In an Amazing Race first, two teams were Philiminated in the premiere episode. First, Muslim buddies Bilal & Sa'eed bit the dust and then the adorable married couple Vipul & Arti lost their way in the streets of Beijing and came into the Pit Stop in last place.

I'm glad Bilal & Sa'eed are gone because I'm sick to death of reality TV show contestants thinking that God or Allah or whatever deity gives a damn about game show outcomes. He doesn't. On the other hand, I'm bummed about Vipul & Arti. It's refreshing to see a non-bickering couple on this show.

Rather than recapping the various detours and roadblocks. Here's my take on the ten remaining teams.

David & Mary: I kind of like Team Kentucky. Actually, I like Mary. She obviously hasn't traveled very much (never outside of Tennessee or Kentucky before), yet here she is in a cab in China hassling the driver, in Chinese, to go faster. She's a quick study.

Duke & Lauren: Team Weepy. Duke literally started crying in the pre-show interview because he's so disappointed that Lauren is gay. Lauren started crying well her totally fit Dad climbed up a wall. Enough with the crying! There's no crying on the Amazing Race! Lauren seems okay, but I don't know about Duke. You just don't tell a national TV audience how disappointed you are with your daughter.

Dustin & Kandace: Team Pageant. These two blondies could be okay. They got lost but they didn't really play the "oh poor us, some men please save us" card. I respect that.

Erwin & Godwin: Team Overachievers. These two brothers were so sure that they were so smart and so athletic that the Race would just be a breeze. It was kind of ironic to see the two Asian-American brothers shouting for English speakers on the streets of Beijing. I think they got a slice of humble pie. I think they'll be okay.

Kellie & Jamie: Team Rah Rah. I think these South Carolina cheerleaders are my favorite team so far. Really. They were good natured and enthusiastic. Plus, I really would like to see an all-girl team do well and I'm not holding out much hope for Team Pageant.

Lyn & Karlyn: Team Single Moms. The moms showed a lot of grit and determination throughout the leg. They rarely got things right immediately, but they didn't panic. They didn't complain (that much). Instead, they just corrected their mistakes, redoubled their efforts and finished the job. Good for them.

Peter & Sarah: Team Ironman. So Sarah has one leg and she's all about proving that she can do anything able-bodied people can. At the same time, she and Peter are all about using her disability to get advantages like pre-boarding airplanes and finding sympathetic cabbies. You can't have it both ways. Well, I guess you can, but it's going to make me root against you.

Rob & Kimberly: Team Bicker. Here's this year's token bickering couple. Ugh. I've had enough of these. The only way I find them entertaining is if I imagine that every time Rob calls Kimberly "Babe" he's really saying "Harpy" and everytime Kimberly calls Rob "Babe" she really means "Asshole". Try it. It makes watching them much more fun.

Tom & Terry: Team Boyfriends. What an annoying team. Their pre-race interview was all about how they weren't going to make friends with other teams. Now, I agree that that's not the point, but why not open yourselves up to the possibility of some friendships? I think it's weird that they're setting out to distance themselves from other people. Embrace the possibilities guys!

Tyler & James: Team Addiction. Okay, who else cracked up when these guys were introduced as "Recovering Drug Addicts/Models". That's the best team description since Millie & Chucks "Dating 10 Years/Virgins". So yeah, these guys are young and athletic. They'll probably win. They seem a little humorless, however. I know lots of people hated The Hippies and the Frats from last year, but all of those guys had at least a little spark of humor. More of that, please.

So, TAR fans, who do you like? Who do you think will win? Who will be Philiminated next? And, be sure to check out Viking Pundit's recap.