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Amazing Race Season 9 (1 Viewer)

Jason Seaver

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I think there's got to be a happy medium. One thing I've read is that the producers really weren't expecting two teams to get out of Moscow hours before the others, and though the lead that the hippies and beach bums gained has been cut down, it's still in the three-hour range.

There haven't been very many opportunities to catch up this season; even the needle-in-a-haystack tasks, which often function as equalizers, are actually serving to maintain positions because the last people coming don't get the benefit of seeing which items have already been tried by previous teams - the instructions have had them putting everything back.
 

Walter C

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I remember watching one of the extras on the DVD, it was mentioned that Bertram Van Munster and Elise Doganieri (executive producers) along with Phil have taken the same flights as some of the teams. The difficult part for them is staying ahead of the teams, and not being spotted at the same time.

Slightly off topic, but for the longest time, I had no idea how to pronounce Phil's last name until someone told me recently. I never heard his last name ever said on the air, even in interviews.

I don't mind bunching up either, just like I don't mind parity in sports.
 

Sean Bryan

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Yeah, I definitely understand the concern with that. But my take on it is that if they want to address this, it would be better to slightly alter the format of the race and make each leg an individual race.

I think that would be a better way to address this and keep things closer and more competitive each leg than using bunch-ups as a solution (where you are given the ILLUSION that the earlier teams are getting an advantage in the next leg by leaving sooner, but they really aren't).

Bunch-ups for logistical reasons or just because things happen to go that way are expected either way, and they can function as nice, random-chance equalizers (just like road blocks can). But the idea that they should be engineering bunch-ups for the express purpose of evening things out each leg just seems a little dishonest/misleading to me. If they really feel that this is a significant enough issue with the format of the race, then a better solution to address it (IMO) is to have everyone start off even at the beginning of each race (and maybe give rewards for second and third place each leg instead of just for first).

Either way, I really enjoy this competition.
 

AnthonyC

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I completely disagree. In the past, many teams have made stupid mistakes and lost their leads; just because E/J and BJ/T haven't doesn't mean the competition needs to be reworked.

What they need to do is bring back the Fast Forward on every leg--I guarantee that if it were there, we wouldn't see the same two teams at the top all the time.
 

Joseph S

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I think competition is the answer with a bit of "luck" thrown in. They need tougher comps balanced with more of the "needle in a haystack" comps. They also need to put 45 minutes of travel between last task and the pit stop and no "pick a number"s as the last task. The tasks this year have really been easy with the possible exception of the one where they were washing buses in Russia.

The FF per leg would also help too. At this point, you are stupid not to go for it you're in first. You keep the lead and get a free leg. If the "only once" was really a factor you wouldn't see the leaders head for a FF. It would be middle of the pack and end of the pack folks that either advance to the top or lose out big time resulting a reshuffling of the deck.
 

Sean Bryan

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Well, tell that to those who hope they'll throw in more bunch-ups to help even things out. My suggestion was simply an alternative to that, not a declaration that the format needs to be changed.

All I'm saying is that if the "show runners" feel that they specifically need to do something to even things out, then being up front about it and just having everyone start at the same time is more honest than giving the illusion that someone had an advantage because they got to leave earlier, only to be arbitrarily "evened out" at a pre-determined bunch-up.

Of course people can make stupid mistakes and lose their leads. That's not the point. The point is that some in this thread have said that they hope the "show runners" throw in more bunch-ups to even things out, and my opinion was that if any specific action is taken to actually address this issue , my preference would be an "upfront" change where everyone starts out even instead of the same thing being done (with an bunch-up planned for this purpose) while trying to keep the illusion that leaving early in a leg is an advantage.

And yes, fast forwards would be good. More "needle in a haystack" roadblocks would be good. Luck-dependant tasks would be good. All those things are good options for making things a little more even and less predictable and are preferable to the "engineered bunch-up".

But ultimately, I'm fine with them NOT DOING ANYTHING to specifically try to even things out.
 

