If you thought The Amazing Race couldn’t get any wilder after 37 seasons of airport meltdowns and taxi betrayals, Season 38 politely said, “Hold my clue envelope.” This time, producers decided to spice things up by inviting former Big Brother houseguests and their loved ones to run around Europe for a million dollars. Because nothing says “healthy relationship bonding” like trying to navigate a Czech tram system at 3 a.m. while your partner insists the clue said “left” when it clearly said “right.”
Casting: Reality TV’s Greatest Crossover Episode
Season 38 is basically the Marvel Cinematic Universe of CBS reality shows. You’ve got Big Brother alumni who already know how to scheme, whisper, and form alliances — except now they’re doing it while sprinting through airports instead of lounging in a backyard hammock.
The result? A cast that’s both competitive and gloriously dramatic. These aren’t just random couples who thought a free vacation sounded nice. These are people who’ve already survived weeks of slop, paranoia, and Julie Chen’s poker face. Compared to that, dangling off a European tower to grab a clue probably feels like a spa day.
The Route: Europe, But Make It Chaotic
Season 38 is subtitled The Amazing Race: European Adventure, and it lives up to the name. Thirteen teams dashed across nine countries in twelve legs, starting in the Netherlands and weaving through the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Italy, and beyond.
Europe might sound romantic, but on The Amazing Race, it’s less “wine and gondolas” and more “sprinting through cobblestone streets while yelling at your partner about Google Maps.” The show has a gift for turning postcard‑perfect cities into obstacle courses of stress.
The Challenges: Equal Parts Genius and Ridiculous
One of the joys of this season is how the tasks swing wildly between brilliant cultural showcases and pure slapstick comedy.
- High Culture: Teams balanced on terrifying heights in Prague, solved puzzles inspired by Houdini in Budapest, and navigated historic landmarks that made you want to pause the episode and Google flight prices.
- Low Culture (but hilarious): Then came the horse‑drawn carriage chaos, the awkward dance routines, and the inevitable “eat this giant local delicacy in under five minutes” challenge. Nothing bonds a couple like gagging on pickled herring while Phil Keoghan smirks in the background.
The Rubik’s Cube Fast Forward was the crown jewel of absurdity. Solve it in seconds, skip the leg. For most of us, solving a Rubik’s Cube in under a week is a miracle. Watching contestants attempt it under pressure was like watching someone try to defuse a bomb with oven mitts.
The Comedy of Human Error
What makes Season 38 so entertaining isn’t just the tasks — it’s the contestants’ very human meltdowns.
- Taxi drama: Still the undefeated villain of the franchise.
- Navigation fails: Nothing says “relationship test” like arguing over whether the clue said “castle” or “café.”
- Overconfidence: At least one team every season says, “We’ve got this,” right before they spectacularly don’t.
The Big Brother alumni brought an extra layer of humor. They’re used to manipulating alliances, but try convincing a Hungarian taxi driver to “trust your strategy” when you don’t speak the language. Spoiler: it doesn’t work.
Why Season 38 Stands Out
After nearly two decades, you’d think The Amazing Race might start to feel repetitive. But Season 38 proves the formula still works — especially when you throw in reality TV veterans who know how to play to the cameras.
The mix of travel spectacle, cultural immersion, and unintentional comedy keeps it fresh. One moment you’re marveling at the beauty of Vienna, the next you’re laughing at a contestant who just fell off a unicycle in front of confused locals. It’s the perfect balance of awe and absurdity.
The Next Leg of the Race
As Season 38 barrels toward its finale, the big question isn’t just who will win the million dollars — it’s what the show will dare to try next. If this season was about blending Big Brother strategy with Amazing Race chaos, could Season 39 bring in Survivor castaways? Imagine contestants trying to build fire in an airport lounge.
What’s clear is that The Amazing Race still has gas in the tank. The world is vast, the cultures are rich, and human error is eternal. Whether it’s a missed train, a botched puzzle, or a meltdown over directions, there will always be comedy in watching people race around the globe under pressure.
So as the Pit Stops keep coming and Phil Keoghan keeps raising that eyebrow, one thing is certain: the race isn’t slowing down — it’s only picking up speed.