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Amazing Race Examiner

Sam & Dan are officially the most evil team on this season's Amazing Race

November 23, 4:18 PMAmazing Race ExaminerIvan Mitchell
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  Sam & Dan (photo credit: CBS.com)

While there have been more devious teams to play the game (think Rob & Amber), Sam & Dan have definitely etched their way into Amazing Race history. Their initial strategy of keeping their sexual orientation private from the Poker Faces and forming an alliance helped them advance on a few key tasks. Then there was the questionable "elbow" that was thrown last week in the chase towards the pit stop against the Globetrotters. But the one action that will surely make them one of the more memorable villains in recent Amazing Race history came during last night's episode in Prague where after they finished the Detour with Brian & Ericka still completing it, The Unambiguously Gay Duo stole Team Zebra's taxi by offering to pay their driver more. It was a possible elimination leg, so it was probably a smart move on Sam & Dan's part, but that's about as low down as a team can get in this competition. If only we had seen more tactics like this throughout the season, things could have been more interesting. As it stands, season 15 is one of the dullest that The Amazing Race has produced. There has been a general lack of drama and tension all around. While the cast has been mostly likeable, the charisma of The Globetrotters has outshined everyone and makes the other teams tame in comparison. On the other hand, the competition for this season is as tight as it's ever been and I can't think of a possible final three where any team could legitimately take it (assuming that the final three is Sam & Dan, The Globetrotters and Meghan & Cheyne).

The fallout from Sam & Dan's actions were minimal at best as the two teams encountered each other as the brothers were leaving the opera house at the Road Block and Team Zebra had just entered. Brian made it a point not to say anything, but to just try and look them in the eye, to which the brothers did not oblige because of the awareness of their sneaky tactics. Luckily for the viewers and Brian & Ericka, last night's leg was non-elimination, so we just might get a chance to see them enact their revenge or at least have a few moments of glory. To be honest, I don't see Team Zebra going that far, especially with Speed Bump that they have to deal with on the next leg, a task that only the team that finished in last place has to complete. But if it's as lame as Gary & Matt's trip to sauna, anything is possible. Team Zebra has shown signs of efficiency, but Brian lacks the competitive instinct to truly overthrow the three remaining teams and that lack of aggressiveness will be their undoing. When the teams arrived from Estonia to Prague, they all took taxis to the next clue where they had to figure out what a vintage Praga was—a classic car, by the way. All the teams except for Brian & Ericka, who apparently took advice from a native on their flight who told them that taking the bus and train would be the quickest way to reach their next destination. Has a bus ever gotten anyone to their destination faster than a car? Did he not think that the buses didn't have other stops to go to, therefore wasting more time? He eventually wisened up and switched the mode of transportation, but by that time it was too late.

Another surprising development was a burgeoning sneaky side from none other than Meghan & Cheyne. Blonde Ambition has been the golden couple so far, getting by on skill, determination and moxie, but on the way to Prague while the teams were at the airport in Estonia, Meghan suggested that they mislead the other teams as to what a vintage Praga was once they actually found out what it was. That plan didn't come to fruition, but the one that did was when Cheyne decided to ditch the Globetrotters for a taxi after the two teams had decided to work together to find the Road Block after the Detour. The teams had both completed the Slow & Easy portion of the Detour where they had to carry themselves across a rope suspended over rapid water, which Meghan & Cheyne finished first due to Big Easy's weight being a major hindrance. Despite Meghan accusing Flight Time of slowing them down on purpose once they had finished in order to buy Big Easy more time to complete the task, it was decided the teams would help each other find the opera house where the Road Block was at. Things went smoothly until out of nowhere, Cheyne spotted a cab and simply hopped in without any explanation. Meghan was upset at the way Cheyne handled the situation so abruptly and was worried that it would make them look bad, but his justification was that it was a race and they were not there to make friends. Previously, Blonde Ambition had appeared to besqueaky clean, but the ability to be cutthroat adds another dimension to an already strong team.

Since next week will determine the final three, this is a prediction for who will be in the finale:

1. Meghan & Cheyne - It's hard to bet against a team who has been in first place as many times as they have. It's as simple as that.

2. The Globetrotters - Poor Flight Time & Big Easy. They're the strongest team left, but they don't have an ally left in the race. Teams have helped each other all along throughout the race with smooth results, but the minute that the Globetrotters aligned themselves with Blonde Ambition, they were left in the dust. This could prove problematic if they ever fall behind too far in the final three, as any combination of the teams left have proven that they don't mind working together as long as it's for the common goal of getting ahead of the Globetrotters.

3. Sam & Dan - Not exactly the smartest team to make it this far (they thought Prague was a country and that people spoke Spanish there), but they have a tough competitive edge and they have long been one of the most physically fit teams on the race. Only a huge mental lapse could do them in at this point and allow Brian & Ericka to slide in to the top three or the fact that they still have communication problems, as evidenced by the multiples times they wiped out during the rafting portion of the Detour.

Next week, the teams look more frustrated than ever during a task and the final three is set in stone.


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