S02.E09: How Are We Going to Explain This to Mom and Dad?

[radishcake]

 

Teams go back in time in Charlottetown; the teams end up in a dead heat.

 

[Blackie]

  Wait a minute....they were in Montreal...

At the beginning of this weeks episode I remembered the funniest part from last week so I will go back to ep 8 thread with that.

 

From tonight, in Montreal, Jinder's slide/glide whatever was very week, he was going like 10 mph, should not have passed.

Alain succumbed to the curse of the day job.

So shocked Rob and Ryan safe again, honestly I would have just given up!  Glad they are safe because really, if at the fast forward if they were told to get naked from the start, they would have ripped their clothes off in a second.  Speaking of Rob (or was it Ryan) still can't tell them apart, it is a testament to a Canadian show that it was only brought up in Season 9 that he had testicular cancer. They may be kind of bland but I'm glad they haven't been playing the survivor card all along. 

 

Mickey and Pete were coming out of their hippe characters tonight.  Especially Pete, by the end of the episode he was almost exclusively talking in a grown-up intelligent voice.

[mtlchick]

Yay! My hometown on TAR and without people walking around for ages in the Olympic Stadium looking for something! And with the horrible traffic to prove it! It was an interesting layout.  The airports are pretty far apart, but the rest probably within a 10-15 min drive or each other.

Bigger yay for Ryan and Rob in their underwear! (Pretending I didn't see Jinder.)

Mmm...cheese.  I will be staking out that cheese truck now. I swear this show wants me to get fat. 

 

[Sarahendipity]

I found the 'go to the metro station' clue, just to pick up another clue, interesting. I wonder if there was a task edited out.

Another fun episode,although I can't imagine running up flights of stairs with a belly full of cheese.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Sarahendipity

[ottoDbusdriver]

It's too bad that the bunching at the airport in Paris cost Natalie/Meaghan a 5 hour lead over the last team to depart for this leg.

 

That cheese detour task was really tough, especially since there was no feedback which ones were wrong.  If that task was on TAR US, they would not only have told them how many they had right out of 10 after each try, but which of the cheeses were incorrect.

 

The bead task was time consuming and required a lot of a patience -- I'd be curious how long it took Alain/Audrey to complete it, and how long Ryan/Rob took as well. Because it will probably means a huge lead for Sukhi/Jinder on the next leg.  

[lynny]

I like Rob & Ryan fine but they should have been out. That was some horrendous decision making a the Fast Forward. Once they saw the siblings there, they should have bailed. It was a task that involved them sitting there for a predetermined among of time with no way to make up ground. If the clue had said "strip naked and pose",  the siblings may have bailed from he start. But the way it played out, by the time they got to the Get Naked part, they were committed. No one was going to bail then.

 

I find myself really cheering for Alain & Audrey. His comment about being "currently in 1st place", complete with the hand gesture to the bottom of the screen, couple with her similar comment last week about changing their caption from Dating to Engaged, just sealed the deal. They seem nice and fun and like they really love each other and they're competitive without being douchey. And I liked her excitement at showing off the ring. It was sweet.

[Artsda]

Alain thinking he had the race car one in the bag because of his occupation did him in. He was a know it all and wasn't listening to the instructor like the others.

[UsernameFatigue]

Team Dude continues to crack me up. Loved Pete's play on 'gouda', and also saying if eating grilled cheese was an olympic sport they'd be champions - lol.

 

Interesting to find out about both Ryan's previous cancer, and that Sukhi was a pagent winner.

 

I thought the fast forward was a dumb task. If I hadn't seen the preview last week I would have thought they had to draw, not pose. There was absolutely nothing that required any talent, and as someone pointed out no way to make up time. On the other hand, I now for the first time can tell Rob and Ryan apart. And on a very shallow note, I hope their speed bump next week involves nudity.

 

I don't think I have noticed this before, but do the hockey players always dress alike? Maybe they do and it was just the black and white print tights paired with the red jackets that I noticed this time. Odd.

 

Sukhi and Jinder continue to butcher the French language, starting with directing the cab driver in Paris to the airport. Sukhi's pronunciation of de Gaulle was not even close. I really hope these two exit the show next week - rapido.

Edited September 3, 2014 by UsernameFatigue

[Canada]

This episode was weird... the Fast Forward was ridiculously easy.  And, as Sarahendipity said above, it was really strange to have the competitors take a taxi to a 'clue' and that clue was just directing them to get in another taxi and get to Jon.  Why even bother?  And ANOTHER non-elimination leg????  I now have a total hatred for non-elimination legs.

