The Amazing Race 25 - Episode 5
Power Rankings
By Daron Aldridge
October 24, 2014
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Because of this fact, I looked deep in my recapping soul to determine who should be ranked where and a conflict arose. The presence of a Save and an Express Pass will naturally give their holders a death grip on the top two spots, which can be boring and predictable. So, I've decided to weigh my rankings as if those advantages didn't exist (even though they will obviously impact the game).
Here is how I view the Race aptitude of the teams:
1) Kym & Alli (Friends). Thanks to a pretty stellar leg and near flawless execution on the tasks, I think that Team Quicksilver should be feared by the others. The cyclists may a fun-loving and self-deprecating way about them that can charm viewers and other racers alike but they also have a pretty serious competitive streak. Kym approached the Roadblock with humility, knowing that waitressing was not her strong suit, but she conquered it much easier than she expected. Fortunately, the quick thinking of grabbing the extra icing saved them time, which they had a surplus of thanks to smart flight wrangling. That was a bit of luck, but their mental and physical strengths are what should propel them to the end of the Race.
2) Misti & Jim (Married). Team DDS or simply Chompers. The Save almost got played last week but Phil said they didn't need to use since it was a non-elimination. I must admit that I was disappointed because I think that they should make them use it in the same manner Survivor does for the immunity idol. If you use it and didn't need to, too bad. It adds a wrinkle of strategy. I would like to see this change should the Save be used in future seasons. Regardless of the Save, this last leg showed the infallible nature of this self-professing king and queen of all Amazing Race Land. They flubbed the Parking Lot Detour, part of the Wedding Cake task and Misti failed to read the clue correctly so she left off a vital piece of information in relaying her food orders on the Roadblock. One bad leg doesn't undo the reputation that three strong legs built, but this is a crack in the armor, so it put them in second.
3) Adam & Bethany (Married). Team Hang Ten or Soul Surfers. Similarly, this newlywed team didn't have the best outing in Denmark but they survived to Rave another day. The Express Pass isn't as valuable the Save but still worthwhile. I suspect they will be using it this week because of the pending double U-Turn. The other groups should target both Team DDS and Hang Ten to flush the advantages out. The positive and loving attitude of this young married couple is enviably sweet but also the right way to approach the Race. Being supportive and communicating wisely is always a smart Race decision, and Adam & Bethany have these traits locked in. I think they could round out our top three.
4) Brooke & Robbie (Dating). Tag Team. These guys surprised me the last couple legs. Physically, we know they can hang, but those first two legs showed that mental toughness and attention to detail could be their downfall. So maybe it's the lower expectations talking, but I'm impressed with what they have been able to do the last couple of legs. More specifically, they weren't shaken by the Wedding Cake Detour that caused two other teams to switch and then another that had to backtrack because a detail was missed. Their success on that task was a credit to Brooke's sheer arm and upper body strength as she stabilized they cake the entire ride. I'd like to see them continue their momentum in this way.
5) Keith & Whitney (Engaged). Survivor could have been a recipe to learn from but not winning on Survivor likely just prepared them to also not win on the Amazing Race. They are the antithesis of the supportive and communicative relationship of the surfers. Keith is quick to berate, and Whitney is either accepting or dismissive, it appears. It doesn't really matter, because this relationship combo rarely wins. That being said, they have kept their attitudes in check the last two legs, and it yielded nice results at the mat. So, they may be learning from their mistake and not acting in the belligerent way he was to her and everyone else earlier. Negativity doesn't always spell disaster on the Race but it didn't seem to be helping this team. I don't have much faith that he will keep his anger under wraps.
6) Amy & Maya (Friends/PhD Students). I like Team Candy Crush a lot because...well...I would say I am a kindred dork spirit, but I just fear that the girls aren't going to be able to keep up in the physical department with these brawny teams. They have the intelligence and eye for detail for some challenges, but that's not always enough. Even though they got the Pitstop clue second, they somehow ended up getting beat to the mat by two other teams, but we didn't see why. Also, (and this is just hypothesizing) their lack of footage or highlights during the Race makes me think that the producers aren't bothering showcasing them enough because they don't make it too deep into the Race.
7) Tim & Te Jay (Dating). This pair seems to be moving in the opposite direction of the Survivors because TNT started out in the head of the pack but have since squandered that placement. You can't blame a poor showing on a late finish on previous legs, because this season has really been more like a fresh start and level playing ground for all the teams each leg, it seems. The couple here just seems to not be able to replicate the success and competitive play they had on the first two legs - especially since nothing horrible befell them on challenges this last week but they still didn't quite excel. They flew through the Parking Lot Detour and Te Jay breezed through the Roadblock, but they still couldn't muster better than fifth place. That can't be encouraging for their Race prospects.
8) Shelley & Nici (Mother/Daughter). What you get when you have a team of in-fighting, discord and stubbornness? You get a team that can't win the Amazing Race or as I like to call them - this season's Super Fannies. You can't find the car at the airport. You fight. You demand an apology but don't get it. You get to a Detour and still bicker but actually can get done easily. Yet you can't get better than sixth out of eight teams. To cap it all off, the mom and daughter got lost on the way to the Pitstop, which caused Shelley to pull over and surrender the wheel. Then she sat in the backseat and didn't help with the navigating at all. Then Phil had to call out Nici's petulant pouting and walking away at the mat saying "Now is the time to be an adult." They need to get over this or they are the next to go.
Of course, all these comments are my usual hypothetical musings that could be way off based upon Race curveballs like a Double U-Turn that comes this week. Let's see how it shakes out.