There are a lot of things troubling me about this third episode of the The Amazing Race: Family Edition; and the Aiello family, and the circumstances that stalked them throughout, had much to do with it. It appears that after a temporary setback last week — wandering zombie-like for two hours looking for a Cluebox around the wrong "Reflecting Pool" — the Gaghans have returned to form; mom and dad and young kids congealing into a renewed, ramped-up fighting force. In the dark, fuggy corner left by the Gaghans — the now vacant dunce-spot — the Aiello clan had, as events suggest, hurriedly moved in, flung themselves down, and wouldn't budge. For this, and their somewhat awkward elimination, I am still scratching my head.

By David W. Taylor (Email Me)
Reality Reel Media
10.14.05
featuring Jonathan Baker from The Amazing Race 6
www.jonathanbakerandvictoriafuller.com

After all... this was a team with three healthy, sentient adult males and one healthy but stiff oldish dude. There were no young children in their midst to hamper them. These four adults rarely argued. One is an ex-Marine, for god's sake. Jonathan Baker listed them on his web site as a favorite (#3 of three) to win the whole sloppy enchilada and I myself figured they'd be staying around long enough for me to, at least, figure out who was who. But, poof! They're gone.

Ironically, son-in-law Matt offered a glimmer of what he and his three other reluctant mercenaries were mulling over during their Pit Stop Break and it wasn't pretty, and nothing if not strange; even distasteful. "We've been a little bit too business," says Matt, as the foursome checked out. "So let's be a little lighter and have fun with this." Hmm. Why this would emerge as a competent strategy within a team that came in fifth among eight positions, in a Race, is bizarre. Fifth place? How about, like, getting more "business" going... say, uber-business (on steroids) — like Walmart business — so maybe you can crawl into first place and have a swat at one million dollars? Hey Matt! You can "have fun" when this Race of a lifetime is freaking over. If there was any time in one's life to get hardcore, and focused — be businesslike — this just might be IT. You think?

"I've got to remind everybody one more time," Jonathan Baker fires back, hot. "...and I did this on The Amazing Race 6 — and nobody took it to heart: WE'RE RACING FOR A MILLION DOLLARS!... we're not Racing for milk and cookies, OK. That's number one. Number two: people die on 'the street' for five dollars. What would you do for a million dollars?! Put on your thinking caps people! The only ones that deserve this so far are the Linz family, who are strong and starting to find their edge inside the game; and the Gaghan family, who have a very good attitude. Everybody else is zigging-and-zagging...

"And the Aiellos were edgy — had personality — in the beginning but lost it... and it just goes to show you that you really need to beat-up emotionally on the Racers for their true selves to come out. I'm going to say this again, There's not enough game playing inside of The Amazing Race. And there is plenty of game playing on Survivor, OK. If you look at even Fear Factor... they said at the beginning, they go, We welcome the gamesmanship! And I really think they should be giving the same speech on The Amazing Race. [Like... to the Aiellos.] It's a little bit too nicey-nice. We need to step it up. And I'm not asking for it to be a free for all. I'm just saying they need to step up the Race so that there's a little bit more adrenaline pumping across the board. I don't feel the adrenaline pumping, do you?"