The Amazing Race: Power Rankings
By Daron Aldridge
November 25, 2012
BoxOfficeProphets.com
With the likeable Headbangers Ball canceled in Russia last week due to lost passports, we are faced with only five teams left and even fewer worth rooting for.
Here are the rankings for this week:
Abbie & Ryan (Dating divorcees): The flight snafu that preceded the “to be continued” ending was pretty much the only major stumble for them on the race. Their performance when facing the huge delay and their track record as the strongest team consistently in the top two teams are reasons enough to put them on the top again. No other team has demonstrated both likeability and race-ability. With the race about to enter its third act, I would wager that any time lead separating the teams at the Russian pitstop will be vaporized at the airport within the first ten minutes of this upcoming leg. So it really is an easy choice which ones should be in the pole position.
Jaymes & James (Best friends/Chippendales dancers): At this point in the season, I am relying upon my better judgment to determine who I think will be the winner and these guys are one of only two teams left that I think deserve or have the ability to win it. Team Beefcake has proven themselves as decent, fun-loving guys who have improved their standing on the race and secured a first place finish last leg. That humanity is why I want them to stay on the race and why they just might. It would make me happy to see them competing in the final three in just a couple weeks.
Trey & Lexi (Dating): Since their egregious part in the theft of Headbangers Ball, Team Longhorn here has been sitting in the front of the pack. Granted, the lead has been uncommonly extended with the last two awkward legs but they do seem to have hit their stride late in the Race. Do they have what it takes to win? Doubtful. Should they be punished for their role in the theft? Absolutely. But it hasn’t happened at this point, so it likely won’t. So even if the producers don’t punish them, maybe the universe will and keep them from winning but last longer than…
Natalie & Nadiya (twin sisters): It would be impossible for me to dislike this team more and equally impossible for these arrogant girls gain some honest self-awareness. They think they are the team to beat, which is humorous given their performance. With the Express Pass out of play, they will have to rely upon their abilities, which (again) are highly exaggerated by the twins. The biggest upside for them? The fact that one of this season’s more inept teams is still clinging to race survival.
Josh & Brent (Life partners for 15 years): Maybe Team Beekman is holding on because I picked them to get to the final three at the start of the season. Maybe not. Regardless, it seems these guys have done everything in their power to be eliminated but keep getting saved, whether it’s a non-elimination leg or a the fact that a four-hour time penalty isn’t harsh enough to put them behind the passport-losing rockers. They are easily the weakest team and should be the next team knocked off the race.
With that, our season full of misfit teams gets another week closer to ending and we are left to hope that this one ends with good (i.e. anyone but the twins) triumphing over evil (i.e. said twins) at the finish line. Let’s see what this next leg has in store for us.