[shok]

Well, that was kind of a mopey episode on a dull gloomy day in Montreal, wasn't it? Especially compared to every one of the previous shows being really top rate and full of energy. Such a shame we didn't get a chance to see Montreal in the sunshine and feel the vibrancy of that great city.

 

I wonder if maybe the rain caused them to call off a physical task that would have been too dangerous in those conditions and TPTB just had them go straight to the pit stop instead. The episode sure didn't have the non-stop action and good mix of mental and physical that they've normally had.

[Taeolas]

Often in other TAR's there are tasks that are left on the cutting room floor. So it could be there was something at the metro station that had to be cut out, either during the race itself, or in cutting the episode together. Considering the weather they were having (which may have made the driving task more difficult), and how long the bead and cheese tasks took (I think those took longer than the producers may have anticipated), the metro station task was probably cut on the fly; especially if there were Hours of Operation limitations with it. Note when they showed the fast forward and had the "Skip all the remaining stages", the Metro station was one of the things they would be 'skipping', which implies there was more there than a clue pickup. 

 

Or it may just have been a way/opportunity to try and mix up the order a little before the final check in. 

 

In any case, another non-elim. I wonder if they placed it there to give them a bit of recovery time? A big drop for the Hockey Girls, but with the airport bunching, that shouldn't be a big deal. I am beginning to think they should just fly the teams to the next destination and then release them in order of arrival. Then again the bunching does keep everyone together which production likes. 

[Blackie]

I don't know if it is a very good advertising for a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich business to have everyone keep repeating that they all taste the same.

 

I was hoping that in Montreal that they would do a task involving roller derby, actually that would have been a more fun fast forward then the boring drawing thing.

[Twickenham]

Argggg!!! They spelled centre 'center' in the clue!!  This is Amazing Race CANADA!!

 

If Sukhi and Jinder end up winning this thing, they may just be the stupidest winners of TAR ever. Stop speaking Spanish to French people already! I want.them.gone.

 

Does anybody find it strange that all of the teams exited the baggage claim area at YUL at the same time? I mean, there's no way they could have coordinated immigration that well, is there?

 

The 'go to Air Canada's sooper-duper priority check-in line for your next clue' is probably the most blatant self-promotion of a sponsor task we've seen on TAR. I think it beats last year's Blackberry task.

 

I think for the Fast Forward, the producers were counting on some Canadian prudishness rearing its head. But really, what would you rather do - pose naked or eat some of the discusting things they've given racers on this race in the past?

 

My Alain & Audrey love continues to grow, even if he can't drive to save his live... :P

[Shermie]

Canadian prudishness? Didn't know that was a thing. I think it would have been more of an issue on TAR:US.

I don't have an issue with the FF being easy to do. Sometimes it's a decision based on bravery that some aren't willing to make. Original TAR has had head shaving as a FF twice, and I recall a team not doing it because the woman didn't want to lose her long hair. Posing nude might be a deal breaker for a parent-child team, or someone who is just not comfortable with their body.

I guess I'm the only one who likes Sukhi and Jinder. I would laugh so hard if they won. I also,love the hippie dudes, and dark-haired one, especially, is getting hotter each week. I love Audrey's lilting accent and could listen to her speak all day.

And teams losing their lead because of airport (or train, or ferry, or...) bunching is nothing new. I'm sure S&J will lose their substantial lead next week when they fly to Charlottetown. I'm really curious to know how far behind Ryan and Rob are.

[TV Anonymous]

As a Montrealer, I am sad and disappointed that this Montreal episode is the worst episode so far in this season. Maybe because of the weather?

 

The worst part is the non-competitive FF. And stupid of Rob and Ryan to try it when Sukhi and Jinder are already started. They should have known that there is no way their artists can do the sketch faster than the siblings' artists.

 

Is there any clause in the contract with challenge providers that they have to give their service in English, no matter what? I would say that Alain might be more comfortable communicating with the stunt instructor in French. As well, as it is in Mirabel, those instructors should speak French well. Same case as the glass Detour. There is no way that the judge does not speak French and Audrey appears to be a bilingual francophone.

[Taeolas]

Given it's an English show, there probably is a clause saying that the challenge givers and such must use English as much as possible. Subbing spur of the moment chatter is one thing, but they probably wouldn't want to sub big discussions; and it might be seen as giving a team an unfair advantage.

 

As for leaving customs, I wouldn't be surprised if production bunched them up just inside the door for just such an Airport Race scene. (Especially since TARC doesn't have much airport drama otherwise).

