'The Amazing Race 12' - The Teams - Part Three

Here it is! The last installment on the teams we'll be seeing starting this Sunday, November 4, 8 PM ET?/PT in most viewing areas -- or, seeing the time slot, possibly delayed for sports in many areas. Sigh.

I covered the other teams in this post and in this one, too.

Ari and Staella are one of the younger teams -- 21 and 24 respectively -- and they're best friends all about having fun. Okay.

He's a waiter and she's a restaurant manager. He lives with her family which seems to indicate that neither have been out on their own. Ari says he's catty, mean, rude, hilarious and is never afraid to speak his mind, loves to dance -- always great qualities for the race, right? Staella thinks she's honest, trustworthy, and caring. (I do like that more.)

They think they'll ruffle feathers of the other teams and have a great time. Me? I don't like their attitudes. Well, his attitude. She seems okay.

Marianna and Julia are sisters hailing from Miami. They describe themselves as feisty, best friends, and worst enemies. Julia is the problem-solver while Marianna is the athlete. Both consider themselves to be very competitive and think they're unbeatable. Good. It's always nice to have a strong all-woman team even if we're lacking the all-men teams this season.

Supposedly Julia is emotional while Marianna is as steady as a rock. Julia thinks Marianna doesn't self-censor and is often mean. They've traveled together before and say that their favorite team was BJ and Tyler due to their upbeat energy. Well, hopefully these two will have the same!

Like the blondes this season, they aren't afraid to flirt.

Speaking of BJ and Tyler, look! It's TK and Rachel! They're a dating couple -- she's a florist and store owner while he's a substitute teacher. Their mothers were friends for years, but they're only recently dating.

They say they're always laughing (good) and want to see how their relationship stands up to the race. Rachel believes she's bright and ambitious. She thinks the biggest difference between her and TK are the lives they've led. She started working and bought a business right out of high school while he was a collegiate athlete at UC Santa Barbara.

TK's sport was swimming. He thinks he's dedicated, witty, and intelligent. They hope to spend their lives together starting out with a million dollar nest egg.

Now, here's a team a bit different from many of the ones we've seen before. Kate and Pat are married lesbian ministers. They dated for seven years and married three years ago. They say not to worry -- they aren't afraid to play dirty. Pat is the second-oldest racer this season at 65. (Grandfather Donald is 68.)

Kate thinks she avoids conflict while Pat dives right in. Kate says she's passionate and sarcastic while Pat claims to be persistent and dependable. Pat thinks Kate often misjudges her time, something which might affect them as a team during the race. They're not afraid to compete against anyone and think their years of experience will beat out the physical prowess of other teams. I think others have thought along those lines before and it hasn't won the race yet. But I think they'll be an interesting team to watch.

Although technically California heavy, I like the mix of racers this season. I'm so glad we're not seeing a season full of model couples. What do you think?