In the unscripted adventure and travel reality show by CBS, “The Amazing Race”, several participants go across the world with limited resources, solving puzzles, and challenges, and using clues and special keys to give them an advantage in the race. One of these is the famous Express Pass. But what is the Express Pass in The Amazing Race, and how does it work?
Considering that CBS’s The Amazing Race always mixes things up concerning the challenges, advantages, penalties, etc., from season to season, it is understandable that the audience might have a sense of confusion when it comes to things like the Express Pass. But fear not, because if you fail to comprehend how this advantage works in The Amazing Race, you’ve come to the right place.
We prepared a scoop concerning the functioning and conditions in which the participants of the Amazing Race can use the Express Pass to gain a strategic advantage in the competition.
What Is The Express Pass On The Amazing Race?
As you know, the participants of the Amazing Race must face lots of challenges as they travel around the world. They face mental, physical, and psychological challenges. To add more excitement, the producers give them rewards for fulfilling tasks, as well as penalties for failing.
One of the rewards to get a strategic advantage in The Amazing Race is the famous Express Pass. This is a game-changing advantage that could alter the course of the participant’s journey and determine how they end in the race.
Coveted by all participants, the Express Pass is a golden ticket that grants its holders a strategic edge by letting them bypass and skip any task, challenge, or hurdle they deem too demanding during a determined leg of the Amazing Race.
If the participants use the Express Pass, they must be aware that more challenges lie ahead, and they might be trading an easy task that, by shortsighted thinking, might be easy to conquer and then face another tougher task.
How Do Participants Win The Express Pass On The Amazing Race?
Winning the Express Pass in the Amazing Race is no easy task, and because the showrunners like to mix things up from season to season, the way in which the participants become worthy of the pass varies from one season to another.
Still, there’s a common denominator: the first-place team usually gets it at the conclusion of the leg. It is a prize for the effort and achieving first place as well as their performance. As stated earlier, it is a critical piece that, if used inadequately, can set the winners back in their journey.
Can You Trade Or Make Alliances With The Express Pass On The Amazing Race?
The winners of the leg get the Express Pass, and with it, they can decide to keep it, or establish alliances with other participants. This adds a layer of complexity to the game. Since the participants must choose to compete or cooperate, they must use their psychology to explore the benefits or caveats of forming an alliance with other teams.
Considering that The Amazing Race is full of surprises, using the Express Pass as a bargaining chip is something you’d covet in the same sense you covet that “get out of jail free card” when you play Monopoly.
What Are The Downsides Of The Express Pass On The Amazing Race?
The Express Pass is a good advantage to have on your side if you’re competing on The Amazing Race, but it is not an unlimited resource. Teams must use it strategically, and they have a deadline to deploy it. The deadline varies from season to season but typically falls before a predetermined leg of the race.
This peculiarity of a deadline adds yet another layer of complexity to the game because it accompanies a decision-making process. If a team with an Express Pass doesn’t use their pass before the deadline, the pass becomes void, and they miss an opportunity to win some time over their competitors.
Too early or too late might mean falling behind or losing altogether, it has happened in the past. The Express Pass has a lot of potential in shaping the outcome of the race. If a team manages to secure an Express Pass early on, they have a dominant position, as they can control their trajectory across the multiple legs of The Amazing Race.
Conversely, a mid or late-game acquisition of the pass is a game changer, as they can overcome setbacks, and secure leads at crucial moments.
