S35.E09: In the Belly of the Earth

[iMonrey]

21 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Greg/John are great racers; they may not be entertaining but I enjoy watching them! Though, John's reaction to the local telling him his location was in Germany was hilarious.

I think they're entertaining. I mean, I like how much they appreciate the experience and how well they get along. They're doing so well it's hard to say how they'd be behaving if they were at the back of the pack instead of the front, but they never seem to lose their cool and they get along so well. I also get a kick out of them going "It's what we do!" every time they finish something. When John finished the first Roadblock and came back, Greg said "It's what you do!" Switching it up!

14 hours ago, chaifan said:

Dear Phil and TAR powers that be:  This season has been an absolute joy to watch.  This is what TAR fans want, not a race full of teams that are bickering and scheming and infighting and total assholes on the screen.  Please keep this in mind when casting TAR 37.  Thank you.

Well we've had our share of bickering, how quickly you've forgotten Morgan and Lena. But otherwise I agree they really lucked out in casting this season, we've had mostly pleasant teams to watch. I suspect it's a crapshoot though. I'd like to believe the show doesn't deliberately cast teams they think will fight and bring drama because they think it makes "good TV" but this is a reality show after all. The fact that we didn't get any other reality show crossover teams or social media celebs feels like an anomaly lately.

[chaifan]

39 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Well we've had our share of bickering, how quickly you've forgotten Morgan and Lena.

In the history of TAR's bickering teams, I'd put Morgan & Lena among the milder ones.  I think part of it for me is that they're sisters, and I think sibling bickering is easier to tolerate (or just laugh at) than when it's done by couples. 

And I agree, the lack of professional reality show couples being cast the last few seasons has been great.  I know we had Kim & Penn Holderness a few seasons ago, and not knowing them Pre-TAR, I had my doubts.  But they've become one of my favorite teams.  I think the fact t hat they were super fans helped me get over my concerns of stunt casting for them.

[KeithJ]

17 hours ago, Door County Cherry said:

I read somewhere that the finale date is Dec. 20 which would mean 13 episodes.   That's where my spec came from.  But it could also be a 2 part finale.

Here's an article that says there are 13 episodes.  They could be wrong since it's longer than previous seasons.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2023/09/24/the-amazing-race-season-35/70930857007/

 

 

Is the Survivor finale on the 13th?  They usually take the whole night so I would guess TAR won't be on the 13th and the finale will be the 20th.

[MonkeyLizard]

The Futon Critic lists the last episode for Dec 13.

The 20th is reserved for the 3-hour bloatfest that is the Survivor finale

[chicagofan]

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I think they're entertaining. I mean, I like how much they appreciate the experience and how well they get along. They're doing so well it's hard to say how they'd be behaving if they were at the back of the pack instead of the front, but they never seem to lose their cool and they get along so well. I also get a kick out of them going "It's what we do!" every time they finish something. When John finished the first Roadblock and came back, Greg said "It's what you do!" Switching it up!

The "It's what we do" thing is what bugs me about this team. I don't hate them, but unlike many posters I don't really like them. Rob and Corey or Joel and Garrett for the win.

[aghst]

AL and Steve started last and were supposedly way beyond the others but they passed up Robin and Chelsea in the first task and then drove past the beard guys.

These were tough tasks like assembling all those wooden utensils, then assembling the dragon, then kayaking which must be difficult for people who haven't.

Were there only a certain number of special buoys so Rob and Corey had to find the one they took out by mistake or could there have been more special buoys for them to find?

Looked like the barnacle cleaning could go faster than searching for random buoys unless the team was really comfortable kayaking around.

Todd and Ashlie and Robbin and Chelsea navigation mistakes really put them back in the rear.  Todd said they had to go 30 kilometers before they could turn back?

The production team really got their money's worth in Slovenia, using it for two legs, despite it being such a small country.  But alpine lakes, Adriatic Coast and mountains offered a lot of variety of backdrops.  Oh and castles, there is a castle an average of every 15 miles in Slovenia!

 

 

[aradia22]

I was having TV issues (DVR didn't record the parade) so it's possible I would have enjoyed this episode more had I watched when I'd planned to yesterday afternoon. But it also seemed pretty cloudy the day they were filming and there was very little mystery about who was going home this episode so maybe this one just didn't need to be 90 minutes. 

