The Amazing Race 26 Season Premiere Blog Party and Pool!

 

Whoa! What a night of television! First we had the season premiere of Survivor: Worlds Apart, now the big twist on the premiere of this season's The Amazing Race! For those of you who might be unaware (I don't know how, but ...!), the theme for this season is "dating couples." That's not a big twist until you note that five of the eleven couples are on a blind date around the world. TAR hasn't really been a show full of "twists" like Survivor or Big Brother, but this season we have one.

After tonight's season premiere, The Amazing Race will be shown in its new (as of last season) time slot -- Friday nights at 8pm ET/PT. That will start THIS Friday, February 27th! I will have a blog party post set up for the show ... please remember it's on!

As tonight's show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. Refresh the page to get the latest update! 

The Magnificent Margo (and Mom) have made the random matches for the blog pool and here they are:

Mike & Rochelle - Cheryl in NC, Laurie

Aly & Steve - Jackie, SueGee

Lebya & CJ - Donna in FL, PDXGranny

Harley & Jonathan - Becky, Willie J

Jeff & Lyda - Jennasmom, Paula Bell, meb

Matt & Ashley - Delee, Merrilee

Bergen & Kurt - Nana in NW, Rbennie

Blair & Hayley - Terry in TX, Margo

Jeffrey & Jackie - Brian, Donna in AL, ORKMommy

Jelani & Jenny - Marlo, Lynn 1, dla

Tyler & Laura - Ed in OH, David, Nickelpeed

Without further ado, it's onto the show ...

The five single men are standing apart. Phil will bring on the gals. And, there they are. They have to race through a mud run course to get the first flight (eight tickets) to Tokyo. An Express Pass will go to the winner of the leg and there's a U-Turn on this first leg.

Haley/Blair, Mike/Rochelle and Lebya/CJ are one the second flight. I think. I'll fix that if I'm wrong. The first flight will land 45 minutes earlier than the second.

Each team has been given a "selfie camera." @@ 

Detour - Synching Steps (choreographed dancing) or Samurai Sake (memorizing traditional sakes and taking orders).  

Jeff and Jackie get through the Detour first. They don't U-Turn anyone. They're now heading to the Pit Stop, but that's a challenge in and of itself. It's a parking garage. Jelani/Jenny and then Tyler/Laura come through, didn't U-Turn. NSYNC is lost.

Jelani and Jenny win the first leg and the Express Pass!

2. Jeff and Jackie 

3. Laura and Tyler

(Note all three are blind dates.) 

4. Aly and Steve

5. Harley and Jonathan

6. Bergen and Kurt 

Mike/Rochelle U-Turn the only team behind them they know of -- Jeff and Lyda. The other two teams come through, don't use the U-Turn and are shocked that Mike/Rochelle did that to Jeff/Lyda. 

7. Mike and Rochelle 

Jeff/Lyda U-Turn Jeff/Jackie not knowing they're already through.

8. Hayley and Blair

9. Matt and Ashley 

Lebya and CJ are totally lost. But they're there!

10. Lebya and CJ

11. Jeff and Lyda -- Philiminated.