Tough As Nails - General Discussion

[AuntieDiane6]

Quote

All the women out except one.  Only one man eliminated by a challenge.    

Last season, 3 of the final 4 were men.  Same this season.  If Sarah doesn't win this, the producers' really need to look at some of the tasks and rethink what  "tough' means

Is there any doubt that a BIG strong guy wins?  Scott is like 6'7" and with that Survivor-like competition, no wonder he wins. Last year, the big guy won too.

[DEL901]

18 minutes ago, AuntieDiane6 said:

Is there any doubt that a BIG strong guy wins?  Scott is like 6'7" and with that Survivor-like competition, no wonder he wins. Last year, the big guy won too.

The way the finale was designed, a woman was only going to win if she was in the finale with 2 other women.  

[Quickbeam]

It was *so* obvious Scott was going to win this. It wasn’t even close. 

[Grizzly]

I'm calling it right now. Season 3 winner will be a tall man who has a varied skill set and is supposedly afraid of heights.

[BusyOctober]

That was...a finale.  Very unsatisfied with the outcome.  I don’t dislike Scott for any reasons I can explain, but there’s just something off about him.  He didn’t stand out as a strong performer that I can recall.  His personality didn’t stand out in a way to make me think of him in a warm and fuzzy way like many of the other contestants did.  Scott was just “there” , so for him to win it all just seems like a let down.

[Diana Berry]

I kept thinking about did Sarah make the right choice in picking Scott. But she most likely wouldn’t have won except in a one on one with  swifty.  Nothing against Scott he seems nice enough.  Zeus’ family was adorable.

I hope TPTB ask Sarah to do AR or Survivor.  Same with Meryll ( can’t wait to read her book).  They are great.

[jabRI]

Sara and Meryl would make a great AR team! They are both super smart, strategic, calm, low egos.. I could see them going all the way, what a great idea!

 

[aemom]

14 hours ago, DEL901 said:

The way the finale was designed, a woman was only going to win if she was in the finale with 2 other women.  

Yes.  When you have a competition where brute force is required, a woman is always going to be at a disadvantage - it's just biology.

The final challenge should require a mix of strength tasks, attention to detail tasks, etc.  Other than the untangling the rope - which would still be heavy and was at the end of the challenge - it was all strength.

I'm fine with Scott.  Murph got on my last nerve.  I can't say that that I liked or disliked Scott.  I was quite neutral on him.  Good for him.

Edited April 15, 2021 by aemom
Added Scott

[SuburbanHangSuite]

I was pulling for Sarah but as soon as I saw all of the Final tasks, I knew she didn't stand a chance.  Not that she STILL didn't kick ass.  But all of those tasks required really physical exertion and that's just not right.

I actually thought that Zeus might pull it out but not having good jackhammer technique really cost him in the end.  Adorable kids, Zeus!

 

[bamlou]

4 hours ago, aemom said:

The final challenge should require a mix of strength tasks, attention to detail tasks, etc.  Other than the untangling the rope - which would still be heavy and was at the end of the challenge - it was all strength.

Agreed 100%. Similar to last season's final comp (and many of the individual challenges), there's a brains or puzzle element missing that would allow those with different skills to shine, and the opportunity in the final comp for those behind to potentially catch up, or for those in the lead to switch. 

I also wish quality of work was more of a factor in challenges when it could be relevant. 

Unfortunately being able to muscle through seems to be a winning strategy, which is making the show a little predictable.

[Diana Berry]

5 hours ago, jabRI said:

Sara and Meryl would make a great AR team! They are both super smart, strategic, calm, low egos.. I could see them going all the way, what a great idea!

 

From my mouth to Phil’s ear — Phil are you out there

[Eolivet]

Scott was such a blah, nothing, forgettable nobody of a character I've seen so many times before on reality TV. I've seen rich Scotts and poor Scotts, old Scotts and young Scotts. Scotts with and without guitars. Scotts with and without kids. Athletic Scotts and scrappy Scotts who "hustle." And they're always so shocked when they win. Never thought they could do it. By golly, they're just like us!

