A cast of 11 teams returns to compete for $1 million. The Amazing Race 20 cast consists of 11 teams each with a preexisting relationship. Among them, a pair of familiar faces, Brendon & Rachel, winner of last year’s Big Brother plus her fiance, with this season marking the third stint in a CBS reality show for each. The teams are:
Art & JJ (Border Patrol Agents/Friends)
Brendon & Rachel (Engaged)
Dave & Cherie (Married Clowns)
David & Rachel (Married)
Elliott & Andrew (Twins)
Joey & Danny (Friends)
Kerri & Stacy (Cousins)
Mark & Bopper (Married)
Misa & Maiya (Sisters)
Nary & Jamie (Federal Agents/Friends)
Vanessa & Ralph (Dating Divorcees)
Thanks, by the way, for bringing us two people named Rachel, two people named Dave, a pair of twins, and multiple people whose names could be either male of remale. That should help simplify things as far as me trying to figure out who the hell is who.
And what would The Amazing Race be without an overrun from some sport or another? Football over, we pick up late as usual, this time with golf. (Yes, golf is a sport, sort of.) With Undercover Boss now on Fridays, I see I need to adjust my Tivo options to record this over by an hour instead.
Bopper & Mark are country boys from the wrong side of the tracks, who never had anything and never thought they would get anything. Misa & Maiya are athletes (or at least golfers), who promise no crying. Joey & Danny want to prove they have more going on than your typical Jersey Shore guys. Rachel & Dave hope to reconcile their marriage after his tour in Iraq. The twins don’t seem alike at all, as one’s a rocker dude and looks the part, while the other is a pro soccer player. What’s up with all the body art this season?
Their first clue is up in the air… in a balloon. 11 of the 100 balloons have a clue. It’s all just dumb luck, and the longer you’re there, the worse your odds get. A few teams no doubt have good luck, while the last team standing is there for 1 hour and 44 minutes.
Their first destination is Santa Barbara (Argentina), not to be confused with their current destination of Santa Barbara (California). The first 6 teams will get tickets on the fastest connecting flight. The trailing 5 teams will be 2.5 hours behind.
First flight: Elliott & Andrew, Brendon & Rachel, Nary & Jamie, Art & JJ, Rachel & Dave, Vanessa & Ralph
Second flight: Dave & Cherie, Joey & Danny, Mark & Bopper, Misa & Maiya, Kerri & Stacy
Upon arrival, they proceed to Aerodromo Gilberto Lavaque, an airport in the middle of nowhere. At the road block, one partner will jump out of the airplane, but that’s not the road block. The road block is for the other person to find the jumper, which for the most part seems pretty simple. Follow a map, look for the plane, and run to the X that marks the spot.
Road block (in order of arrival): Art, Brendon, Dave, Jamie, Ralph, Andrew, Danny, Bopper, Maiya, Kerri, Cherie
It’s here that the border patrol agents form an alliance of sorts with the military guy. Brendon, however, is half Mexican and hates border patrol.
Danny can’t drive stick. One thing with The Amazing Race is that somebody on the team has to be able to do that. Problem is typically both people don’t need to. He’s going to get a crash course during this road block. Maiya, meanwhile, gets stuck in the sand, having pulled off the road in the wrong location.
At Patios de Cafayate, they will make 120 empanadas, which must be approved by the empanada champion (really?). They will learn how to make them based on the ongoing demonstration, and they must notice that there’s a different technique to both the cheese and the meat empanadas.
Every damn year with this show. Tivo mishap out of the way, I hit a 10 minute gap. Hopefully nothing too important happens in that time. Like the first 6 teams checking in.
The pit stop for this leg of the race is down the road somewhere.
First: Dave & Rachel (win the express pass)
Second: Rachel & Brendon
Third: Art & JJ
Fourth: Nary & Jamie
Fifth: Vanessa & Ralph
Sixth: Elliott & Andrew
Seventh: Kerri & Stacy
Eighth: David & Cherie
Ninth: Bopper & Mark
Tenth: Joey & Danny
Eliminated: Misa & Maiya
Misa & Maiya finished the empanada task before the tenth place team and also arrived at the pit stop before them. However, they fail to spot Phil, and end up getting eliminated in the process of searching for him.
Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of The Amazing Race 20 Episode 2, which airs Sunday at 8/7cish on CBS.