S14.E11: National Finals 2

[Lantern7]

Quote

The finals continue in Las Vegas, where the ninjas face super-sized obstacles in Stages 1 and 2 in timed runs; the ninjas who advance to Stage 2 must complete a six-obstacle course, including new obstacle Hornet’s Next, to advance to Stage 3.

[Lantern7]

Ladies and gentlemen . . . Flip Rodriguez finally cleared Stage Two.

[ams1001]

Flip just almost gave me a heart attack!

Damn, Josh just took that buzzer down! Literally!

Edited August 23, 2022 by ams1001

[Frisky Wig]

I’m tired of the hosts using the word “survived.”  “He’s the first competitor tonight to survive this obstacle!” Come on, Akbar, it’s not like they fall into the water and instantly die. Reminds of my “dancing for their lives” on So You Think You Can Dance. 
 

While I give Jackson Twaitt credit for finding something to talk about other than his pathological obsession with his cat, the salsa thing was even MORE annoying than the cat crap. I literally laughed out loud when he fell on the first obstacle! 

[SophiaD]

Yay, Flip, RJ, and Josh!  RJ in particular looks amazing.  I am especially bummed for Tyler Yamauchi, a long-time favorite, but he did really well.  

I think I'll DVR next Monday's show and/or come here to see who wins first.  If it's a forgettable teen, I'm not sure I'll bother to watch.  Sorry, young dudes.  Many of them are amazing athletes and Matt and Akbar try hard to set a narrative, but it's just not really compelling.  At one point, Akbar was going on and on about how this teen had spent so many hours working out in his parents' garage, or whatever, and I was all, "Um, Akbar, he's fifteen.  He doesn't have to worry finding a job, or car repairs, or any of the other hassles of daily life.  Which is great, and every kid should be so fortunate.  But it doesn't make his story that interesting."  I have to give Akbar and Matt credit, though - they had the same level of energy and enthusiasm at the end of the show as they did at the beginning.

(Hey, did you know the last obstacle features a blind grab?)

Ah, well, maybe I'll get over my curmudgeonly attitude next season.  Hopefully, we'll also have some of the elite women or some new elite women to go deeper into the finals as well.  

[ams1001]

5 hours ago, SophiaD said:

(Hey, did you know the last obstacle features a blind grab?)

Really? Ya' don't say!

I was bummed for Tyler, too. His little one clapping for him was adorable. (I doubt she knew what was going on, but she was cute.)

[Rickster]

5 hours ago, SophiaD said:

I think I'll DVR next Monday's show and/or come here to see who wins first.  If it's a forgettable teen, I'm not sure I'll bother to watch.  Sorry, young dudes.  Many of them are amazing athletes and Matt and Akbar try hard to set a narrative, but it's just not really compelling.  At one point, Akbar was going on and on about how this teen had spent so many hours working out in his parents' garage, or whatever, and I was all, "Um, Akbar, he's fifteen.  He doesn't have to worry finding a job, or car repairs, or any of the other hassles of daily life.  Which is great, and every kid should be so fortunate.  But it doesn't make his story that interesting."  I have to give Akbar and Matt credit, though - they had the same level of energy and enthusiasm at the end of the show as they did at the beginning.

In fairness, a lot (although not all) of the top adult ninjas spend their time training other ninjas or running ninja gyms, where I’d bet they are the “face” of the gym, not the person handling the payroll or getting the bathrooms cleaned. I don’t think that’s all that different than the kid spending his time after school training in his parents backyard. In fact they might have more time. Since I live in Connecticut, believe me, it’s been years since Joe Moravsky was actually a regular weatherman. He runs a gym near me these days.

[Rickster]

I would add, as an adult viewer, I find the backstories of the adults much more interesting than learning a teen’s dad built a gym in the backyard, but I’m not sure I am the target audience for this show anymore. 

[Dottie D]

I have lost interest in the show ever since it became so teen focused. Did Najee Richardson make it to the finals? I have always liked him. He's exciting to watch.

[Lovecat]

9 hours ago, Frisky Wig said:

I’m tired of the hosts using the word “survived.”  “He’s the first competitor tonight to survive this obstacle!” Come on, Akbar, it’s not like they fall into the water and instantly die. Reminds of my “dancing for their lives” on So You Think You Can Dance. 

Right?  I mumbled to myself, "Well, it's not like they take them out back and shoot them..."

1 hour ago, Dottie D said:

I have lost interest in the show ever since it became so teen focused. Did Najee Richardson make it to the finals? I have always liked him. He's exciting to watch.

