not so amazing, really

I am not so in love with the family edition of The Amazing Race. I don't really mind the family teams of four, but the fact that the race won't leave the US (or is it North America?) is a simplification that removes much of what I love about the show. There's no language barrier. There's no wrangling with travel arrangements. There are no exotic locales. It's all driving and map reading, which is just not very exciting to watch. While the team bickering is still in evidence (to an extreme degree -- oh, New Jersey team, how I hate watching/pity you), it's not balanced by the awe of a team seeing something amazing or the excitement of going to a country that's been their dream vacation. In short, the show has lost much of the positive spirit that set it apart from the other competitive reality shows.

That being said, I was happy to see the family with the Not-So-Great Santini Dad get the axe. I hated him.