'The Amazing Race' Premiere: 'Surreal' Mistake Costs One Team The Race (VIDEO)

"The Amazing Race" (Sun., 8 p.m. EST on CBS) returned Sunday night for an incredible 20th season and it had all the essential ingredients for a classic race: Phil Keoghan in tight pants, clowns, raised eyebrows and an epic blunder that cost one team the race.

Sisters Misa and Maiya Tanaka made "TAR" history by being the first team to be eliminated after getting lost within feet of the finish mat.

The women made it all the way from Santa Barbara, California to the pit stop in Argentina but somehow managed to not see Phil and the welcoming committee standing right in front of them.

Passing within feet of the mat the sisters just kept running as a puzzled Phil asked, "where are they going?"

As the increasingly frustrated sisters ran around the gardens, self-proclaimed guidos Joey Lasalla and Danny Horal arrived in last place and then overtook them.

When Misa and Maiya finally landed on the mat they heard the awful news: "I'm sorry to tell you that you are the last team to arrive and you have been eliminated from the race."

And then Phil piled it on: "You were standing right there," he said, pointing to the door about 50 feet away. The sisters just couldn't believe what they'd done, telling him "We didn't see you at all!" Really?

With his new gaucho friend by his side, Phil piled it on some more. "We've never had that before where one team has been that close to the mat when another team has managed to overtake them like that." Ouch.

It's hard to argue that, with observational skills as questionable as theirs, the sisters ever really had chance at winning the grand prize, but as a tearful Misa told Phil, "It's just so surreal that we made such a huge mistake that cost us a million dollars basically."

Follow the teams as they race around the world for a chance to win $1,000,000 on "The Amazing Race," Sundays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.

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Comments

[Eric Payne]

01:13 PM on 02/21/2012

Yet again, I ask: Why is this news item filed under "Gay Voices" instead of... oh.... "Media" or "Television"??

Since neither the host of this program, nor the eliminated contestants are identified as gay... is this item here because the writer was indulging in his own fantasy involving the host, Phil Keoghan, since the writer indulgently described the host "in tight pants"?

If HP is going to carve out a place for the "gay voice," can it be reserved for gay issues?

[pcpc]

09:53 AM on 02/21/2012

How do I put it nicely? These two sisters are definitely "special". Thanks god they're pretty!

[ashleytaylor76]

10:22 AM on 02/20/2012

Absolutely fantastic premiere episode. The season is going to be really good. I have never blogged about a show before as it was happening, but this was too good not to be a part of it.
Ashley
http://www.thedoseofreality.com/2012/02/20/amazing-race-chel/

[LeeLoPink]

10:10 AM on 02/20/2012

Anyone know who came in first? I missed part of the show.

I can't believe I'm actually rooting for Rachel & Brendon!

[pcpc]

09:43 AM on 02/21/2012

It's the blonde and her husband. But Branchel came in second. I am rooting for them too - there's something raw and honest about Rachel's personality and their romance's kind of sweet.