The roadblock with arranging the 12 utensils didn't seem that difficult. John breezed right through it and most everyone else didn't really struggle though they were forced to be cautious. Only a few of them dropped items and Chelsea was the only one who did it wrong and had to go back. Credit to Anna Leigh for making up some time there. 

I thought it was cute how Greg signaled he was talking about Steve and Anna Leigh with a "howdy"

Going into the caves was a cool visual. I'm not sure how difficult it was. Corey mentioned it was chilly but a lot of them left sweating. It might have been the distance or the effort of assembling the dragon. I think I might have felt a bit claustrophobic getting that deep into the caves, especially with the tight tunnels. It didn't seem like anyone struggled with the assembly that much. Again, Greg and John aced it. Todd and Ashlie had a tough time but I think they were just bickering at that point after missing the exit and driving an extra 30km and I don't think it really set them back that much. 

Robbin tried to be more positive this episode but ended up... being Robbin again. I feel like they gave them a bit of a nicer edit since they were already going home. 

Credit to Steve and Anna Leigh for getting up to 3rd place heading into the fish farm task. Swap Out seemed like the better task if you're good in a kayak. Scrape Off seemed like the physical task if you don't trust yourself in a kayak. They started off the day fresh but I'm going to assume there's just KF at this point in the race or they were scrambling because things were so tight because it seemed like there were just dumb mistakes. Greg and John were in perfect formation and easily secured first place. I don't know if it was in the clue that if they removed a buoy, they had to swap out that one and couldn't just find another but Rob and Corey went about that task crazily. By the time Rob was thinking about getting in the water, they should have switched. Todd and Ashlie similarly made a challenge for themselves by not grabbing the chains to start off with.

I appreciated Joel and Garrett's likable dad energy this episode. I hope they continue to stick around to have fun on the race. I was happy they managed to rise to second place just getting things done and not getting lost.

I don't have any strong feelings about teams helping/not helping each other this leg. I did appreciate the suns out, guns out from Greg and John. 😏

Without Morgan and Lena, Todd and Ashlie and Robbin and Chelsea brought the bickering and dysfunction but there wasn't much worth commenting on. I hope there are some fun tasks to come because with five teams left, 90 minute episodes are going to be tough if there's this much bunching. 

[ML89]

The ep title should have been “The Detour should be vacuuming carpet.” I finally liked Robbin & Chelsea in the swan song. 
 

This has been a great TAR, and I like everyone left, even Todd and Ashlie. I hope they do get to assemble some IKEA furniture. That was a challenge one time IIRC.

[aradia22]

Quote

I think they're entertaining. I mean, I like how much they appreciate the experience and how well they get along. They're doing so well it's hard to say how they'd be behaving if they were at the back of the pack instead of the front, but they never seem to lose their cool and they get along so well. I also get a kick out of them going "It's what we do!" every time they finish something. When John finished the first Roadblock and came back, Greg said "It's what you do!" Switching it up!

I think they've been more entertaining at other points of the race... singing little songs and that sort of thing, but they were pretty focused this leg. I find them naturally charismatic.

Quote

The fact that we didn't get any other reality show crossover teams or social media celebs feels like an anomaly lately.

Todd seems the closest to wanting to be famous. Maybe it's just class clown energy but I find his humor lame (and not in the cute dad joke way like the beards). It's all referential like how he was talking about 2 Chainz and whatnot while Ashlie wanted him to hurry up with the task. He's done it before like in the other episode with mattresses... "Pivot" from Friends in the staircase. Unless it grates on you, I feel like it goes unnoticed because it's not very funny, but I do get the vibe that he's trying to play up to the camera. I do get some influencer vibes from Corey as well but I think it's very muted because he's racing with his dad. 

[chaifan]

8 hours ago, aradia22 said:

It's all referential like how he was talking about 2 Chainz and whatnot while Ashlie wanted him to hurry up with the task. He's done it before like in the other episode with mattresses... "Pivot" from Friends in the staircase.

I agree with you on most points, but I will admit, "PIVOT!" was screaming in my head every time people were going around corners on those stairs.  If I were there, there would be no stopping me from doing my best Ross impersonation.  Probably several times.  😁

And, yeah, when the Beards go into corny humor, I do find them much funnier than Todd.  I loved the being led by his beard bit this episode, the "dad bod" references, etc.  Todd grates for some reason.  I like him much better now than I did in the beginning, but that's not saying too much.

