Not so amazing this time around

The latest season of The Amazing Race has begun, and my siblings and I are disappointed that the first two legs of the race have been limited to the US. Part of the fun of the AR is that you get to see different parts of the world and learn bits and pieces about their culture. Also, the challenge of catching earlier flights/overcoming delayed flights is missing from the more blase road trips.

However, this season is still pretty interesting because the producers decided to do a "family edition" this time. It's fascinating to observe the different dynamics among the teams, depending on their relationships and ages. Here are my favorite teams so far:

• the Gaghan family - You'd think bringing along a 9-year-old would be a big disadvantage, but these folks are actually doing pretty well. The parents are not that old, the kids are cute but smart (and not whiny), and man that little girl can run! "Wheels, Carissa, wheels!"
• the Aiello family - The father and sons-in-law combination amuses me, and it seems to be working for them. The 3 guys seem physically fit, and their collective strength compensates for their overweight father-in-law's weakness. Plus, the 3 seem to be very considerate of the old man, and it's very sweet to see all that male bonding.
• the Linz family - This is the team to beat, in my opinion. They have 3 able-bodied guys and a girl, all twentysomethings so they have no oldie to slow them down. So far the sister has managed to keep up with her brothers. I can't tell if she's smart but at least they have a female brain working alongside their male brawn. And siblings (especially in the absence of parental supervision) tend to work together better than parents and children. The banter among them is fun to watch. I hope they stick around for a while.

And then there are the teams who are getting on my nerves this early in the race:

• the Godlewski family - Dubbed "The Desperate Housewives," these 4 sisters are actually pretty competent (and like the Linz family they have that sibling thing going for them), but their high-pitched voices and ditzy screaming are intolerable.
• the Weaver family - I realize I'm about to bash a widow and her children, and I'm sorry if I'm a bitch (well, ok, I'm not sorry really :p), but if these guys were Pinoy they'd be jologs. Seriously, what respectable person drives with one leg up and their foot on the seat? What respectable girl (in shorts!) drives with one leg up and their foot on the seat?! And to add to that I think they're bleeding Christians. I can't stand overzealous religious folk (yes, I'm going to burn in hell when I die).
• the Paolo family - Two impertinent teenage sons, a nagging mom, and a dad who does nothing. They can't seem to communicate with one another except by yelling. I want to smack the kids for being such rude brats and the parents for letting their sons verbally abuse them. Americans.

I miss my favorite AR team, Colin and Christie. "My ox is broken!!" Classic.