S02.E10: Hot Poop

[TV Anonymous]

Turning into different direction now...

 

The racing challenge was a riot, particularly the announcer. I wonder if racers heard what he was announcing through the PA. That challenge is pure physical endurance, I do not believe I have seen that in TAR for a long while. However, that challenge also showcases sexual dimorphism in human being. Two women world-class athletes, in a physically demanding sport, in the peak of their physical condition, can not outrace a man who does not do high-level competitive sport.

 

I like how the greeter, just like the one in Winnipeg, was more interactive with the racers. She laughed and giggled, rather than just stood there, being pretty and said, "Welcome to [name of place], [specific distinction about the place]."

 

Turn again to "that" direction: what actually happened with Mikk and Spooner when they parked the car? Sukhi and Jinder was behind them but the siblings got a head start? Did Mikk park the car incorrectly?

[pievancouver]

I can't believe that Jinder/Sukhi outran Nat/Meg...

Edited September 11, 2014 by pievancouver

[HistoryGirl]

Nnnnnnooooooooooo! My two least favourite teams racing for the win and my two favourites battling to survive? That's too much for one episode.

 

I don't like the speed bump being a needle in a haystack task; it really should be a test of skill (parking a trailer, learning a song).

 

That memory task is quite possibly the most difficult Roadblock I've seen on any version of The Amazing Race (but don't ask me; my memory is terrible).

 

There was a similar task on a past Amazing Race that I don't think anyone took. Basically teams had to identify Russian leaders (ie. Stalin, Lenin) who were schmoozing at a party. 

[anonymiss]

I'm happy for Sukhi and Jinder because I'm happy for anyone beating the favourites. Everyone is an underdog over these girls and they act like it and know it which bugs. There's an entitlement that they're supposed to win each leg. I'm also, though, continually impressed with Sukhi's clutch focus. I was amused by her student-y mnemonic devices.

[JustAlison]

 

I can't believe that Jinder/Sukhi outran Nat/Meg...

 

I think Sukhi outshooting them is more incredulous...yet both things happened, much to my delight.

 

 

Everyone is an underdog over these girls and they act like it and know it which bugs.

 

I agree, and would add to this the mounting evidence that they are really, really poor losers. I think the tattling one actually believes that Sukhi and Jinder cheated, because she cannot fathom that they were simply beaten. Repeatedly. And so the appeal to the audience...like somehow Sukhi's misdirection nullifies her fantastic win? I don't know about hockey fans, but most Canadians I know understand fair play, and know a poor sport when they see one. My dislike grows each week, which seems a shame, as I would like to root for a Canadian female team. I just cannot get behind these two. at. all.

[Kromm]

Oh, they were definitely whining. Their poor display of attitude has made me switch from cheering them on to hoping they lose. I'm now for Team Dude.

I'm not so fickle I'll ditch someone after one instance of whining.  But if they do it again and show a pattern?  Sure.

 

I mean Team Quebec whined quite a lot about Team Hockey passing them at the gas station.  Was that a big deal?  Not really.

 

Besides, didn't we already know there was a mean one and a nicer one?  I think it was the mean one who was whining/complaining.

Edited September 12, 2014 by Kromm

[shok]

I agree, and would add to this the mounting evidence that they are really, really poor losers.

 

Wow, just wow. They have been gracious winners and except for this moment of grumpiness on the mat have taken their losses as well as anyone else and just used it as motivation to do better.

[radishcake]

Just a reminder to check out the mod notes in the thread and if you find something offensive please report it instead of engaging.

-your friendly mod

[Camera One]

This was an intense episode.  I was disappointed Alain and Audrey were eliminated, but everyone worked really hard and generally ran a good race, so I can't say the two guys didn't deserve it and I was cheering for both of the bottom teams.  It seems like Alain and Audrey did often have problems with challenges, in the sense they were often slower.  But they always impressed me by persevering with a good attitude.   I mean, Alain was surprisingly slow on the track.

 

I liked the Confederation House task.  Sukhi's mnemonic device are a funny constant on this race.  I guess maybe Meaghan didn't catch Charles Tupper's pronunciation because she was going up to each person and saying out the info for confirmation.  If the actress didn't correct the Charles Tapper mistake, she would never have known.

 

I actually think Meaghan and Natalie losing has made me like them more.  I only started liking Natalie last episode when I noticed she consistently has a pretty good attitude even when losing.  For example, when she offered to try Meaghan's grilled cheese last week, so they had 2 opinions.  And also when she reassured Meagan not to stress after leaving the Confederation task last.  

