One of the weird joys of The Amazing Race is imagining how you'd handle the same challenges. I'm terrible with directions⁘in high school, my best friend ironically nicknamed me ⁘Magellan⁘⁘and my wife is a relentless backseat driver. We'd probably bicker during the driving legs, although my wife has this uncanny ability to lock in under pressure and remain almost supernaturally composed in public.
This season, that couple is Jonathan and Ana Towns. And there's a big difference between the usual bickering and what's happening with them. When Jonathan fights with Ana, he looks at her with pure disdain. It feels toxic. He's been contemptuous all season, often rejecting Ana's attempts to be supportive. It all culminated in last week's episode when the couple fell behind. Jonathan upbraided Ana as she drove, blaming her repeatedly when they struggled. At one point, Ana called him out, saying he was being ⁘mean,⁘ and he shot back, ⁘You're a terrible partner.⁘
For whatever reason, The Amazing Race seems to enjoy casting couples with pre-existing marital issues (as is the case with Jonathan and Ana), maybe because high-pressure situations are guaranteed to generate drama. It certainly worked this time⁘after last week's episode, Google searches about whether Jonathan and Ana divorced spiked.
They haven't, though they have addressed their issues publicly. On their YouTube channel, Jonathan confessed that after watching himself on the show, he sought help and was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
⁘Looking back at what I was seeing, and knowing what I know about myself now, it's so hard for me to be supportive and helpful to somebody when my brain is in this overheated state,⁘ Jonathan explained in the video, noting that the race triggered his ⁘hyperactive brain.⁘
⁘When I'm on The Race, unlike when I'm at home, I cannot control the external factors. I have no control⁘my routines are completely non-existent,⁘ he added. ⁘And we rely on⁘people like me rely on routines to help us regulate our emotions and control the amount of stimulus we get at any given time.⁘
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