The Amazing Race 25 - Episode 6
Power Rankings
By Daron Aldridge
October 30, 2014
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Last week’s Morocc’ and Roll validated many of the conclusions that I have made about the teams and as such the rankings may be familiar. Once again, I’m not letting these rankings be decided by a team’s possession of a Save or Express Pass.
Here you go:
1) Kym & Alli (Friends/cyclists). The name "Quicksilver" seems even more fitting beyond the allusion to the Kevin Bacon bike messenger film epic because for the last two legs, the ladies have accelerated past the others and nabbed first place. While their victory in Denmark was impressive, they had a sizable cushion most of the leg. This past week was more impressive because they kept their wits about them in the heat of a mob-like leg. They even proclaimed before the start of the leg their goal was to duplicate the great teamwork shown on the prior leg without pressure during a crazy leg – and they did. On top of all of that, I just like their attitude towards the Race, each other and even their competitors. They are the team that I most want to share a beer with, which I will let them buy me since they may very well be millionaires by the season end.
2) Adam & Bethany (Married surfers). While the cyclists typify excelling while enjoying themselves, the Soul Surfers do the same for the respectful, considerate and loving couple set. I know they explained they’re technically still in the honeymoon phase, but I hope the way they interact with each other doesn’t wane. With every task, regardless of how demanding, like the Parking Lot Detour in Denmark or the treasure hunt on the first leg, they have yet to let the pressure of the Race turn into anything other than encouragement to each other. I also applaud their ability to keep focused on their race and not getting bogged down in what the other teams are doing, saying or yelling. In that regard, Adam & Bethany are very similar to Kym & Alli.
3) Misti & Jim (Married dentists). I wish I didn’t have to put Team DDS so high in the rankings, but even without factoring in the Save, this married team still has fared pretty well. What they accomplished on the first three legs can’t be discounted just because they experienced a freefall in Denmark. They recovered some on this leg by overcoming a Speed Bump and moving up to fifth place. That counts for something, but their main flaw seems to be coming from the one thing that I applauded them for on the first few legs: attention to detail. Misti missed the order reciting detail about the order number two weeks ago. This week, neither of them noticed the one-handed tray holding technique. The pressure seems to be getting the best of them but I doubt it’s a permanent issue.
7) Tim & Te Jay (Dating). So far we have had two different tasks that involved bikes, which you would think favored Kym & Alli (I would argue that it did in Denmark but not in Morocco), but there have also been two weeks in a row that were right up Te Jay’s waiter background. This has paid off for them as the boys are closer to the front of the pack at the Pitstop than they’ve been in weeks. But can they keep this momentum going when faced with a non-restaurant-based task? That is the primary unknown for me. TNT does well at maneuvering ahead of teams en route to tasks and clues but seems to lag behind in the actual execution of the task. We’ll see how they do in future legs before I can justify ranking them in the top three.
5) Brooke & Robbie (Dating wrestlers). Lovable lugs Brooke & Robbie bring enthusiasm and just the right amount of self-deprecation to the Race but so far, that hasn’t really yielded the best results at the Pitstop. For the most part they seem to be enjoying themselves and Brooke really shined on the Wedding Cake Detour in Denmark. This week, she seemed to be especially free with her complaining. Similar to the dentists, this week's Tea Time Detour details just escaped them and that’s what put them behind. Unfortunately, that seems to be their MO. I would be surprised if anyone even considered U-Turning them because no one views them as a real threat. The Race is such a perfect mix of mental and physical, I don’t think Tag Team can go the distance.
6) Amy & Maya (Friends/PhD Students). Team Candy Crush? Are they still on the Race? Judging by the utter lack of footage of them on the legs, you wouldn’t be faulted for forgetting about them. They seem capable enough and also display a strong team work ethic but they really haven’t done anything to stand out. Maya may be the most adorable Racer this season but adorable does not a winning team make. Breaking down this leg, Amy went the wrong way during the Roadblock with Tim, yet he was able to rebound to third place. Plus, they waited way too long on the Twirl Time Detour before changing duties. The girls should have seen quickly that Maya was not going to be able to spin the hat because of her tiny head. Bad judgment call and I fear that it won’t be their last.
7) Shelley & Nici (Mother/Daughter). Rebounding nicely in Morocco, the Super Fannies gave a nice display of teamwork and "appear" to have put the bickering behind them. So why so low in my rankings? First, that tension in this team will probably always be bubbling near the surface, and the first opportunity to blame the other will likely be taken. They are ones that have the highest potential for Race-ending meltdown. Secondly, I think they screwed up with this week’s U-Turn. The mom and daughter let their hearts rule over their heads in the decision. Blinded by rage toward the Survivors, they chose short-term karmic payback over long-term Race prospects. Any of the teams should have U-Turned Misti & Jim, which would have burned the Save and leveled the field, but the one team that did use it wasted the chance. Such short-sightedness will likely be their downfall.
Leg six of the Amazing Race 25 awaits.