The Amazing Race 14 on CBS

By Ally Matteodo

The Best TV Show of the Week was the February 22^nd episode of The Amazing Race.  Now in its fourteenth cycle, the family-favorite reality show airs on CBS Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Featuring a competition between various teams of two, the show presents challenges ranging across many countries and even continents. Some teams are made up of siblings, some are best friends, some are parent and child, some are spouses, and some are dating couples.  In the February 22nd episode, the teams were instructed to journey to the German Alps.  Two of the teams ended up having to take a later flight, setting them at a disadvantage for the challenges ahead.  Once the teams arrived in Munich, they were instructed to drive to the quaint German village of Ruhpolding.  Siblings Tammy and Victor arrived first and took a cable car to the pinnacle of the mountain.  Once at the top, it was communicated to them that one would have to paraglide off the mountain, and the other partner would return down the mountain in the cable car.  If winds were unsafe, the team could choose to send one partner on a 60-minute hike down the mountain.  The wind was too strong, so Tammy decided to hike down.  In the end, Mel, part of the father-son team Mel and Mike, was the only one to paraglide off the mountain.  Upon reaching the bottom of the mountain, teams received their next clue: drive to Schonau Am Konigee.  There, the teams realized they had a choice of two different challenges:  “Balancing Dolly” or “Austrian Folly.”  In “Balancing Dolly,” the teams were obligated to ride a Segway on a two-mile obstacle course.  In “Austrian Folly,” teams had to throw pies at their partner’s face.  A bandleader gave the teams the next clue, which involved going to the foot of the Holzsager and having the Tyrolean woodcutters slice a small piece of wood, where the next clue would then be stamped.  The clue that was stamped on the wood instructed for the teams to go to the Austrian city of Salzburg and find the Pit Stop at Schloss Hellbrunn.  There, host Phil was waiting for the teams and told them where they placed in this leg of the competition. Married couple Linda and Steve came in last place and were eliminated

This show offers viewers a wonderful chance to see different parts of the world.  It was thrilling to see the German Alps and view Bavaria from the top of a mountain— the joy and exhilaration the teams feel at seeing these new locations allows the armchair traveler to experience the excitement of a new place vicariously.  The show is also a proponent of teamwork, patience, and perseverance.  The teams that are able to think quickly and communicate effectively are the ones that forge ahead.  This particular episode was also moving in regards to Linda and Steve’s elimination.  Linda got lost along the trail down from the mountain, and was worried Steve would be upset with her, but he took it all in stride.  When they lost, Steve broke down, but then in separate narrations they both expressed how much they mean to each other, and how riches don’t matter when it comes down to their love – that is a gift that one cannot buy.  Steve states that he would never want to engage in this adventure with anyone except Linda. Viewers get to share in the knowledge that all the teams love each other, and are just happy to be there enjoying new landscapes with someone they love.