Ken Chan

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A very tense fifteen minute penalty for BJ&Tyler, who didn't know who was behind them, and anyone watching that forgot that Lake&Michelle also took that bus, and would have gotten the penalty as well :)

Great reaction from Monica when they came in second. So going for the Fast Forward didn't hurt them. It's likely that Eric&Jeremy's time advantage from the Fast Forward will be nullified, so MoJo are actually in a position to take advantage of the second Fast Forward later in the game when there are fewer teams -- unless they feel "burned" and don't go for it.
 

Walter C

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I thought it didn't matter that the BJ & Tyler had the 15-minute penalty and ended up coming in last, because I thought this would be a non-elimination leg. I was like "it doesn't matter, no one will be going home".

I have to say, I'm very surprised that Fran & Barry have made it this far in the race. And the fact that there have been no non-elimination legs so far, just makes it even more remarkable than Meredith & Gretchen from the 7th race.

Nice to see that the same teams did not finish 1-2, although I still would rather see the hippies finish first.

With only 5 teams left, I have a feeling that there will be another "To Be Continued" leg. It would make absolutely no sense to put a non-elimination leg in the finals, unless it was put there, just to make the last team checking in, suffer penalties.
 

Jason Seaver

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I don't think we're going to see any non-elimination legs - nobody likes Phil mugging contestants or watching them panhandle in a poor country. I'm guessing a "you're still racing" next week and an unprecedented triple leg to finish the season.
 

Joseph S

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No mention of the poor tree? :D

I definitely expected a non-elim and was not fooled by the penalty because they showed us who was on the bus, but I'm glad Lake and Beach were eliminated. I'm guessing he's losing a lot of patients over this. The thought of looking up and seeing Lake with a drill is frightening.
 

Daniel Kikin

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No non-elims this season, I think the "may be eliminated" in the clues is just to throw everyone off. Phil said during the starting line speech in the premiere that the last team to arrive at pit stops "will be eliminated" so unless it's a multiple leg, expect eliminations at every pit stop until the finish line.
 

Matt_Vaudrin

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But at the start of the race, did Phil say what he always says, about 8 of the legs being elimination points?

I don't have it on tape anymore, but I remember him saying that.

I think we're going to have 2 NEs in a row, on the same night.
 

Ken Chan

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At the beginning of the last few episodes, when he has said "this is the Nth pitstop in a race around the world," the N has been one more than actual stops, as if they counted Red Square. They may be doing all double-legs, which is fine with me. I'm not a fan of the mugging.

Of course, every time I make guesses like this, they immediately prove me wrong. :)
 

McPaul

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You know, I really enjoy TAR, including this season, but I haven't caught a single episode of this show since before they changed the time and date.

Now, I have no clue what day they changed it to, and now I can't even remember the regular day that it's on now either.



Note to the people of television: If you want to lose regular long term fans of a series, (esp. of a series like TAR, 24, Lost, etc), the absolute BEST way to do it is by changing the timeslot, either temporary, or even permanent.

(I just hope that the people of television are watching)

ABC... I hope you're somehow reading this... you're losing a fan.
 

Doug Miller

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I think it would be cool to see an Amazing Race with no pit stops -- imagine how much more grueling and reckless the series would get if people had a choice to take breaks or not. Logistically, would be a total nightmare and will never happen, but it would be interesting to be sure.

Doug
 

Walter C

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That wouldn't be a bad idea. Actually, I think that would be more closer to "Around the World in 80 Days".

Instead of pit stops, there would be only check points.
 

Andy_Bu

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Any time I think every one by now must have a Tivo/DVR, posts like this always pull me back to reality.

Andy
 

Walter C

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It's now down to the Final 4.

I am really starting to hate MoJo, almost as much as Lake & Michelle. I don't want to hear any complaints that they get the worst luck, when they have made it this far into the race.

I'm still rooting for the hippies, although I wouldn't mind if Ray & Yolanda win. Just as long as it aint the frat boys or MoJo.

I would liked to see Fran & Barry make it to the finals, but I'm not too upset that they're gone!

The big difference ended up being the mode of transportation from the ferry terminal to the prison.
 

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