Of French fries and pineapples on The Amazing Race

Amazing Race, Season 30, Episode 2

ANTWERP, Belgium – Here’s what we know after Wednesday’s second episode of “The Amazing Race.”

The show continues to be a ratings wonder. After its near-death Season 30, the Race has been brought back to life. Episode 2 had 6.9 million viewers, leading all shows for the evening for the second week in a row.

#Team Yale; Henry and Evan

We also know that #TeamYale is not fit to be fried.

In the first-ever time in Race history (host Phil Keoghan loves to say that) a goofy challenge pitted racers from each team one-on-one.

Before the square-off began, Phil let us know that Belgium (not France) invented French Fries, which Belgians call frites (they’ve got a word for everything).

In honor of the national potato passion, racers had to dress up as French fries, yet another of the obligatory humiliations that come with being on the Amazing Race.

Then, one rep from each team took on a rep from the other team,

Race announcer Phil Keoghan

and they wound their way through an obstacle course pushing dollies loaded with bags of frites. Phil narrated the race, channeling his best Kentucky Derby announcer’s voice and, no doubt, wondering why his life came to this, doing play-by-play for a fancy potato race.

About those Yalies: It took Evan and Henry seven tries before they (actually Henry) dragged across the finish line in front of an opponent, April of #TeamGoatYoga. Yes, physicality is not the Ivy Leaguer’s strength.

Daniel of #TheFirefighters then beat April (I’m not sure why Sarah, her partner in dysfunction, didn’t take a turn on the dolly). Thus, as predicted, #TeamGoatYoga, the most strangely labelled duo in Race history, was eliminated.

Nine teams remain in Phil’s most competitive season in race history. Aside: Phil seems obsessed with Race history. Is there someone out there who is shaking his or her head and saying, “But what about Season Four? Those teams were super-competitive?” 

#TeamBigBrother fries the competition

So who won an episode in which contestants first had to climb up 1,000-foot rope ladders to snag a clue. Then duos went gaga over Gutenberg and printed a clue (easy). Or they  had to put a price tag on some diamonds (hard).

Cody and Jessica, #TeamBigBrother, took first place. Everyone, well, Dennis Doell, has been telling me what mean players the Big Brother alumni are. But, call me a romantic son of a gun, so far they’ve just been a couple of love birds who are also good athletes.

Cedric and Shawn, #TeamSlamDunk, came in second, proving their

rocky start in Episode 1 was no indicator of their competitive virtues.

Back to race history: For the first time ever, a race duo revealed its safe word. When a relationship crisis looms, Brittany and Lucas of #TeamOceanRescue call out “pineapple.” I guess “French fry” was taken.

Pool update

To fix a problem with the selection process, two pool teams (Drew and Emily; Cindy and Jim) have been combined into Team Franny. 

Franny of Team Franny

They’re backing #TeamOceanRescue, aka #TeamPinapple.

No one was thrown out of the pool after Episode 2.

Overheard:

Kristi (#TeamExtreme): I just need to puke.

Jessica (#TeamBigBrother): Three months in the Big Brother house is like three years in reality.

Sarah (#TeamGoatYoga): We had some navigation issues. We had some communication issues.

April (#TeamGoatYoga): Sarah can be a little b***.

Cody (#TeamBigBrother): Gosh, (Jessica's) fearless. I love her.

Cedric (#TeamSlamDunk): I don’t know how high that is, but I’m on the ground and I’m shaking.

Jessica (#TeamBigBrother): This race is our redemption from Big Brother.

Courtney (#TeamOceanRescue): I happen to have a mirror in my bag.

Evan (#TeamYale): Slow and steady, Henry, you got this.

Phil: Major disaster right out of the gate. Henry has lost the heel off the back of his shoe.

Phil: It’s very hard to see around with all the frites that are around his head.

Sarah (#TeamGoatYoga): We’re ending on a really good note. It’s just another crazy April-and-Sarah thing that we did.

