The Amazing Race: Power Rankings
By Daron Aldridge
February 24, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com

Would you like an Express Pass?

In a personal Amazing Race recap/prediction first, the first leg aligned quite nicely with my gut reaction/first impressions of the teams. The teams I picked to make the final three actually ended up in the top three at the end of the first leg. Plus, one of teams I pegged as an early elimination did in fact go home (adios, Matt & Daniel, the South Carolinian firefighters we didn’t get to know). I will cling to this personal victory because I doubt it will last. In fact, one of those teams appears to be slipping already if the previews are to be believed (which they shouldn’t be but I always allow the preview to taint my rankings).

Here are my rankings of these teams heading into the second leg.

John & Jessica (Dating/adrenaline junkies): My initial prediction that they would win it all got a bit of validation in the premiere when they sailed to an uncontested first place finish on that leg. As the proud owners of an Express Pass and being the Key Master of another Express Pass, John & Jessica are well-positioned and on their way to repeating the dominance of Meghan & Cheyne from a few seasons ago. It is hinted in the previews that they are waffling a bit on their alliance’s agreement to give the second Pass to the next team to finish from their alliance. This shows me that they aren’t just looking to dominate physically but approaching the Race strategically. They take the top ranking this week and quite possibly will stay at or near the top until the end.

Anthony & Bates (Brothers/Pro Hockey players): After the first leg, Team Slapshot here seems poised to challenge John & Jessica’s frontrunner status. They overcame the unfortunate placement on the second flight into Bora Bora but stayed well ahead of that pack of teams. To make it even more impressive, they sailed through the sandcastle Roadblock and easily passed the teams that got to the challenge much earlier (thanks to being on the first flight). Yes, the sandcastle task did require a bit of luck but these hockey brothers did demonstrate adeptness in rebuilding the castles, which seemed to be the biggest problem for the others.

Mona & Beth (Friends/Roller Derby Moms): Team Sock ‘er Moms had a similar performance as Anthony & Bates but not quite as formidable. Thanks to an oversight on their part when signing up for the skydiving, they gave themselves a time penalty of sorts because they had to wait for the last helicopter. The “rush, rush” mentality costs them time but didn’t derail them. For now, I still think they have the toughness and wits to stay in the top of the pack. This ranking is more of a gamble because if they demonstrate similar mistakes, their time is very limited. Please don’t prove me wrong, Mona & Beth.

Jamil & Idries (Twin Doctors): Team Dead Ringers were the ones that succumbed to the heat and exhaustion of the sandcastle Roadblock the most and that put them in the eighth spot. So why am I keeping them in the front? Because I think that they just needed to get the early Race jitters out of the way. I have faith that they are smart and savvy enough to excel in the Race but they must keep their emotions in check (mainly Idries who seems to be the one more prone to emotional outbursts). I am giving them one week to rebound, otherwise, I will have to bump them down the rankings.

Pam & Winnie (Friends): I picked them to go home first and they didn’t. Since nothing they did on the first leg screamed “FRONT RUNNER,” I am left to think that their fourth place achievement was by virtue of being on the first flight and the majority of other teams just not doing well at the sandcastle Roadblock. They did correctly call Jamil & Idries’ bluff on being doctors but that didn’t really require Sherlock Holmes (CBS cross-promotion: Elementary airs at 10/9 p.m. each Thursday…you’re welcome CBS. Please send advertising dollars to www.boxofficeprophets.com). These friends need more screen time to show off their personalities for me to want to root for them but they will likely get the chance because right now they are in this rank by default.

David & Connor (Father/son/cancer survivors): It pains me to do it but I am drinking the promotional Kool-Aid that CBS is serving and that is why I have placed Team Livestrong this far down the line. I know they finished third and supposedly will receive the second Express Pass according to their alliance but we are being led to believe that John & Jessica will not give it to them plus pops David apparently injures himself. While neither of these things will likely eliminate them this week (CBS wouldn’t telegraph that spoiler), I do think they will be setbacks for them. Of these remaining teams, I still think they could be the only ones that are contenders if David’s injury is over-exaggerated.

Joey & Meghan (Friends/Internet personalities): Team YouTube has a Race exuberance that is unparalleled and while it is refreshing to see in a sea of bickering teams, I don’t know if it can sustain them on the Race. Their admitted happiness just to be on the Race makes them more fun to watch but it will likely not endear them to their co-Racers. Plus, they completely bought the load of “nice couple” bunk that newlyweds Max & Katie were selling. Naïveté and youthful enthusiasm are not the hallmarks of Amazing Race winners. But I like them and wish them the best of luck on the Race.

Chuck & Wynonna (Married/Permed Mullet proponent): The “aw shucks” persona is clearly not an act and Team Big Bad Hair just seems ill-equipped for the Race. They are too inexperienced and the fish-out-of-water aspect will be too insurmountable for them, in my opinion. The inherent culture shock and necessary adaptation in foreign places will keep resurfacing for them. Plus, I am already annoyed by the twangy background music the show has decided to use for them. Fortunately, for our hirsute Racers, they will live another day on the Amazing Race, thanks to…

TIE: Max & Katie (Newlyweds/Villain wannabes) AND Caroline & Jen (Friends/relatives of John Wayne and Daniel Boone): Both of these teams opted for a four-hour penalty so they didn’t have to finish the sandcastle Roadblock. And while it was enough get Matt & Daniel eliminated, neither team seemed to grasp the ramifications that they will start the next leg FOUR hours later than the time they checked in. Team Cape Fear (Max & Katie…see what I did there…Max Cady?) wants to be evil geniuses on the Race but the short-sightedness of their plan undercuts the “genius” part of that label. Their arrogance will hopefully be their downfall and this week, if they don’t leave Bora Bora, there will be no airport leveling of the playing field, so the elimination will come down to them or Cowboy Royalty.

There you go. My sure-to-be-wrong rankings heading into the second leg of the Amazing Race 22.