Donny Ketchum

Believe me, I don't think there's anything regrettable about not going with Adam. Since he's mostly about his bromances, he'd dump her outright, anyway. The only woman I think might've stood a chance on his team, had she not picked Pharrell instead, was Jean Kelley from season seven. That was someone with whom he could've worked very well.

To be fair, she did acknowledge that. She did feel regret over it. And honestly, I think all the characters knew that, but that mother was just such a piece of work that I can see why they didn't come down on her too harshly.

Whew. These girls had a pretty heavy set of bad breaks, all from cabs. They were last to the helicopters because of one, after all, and were forced out of another cab far from where the Detour was. But I give them props for staying as calm as they could (though I'm sure it wasn't easy to remain as such) when they realized they were in the back of the pack and finishing that Sidewalk Detour. They definitely deserved to stay in it after that. I like these girls and hope they can surprise everyone. This first leg was a result of cabs, mostly, so hopefully, they can recover and stay in it for a while. Tiffany is taller, while Krista is shorter. That's . . . the best I can offer.

Aw, that's a shame. They had a good start, but everything seemed to fall apart after the Detour. Switching was a good choice, but they needed to not panic at the Sidewalk Detour. They did, while Tiffany & Krista stayed calm and retained focus, which helped them make it through. I agree with what they said, though. The guys at TMZ are going to crucify them when they find out about this. I liked them okay, though, and was hoping they'd have gotten past this first leg, at least.

Justin, in appearance, manner of speech, and personality, is already reminding me quite heavily of that asshole, Tony, who won Survivor: Cagayan. That is not a good thing. He's already as cocky as he was, and he's even sounding like Jim from TAR25, as well. That said, they totally killed the first task, and going for tht Fast Forward wasn't a bad idea. But they needed to calm down and focus on getting back in the game after they couldn't get it. Diana channeled the calm Justin needed, and that's pretty much why they managed to beat the Sand Detour and stay in it. They'll probably go far after they get their race legs underneath them. And that sucks, because I like Diana, but I can see myself not liking Justin very much. I already don't now.

Pretty silent, but the news anchor spots they'll probably do will get exhausting after a while. But they recovered from switching Detours wonderfully, so it shows that they do have some game to them. Let's see how they do on future legs.

While I do feel for these two due to their homeless situation, I have to say that they really need to just get real jobs since their dancing isn't paying off financially. I like them, though, and thought they did well to have the presence of mind to write down all of their destinations on that helicopter tour and then beat that Sand Detour. Let's see how race-smart they prove to be.

I like these little guys. They're definitely going to be underestimated because of their heights. But they crushed that Sand Detour, and kudos to them! Let's see what else they can tackle!

I like having older teams, so I'm hoping these two last a while. They seemed to do a great job with the Sand Detour. It was great seeing some older people beat a younger team of pros. They have great potential to keep up with the youngsters this season!

About time we have another mother/son team, but man. Other than Toni & Dallas from TAR13, every single one has been a mother with a gay son. Patrick was gay, as was Luke. Dallas was the only straight son to be on the race with his mother. That said, they performed surprisingly well. I give them props for tackling that challenging sidewalk puzzle. Fourth place was deserved, but I'm confused as to how they didn't finish third. They were in that position when they cleared the Detour, after all! I like them a lot and hope they stick around for a while.

Well, not first. Still in it after leg one. I like most Asian teams, but I can see myself not liking them too much. They're already fighting quite a bit too much. They seemed to panic a fair bit at that Detour when they weren't even last. But they were fortunate to finish early enough to finish high. Don't see how they passed up Denise & James Earl, though.

Now, these are some pretty strong girls. I think they'll be real contenders after such a strong first leg. They should watch out for a U-Turn, though, if they prove to be too strong. I like them a lot, so I want them to last!

Boldly established themselves as the team to beat, but I don't have to like that fact. I predict they're going to be a team of boring alpha-males who'll dominate the race and win anticlimactically, a la Bates & Anthony from TAR22. I was so hoping that Jazmine & Danielle would beat them. But alas. I hope they don't do any Godbothering, since they mentioned how important their faith is to them.

