S32.E08: Are You a Rickshaw?/S32.E09: This is Not Payback. This is Karma

[springbarb]

22 hours ago, redfish said:

Oh definitely. And the Beards? Did they have to grind it in and yield them? The Blondes were so stupid to get played by Will & James. They used them to yield Leo & Alana and then got screwed by them. Seriously they shouldn't have listened to them in the first place, they didn't owe Will and James anything. Sure they were a disaster a few times but at least they didn't have a meltdown or act like assholes like Will and James. I want them to lose so badly, karma can't hit them fast enough.

What was particularly annoying about the usage of the yields was that both times, it was the team in the lead that used it. They really had zero reason to. I don't think the blondes were dumb to use their yield on Leo & Alana--and as we saw, it wouldn't have mattered had they kept their yield, as they were in last place in both legs.

7 hours ago, blackwing said:

I agree that it is good to have representation of gay couples, but I think it's too bad that the show chose this odious couple as the representatives.  There have been plenty of good representatives of gay couples that have been successful on the race without resorting to the nastiness of these two.  In addition to Reichen and Chip, the Beekman Boys (the goat farmers, I forget their names) also won the Race.  And Tyler and Korey are a gay couple who finished in the top three in both of their appearances.

In the very first season of TAR, the gay couple (the Guidos, as they were) were probably the villains of the season.

I'm rooting for Gary and DeAngelo. I was really annoyed at the place-setting road block. The Beard Bro was an idiot for helping Will/James and Hung--and as it worked out, I don't think it mattered. He acted like he was so clever to pick up on the measuring and then tell the other teams, but unlike the truck task with the horns, it was quickly obvious from the judging what needed to be done. That was a situation that it made no sense for teams to help each other; nobody was particularly frustrated or having problems figuring out. Just dumb. Especially after Gary had helped out earlier. At least Gary and DeAngelo and Team Cal know they can't rely on the other teams now--they may not know about the others still having an alliance, but they know that they're only out for themselves.

[zoey1996]

I’ve had enough dental work done, that set of tasks didn’t bother me at all.  
Like most here, I thought the blond sisters had such good attitude, I would have liked them in the race longer. For finalists, I’d like to see Gary and DeAngelo, Hung & Chee, and ???

[Maggie Mae]

 I wish we could vote on America's favorite team.  Hands down the blondes would win it.  There have only been a handful of teams in all the seasons that were as good natured and pleasant as the blonds.  They aren't the best racers ever but I would love a season of people just like those two. Just sayin'    

[ByaNose]

The blondes had such a great attitude about the whole race. It’s too bad they started off on a bad start and never really recovered. They had bad cab drivers but they also got lost a lot on their own, too. I’m sure if they were to race again they might have a better handle on the race and be more in the thick of things. Then you compare them to Will & James who brought the meanness and Survivor/Big Brother gameplay to TAR which kind of ruined the whole season. Maybe, things will change next week as the Mine 5 have to cut each other but it looks like Will & James are still in the majority versus the minority of the two other teams.

[Diana Berry]

Really liked the blondes. During their bio , they stressed how independent they were, etc. I figured they might be abrasive, polarizing.  Just the opposite , very sweet and good sports.  Pls bring them back for all stars.

[tinkerbell]

Finally getting to watch, and I didn't get through the whole thing. It really made me sad that all the teams would target the same team, with no reason. It seemed unnecessarily mean.

[Quilt Fairy]

33 minutes ago, tinkerbell said:

Finally getting to watch, and I didn't get through the whole thing. It really made me sad that all the teams would target the same team, with no reason. It seemed unnecessarily mean.

Yes.  These were some interesting legs with good tasks, and I could hardly watch because I knew - no spoilers needed - that the blondes would be eliminated in the end.

[Vermicious Knid]

Interview with the blondes. Who were much closer friends with Leo and Alana than was shown. They also spent a lot of time racing alone without seeing the other teams. 

