The Amazing Race Review:
It’s not often that someone can have a once-in-a-life-time experience twice, but that’s the plan with the latest Amazing Race. Twenty-two of the series most memorable competitors—remember the Guidos, Charal Mirna, and , of course ,Rob & Amber? ---are back for another shot at the $1 million prize. And because they’ve done this before, executive producers Bertram van Munster promises “an all-around unpredictable” trip. TV Guide tagged along for an exclusive look at the first leg.
DAY 1
10:23 am
The start of the race is minutes away, and the teams line up on the lush grass of the Miami mansion. Some stretch to get ready. Others discuss strategy. Standing silently next to each other are Season 7 first and second place finishers Joyce & Uchenna Agu and Rob and Amber Mariano. Joyce is eager to prove their victory “wasn’t because we lucked out.” Rob wants payback: “ if you had a million dollars in your pocket and someone took it out of your pocket, would you remember it?” he says , referring to hoe he and Amber just missed beating Joyce & Uchenna. They’re off!
8:30pm
The engines have barely colled on the plane that flew the racers to their first destination---Quito, Ecuador---but Season 5’s Charla Baklayan Faddoul and Mirna Hindoyan are the first team to hit the street looking for transport to take them to their next clue. At the same time ,van Munster is in a van that’s hustling him to the first stop before any racers can get there. His mind is already on tomorrow’s challenge, which he gleefully promises will be “very unpleasant.”
10:30pm
Nearly all the teams have arrived at a restaurant high atop a hill in Quito for an overnight break. Most of them are sitting around a table eating, talking, laughing. It seems like a class reunion as the conversation shifts from birthdays to religion. Dave and Mary Conley—last season’s team Kentucky ---arrive, everyone at the table gives them a big ovation. .Exec producer Elise Doganieri steps over to ask what they’ll do when the final teams show up.
“ We’ll give them comfort and hugs,” Amber says wryly. A grinning Ian Pollack, from Season 3---he and his wife, Teri, were the oldest team eer to finish in the Top 2 ---leans in. adding, “But tomorrow, it’s the dogs of war.”
DAY 2
10:45am
The teams are driving across a barren mountaintop. There’s nothing but big rocks and giant potholes, and the racers are getting tossed around like a sock in a dryer. “I’ve never driven a road like this in my life and hopefully I never will again,” Mirna says.
And there’s still at least an hour to go in a four-hour trip to a ranch where they’ll find their next challenge—find three military medals hiddeen on a giant hill or rope a wild horse and trim its hooves.
12:50
Gasping for air thanks to the 13,000 – foot altitude, the teams begin to arrive at the ranch. Dave runs ahead of Mary, urging her way along. “ Can’t you see I’m trying? I’m not as physically fit as you!”
Nearby, Dustin and Kandice---last season’s beauty queens---are celebrating Kandice’ 25th birthday. Dustin hands over a chocolate bar she’d hidden in her backpack. It’s an appropriate gift: She knows they’ll need the sugar for what lies ahead. “ Right from the Miami airport, I knew this was going to be tougher,” Dustin says.
And its is.” We’ve amped it up.” Doganieri says. Explains van Munster, “ the cast all have these little techniques of their own for how they get from A toB, so we’re taking them to places where they can’t take advantage of that. This is not gonna be easy street.”