 

In looking at the schedule to Charlottetown, I'm wondering if they are so locked in they have no choice but to fly direct, or if they would let teams pick their route? Seems like Charlottetown only has 2 flights a day from Montreal, both later in the day (2 flights out of 14). There are 7 flights from Toronto, 4 from Halifax and 1 from Ottawa, so some creative routing might get a team to the Island first. It would give production a fit, but flying to Moncton and renting a car to the island (you pay to leave, so driving to the island is free and only 2 hours or so from Moncton airport) might even be feasible depending on how a team has budgeted and when they are released for the next leg.

[TV Anonymous]

If the clue says "fly to Charlottetown" and team flies to Moncton and drives instead to Charlottetown, the team is liable for a penalty.

 

Other than that, you are right. If team leaves in the morning and they must take Air Canada (assuming that they can choose flights as long as it is AC), then flying through Halifax gives earlier arrival time in Charlottetown than flying direct.

Edited September 3, 2014 by TV Anonymous

[Rusun]

Curiously, the body-sketch clue said that Alain and Audrey were eligible, akin to how Sukhi and Jinder used an unaired U-Turn on Pierre and Michel in Hong Kong well before the one in Paris against Ryan and Rob, or how all three instances of Canadian FFs only appeared after a task rather than at the very beginning of the leg (police-car after lentils, vintage advertisements after mint-geography, body-sketch after driving).

 

As well, Quebec has yet to host an elimination (or a female greeter for that matter).

[Rachel RSL]

I'm so annoyed the bumbling, boring guys were saved by a NEL again! They seem like pleasant fellows and good for the one who kicked cancer's ass, but they really add nothing of interest to the show.

Nude modeling with your sibling is just so icky. Agreed Sukhi, we're all glad you didn't choose one of the entwined poses!

[beedub]

I like Rob & Ryan fine but they should have been out. That was some horrendous decision making a the Fast Forward. Once they saw the siblings there, they should have bailed. It was a task that involved them sitting there for a predetermined among of time with no way to make up ground. If the clue had said "strip naked and pose",  the siblings may have bailed from he start. But the way it played out, by the time they got to the Get Naked part, they were committed. No one was going to bail then.

 

I wasn't too disappointed that Rob & Ryan survived, although I don't generally like it when a team is the beneficiary of a non-elim twice in a Race. But the fact that they showed them completing all the remaining tasks made it reasonably clear that they wouldn't be sent home. Otherwise they'd just get the quick edit that implies they've been hustled along to the mat for the goodbye. If they're leaving anyway, why bother finishing? But not this time.

 

About the Fast Forward, no, there wasn't any point starting it - if they understood at the outset how it would work, but I'm not sure they did. Yes, there was the fact that each pose was for a set amount of time, so no opportunity to catch up, but the surprise at the end might have made a difference, and they wouldn't have known that until they realized S&J were going for it. Of course at that point it was obvious they had to bail, but it was too late. So yes, compared to the sign-hunting in Winnipeg, where any amount of time could be taken to complete it, it was a big gamble to choose to do it knowing that another team had already started.

 

Meg really smoked the driving challenge, which clearly wasn't easy. Very impressive.

 

It really was a shame about the weather in Montreal, if no big surprise. Every time I've gone there (in the summer) it's rained for at least one whole day (and as they say, "Il pleut averse"). And it did seem to have an impact on the tasks - it might have been a good reason to do the bead-making, just to get out of the rain! I agree that the Victoria Square stop looked like something had been aborted, either for time or the bad conditions. But too bad the weather left such a gloomy impression of the city, it can be pretty amazing otherwise.

[xcrayon2215x]

 Ryan/Rob are really circling the drain recently, I think they are gone next week. The Fast Forward was a lot easier than the Detour tasks for sure.

[gryphon]

I've been nude modeling for 2 decades....the artists were very lenient with the poses--a body tends to shift with gravity when held in one position for a long time. It can be a bit painful.  And they do not usually allow talking models.  Also, I'm wondering if the guys would have taken off all their clothes at the beginning of the session would they have passed Suk and Jinder?  

Never mind--I adore this show and I am sorry for being nit picky.   I do not adore Suki and Jinder, though.  

 

Mmm. Cheese! 

[Blackie]

I think Suki and Jinder's language confusion is as phoney as Pete and Mickey's hippy act.

[HistoryGirl]

 

I find myself really cheering for Alain & Audrey. His comment about being "currently in 1st place", complete with the hand gesture to the bottom of the screen, couple with her similar comment last week about changing their caption from Dating to Engaged, just sealed the deal. They seem nice and fun and like they really love each other and they're competitive without being douchey. And I liked her excitement at showing off the ring. It was sweet.