 

I would have liked to see someone do the math one and finish in record time.  I like that they have a better balance of intellectual vs. strength type tasks on the Canadian version.

[mtlchick]

Re watching the episode now and on the roadblock, it specified that Suhki and Ryan had to do it.  Did they establish what the RB limit was?

[Camera One]

I prefer when the racers can choose who would do individual tasks, so they could strategize over the course of the season.

Edited September 13, 2014 by Camera One

[Florinaldo]

The speed bump was a bit excessive; that pile of manure did not have to be so big for it to be nasty enough and do the job of delaying them. I liked the Fathers of Confederation memory test, especially since it used some of the lesser-known figures in the bunch, instead of only the ones people are more likely to have heard of in history classes (like Cartier, Tupper or McGee).

 

I have to grudgingly admit that the siblings' competitive skills have been convincing in recent episodes, although I still think they are not the brightest lights around in day-to-day life.

 

I agree, and would add to this the mounting evidence that they are really, really poor losers.

Their holier-than-thou attitude is getting exponentially more and more grating. I would be ready to believe in their sincerity only if footage came out showing them nobly declining a penalty shot awarded to one of them in a hockey match, on the pretext that it would not be fair play.

[JustAlison]

We just re-watched this, too, and I am sure I saw a walking cast on Alain, as he walks away from the mat and Jon?  I am terrible with the new styles, and perhaps it is one of those ridiculously overpriced hipster boots? But it really looked like a walking cast. I wonder if that contributed to his difficulty running the track? 

Edited September 13, 2014 by JustAlison

[Miss Scarlet]

I think Natalie and Meaghan (esp. M) have developed an entitlement complex, regarding winning this. They won most of the legs, they're ahead a lot of the time; to them, the race is theirs to win. Anyone who thwarts that possibility is somehow ruining it for them, which is true, but it never occurs to them, even once, that their wins ruin the race for others. Because they think they are entitled to the win. That's how they come across to me.

I think this is true and I also think they are offended at losing to a team that they feel is "beneath" them. When they were doing the mussels task Meghan said "There is no way I am losing to those guys. That is not happening" or something to that effect. I don't like how Meghan is very self-righteous and makes everything into a case of morality. It's a reality tv competition! I don't think it helps that they're known as "The Golden Meghan and Natalie". That's even what the announcer at the horse racetrack called them. I'm still finding them boring. When the most interesting thing you've said on the show is "I love candy" then you are not that interesting.

 

 

Their holier-than-thou attitude is getting exponentially more and more grating. I would be ready to believe in their sincerity only if footage came out showing them nobly declining a penalty shot awarded to one of them in a hockey match, on the pretext that it would not be fair play.

Exactly!!

 

Sad to see Audrey and Alain go. I loved the "I love you, I hate you" imitation from Alain. I thought that they had the most personality of all the teams left, although sometimes they could veer into annoying. They were very sweet, but they could also veer into too much affection.

 

Ryan and Rob are pleasant, but boring.

 

I still find Mickey and Pete inauthentic. I think they know what to say/do to get people on their side. They think calling every girl they see "cute" or "adorable" or complimenting their sweaters or whatever makes them likable. I find it smarmy.

 

Jinder and Suhki are somewhat annoying, somewhat entertaining. I can't believe they outran Natalie and Meghan. Didn't really care for Jinder's "you're just mad because we beat you". I think he could have pointed out her poor attitude and self-righteousness, but in a better way.

[Camera One]

In some ways, Jinder acts like a kid in high school.  I generally like watching them for the humor, but it was a bit much when they said in the interview that they belong at #1.  It might have been the extended interview from last week.  They're not the strongest team but there are challenges where they have been able to get there late and race out of there ahead of other teams, like the Confederation one this week and the flag challenge in the past.  

 

Mickey and Pete aren't my favorite team but I don't find them inauthentic.  In some ways, their mellowness contributed to nobody U-turning them.  I'm kinda surprised one of them is an accountant but they both said they live paycheque to paycheque.  I also liked how they asked the girls not to bicker at the grilled cheese challenge.

 

If Natalie and Meaghan hadn't slowed down at the gas station, maybe they could have gotten out of their cars faster and made it to the mat first.  They should have shown some footage of what happened at the parking lot instead of the usual "suspenseful" vantage point of the Mat greeter/John.

