I cried. This show pushes all my emotional buttons and makes me cry a lot. Do you guys remember the season in which the last leg was in southern Florida and the African American couple in the lead didn't have money to pay their cab driver? The other two teams were closing in on them, but they wouldn't leave their cabbie and run to the finish line until they had flagged down enough cars to beg the money to pay him. I saw shouting at the tv, "Give him and IOU and run to the finish line!!" OMG, I'm tearing up just remembering it. I wonder how that couple is doing now. Anybody know? They were going to use their winnings to try for an in vitro baby.

Yeah, that was the first time I've seen TAR throw out such an obvious ratings-booster stunt. I was disapointed in them for that, but if it keeps their ratings high enough for another season I can live with it.

Did anybody catch the basketball sister mention that she had to borrow underwear since she doesn't wear any? It was funny to see her personality emerge a little big, along with her skin. Her light was hidden under the domineering personality of her big sister, who always seems to advise her of exactly the WRONG way to turn when she's driving, but little sister was so obviously proud of her body that it made me smile.

Uchenna and Joyce! I loved them and hope they're doing OK, too. I had read spoilers of the finish but was having doubts, and the last 10 minutes or so of that episode were so nerve-racking, I was pacing around my living room.

They live in Houston (or at least, they did) and I read that, unfortunately, they divorced. But, haven't heard anything lately. Maybe they worked things out. They sure were a nice couple!

I can't wait to see next week with Luke going at it with one of the basketball sisters. WTF man. You just don't shove a girl like that. I hope he gets penalized for something...I just can't stand him anymore.

At this point, I really don't have any favorites. If I had to choose one, it'd have to be Tammy and Victor. They're the only ones who don't annoy me.

Yeah, I'm really sick of Luke's temper tantrums. I hope he gets penalized too.

Like I said, at this point it's Tammy and Victor that I'm rooting for. It's funny because I couldn't stand them at first because Victor was so mean to Tammy. But they've really solidified their relationship and come to know and understand each other in a way that helps them work as a team better.

Jen, that blog makes it sound like they are together! That is great, they are nice people.

I also like Tammy and Victor. I didn't think I would from the way the season started, but they have grown on me. They are definitely, as a couple, the least irritating. I like Luke's mom, but Luke is a pill. I like the nice cheerleader, but her partner is a biatch. The sisters are nice, but not good racers, and I have little patience for stupidity. I greatly dislike the brothers! Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater!

Uchenna and Joyce were on Style Network's "How Do I Look" a while back. Uchenna nominated Joyce, lol and Joyce later appeared as an "expert" on the show. They seemed happy then.

I'm going to reserve judgment until I see the whole thing - I dislike the basketball sisters and like Luke and his mom.

Same here. I can't help but wonder if the editing of the preview is meant to throw us off a little.

Sidenote for Team GC....

Just saw a commercial for a casting call here in the Chicagoland area for next Friday (Apr 24) - perhaps this could be the opportunity for Team GC to take it all? :D

If only Team GC -- or either of its members -- lived near Chicago. :(

True...too true :/

Okay, I'm biased - but did it go down like this:

- rush to the clue box
- one of the sisters pushes Luke
- Luke throws his elbow
- sister calls him "bitch".

Did I miss anything? Cause I'm thinking that the name calling wasn't necessary - especially if she pushed first.

As an aside - gypsyboots now knows ASL for "bitch". Look - it's an educational show!

eta - I'm calling a draw here at the end. The sisters shouldn't be so,um, witchy, but Luke & Mom overreacted.

ARGH! When, MC, WHEN will we get our shot?!??!!
I finally caught a whole episode tonight beginning to end! And I agree, Mom went from 0 to 60 on that situation pretty quick there. I felt bad for the brother and sister standing between those two teams at the Pit Stop pad!