QANTAS. QANTAS NEVER CRASHED: Why is this season of The Amazing Race different from all other seasons? Not the all-star aspect, not even the HD, the absence of the traditional airport meet-and-greet or the increased use of establishing shots and the split-screen -- it's that this season immediately seems more mentally challenging at this stage than those which have preceded it, and the teams seem to have already upped the strategic/alliance game from what we're used to seeing. I prefer my Race when it's a mental challenge rather than the gross eating or scary stunts challenges which predominated for a while, so that's good.
As for what was bad, Fienberg's right, as we shall discuss.
Really, To Be Continued? First leg deserves an elimination, not a cliffhanger. BOO.<span> </span>
ReplyDeleteThe cliffhanger is a bit of a copout, but I'd be less bugged by it if weren't an all-star season. One problem I have with TAR premieres is that they have a lot of exposition to get through--who the teams are, their internal relationships, whatever rules changes they've put in this season--so that the first eliminated team (whoever they are) becomes a complete nonentity. Doing a double-length leg for episode one makes sense, but it should be a two-hour premiere.
ReplyDeleteThe Scuba task also confused me, because for diving, I assume you have to be certified, even at a low depth. Sure sounded like they had folks who'd never dived before.
When he told the first team they had to continue racing, at first I thought it was a season with no pit stops, just a solid race from beginning to end. That would have been awesome. Then I realized it was just a double leg.
ReplyDeleteI had the same confusions as Feinberg regarding Amanda and kris and the Express Pass stuff. I'm not sure it really matters, but really confusing.
ReplyDeleteCliffhanger was annoying, but I'm glad we at least have a chance for Jet and Cord to pull it out. So far, I'm loving not having to get to know a whole bunch of teams in the first episode, and to see how people's knowledge of each other is playing out. I think it'll be a fun season.
Matt, I too was shocked by the scuba diving. It took me 15 minutes to get used to a regulator in a shallow pond, I couldn't believe those people were in that environment with no previous experience. Even with 2 safety divers. I wonder if there is better equipment out there I didn't know about.
ReplyDeleteActually, much like the task before starting, I'm perfectly happy with the continue racing first leg. I think it makes this feel different than most seasons.
Re: Diving. I was very jealous for that task as I'm a diver myself. Pretty much any instructor can take anyone around a shallow pool. That said, there is only one absolutely critical rule for Scuba diving: Under no circumstance are you to hold your breath. You could always see that there was clearance to clear air -- no one was going to get stuck -- and an instructor to hold them underwater if need be. Even air pressurized to 8' (1.25 atmosphere -- or 3 psi over pressure) is enough to blow your lungs out quite well. With a guy to hold you under the water until you start drowning and then to haul you up, there really is very little risk. It is safer to let a guy start inhaling water than to shoot for the surface (even from 8') holding your breath.
ReplyDeleteAlso: Feinberg's point about Fosters is well taken, but they drink VB in deluvian quantities and if that's meaningfully better, I never understood how.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there was an hour of training we didn't see.<span> </span>
ReplyDeleteOn Feinberg's initial beef, that the ep should have been longer, I whole heartedly disagree. NO TV SHOW SHOULD EVER BE TWO HOURS!!! Network TV is short form, deal with it. There is so much filler and crap in two hour Survivors, Idols, and Amazing Races, that it drives me insane. And the incessant "teasing". Shut up and get to the real content and you have more than enough time in an hour to tell a story.
ReplyDeleteBack when TAR did some 2-hour legs, I always found myself drifting away by 75-90 minutes in. 2 hours is too long. Now, a 90-minute TAR? That could work.
ReplyDeleteAside from that, I think my favorite part of the episode was when 1/2 of the Zev/Justin team said, "We're here to win this time!" and the other half said, "Well, I was here to win last time too." Killed me.
I had forgotten how much Luke annoys me.
They also seemed to have shadow divers right beside a lot of racers, that looked like they might be doing the harder parts for them.
ReplyDelete15 minutes, really? You sound like a wuss.
ReplyDeleteYou can't have an elimination in the first leg if it means eliminating Jet and Cord in the first leg. Noooooo!
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