The Amazing Race 36: Detouring the Detour and Looking Ahead

 

Amazing Race Season 36 Episode 3

By Jim Memmott

 

Guatapé, Colombia – Team Dazed and Confused, the twins Anthony and Bailey Smith, are no more, but not without having a Race that will live in history.

Basically, the guys (Anthony on the left) kept detouring on a Detour. 

They chose the Willys (Jeep) challenge. (Load it to the sky). They switched to cooking. They left cooking and went back to the Willys. They left the Willys and went back to cooking.

 

Time wasted. Time lost. End of story. What about the remaining teams?

 

Let’s go to the experts.

Our Amazing Race Pool has operated since 2009. Pool entrants each pay $20 to pick a different Race team to win. The first entrant has 10 Race teams to select from, the second has nine, and so on. 

Generally, but certainly not always, the Race teams selected early do well in the Race.

This season’s selections can be broken into three groups: Favorites, Possibles, and Longshots. Here they are in the order picked:

 

FAVORITES:

 

1) Juan Villa (far left) and Shane Bilek. The military pilots and  best friends are physically fit and competitive. They communicate well, and Juan speaks Spanish.

2) Rod and Leticia Gardner. Strong out of the blocks, they won the first two episodes, but fell back to fifth the last time out. No worries. He’s a former NFLer, loud, fun a little grating. She owns fitness centers.

3) Ricky Rotandi and Cesar Aldrete. The pre-school teacher and his partner, a food stylist, took the third episode after two second-place finishes. They’re not Olympians, but they get the job done.

4) Derek and Shelisa Williams (right). The married couple and former cops are out to prove that oldsters (good grief, people in their 50s) can still compete. He’s bossy. Could be a problem.

 

POSSIBLES

5) Yvonne Chavez and Melissa Main. Who are they? The dating couple has  gotten very little airtime, but there they are in the middle of the pack, surviving.

6) Sunny Pulver and Elizabeth “Bizzy” Smith. The firefighters haven’t had a strong Race, but they look, and talk, like the sort of team that does well.

 

LONGSHOTS

 

7) Amber Craven and Vinny Cagungun (left). The dating nurse anesthesiologists could be heading for a break-up if only because he’s a non-stop mansplainer.

8) Kishori Turner and Karishma Cordero. The cousins are enthusiastic and excitable and more than a little irritating. However, they are young and energetic. There's time. Maybe.

9) Michelle and Sean Clark. The married Double Dutchers are really nice, but his absolute terror of heights could do them in.

10) Danny and Angie Butler. Yikes! If Danny doesn’t ease up on his supportive coaching of his mom, Angie, she may disown him. Certainly viewers will.

 

Overheard in Episode 3

 

Rod: We’re not going to be the turtle.

 

Leticia: But the turtle ended up winning.

 

Derek: What’s the first job on Amazing Race? Read the clue.

 

Kishori: I’m vegan.  She’s Vegetarian.

 

Derek: C’s get degrees, You’re trying to get A’s. Just get a C.

 

Bailey: I don’t want to mess up Jesus.

Danny: I’m trying to be helpful, Mom.

Angie: Nope. That’s not helpful. That’s just pressure.

Order of Finish Episode 3

Ricky and Cesar

Amber and Vinny

Derek and

Juan and Shane

Rod and Leticia

Yvonne and Melissa

Sunny and Bizzy

Kishori and Karishma

Angie and Danny

Michelle and Sean