Amazing Race 24 - All Stars

[Melanie]

I have very similar thoughts as you, Maryanne. Both Mallory and Mark are to blame, and it was very clear last night that they don't mesh.

It was kind of epic seeing all those teams on the mat at once. A frazzled Phil was hilarious.

[PirateLover]

It was kind of epic seeing all those teams on the mat at once. A frazzled Phil was hilarious.

Yes! I forgot to comment on that. I thought that was a lot of fun to see them all finish so close together.

[MNNHFLTX]

Well, I'm sad to find out I was right about Mark and Mallory. For a minute I thought I was going to have egg on my face when he whizzed through the road block and they were in first. As soon as they zoomed in on the bag, though, I knew they were in trouble. I can understand Mallory's point- if she had all of Mark's important documents, whatever is left in the bag is replaceable. On the other hand, I can understand Mark's view. He doesn't have much in life, so it's a lot harder for him to let go of what he DOES have. When he said "It's not even my backpack" and Mallory responded with "I'll buy you a new one!" it was clear that they have totally different views. They are both to blame, it's just a shame they went out that way.

I agree. Both could have done something to prevent the situation--Mallory should have helped keep a better eye on Mark's backpack (she was pretty much the person in charge of it when they were getting the toy car put in the taxi) and Mark should have been willing to let it go, for the sake of the race. Mark was amazing in putting that car together; it's too bad that not being in synch with each other cost them the race.

It was smart of the Cowboys to give the blonds the express pass. They knew they'd burn it right away, then they wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Still, the whole "Oh we are the weakest competitors" tactic doesn't sit well with me.

Ugh, not liking the country singers this go-round. Jennifer was so smug in the taxi about her ability to sweet-talk the Cowboys into giving them the express pass. And then patting themselves on the back for being at the front of the pack. It wasn't your prowess at completing roadblocks that moved you up, ladies!

[tinkwest]

I don't know who had the harder task at the Roadblock - Jet, building the toy car or Cord, listening to Jennifer whine about how much they need and deserve the extra Express Pass.

Ultimately it was probably a good decision to give it to the girls when they did. Now it is used up and the Cowboys have the one and only Express Pass. Also they don't need to put up with other teams begging, pleading, and whining to them in an attempt to get the extra Pass.

[TheDuckRocks]

It broke my heart to see the conflict between Mark and Mallory. The difference from being able to feel secure enough to leave your things behind to go for a dream million dollars and the reality of knowing that the few things you have might be gone forever by a bad call was brutal. I think it reflected much about our inability to see the other person's life situation.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

It broke my heart to see the conflict between Mark and Mallory. The difference from being able to feel secure enough to leave your things behind to go for a dream million dollars and the reality of knowing that the few things you have might be gone forever by a bad call was brutal. I think it reflected much about our inability to see the other person's life situation.

I frequent a few other message boards and usually once or twice a year someone will post a new "twist" as in lets have random pairings of teams. Mark and Mallory are the prime example of why (with the exception of Eric/Danielle S11) the Amazing Race only allows teams with pre-existing relationships. Despite forcing the whole new "team Kentucky" it was pretty evident that despite Mallory's excitement to Race, Mark really had no interest in running the Race with her.

I guess I'm going with tough love and blaming this on Mark. Yes, Mallory is 99.99% at fault for leaving the bag on the ground, although you can understand in part why as she assumed that after they got the toy car in the trunk, that he'd pick up his own bag. But since she'd carried it that far, I can understand too why Mark assumed she had it the rest of the way. Good teammates will usually do an inventory every time they go somewhere (have passports, money, route instructions, bags etc.) and they obviously didn't do that.

