The Amazing Race 15: Thinking Smart in Episodes 3 and 4

Due to illness, injury, and the start of hockey season, time got away from me last week, so this week is a double covering the fourth and fifth legs of the race. I plan one more double this year, as I'll be out of the country for a week on vacation. Trust me, I plan to keep my passport safe.

Justin & Zev managed to turn a good leg where they got to the Pit Stop first into elimination due to the loss of a passport. It's unfortunate, but it's also preventable. Passports should be kept secure at all times, as it's an instant loss if they are misplaced. It's why I urge teams to take care of their possessions, and passports are at the top of the list when it comes to that matter. They should never leave the person of a team, preferable being worn in the fanny pack or a special passport holder that goes around the neck, which is what I use. It also holds things like credit cards, airline tickets, and customs declaration forms.

In leg four, the Detour was a choice of Cover or Wrap, where most teams picked Wrap. Some teams did well, and a few struggled quite a bit. I suspect it was the safer choice, though the only team who picked Cover seemed to have few problems with it. The monkey Roadblock was amusing, and provided some local color that I always like to see in the race.

In leg five, the only Fast Forward of the race came into play, and was wisely used by Cheyne & Meghan. However, a single Fast Forward almost seems like a waste particularly this early in the race. There is almost no strategy involved in deciding whether to go for it or not; the first team to the clue box that has it should take it. Everybody else should decline. Even with a second Fast Forward, a front-running team might decide that they don't need it now, but might need one later, causing them to think about their choice.

The Detour task was fun, the options being Build a Snowman or Find a Snowman. In tasks between finding a needle (or, in this case, a snowman) in a haystack (again, in this case, a mound of snow), I generally prefer the sure thing over the endless searching. A few teams figured that out and changed tasks, and benefited from it. The exception is the desperate trailing teams, who need luck on their side to catch up. They should take the chance.

As for the Roadblock, it's not one I generally like. I prefer an even playing field on Roadblocks, whereas this task was easier for the leading teams as there were more urns available for them than the trailing teams. It wasn't the main reason Lance & Keri were eliminated, but it may have contributed to it.

Two more legs are down, and two more teams have been eliminated. Which teams were thinking smart in these legs?

Meghan & Cheyne: This is one of the strongest teams in the race, and they raced well in both episodes. They wisely ignored Sam & Dan's attempt to fool them into thinking the clue wasn't at the hotel in Cambodia, and moved well through the tasks, with a fifth-place finish. They really shined in Dubai, getting to the top of the tower first, and going for the Fast Forward. They were rewarded with first place.

Brian & Ericka: The married couple has improved tremendously over the past few legs, coming in second place, and first among all the teams who completed the tasks in Dubai. They raced very well in Cambodia, picking up a third-place position, then had some luck on their side by finding a snowman quickly. All that added up to a very solid position, and a revision in my eyes of their ability as a team.

Big Easy & Flight Time: The Globetrotters are a very solid team, coming in third place in both legs. Simply put, they are making no mistakes, communicating with the locals, and generally racing smart. They are also having fun with the race. Well done so far.

Matt & Gary: The Montana duo is another solid team, having done well in every leg so far. They get bonus points for recognizing Jackie Kennedy (after the amusing montage of mistaken identities from other teams), and have made good racing choices. They are also consistent, coming in fourth place in both of these legs. They did switch Detours in Dubai, but it ended up working out for them, and I can't fault them for the move.

Sam & Dan: This team was a mixed bag over the two episodes. They came in first place in the fourth leg, after Justin & Zev were eliminated due to the loss of their passports. They played a bit dirty in that leg, trying to fool other teams, but didn't get away with it. Still, their worst mistake was waiting for Maria & Tiffany to get a replacement car. Teams should NEVER wait on another team who has a problem like that; it could drag on forever. Smart teams always look out for number one, and that means wishing others the best, but leaving them behind. It may not cost them the race in that leg, but the lost time to the Pit Stop may cost them a flight, train, or bus in the next one.

Maria & Tiffany: The poker girls are showing themselves a weak team, with seventh place in the fourth leg and sixth place in the fifth leg. They aren't exactly making bad decisions, but they always seem to fall behind, then take way too long on the task. They didn't help themselves by wrecking their car either. They were lucky to get a replacement one quickly, but again, that is luck, and they've been very lucky so far. Sometimes luck can save a team, but in the long term, a reliance on it doesn't work.

Mika & Canaan: The Christian couple is another weak team, and are making basic mistakes. I always say to read the clue, and Canaan didn't at the foreign correspondents club, asking for a task instead of an assignment. It's a fundamental mistake that should be avoided. Mika also didn't grasp the difference between miles per hour and kilometers per hour. They were wise to hire a taxi as a pace car to the Pit Stop in Dubai, but this team has never placed well and unless things change, they are going to be out of the race soon.

Lance & Keri: The “Lions” finally lost the race. Most of it was due to a lack of awareness of where things where, which put them dead last for most of the Dubai leg. Still, on the plus side I think they made some very good decisions along the way. They weren't shy about trying to get on the plane out of Vietnam, and went so far as to ask to be put first on the waiting list. It never hurts to ask for that, or for selling business class seats at economy seat prices just to get on the flight. They also took the Cover option in Cambodia, knowing they were trailing. They got lucky, but their luck ran out in Dubai.

Justin & Zev: What went wrong? Frankly, they raced very well, and came in first place in Cambodia. They made a friend of a cab driver who helped them along the entire leg, including the search for the lost passport. Unfortunately, it was a fruitless search. It's a hard way to go out, and a lesson for future teams. Please, keep tight control of your passports!

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent The Amazing Race 15 articles on RealityNewsOnline:

Jeffrey Clinard has written about the Amazing Race since its debut season, writing over 100 articles about the show. His patronus takes the form of a penguin. He can be reached at realityfeedback@bookslv.com.

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