He did make it to the finals, but he's not on the list of competitors for Stage 1, as either a finisher or non-finisher.  It's like he disappeared between semis and finals.  Huh.  I did notice there were a couple of kids that ran last night were identified as "alternates," so maybe Najee had to drop out for some reason.  NBC frequently seems to gloss over these things; they barely mentioned Daniel Gil not competing this year (though I understand that might be a bit of a sensitive situation) and made a vague reference to Joe Morovsky being out due to "health and safety protocols."  I of course respect athletes' privacy, but if your mug is going to be on the big screen cheering on other competitors (and both Daniel's and Joe's were), a little more transparency would be appreciated.  I don't recall seeing Najee anywhere, so I hope everything is OK with him.

[enoughcats]

16 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

Right?  I mumbled to myself, "Well, it's not like they take them out back and shoot them..."

Don't give TPTB any ideas.  

They've already perfected the WWWA to glide past some of my favorites (last night, very near the beginning, at least three old timers got WWA'ed.)

[Good Queen Jane]

2 hours ago, Dottie D said:

Did Najee Richardson make it to the finals? I have always liked him. He's exciting to watch.

According to Sasukepedia, Najee had to withdraw due to Covid protocol. He was replaced by Jackson Erdes.

[Lovecat]

5 minutes ago, Good Queen Jane said:

According to Sasukepedia, Najee had to withdraw due to Covid protocol. He was replaced by Jackson Erdes.

And NBC couldn't tell us that (with Najee's permission of course)?  Even the "health and safety protocol" hand wave would have gotten the message across.  It's odd that people just seem to...disappear.  You'd think NBC would be aaaaaall over the "dreams crushed by COVID" drama, too.

[PBnJay]

3 hours ago, Dottie D said:

I have lost interest in the show ever since it became so teen focused.

Same. I tuned in to see if Flip made it and was thrilled he did. Then turned it back off. It would delight me no end if Flip won the whole thing. I just can't with all the kids being the focus now and anyone older than 30 is a decrepit has been.

Akbar and Matt must be exhausted after every taping.

[Frisky Wig]

1 hour ago, enoughcats said:

Don't give TPTB any ideas.  

They've already perfected the WWWA to glide past some of my favorites (last night, very near the beginning, at least three old timers got WWA'ed.)

The WWWA nonsense is aggravating and I feel bad for everyone that gets the short end of that stick. Especially the new people, first- timers who are surely excited to be on the show and on TV, telling their friends and fam to tune in on Monday night, only to have their run be 10 seconds long. And we miss the runs of people who finish and hit the buzzer but see other people fall in the water on the second obstacle!? 
 

Don’t the TPTB know that we viewers want to see the old timers and people who finish the course and hit the buzzer? But no, let’s WWWA them so we can fit in footage of Jackson Twaitt shoveling spoonfuls of salsa into his pie hole! Like, what the fuck!? 

[DEL901]

Since filming is done before the first episode airs, I can see then not wanting to do a back story on someone who goes far too early in the season, but no excuse to do WWWA on anyone who makes it to semi finals.  

[mlp]

2 hours ago, Frisky Wig said:

Don’t the TPTB know that we viewers want to see the old timers and people who finish the course and hit the buzzer? But no, let’s WWWA them so we can fit in footage of Jackson Twaitt shoveling spoonfuls of salsa into his pie hole!

Exactly.  That annoys me every time.  I did think this was the best week of the season because there was less nonsense (none would be better).  I just don't understand the editing decisions.  They know who made it and who fell when they're putting the shows together.  Why do they think we want a lot of back story on someone who fell halfway through?  I want to see the whole runs of people who did well.

I don't remember seeing Jake Murray this season.  Was he not on or did I forget?

[ams1001]

3 hours ago, mlp said:

I don't remember seeing Jake Murray this season.  Was he not on or did I forget?

He posted this on facebook in March:

Quote

I will not be competing on Ninja Warrior this year ending my seven season streak. I feel it’s in my best interest to step aside this year. I appreciate everything anyone has done to support me over the years and I may return for season 15. I’ll continue with my training regardless, because being strong and healthy will always remain a priority to me. I hope the best for my friends and fellow competitors, may they perform at their potential! 

Edited August 23, 2022 by ams1001

[TiredMe]

Did they not even show Gnarly Nate stage 2 run? Or did I walk away and miss it?

go RJ and Flip!

[Rickster]

13 minutes ago, TiredMe said:

Did they not even show Gnarly Nate stage 2 run? Or did I walk away and miss it?

go RJ and Flip!

