The Amazing Race (CBS, Sundays, 8p/7c — usually delayed after football and 60 Minutes), now in its 13th cycle, has been immensely satisfying this time around. Though there’s plenty of typical bunching, the teams who’ve been eliminated have mostly been too incompetent to participate, too annoying to live, or some combination of the two. (Hey, Kelly and Christy were all three!) That said, the final teams are gearing up for some hellacious final legs. With three episodes remaining, there is possibly one non-elimination round remaining. Season finale: December 7.
Dexter (Showtime, Sundays, 9p/8c) is also having a great season. From a creative standpoint, this is a well-structured arc. Dexter is becoming a father on two fronts, between his bun in the oven with Rita and his Frankenstein-style tutelage of district attorney Miguel Prado. Along the way, he’s confronting his past and negotiating his own code, in definance of the ghost of Harry, who haunts him with cautionary advice. Though some inevitabilities are emerging (Dexter will likely have to kill Miguel before the season’s end), it’s still a fun ride and I’m curious to see the circumstances under which Dexter and Rita make it to the altar, Deb finds her skinner, and they all live murderously ever after. Season finale: December 14.
