The Amazing Race: The 10 Best Seasons For New Fans To Watch, According To Reddit
A whopping 33 seasons of The Amazing Race have aired so far and with the ratings still high, the show is guaranteed to go on for the foreseeable future. And it isn't just the fans that love it. The Emmys have shown love too, with the reality adventure show winning 10 out of the 19 "Outstanding Reality-Competition Program" trophies awarded so far.
Since there are so many seasons, viewers who've heard about the brilliance might be wondering what the best edition to check out is. After all, creating time for all the 33 seasons might prove a challenge. Luckily, a few Redditors have shared their opinions about what they believe are the most incredible installments.
Redditor jedrevolutia highly recommends season 6. They state, "It's a good season if you are thirsty for drama and conflict like in Big Brother."
The sixth installment is indeed full of drama and is populated by some of the most dysfunctional teams in the Amazing Race. It's, therefore, no surprise that none from this particular season has ever been asked to return. Despite the unlikability of the characters, a new viewer will enjoy the constant bickering and botches. The constant relationship drama between Jonathan and Victoria is a welcome break from the races too.
Redditor geoffreyh76· remembers Season 17 as having "the best single moment of all the races." They add, "It was a pretty good season overall, too."
The particular moment the forum user is referring to is one where Claire attempts to sling a watermelon, and after struggling for a while, she ends up projecting it at her own face. It's a moment that draws as much laughter as it does sympathy. And the comical moments aside, the 17th installment has an adorable cast, with most of them sticking to the rules and refraining from antagonizing each other.
Viewers who like it when the most talented people compete against each other will love the season. User mjharmstone roots for it, describing it as "the best All-Star season in the history of Reality TV."
Existing fans already had a blast watching 10 of the strongest teams from the previous editions battling it out once again and new fans will have the same feeling of euphoria too despite not knowing the cast members. This is because there is much more competitiveness, with everyone appearing to understand what it truly takes to win.
A new fan will be just fine skipping season 1 and jumping to the second. That's because it's simply "one of the greatest," according to cajuzex.
The edition is not only fast-paced but is packed with extremely robust teams, making it difficult to predict the winner. It's, therefore, no stunner that the season also has what is arguably the closest final leg finish in the history of the competition. Even better is that a divorced couple gets to compete as a team, hence serving plenty of post-breakup drama. Surprisingly, they still end up as one of the best Amazing Race teams to not win.
To some, the brilliance of Season 5 has never been matched again. Drt7 is certain that "once you watch it, there will never be another season like it." They even go on to add, "I'm watching it for the 11th time."
The Redditor is somewhat right since some of the innovative moments haven't been replicated yet. Perhaps the best one is one where a team member decides to go Zorbing down a hill in order to arrive at the destination quicker. Apart from the close contests, the edition does well by boosting inclusivity, The victorious couple (Chip and Kim McAllister) is among the first Black winners of popular reality TV competitions.
One of the requirements of the installment was that each team includes an influential social media personality (or two). And carlsligh says "they're all very charismatic."
It's always a great feeling for fans to watch people they already know, doing things they normally don't do. Will the internet celebrities make it through the tough contests? Will they be as interesting as they are online? The answer is mostly yes. Events also kick off in a distinct manner. Instead of the traditional Staring Line, team members all receive video calls at their homes and are told that the game is on.
Redditor YVH22B says this is "a very good season due to the strangers' twist." Unlike in previous versions where team members had pre-existing relationships, everyone is a stranger in the 2017 edition.
As expected, drama is cooked by the minute. There are plenty of team members who can't stand each other, giving audiences quite the task of figuring out who is wrong and who is right. Still, there are those who get along, and in the process, they give excellent lessons on how to not only socialize but also create solid relationships with new people.
Season 3 is also a good suggestion for beginners to start with. JacobBlah says it has an "Excellent cast overall, and it's got by far the best final four teams of any season."
Indeed the final four teams put on a fight of a lifetime, with emotions running high from time to time. That it's hard to figure out who to root for makes the season even more exciting. The installment further emphasizes the importance of family by being the first to allow contestants to communicate with their loved ones back home.
User UofMtigers2014 says Season 9 has "two of the best teams to ever run the race." And it's a shame that only one of them could be crowned the winners in the end.
It's one of the seasons where viewers can tell who will make it to the end but the predictability isn't such a bad thing. Instead, it's fun as watching the two teams obliterate the rest in every single episode is exciting. Additionally, car enthusiasts will enjoy the proceedings as this is the only edition where contestants are required to drive in every single leg.
The modern seasons are often thought of as way different from the older ones. But they are just as fun and Rulepranker899 advises, "Definitely watch 25 first. Best modern age season."
The 25th installment is a great "girl power" edition as it features four all-female teams, something that had only been seen before in Season 17. All four teams are extremely formidable, proving to be even better than the mixed-gender ones. The season also makes things more exciting at the end as it's the first one to have four teams in the final leg instead of the traditional three.