 

[sinycalone]

Quote

Again, Greg and John aced it.

Actually, they forgot to attach the dragon's tail....and had to have it rechecked by the Dragonmaster.

[Jobiska]

My theory re the mussels task is that if Corey and Rob had just done two more floats, they would have effectively taken 3 floats out of commission, because it was fine for Rob to try to dive for the messed up one, but no other team should have been made to do that.  Let's say they only had enough marked floats for each team to get their two--no others, and let's say every team went for the float task.  That would mean the final team would not have been able to complete the task no matter how much time they have, because effectively one trap was unintentionally sabotaged.  It would be like if on the pomelo task someone somehow sank all the pomelos behind them.  Or if someone took two rolling pins on the woodwork carrying task leaving the last person with zero.  

Even if there were more than the bare minimum of buoys, the same reasoning applies.

You get an advantage by being first, as Greg and John pointed out, but you shouldn't get an unfair advantage by "breaking" part of the task.  I'm sure C and R knew this or were informed of this.  

I'm glad they pulled through as they and Greg and John (who do entertain me) are my two favorite teams.

[illdoc]

1 hour ago, sinycalone said:

Actually, they forgot to attach the dragon's tail....and had to have it rechecked by the Dragonmaster.

"This dragon ... will not fly"

[Quilt Fairy]

On 11/23/2023 at 11:53 AM, iMonrey said:

Rob puts Ikea furniture together without instructions. And swims like a fish. I think he's my hero.

And studies history for fun.

[Netfoot]

4 hours ago, Jobiska said:

Let's say they only had enough marked floats for each team to get their two--no others, and let's say every team went for the float task.  That would mean the final team would not have been able to complete the task no matter how much time they have, because effectively one trap was unintentionally sabotaged.

I agree, but I think it highly unlikely that there were only the exact number of floats set up as needed for the exact number of competitors. Not saying for sure, but with all those thousands of buoys out there, to have only the exact number would have been very hard on the last team to arrive. There would still be thousands of buoys but only one set of marked ones for the last team to find.

[dizzyd]

I wonder if TAR and the Slovenian travel bureau allowed the cave operators to keep the 6 dragons down there for a bit as part of the attraction. I’m sure kids would have loved it. Would be a shame to immediately dismantle them. However, I know the puzzle belongs to TAR so doubt it, but would have been a nice gesture. Maybe caves with ample spaces like this one can have small dragon building stations for kids that they get to take home with them. 

[chaifan]

17 hours ago, Jobiska said:

You get an advantage by being first, as Greg and John pointed out, but you shouldn't get an unfair advantage by "breaking" part of the task.  I'm sure C and R knew this or were informed of this.  

I agree in theory, but in reality, there was no way to "fix" what was "broken".  The bag of mussels is at the bottom of the sea, as is the rope that was tied to the buoy.  There's just simply no way of retrieving those.  I think the penalty here for "breaking" the task is that they had to go back for another buoy, and then search for another marked buoy.  That's some significant time.

Also, I was wondering why the teams only took one replacement buoy at a time.  Only one fit in the kayak, but they could have tied a second one to the back of the kayak and towed it.  That would have saved time going back for the second buoy.  They could have easily carried the 2 bags of mussels at one time. 

17 hours ago, Jobiska said:

Or if someone took two rolling pins on the woodwork carrying task leaving the last person with zero.  

I think if something like that were to happen in a challenge, production would put another rolling pin (or whatever) out.  It wouldn't be fair to penalize a team by making them wait for the first team to bring back the extra item. 

 

[North of Eden]

Just wanted to add my appreciation for the GAME OF THRONES strings at the 48-minute mark when the beards got their clue. My mind was wondering how much licensing fee they had to pay but my heart was just gleeful because it would have almost been a criminal missed opportunity given the task.

Sadly I think this season will be the last season we see self-navigation. I'm sure the producers are concerned it spoiled the chance for a successful conclusion on too many occasions on this race.

[Shrek]

26 minutes ago, North of Eden said:

Sadly I think this season will be the last season we see self-navigation. I'm sure the producers are concerned it spoiled the chance for a successful conclusion on too many occasions on this race.