[mertensia]

12 hours ago, Ducky said:

When did Will/James say this?  I know that one of the beard brothers said the same thing... "take take take..."  So it's not all on them.

I don't remember when, but it was at some point in the double episode.

And at least Riley/Madison didn't make the comment then ask Gary how they do the turban task.

[30 Helens]

I don’t hate the alliance because it’s bad strategy. Clearly, it’s working for the teams who are in it. I hate the alliance because it ruins the viewing experience. There’s no suspense when someone is stymied by a task, because you know someone else will bail them out. It neutralizes the drama of head-to-head competition, and takes away any hope of a come-from-behind victory.  As I said before, what used to be a Race is essentially now a Group Tour with Activities. It’s boring, it’s not fun, and they really need to fix it.

To me, the most grating thing about Eswar & Aparna is not the constant reminder that they are software engineers. It’s the constant use of the term “software engineer”. It’s a real title, but it’s a little formal for casual conversation. The people I know in the field (including the one I live with) refer to themselves as Programmers, or if they’re being self-deprecating, Coder Monkeys. Software Engineer is for resumes. It’s like calling yourself a Waste Management Engineer when you’re a trash collector, or a Sandwich Technician when you work at freakin’ Subway.

Please tell me that’s not how real dentistry is done in India, because that was horrific. It not only looked sloppy and painful, but unsanitary as well. I think I’d just let my teeth fall out and stock up on straws.

This week, I finally realized who the Blondes remind me of... Villanelle! One of them in particular. Too bad they couldn’t summon up a bit of her evil streak to use against the Boyfriends. A class act to the end.

[Netfoot]

10 hours ago, springbarb said:

In the very first season of TAR, the gay couple (the Guidos, as they were) were probably the villains of the season.

True, but they (somehow) redeemed themselves very successfully by time their second run (Season 11 All-Stars) came around.

 

[kstar821]

On 11/25/2020 at 10:22 PM, BusyOctober said:

Forgot to mention;  since the most hated, unlikeable people like Flo and Kendra have won in the past, AND  because it’s still 2020, aka ,the year of all thing horrible, i think it’s preordered that Will and James will win this season.

I've been saying this to my mom for a few weeks.  My non spoiled order, based on editing is:

5: Eswar/Aparna   4:  Gary and DeAngelo (because my favorites usually leave at 4)   3: Hung/Chee  2: Beards  1: Will/James.

 

And I hate that I'm predicting that. 😞  Loved the sisters and love team NFL.

[eel21788]

15 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I found it interesting that the blondes did not even know there was an alliance.  

They knew there was an alliance. They just didn't know that it had a name.

 

[Cotypubby]

7 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

 

I don’t hate the alliance because it’s bad strategy. Clearly, it’s working for the teams who are in it. I hate the alliance because it ruins the viewing experience. There’s no suspense when someone is stymied by a task, because you know someone else will bail them out. It neutralizes the drama of head-to-head competition, and takes away any hope of a come-from-behind victory.  As I said before, what used to be a Race is essentially now a Group Tour with Activities. It’s boring, it’s not fun, and they really need to fix it.

 

Yes. This. The alliance was a great thing for the teams in it, because it worked and they are all now in the top five. So for the racers, an alliance does make sense. It just makes the show completely boring to watch. It’s exactly like the “suggestion” someone made to give the racers cell phones and GPS so they can get around without getting lost. Sure, that would make it much easier for the racers, but would suck to watch for the audience. I really hope that if they do come back TPTB add in some kind of penalties for outright giving answers to others teams. 
 

Was anyone else thinking there was going to be a penalty for Hung and Chee switching Detours? I know they have always been able to switch in the past but the clue seemed to make such a big deal out of picking “This” or “That” without actually giving them any info on what they were choosing that I thought there would be consequences for switching. Otherwise what was the point of picking a Detour with no info if as soon as you got there you could switch if it didn’t sound good?

