Surprise: Life isn't fair on the Amazing Race

 Amazing Race, Season 32, Episode 10

By Jim Memmott

 

Siem Reap, Cambodia – The main point of Season 32 would seem to be that the strong shall inherit the earth, as long as they gang up on the weak. 

I’m not sure that’s a feel-good message for these times, given the pandemic, but, to be fair, the Race was filmed long before COVID-19 emerged. Still, it’s discouraging that, throughout the season, the top dogs have zeroed in on the underdogs without remorse.

In Episode 10, Eswar and Aparna (right) were the latest in a line of underachievers to be turned upon by the stronger racers. The NFLers, DeAngelo and Gary, gave the siblings a dreaded U-Turn, causing their elimination (and taking Dennis Doell out of the pool)

 

Karma may come, as Gary and DeAngelo could be tripped up by the three other surviving teams (Will and James, Maddison and Riley and Chee and Hung). They don’t really like the NFLers, as they don’t feel the footballers have been pulling their weight; which is true.

Gary and DeAngelo were fourth out of five in Episode 5, in an outing that featured multiple cameos by the Travelocity gnome, a product placement that may have made more sense in 2018 when the Race was filmed and people could actually travel.

 

There was also some fishing, some garden tending, and some tile-making in which DeAngelo almost bombed because he didn’t first watch a demonstration on making tiles. (Amazing Race 101: Do your homework.)

 

DeAngelo was still struggling with his tile, making the same mistake again and again, when Eswar and Aparna showed up. That did give her the opportunity to hit DeAngelo with some zingers. In the process, her personality emerged as feisty and fun, as it hadn’t in previous episodes.

 

Nonetheless, Aparna and Eswar were last to finish and Phil Keoghan eliminated them, just like that. They said the Race had drawn them together and walked away, leaving the top dogs free to attack each other. Won’t that be fun.

 

Overheard:

 

Will: When I was in middle school, I actually had my own garden, and then I got busy and it died, but I do enjoy a plant.

 

Aparna: Gary and DeAngelo and the Beard Bros kind of screwed us over. I hate them right now.

 

Will: I will fit the mold, even though I don’t fit any mold.

 

DeAngelo: It’s a race; you got U-turned; it’s part of the game.

 

Aparna: Why would you not use your brain?

 

Order of Finish: Episode 10

 

Riley and Maddison

Will and James

Chee and Hung

DeAngelo and Gary

Eswar and Aparna