Not a chance of that happening, it's integral to TAR and every contestant knows it is something they need to brush up on. It just wouldn't be the same without it, as was proved when they all went everywhere together during Covid. 

[North of Eden]

2 minutes ago, Shrek said:

Not a chance of that happening, it's integral to TAR and every contestant knows it is something they need to brush up on. It just wouldn't be the same without it, as was proved when they all went everywhere together during Covid. 

I think its great but as you said they didn't do it for the covid seasons and there probably weren't any episodes where the team to be eliminated was so clearly telegraphed which would seem like something Phil and the producers wouldn't want.

[Jobiska]

14 hours ago, Netfoot said:

I agree, but I think it highly unlikely that there were only the exact number of floats set up as needed for the exact number of competitors. Not saying for sure, but with all those thousands of buoys out there, to have only the exact number would have been very hard on the last team to arrive. There would still be thousands of buoys but only one set of marked ones for the last team to find.

Indeed, but the point is not exactly how many more buoys there are--whether there were 100 marked buoys or 20, Greg and John got to find 2/100 or 2/20, leaving 98 or 18; Rob and Corey as next in line would have found 2/98 or 2/18, but had they taken a 3rd buoy, leaving the other mussels to languish on the bottom of the sea, the 3rd team to attempt, had there been one, should have had the chance to find 2/96 or 2/16, but if Rob and Corey had taken 3 altogether (by messing up one beyond retrieval), team 3 would have had to find 2/95 or 2/15.   If this were allowed, any of the teams could have sabotaged by scuttling other buoys.  I think it was the season with the clowns???? where another team (intentionally) hid someone's race-provided equipment and got time-penalized?  Basically, the only legit way you can make other people's tasks harder is by getting there first and getting the easier needles, not messing up other needles as well.  (or getting there first and getting chance 1 on the ticket board, not hiding all the other tickets on the first boat, etc. etc.)  Your own errors, your own abilities, race structure as it is set including obeying local laws and customs, and natural occurrences such as weather, should be the only things that restrict your options on the race.

[illdoc]

7 minutes ago, Jobiska said:

I think it was the season with the clowns???? where another team (intentionally) hid someone's race-provided equipment and got time-penalized?

They were stunt men (doubling for children mostly). It was a detour where they had to use pedal rickshaws and bicycle pumps were provided. They were first there, pumped up their flat tire, then one of them took all the pumps and hid them in a box (putting stray parts on top), so the other racers couldn't fill their tires (if you've ever ridden a bike that had tires with low air, you know how hard that is). And yes, they got a 30min penalty--they were first to arrive and would have won a trip to Hawaii. Instead, they were officially 4th for that leg.

[chaifan]

Speaking of driving and self-navigation, has anyone been able to tell - with certainty - whether they've been driving stick shift?  There has been a total absence of stick shift drama.  I think we've heard reference to one grinding of the gears.  Is it possible we have an entire Race full of people who can drive stick?  That's a first, right?

 

[iMonrey]

1 hour ago, North of Eden said:

I think its great but as you said they didn't do it for the covid seasons and there probably weren't any episodes where the team to be eliminated was so clearly telegraphed which would seem like something Phil and the producers wouldn't want.

Even without self-navigation we've seen teams fall so far behind their

elimination was a foregone conclusion

I think the way a team handles a navigation mistake says a lot about their abilities in general. It's how quickly you realize you've made a mistake and correct it. Corey and Rob missed a turnoff, but knew it immediately and turned around so it didn't cost them much time. Robbin and Chelsea, on the other hand, just drove around aimlessly for a long time before finally getting out and asking for directions. Same with Malaina and Andrea. Once you know you've gone too far, STOP. Don't just keep going. Knowing how far away something is is imperative. 

4 minutes ago, chaifan said:

Speaking of driving and self-navigation, has anyone been able to tell - with certainty - whether they've been driving stick shift?  There has been a total absence of stick shift drama.  I think we've heard reference to one grinding of the gears.  Is it possible we have an entire Race full of people who can drive stick?  That's a first, right?

I think they are driving stick. Garrett and Joel actually stalled out at one point, and that seems highly unlikely with an automatic. But the brief glimpses I've gotten of the gear shift looked more like an automatic so who knows. Usually when it's a stick shift they make a big deal out of it and so far nobody has said anything about it.

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, Jobiska said:

 If this were allowed, any of the teams could have sabotaged by scuttling other buoys.