And please stop with all the “OMG MEGA LEG!!!” nonsense. How was this leg any different from all the many legs they have run in previous seasons where teams get to the mat only to find out “You’re still racing! Here is your next clue!” Those legs seem much harder to me since the teams don’t expect it to continue. This time they knew it would be longer so, meh. They didn’t even have to travel anywhere else which they have in previous double legs so this one honestly seemed pretty lame and really easy. 
 

I see why this season was shelved for so long. I imagine they probably wouldn’t have even chosen to air it at all and would have just continued filming new ones had the pandemic not forced their hand and this was what they were stuck with.

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, eel21788 said:

They knew there was an alliance. They just didn't know that it had a name.

 

I thought at the mat that didn’t know there was an alliance let alone a name. They even laughed at the alliance name. Of course, I could be misremembering all of this because I still want them in the race.

[vousviou]

34 minutes ago, Cotypubby said:

Yes. This. The alliance was a great thing for the teams in it, because it worked and they are all now in the top five. So for the racers, an alliance does make sense.

Except if you are a strong team, you want the weakest pool possible in the last day.  There is no bonus for coming in second, and in the final day you really want to have at least one team in the mix with lousy navigation skills, poor attention to detail, or at least one other major flaw.

[MerBearHou]

Finally had a chance to watch the 2 episodes late last night.  Great to sit down and enjoy TAR after doing Thanksgiving dishes!

The Blondes have to be the most good-natured racers I can ever recall in all of my seasons watching.  I am so curious about their presumably tough youth where they both left home so, so young.  Hope to see them again!

At the beginning of the season, I was crazy for the NFL team.  Though I love DeAngelo, Gary is turning into one of my least favorite racers this season.  He is so passive-aggressive with DeAngelo and often downright condescending, like "I'm the smart one here".  His comments are very demeaning.  Don't like it one bit and if I were DeAngelo watching this show back, I'd rethink how much Gary is in his corner.

The Boyfriends are beyond mean-spirited IMO.  

That coding challenge was cool!  It looked very tough.  Actually the bangle challenge was difficult too -- very clever.

[sinycalone]

45 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

Finally had a chance to watch the 2 episodes late last night.  Great to sit down and enjoy TAR after doing Thanksgiving dishes!

The Blondes have to be the most good-natured racers I can ever recall in all of my seasons watching.  I am so curious about their presumably tough youth where they both left home so, so young.  Hope to see them again!

At the beginning of the season, I was crazy for the NFL team.  Though I love DeAngelo, Gary is turning into one of my least favorite racers this season.  He is so passive-aggressive with DeAngelo and often downright condescending, like "I'm the smart one here".  His comments are very demeaning.  Don't like it one bit and if I were DeAngelo watching this show back, I'd rethink how much Gary is in his corner.

The Boyfriends are beyond mean-spirited IMO.  

That coding challenge was cool!  It looked very tough.  Actually the bangle challenge was difficult too -- very clever.

DeAngelo has given it right back to Gary....they are used to the trash-talking of competitive sports.  I laugh at all their convos....because I think only really close friends could share that kind of humor.

[MerBearHou]

13 minutes ago, sinycalone said:

DeAngelo has given it right back to Gary....they are used to the trash-talking of competitive sports.  I laugh at all their convos....because I think only really close friends could share that kind of humor.

I guess I've missed the DeAngelo talking back or sticking up for himself.  I've only seen the Gary putdowns.  I still don't like it, buddies / athletes or not.  Just makes me uncomfortable.  When Gary says it, it sounds superior rather than good-natured trash-talk ribbing like the Bearded Bros do.

[sinycalone]

Look at the CBS clips for a better sampling of DeAngelo and Gary's conversation.

[biakbiak]

29 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

guess I've missed the DeAngelo talking back or sticking up for himself.

Just one of several is how D’Angelo mocked Gary for saying he was into art and acted like it was the most ridiculous thing he could ever say. Neither seem to have a problem with their interactions and have a good balance and are supportive of one another.

