The Amazing Race: Power Rankings
The Amazing Race: Power Rankings
By Daron Aldridge
March 24, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
In a field full of teams that aren’t exactly blazing a trail to The Amazing Race Hall of Fame, here’s how I think these remaining teams rank heading into the sixth episode:
1. Bates & Anthony: The hockey brothers of Team Slapshot deftly deflected attention from themselves when the possibility of a U-Turn popped up. For whatever reason, the other teams have been blind to the physical presence that Bates & Anthony have, plus the all-around impressive showing at the end of most legs. In my eyes, the fact that they are essentially flying under the radar is highly commendable but also highlights how Race-ignorant their competitors are. Add in that they are good-natured and likable and you have the team that I think still has the best shot at winning it all. (Side note: It finally occurred to me last week that Bates & Anthony’s parents were such big fans of Alfred Hitchcock and the movie “Psycho” that they named their boys after the main character and the actor playing him. Just a theory.)
2. Max & Katie: Oh, Team Cape Fear, I wanted you to flame out because of your early wannabe villainous shenanigans and bickering but here you are sitting near the top at the Pit Stop and in my rankings. Why? Simply because the last two legs you have demonstrated none of that grating bickering that I assumed was a constant for you. Their transition of moving from competing with one another about being right to focusing that competitiveness to the actual Race has served them well. This ranking is probably the biggest gamble for me because as nicely as they seemed to have changed for the better, it could just as easily revert to the toxic ways from the beginning. Just remember…you are on the same team (in the Race and as newlyweds), so work together and not against each other.
3. Mona & Beth: Team Sock’er Moms have rolled up to third place last week and did so by cruising past other teams between challenges. The challenge performance of our roller derby mothers hasn’t been one for the record books, especially last week with the bungled human chess Detour and being one of the last teams out of the Vietnam Communism celebration Roadblock. All that considered, they seem have some super mojo that allows them to avoid any issue getting from point A to point B. Aside from Bates & Anthony, I think they are the only other ones that I actually like. The biggest obstacle for them: the one-time alliance with John & Jessica. The fact that the other teams focused their U-Turn on Joey & Meghan (the OTHER part of said alliance) hints that the mothers are viewed as less of a target for whatever reason.
4. Pam & Winnie: Best friends and (until recently) background racers, Pam & Winnie have exploited the weak field of competitors to rise to the top. I dubbed them Team Chameleon early on because of the ability to NOT stand-out or have a discernible Race identity and that hasn’t changed much. The glimmers of personality haven’t exactly been endearing or more accurately, just annoying. The taste of success on the Race has led them to quickly adopt arrogance that rarely goes unchecked by the Amazing Race gods (see: John & Jessica). These ladies are sitting comfortably atop Mt. Pit Stop heading into the next leg but they are definitely one of those teams that can unravel quickly.
5. Joey & Meghan: Team YouTube has the mark of a defunct alliance left on them that the other teams are unwilling to ignore. The bad taste that John & Jessica left in the mouth of the other racers is now stuck on Joey & Meghan. I don’t quite understand why this team is the object of their scorn but they are. Despite that they overcame the U-Turn, primarily because the fortuitousness of it being a Double U-Turn, so they could share the misfortune with Chuck & Wynona. These friends should be able to scrap out another leg or so but if the anti-John contingent continues, then they could be victims of the next batch of U-Turns.
6. Caroline & Jen: If John Wayne and Daniel Boone had any awareness of reality shows (or even TV in the case of the latter) as a measure of success, then they would be weeping into their ten-gallon hats for how their descendents are decidedly unsuccessful. The one-time country singers are patently overmatched by the demands of the Race. By pathetically floating from challenge to challenge, these girls have yet to demonstrate any Race aptitude that makes them stand out, aside from crying a lot when they get stumped. Thus, we see their consistent back-of-the-pack placements. Pretty may get you to the end of the Bachelor but not the Amazing Race.
7. Chuck & Wynona: Sweet Holy Mullets, how many narrow escapes can this team rack up? By the grace of God (or rather, the dark cloud of misfortune that looms over David & Connor), Chuck & Wynona are still in the Race. Five episodes in and Wynona has only performed one Roadblock and that was on the first leg when she was told she had to. So it is easy to point your finger and correctly identify the weakest person left on any team. Sadly, Wynona is fully aware of this fact but doesn’t have the fire to try to prove the perception wrong. She just accepts it and wears self-pity proudly. I will be surprised if they are around after this week.
In a few short hours, we will see if Race prognostication abilities are "Amazing" or "Duh-mazing." I am going with the latter. See you tomorrow for the latest recap.