I fear we're getting a preview into CBS reality show casting going forward. We'll see a more diverse cast, but the winner won't be a Sarah or a Zeus or a Swifty. They might be there at the end, but a Scott will win. Because one way or another, Scotts always win.

[I Want My MBTV]

I felt really bad for Sarah.  Not only did she not win but when they did the follow ups with everyone however many months later it seemed like all the other contestants had really cool things going on and then it was "Sarah's doing projects around her house and going to the gym".  I hope she gets something good out of this and wish her the best of luck with her health.   I think she could do motivational speaking or be a spokesperson for something with diabetes. She's pretty soft spoke but she is strong!

[mlp]

I thought Scott was a deserving winner.  I would have said the same about Zeus or Sarah if either had won.  One thing I noticed that Scott did (smartly) was pace himself.  He got ahead early and then kept his eye on the others and stayed just ahead rather than racing full speed and exhausting himself before he got to the last obstacle.

Sarah did the best of any woman on this show so far I think and managed to complete the course.  I doubt any woman can actually win because fit young men are just naturally stronger and have better grip strength.  People who think tasks should be made a bit easier to give females a better chance forget that that will also make them easier for the men.  ANW has a women only competition scheduled for next month.  That's probably the only way to really equalize the competitors.  

[jabRI]

On 4/19/2021 at 8:05 PM, I Want My MBTV said:

I felt really bad for Sarah.  Not only did she not win but when they did the follow ups with everyone however many months later it seemed like all the other contestants had really cool things going on and then it was "Sarah's doing projects around her house and going to the gym". 

I just saw the ending (turned off tv after scott's obvious win), but I get the feeling Sara is just a private person, and kinda shy.  I remember when she and Liz had that 'talk' she came across that way.  Not unfriendly but a bit of an introvert (I can relate).  Liz... so happy for her having another baby, I'm gonna miss those dimples on my TV! 

[DEL901]

Show has been renewed even though it is averaging 3.8 million viewers.    

[Maverick]

 Apparently there's a new season coming in October.  There was a quick mention of it in the CBS Fall Preview.  that's the only thing I've heard about it, despite endless commercials with Jeff Probst waxing on about the beast and have you heard, The Equalizer Season II is coming.  

[PrincessPurrsALot]

S03.E01: Ready for Battle will air on Wednesday 2021.10.06

[Lamb18]

I wonder if Mike is a lineman for the county.

[mlp]

That first challenge looked really tough.  It seems to me that they must get a "how to" briefing before a task like that.  Why would every trade know how to put a small vehicle together?

It looks like a good group of competitors.  I liked the woman who is a crop duster but I hope she doesn't talk much.  Her voice is awful.  Murph looks like he's still in great shape.  

[Jules1]

I like almost everyone on Savage Crew. Sara rocked managing the team during the challenge. I was exhausted just watching them. 
 

[SVNBob]

2 hours ago, mlp said:

Why would every trade know how to put a small vehicle together?

It wasn't exactly putting a whole "vehicle" together.  It was putting the wheels on a trailer and hooking that up to the vehicle.  I suspect anyone who has ever assembled IKEA furniture or a kid's bicycle could at least put the wheels on without prior instruction.

[TeapotWakeen]

I hope the whole season isn't military-base based. The random challenges in the desert or in the city gave different dimensions to the challenges. Glad to have the show back!

[HurricaneVal]

There seems to be a lot of players from Hawaii on this season.  Did someone from production quarantine there and decide to do some recruiting so they could write off part of their COVID vacation?  Or more likely, in order to have a COVID vacation, there needed to be a business excuse to legitimize travel to Hawaii during the pandemic.  Either way, I'm glad.  You don't see many Hawaiians on reality TV, it seems--they can't just take a day and drive down to LA to audition.  There was Zeus from last season, maybe he inspired the others?

It is early yet, but so far I haven't noticed any focus-puller douche like Mikey Eyebrows in this set.  Let's hope it stays that way!