Edited November 27, 2020 by biakbiak

[SG429]

3 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

Was anyone else thinking there was going to be a penalty for Hung and Chee switching Detours? I know they have always been able to switch in the past but the clue seemed to make such a big deal out of picking “This” or “That” without actually giving them any info on what they were choosing that I thought there would be consequences for switching. Otherwise what was the point of picking a Detour with no info if as soon as you got there you could switch if it didn’t sound good?

 

I seem to recall that past "This or That" detours were geographically and inconveniently distant from one another, so a de facto penalty to switch.

[valen]

Here's the thing about the blondes. We really don't know if they really are bad racers. They are one of the only teams that did almost every single task on their own. All of the others that are left were helping one another. Who knows how they would have done without being given the answers? I'd love to see them again. I've watched a LOT of seasons, and I've never seen a team as positive and enjoyable to watch as the blondes.

I also really, really don't like the secret top 3. They don't mind taking help from Gary, but they aren't giving it in return? When they know the blondes are going to be last? What would it have hurt to help Gary? All the bearded brother did by withholding information is show his hand to Gary that they were on the outs of the alliance. That was dumb. 

[SG429]

3 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

I see why this season was shelved for so long. I imagine they probably wouldn’t have even chosen to air it at all and would have just continued filming new ones had the pandemic not forced their hand and this was what they were stuck with.

Yep, now that we're well into it, it's clear a stellar season would not have gathered dust.

[mertensia]

1 hour ago, sinycalone said:

DeAngelo has given it right back to Gary....they are used to the trash-talking of competitive sports.  I laugh at all their convos....because I think only really close friends could share that kind of humor.

DeAngelo and Gary said Gary gets all "did you do this? Practice that?" and DeAngelo knows that how Gary does things so he lets it roll off. They squabble to get rid of tension then they're good.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Let's not forget that DeAngelo helped the Boyfriends (and a few others) at the cello-making challenge.  While it's been weeks for us between episodes, it's only been about 10 days for the racers.  Convenient memory loss? 

I remember Chee helping one of the boyfriends at the cello challenge, but not DeAngelo. Regardless, it's mostly been Hung and Chee and Maddison and Riley complaining that Gary and DeAngelo aren't contributing to the alliance. I've only heard the boyfriends say there's a tight three within that alliance, I don't think I've heard them complain about Gary and DeAngelo the way Hung and Chee keep doing.

Quote

Here's the thing about the blondes. We really don't know if they really are bad racers. They are one of the only teams that did almost every single task on their own. All of the others that are left were helping one another. Who knows how they would have done without being given the answers?

They seemed to have chronic bad taxi luck, but the fact that they had such a hard time navigating the Swiggy challenge makes me think they are just directionally challenged, and maybe a lot of that taxi luck was on them because they couldn't really tell their driver where they were supposed to go.

[eel21788]

6 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

They seemed to have chronic bad taxi luck, but the fact that they had such a hard time navigating the Swiggy challenge makes me think they are just directionally challenged, 

For Pete's sake, the call room guy told them, "cross the road," and not only did  they not understand what to do, they complained that it was the call guy who couldn't understand them!

[eel21788]

4 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

And please stop with all the “OMG MEGA LEG!!!” nonsense. How was this leg any different from all the many legs they have run in previous seasons where teams get to the mat only to find out “You’re still racing! Here is your next clue!” Those legs seem much harder to me since the teams don’t expect it to continue. This time they knew it would be longer so, meh. They didn’t even have to travel anywhere else which they have in previous double legs so this one honestly seemed pretty lame and really easy. 
 

I'm still trying to figure out what the "double the distance" part was all about. The pretty much stayed in the same city in India the whole time. There have definitely been legs in the past that have covered a lot more distance within the leg.

[Guest]

I wasn’t bothered at all by the “cockroaches” comment, and didn’t sense any maliciousness behind it. The teams seemed more bemused than anything by the sisters’ tendency to stick around. To me, “blondies” is more demeaning, though I don’t think that’s really being said maliciously, either.