[mledawn]

I think this is true and I also think they are offended at losing to a team that they feel is "beneath" them. When they were doing the mussels task Meghan said "There is no way I am losing to those guys. That is not happening" or something to that effect.

 

Whining bothers me but this doesn't. It's exactly how I would be, and it's how I am watching the show. Alain and Audrey losing while lesser teams are still in it is annoying and disappointing. But it's all part of the gaaaaaame.

[TV Anonymous]

I prefer when the racers can choose who would do individual tasks, so they could strategize over the course of the season.

 

As demonstrated in the earlier episode of TAR, that led to a situation where one racer did (almost) all of the road blocks.

[Camera One]

Yeah, it's always interesting when one person does way more than the other, and the second person is forced to do a whole bunch in the last few legs.

[SnideAsides]

So I *think* I've worked out what the memory task is. Spoilered just in case.

 

We saw this week that teams have been getting maps of their destinations on their clues (PEI is visible on Mickey/Pete's when they leave the Pit Stop), which means it's either the route or something that appeared once in each location. The route itself makes that option implausible, but you know what kind of fits? Memory tasks themselves. Afternoon tea in BC. Kung fu in Hong Kong. The Portuguese dance in Macau. Dog collars in the Yukon. The song in Manitoba. The menu items in France. Grilled cheese in Quebec. The Canadian forefathers in PEI...

[Shermie]

That's an interesting theory - including elements of all of them would make it the ultimate version.

[ottoDbusdriver]

That's an interesting theory - including elements of all of them would make it the ultimate version.

 

That's a good theory.  However, it would really only work if

the memory tasks were all roadblock tasks that everyone had to do, as some of those tasks @SnideAsides mentions were detour tasks.  If a team didn't do one of the detour tasks (like the grilled cheese or the French menu items) they couldn't be included as part of in the final task in the finale. Could they ?

[SnideAsides]

I think it could, since

they would have been described in the Detour clues, and with two of the tasks being skipped by Fast Forwards I'd expect the fact that having never heard of the task before would be a tipoff to its position.

[Rusun]

Who is Team Atwal?

 

Sukhi/Jinder, and please excuse the late response!

 

P.S. Were Nicole/Cormac, Pierre/Michel, and Alain/Audrey the Jessica/John, David/Connor, and Pam/Winnie to Natalie/Meaghan's Bates/Anthony?

[Shermie]

Thanks, I have no idea what these racers' last names are.

Nor do I understand your question. I assume it's some reference to a previous TAR, but I barely remember racers' names as the show airs, much less once the season is over.

[Rusun]

You're most welcome, Shermie ~

 

I should've rephrased my inquiry as a rhetorical question at large, though you might wish during your free time to watch TAR22 a.k.a. the gator skiing season with all the aforementioned people: it begins with an uncharacteristically long stay in Oceania followed by an equally unusual short (but memorable) stint through Asia, to give you an idea of its route.

 

P.S. How many Canucks here find TAR-CAN2 shaping up to be the TAR5 to TAR-CAN1's TAR12?

[Rachel RSL]

Was that the season Chip & Kim won? (I don't really understand the question, to be honest. Heh.) are the seasons similar or something?

[Rusun]

You're absolutely correct, Rachel RSL - 'twas the season to be jolly over Colin/Christie's (and Brandon/Nicole's) loss. As well, the Fosters' tragic shock boot corresponds to Schmirna's, while AA's is more like the Bowling Moms'.

[SnideAsides]

Which ones are the Fosters? Was that Nicole and Cormac? Jen and Shawn? Pierre and Michel? I don't think that comparison really works in any of those instances. (Speaking as a frustrated general poster rather than as a frustrated Mod for the moment, for the love of Jon can we please, please stop using surnames to refer to people when those surnames aren't used on the show? There's a difference between, say, the Family Edition teams or that jackass Cochran from Survivor, where the surnames are canon, and situations where you have to slow the discussion trying to work out who on earth is being discussed.)

[Donny Ketchum]

Unlike everyone else, I won't miss Alain & Audrey all that much.  They were too up-and-down in the placements for me.  And they were poor navigators, to boot.  Had they been even an iota better at it, Ryan & Rob would be gone, and they'd be in the F4 instead.  But they've got their engagement, so there's that.

 

Still rooting for Natalie & Meaghan and Sukhi & Jinder the most.