Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | 1 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT Too Much of a Good Thing
By M. Giant | Season 22 | Episode 1 | Aired on 02.17.2013
Their tickets locked down, the twin doctors speculate with Winnie & Pam and Dave & Connor about the allegedly breath-taking challenge that awaits them in Bora Bora. Pam and Winnie interview that they're making friends with everyone so they can make sure to get that second Express Pass. I guess they don't think much of their chances of getting the first one.
Bringing up the rear on tonight's second flight, which will be on Air France, are Team Newlywed, hockey players Bates & Anthony, firefighters Matt & Daniel, country singers Caroline & Jessica, "Team YouTube" Joey & Meghan, and Roller Derby Moms Mona & Beth. Max runs down the list of all these other teams by their profession, which is actually kind of impressive this soon after meeting everyone. He and Katie talk about how they don't have many friends in real life and Max even pegs Katie's "likability factor" as low when it comes to new people. But they quickly head over to make friends with Joey and Meghan, which actually works. Of course, how hard can that be with people who are so proud of their status as "YouTube hosts" that their team colors are the signature black, red and gray of the video website? Max supportively credits Katie's "Best fake face." They may be newlyweds, but they clearly didn't go in blind.
The first flight out of LAX takes off after dark and Amazing Red and Amazing Light Blue Line curve southwest across the Pacific to the connecting airport, which Phil identifies as Papeete, Tahiti. It's early morning when that first flight touches down at Faa'a International Airport, where a young woman is distributing flower leis like they just arrived on Fantasy Island. Idries and Jamil interview about how the double Express Pass made them realize they were going to have to play a social game. So at the Tahiti airport, they get the attention of everyone else on these first five teams and suggest that whoever wins the first Express Pass should give it to whoever wins second. This is one of those moments that just has to make producers of this show go, "Aaaargh!" They throw in this new wrinkle to try to amp up the drama and people get right to work trying to preemptively defuse it. But of course, it's kind of the producers' fault in the first place for expecting people who go on The Amazing Race to act like people who go on Big Brother. Now, judging from everyone's initial reactions, this was not a good move socially. But after some apprehensive looks, this group of five teams agrees to it -- but only within this group. That is, in the vanishingly unlikely event that someone on the second flight wins second place, the second Express Pass will still theoretically go to one of these five teams currently hanging around in the Tahiti airport. And they have to agree not to tell any of the laggards on the second flight, either. "It's exactly like fight club," John dorks. If only.