Mark Jackson and Mallory Ervin
Previous Seasons: 20 and 17/18
Initial Reaction: Wait...Mark...no Bopper? Oh well, ok.
I mentioned this before, but just to be clear, I have never watched Mallory on the Amazing Race. Obviously she's entertaining enough to become one of the first three-time racers. I do know Mark and Bopper, and they were the one bright spot in the final five on Season 20, which consisted of 3 annoying couples (including one that wouldn't let anyone else win) and two brothers (?) who were at least sometimes bearable.
They did make the final five, and they won a leg once or twice, but I don't believe that Mark and Bopper were a very strong team. They were saved twice by a non-elimination leg and their lack of world experience has tripped them up several times in the past.
That being said, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Mark again, even though I don't know how he will do with Mallory. I'm sure they have something in common if they're racing together, but they may not hold together so well once out on the race.
Prediction: They'll do alright and be very entertaining for the first few legs, but then suffer a communications breakdown and be eliminated somewhere in the middle (although Eric and Danielle, the last mixed team to be on the race, won All Stars so who knows).
Dave and Connor O'Leary
Previous Season: 22
Initial Reaction: Yes!!! They need another shot!
Dave and Connor are unique of course, in that they are the only team to ever be eliminated from the Race for medical reasons. That seems shocking, when you consider all of the teams that have been on the Race and all of the dangerous things they have had to perform.
So, if you don't remember, let's take a little stroll down Season 22 memory lane. Dave and Connor finished third in Leg 1, and were part of a four-person deal with Jessica and John, Max and Katie, and someone else (I forget who). The agreement was that if one of those teams won the Express Passes, that team would give the other Pass to the next highest placing team out of those 4. When Jessica and John won the Passes, they were hesitant to give one to Dave and Connor, because they were such a strong team.
However, Dave tore his Achilles tendon in the second leg (although they still managed to finish 2nd), and Jessica and John decided to give them the Pass because they appeared weak and would most likely be eliminated soon. What nobody expected, however, was for Dave and Connor to go on an incredible winning spree.
They used the Express Pass in the next leg, allowing them to finish in 1st, and then finished 1st again one leg later. All this was with Dave on crutches, a boot, and a wheelchair in airports. In the next leg, due to recommendation from a doctor, Dave and Connor sadly had to withdraw from the race (because Dave needed surgery), and allowed themselves to be eliminated in Hanoi, Vietnam. Either way, Connor had done 4/5 of the roadblocks thus far, so eventually Dave would have had to start doing some.
So if a team can be this dominant with a debilitating injury, who knows what they can do uninjured?! They are without a doubt an incredibly strong team, and I'm really looking forward to seeing them this season.
Prediction: They'll be a very strong team and easily make it to the Final 3, and could win. Or, our expectations could be too high; if they don't get to the end, they'll be tragically eliminated early on due to a penalty or a bad taxi.
Caroline Cutbirth and Jennifer Kuhle
Previous Season: 22
Initial Reaction: Yay, finally some likable people.
Up there with Nadiya/Natalie and Mona/Beth, they're one of the strongest female/female teams we've seen over the last few years. At times they could be a little too focused on Anthony and Bates and not focused enough on the race, but I think the Hockey Brothers wouldn't have won without help from these two.
Hopefully this time around, the Country Singers can perform well on their own. Unlike their blonde counterparts Allie and Ashley from this past season, Caroline and Jennifer are not only strong, but also likable and easy to root for.
And although I said I hope they'll do well by themselves, I can defintely see them flirting with some of the other racers; if it helps them in the race, then good for them. I just think that in Season 22, they helped Team Hockey more than Team Hockey helped them.
It's been a long time since a female/female team has won the Race, but it's certainly possible that this could be the season.
Prediction: They'll go far. I think top 5 at least.
Natalie and Nadiya Anderson
Previous Season: 21
Initial Reaction: Hahahahaha...Twinnies!
In Season 21 (which needs more representation; where are Jaymes and James?), they were fun to root against, and were some of the best villains and strongest female racers we've ever seen. This time around, I think I'll probably be cheering for them instead of against them; even though I was happy when Josh and Brent beat them in that exciting finish to get to the Finale, these two definitely deserve another chance.
Plus, they're hilarious and entertaining, which cannot be said for a lot of teams. This season is full of some very strong racers, but I think the Twinnies are two to watch out for. They only placed lower than 4th one time, and they won 2 legs.
I also believe they were the ones who "stole" James's and Abba's money in Indonesia, so they're definitely willing to do anything to win this race, which I think they have a good chance to do.
Prediction: They could make a mistake and go out early, but I think they'll make it to the Final 5, and could certainly go to the Finale and win.
Alright, so that's it for my Amazing Race analysis, at least for now. I don't know the other racers, so there's no real point in me talking about them. It should be a great season!
Stay tuned for my top 10 Survivors list, and more news about Survivor: Cagayan as soon as things are revealed. Cast release in 8 days or less? I think so.
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