Very bummed that Kaylynn and Haley are out. I loved their conversational way with people at tasks, like Kaylynn apologizing to the men in turbans for making them wait and explaining that she had two more to do. Sometimes I think it’s assumed that people that look like them get by only with their looks, but I think their general friendliness and upbeat attitudes serve them well, and probably helped them immensely in dealing with whatever led them to move out so young.

[sinycalone]

Quote

I remember Chee helping one of the boyfriends at the cello challenge, but not DeAngelo. Regardless, it's mostly been Hung and Chee and Maddison and Riley complaining that Gary and DeAngelo aren't contributing to the alliance. I've only heard the boyfriends say there's a tight three within that alliance, I don't think I've heard them complain about Gary and DeAngelo the way Hung and Chee keep doing.

DeAngelo finished first -- and stopped to explain some of the  detailing necessary.  While Will may have been the one D was answering specifically, I'm sure others over heard it.

[shura]

38 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

For Pete's sake, the call room guy told them, "cross the road," and not only did  they not understand what to do, they complained that it was the call guy who couldn't understand them!

I took it that they simply couldn’t believe that he is telling them to cross right there in busy traffic and tried to ask him where the “normal” crossing was (“Do we go through that gate, is that where we cross?”).  To which he was like, no, this is India, you just cross here.  Only when they (or the show, I suspect) got a policeman to halt the traffic for them were they able to cross comfortably.

[lilysmom]

58 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I remember Chee helping one of the boyfriends at the cello challenge, but not DeAngelo. Regardless, it's mostly been Hung and Chee and Maddison and Riley complaining that Gary and DeAngelo aren't contributing to the alliance. I've only heard the boyfriends say there's a tight three within that alliance, I don't think I've heard them complain about Gary and DeAngelo the way Hung and Chee keep doing.

They seemed to have chronic bad taxi luck, but the fact that they had such a hard time navigating the Swiggy challenge makes me think they are just directionally challenged, and maybe a lot of that taxi luck was on them because they couldn't really tell their driver where they were supposed to go.

As a directionally challenged person, myself, I can relate to their issues! When I allow my instincts to kick in, I INSTINCTLY go in the wrong direction. It hasn't happened once or twice, it has happened a million times over the past 70 years!! Thankfully, my husband is just the opposite and it seems he is always able to get us where we are supposed to go. Thank goodness for Onstar and Google maps!

 

[Grizzly]

Anyone notice how halfway through the delivery challenge, Chee was carrying his and Hung's bag? 

[Stardancer Supreme]

50 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

Anyone notice how halfway through the delivery challenge, Chee was carrying his and Hung's bag? 

That's probably what they agreed to do for the race.  They only have one personal traveling bag between them, and Chee is the one who carries bags outside the race, I'll bet. 

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, Stardancer Supreme said:

That's probably what they agreed to do for the race.  They only have one personal traveling bag between them, and Chee is the one who carries bags outside the race, I'll bet. 

Also, Hung was on the phone and dealing with all of the directions so it seemed a fair division of labor. Especially, since it didn’t seem it was a heavy load.

Edited November 28, 2020 by biakbiak

[DawnDavenport]

On 11/26/2020 at 1:57 AM, HurricaneVal said:

As much as I was rooting for the blondes, I don't think the back to back yields had as much to do with their elimination as bad cab luck did, and mediocre racing.  They had grit, and stayed positive.  I'll miss them.

I was totally gnawing my fingers during the dental impression challenge.  If that is done wrong, you can actually choke and potentially kill someone.  That's why people have to go to school and get certified as dental assistants to do that in the US.  I speak from experience, I had to have dental impressions done when I was very young, and the assistant filled the tray like I had an adult sized mouth.  I started choking and gagging as that gooey material oozed out and went down my throat.  She and the dentist pulled it all out--amazing stuff, it stays together in a lump--but I had to have it done again to complete the job.  I think I clawed permanent divots into the arms of that dental chair.

