The Amazing Race has adapted to the changing travel landscape, and created COVID protocols to keep the cast and crew safe during filming. From the beginning, the show has focused on travel and social interaction between racers and locals, as teams attempt to navigate themselves to each route marker and avoid last place. When The Amazing Race season 33 was affected by COVID midway through filming, the future seemed uncertain for the show.
These COVID protocols on The Amazing Race have been in place since last season, including a chartered jet plane to transport cast and crew to each destination. The teams also departed in groups, as opposed to individually, based on when they arrived at the previous leg in order to minimize time on the course. Route markers have also been pared down considerably, as racers now only face a detour and roadblock for each leg, instead of the previous multiple route markers in between those tasks. The detours and roadblocks on The Amazing Race are now performed mostly outdoors or in an indoor venue, as a way to practice social distancing. This massively diminishes the teams' interaction with locals.
Amazing Race Alums Would Struggle In This Challenge-Focused Season
Once The Amazing Race season 34 cast was announced with these protocols, it became apparent that the race would inherently become easier. Teams no longer need to rely on their interactions with locals in order to succeed, and could instead depend on their physical prowess in the few remaining challenges to stay in the race. A team like Oswald and Danny from The Amazing Race seasons 2 and 11 would not be able to repeat their successful strategy of befriending locals and airline workers to get ahead. Charla and Mirna from The Amazing Race seasons 5 and 11 are known for savvy plane ticket booking, and would be eliminated early due to their perceived physical limitations in the current season.
The Amazing Race 34 introduced "The Scramble" twist, which added an element of strategic confusion and navigational prowess to the first leg, but the twist has not been seen since then. Self-driving legs have also made an appearance more often than in past seasons, which allows teams who have a knack for reading maps or asking for directions from locals an advantage. Unfortunately, these self-driving legs have been largely inconsequential to the success or failure of teams on The Amazing Race, as the detour and roadblock remain the deciding factor in race placement.
On The Amazing Race, COVID protocols are necessary in order to ensure the safety of the cast and crew, but they come at the cost of integral aspects of the race. While actions such as having The Amazing Race teams book their own flights, or struggling with language barriers with locals add a difficulty level to the race, it cannot be done at the expense of public health. The challenges may have changed since COVID, but The Amazing Race continues to excite viewers week after week.
The Amazing Race 34 airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST on CBS.