The Amazing Race season 18 - Unfinished Business (1 Viewer)

[Stan]

Good show this season. Nice, somewhat normal people. No major cheaters, no "wife beater" personalities, just a good mix of people.


I really would have expected the Chinese speaking father/daughter team to do much better, but the father wasted a lot of time snacking on whatever he could find along the way.


I see this a lot like military boot camp. Lots of physical and mental challenges, just bust your ass and get through them and you've got a nice rest period ahead of you.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

As someone who is watching Amazing Race for
the very first time, now somewhere around episode

#4, I have to tell you that I am utterly amazed

at what a great show this is. I am kicking myself

for not discovering it sooner and missing so many

seasons of this high-octane entertainment.


What's really crazy is how your opinions change

from week to week over the people you are
rooting to win. For instance, last week I wanted

the Goth team eliminated. However, I really give

them a lot of credit for coming back in this race.


I will talk more about that in a second.


This week, I wanted the redheads to go home,

and by golly, they did. I really started to dislike

them more and more as the show went on so
I was very happy with the fact they came in
dead last.


But let's talk about the pit stop and elimination....


So, I am learning that coming in last to a

pit stop doesn't always mean that you will be

eliminated. I don't like that idea because
anyone who came in last deserves to go home.

On the other hand, it does keep things entertaining

when you have a favorite team that you want to
win -- comes in last -- but gets another chance

to move on.


Have there been long stretches of pit stops

where nobody has gotten eliminated or if you

don't get eliminated at one, the next one is

certain elimination?


This is just an incredible show. Probably now

has jumped to the top of my list as current

favorite program -- surpassing Survivor which

has basically become scripted to the point
where contestants are being led to hidden
clues.

At least Amazing Race seems to be real.

 

[Josh Dial]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein


[COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Have there been long stretches of pit stops[/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)]where nobody has gotten eliminated or if you [/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)]don't get eliminated at one, the next one is[/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)]certain elimination?[/COLOR]

Ron, glad you are loving the show so far.


As far as non-elimination legs go, the show has indeed had back-to-back non-elimination legs before, in seasons 3, 5, and 11. While there has never been a back-to-back-to-back series (ie 3-in-a-row), season 9 was interesting in that it had alternating elimination and non-elimination legs for the last half of the season.


You can tell it's definitely *not* going to be a non-elimination leg when the final clue says "the last team to arrive *will* be eliminated." When the clue says "may be eliminated," there's a chance it will be non-elimination.

 

[Paul D G]

^^^ I want to clarify a little bit as it might not be clear to a first time watcher.


They rarely do the 'fake' pit stop - ie last week where they're told they're still racing. However there are typically three non-elimination legs - ones where, if you're last at the pit stop, you're allowed to continue in the next leg. However, there is a penalty involved. Previously they've had all their money and possessions taken away, and more recently they have to perform an extra task.


Comments:

It seemed all the other teams were annoyed when the Goths showed up. I can understand why they wanted to know where they've been, but the impression was most teams were angry. This early I can't imagine the thought of having one less team to compete against would've been that strong.


My wife's comment: "Well, I guess having a 'home field advantage' doesn't count when you're building a wooden dinosaur in the middle of a field."


SO glad the team who lost lost. Never liked them.

 

[Walter C]

Originally Posted by Paul D G

My wife's comment: "Well, I guess having a 'home field advantage' doesn't count when you're building a wooden dinosaur in the middle of a field."

In this show, I always think it's more like "home field disadvantage". Funny how that works out, as shown in past seasons.


It would been very odd to put all the non-elimination legs in the first half of the race, and glad to see it wasn't 3 in a row (which I have seen in other versions).


Sucks for Gary & Mallory to use the Express Pass and still not come in first. Especially since they did not win the best prize for winning a leg... $5000 cash. But better to have used it along the way than not use it all, I guess!


Nice moment to see the teams playing basketball and just having a good time, but all that is put aside with the double U-Turn. Interesting to see a team be the U-Turner and U-Turnee in the same leg.


Remarkable comeback by the Goths. While a bit unusual to be penalized, for something that actually put them much further back of the pack.


The dolls challenge must have not been as hard as it looked, especially since teams were not allowed to take notes. Heck, even the Globetrotters zipped through it.


While they were more tolerable this time around, I'm not sad to see Jamie & Cara get eliminated.

 

[Josh Dial]

Originally Posted by Walter C


In this show, I always think it's more like "home field disadvantage". Funny how that works out, as shown in past seasons.



...



The dolls challenge must have not been as hard as it looked, especially since teams were not allowed to take notes. Heck, even the Globetrotters zipped through it.


...

(Quote edited by me)


Agreed about the home field disadvantage thing. In general, it seems the only time being able to "speak the language" has come in handy has been in Europe. I've seen a few instances, usually in the final, United States leg, where being from that city has paid dividends, but that's it.


As for the dolls challenge, it looked like the teams that breezed through it focused on the hats, while the teams that spent some time on it focused on costume colours. Hats were clearly the way to go

 

[Garrett Adams]

I was amused by Ron complaining about the Goths duplicity. Pot calling the kettle black! Ron is the king of duplicity.

