Wow! That episode was quite a whirlwind. I'm not sure there was even time to draw breath.
Hopefully the pace slows down enough, otherwise we're not going to know half of the teams by the time the end rolls around.
Jeff & Jordan: These two surprised me this episode. I didn't think they would start off so dominant (or even be dominant, for that matter). I really hope that somehow Jordan gets at least a little smarter before Leg 2, so we don't have to watch them make clueless mistakes while still being successful. On a side note, though, it would be funny to see them eliminated due to a careless mistake.
Monique & Shawne: Faster than I anticipated. These two (despite the spoilers) actually appear to have great potential to be a threat. Possibly my favorite team now, although it's still hard to know who to like and who the villains should be.
Jet & Cord: Impressive catchup! They went from last place all the way up to third by being fast and smart when necessary. I think. It was actually quite hard to tell just how they ended up in third place. But obviously they did it, so they look like they'll be a tough team to beat.
Steve & Allison: I like these two, but they haven't made a very smart first impression, either. The problem that many teams seem to have this season is hurrying up without actually knowing what they are doing (see Brent & Caite also). But I think they will improve as they get used to the race. We'll see.
Joe & Heidi: Seems Joe has a few random skills. Knowing the transportation system of LA was useful this episode (until the other teams beat them to the first flight). Not a lot more to go on yet, but I think they will be portrayed as the Lance & Keri of the season. Which is a shame, because so far I see little evidence of them being obnoxious. But I guess we'll see in Leg 2, as we saw in the preview.
Carol & Brandy: These two have some good entertainment value going for them. Usually teams who have that will go pretty far. Lot's of good one-liners. I think they're greatest asset will be keeping level heads and thinking through things before rushing ahead and doing them carelessly.
Brent & Caite: They're going to have the storyline of the season: proving that she's not clueless. Unfortunately they seem to have failed with that from the very first leg.
I'll be rooting for them to fall out. Not sure why, I just don't get good vibes from them. Plus, I don't want to have that awful storyline shoved down my throat the whole season, and I sure don't want to see them win.
Daniel & Jordan: Don't have much to say about these two yet. Losing a paint brush is a rather trivial mistake that I'm not sure warranted a penalty. But then again, when have we seen any team lose the provided supplies for a task before? These two could become a threat, but not until they become a little more careful about how they perform tasks.
Louie & Michael: Looks like we'll be getting the Globetrotter edit from them. Only they aren't quite as entertaining. They're likable though, but it's hard to say if they're likable enough to root for at this point.
Jody & Shannon: Love these two already! I really hope they get a chance on the next leg to climb out of last place. They're low finish seems to have been due to fate rather than skill. If they're equalized again, I think they will be competitive. But right now I just have an awful feeling that they will be last for the entire next episode, which would be sad.
Adrian & Dana: Oh well. They gave it their best. Another team that I realize how much I'm going to miss. If they would've just thought a little more about their Roadblock choice they would still be in it. Uchenna & Joyce and Chip & Kim will apparently not be duplicated this season, which is a shame.
As a whole, the first episode was kind of a letdown for me. I was excited at the start, but the ridiculously fast-paced editing and the over-portrayal of all our wonderful "stunt teams" turned me off rather quickly, and left me confused. Oh, and also the cluelessness of almost all of the racers. This season looks like it will beat TAR 13 in racer cluelessness if they continue to race like they did in this leg. The vital lesson for everyone seems to be: slow down, read the clue, and think through what you are doing.
