Amazing Race 24 - All Stars

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I saw that no thread had been started yet. The new season kicks off this Sunday Feb 23 with 11 teams of returning "all-stars".

I was checking my dvr to make certain I had the show set up for recording the entire season, and I was noticing the description for the first episode and it said something like "...and one team doesn't make it to the starting line.." This makes it sound like what they did back in S15 when they had a challenge before they went to the airport and eliminated a team right away (Eric & Lisa) but I think its a red-herring. Race rumors have been rampant for a long time that scheduled team of Bopper and Mark did not actually race together, but instead Mallory (of Gary and) replaced Bopper, and this was done at the starting line. I guess we'll see.

The 11 teams include:

Three peaters:
-Globe Trotters
-Margie and Luke
-Cowboys
-Mallory (if rumors are true)

Two-timers
-Brenchal
-Afghanimals
-Twinees
-Mark (other half of Bopper)
-Dave and Connor (father son cancer survivors)
-John & Jessica
-Joey & Meghan (u-tubers)
-Caroline & Jennifer (country singers)

I have to say, probably one of the few times that I've gone into a season with extremely low expectations. There are very few teams on this list that I like or even think deserve to be there.

There is absolutely no reason to bring back teams for a 3rd time, especially these three teams, all of which have made final 3 once and didn't get the job done.

Then you have the really annoying group consisting of Brenchel, Afghanimals, Twinnees and the U-tubers.

Then there is the forgettable team, the Country Singers. I couldn't remember them, much less that they finished 4th in their original season.

I guess the rest would kind of be the sob story teams, for how they exited. Boppery (Mallory) and Mark, Dave & Conner with the dad rupturing his tendon or whatever that was, and John-Jessica getting eliminated with the Express Pass in their back pockets.

Its really hard to get behind any of these teams. The Cowboys/Trotters seem to be like the Rupert-Boston Rob of Survivor. Lets just keep bringing them back and hopefully eventually one of them will finally win and we can be done with them.

I would have really liked to have seen Andy-Tommy (snowboarders from S19) back, or Abby-Ryan from S21 or even Art & JJ, and am really surprised the Chippendales aren't back. Honestly, all my teams would have been probably S9 and earlier, but if they were only going to pick from the last 6 seasons, they could have done better.


I guess my default pick to win would be John and Jessica. Despite the bone-headed move on John's part, to first switch detour tasks and to then not use the EP at the roadblock resulting in elimination, they were one of the more interesting teams that season and had potential. Dave and Connor had the great backstory, being dual cancer survivors, but I didn't really find myself caring about them too much.

So....The World is waiting.. Travel safe.. Good luck..Go!!

[terri110874]

I am hoping the father and son team or mother and son team does well. Also like Bopper too. Not a fan of the twinees or the Afghanimals

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I am hoping the father and son team or mother and son team does well. Also like Bopper too. Not a fan of the twinees or the Afghanimals

You might end up being in the minority with Margie and Luke. They were one of the few teams, Travis & Nicole this last season would be the one other I can recall, that started out with a positive edit and fan feedback, but ended up the season almost as villains, or at least heavily disliked.

I just have no need to see them, or Cowboys/Trotters for a 3rd time.

[Melanie]

I couldn't feel any more differently with comparing the Globetrotters and Cowboys with Rupert and Boston Rob. No way! I am entertained by the Globetrotters and Cowboys, and for that reason alone, I'm okay with them being back.

Twinnies and Margie and Luck. Ugh. And I can't wait to find out what in the world is the deal with Mallory and Mark.

I'm ready for the new season (and Survivor as well) because it's special time that myself and my almost 16 year old share, as we're the only ones in the house who watch. We really look forward to TAR and Survivor nights. And Phil! I always miss Phil.

[TheDuckRocks]

I am completely confused by the recent TV commercials for this seasons AR. It was first announced that Mallory and Mark would be racing together as Booper's child was ill. Now they are showing clips of Mark and Booper as a team.
I'm with Mel on this one, for entertainment value I'm happy to see the Trotters and Cowboys back.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I am completely confused by the recent TV commercials for this seasons AR. It was first announced that Mallory and Mark would be racing together as Booper's child was ill. Now they are showing clips of Mark and Booper as a team.
I'm with Mel on this one, for entertainment value I'm happy to see the Trotters and Cowboys back.

I think, and this is only speculation, as I saw a clip that showed Mark and Bopper going to the start line, is that it will appear that they are going to race together but at the last minute Bopper pulls out. If this happens, and Mallory magically happens to be there and available for the next month, then they knew well in advance and they are just playing it up for drama. My dvr guide when I was setting the season up, said something like "and one team doesn't make it to the start line" so again, I think Bopper pulls out at the last minute.

Trotters seem like nice guys, but they basically quit one season, and I felt they tried to cheat their next go round and basically they seem to yuck it up with everyone while basically just copying them and following them around and then beating them at the last minute. And like the Cowboys and Margie/Luke, not only have they had two chances at this, but they all have made final 3 and have had shots to win it, so I have no need to see them again.

