‘The Amazing Race 24’ team spotlight: Do Afghanimals Leo & Jamal have an edge?
It was only a span of a few months ago that Leo & Jamal either entertained or annoyed you greatly on “The Amazing Race“; and now, the Afghanimals are back for more! They are the only team from the fall on this All-Stars season, and it will be interesting to see whether or not they can assimilate into a group of people they may not know very well at all.
One of the biggest questions that we are going to ask ourselves time and time again during this spotlight article is simple: Are these two going to be helped or hurt by racing so recently, and have they learned from the mistakes that caused them to be sent home? They were one puzzle away from the finale last season, and had they made it there, they probably would have placed second behind Jason & Amy.
Names – Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran
“Amazing Race” history – Placing in fourth place during season 23, and narrowly missing out on the final leg.
Claim to fame – Being the only team to ever be U-Turned twice and not eliminated as a result of either one. Personality-wise, they are also know for being huge characters who often annoy other teams and viewers. They lie sometimes when they don’t even need to, and anytime that you are so bold to give yourselves a nickname, you have to know that some are going to think of you as narcissistic.
Strengths – When it comes to just being in shape, the Afghanimals are probably in the top five teams. They didn’t have to train again for the race, and most of those memories and mistakes are still fresh in their minds. While they didn’t really have the luxury of time and reflection over their experience, they also have probably not allowed anything to become a mental block in that time. One other benefit for them? They speak more than one language, which may help them.
Weaknesses – The biggest problem with the Afghanimals is themselves. They often emphasize playing it up to the cameras, and often overlook little things on the clues or advantages that could help them out. They tend to be reckless, and the reason that they were U-Turned twice was mostly because most of the other teams didn’t like them. Many of these other teams either raced together before or may have met at conventions; they are the outsiders, and they’re going to have to be on their best behavior to make some friends this time.
Prediction – One of the most interesting things about these two on the show is that we don’t think that all of the teams this season got a chance to watch their full journey. Therefore, they will be a little bit of an enigma this go-around.
With that being said, we feel like they will do very well, and maybe even make the finale this time. Coming off of a recent season is a big advantage, since that allows their head to still be in the game along with what worked for them and what didn’t. Also, they seem perceptive enough to know what made than annoying to other teams last time, and they are looking to take more of a relaxed approach with the theatrics.
How well do you think that the Afghanimals are going to do on “The Amazing Race 24”? Share some of your thoughts below, and be sure to also visit the link here to get some other spotlights that we have written about this season.
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Photo: CBS