All that said, yes Mallory was the source of the problem, but the solution and ultimately elimination I think resides on Mark. I watched the scenes a dozen times over and it was very apparent that no argument that Mallory could come up with was going to persuade Mark to abandon the bags and carry on. After unsuccessfully trying to get him to change, Mallory finally says "we will be eliminated" and unbelievably Mark's response was "I don't care, we need to go back for my stuff". Despite Mallory having the teams money, passports, route instructions, his motion sickness medicine, Mark finally used the lame excuse "its not even my back pack". Despite getting to the roadblock ahead of two other teams, you could tell by Mark's body language he had given up. There were other teams I wanted gone first, but when I heard preseason that Mallory was running with Mark, I really didn't need to see them for that long, so nothing lost with this elimination.

Cowboys - the good/bad/ugly. I have no idea how you can leave the pitstart an hour ahead of the last place team and arrive after them. They never seem to do things small, big wins, big mistakes, and they were extremely lucky, even with an EP to survive that opening blunder. That said, giving the country girls, arguably one of the weakest teams in the field, the 2nd EP was brilliant strategy. Not only did they give it to a weak team, they did it in a moment that required them to use it immediately, meaning the cowboys now possess the only remaining EP. The girls can think all they want that they charmed it out of them, but it was strategy, pure and simple.

Meghan -not sure how stupid one can get, but she seems willing to show us. Helping John, the only other team behind you, complete the roadblock was one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. I know they were friends/allies from their prior season, but as she found out the hard way, that meant nothing as John/Jessica outraced them to the pitstop. Meghan/Joey were lucky they weren't the last team.

I guess I'm hoping for Margie and Luke to go next. His near breakdowns over the simplest things already are really getting annoying and he hasn't attempted a roadblock yet, so somekind of tantrum/breakdown is coming I'd wager.

I came into this season cheering for John/Jessica, but so far, less than stellar performances from them, so we'll see.

Bunch of teams carrying Travelocity Gnomes in the previews, so we'll see how those play out.

[2Epcot]

I watch ever season of The Amazing Race, but have forgotten why so many of the teams were on twice before, and the All Stars makes their third appearance?

It is still my second favorite reality show, but as with my first, I'd rather see new people than having old people come back

[Ian]

Yeah, it was pretty clear Mark's heart wasn't in it when he couldn't race with Bopper. I actually remarked to my wife more than once, "Mark keep saying over and over again how miserable he is that Bopper isn't there. Does he ever once stop to think about how that makes Mallory feel?"

I don't want to be too tough on him, but honestly I kinda thought he came off like a big baby. Yes it was definitely Mallory's fault they lost the bag, but he basically forced them into last place and elimination because (I think) he knew his heart wasn't in it and he didn't really want to be there. I give Mallory a LOT of credit for being as patient and reserved as she was. I would have flipped on him to the tune of, "I come on this show again to help you achieve your dream of making a better life for your family and you're going to quit over a stupid BACKPACK??!?! No let's be real Mark ... you're having a temper tantrum that your wittle fwend Bopper isn't here. Now man up, shut up, we're leaving the stupid bag, here's the clue, MOVE IT!"

[NJDad]

CBS is showing the sports again today so set your DVRs for extra time just in case if you're not watching live.

Don't say you haven't been warned.

[TheDuckRocks]

CBS is showing the sports again today so set your DVRs for extra time just in case if you're not watching live.

Don't say you haven't been warned.

This is something that has happened so often, I now just set up the next show (which I don't watch) all the time.

[MNNHFLTX]

This is something that has happened so often, I now just set up the next show (which I don't watch) all the time.

I set the DVR to record two hours past the scheduled end time. I used to do just one hour but found out the hard way that it wasn't always enough time.

[NJDad]

So yesterday's sport went slightly over the time slot but they still started the prime time schedule on time, just to keep us on our toes.

[DizneyRox]

Please get rid of Margie and Luke, PLEASE!!!!! Putting us through his ineptness for three seasons is just cruel...

[MNNHFLTX]

I'm totally good with Joey and Meghan going home--really they didn't seem all that invested in the race this time around. I was really surprised (and glad) that Dave and Connor managed to come in first at the pitstop, given that they overshot their takeout point with the canoe and had to carry the supplies back to drop them off.

