Bella

I agree with your entire post and especially the last statement, John Seavey. I do understand why some people don't want any tinkering with the show, but I don't mind the experiments. As you note, it keeps the racers guessing. As a rule, I am bored by the unflappable racers who figure out how to play it as a game. It seems that many of us continue to watch this show because of the magic in the first few seasons we viewed, whether we began with Season 1 or Season 25. When that magic wears off, is it because of the show's structure, casting, and tasks, or is it because magic is hard to sustain on a TV show? I suspect it's a combination, but I'm mostly in the "magic is hard to sustain" camp. YMMV.

Because this show has weird little subsets and simultaneous seasons, etc., we've been doing annual "new shows for X year" threads. So let's suggest some titles for next year's thread.

Just saw a promo for the specials on The Cooking Channel. How depressing! I'm hoping the departure of so many advertisers makes TLC decide that further shows with these clowns aren't worth the effort.

First, I need to announce that my co-lead, Aethera, is going to be out for a while. Stepping in will be FrenchToast. I told her you were all good posters. (If the site allowed emoticons, I'd insert a winky face here.) Second, this is the OT-But-Not-Small-Talk thread. We know this show brings up a lot of cultural issues, and we want to give you a place to discuss them. We also want to avoid having the discussion take over the spoiler or episode threads. However, this is a charged subject, so we're starting this thread conditionally and will lock it if it causes trouble. As a condition of this thread's existence, we expect you to think beyond your own point of view and consider that of others. Try to put yourself in their place before you reply to their comments. This is a learning opportunity, not an argument clinic. Lecturing and scolding will not be tolerated. Finally, we're going to have a zero-tolerance for personal attacks, etc. That means we reserve the right to skip the usual mod notes, PMs, etc., and go straight to warning and even suspending people. You've all been around PTV and you all know our expectations. Please live up to them. And please don't make us regret this experiment. Thanks.

Exactly. MAFS people, I directed you over here to clean up the spoiler thread and to enable a more focused discussion. I didn't send you over here to have a bickerfest or to compare which group suffered worse. Stop it. Warnings will be forthcoming if it continues.

Okay folks, I linked to the Race and Ethnicity thread. This is the spoiler thread. Let's talk about spoilers. Going forward, other posts may be deleted according to my sense of their relevance. Thanks.

There are some good posts here on the issue of race, and so far everyone has been respectful. But seeing that it's sort of taken over, I'd be happier if we'd get back to the topic of the thread, which is social media, spoiler-y media, and spoiler-y speculation. We do have a Race and Ethnicity on TV thread under Everything Else TV, which would be a better place for further thoughts on the issue. Thanks!

Hey, folks- Most of the discussion is okay, but sometimes it verges on being rant-y. Rant-y is not okay. If you think you're edging into rant territory, please edit yourself or hold the thought. We will be watching the thread as usual and will remove rants without further notice. Thanks!

For the final leg in LA: RFF has photos and sightings indicating that the three teams left the first task, an apparent roadblock, within 30 minutes of each other. Interpolating from what RFF found, it looked like Matt and Dana were first to leave, followed by Cole and Sherri about 23 minutes later. Korey and Tyler weren't actually seen, but the third helicopter took off 7 minutes after Cole and Sherri left.

Yes, and we have a forum for it - I hope some of the MAFS posters will follow us over there.

I'll agree with you on the first sentence and I'll agree with what you said about Jews. Past that, I still think the "experts" aren't very good to begin with (maybe they can't interpolate from their own experience) and really could use substantial additional guidance when matching up African Americans. Also, the diverse community I live in seldom has an all-white anything, which may be something I'm bringing to this discussion - I tend to distrust homogeneous groups, especially when they're in positions of power like these non-expert experts are.

I do agree they suck at matching people regardless of race, etc. I just also think they have a tin ear to racial issues. It's not mutually exclusive. At this point, I question their ability to match a hungry 5-year-old to a plate of cookies.

The randomness, along with the lack of explanation, makes me think that something happened behind the scenes in her season so that the show brought her back to right a wrong. Or an almost wrong, or to make something up to her, etc. I'm hoping something will slip out, but I'm not optimistic.

Thanks for saying this. I've felt that there's been a level of racism built into this show all along, and you have articulated it well. I don't know what the production team looks like (phrasing deliberate) but the "experts" lack diversity - along with common sense, but that's a whole 'nother discussion!

Let's everyone stick to real spoilers, please, and not speculation on what might be possible. With enough connections, they can get anywhere from anywhere. Thanks.

Didn't the first chef eliminated in the first episode of the first season get cut specifically for dipping his spoon back in the pot after licking it? That's how I remember it, at least. I'm really surprised they let Spoon Chef stay, but maybe the standards have lowered. In which case, ick!

Where Tom C thinks that he absolutely doesn't play favorites.

I'll set up a separate thread now.

Please be careful with the spoilers, folks - we have tags for that kind of thing, plus a separate thread! Thanks. And I recorded this - based on the comments here, I will watch it, though I'll make goofy faces and voices whenever Dr. C is prattling.

Tempting, very tempting. What's even more tempting, given the fact that this restaurant is in a corner location with enormous windows, is taking a sign to hold up. The possibilities are endless: "Dr. Pepper, you're too good for that show!" "Free Dr. P from Dr. C!" etc., etc., etc. Unfortunately, I'm going to be busy that day - I have to wash my hair. ;-)

Don't snark on the rules here. Thanks.

They didn't give us any clue, did they? This was just a sloppily edited (IMO) segment from what seems to be the first episode. And the sloppy edit designation has to do with the abrupt ending and lack of context. They couldn't get Padma to do a 20-second voiceover?

Serve your spoilers and cook up your spoilery speculation for Season 13 here.

The 13-minute thing some of us found on our DVRs or otherwise stumbled upon.

Discuss the show; do not characterize each other's opinions.