‘The Amazing Race 27’ premiere review: A strong cast, weak challenges in Brazil
There were certainly some weird elements that showed themselves in the season 27 premiere of “The Amazing Race,” especially after seeing such a well-oiled machine of a production in Canada over the summer.
For one, what was with the lack of tasks in this episode? We suppose that it wasn’t that different than the Canadian show in terms of just how much happened, but it was just really strange to watch the first team check in a half hour into the premiere.
Also, we now know why the majority of the men and women they cast were of a certain body type: It’s swimsuit season! This show has really gotten into costume overload as of late, and we really saw that tonight courtesy of having many of the team members dress up in bikinis and tiny shorts before they could do the Detour in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The puzzle was deceptively hard, and the volleyball actually seemed okay if you were athletic enough.
There is so much going on in a premiere that it’s hard to get a read on any individual team, but it was certainly a hard one for Team TMZ Kelly & Shevonne. They couldn’t do either Detour effectively, and interestingly enough the most famous team this season is already gone. For a while, it wasn’t looking good for super-fans Justin & Diana after they took a gamble on a Fast Forward that they were not able to do because of the weather. We’re glad they stayed, mostly because it feels like Justin is going to cry a lot, and that often makes for really good TV.
Some other standouts for now include Jazmine & Danielle, who may be two of the most athletic women the show has ever featured, and then also our personal favorites right now in Ernest & Jin. We don’t think the show has ever featured two people like them; usually the fish-out-of-water team is a pair of farmers or people with heavy southern accents; this time around, it is two brothers from the city who really have not been able to catch many breaks in life.
We didn’t love the design of this leg, and it also felt like the race in Venice Beach was a lot of wasted time just for a flight that barely landed earlier than the others that didn’t even help Justin & Diana. Still, the promise of the cast (which is solid) has us excited for the rest of the season … minus Tanner & Josh. Those dudes are pretty boring and will probably win Grade: B-.
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