I think they said a few people are running stage 2 next week. I guess that will include Nate.

[SophiaD]

I think the people who ran Stage 1 last night didn't have to do Stage 2 until the next session.  It wouldn't be fair to make them do two stages in a row.

I do have to say, upon reflection, the show is definitely sending, for lack of a better term, a "wholesome" message through the teens (and other athletes) that they showcase.  They talk about stuff like autism, death in the family, physical illness, and so on, and whoever is doing the editing has a relatively light touch (other than repeating the same stories, over and over again).  It's impressive.  I hope it inspires some of the younger folks watching to pick it up.  

I also hope that the older ninjas don't feel crowded out, though, especially since being in your 30s is now considered "old."  I really liked watching Travis Rosen and Sam San and Alyssa Beird's mother take on the course and would hate to see that go away.  

[mlp]

4 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I will not be competing on Ninja Warrior this year ending my seven season streak. I feel it’s in my best interest to step aside this year.

Huh.  That's kind of an enigmatic statement.  I wonder what he meant.  I've always liked Jake.  His antics never annoyed me for some reason.  I hope he comes back.

Thanks ams1001.

Edited August 24, 2022 by mlp
correct something

[Vermicious Knid]

They actually joined one run, that was a finisher, already in progress. This is a taped show, not live. There is no excuse for that kind of ridiculousness.

Yay for Flip and RJ. Most heartwarming moment of the whole season was Flip getting swarmed with a group hug after hitting the buzzer. Just curious if anyone has listed to RJ's music?

[Taeolas]

Yeah, Stage 2 is split over 2 episodes. Since the finale is next week, Stage 3 will probably only have a few more finishers; but the fact they have 6? already is well above last year. The blind grab (did  you know it's a blind grab?) at the end isnt' as killer as it was last year now that the Ninjas can train for it. 

[DEL901]

8 hours ago, SophiaD said:

I think the people who ran Stage 1 last night didn't have to do Stage 2 until the next session.  It wouldn't be fair to make them do two stages in a row.

I don’t think the way the runs are shown on tv is the same as when they filmed them.  I am sure all the stage 1 runs were filmed the same day and then stage 2 filmed a day or two later.  Matt and Akbar film additional voice overs once the editors break down what will be shown each night.  

[enoughcats]

13 hours ago, SophiaD said:

It wouldn't be fair to make them do two stages in a row.

Can we guess the take down and build up times for Stage One vx. Stage Two.

Start with: do they drain the pools or are the pools in the same slots, and only the superstructure changes?  

[ams1001]

5 minutes ago, enoughcats said:

Start with: do they drain the pools or are the pools in the same slots, and only the superstructure changes?  

I found myself wondering how much it costs to build all these things (not sure why I didn't wonder before this season...).

Something I've wondered in the past is how deep are the pools? I'd guess it might depend on how far they'd fall from the obstacle and the likelihood of going in head first, in which case they have to be a bit deeper so they don't hit the bottom. (But it seems they are shallow enough for an adult to stand and most of them don't seem to be more than chest deep on anyone.)

[Taeolas]

It looked like all 4 Vegas stages are built at once. When they were transitioning from Stage 1 to Stage 2, it looked like Stage 2 was basically behind Stage 1. Matt and Akbar even have a second viewing stage set up for Stage 2. Stage 3 was behind that, and Stage 4 is always up. 

And I do believe all stages are run as quickly as they can process the ninjas, so Stage 3 and Stage 4 are run deep in the morning after they've been up all night running Stage 2. 

It does seem that for the Safety Pass Ninjas, they let those ones go early, so they have some recovery time if they need to use the pass. But otherwise, having to run an extra run over everyone else within the tight time period is one of the "Costs" of the safety pass. The pass may let them continue on, but their tanks are that much emptier. 

[marny]

I know the whole package about him training by eating salsa (eye roll) was a huge waste of time and undeserved attention, but it really made it even sweeter when Jackson Twaitt fell on the very first obstacle.

[Vermicious Knid]

They may have to move next season. There's a parcel along Las Vegas Blvd that was recently sold in that area, I've been trying to figure out if their location is part of it.

DVR is showing an additional episode after the final, titled 'ANW Family Championship'. I...really hope it's not adult contestants and their kids.

[Quilt Fairy]

That Stage 2 seemed rather odd to me.  There is usually more variety of obstacles in this stage, not 5 in a row that are all upper body.  With a Stage 2 like this, what is Stage 3 going to look like?