Run Forest Run

Why invoke Forrest Gump when talking about the Amazing Race? Because I am about set to proclaim this the season of the underdog. 

There were plenty of teams this year who started the race seeming like sure things. Brad and Victoria came out of the gate as physical power players with just the right amount of age and wisdom on their side; they were quickly eliminated. Two strong dating couples were out by the end of the first month and now the athletic and positive flight attendants have also bitten the dust. 

So who's left in this thing?

Sisters/athletes Kisha & Jen should be a force to be reckoned with but have been unable to split from the pack (though they claim that this is part of their strategy). Cheerleaders Cara & Jaime don't seem to be able to make a move without the guidance of a stronger team. It seems that the only predictably strong team still in the race is my original pick to win- Tammy and Victor. They have every leg up you could have in the race: they are siblings (in my opinion, the best relationship for a shot at the win), they are both really smart (Harvard Law grads) and they are both really athletic. Though they seem to be using these advantages to propel themselves ahead of the rest of the group, I feel like it's only a matter of time before the tension in their power dynamic throws them off again. Don't get me wrong, they're still at the top of my list to win this thing, I just don't think they're as stable as they may seem. 

No, the real potential this season lies with the underdogs. The small but mighty brothers/stuntmen may only have another couple weeks in them (they get lost a lot- not a good sign), but they've surprised me so far so they may make it further than expected. But then there's Margie & Luke and Mel & Mike. The parent/child teams always amaze me and these 2 are facing some of the toughest odds yet; but somehow always seem to land themselves a spot in the top 3. Luke, the show's first deaf contestant, and his bionic woman of a mother are consistently one of the fastest and smartest teams running. And gay father and son screenwriters Mel and Mike's ability to pull themselves up by their bootstraps (especially considering Mel's advanced age and their mutual lack of athletic prowess) is nothing short of applause worthy; they've come from behind to finish in a top spot so often that I'm beginning to think they might win the whole thing. 

So who will it be this year? The Harvard nerds who were the only team to know who Chekhov was? The unstoppable mother and son? Or the guy who wrote School of Rock and his tough as nails father? Or maybe someone else entirely; as long as its not those horrible cheerleaders (who are often found yelling at people for not speaking English) I don't really mind either way.