Order of finish:

1) Cody and Jessica #TeamBigBrother

2) Cedric and Shawn #TeamSlamDunk

3) Kristi and Jen #TeamExtreme

4) Chris and Trevor #TeamWellStrung

5) #TeamIndyCar

6) Lucas and Brittany #TeamOceanRescue

7) Joey and Tim #TeamChomp

8) Evan and Henry #TeamYale

9) Eric and Daniel #TheFirefighters

10) April and Sarah #TeamGoatYoga

The comeback king, Amazing Race returns

Amazing Race, Season 30, Episode 1

ICELAND –There’s double good news going into tonight’s second episode of Amazing Race, Season 30.

The first reason to cheer is that the Race is actually back after being in limbo for nearly eight months. Way to go, CBS.

The second cause for celebration is that last week’s premiere episode killed the overnight ratings.

The Race was the highest-rated show of the evening, garnering 7.311 million viewers, about 3 million more than last season’s opening episode.

Why the leap? Experts (OK, those on one website) say that the time slot, home to “Survivor,” when it airs, is better; 8 p.m. Wednesday beats 10 p.m. Thursday.

And the racers – all “champions” in their fields – are mostly recognizable and perhaps bring their fans to the audience.

Though, it might be argued that the presence of hot-dogging eating king Joey Chestnut (one half of #TeamChomp) might actually drive viewers away.

Still, there’s a duo from Big Brother (Cody Nickson and Jessica Graf) who evidently are widely loathed and sure to draw eyes to the screen. I’d heard of the basketball players, Cedric Ceballos and Shawn Marion. They may be viewer gold, as well.

First episodes are always a kind of shake-down cruise. One team goes, 10 stay, but it’s really too early to come to a clear sense of the drama that awaits us.

One thing seems certain, though. 

#TeamGoatYoga has some relationship issues. April Gould is hesitant, self-doubting and shy; Sarah Williams is assertive and demanding, or so it would seem. It could be that they were just rattled by all those long Icelandic names, or distracted by a fiord or two. Whatever, it all could change. Or not.

As it happened, #TeamGoatYoga captured the 10^th and last qualifying spot in a

photo finish, sending home Dessie Mitcheson and Kayla Fitzgerald, #TheRingGirls, and leaving unanswered the question: “Just what is a ring girl?” Of course, you also might be asking what goat yoga is, but don’t.

Kristi Leskinen and Jen Hudak, #TeamExtreme because they are professional skiers who push themselves to dangerous limits, won the episode, proof that they are as competitive as they say they are.

But, good heavens, all the teams boasted about their wills to win. We’ll see.

Overheard:

Phil Keoghan: They’re the most competitive teams we’ve ever assembled.

Tim (TeamChomp): We’re about to eat these other racers for lunch.

Cedric (TeamSlamDunk):  Winning Amazing Race is going to be a slam dunk.

Conor (TeamIndyCar): The next step is getting my own place as an adult man.

Evan (TeamYale): I don’t think when people meet us they would automatically assume we went to Yale.

Trevor (#TeamWellStrung): Without malice we will destroy.

April (TeamGoatYoga): This is the problem; I’m holding a map.

Cedric: Ice is not my thing; dangling is not my thing.

Cody (TeamBigBrother): Some say I’m smart. I are smarter than Yale.

Phil: Thirty seasons, and it’s never been this close.

Order of finish:

1) Kristi and Jen #TeamExtreme

2) Cody and Jessica #TeamBigBrother

3) Evan and Henry #TeamYale

4) Trevor and Chris #TeamWellStrung

5) Alex and Conor #TeamIndyCar

6) Joey and Tim #TeamChomp

7) Brittany and Lucas #TeamOceanRescue

8) Eric and Daniel #TheFirefighters

9) Cedric and Shaun #TeamSlamDunk

10) April and Sarah #TeamGoatYoga

11) Dessie and Kayla #TheRingGirls