The Not-So-Amazing Race

If you watch The Amazing Race, but haven't seen last night's episode (October 11, 2005)...I won't reveal which team was ousted...but be warned that this may be a spoiler of sorts.

I'm trying to give The Amazing Race: Family Edition a chance, since I like the "series" in general. Let's forget the fact that it doesn't seem like these people will ever leave the U.S. I've realized by now that this is an uber-dumbed-down version of the show. But, last night's elimination really irritated me. How can they call this thing a race, if the rankings were fixed after a certain point?

Let's recap a little. While the teams were in Charleston, South Carolina, they had to finish one of two tasks and then race to the Visitor's Center to sign up for one of two buses to a "mystery location". Each bus carried 4 of the remaining teams. After riding for 8 hours, they were dropped off at their final location before the pit stop.

If you were in bus #1, you definitely made it to the next round...no problem. If you were in bus #2, your survival was based on how quickly your luggage was loaded off the bus and how fast you read the clue. Then you had to run to grab a number to wait in line for the next task, which was to sit in a human centrifuge. After each team was done, they had to go check e-mail, and then run to the pit stop. Waiting in line for the centrifuge just spaced the teams out more and made it impossible to catch up before the pit stop.

It would have been more of a race if they just made them run to the pit stop from the bus. They could have had them drive to the centrifuge...or put the pit stop in another location. I would have even been okay with it if this had been a non-elimination leg. But no...they just capped an 8-hour bus ride with a tell-tale task. Lame...

A friend of mine has already stated he would sit this season out. If I were wise, I would do the same. But alas...I guess I'm a glutton for punishment...