All right! I so missed this show all summer, and I'm glad it's back! The opening challenge was interesting in that one team only got on the first flight. But then, it became moot due to a flight delay and the other ten teams getting in early. It was good seeing another first-leg Fast Forward, but for all the hype surrounding it, it was left as a non-starter due to weather. Weak. I still hate missing Phil tell the teams their placements, though. I don't know whose idea it was, but it's gotta stop. Flat-out. I do like the Express Pass change. The eighth leg was a bit of a late time to hold onto it. The fifth leg might work out a bit better. And it must be given to another team must used. Hmm. Wonder how that will shake out? So the teams: Tanner & Josh: Boldly established themselves as the team to beat, but I don't have to like that fact. I predict they're going to be a team of boring alpha-male who'll dominate the race and win anticlimatically, a la Bates & Anthony from TAR22. Jazmine & Danielle: Now, these are some pretty strong girls. I think they'll be real contenders after such a strong first leg. They should watch out for a U-Turn, though, if they prove to be too strong. I like them a lot, so I want them to last! Cindy & Rick: I like most Asian teams, but I can see myself not liking them too much. They're already fighting quite a bit too much. They seemed to panic a fair bit at that Detour when they weren't even last. But they were fortunate to finish early enough to finish high. Don't see how they passed up Denise & James Earl, though. Denise & James Earl: About time we have another mother/son team, but man. Other than Toni & Dallas from TAR13, every single one has been a mother with a gay son. Patrick was gay, as was Luke. Dallas was the only straight son to be on the race with his mother. That said, they performed surprisingly well. I give them props for tackling that challenging sidewalk puzzle. Fourth place was deserved, but I'm confused as to how they didn't finish third. They were in that position when they cleared the Detour, after all! I like them a lot and hope they stick around for a while. Logan & Chris: I like having older teams, so I'm hoping these two last a while. They seemed to do a great job with the Sand Detour. It was great seeing some older people beat a younger team of pros. They have great potential. Alex & Adam: I like these little guys. They're definitely going to be underestimated because of their heights. But they crushed that Sand Detour, and kudos to them! Let's see what else they can tackle! Ernest & Jin: While I do feel for these two due to their homeless situation, I have to say that they really need to just get real jobs since their dancing isn't paying off financially. I like them, though, and thought they did well to have the presence of mind to write down all of their destinations on that helicopter tour and then beat that Sand Detour. Let's see how race-smart they prove to be. Kelsey & Joey: Pretty silent, but the news anchor spots they'll probably do will get exhausting after a while. But they recovered from switching Detours wonderfully, so it shows that they do have some game to them. Let's see how they do on future legs. Justin & Diana: Justin, in appearance, manner of speech, and personality, is already reminding me quite heavily of that asshole, Tony, who won Survivor: Cagayan. That is not a good thing. He's already as cocky as he was, and he's even sounding like Jim from TAR25, as well. That said, they totally killed the first task, and going for tht Fast Forward wasn't a bad idea. But they needed to calm down and focus on getting back in the game after they couldn't get it. Diana channeled the calm Justin needed, and that's pretty much why they managed to beat the Sand Detour and stay in it. Tiffany & Krista: Whew. These girls had a pretty heavy set of bad breaks, all from cabs. They were last to the helicopters because of one, after all, and were forced out of another cab far from where the Detour was. But I give them props for staying as calm as they could (though I'm sure it wasn't easy to remain as such) when they realized they were in the back of the pack and finishing that Sidewalk Detour. They definitely deserved to stay in it after that. Kelly & Shevonne: Aw, that's a shame. They had a good start, but everything seemed to fall apart after the Detour. Switching was a good choice, but they needed to not panic at the Sidewalk Detour. They did, while Tiffany & Krista stayed calm and retained focus, which helped them make it through. I agree with what they said, though. The guys at TMZ are going to crucify them when they find out about this. I liked them okay, though, and was hoping they'd have gotten past this first leg, at least. It's good that we're back to not having all dating couples, and I love having some women's teams after having a whopping ZERO last season. This season has potential, but there'd better not be a total domination by the alpha-males, or it'll suck.

