Great start! I think this is the first time they're going west around the world. I'm fairly certain the other seasons had them going east (not including the Family Edition, where they pretty much just puttered around the U.S.). Phil mentioned that at 8 pit stops there would be a philimination. This is normal when they have 11 teams, but with 12 teams it didn't make sense. Either the final 4 were going to race to the finish, or some team would get the boot mid-leg. They cleared up that mystery pretty quick.
First impressions:
Rob & Kimberly - Ah, the bickering couple. Every season has at least one team that goes at it non-stop. This may be the first time the bickering team couldn't even get to the first airport without arguing. I will grow weary of them soon.
Erwin & Godwin - The idiots who think they're intellectuals (see: Heather & Eve from AR3). Water pistols at an airport. Brilliant.
David & Mary, Lyn & Karlyn, Peter & Sarah, Tom & Terry - Waaah! I can't make it up the rope. Waaah!! I don't like whiners. At least Mary eventually tried to encourage herself. I'd have sympathy for Sarah, but she claimed to be a bad@ss ironman competitor. No sympathy.
Bilal & Sa'eed - Who?
Vipul & Arti - You're out at the first pit stop. You were on the Race for a couple of days, max. You did not learn a life lesson as a result of being on the race. You may have had fun and it was certainly interesting, but I doubt you really learned much about yourselves or your relationship.
Dustin & Kandice - We're pretty!
Kellie & Jamie - We're cheerleaders!
Tyler & James - We're models! Although to their credit, they were the first team at the brick detour to figure out that you needed the big gray bricks along the outside edge.
Duke & Lauren - Who?