I'm usually a bit down on previous contestants returning to reality shows. However, the teams coming back to the show this season are generally ones I really enjoyed watching. Even so, I had some hopes for improvement and for the season overall:

- I hoped that Margie wouldn't baby Luke and that he'd be way less frustrated
- I hoped that the show didn't feature horses, thus allowing teams to have a chance at beating the alpha-male Cowboys
- I hoped Mallory's voice didn't get more high-pitched and scary

Well, after the season premiere, the first hope is still out to jury and Mallory is still shrill. But our Cowboys sans horses could up being a really sad sight.

Thankfully, the show didn't eliminate a team before the race even started, as they have done in the past. But they did add in a new twist -- teams had to find a QANTAS flag/paper airplane doohickey in a sea of doohickeys after being told the words "Queensland and Northern Territories." Once they found it, they had to bring it to Phil. The first eight teams got on the first flight, the other three caught a plane 90 minutes later. The last team would face a U-Turn while the winner of the leg itself would get an Express Pass.

Although it didn't turn out quite as planned -- something which often happens on the race -- it was a neat little twist that spiced things up. It ended up that the final three teams were in the lead due to a medical emergency on the first flight. Unexpected moments like that keep hope alive for lagging teams.

In an almost cruel twist of fate, Kris and Amanda, eliminated in their season after a U-Turn, were the last team to hand their clue to Phil -- so once again, they would have to complete both Detours.

It was off to Australia and thankfully, no team made the ultimate "didn't read the clue" mistake that has tripped up contestants in past seasons. Even Zev and Justin still had their passports.

There are things teams can do to prepare for 'The Amazing Race' -- learning to drive a stick shift and learning to swim come to mind. Real phobias like a fear of heights might be more problematic. But did the teams take the time to learn what they needed to? Well, it sounded like Jen and Kisha still weren't comfortable with water and the Cowboys avoid it entirely.

The Roadblock had teams swimming with fishes, tortoises, sharks and a stingray the size of a queen bed to find compasses hidden in an aquarium. I pictured normal sized compasses. Nope, these were the size of dinner plates!.

At this point, the three teams on the last flight -- Gary and Mallory, Jen and Kisha, Amanda and Kris -- were in the lead due to the earlier flight's delay, and Gary and Mallory won the Express Pass. Amanda and Kris tried their best to get the win, but came in second. Too bad, so sad -- I'm already tired of hearing him call her "Babe." Detour ahead in the next leg!

The real kicker was that so many teams couldn't figure out the common saying in the puzzle after the aquarium! You'd think once they got "devil and deep blue sea," they'd know they were in between it. Nope. A lot of the teams thought they were the devil.

Without horses, Jet and Cord couldn't figure out the puzzle and were sunk ... at least this time around. Luckily, the race isn't over for them. Most likely, the show wanted to keep all the teams for two weeks, which works for me. I didn't particularly want any of the teams out tonight anyway.

What do you think? Is it a good bunch of teams? Are there non-winning teams you'd like to see back instead of these folks? Are the Cowboys toast? Let us know in comments!


'The Amazing Race' airs Sundays, 8PM ET on CBS.