BLOGS
There have been a handful of highlights so far in this all-star season of The Amazing Race -- one truly difficult challenge (just like old times!), Mallory's adorableness, the fairly early and utterly humiliating Philimination of Margie and Luke -- but the show is still exhibiting plenty of big problems in its 18th cycle. Some are unique to this season, while others are issues it's had for a while. With the series getting an unsurprising renewal by CBS, there's still time to return it to its past glory. Here's what's been bugging us this spring:
Please, Just Eliminate Someone Every Week
There is no joy in non-elimination legs, and likewise, there is no joy in the endless legs that the show has already done twice this season. If you come in first after a Detour and a Roadblock, barring any time penalties, you should get the first-place prize. If you come in last, you should be eliminated without exception - it's that simple. I love Kent and Vyxsin (and their eyebrows), but the fact that a double leg saved them from elimination after some of the most mind-blowingly stupid series of screw-ups the show has ever seen is evidence enough that this "twist" is altering the game negatively.
These "All-Stars" Have No Stamina
Last night, hilariously, Luke broke down in tears when he couldn't select the right tea from a sea of teacups after what felt like hours of trying. A few episodes ago, Zev allowed Kent and Vyxsin to catch up with him -- despite their enormous setbacks that leg -- because he spent more time being frustrated by the Chinese zodiac than he did trying to bear down and complete the challenge. And, of course, there was Jaime and the dinosaur, not to mention the ridiculous amount of added energy Christina has to put in just to keep Ron on task every leg. That was four people in six episodes who had complete mental breaks and almost gave up entirely. And aside from the dinosaur challenge, the others weren't even particularly difficult or physically exhausting challenges. These "all-stars" are a bunch of babies.
The Challenges Are Still Too Easy Most of the Time
Paint a statue of a Hindu god. Whatever that put-on-an-outfit-and-shoot-an-arrow-three-feet thing in Japan was. Ride a yak in a stream. Have someone else pedal you to a school where you'll carry two armfuls of paperbacks a couple yards. Hammer some liquid candy for five minutes. Was that dinosaur-building challenge so impossible just to make up for how easy everything else has been?
Oh, We're Doing Clunky Product Placements Now?
Last night's Snapple placement went from subtle and acceptable (the clues being placed under the caps of unlabeled bottles) to egregious and laughable (special Amazing Race Snapple at the finish line?) quickly, with each team mentioning the brand at least once, and for some teams (Kisha and Jenn, I'm looking at you) speaking its name about a dozen times. I completely understand if you need product placements to pay the bills, but do a better job incorporating them into the show seamlessly than lazy-ass The Biggest Loser does. Thank god Jennie-O Turkey doesn't watch this show (yet).
Those Stupid U-Turns
They've done away with the awful Blind U-Turns for now, which is great, but as it stands, the regular U-Turns do nothing but make life needlessly more difficult for teams that are usually already in trouble. Flight Time and Big Easy were U-Turned in last place. On the same leg, Cara and Jaime were U-Turned in second to last place. They both fought it out (as they would have anyway) and ultimately Jaime's frustration in the dinosaur challenge was what sent her team home, not the U-Turn. It's a pointless diversion as a double U-Turn, and as a single one it just completely screws over one team unfairly, as it has for Amanda and Kris twice now. Why they even have it in any iteration at this point is baffling.
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Personally I've found this season to be really engaging and entertaining. Of course, I'm not looking for reasons to write a blog entry about it being underwhelming, so . . . It seems to me that TWOP had this same complaint for the last 3 or 4 seasons, and I usually disagree.
You know, I don't like the non-elimination legs and the not-a-pit-stop pit stops either.
Having said that, you should consider laying off the Margie and Luke hate. It's not "hilarious" to watch a kid break under pressure and being devastated that you're being eliminated is not "humiliating." You're a bully and I don't understand you.
I thought the previews for the next episode were especially underwhelming! Someone gets their hands dirty! Ooh! Ooh!
I have to agree with Keelie...there was nothing hilarious about watching a guy suffer through a challenge like that and it's disturbing to me that you could watch that and call it hilarious. It wasn't humiliating. He never quit and he ran a great race, and it's sad that he wasn't saved like the cowboys and the goths were despite their colossal blunders.
I personally thought it was hilarious. He's what 24 or 25...seriously. Plus, I still have a lot of hatred for them from their previous season.
It's obvious that Margie babies, coddles, and enables Luke. He's deaf, not 8 years old. But his emotional responses are that of an 8 year old.
Actually, I'm loving this season - there were no outright gag-worthy teams back and the annoying ones (cheerleaders, Whining Luke and Amazing Margie) have bit the dust early. Aside from cranky old man Rod, the rest of the racers seem to be loving it, enjoy the culture where they go and are fun to watch!
I have no problem with the continuation on the first leg (eliminations in the first episode seem too early), but agree that all other legs should be elimination.
Otherwise, the only real problem is the bunching and poor planning. They have a flight set for the teams and then they get there and the next stop doesn't open until the next morning? The TAR viewers are smart enough that they should do the race "Tour De France" style with all teams starting out together each leg (makes the leg winner prizes more competitive) and then adding their times together. If they still want a finish line thing, start all legs together except the final one, where each team gets a lead based on their accumulated time.
Otherwise, LOVE IT!
You couldn't be more off base about regarding this season; It's by far the most engaging and exciting season that I've seen in ages and your reasons are myopic.
Weekly eliminations have never happened and non-elimination episodes add suspense to what would be otherwise a predictable show.
Complaining about stamina? They have had TWO To-Be-Continued legs.
Furthermore, the challenges have been more difficult this season than previous seasons. The last episode notwithstanding, the challenges have been incredibly difficult.
I can understand being dissenting to spur interest, but your post is absolutely non-sensical and borderline ignorant. Have you even watched the show previously? It has been regarded as a breath of fresh air relative to previous seasons and your blog is blight on TWOP.
Put me in the "What Are You Guys Smoking?!?" camp. We have three teams that shouldn't have been cast gone (Kris & Amanda seemed to justify Zev & Justin's inclusion; Mel wasn't a hardy old person like Donald from TAR12; Jamie & Cara were given second place overall by Margie & Luke), only one major league headcase in Ron (from whom Christina is going to be running away from the day after the finale airs), and we're still seeing parts of the world we would never visit, even if the last episode kinda felt like getting waterboarded with Snapple.
Two more things:
1. The next person who bitches out Margie & Luke should look back at the Weavers of TAR8. They were damaged. Margie is merely overprotective, and Luke is just immautre at times. Also, he might have a bladder too small for a hundred cups of tea.
2. Anybody else recall TAR11? The last all-star season was an unmitigated disaster. Right now, I'd say we're lucky to have a season this engaging.
And yet, funnily enough, if you go over to the TWoP forums, you'll see that the vast majority of posters, myself included, appear to be really enjoying this season.