The Amazing Race 4 – The Preview

Well, it has finally arrived! The fourth edition of The Amazing Race is set to premiere on May 29th and I couldn’t be more excited. This time around, I will be at the helm of the recapping and bringing you all the insight that I possibly can. On top of that, I will of course have my little opinion to drop in every now and then just to make it a little bit more interesting. I have to say that the teams this season are pretty eclectic. We go from a married gay couple all the way to a couple that has been dating for 12 years and are still virgins; teams spanning from NFL wives to a father and son that seem to be polar opposites. It will be interesting to see how the teams interact with one another and to see if any team will actually explode this time around. Let’s take a look at each team individually and see what they have to offer during the race. First impressions are an important thing but sometimes it’s a little hard to just go from what we read. However, I’m going to give it a shot.

Amanda & Chris (Dating Couple) – Amanda is 25 and Chris is 28. They hail from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She is a medical technician and he is a freelance graphic designer. Basically, “freelance” is a good way to spice up the fact that he is out of work. From the looks of things, Amanda is going to play the role of the sweet one while Chris worries about how he can stab people in the back and scheme his way to the finish line. Hmm, reminds me a bit of Tara and Wil. They really haven’t done a whole lot of traveling alone or together so it will be interesting to see how they adapt to being with one another for an extended period of time. Trips like this can make or break a relationship, as we saw with Lenny and Karen from the first series. Their motivation to do the show is much different as well. Amanda is there to prove that she is a strong person physically and mentally while Chris is all about the money and kicking ass. I actually think this will work in their favor. Chris’ competitive nature will demand the most from Amanda. I don’t think that they will win, but they will go pretty far.

David & Jeff (Best Friends) – David is 32 and is an executive and owner of his own marketing agency. Jeff is 37 and is a commercial and residential broker. The way that it looks right now, David is trying to come across as a “guy’s guy” and Jeff is more the caring, romantic type. Jeff is just giving off this vibe that I’m not buying at this point. They both have done some traveling in the past, especially in Europe. That may help them when it comes to finding destinations, but they have never traveled together and it may be some trouble for them to work together since they seem to be such opposites. They also seem to be doing the race for different reasons as well. While Jeff is all about the experience, David just wants to have a good time, get drunk, and laugh at himself. Geeze, that’s just a normal day for me. But I digress. This team will be fun to watch because I think Jeff is going to get sick of David sooner rather than later. I don’t think David is going to take the race too seriously and will approach everything with the wrong attitude. Being relaxed is one thing but I don’t think David has the right stuff for this competition, which will drag down Jeff. They will be eliminated somewhere in the middle of the race.

Debra & Steve (Married Parents) – Well, right off the bat, I want this team to do well, just for the fact that they have a funny story. Debra is 49 and is the director of an artist’s colony(?). Your guess is as good as mine. Steve is a radio news director and is 40. They met while both playing on a coed softball team. Apparently, Debra was there to hook up with a single guy and found Steve. They have been married for eight years and Debra has two children from a previous marriage. They both have done some traveling and their profile says that they have taken several trips together. That is one good thing they have going for them because previous travel experience together makes it easier for the couple to get along and stay positive. Debra has an extreme fear of heights and my guess is that Steve will be doing a bulk of the roadblocks for their team. For some reason Debra just doesn’t seem like the physical type but I would love for her to prove me wrong. I have a feeling they are going to do better than many are giving them credit for. Not a final three team but I think they will be around for a few weeks.

Jon & Al (Best Friends/Clowns) – Where do I even begin? Jon, who is the “Human Cannonball for the Circus,” is 40, and Al is a 34-year-old substitute teacher and cruise ship entertainer who also used to work for the circus. Their traveling experience is extensive but limited mainly to the United States. They have traveled together but mostly with a larger group and not just with each other. However, I think they will work well with together. They are both there to have fun and enjoy themselves all while pushing themselves to their limits. I like this team. Their most important item they brought along is their alarm clock and that is pretty smart. We have seen in the past how teams are prone to oversleep at the check point. It is nice to see that they are both prepared the most to travel the U.S., but fellas, I don’t think there will be much of that during the race. Despite that, I think this team will do rather well. Actually, they are my first pick to make the final three. They have it all together, are not taking the race lightly, but not too seriously either. They are there to have a good time but to be competitive as well. I think they will work together and make it to the end.