When I've had impressions done now for crowns, that cool, slick oozing feeling against my gums brings it all back.  I was on the edge of my seat during that whole segment.  I hope production paid those people well.

 

As a patient, those impressions are not fun at all, especially when they have to be taken out. It feels like they are going to pull your teeth out! I can't imagine a having an untrained person do those. It's not like you just fill up a plate full of goo and place it someone's mouth! If you don't take them out the right way, then it can mess up the impression and they have to be redone.

I knocked out a front tooth and had to have an implant placed and I was amazed that they didn't have to use that awful goo anymore. My dentist had some sort of scanner wand that created a 3d computerized image of my mouth and the implant crown fit perfectly! No more goo! 

[BarneySays]

On 11/26/2020 at 12:54 AM, NYCFree said:

I was thinking that one thing the producers could do is to either outright ban teams helping each other (the way one partner can’t help the other on a one person task), or implement a rule that if you share information, you must stay until the team you gave information to has completed the task.

I think prohibiting any help on the detours at least is one rule that should be implemented.  I assume the reason why we didn't so many detours in this season is because they were both boring because of the alliance and enervating for viewers because there was absolutely no suspense.  I wish it weren't necessary because limited assistance to someone really struggling has usually been a collegial gesture.  But once crap like this reality tv whore alliance creeps in, there's usually no turning back.

I think this season supplants the family edition as the worst season ever.  Which is really a shame, considering I think it was well-cast (but for the lack of 40+ players, which seems to be the new SOP) and the mega leg is a welcome new twist. It's a shame it was ruined by the slime five.

These two episodes were deadly dull.  The result was pre-ordained and the alliance sapped the two hours of any energy or suspense.  My distaste for these teams has reached peak level.  The beardos repulse.  Hung the Harridan's moments of sweetness just increase my distaste.  Aparna refreshingly showed some personality this week, but they're still a nonentity.  Need I  say anything about the Risibles?  I guess I'm rooting for the football players, only because rooting for leaving the season on the shelf to deprive the winners of their prize money isn't an option.

[Roccos Brother]

Yes, the blondes were nice, but the mild satisfaction and amusement I got from that "nice"-ness was dwarfed by the tiresome repetitiveness of watching them struggle through and get defeated over everything, at the far backend of the pack time and time again. They got by largely on luck and should have been eliminated a long time ago. I have no desire to see them return.

I do feel that a lot of the hate for Will and James is overhyped. Would I be friends with them in real life? Maybe not, but everything they've said and done so far seems to be in the interest of the race, and are well within the rules. None of their tactics come off as personal or mean-spirited to me. We all have favorites in our lives, and their alliances seem to be based on chemistry more than strategy and/or a desire to sabotage others just for the sake of it. 

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

On 11/27/2020 at 1:55 AM, Vermicious Knid said:

Interview with the blondes. Who were much closer friends with Leo and Alana than was shown. They also spent a lot of time racing alone without seeing the other teams. 

Points about this episode that stood out to me from that article:

- The taxi ride put them hours behind the other teams. (Not sure if this was an exaggeration, as the entire mega leg was completed long before the sun set.)

- They must have made up time during the detour, because they arrived at the first roadblock as Will and James were leaving. The roadblock took about an hour to do.

- They thought being last at the roadblock made it harder to do, not easier. Most of us watching figured that having most of the turbans and pillars already matched would have made it easier, because there were fewer to sort through.

- They were so far behind that the second yield didn't even matter.

- They were oblivious to the Mine Five alliance. 

I was not a fan of the blondes initially, but they grew on me. As has been pointed out, they ran a more solo race than any other team. We won't ever know how the alliance teams would have fared if they'd been forced to figure out sauerkraut and other tasks on their own, so it's impossible to say the blondes were comparatively bad racers. I do think they could have taken a more active role in navigating in taxis. 