And yes, I am ready for Margie and Luke to be next.

[TheDuckRocks]

I was very pleased to see Rachael step up and act like an adult this leg. They really had a hard go of it and she just barely had a hiccup. From past behavior from her I was waiting for one of her complete meltdowns with much wailing and tears.
It is beyond time to have Margie and Luke go!

[Melanie]

Can I just say again how much I enjoy Flight Time and Big Easy? I know some don't respect how they run the race, but I love how much fun they have interacting. When Flight was saying how their job isn't really a job, my respect for him grew even more. They know how fortunate they are.

Good leg, interesting challenges. Did everyone see the previews? Luke is something else.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Despite being completely happy with the elimination of u-tubers, I was very disappointed with the entire set up of the leg. It had humorous moments, but really little to no suspense or substance.

This was one of those legs where I just shake my head, basically based on prior leg performance, they were awarding 6 teams an automatic pass to the next leg, by giving them a 3 hour advantage. I don't get that. I could see giving 3 teams an advantage and have the other 6 fight it out, but basically saying "ok - one of you three is guaranteed to go home" didn't like that at all, no need for it. I was actually prepared for and was dreading the "non-elim".

This continues to be the dumb and dumber edition of Race. Middle of Malaysia, rafting down a river, and Dave/Connor spot what looks like a route info marker or TAR signage and totally blow it off. Really? Then instead of just switching detour tasks, they hoof it all the way back. Have no idea how they still got first, it must have not been very far down river. Then you have Cord that does the entire repel and realizes "I don't have a clue". Then John decides to just throw some sticks in the water and then see if they will stay together on their own. This is just turning out to be a dumb group of teams.

If next weeks preview is at all accurate, it looks like "Luke is Back". Margie sounded like a mother scolding her 3 year old. I hope they are next to go.

Some sloppy TAR editing. Did anyone else notice, in Meghan/Joey's flashback as they showed them hiking thru the snow, they subtitled them Season 18 (they were season 22).

[PirateLover]

I have to echo most of what has already been said.
-between leaving first but getting on the 2nd flight, and the raft debacle, I was also expecting a Rachel meltdown, but she pulled herself together.
- Meghan's and Joey's heads weren't in the game- they should've known better than to let their taxi leave in such a remote location. I knew they weren't going to last long.
-Beyond ready for Luke to go! Margie has impressed me but Luke just gets worse and worse. Watch them get saved by a non-elimination leg and keep sneaking by just to annoy us all!
-Dave and Connor-I thought they might incur a penalty since they didn't appear to raft back to the start, but I guess not. I do like them, but can we please move on from dad's injury last time around? They seem like a genuinely nice team though, and they work together well. So far I'm still liking them to win since they seem the least prone to self-destructing.
-Globetrotters are fun to watch. Big Easy was too big for the roadblock!!!

[Melanie]

-Dave and Connor-I thought they might incur a penalty since they didn't appear to raft back to the start, but I guess not. I do like them, but can we please move on from dad's injury last time around? They seem like a genuinely nice team though, and they work together well. So far I'm still liking them to win since they seem the least prone to self-destructing.

I agree about Dave and Connor and the moving on from the last race, and I thought they were going to be penalized as well. That wasn't clear at all.

To be honest, I don't love them. They have a great story, but they kinda bore me.

[PirateLover]

To be honest, I don't love them. They have a great story, but they kinda bore me.

I know what you mean! They are a little too ordinary, "aw shucks" kind of people.. Almost too normal to be on the show! But that is why I think they could potentially win it all.

One other thing in regards to the taxi situation- I've mentioned this before, but I go back and watch earlier seasons since I didn't start watching the show until a few years ago. It always strikes me to see how much self-navigating they did in the earlier seasons, and I wonder why they don't really do this anymore. Maybe it became too tough logistically or too expensive to rent all of the cars? I don't know. I prefer the drama of self-navigating and being responsible for your own fate to the drama of leaving everything up to the taxi driver.