The Amazing Race Recap: Meet the Teams
By Daron Aldridge
October 1, 2012
BoxOfficeProphets.com

We didn't realize there would be running. And eating.

First order of business – Congratulations once again to The Amazing Race for reclaiming the Reality Competition Show Emmy. As the series returns this fall for its 21st season, I guess it can now legally get drunk, which is often the only way us viewers can tolerate some of the teams. Yes, I am looking at last season’s Big Brother retreads Brendon & Rachel.

Now, before kicking off the new season, here’s a quick look at this season’s teams with my snap judgments on their abilities, longevity and likelihood to annoy. Please note these assessments are based solely upon their CBS profile Q&A. As usual, the partner pet peeves and challenges provide the most insight.

Here we go:

Josh & Brent (Life partners for 15 years): Apparently, these guys were reality show stars for two seasons on a Discovery Channel series called The Fabulous Beekman Boys about…wait for it…goat farmers. The fact that these agri-entrepreneurs have some experience in front of the camera won’t really help them out on the Race but they appear to have some level of success and years of working together so maybe that should be the focus. The biggest issue looming for them is that they both confess that communication and not admitting they are wrong. While miscommunication didn't work against Army Dave and wife Rachel last season, that outcome is usually not the case. Let's slap the guys with the easy to remember name Team Beekman (after their business, farm and TV show). Mental note for distinguishing between the teammates: Josh – taller, wears glasses. Brent – shorter, no glasses.

Natalie & Nadiya (twin sisters): The girls try to convince us that they have the drive and spunk to be competitive with Natalie even listing recovering fully from multiple rugby-induced knee injuries as her proudest accomplishment. But then both compare themselves to one of the Kardashian sisters. [INSERT EYEROLL HERE]. The desire to make this vapid comparison plus the stated problems with having an “explosive” relationship and fighting turning into a screaming match, I hope these Faux-dashians are short-lived on the Race. Mental note for distinguishing between the teammates: Ummm…they are twins…good luck, Daron.

Rob & Kelley (married monster truckers): Whoa, three in and we already have goat farmers and monster truckers. This is shaping up to be the most occupationally diverse season yet. I hope that the fun-loving attitude expressed in their interviews translates to the race. Example: Kelley’s answer to the pet peeve about Rob: She doesn’t like it when he farts in public. Immediately, I am grateful for the lack of Smell-o-Vision. His more touching answer: Kelley’s lack of confidence for no reason. Both express a desire for her to be more vocal and “find her voice.” This could unfold one of two ways (or maybe more): Rob will steamroll her and be blamed or praised for making all the decisions OR she will finally explode after him messing up too much. Team nickname: PENDING.

Trey & Lexi (dating – early 20-somethings): This season’s young dating couple will be played by Austin’s Trey & Lexi; he was a University of Texas football player and she was a UT cheerleader. If their profiles are to be believed (and why shouldn’t they at this point since that is all I have), this team may replicate the success of season 15 winners Meghan & Cheyne, who dominated the game and kept any team discord to a minimum. Also, both Trey & Lexi use the word “happy” as one of the three words to describe themselves. They may not be the most turbulent (i.e. reality show-friendly) team but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them making it to the very end.

James & Abba (Friends): And now from the world of entertainment, one’s a professional heavy metal bassist who has played with White Lion and Megadeth (James) and the other’s an entertainment lawyer (Abba). The fact that neither of these guys anticipates there being any challenges working together spells either delusion or self-awareness. Not sure which at this point but the extensive traveling of James as a musician will probably be a benefit even though he is probably not as recognizable to the general public as he would like to think he is. I could see these guys filling the sizable sneakers of the Globetrotters as a team that works well together because they are just in it for the ride and the fun. Mental note for distinguishing between the teammates: They both have long brown hair and goatees. They are supposedly not twins but I don’t know if I buy that story. Gonna be a tough season.

Abbie & Ryan (Dating divorcees): Finally we get our requisite “figuring out our relationship” team. Abbie wants to be more than just his girlfriend and Ryan is content with the status quo. To complete the predictable cycle of this Amazing Race staple team dynamic, both admit to being stubborn and quick to anger. Ryan takes it even further and says that Abbie is happy to play the victim when they fight. This has the makings of reality show fireworks that are unconformable for viewers to watch but we can’t look away from the accident. I feel good about labeling them Team Trainwreck.

Jaymes & James (Best friends/Chippendales dancers): Great…if having a difficult enough time telling people apart wasn’t bad enough here comes these two with both guys having the same dang name. I think that Jaymes (with the “y”) is blond-ish and James (sans “y”) is brown-haired. Obviously, James-squared should prove to be a threat in physical tasks but they will have to prove they aren’t just a couple of himbos and they have the ability to back up their cocky claims in their interview about their guaranteed victory. (Yes, the double entendre in the last sentence was intentionally.) Wow, there are too many choices on nicknames for these guys. Right now I am torn between the throwback Team Beefcake or the more current Team Magic Mike. Either way, I suspect that Jaymes & James will ask for their winnings in singles.

Rob & Sheila (Engaged): Another Rob this season with a unique job –lumberjack. Sheila, on the other hand, has a pretty mundane occupation of retail manager. Honestly, this team seems to have a rough road ahead because both point out Race-fatal challenges with their teammate: Rob cites her extreme stubbornness and a need for “her to learn to listen well,” while Sheila gives a similar complaint that if Rob thinks he is right no one will convince him otherwise. There doesn’t seem to be much eagerness for compromise here, folks.

Caitlin & Brittany (Friends): Another same gender team that I can’t tell apart. These blondes are dead set on proving that they can compete as well as any team and win the Race or so they say anyway. While Brittany is a medical sales person, Caitlin has the more admirable job as a special education teacher. Unlike previous seasons’ teams who think that claiming to be a teacher would make the other teams feel less threatened, I would like to see Caitlin show that teachers shouldn’t be dismissed as non-threats on the Race. Seriously, though, I have no idea which of these girls is Brittany and which is Caitlin.

Gary & Will (Best Friends/Substitute Teachers): Here are two guys that proudly state their profession as substitute teachers. You don’t hear that much from people because it can be a thankless job that people are dismissive of unfairly. So it will be nice (hopefully) to see Gary & Will bring some validation to the job. With the guys having completed a 300-mile bike race for Make-A-Wish, there seems to be some physical aptitude there. Sight unseen, I am hoping these guys don’t prove to be raging jackwagons, which almost guarantees they will be raging jackwagons. Mental note for distinguishing between the teammates: Gary – very tall, Will – short, possible Napoleon complex. I like these guys more already.

Amy & Daniel (Dating): Here seems to be another well-adjusted dating couple. Can we possibly have two in one season? We’ll see. In a season of teams that scream uniqueness, we end with Amy, who is a double amputee, and her boyfriend Daniel, who is the executive director at the sports organization that Amy co-founded for people with physical disabilities. The fact that Amy is a competitive snowboarder and had to teach herself how to walk again leads me to think they have the toughness to last on the Race. Also, the two seem to be quirky and cutesy enough that I will want to root for them (pending actual footage of them racing). Just consider that Daniel’s pet peeve about Amy is that she made her prosthetic legs longer so she would be taller than him.

So right now, before seeing a single minute of Season 21 of The Amazing Race, I think the final three will be dating Amy & Daniel, dating Longhorns Trey & Lexi and Headbangers Ball James & Abba, with Team Beekman as a possible spoiler.