By Jim Memmott
Amazing Race, Season
24, Episode 2
Guangzhou, China – Why can’t the Academy Awards be given
out on Monday night, a particularly dreary evening on the television dial?
 |
| Oscar the upstager |
No, they’ve got
to hog the Sunday night hours, with their red carpets and Ellen taking selfies
of the stars (good grief, the whole show is a selfie) and their suspense and
yes, their Oscars.
Meanwhile, the cast
of Amazing Race All Stars, a season featuring duos from past contests, doesn’t
rest. No, even though you may have missed it, Episode 2 of Season 24, a real thriller, aired
as scheduled Sunday night.
There were
tears, cheers and probably a few beers after a finish that was so close and so
full of teams that even Phil Keoghan, the normally unflappable host, got
flapped and lost count. Really, you should have been there.
But on the
assumption that you haven’t yet fired up the VCR, I won’t reveal the results
until the end of the blog. But I will announce some of the category winners. Drum roll, please:
 |
| Joey and Meghan |
Best supporting
racer: Meghan, the partner of Joey, a fellow YouTube sensation. She finished
assembling a kiddie car, no easy task, and then helped John, Jessica’s hapless
partner, complete his car. Taking time out to be nice was, well, nice, though
Meghan later said she probably wouldn’t do it again.
Cutest supporting
cast: A lot of Chinese children, marching, riding cars, getting in the way
of racers. “I’m pretty sure I had the most ornery little girl that was in the
building,” Flight Time joked when he couldn’t get one kid to leave him alone.
Best seduction scene by a country singer: Jennifer sweet-talking Cowboy Cord out of an Express Pass. She
had said earlier that she couldn’t help flirting, and all that practice paid
off, as the Pass allowed her and Caroline to skip a challenge they would have
failed.
Best dramatic moment: Mallory and Mark, together for about 11 hours after she replaced the ailing
 |
| Mark and Mallory |
Best reaction: Big Easy rolling on the ground in joy after competing the feather-ball challenge.
Most worrisome
introduction of a subplot: When will Rachel get pregnant? She’s talking
about it, other racers are talking about it; the only person not talking about
it is Brendon, her husband/partner.
Overheard:
Brendon: I don’t
like running where I don’t know where I’m going.
Mark (on Mallory):
We don’t know each other. We don’t have no trust.
Dave: Oh, look at
this, there’s children.
Jamal: Leo and I,
we’re the kids’ people.
Jet: Never thought
it would come down to beating one of the country girls to keep from being
eliminated.
Rachel (to Brendon):
You’re going to make the best dad.
Joey: The blonds
(Caroline and Jennifer) can’t do anything on their own.
The end revealed:
 |
| Brendon and Rachel |
Brendon and Rachel finished first, the only leg they’ve ever
won. For this, they got $2,500 each, which had to be one of the lamest prizes in
Race history.
Alas, the new Bickersons, Mark and Mallory (sponsored in the pool by Allison), finished dead
last, through every fault of their own, and Phil sent them back to
Kentucky.
“I guess it wasn’t meant for me to travel around the world
without Bopper,” said a teary Mark. In a nice gesture, the rest of the racers
applauded him and Mallory as they turned and walked away.
Order of finish:
1) Brendon and Rachel
2) Margie and Luke
3) Caroline and Jennifer
4) Dave and Connor
5) Flight Time and Big Easy
6) Jet and Cord
7) Leo and Jamal
8) John and Jessica
9) Joey and Meghan
