Come cry some with me, Argentina

Rio/Buenos Aires – Season 27, Episode 3 preview – The Race is up and running, plots are emerging, and the bell is about to ring for the third round.

Justin and Diana check a clue

I’m not worried about what has become obvious – that the Texans, Josh and Tanner, are going to duke it out with Justin, the weeper and yakker teamed with his financeé, Diana.

“I can’t stand him,” Tanner said of Justin after the race moved south to Argentina and Buenos Aires.

That kind of viewer gold is to be expected,  as Race producers like to establish the season’s themes early and often. (Remember the bickering Blair and Hayley last season.)

No, what has me on edge are those what-have-I-gotten-myself-into looks that Diana is shooting Justin’s way when he talks, when he weeps, when he does just about anything. She may want out.

Ben Shapiro

Whatever, the Race so far seems all Justin all the time, a bit of overplay that's irking Ben Shapiro, University of Rochester tennis stalwart and an Amazing Race expert.

“I find him to be pretty annoying and otherwise unremarkable,” Ben wrote in a missive to Amazing Pool Central, “and yet he's getting what seems like twice as much screen time as anyone else.  Don't understand why they chose to edit it that way.”

Maybe it’s all the editors had starting out. The Texas are lippy and

Denise and James Earl

Justin is dippy, and the other teams are still in control of their emotions. For now.

I certainly look forward to the inevitable breakdown of relations between Denise (mom) and James Earl (son). Race editors have been telegraphing that dysfunction since the beginning.

“I was a lot closer to my family before I came out,” James Earl confided. “… Her reaction was not ideal.”

 “I think we’re getting along wonderful,” Denise countered, as viewers throughout the land yelled, “Not.”

Dr. Ken

Viewers? The Race seems doomed to run in the graveyard of Friday night (I know, that metaphor may not work.) 

The second episode drew just over 6 million viewers, losing out by not that much to Last Man Standing and then Dr. Ken both on ABC. (I defy you to come up with a real live human being who actually saw Dr. Ken.)

So what did Amazing Race loyalists see in Episode Two other than the victory of Justin and Diana, a victory that left him in, you know, tears?

Pope Francis' church

Well, we saw some fairly shameless exploitation of the fact that Pope Francis is from Argentina. A clue was even passed out by a priest at the church where the Pope was baptized, a church so beautiful it reduced Justin to well, tears.

We witnessed a challenge that suggested that being poor and living off the resale of abandoned cardboard was a fun local custom. And we saw people doing the tango on the wall. 

Tanner tangos on the wall

We also saw good guy cousins Alex and Adam get the heave ho, taking Team Bushnell with them. And we witnessed Texan Tanner sprint and then pull up lame at the finish line, mistakenly thinking he and Josh had a chance at first place. Stay tuned on that injury.

Finally, we were reminded again and again that dancing brothers Ernest and Jin really, really, really need the $1 million first prize. Want the prize too much and you’re usually on the next plane home. We’ll see.

Overheard:

Rick: Sixteen years of school and I’m getting trash on the street.

Diana: One hundred kilograms? I don’t know how large that is.

Kelsey: For us, details are a big deal.

Jin: This is no game for us now; (we’re) trying to make a better life.

Tanner: I can two-step. That’s about all I can do….We’re from Texas.

Josh: The Green Guy (Justin) was talking some smack.

Jazmine: If you have like flabby abs, no offense, you’re not going to hold yourself up.

Phil Keoghan: Jazmine and Danielle,  I’m very sorry to tell you .. that you have finished in the back of the pack…but you are still in the race.

Ernest: we don't have a home to go back to.

Order of finish

1. Justin and Diana

2. Josh and Tanner

3. Denise and James Earl

4. Chris and Logan

5. Cindy and Rick

6. Tiffany and Krista

7. Kelsey and Joey

8. Jazmine and Danielle

9. Ernest and Jin

10. Adam and Alex (eliminated)