Why do you keep picking on ...
Question: Why do you keep picking on all-star seasons of reality shows? Yes,
Survivor wasn't great, but
Big Brother was a different story. I thought it offered a lot of great comedy with a semi-terrific ending. However, I think
Amazing Race is different, because it's a race, and not a claustrophobic living space or a secluded island.
Amazing Race All-Stars is delivering the kind of great stories that previous
Races have had in the past. I love the fact that Charla and Mirna are proving to be great bumbling villains, that Dustin and Kandice are allowed to get along with the other teams and that Romber got their asses kicked.
The Amazing Race is not like other reality shows where scheming and plotting get you far. It's all about travel, adventure and determination. So don't go harping on this season just because it's all-stars. Take the time to revel and enjoy the scenery, the competition and the great personal stories of the contestants, because that's what makes this show great.
Answer: You're using the same arguments I've made over the years to explain why
The Amazing Race has always been and will probably always be my favorite reality show. But I'm going to reprint what I wrote in a recent
Dispatch on the show, celebrating the ouster of Rob and Amber: "Much of the pleasure of
The Amazing Race any season is in making new acquaintances along the way while experiencing astonishing new locations. When the traveling companions are this familiar, it takes some of the joy out of the ride." That said, I have enjoyed the last few episodes, with the wild reversals of Rob and Amber going from first to worst and Charla and Mirna doing exactly the opposite. Even in an all-stars edition, the race is unpredictable, and as always (except in the all-U.S. family edition, which was truly boring), the visuals are spectacular. I just don't think that this particular show needs to stoop to recycling past stars as a gimmick. And really, putting
Big Brother in this category? You must be joking.