[Maverick]

 More importantly, it doesn't appear to be Nickname-A-Go-Go this season.   

 I don't think they'll all be military-themed challenges this season.  They first one was probably just an excuse to bring Murph back.  

[bunnyface]

We wondered if the entire season would be based at Camp Pendleton as well.  One thought I had was, if they are all on base, they can't break quarantine like someone (apparently, allegedly) did last season.  You can't get on and off the base easily.  

Nobody stood out to me as an instant like or dislike, except Murph.  So I'll have to learn to hate the others as we go.  I was hoping the former Marine (Lia?) would do better at the challenge.  The first time they showed her in uniform without a cap, I didn't recognize her.  "Who's the new chick on the end?  Oh, the team captain."

My only standing complaint with the show that the "fastest" shouldn't be the only requirement for winning a challenge.  Fast and *correct* should be the standard.  Yeah, the one team got their pallets loaded first, but at least one of those pallets looked janky.  There shouldn't be trash in the road after a trash pick-up challenge, there shouldn't wonky bricks after a brick-laying challenge, the lineman you are rescuing shouldn't have a broken neck, etc.  Fast but right should be the goal.

But I'm a sucker for Phil and will likely follow him anywhere. 

[DEL901]

Yeah, that was a complaint I had last season.  Their needs to be standards on how the job is done,

I wondered about Camp P too, but then Phil said hood bye to Murph, and it seemed like the preview showed other locations.  

Nice to have the show back.  I was impressed by the Jill of all Trades winning the first task, but shocked that she wasn’t a great leader on the task…. Or maybe that does line up with her self proclaimed Jill of all Trades, Master of None. 

[candall]

Oy, just the phrase "Jill of all trades" sets my teeth on edge.  But it looks like a decent crop of competitors.  No raging assholes immediately apparent.

 

It's interesting to have a crop duster because people rarely recognize that's one of THE most dangerous professions, but I'm not sure the skills required there are going to help the team challenges very much.  Basically it looks, once again, like the team who can generate the most physical strength will usually have the advantage.

 

Sidenote:  I alternate between smiling and snorting that "Dirty Hands" and "Savage Crew" are the permanent team names.   It's like:  The grand tradition from Season One continues!

[SuburbanHangSuite]

I just watched.  Didn't even realize that a new season had started until I saw the DVR picked it up.  

On 10/7/2021 at 4:50 PM, candall said:

Oy, just the phrase "Jill of all trades" sets my teeth on edge.  But it looks like a decent crop of competitors.  No raging assholes immediately apparent.

 

You too?  And she said it a few times.  We get it.  And no raging assholes but I did roll my eyes when the firefighter referred to herself as a superhero.  Uhhhh...how about you leave that to someone else--it sounds kinda douchey to call yourself a superhero.  Especially when you finish last.

I'm torn between Alfie and Quincy being my picks.  Both of their stories touched me.  Sarah's too and I'd love for a woman to win but I think they'll keep skewing the final challenges toward brute strength.  We'll see.

 

[TVMovieBuff]

On 10/7/2021 at 3:04 PM, bunnyface said:

My only standing complaint with the show that the "fastest" shouldn't be the only requirement for winning a challenge.  Fast and *correct* should be the standard.  Yeah, the one team got their pallets loaded first, but at least one of those pallets looked janky.  There shouldn't be trash in the road after a trash pick-up challenge, there shouldn't wonky bricks after a brick-laying challenge, the lineman you are rescuing shouldn't have a broken neck, etc.  Fast but right should be the goal.

I agree fully. Perhaps the format should be, It's a race yes, but a race for the first judged as to correct completion of the challenge. Wait til both teams have finished, then the first done gets judged by an expert. If the task isn't done well, the second team gets judged and if theirs is better they win. If #1 is done well, they win without judging #2. 

I think that would work, if it takes longer it could be edited; it's not a live show.

