The Amazing Race 24: All-Stars
The Amazing Race 24: All-Stars
By Daron Aldridge
February 25, 2014
Phil welcomes them all and then [INSERT RECORD SCRATCH]…he announces that one of the racers had be to seen by the show’s physician last night. They don’t show it but I suspect that everyone immediately turned toward Daddy David because that is who immediately popped into my mind. But it wasn’t the elder member of Team Murphy’s Law. It was actually Kentucky’s own Bopper.
They explain they he had contracted pancreatitis and the doctor would not clear him to travel. If Mark wanted to continue, then Phil offered to give them a surrogate Bluegrass team member. The only other notable Kentuckians were dad/daughter Gary & Mallory, who have competed twice before. But which would fill the void? It’s Mallory. Just like that, Team Kentucky’s chances got a bit better. Mallory and her dad had a decent showing on their first season but then improved and ended up in third on the Unfinished Business edition. That’s the silver lining for Mark given that his best friend is sick and he is going on this Race without him.
Mallory enters the stadium and people are clapping and, of course, Rachel Reilly starts crying. We are less than ten minutes into the season and Rachel is already being Rachel. Maybe Kleenex needs to be the official sponsor of this season.
Bopper says his goodbye and gives Mallory a bandana signed by his daughter to wear on the Race. Even the hardest of hearts has to be touched by the whole scene. But let's get to racing.
Phil tells the teams that the double dose of Express Passes is on the table again for the first place team this leg. Of course they then cut to John just so we don’t forget his boneheaded "Oy vey" moment.
The first leg will be taking the teams to Guangzhou, China, and there are two flights available with an hour difference in arrival times. But it’s a challenge right out of the gate that will determine which four teams get the first flight and not just who gets to the airport first. I am a fan of challenges to determine their lot and not just whether they know how to get to an airport, especially when the departure city will likely give some teams an unfair advantage.
The task? The two marching band drum majors have a Chinese symbol for their destination city of Guangzhou on their hats. The teams have to locate the same symbol on the band member’s hats, who are all marching in formation on the field and then bring the band member to Phil for their clue.
In quick succession, the first flight is filled and no one really stumbles with a wrong guess. It’s just a matter of who gets to Phil first. The first flight has Leo & Jamal (Afghanimals), Jet & Cord (cowboys), Natalie & Nadiya (Shrill Lanka) and David & Connor (Murphy’s Law). The rest are starting out a bit behind.
The car rides to LAX are largely uneventful, except that Mark & Mallory use this time to try to get a feel for each other’s strengths and weaknesses. This may be interesting because Mallory cringes at the idea of eating gross food and Mark shakes his head at the chance of him putting on a dress. I think I see Roadblock stumbles in their future.
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