‘The Amazing Race 26’ preview: Why is this ‘blind date’ twist happening?

At the time when we first wrote about “The Amazing Race 26” yesterday, we had not had a chance to see the official promo for next season yet. Therefore, we knew nothing about what may appear on the surface to be a baffling twist.

Let us be clear here: We hate this twist and everything that it stands for. The joy of the show is seeing eleven teams from all walks of life compete, with all of them having a preexisting relationship. We like seeing brothers, parents, children, co-workers, and lifelong friends all compete for the million dollar prize.

So why in the world would the show change this by having a team with all dating couples, especially when a good half of them are meeting their partners for the first time? It’s insane, and it also changes the show from something sophisticated and fun to something desperate.

Yet, at the same time, we understand why this blind-date twist is happening. We imagine that after seeing the disappointing ratings for the 25th season (admittedly a fantastic one) on Friday night, someone at CBS may have told producers to come up with a new hook for the next season, one that could either bring back old fans, or convince new people to watch for the first time. Someone saw this, and obviously felt it was a good idea to green light.

This could end up being a glorious disaster of drama, with fighting teams, tears, and much worse. It could also be a disaster period, given that we wouldn’t be shocked if two or three teams hated their partners so much that they decided to quit halfway. This show is no joke, and it tests genuine relationships, let alone people who are just meeting.

In the end, we have very little expectation that this idea is going to be good; yet, we’ll watch anyway, just as we always have. The one silver lining it has is that it would have to be pretty stinky to top the family edition as the worst version of the show ever.

If you missed it, head over here to read our review of the season 25 finale. Also, sign up now to get some other race-worthy updates via our CarterMatt Newsletter! (Photo: CBS.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKNKjFjeuW8