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Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,105
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The Amazing Race! Spoilers included!

Rachel is very annoying. Nicole annoys me also with her whininess which is coming out a bit more now. Team Fun would drive me a bit crazy. When the girl on Team Fun retrieved the clue from the net over the gorge and started jumping up and down on the net, the poor woman safety officer there looked terrified. I'm pretty sure that net wasn't intended to be used as a trampoline. I suspect the safety officer had a vision of plunging to her death as the net supports gave way. Team Fun seriously needs less caffeine and to calm down.

 

We saw them all on the same flight again this week and then apparently all held in the airport as all foureteen stampeded out at once. Getting all of the racers and camera operators through customs at the same time is impossible, so production is apparently holding everyone in the airport until they're all through customs and then unleashing them en masse.

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,110
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: The Amazing Race! Spoilers included!


@gardenman wrote:

@LoriLori wrote:

Questions:

 

It's such a different show from the early seasons and a big part of that was due to union complaints that were legit and since then it's been to save money and maybe save the show so they've put in more and more equalizers.

 

So are they now all traveling on the same flight all the time?

 

And have they done away with teams starting the next leg staggered in time in the order in which they arrived at the last pit stop?  Because that totally re-sets the race every episode.

 

 


Just a reminder first that we have a new show tonight. With the holiday schedules can get a bit disrupted. On to Lorilori's questions.

 

 It does seem like they all fly out on the same flight these days. Not only that, but apparently they hold them all in the airport until everyone clears customs as there's a mad stampede of everyone leaving the airport at the same time. Customs doesn't generally work like that. Getting ten to twelve people through customs in exactly the same time is nearly impossible. I'm guessing production makes the reservations well in advance. In the past production would sometimes be spread out over three locations at a time on occasion. That complicates the production rather dramatically. This is probably all done (same flight, holding them in the airport until everyone clears customs, etc.) to level the playing field and remove some of the variables.

 

They still stagger them departing, but it seems like they don't make them wait as long as they did before. It wasn't unusual in the past to have a team crossing the finish line before other teams even started. If one team had a really fast leg previously while another team had serious issues, you'd end up with one meeting Phil at the finish line while the other team is getting their first clue. It looks like they're now just starting them five to ten minutes apart unless they finished at the same time. This keeps the field more compact and easier to manage, but handicaps the really good teams a bit while rewarding the lesser teams.

 

International racing with customs and passport control complicates shows like this enormously. If a racer (or their camera operator) is picked for a more thorough search or examination, then they could lose an hour or more of race time. A thorough bag search, pat down, or strip search could put a team in a big, big hole through no fault of their own. 


 

 

@gardenman   thanks so much for taking the time.  I only just saw your responses.  Such a complicated show!  And so exciting in the early years, as you describe.

 

One thing:  The equalizers started years ago because of the unions.  Racing 24/7 didn't allow the crews required things like regular sleep at normal hours and three meals and breaks.  So that's how it began.

 

From there every change was to save money.  First they kept everyone on the same continent at the same time.  And then no more racers sleeping on the street or in airports; they started putting them up in real accomodations and somehow feeding them.  And now they keep them in the same country.

 

I didn't realize they still stagger them.  It's barely a stagger LOL. 

 

Never thought about customs, thanks.  .What a headache!!!!  

 

I don't know how they handle so many logistics.   It must have been a nightmare for years but since they've done it from day one I bet the two showrunners can do it in their sleep now LOL.   

 

Then there's the eliminated teams.  

 

On Project Runway if a challenge involves going out in public the eliminated people have to do it too to avoid spoilers, 

 

Can't happen on TAR because how could they have eliminated people getting in the way of teams still in it.   And anyway we know they don't do it because TAR is totally spoiled in perfect order every season which  is why I stopped reading about it years ago. 

 

When the finish line was here once, somehow people found out and though it was at dawn they showed up and TAR had to let them watch (public place) but they kept them behind barriers and begged them to be quiet.  It got around very quickly

 

So what do you know or think about what they do with eliminated teams?  Bad enough being stuck in a room like on PR.  Definitely no vacations like pre-jury Survivor, let alone Ponderosa.  Can't be just flying around forever LOL.  I can't look because spoilers.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,110
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: The Amazing Race! Spoilers included!

I like Nicole and Victor. I'm rooting for them.

 

Seems like there's one extra nonelimination this season. 

 

And again crying and drama and now fighting...all ending up in nonelimination.  They never gave it so much time before.  Maybe because we know the racers?  Now i've had two Nonelimination Headaches and seemed even more wasteful with so much gorgeous scenery.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,105
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The Amazing Race! Spoilers included!

@LoriLori 

 

I don't know what they do with the eliminated teams now, but in the year Jeff and Jordan participated they went to Mexico after being eliminated. (Acapulco perhaps?) They were all put up in a very nice house there (like the Big Brother jury house) and held until the finale when production flew them all to the finish line. I'm assuming they still do something similar. Heck, if no one's using the BB jury house they could all be there. I saw footage of them all in the house back then, but I have no idea where. I don't think it was CBS all Access as I don't think CBS All Access even existed back then. Maybe it was on ET or one of the entertainment programs?

 

Yeah, customs on an international TAR is a big challenge for them. This year they're just holding everyone inside the airport until they all clear customs. It might make more sense to just fly everyone to the next city and start from a park or someplace there rather than the airport. Kind of like starting the whole show over again each leg. Have Phil there with their clues nearby and the mad dash to start takes place each leg. It's largely what they do now, just that they're now trying to hide it and make it look like the old way they did it.

 

I don't know what the staggered start times are now, but it's not long. I'm guessing it's no more than five to ten minutes given how quickly teams catch up to one another. It might just be one minute. It does keep the field more tightly bunched. In early seasons it was often hours between teams starting, now it's more like minutes. With them all ending up on the same flight and being held inside the airport until they all clear customs they might as well just find someplace scenic and start everyone there each leg at the same time.

 

Drama? With Rachel Rellly? No! You've got to be kidding! If you look up drama queen in the dictionary you'd likely find a photo of Rachel. She is the world's biggest drama queen. Hey, it works for her. She drives me a little crazy, but she's not alone in that. She's not one of my favorite people in the world. 

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Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,064
Registered: ‎12-28-2012

Re: The Amazing Race! Spoilers included!

I really enjoyed the episode! Switzerland is so beautiful and they showed it off really well. That bungie jumping would have been amazing!!! But I would have been super scared to take that step off the platform. 

 

Another nonelimination...seems like overly generous # of them this season. That poor Swiss guy standing at the mat to do the greetings had to watch that pitiful crying/yelling/hissy fit. What a great showing of the Americans Smiley Wink I do love the 2 guys (sorry can't remember their names) just standing behind the 2 fighting teams. They just stood there smiling and I'm sure thankful they don't have that drama on their team! LOL 

 

 

Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The Amazing Race! Spoilers included!

@FindingMyJoy 

 

I'm not sure Nicole stepped off the ledge on the bungee jump. It kind of looked like the instructor shoved her in the back to get her going. There seemed to be a substantial amount of contact there.

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Trusted Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-15-2010

Re: The Amazing Race! Spoilers included!

Great episode this week.  Love Switzerland.  I was thrilled that Victor and Nicole did not get eliminated.  This voting thing is strange.  I wonder who they will vote for.  Who would you vote for?  I'm afraid I'd have to vote for Rachel and Elissa although it would be smart to vote for a stronger team.  They have gotten on my last nerve this time.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,105
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The Amazing Race! Spoilers included!


@sabra wrote:

Great episode this week.  Love Switzerland.  I was thrilled that Victor and Nicole did not get eliminated.  This voting thing is strange.  I wonder who they will vote for.  Who would you vote for?  I'm afraid I'd have to vote for Rachel and Elissa although it would be smart to vote for a stronger team.  They have gotten on my last nerve this time.


I'm not sure I wouldn't target Becca and Floyd, Team Fun for the U-Turn. They've been pretty strong lately. Christie and Colin could also be targets. You'd be kind of wasting it on Nicole and Victor since they already have to do an extra challenge. The Afghanimals started out strong but have been barely surviving lately. They might be a target also.

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Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The Amazing Race! Spoilers included!

Another show's on tonight! On tonight's show we'll see who the racers vote for to get the U-Turn. That could be a bit tense for all involved. It's looking like the finale of TAR and the second show of Big Brother will both air in three weeks. Interesting. I wonder which show will be the lead and which one will follow?

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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,339
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: The Amazing Race! Spoilers included!

This season has been pretty fun for me. Very interesting to see how the public vote goes tonight.

Wrong is still wrong just because you benefited from it.