Team rosters/cheat sheets: Team Adam Keith Semple (2) Jordan Smith (4) Regina Love (2) James Dupré (4) Team Gwen Kota Wade (3) Braiden Sunshine (2) Ellie Lawrence (3) Noah Jackson (1)* Tim Atlas (1)* Hanna Ashbrook (1)* Team Pharrell Mark Hood (4) Siahna Im (3) Ivonne Acero (2) Evan McKeel (4) Team Blake Nadjah Nicole (2) Barrett Baber (4) Blind Joe (4) Zach Seabaugh (3) Emily Ann Roberts (2) Names in bold indicate newly-added team members. An asterisk indicates that this contestant was montaged. So Blind Joe was very good. I agreed with the four-chair turn. But yeah, there was no way he was going to pick anyone but Blake. Loved having Ivonne back (I kinda had a feeling she would be back) and was so glad she made a team this time! I thought she'd choose Gwen, but I hope Pharrell does right by her! And I'm glad Adam's team was probably full, because he'd have done her wrong several times over. Gage Navarro had a decent voice, but he needed to choose a song that showcased his voice a bit more. Like Gwen said, there were things to like about his performance. But there was also something off about it. I can see why he didn't manage a chair turn. Regina was sensational. She won me over quickly. (And a friend of Evander Holyfield's friend?! Awesome! My brother met him once before, and he was intimidated by him!) I don't think she'll make it to the Lives (the coaches nowadays seem allergic to taking older people that far), but I think she'll at least make it to the Knockouts. Oh, and I love how she mentioned Sisaundra and what Blake did for her! Not surprised she didn't go with Blake, though. If a contestant says whom they want to pick, they'll ultimately pick someone else. I really don't think Adam's going to do right by her. He failed to do right by Tonya, who got as far as she did despite Adam, not because of him. Zach was good, but I don't know if he's going to do well with so many country people on Blake's team. On a side note, though, he looks like Mason, who failed to make a team last season. Loved Evan! Loved that he picked Pharrell, though I felt sorry for Gwen. She looked crushed when she didn't get him. I'm not too surprised at Bryan Bautista getting shut out. Good voice, but terrible song choice. Emily Ann was adorable, but I don't think she'll last long. Agreed with the above that she should've waited a year or two before going out for this show. So was Ellie the first one to actually pick the coach she was talking about picking? I've seen several others say they'll pick someone, but then pick another just because they supposedly get a better pitch from him or her. But I loved her performance and think Gwen's a great coach for her. I hope she does right by her. From what we saw of them, Noah, Tim, and Hanna all sounded good, but I don't see any of them getting to the Lives for the simple reason they were montaged. Actually, I won't be surprised if Gwen cuts them all in the Battles, hence the montages. Natalie Yacovazzi. That was too ambitious. Plus, she sounded off-key at a few different points. Quite noticeably flat (not sharp, like Blake said), in fact. Fantastic voice, though. I hope she comes back. And her daughter looked so cute! I have to agree with what's been said. James was good, but not that good. But the show wants to pimp him as a favorite, so he'll probably last a while. Not as many voices that caught my ears this time. But I hope next Monday has better ones.

Really? The fact that he really was forced to do it (the show made it very clear he didn't want to and was threatened into doing it) was what made me cut him at least a little bit of slack. Just a little, though. Making her feel guilty for having the orgasm was messed up, though. Anyway, I'm gonna add Richard Morgan from "Confidential." He rapes and murders Nancy Pierce twenty-two years prior to when the episode takes place and lets Dan Hardy, her fiance, go to prison for it and basically lose all of those years of his life. Then, he does it again with Renee when he learns that she's an informant sent to gather intel on him and tries to make her ex-husband go down for it. That, along with all of the people he screwed over financially over the years, made it nothing but a karma-ridden ending for him when one of those people comes into the police station and murders him over his part in his wife's death. And to make it even more delicious, his attorney, played by the divine Lena Olin, was the one who set it up because even she had spent all of those years being secretly disgusted by him. On a side note, Elliot's treatment of her made me stop liking him in that very episode.

