Race to the Altar, Episode 1: Fear of Commitment

I think I am uniquely qualified to cover Race to the Altar. Why? Well, when my husband and I were on our honeymoon in Cancun, we entered a kissing contest for newlyweds (tequila may have played a part in our decision to enter). It was a huge group of honeymooning couples; we were all told to kiss and the audience would decide which kiss was the most passionate. My husband and I were determined to win and knew that a simple kiss wouldn’t be enough to win. Not only did we kiss, but I also ripped his shirt off and waved it over our heads. Did I mention the tequila? Needless to say, we won that contest handily. The couples on Race to the Altar will have to show that same competitive spirit in order to win the grand prize, a dream wedding planned by Colin Cowie.

The episode begins with the eight couples arriving in Las Vegas in helicopters. The couples are Grace (21) and Robert (22), Carolyn (31) and Ethan (36), Becca (22) and Andy (24), Tonya (28) and Andree (28), Jessica (25) and Scott (26), Cindy (29) and Chris (27), April (28) and Vinny (28), and finally Susan (21) and Coyt (28). Host Lisa Dergen reviews the rules of the game. Each week the couples will compete in a physical challenge and a mental challenge. The winners of each game become a Power Couple. The two Power Couples will meet every week to come up with a “guest list” of the couples they invite to stay, eliminating one couple every week. With the rules established, it’s time for the couples to check out their suites in the Venetian hotel. The suites all looked fabulous, complete with sunken bathtubs. Nice.

That night, the couples gather in the Hospitality room to get to know each other better. Several couples debate whether or not to form a “commitment” with other couples – that is, mutually agreeing not to vote one another out. On Survivor, that would be called an alliance. I wonder if the producers prompted them to call them commitments to add to the wedding theme. Tonya and Andree find the idea of a commitment appealing, as well they should – it makes sense strategically. Coyt also seems to like the idea, and tries to figure out whom he can trust. Grace and Robert rule out the idea of a commitment, preferring instead to rely on their strength as a couple. While they’re at it, they should paint a big target on their backs. That night when Vinny and April are alone, they decide not to get too close to any of the other couples. Again, bad idea. If the other couples don’t have a relationship with you (whether it’s a formal commitment or just a friendship), it will be easy for them to eliminate you. I’m starting to think these people should have read David Bloomberg’s “What Survivors Should Have Learned” article before going on this show!

Next we learn a little bit more about the couples. Susan reveals that her parents don’t know that she and Coyt are living together. Because they are religious, they would not approve. Well, I’m sure once they find out along with the rest of the country by watching it on TV they’ll think it’s just swell. Susan and Coyt are determined to win the competition so they can have the wedding they want, and not the wedding her parents want (i.e. no dancing or drinking). Wow, just like Footloose! I think Susan has a lot of growing up to do. If she’s going to get married, she should be mature enough to tell her parents what her living situation is. She should also be strong enough to have the wedding she and Coyt want, whether that means paying for it themselves or eloping. She should not rely on Colin Cowie to save her.

Chris and Cindy also have a problem. Cindy does not want to sleep in the same bed with Chris out of deference to her parents. I think that her situation is different from Susan’s in that Cindy has made the decision to honor her parents’ values, rather than hiding from them. Cindy tried to make other arrangements, but they wind up in the same room anyway. It’s funny to think that not so many years ago, married couples on TV were shown sleeping in separate beds, and now it’s just assumed that these unmarried couples will sleep together. I respect Cindy’s decision and her determination to stick to her values. I only wonder why NBC didn’t show her the same consideration. Surely they could have arranged for the couple to have adjoining rooms or put a bed in the living room so that they could still be together and thus easily filmed, but Cindy would still be comfortable. I can’t help but wonder if this was a deliberate decision to add drama. In the end, Cindy decides to sleep on the sofa in the living room part of their suite.

In another suite, Scott and Jessica talk about their strategy. Jessica’s plan is to win everything. Yeah, that’s a foolproof plan, all right. Scott thinks that if they win everything, they’ll be perceived as a threat.

The first challenge is a physical challenge called “To Have and To Hold.” Each person is hooked up to a harness, which is then attached to a beam. The women are on one side, the men on the other. The couples stand on a platform that is raised 100 feet in the air. When the platform drops out from under them, they have to hold onto each other for as long as they can. The couple that holds on for the longest wins and is the first Power Couple.

The challenge looks like a tough one and several couples struggle right away. Grace and Robert let go first, followed by Ethan and Carolyn. Becca and Andy drop out next, then Chris and Cindy let go. Jessica’s strategy of winning every challenge goes out the window when she and Scott let go of each other. April and Vinny try to hang on, but fail. We are left with Andree & Tonya and Coyt & Susan. Andree and Tonya struggle. Coyt watches them as Susan encourages him to focus on her, not on the other team. Andree and Tonya hold on for as long as they can, but finally separate, ripping the leg of Tonya’s pants in the process. Coyt and Susan are the last couple standing and make it look easy. The two of them held onto each other in a hug position and didn’t seem to have trouble at all. Once they realize that they’ve won, they kiss, then let go, flying into the night. On the ground, Lisa congratulates them for holding on for thirteen and a half minutes, making them the first Power Couple. She tells them to “use your power wisely.”

That night, Coyt and Susan bring a bottle of wine to Andree and Tonya’s room. It’s not long before the couples start talking about strategy. They soon discover that Andy and Becca had suggested to both couples that they form a commitment. Andree also knew that Andy had approached Ethan and Carolyn about forming a commitment as well. Coyt and Susan believe that Andy and Becca are playing both sides of the fence and are not being honest with them.

Through a series of interviews, we learn that that isn’t the case at all. Andy and Becca formed a commitment with Andree and Tonya, along with Carolyn and Ethan. The three couples planned to approach Coyt and Susan about joining them, but Andy didn’t have a chance to talk to them before the first competition. Andy says, “Unfortunately, the first competition happened before I spoke to [Coyt], so I never got to it. Now is not the time because it looks like I’m sucking up to him.” In separate interviews, Ethan and Andree give the same story. Ethan says that from the beginning he’d wanted to align with Coyt and Susan. Andree also backs up Andy, saying, “It seemed like we’re just trying to use Coyt because he already won.”