So with the new season almost upon us, it’s time to ask a few questions that have been lurking in my subconscious…
1) Will the newer rules (Yield, Max Roadblock rule etc.) affect the teams from the early seasons?
Chances are, aside from the Max Roadblock Rule… probably not. The Roadblocks could trip up a few teams though, especially a team like Teri and Ian, where Ian did the majority of Roadblocks in season 3.
2) What new twists will emerge this season?
With every Race something new emerges. Sometimes the twists work (marked for elimination), others aren’t great (elimination mid-leg), and others could use some tweaking (Yield). What will we see this time around with teams that think that they’ve seen it all?
3) Who will be the “villains”?
Obviously, the leading candidates are Team Guido and Romber. But some teams may have seen what went wrong in their previous Race, and will try to correct it, going over to the “dark side” in the process.
4) OK then, who will be the “good guys”?
If I were to give two teams that designation, it would be Uchenna and Joyce, and David and Mary. I think all the other teams have the ability to be “evil”, but not those two.
5) Why aren’t
Some of the “couples” teams are no longer couples, which takes them out. Other teams have, you know, lives that they can’t put aside again for a month. Some previous Racers were willing to give it a go, and have said as much in interviews and blogs. Although I have to say… there was probably no way that Victoria would be able to go, her kid being about a month old as of filming and all.
6) Boston Rob? Again? How many reality series has he been on?
This is his fifth, I believe. And seriously, deal with it. Richard Hatch (from Survivor, not BSGand Sue Hawk have been in at least four reality competitions, and noone’s complaining about that. Mind you, that’s the least of Hatch’s worries right now…
7) Can Uchenna and Joyce win again?
It’s doubtful. We know that they’ll do whatever it takes to win, but last time it took a huge bit of “luck” to win the Race, and instead of competing against two other strong teams they’ve got eight others to compete against. Any of the previous winners would be in tough against this group.
8) Eight others? Aren’t you forgetting two teams?
Yeah, I deliberately left two teams out. I think you know who they are.
9) Can the Beauty Queens be the first all-female team to win the Race?
I hold high hopes for Dustin and Kandice. Last season made me think that if one team can do it, it’s these two young ladies.
10) Will people wise up to Boston Rob?
I think so. It’s his fourth kick at the reality competition can. I sure hope people have learned by now.
11) Speaking of Rob, do he and Amber really need another million dollars?
Sure, unless Rob’s managed to get a poker sponsorship. Tournaments don’t come cheap, you know. Still, I can see them just being out there “trying to have fun”, which of course is competition-speak for “they’re not winning”.
12) Will age be a factor for Teri and Ian?
I think so. Teri and Ian seem to have aged quite a bit in four years. They did pretty well in season three, but they started slow, and with this group, that could lead to an early elimination. But survive that, and they could surprise us.
13) What about the Guidos?
Unlike Teri and Ian, Joe and Bill look about the same, but they’re definitely not getting any younger. Still, being experienced travellers will help them, and with the penalties not being as harsh as they were in season one, the life partners could excel.
14) Who will entertain us more: Cha Cha Cha or Kevin and Drew?
That’s a real tough call. I personally like Danny and Oswald better but it’s all a matter of preference. Both teams simply do what comes naturally to them, and it happens to be something that will keep the audience looking for more.
15) Can David and Mary succeed without the rest of the “Back Pack”?
Sure they could, but I’m more inclined to say “no”. If they make it past the second leg I’ll be very, very surprised. Which is a shame since they’re good, likeable people, but the reality of it is that they’re not very good Racers. I’d love for them to come to Toronto though.
16) Can Mirna avoid annoying us?
Sure. It’s about as likely as David and Mary winning the Race, though.
17) Can Charla once again show us that a little person can do a lot more than a bigger one, like say… her cousin Mirna?
Count on it.
18) Can John Vito and Jill still work well together?
That’s a million dollar question. Former lovers have actually fared well together in past seasons, so they definitely could go far. But on the flipside, Dennis and Erika were the first out in season five, so… yeah. The odds are still in their favour.
19) Will new team Eric and Danielle do well like the Frat Boys, or fare poorly like Double D?
Another million dollar question. Dani and Danielle really seemed to lack focus at times, but I think that Eric will help keep Danielle on track this time around.
20) Who will win?
Personally, I think that the winner will emerge from my group of favourites – Cha Cha Cha, Beauty Queens, and Eric/Danielle. I’m leaning towards Dustin and Kandice at this point. But my predictions have been spectacularly bad on this show (1 for 4), so you might want to put money on someone else (figuratively speaking, of course).