[bunnyface]

8 hours ago, TVMovieBuff said:

I agree fully. Perhaps the format should be, It's a race yes, but a race for the first judged as to correct completion of the challenge. Wait til both teams have finished, then the first done gets judged by an expert. If the task isn't done well, the second team gets judged and if theirs is better they win. If #1 is done well, they win without judging #2. 

I think that would work, if it takes longer it could be edited; it's not a live show.

Or even like on TAR, get a time penalty.  You left a piece of trash on the ground, you get a 10 second penalty added to your time.  6 pieces, a whole minute added.  If your lineman landed head first, you get 1 minute added to your time.  Sometime like that would let them know they have to be fast, but they have to accurate.

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by bunnyface
The maths, they elude me

[Lamb18]

OK, now I want Kalimba to win. She lives in Minneapolis, precinct 3 and she was in the thick of it when George Floyd was killed. There were fires up and down Lake Street, the main east west street cutting through south Minneapolis. That would have been a scary, busy time for her.

[Lamb18]

Dang it, I jinxed her. At least she can still complete with her team.

[mertensia]

It was nice seeing something different for a task.

Hanger and Quincy showed young and fit isn't a guaranteed win!

[candall]

13 hours ago, mertensia said:

It was nice seeing something different for a task.

Hanger and Quincy showed young and fit isn't a guaranteed win!

Not a guaranteed win, but that one dude who picked up the 150 pound ski chair and tossed it onto the cable is definitely going to skew the results. 

 

I'm only a little bit bitter about that.  Survivor currently does a good job of designing the challenges so brute strength doesn't automatically triumph, but how much can a show titled Tough As Nails ignore muscle mass?

 

I'm proud of every woman on this show.  Each one has shouldered her way into a job most people would have been completely content to keep exclusively male.

 

.

[Lamb18]

Hasn't this challenge been done on The Amazing Race?

[mertensia]

I'm not too pleased they had a task that was hard for a dyslexic to do fast. 

 

[Quickbeam]

10 hours ago, mertensia said:

I'm not too pleased they had a task that was hard for a dyslexic to do fast. 

 

I felt that was really tone deaf. They should have thought that through. 

[Grizzly]

This is a show about overcoming hardships to succeed. The people afraid of heights have to do the height challenges. People with knee problems still had to do the stairs. Hanger would not want to be coddled. He must have to read a measuring tape for his job as a carpenter. I wonder if there was a rule about not being able to put the boxes in numerical order at your first stop to make the other stops easier?

Great to see Freight Train!

[mertensia]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

This is a show about overcoming hardships to succeed. The people afraid of heights have to do the height challenges. People with knee problems still had to do the stairs. Hanger would not want to be coddled. He must have to read a measuring tape for his job as a carpenter. I wonder if there was a rule about not being able to put the boxes in numerical order at your first stop to make the other stops easier?

Great to see Freight Train!

Dyslexia is not something you can fix like getting a new knee.

[bunnyface]

17 hours ago, Grizzly said:

I wonder if there was a rule about not being able to put the boxes in numerical order at your first stop to make the other stops easier?

Great to see Freight Train!

I wondered about that too.  If they had taken just a moment to organize, it would have made things easier and faster later.  I don't have that experience, but I feel like a real delivery service would have a "plan" in place for the way the truck is stocked and stops are made.

[RunningMarket]

Teams and individuals are majorly suffering from the rush vs. methodical mentality. It started off well, but then just becomes a mad scramble to drag plants up stairs, or to shove boxes into a truck. Much like the controversial garden paving stones OT of yore, the winner was just who did it the fastest - not necessarily the best. IRL, most of those boxes would be crushed. 

[Grizzly]

3 hours ago, RunningMarket said:

Teams and individuals are majorly suffering from the rush vs. methodical mentality. It started off well, but then just becomes a mad scramble to drag plants up stairs, or to shove boxes into a truck. Much like the controversial garden paving stones OT of yore, the winner was just who did it the fastest - not necessarily the best. IRL, most of those boxes would be crushed. 

