The teams were off to Africa during episode four. An Alliance broke up. An Alliance was formed. One team gained a lot of ground. One team lost ground. One team is still behind. And, of course, one team is gone. Let’s check the leader board.
The teams were off to Africa during episode four. An Alliance broke up. An Alliance was formed. One team gained a lot of ground. One team lost ground. One team is still behind. Let’s check the leader board.
First Place
Team Guido, Joe & Bill
Previous Standing: Fourth Place
The thing I learned most from CBS: Gay guys are EVIL! Joe & Bill recovered quite nicely and as a result they become the first team to finish in first place without using the Fast Forward. Now, they have a chance to really capitalize. They should head straight for the Fast Forward, for two reasons. Number one: They would almost completely insure a huge lead over the pack in leg six of the race. Number two: They might leave the other teams hunting for a pass that isn’t there. Additionally, they have to be the smartest team in the game, if only because after countless backstabs and manipulations, the rest of the teams still would trust their money with them. The situation with the group discount tickets was hilarious. Joe said he could have ripped up the tickets, and if there is no rule against it, he should have. God knows if I was in this race I wouldn’t allow my transportation tickets to fall into the hands of the most dishonest team playing. Actually, if I was in this race, I would likely be a part of the most dishonest team. But the dishonestly comes at a price, because now everyone is gunning for them. If the opportunity comes along where a team can knock them off, they will take it. Again, they need that Fast Forward pass and they need it now.
Second Place
The Frat Pack, Kevin & Drew
Previous Standing: First Place
*Have used Fast Forward Pass
The Frat Brothers joined with the Mother/Daughter team in episode four and as a result they dropped a spot but the Nancy & Emily came in third, literally one second behind them. However, this alliance looks to be different from the previous ones from The Amazing Race because this time around, the members all like each other, and go out of their way to help each other. Although this doesn’t seem beneficiary to Kevin & Drew, it actually guarantees they remain in the game, because Nancy and Emily will always allow them to finish right before they do. The Fast Forward pass has nothing to do with these guys success thus far, they’ve played the game very smart and they remain my pick to win.
Third Place
The Mother and Daughter, Nancy & Emily.
Previous Standing: Eighth Place
They’ve gotten along better and they’ve played the game more patiently. It shows, both in their standings and their communication with each other. I thought for sure they were goners after the first episode, and now they look like they could very well be in the final three. That is, if they stay with the Frat Brothers. The Fast Forward pass is a temporary solution to a long term problem, and if they use it now, they might regret it later on. Otherwise, with this team and the Frat Pack starting at the same time in episode five, their power in numbers might take them into First & Second place next time.
Fourth Place
The Separated Parents, Frank & Margarita.
Previous Standing: Second Place.
They are in good shape for now. Of course, I said that about the Grandparents, and look what happened. There isn’t much to say about these two because in the last episode, they weren’t featured that much. They did break alliance with the Lawyers, just as I predicted, but more on that later. They are remaining right in the middle, which is good for now because while the field thins out, they’ve still got that Fast Forward pass out there. Frank and Alcoholic Beverage are serious contenders to win at this point.
Fifth Place
The Engaged Couple, Paul & Amie
Previous Standing: Sixth Place
They keep climbing the standings, despite Paul‘s massage from hell. They have improved by one seeding in every leg of the race thus far, and could be considered contenders to win. The Underdog Alliance is apparently dead in the water, but they never really needed it anyway. Paul needs to chill out and let Amie whine and cry, because if he loses his temper about it now, what is he going to do when they are married?
Sixth Place
The Lawyers, Rob & Brennan
Previous Standing: Third Place.
*Have used Fast Forward Pass
They’re history. If not next week, the week after. They haven’t played the game very well. They also didn’t get a lot of screen time this week. I will say this, I predicted that once the Alliance with Frank and Margarita broke up, they wouldn’t last long. It happened in episode four, and now the Lawyers, the original leaders, are about to get eliminated.
Seventh Place
The Dating Couple, Lenny & Karyn
Previous Standing: Seventh Place
They almost went after the Fast Forward. It was close. But instead they decided not to, and remain in seventh place as a result. In other words, they will start last in the next episode, and the Fast Forward might not be an option. I figure three other teams are going to try to get it in episode five, so Lenny & Karyn would be best served to race fast and hard for the finish line. I think they stand a better chance of staying in the game then the Lawyers do, but they are still on the fringe of being eliminated.
Eighth Place: Eliminated
The Grandparents, David and Margaretta
Previous Standing: Fifth Place
A dispute over changing dollars to dinars cost the Grandparents the game. Twenty-Five minutes can make a difference in The Amazing Race, and they learned the hard way. What they should have done was just given all the cash they had on them to the driver of the cab, but hindsight is 20/20.
