3 of 5

Write now Article Tools

WARNING: If you have not seen Season 14 yet, this article may have spoilers for conditions during the race.

The Amazing Race, Season 14, provides an uncensored look at life in some crowded and poverty-stricken places. In one scene, two of the contestants, who are sitting in a taxi, are approached by several children, who are begging and reaching through the rear window with tin cups or bare hands. Some of the contestants, who are riding through the same area in separate taxis, are crying simply because they are seeing the poor living conditions. These scenes make The Amazing Race one of the most enlightening and believable reality shows.

This season is on my top ten list among several reality shows. The most frightening scene for me was watching a huge tiger whose trainer was missing an arm. The contestants were required to sit near the tiger's tale and place their hands on top of the tiger while being photographed. The tiger appeared to be chained securely so that it could not move its huge head and very long teeth toward the contestants. Everyone of the contestants at that point in the race agreed to be photographed. There was no explanation about the trainer's arm.

My favorite scenes were the contestants running through a city in Siberia while they were wearing only their underwear. Well except for the young female contestant who was not wearing underwear. She had to borrow something from one of the local crew members so that she could run. Another of the female contestants was required to run in the very skimpy thong which she had worn without knowing that the required clothing was whatever underwear the contestants had on at the time. The exposure of the young lady's rear end was digitized out.

Two brothers, rather short, and experienced as stunt men, received several penalties before finally being handicapped so long by the imposed delays that they were eliminated from the race. One of their infractions was to offer their taxi drivers personal goods after they ran out of cash. The brothers had left their back packs at one point during the race and were required to take a taxi back to recover their passports and belongings before they could check out at the finish line. They also put air pumps back into a wooden container, which caused a penalty.

One of the tasks required the contestants to teach a cormorant bird to recover fish which the contestants tossed into the water. Another task required gymnastics at an olympic training center. A recent episode required both members of each team to either dive off the three meter board and hit the water in perfect timing, or swim four hundred meters as quickly as they could swim at one hundred meter intervals. Two sisters were unable to swim and nearly quit the entire race. They recovered, however, the outcome of this leg is coming up next week.

Learn more about this author, Graviton Ring.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about TV show reviews: The Amazing Race?
We want to hear your view. Write now!