Cowboys should have been eliminated the first leg in Unfinished Business season but were saved by a leg 1 continuation leg, and I thought they seemed kind of arrogant and went lone wolf, which really cost them and ultimately led to their demise with the roadblock in Lichtenstein.

I guess we'll see how it all plays out in a couple of days.

[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.

[Melanie]

Did you guys know Dave ruptured his Achilles?

[MNNHFLTX]

Did you guys know Dave ruptured his Achilles?

Really??

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Did you guys know Dave ruptured his Achilles?

Did you also know that this was the leg that they self-eliminated themselves? And....they are not going to do that again.

I was kind of indifferent to them as a team the first go round, with all the blubbering the dad does, but I'm started to like them this season, but enough is enough already.

[tinkwest]

Did you guys know Dave ruptured his Achilles?

Haha! Someone had to say it!

[DizneyRox]

Best finish ever..

[Melanie]

Yes, so the finish was anti-climatic, but very satisfying. Margie and Luke just really seemed to have the wind knocked out of their sails from the previous leg, and just weren't into it. They got the nice edit on the way out.

I'm sorry....Connor and Dave are just soooo boring. Ahhhh. Their story IS the Achilles. I guess now we'll hear every week about how this is new territory for them, racing past leg 5 being healthy and Oh, sorry! They are dominating though. I'll give them that.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Yes, so the finish was anti-climatic, but very satisfying. Margie and Luke just really seemed to have the wind knocked out of their sails from the previous leg, and just weren't into it. They got the nice edit on the way out.

That was kind of the impression I came away with, that they were just beat down. Maybe had they known that there was a bunching waiting for them on the other side of the flight they might have taken a different approach, but given the choice between "the plane is full" and "rush to connect" I just can't believe I wouldn't take the chance. The feeling I got was they were just praying for a miracle. I didn't sense that the ticketing agents were giving them any false sense that standby would open up (keeping in mind they needed to book 4 tickets to include camera crew, not just 2).

They just seemed out of it, which fortunately they were.

[Melanie]

Yep. Her looks and then is mocking her next week, and creating the gang up situation as well. I thought they were supposedly good Mormon folk. This kind of thing really bugs me.

And Brandon's praying didn't really bother me. Do we know it's a 'sudden' thing for him? He was more than rational and apologetic towards Dave. Brandon is right - it's a game. Everyone signed up for it, and there is nothing wrong with using what is given (in this case, U Turn) to get ahead. Brenchel now has $15K, and the whiner hypocrites have nothing.

[Melanie]

This was my least favorite episode of TAR ever. Just race!

Oh, and dumb blondes, you aren't anyone's 'girls.' You're just a weak team everyone wants to go against in the final. I bet they won't even be able to figure out that's the case (if the time comes) when no one helps them anymore.

[luvdiznee]

Can't stand Dave and Connor whining over the fact they got overturned. so they need people on their side to team up against Brendon & Rachel.

Can't stand the fact that it was another non-elimination and the blondes were saved again because of that. Producers seem to have a thing for them.

Can't stand the fact just that the afghanimals are still there.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Can't stand Dave and Connor whining over the fact they got overturned. so they need people on their side to team up against Brendon & Rachel.

Can't stand the fact that it was another non-elimination and the blondes were saved again because of that. Producers seem to have a thing for them.

Can't stand the fact just that the afghanimals are still there.

There are 12 legs on the Race, 5 teams remaining and this was the 9th leg. The math pretty much guaranteed that either the 9th or 10th leg would be non-elimination or continuation. Right from the beginning this leg had the feeling of non-elimination, so despite the loser music at the end, I wasn't fooled.

I don't get all that worked up over Dave. Brenchel were morons for using it them anyway. Even at the start of the Race in confessional Rachel says they have only one goal and that is to win the Race, while at the same time Brendon is saying they only u-turned them for one reason only, to win that leg. The two strategizes don't synch, u-turning Dave/Connor did nothing to help Brenchel's long-term strategy to win.

This was an incredibly heavily edited episode. Teams actually had a lot of down time, the train to Switzerland, hanging around the William Tell statue, the gondola rides, car rides, all of which were conducive for production to ask and solicit certain types of questions and answers. I thought it was pretty obvious that a lot of comments directed at Brenchel, or by comparison Brenchel back at them, were prompted by questions from production. It gave them a lot of material to splice in.

Definitely a strange episode. No detour task, something very rare and in almost any other leg the Cowboys would have and should have been eliminated, falling what looked like 4 hours or more behind the other teams.

Nobody seemed all that worried this leg, makes me wonder if teams suspected a non-elim leg.

From here on out, should be elimination the next two legs.

[MNNHFLTX]

Oh, and dumb blondes, you aren't anyone's 'girls.' You're just a weak team everyone wants to go against in the final. I bet they won't even be able to figure out that's the case (if the time comes) when no one helps them anymore.

Yes, yes, yes! They have only gotten by on favors and dumb luck (pun intended). I said to Dave that it was going to a non-elim and he said no-way; wish I had been wrong!

Anyone else wonder if Dave was going to come up injured after jumping and tripping over that rope? And who do you think Leo and Jamal will U-turn in the next leg?