So I've worked all week and have finally gotten to catch up on the episodes. First, the Zimbabwe episode. I think the episode did a great job showing not only how resourceful Junior is, but that despite everything, he and Dwayne do love each other. The way Dwayne tried to fight his way back to Junior was actually kind of sweet. And Jacques & Josee make a detour to Hawaii, yet still get to Zimbabwe in time to nearly make up the time and get out of last, only to finish last, anyway, but be saved by a non-elimination leg. They are dangerous players. Then, the first Australia episode. Well, one highlight is Lorenzo & Chet finally deciding to stop hating each other. So obviously, their storyline was close to concluding, since the main hook they had was how much they hated each other. Also, Carrie & Devin manage to win their second leg, only to win a phone call home and discover that Devin's nightmare of a girlfriend, Shelley, dumped him for her tennis instructor. Which . . . wow. Whether Devin realizes it or not, he just got off easy. Meanwhile, Jacques & Josee proceed to get worse when they do everything possible to try and get Sanders & MacArthur out of the race, including using the Boomerang (the equivalent of TAR's U-Turn, I think) on them. But Sanders & MacArthur likewise use it on them, and they have to break out of the prison twice. One fateful paddle to the face from Josee puts Sanders & MacArthur in last, but it's a back-to-back non-elimination round, so they're thankfully still in. But Sanders & MacArthur want revenge, and rightly so. The Australia/New Zealand episode. This question is to @Lantern7 and @Lazlo, specifically. You guys getting as tired of Carrie & Devin's "will they or won't they?" storyline as I am? That said, I don't know how I feel about Carrie listening to Spud, of all people, in trying to force Devin through the stages of grief. But at least she got him out of the denial stage. Elsewhere, Sanders & MacArthur get totally skunked by Jacques & Josee once more, this time over an albino rabbit that . . . isn't albino. Lorenzo & Chet get caught up in how much they like each other now and lose focus on the race. And so many disasters happen to Rock & Spud (mainly to Rock), it's clear that Spud's making the team fall apart. And Jacques & Josee win yet another leg. Sanders & MacArthur barely recover from their trick to finish ninth. Oh, and Brody is still crushing on MacArthur, which could make him and Geoff good allies to them. And as for the double elimination, I think it was about time for both Lorenzo & Chet and Rock & Spud. Neither had any story left. In fact, I don't think Rock & Spud had a storyline. I kinda didn't like Lorenzo & Chet laughing at Rock & Spud being eliminated with them, but I kinda see why. At least they were comforted to know that they weren't eliminated alone. Finally, the New Zealand episode. Jacques & Josee seem unstoppable. Went right through the Maori dancer Either-Or, and they won the leg. Carrie & Devin managed to go from near the back to second place through Devin being in the anger stage and channeling it into completing the Jumping Around. Sanders & MacArthur throw themselves out there and come in third, though they're not happy to still see Jacques & Josee doing better than they are. Ennui & Crimson have been pretty silent for another episode, but solidly clock in fourth. Ryan & Stephanie are still doing well in spite of being "the haters" and come in fifth. Geoff & Brody, after winning over Junior's affections and nearly killing themselves bungee jumping, take sixth place. Dwayne & Junior, after Dwayne tries too desperately to be cool to win Junior back over to him, come in seventh. And once again, they have a sweet moment when Junior basically tells Dwayne that he's cool in his own way. Emma & Kitty beat out Noah & Owen for eighth place after the former team nearly tanks their game due to Emma nearly moving too fast with Noah. She realizes that the race is important right now. Noah can be her focus afterwards. Noah & Owen come in last, but are saved from by a non-elimination leg. But perhaps it's not such a good thing for Noah, who basically got told by Emma that she couldn't be with him on the race. Whew. All caught up now. Um . . . did you pay attention, @Lantern7? Jacques & Josee have pretty much been the villains ever since Brazil. I even noted this at the time: So . . . yeah. But I think we're getting the perfect downfall for Sanders & MacArthur or maybe even Carrie & Devin being the ones to take them down. The writers foreshadowed it hard when Jacques & Josee gave that confessional saying that they consider their two teams their main enemies. Whatever happens, Jacques & Josee need to go down, and it'll be interesting to see who makes it so. So now that we're over halfway through the race, I'm gonna make some endgame predictions, based on storylines and "edits." I think the F6 (final six for non-reality show watchers) will be, based on screentime and storyline development, Noah & Owen, Emma & Kitty, Sanders & MacArthur, Jacques & Josee (obviously), Carrie & Devin, and one of Dwayne & Junior and Geoff & Brody. I give the edge to the father and son because they actually have a story, while the surfer dudes really don't. Whichever one makes it, though, I think the other will come in seventh behind the predicted F6. So with that said, I think Ryan & Stephanie, Ennui & Crimson, and whoever doesn't make it of Geoff & Brody and Dwayne & Junior will be the next three teams to go. Just a prediction, though. We'll see.

For Serena, probably suppressed anger over her in part in what Xander did to Eric and Nicole. For Paige . . . I don't know. He does care about J.J., so perhaps her breaking up with him? Even though, as we know, it's J.J.'s own fault that she did?