Ditto!  It really shows that Audrey at least is a HUGE Amazing Race fan because only a person who's been watching a long time will pay that much attention to the labels, I think. I love it every time she does and laugh. 

 

I think Sukhi & Jinder would've bailed on the task if it was a different position.  The one they chose was pretty easy to shield themselves from eachother.  Sukhi is the only one that *might* be able to see Jinder, but it would've been easy to keep her eyes to the ground the way she was standing.  The boys had a more open pose, but even that one wasn't too bad.  A face to face and even hugging pose might've/would've been a deal breaker for Sukhi and Jinder I think. There were some more provocative poses on the list they could choose from. 

[TV Anonymous]

For fellow Montrealers, if you want to catch Le Cheese food truck, their menu and schedule are here.

[mtlchick]

 

Does anybody find it strange that all of the teams exited the baggage claim area at YUL at the same time?

 

I rewound it and it was a blink and miss it thing: it felt that all of them lined up and someone yelled out "GO!" because they seemed they all started running at the same time. 

[Kel Varnsen]

That cheese detour task was really tough, especially since there was no feedback which ones were wrong.  If that task was on TAR US, they would not only have told them how many they had right out of 10 after each try, but which of the cheeses were incorrect..  

I was wondering if they could have done some sort of process of elimination thing. Like on their first try you just tell the guy which one is cheddar, then give 9 fake or made up cheese names. That way you know you have one right and which one it is.  It might take a little longer (although the Ryan and Rob did it for 20+ times) but you would have to spend less time thinking and you would know which ones were right.

[Fake Jan Brady]

I'm so annoyed the bumbling, boring guys were saved by a NEL again! They seem like pleasant fellows and good for the one who kicked cancer's ass, but they really add nothing of interest to the show.

 

Nothing of interest? Did you not see semi-naked Rob?? [/superficiality] I couldn't help but wonder if this was the first time they'd been naked together. [ok, now /superficiality]

 

Tims Snr & Jnr survived two non-elimination legs last year and things worked out well for them, so maybe this is a good omen for Rob/Ryan (or, maybe, they are just bad at this race thing). I liked how the show did the whole fake out "I wouldn't have done this with anyone else" scene before saving them.

 

I can finally tell who is who in the Hockey team by the simple mnemonic; Natalie is nice, Meghan is mean (but not always, as her slow dawning realisation of Audrey's engagement ring and subsequent excitement was the highlight of the episode).

Edited September 4, 2014 by cousin oliver

[In Pog Form]

Tonight on "we don't know how to say words proper-like":

Sukhi: "Take us to Charles De Goo-wally airport"

Everybody at the cheese challenge: "Red Lie-chester" "Glou-chester"

/facepalm

Edited September 4, 2014 by In Pog Form

[In Pog Form]

His comment about being "currently in 1st place", complete with the hand gesture to the bottom of the screen, couple with her similar comment last week about changing their caption from Dating to Engaged, just sealed the deal.

That's going to get old really fast (I'd say it already has), especially if more racers start doing it (and you know they will).

[Florinaldo]

It's too bad it was so rainy in Montréal that day, considering how generally sunny and pleasant summers are in this part of the country. If that was the cause for the apparently meaningless relay stop at Square Victoria it's even more of a missed opportunity because that part of town offers a great variety of establishments in various fields, which could have been interesting possibilities for an imaginative challenge.

 

That cheese challenge was hard; even the best cheeses lose some or a lot of their personality when they are cooked and many do tend to all taste the same, although I think there were a few that would remain relatively easy to spot (like a goat one and I think one blue cheese).

 

The bead making challenge also seemed very hard, because the judge had strict standards.

[Kromm]

I just realized that the second car stunt they did was a Rockford Turn!

[Camera One]

Yeah, this week wasn't so great.  The grilled cheese challenge dragged.  There needed to be another task in this one.

 

I wasn't sure the reasoning behind Ryan and Rob staying for the fast-forward.  Just because they want first?  As the hockey players said, totally not worth it.  Sukhi and Jinder lucked out with the pose they chose.  With Ryan and Rob's one, it would have been hard to avoid seeing one another.  Overall, a pretty lame fast-forward.  I guess it was mainly for the shock factor of the nudity at the end.

 

Audrey and Alain are always changing tasks. I suppose it has mostly worked out for them but risky with the time lost in transportation.

[Donny Ketchum]

Disappointed in the outcome.  I strongly dislike Ryan & Rob and their excessive dullness and wanted them to go.  That was a leg chock-full and bad decisions and they instead get rewarded for it with an undeserved save.  Yuck.