‘The Amazing Race 26’ episode 11 preview: The journey to the finale concludes

Is tomorrow night’s “Amazing Race” episode going to be all for nothing? We never use to ask that question, but the events of season 25 with their final-four finale really changed the game to a certain degree. There are no longer any guarantees that the last leg will contain three teams, so it is possible that all four of the remaining teams (Mike & Rochelle, Hayley & Blair, Tyler & Laura, and Jenny & Jelani) will have a chance at the grand prize.

While this season has been very hit-and-miss in regards to locations and tasks (we’ve probably had the most unbalanced Detours in history), the most interesting narrative here is that all of the remaining teams have won at least one leg. Mike & Rochelle are clearly the underdogs, but they have also shown that when they make smart decisions and avoid mistakes, they can be just as good if not better than anyone else. Meanwhile, Hayley & Blair are the most combustible. Sometimes, they almost fuel themselves on Hayley’s disdain for Blair, almost like they know that if they make it to the Pit Stop, they can have a little time away from each other faster. Tyler & Laura are probably the most reliable team, though on paper Jenny & Jelani seem like they will dominate.

Location-wise, we’re still going to be in Peru, and it looks like we’re going to have everything from “surfing” to dancing to hauling heavy stuff. A pretty balanced leg, but also more than likely an exhausting one.

For the most part, we’ll be okay with there being another four teams in the finale, at least provided that everyone Friday night is competitive. If a team is a few hours behind all the others, it may be more of an eye-roll to include them.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsWFu0Ml9hI