This! I was disturbed to see the packages, especially the fragile ones, being thrown around and squished into the truck. Makes you wonder how we receive anything intact.

[candall]

Well, thanks gang, now I can't watch the damn show without fixating on places they should get points deducted.

I thought it was funny they had to arrange the furniture properly and get those silly binders situated in front of each chair, but no one mentioned the plant that got torn to pieces.  Did they just lean the twigs against the wall?

Why bother labeling boxes "Fragile" if it's kosher to stand on the sidewalk and hurl them toward the door?  Did Mr. I-wear-my-uniform-shorts-to-church Train have the authority to drop a flag on the play if the teddy bear lost an arm or ended up on the roof at the correct address?

 

I wonder where that manifest went?  I bet someone discovered it in his cargo pants pocket that night, tore it into tiny pieces, and flushed it.

.

[bamlou]

I'm glad I'm not the only one annoyed at the lack of quality control with these challenges - it's been a problem in the past seasons but felt so much more glaring in this episode. I'd like to think that actual movers and delivery workers put the care of people's belongings and packages high on their list of priorities, so it seemed odd that it was so irrelevant to the challenges. There really should've been some sort of penalty for damaging things. 

Three seasons in, and I don't get why quality of work has yet to be a factor in the show's challenges. It matters just as much as strength and speed, and could help level the playing field.

It could have played a role especially in the Overtime challenge - Christine was forcing that truck door shut by slamming it down on the ends of those boxes until she *made* them fit. Seems like a grey area to consider this a win if you're potentially damaging packages in the process (and wasn't it her last week too who accidentally dug her pole too far away from the fence so she had to force-fit things when nailing them together? Again, grey area).

On 10/22/2021 at 4:01 PM, candall said:

I wonder where that manifest went?  I bet someone discovered it in his cargo pants pocket that night, tore it into tiny pieces, and flushed it.

haha I had a similar thought. I also kinda questioned if Savage Crew actually found their manifest or if the one they picfked up could have been the other team's, but since they were delivering to different rooms I guess it wasn't possible to pass Dirty Hands' manifest off as theirs for the win.

[zoey1996]

On 10/20/2021 at 9:13 PM, Lamb18 said:

Hasn't this challenge been done on The Amazing Race?

Which challenge?

I want to know how the two women figured out they were delivering to the wrong office - 235 vs. 335.

Agree with quality control issues. Crushing boxes while closing the truck door wasn’t good at all.

[Maverick]

 "What's you're name again?  Jeff?"   "No, Phil.  Jeff's the guy that does Survivor."   ROFL.   Kudos to Phil for having a sense of humor and allowing that to make the final cut.   He's the EP and cut have easily left that on the cutting room floor--with Peachy would have done if the positions were reversed.  

[mertensia]

34 minutes ago, Maverick said:

 "What's you're name again?  Jeff?"   "No, Phil.  Jeff's the guy that does Survivor."   ROFL.   Kudos to Phil for having a sense of humor and allowing that to make the final cut.   He's the EP and cut have easily left that on the cutting room floor--with Peachy would have done if the positions were reversed.  

Yeah, this made me laugh, too.

This was one of those episodes that makes me exhausted just watching it.

[TeapotWakeen]

5 hours ago, Maverick said:

 "What's you're name again?  Jeff?"   "No, Phil.  Jeff's the guy that does Survivor."   ROFL. 

that -- plus when Lia was having trouble hooking the bobber with her grappling hook she yelled out "This is not how we catch alpacas, Phil!" made me literally laugh out loud.

I've enjoyed every season of this show, and (most of) the contestants. I gotta say this year seems to be especially featuring some bad-ass women. Much respect!

[OlderThanDirt]

15 hours ago, Maverick said:

What's you're name again?  Jeff?"   "No, Phil.  Jeff's the guy that does Survivor."   ROFL.   Kudos to Phil for having a sense of humor and allowing that to make the final cut.   He's the EP and cut have easily left that on the cutting room floor--with Peachy would have done if the positions were reversed.  

And that's why we love Phil the most of any host.