Just catching up. Working now, so it's hard to stay on top of things the way I was last season. Team roster/cheat sheets: Team Adam Keith Semple (2) Jordan Smith (4) Team Gwen Kota Wade (3) Braiden Sunshine (2) Team Pharrell Mark Hood (4) Siahna Im (3) Team Blake Nadjah Nicole (2) Barrett Baber (4) Names in bold indicate newly-added team members. An asterisk indicates that this contestant was montaged. I knew Mark wasn't going to pick Blake. If an artist is shown saying whom they plan on picking, they ultimately don't pick him or her. If that coach turns around, they pick someone else. Or in other cases, the coach doesn't turn around. But I thought his reaction to Pharrell coming in during his confessional was cute. Though at the same time, Pharrell's "what did I just get into face?" when he kept talking was hilarious! Everyone but Adam turned for Kota? Can we assume his team was full by that time? There's no way he wouldn't have turned for her otherwise after a performance like that. I think, if Keith makes the live shows, his accent will be a big draw for votes. Alyssa Sheridan . . . I felt for her when I heard her story. But that wasn't a good song choice at all. Siahna . . . I think Adam's team was full again when she auditioned, because once more, no way he wouldn't have turned for her. Still, she's so adorable. And fifteen? She looks and sounds so much younger than that. Jordan's audition really was surprising. When I heard his voice, I quite expected a woman and was blown away to see a young man! I don't see why he chose Adam, though. I liked Dr. Paul. I can't believe the coaches didn't. I loved Nadjah! I figured she'd have gone for Pharrell or Gwen. But since neither turned around, I was shocked she went with Blake. Black artists don't typically go with him. Braiden sounded rather plain, but nonetheless, a damn good voice for his age. Michael had a good voice, but I was worried that if he'd made it, being Chuck Woolery's son would've been the main reason he got votes in the live shows, so I was actually okay with him not getting through. And Barrett had a good voice, but a four-chair-turn-worthy performance? I'm not sure. But Blake was definitely the right choice for him. That makes two artists for each coach. Good, even distribution. Pretty good first night. I'll watch Tuesday's episode a bit later.

I definitely blame the stars more than Keo. Lolo was fit and athletic and might've made a good run if she hadn't gotten defensive with the judges that first week. I think that turned off a lot of potential voters. Charlotte was stiff and more than likely wouldn't have gotten better with any pro. Plus, she was . . . a model. Not exactly someone who'd draw in a large number of fans. And of course, Chaka was all-around bad since she couldn't remember the steps to save herself.

Usually, CBS.com. But I can tell you right here. Peih-Gee, Spencer, Abi-Maria, Jeff, Kelley, and Shirin all voted for Vytas. Kelly, Terry, Vytas, and Woo all voted for Abi-Maria.

I see Dennis & Isabelle from TAR25 in the background, but who else is there?

It's always fun when a tribe jettisons a big, strong man early on rather than the expected, predictable woman. So this one did it for me. Shirin was right. He was smarmy.

I didn't blame Wheeler one bit for wanting to get the hell away from the guy at the end. You could tell how nervous she started to look during the reenactment.

This really was a good premiere! This was really fun! I like the cast. I was skeptical on some of these people, but realize that America voted right for most of them! They all seem to mesh well as an overall group. I think the ten people who were shown before the group reached Probst will be the most important people of the season's events. Surprised and not surprised that the men got more screen time than the women. I'm surprised Jeremy's going for a male-dominant alliance this time after having previously gone for a female-dominant one in San Juan del Sur. Tasha's seriously the only woman in that bunch? At least he and Keith seem cool this go-round. But Keith is still spitting. Sigh. Kelley is already showing how much she's come to play now that her annoying father isn't playing the game this time around. I loved the scene with her thinking she'd found the idol, only to learn she'd just found the clue. But good on her for slipping that idol off the tripod without anyone seeing! I quite love the new twist of idols being hidden in challenges! What a change! Shirin is still annoying, but she is at least trying to dial it back this time around. And I did like her spotting all of the tribe dynamics. She was also right about Vytas being smarmy. I don't know if I saw him as such in Blood vs. Water, but he was certainly smarmy his one episode on the show this season. Abi-Maria . . . she can try all she wants, but her crazy will be coming right back out. Look out, Peih-Gee! That said, I didn't want to see her go out first. I'm glad she stuck around. I'm okay with Vytas going since I didn't like him at all in Blood vs. Water and can't see why anyone here would ever like him. But whatever. He's gone, so I'm happy! And I still hate Terry, so the look on his face when he, Woo, and Kelly were blindsided was something to be seen! :) Let's see how the rest of this season goes. I'm already intrigued by it!