RNO Roundtable: Who Will Win ‘The Amazing Race 4’?

Some of the writers here at RealityNewsOnline have decided to come together and sound off on this season of The Amazing Race. Below, Betsy Wasser, Melinda Smith, Paris Cosby, Phil Kural, and Sting7 answer some questions about how the race shaped up and who they want to win. They also discuss how this season shapes up to seasons past, not to mention the order of finish! Read on for some good analysis.

Which of the remaining teams has the best chance of winning? Which has the least? Why?

Betsy: Best chance: Chip & Reichen. They're both physically strong, they work well together, and they generally make smart decisions (with the huge exception of not following directions a couple weeks ago). Least chance: David & Jeff. They're physically strong, but they make so many careless mistakes and get lost so easily that I think they're bound for a third-place finish.

Melinda: Kelly & Jon have the best chance of winning the race for the simple reason that they have the best luck. Despite being strong, dynamic, and smart, luck has been their best ally of all. Luck kept them from being eliminated in the first non-elimination round, in picking the right flight out of Seoul, in keeping them in the running when they slept at the airport in Kuala Lampur instead of scrambling for a better flight like Millie & Chuck, I could go on and on. (They’ve got the same luck that Vecepia Towery had in Survivor: Marquesas that caused Richard Hatch to choose her as the winner!) Luck has also been a factor for Jeff & David, aka the Goats, but to a lesser degree. If their luck doesn’t hold out, they’re the weakest team.

Paris: I think David & Jeff have been coming on strong lately but I'm not sure they've been edited as winners of the race. I honestly don't know which one is which and the show is almost over! For a long time, I've thought that Jon & Kelly would win The Amazing Race but she has been edited a bit like Flo from last season. So, by default, I will say that Reichen & Chip are the winners of The MOST Amazing Race.

Phil: Well, I would definitely say that Reichen & Chip have the best chance of winning. Do I want them to win? I wouldn’t care, but I WANT Kelly & Jon to win simply because I picked them to win from the beginning and they are my favorite team. I think the Goats have the worst chance of winning because they always seem to get lost. This race is definitely going to come down to Jon & Kelly racing Reichen & Chip to the finish line.

Sting7: The Goats are most physically fit, though Reichen & Chip are close. The last few challenges have been TOUGH and I doubt they will get easier or any less physically demanding. Goats have the best chance of winning, Jon & Kelly (already injured) are in trouble.

Of the remaining teams, who is your favorite and what have they done to become just that?

Betsy: Chip & Reichen are my favorites. I like them because they've raced hard, they've been smart, they're willing to take the occasional risk, and when things get stressful, rarely do they turn on each other. It makes me feel good to see how much they care about each other.

Melinda: The Goats have become my favorite team for the same reason that I always have a favorite team – they’re the ones I see as most "worthy" of winning TAR in terms of natural ability. It also has to do with having something of an underdog status. This was the case with Rob & Brennan from AR1, Chris & Alex from AR2, both of whom won the race that year, and to a lesser extent Derek & Drew from AR3. I know, I know, Rob & Brennan and Chris & Alex don’t seem like underdogs, but seeing them in perilous situations every week where they seemed to be on the brink of elimination made them seem that way to me. And Derek & Drew and David & Jeff definitely deserve the status as underdogs for their frequently inept and reckless decision making. I was slow to warm up to The Goats for the simple reason that we never saw them for the first half of the show, but now that they’ve emerged from the pack, I’m rooting for them the same as the previous "worthy" candidates!

Paris: I love Jon & Kelly. I think they are absolutely hilarious. They have been my favorites since the beginning of the show but when Jon grabbed Kelly on the train, I don't think I stopped laughing for about five minutes. I was even giggling in bed as I went to sleep that night. Those two are great to watch!

Phil: Wow, this is an easy one for me: Jon & Kelly! I loved them the second I read their profile. They love each other, but constantly bicker like they are already married. Every minute they are arguing about something else but there are always there when the other needs them. It’s cool to see that they can call one another an a**, then turn around and hug. I love this team.

Sting7: Reichen & Chip are mighty brave to expose their personal lives on television when there is such a strong anti-gay sentiment out there. I have to support that and the fact that they are killing gay stereotypes.