[SVNBob]

On 11/25/2020 at 10:15 PM, dgpolo said:

Teams aren't trying to create drama, they are trying to win.

Most teams aren't trying to create drama.  Will (a former America's Next Top Model contestant) and James kinda are.  Admittedly, while trying to win as well.

On 11/26/2020 at 2:01 AM, aghst said:

So all the Yields are 20 minutes?  I thought there were a few 20-minutes but most of them were 10-minutes.

All the Yields that were used were 20-minute Yields.  The 3 leftover Yields (Hung and Chee, Eswar and Aparna, and Gary and DeAngelo) might be 10-minute versions.  We'd need to check the 2nd episode again to see who got which version, and what was knocked out at each Philimination.

 

On 11/26/2020 at 10:43 AM, blackwing said:

Eswar and Aparna suck too.  "Oh, we're Indian so we have an advantage!  "

However, in another TH/Mat Chat/other interview segment from before the megaleg, apparently they expressed concern about a TAR curse I'd never heard of.  The curse apparently says that if there is a leg where one and only one team speaks the local language, that team will not win the Race.  (We might have seen this curse in action with Leo and Alana, since he was the only Racer that spoke either Russian or Kazakh).   So, because of this curse, they were at least jokingly worried about the possibility of a leg in India.

[30 Helens]

16 hours ago, vousviou said:

There is no bonus for coming in second, and in the final day you really want to have at least one team in the mix with lousy navigation skills, poor attention to detail, or at least one other major flaw.

If you consider hubris to be a major flaw, the Boyfriends and the Engineers fill that slot. Also, poor attention to detail abounded in the tableware task (not to mention a certain someone’s inability to count pillars).

The alliance was formed at the very beginning, right? So there was no way to gauge who was a strong or weak team yet, it was just based on personality and who liked who. It may be a coincidence that the stronger teams ended up in the alliance. Or maybe they’re not really the stronger teams, they just got more help. As was noted about the Blondes, we really don’t know how any of these teams are as racers. We just know they are good at copying each others’ answers. If this were high school, they’d all get A’s, but none of them would be earned.

[blackwing]

21 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

And please stop with all the “OMG MEGA LEG!!!” nonsense. How was this leg any different from all the many legs they have run in previous seasons where teams get to the mat only to find out “You’re still racing! Here is your next clue!” Those legs seem much harder to me since the teams don’t expect it to continue. This time they knew it would be longer so, meh. They didn’t even have to travel anywhere else which they have in previous double legs so this one honestly seemed pretty lame and really easy. 

I cannot remember all the details of the time we have had a "you're still racing" or "to be continued", but I think one major difference is that there is the appearance of Phil who hands them their next clue, and they can at least get definitive confirmation of what place they are in.  Also, in some double legs with "you're still racing", they actually end up leaving the country and then bunching may be possible.  With the way this megaleg was set up with the tasks and the yields and the fact that even though it was supposed to be considered one leg, there were two yields available, I don't think the blondes stood a chance.

20 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I thought at the mat that didn’t know there was an alliance let alone a name. They even laughed at the alliance name. Of course, I could be misremembering all of this because I still want them in the race.

I thought they knew there was an alliance but didn't know there was a name.  Phil said something like "the Mine Five took you out today" and one of them responded with "they have a name?!"  I do wonder if the presence of this alliance and the way this megaleg was set up with the two yield opportunities is going to make the producers think about whether they need to redesign the elements in any future megaleg.

6 hours ago, SVNBob said:

However, in another TH/Mat Chat/other interview segment from before the megaleg, apparently [Eswar and Aparna] expressed concern about a TAR curse I'd never heard of.  The curse apparently says that if there is a leg where one and only one team speaks the local language, that team will not win the Race.  (We might have seen this curse in action with Leo and Alana, since he was the only Racer that spoke either Russian or Kazakh).   So, because of this curse, they were at least jokingly worried about the possibility of a leg in India.