 

[Jeremiah]

It was raining and my DVR didn't record TAR, can I get a recap please? Who was elimintated and who got U-Turned and Re-U-Turned? Any drama?

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Jeremiah

 

[Jeremiah]

Thanks, nice recap. Also, later my wife was in the other room watching it from TAR website and didn't tell me so I missed the basketball scene with everyone hanging out. I saw like half the show though.


I lol'd when the cheerleaders taxi driver had to stop for gas, and then procedes to drive slow and gets passed by the Globetrotters. I can't even imagine how frustrating that would of been. Also, poor Goth failling off the ladder, it did make me laugh.


It seems the Cowboys are the best team ever eventhough they never won.

 

[David_Jr]

I really liked the dinosaur build task. I prefer tasks that take skill and perseverance rather than the needle in the haystack luck hunt. That made a dramatic difference in the ending of this leg. No one could just charge in and "find" their item quickly after another team seached for hours with no luck, like we've seen with those types of tasks. That is why Gary and Mallory were forced to use their express pass or they would have without question been eliminated. Glad to see the cowboys ahead too. Can't help but like them. I also had a feeling that Kent & Vyxyn would recover because they were made to look completely out of it by the promos. That usually is a sure sign of a recovery.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Jeremiah


Also, poor Goth failling off the ladder, it did make me laugh.

It DID seem unusual to have that dinosaur-building challenge on such uneven terrain--complicated by the use of the ladders on the rough landscape.

That's quite a hazard--practically a lawsuit waiting to happen.

 

[MarkMel]

There's no way a lawsuit would fly against TAR. My wife and I briefly thought we might try to audition. I got a hold of the paperwork you are required to fill out. It was around 50 pages of legalese covering every contingency and absolving TAR, CBS, the producers and anyone associated with the show from any blame of any physical, emotional or monetary injuries.


Looking at what was required to be filled out just to audition snapped us out of that fantasy. That and the fact that leaving our jobs for 30 days+ probably wouldn't fly with our employers - lol

 

[David_Jr]

They could always sue the Chinese government.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

Originally Posted by Jeremiah

It was raining and my DVR didn't record TAR, can I get a recap please? Who was elimintated and who got U-Turned and Re-U-Turned? Any drama?

You can watch full episodes here:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/

 

[Mark_B]

So glad Luke's gone. The man acted like a 2 year old. I know a few deaf folks, and I know of no one that acts like he does. Here's hoping the Cowboys win.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Mark,


Count me in as another person happy that Luke and Mom are gone.


I also work with deaf people and have never seen emotions

like this -- and over tea tasting, for God's sake!

Listen, nobody is saying that the tea tasting challenge wasn't

difficult. However, even if you didn't remember the taste of

the tea you drank in the Tea Stall, you could still do a lot of

guessing and eventually get it right. There's no hard labor

involved whatsoever.


....of course, when you begin to realize everyone else is

gone and you are going to be last to the pit stop, then

I am sure the situation becomes emotional. But keep going!


Actually, I loved the way the producers created suspense

at the very end. Both the Globetrotters and Luke/Mom were

caught in traffic. Easily, one could have still beaten another.

As the camera raced in to our host, we still did not know who

came to the pit stop first until the camera revealed The Globetrotters.


This show has jumped to my new favorite. SURVIVOR
is probably my next favorite, but it has become so pale

and apparently scripted over the past few seasons. There

is none of the edge-of-your-seat excitement that THE AMAZING
RACE provides week after week.

 

[Mark_B]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein

Mark,


Count me in as another person happy that Luke and Mom are gone.


I also work with deaf people and have never seen emotions

like this -- and over tea tasting, for God's sake!

Actually, I loved the way the producers created suspense

at the very end. Both the Globetrotters and Luke/Mom were

caught in traffic. Easily, one could have still beaten another.

As the camera raced in to our host, we still did not know who

came to the pit stop first until the camera revealed The Globetrotters.

It wasn't just this episode. It goes back to when they were on originally. He just acts like a spoiled little kid and when he realized he was going to lose, he had a tantrum. As to the editing. AR does this a lot. What you need to do is look at the sun light levels and a lot of time you can see it coming. They make it look like they are real close and then you see as they switch back and forth the light and shadow levels are way off. They also focused on one of the Globetrotters giving a very sorrowful glance over to what they wanted us to think was the other team arriving, as if he felt sorry for them. When they cut away for the big shot, the globetrotters were nowhere in sight. They could have been hours behind, but they like to create the tension.

 

[Walter C]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein Talk about a stroke of good luck there. They were led to the wrong place when they did not bother to open the bottle, yet just happen to be close to it.


And Vxysin has got to be the most attractive racer ever!


At this point, I am not really hating any of the teams.


Sucks that we have to wait 2 weeks for the next episode.

 

[Walter C]

As if there was any doubt that the show would be renewed for another season.


[SIZE= 12px]CBS renews 'Amazing Race,' 'Undercover Boss'[/SIZE]