I'm pretty sure that Tammy and Victor (I forget the exact season, maybe 15ish?) were the only ones who spoke Mandarin.  They used their Mandarin language skills to extreme advantage in the legs in China, and they ended up winning.  So I think any so-called "language curse" is a creation in their own mind, just like how they think they are extremely brilliant.

 

On 11/27/2020 at 3:52 AM, 30 Helens said:

To me, the most grating thing about Eswar & Aparna is not the constant reminder that they are software engineers. It’s the constant use of the term “software engineer”. It’s a real title, but it’s a little formal for casual conversation. The people I know in the field (including the one I live with) refer to themselves as Programmers, or if they’re being self-deprecating, Coder Monkeys. Software Engineer is for resumes. It’s like calling yourself a Waste Management Engineer when you’re a trash collector, or a Sandwich Technician when you work at freakin’ Subway.

  Yes, thank you!  I wondered in the first episode whether "software engineer" was just a fancy pants term for "computer programmer", and apparently it is.

[sinycalone]

Will and James are major fans of TAR.  They have watched each season....so where did they get the idea that a big alliance was a good idea.  The only other "big" alliance I can recall was the 6-pack, which became the backpack....and it failed miserably.  At first, it kind of made sense for the weaker teams on that season to help each other...then it became absurd.  The mine 5 was definitely Big-Brother related rather than TAR.

[chaifan]

7 hours ago, SVNBob said:

However, in another TH/Mat Chat/other interview segment from before the megaleg, apparently they expressed concern about a TAR curse I'd never heard of.  The curse apparently says that if there is a leg where one and only one team speaks the local language, that team will not win the Race.  (We might have seen this curse in action with Leo and Alana, since he was the only Racer that spoke either Russian or Kazakh).   So, because of this curse, they were at least jokingly worried about the possibility of a leg in India.

They also mentioned that one of the concerns they had about the possibility of going to India is that locals are more likely to help foreigners, and so looking like locals may put them at a disadvantage.  I thought that was interesting.

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, chaifan said:

They also mentioned that one of the concerns they had about the possibility of going to India is that locals are more likely to help foreigners, and so looking like locals may put them at a disadvantage.  I thought that was interesting.

It’s merely anecdotal but having traveled in India a few times with my friend who is Indian American we found that to be the case as well so I would always ask the questions/for help .

Edited November 28, 2020 by biakbiak

[lh25]

2 hours ago, blackwing said:

Yes, thank you!  I wondered in the first episode whether "software engineer" was just a fancy pants term for "computer programmer", and apparently it is.

I am one, and in my world we are programmers.  I esp. like the term "code monkey".  I've been coding for over 30 years in a handful of languages, and I know my experience wouldn't help decoding binary code.  Most of us aren't down to that level of detail.

[SVNBob]

28 minutes ago, lh25 said:

I esp. like the term "code monkey". 

But do you like Fritos, Tab, and Mountain Dew?

[iMonrey]

Quote

For Pete's sake, the call room guy told them, "cross the road," and not only did  they not understand what to do, they complained that it was the call guy who couldn't understand them!

Yeah, considering the call room guy was doing the headsmack thing, I'd say he was genuinely challenged by the blondes. Nice enough gals, but Yields were really the least of their problems.

[lh25]

4 minutes ago, SVNBob said:

But do you like Fritos, Tab, and Mountain Dew?

LOL-I have never seen/heard that!  Thanks.  I'm two for three, not a Mt. Dew fan.  Hubby is, so does make me a fan-in-law of it?

[Guest]

3 hours ago, blackwing said:

I'm pretty sure that Tammy and Victor (I forget the exact season, maybe 15ish?) were the only ones who spoke Mandarin.  They used their Mandarin language skills to extreme advantage in the legs in China, and they ended up winning.  So I think any so-called "language curse" is a creation in their own mind, just like how they think they are extremely brilliant.

Leo and Alana also talked about there being a “language curse”. Like you said that has never been a thing. I wonder if they are confused about the hometown finale curse which has been around since the first season.