I hear what you're saying and it makes it's own kind of sense, but I don't know if such a rule is in place or not. I mean, lowering someone's chances from 2/96 to 2/95 is a very small reduction  of 1% so I'm not sure if the rules cater for it or ignore it. 

All I was saying in my post on this subject is that there were most likely more target buoys that necessary so taking an extra one would not have lowered the tail-runner's chances to zero. That does not mean that rules against it didn't still apply.

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, North of Eden said:

there probably weren't any episodes where the team to be eliminated was so clearly telegraphed which would seem like something Phil and the producers wouldn't want.

In the history of TAR? I don't think you could be more wrong. One example: Uchenna & Joyce were obviously going home, from the moment their connecting flight to Malaysia landed and they missed their Connection. There have been many more.

Obviously, TPTB don't like it when this happens, but that doesn't mean they are going to stop all self-navigation. 

[Giuseppe]

3 hours ago, North of Eden said:

there probably weren't any episodes where the team to be eliminated was so clearly telegraphed which would seem like something Phil and the producers wouldn't want.

This has literally been happening since the first season. Amie and Paul got completely lost driving in the desert and ended up hours behind the others. Season 2, Peggy and Claire were nearly a full day behind the other teams when they missed a crucial flight connection. Same with Dennis and Andrew in Season 3. We've seen multiple teams over all the seasons fall so far behind due to self-navigation that there was absolutely no way they were not getting eliminated. Sucks, but that's part of the race.

[North of Eden]

53 minutes ago, Giuseppe said:

This has literally been happening since the first season. Amie and Paul got completely lost driving in the desert and ended up hours behind the others. Season 2, Peggy and Claire were nearly a full day behind the other teams when they missed a crucial flight connection. Same with Dennis and Andrew in Season 3. We've seen multiple teams over all the seasons fall so far behind due to self-navigation that there was absolutely no way they were not getting eliminated. Sucks, but that's part of the race.

Yes I know this and with the over proliferation of it this season I worry the producers may want to thwart it as best as possible.

[zapper]

6 hours ago, chaifan said:

Speaking of driving and self-navigation, has anyone been able to tell - with certainty - whether they've been driving stick shift?  There has been a total absence of stick shift drama.  I think we've heard reference to one grinding of the gears.  Is it possible we have an entire Race full of people who can drive stick?  That's a first, right?

 

There was a shot of the transmission knob when Lena/sister was driving and it had the gear shift locations marked on it, so I think they were driving stick. It was the episode (maybe two episodes) before their elimination.

[RunningMarket]

I can't remember out of the two who was driving, but Morgan/Lena grinded their clutch and Joel and Garrett mentioned stalling at an intersection/red light, so they are definitely driving stick shift. So far no "how does this go into reverse" drama like in season's past.

[iMonrey]

Some things I noticed on rewatch:

Nobody just took all their woodware and sat down next to the example to assemble, which is what I would have done, so it must not have been allowed. John looked at the camera man and smiled twice while running up to the assembling area, and it cracked me up.

Random things in Congress Square: someone with an ostrich (or was it an emu?) and a guitar player wearing a rubber reindeer head.

They all got the same cars they had during the last leg but didn't seem to know where they were parked, as indicated by Greg and John. Which means they left them somewhere and then production moved them all to a parking garage nearby.

While Robbin and Garrett laughed and joked about Joel using his beard, Steve stood off to the side stone-faced. I don't know if he doesn't have much of a sense of humor, or was just too focused waiting for Anna Leigh, but he came off as kind of a wet blanket. 

When Chelsea finally got her Roadblock finished she was . . . not exactly rude to the judge but her "thanks" sounded a bit . . . sarcastic? She was just so over this.

I was confused by how many sample dragons were in the cave. When John and Greg first arrived it appeared to be rotating, but when they ran up to examine it, it wasn't. And when Robbin and Chelsea finally got there, one of them appeared to be high up on a ledge. I wonder if these dragons are part of the regular tourist experience rather than something TAR threw in.

I don't know why it took Chelsea and Robbin so long to make their way back to the sign for Pivka Jama, it was literally the only one. Apparently the word "camping" threw them.

Editing tried to make it look like Chelsea and Robbin were arriving at the caves just as Todd and Ashlie were leaving, yet they never passed each other. They did the same thing at the fish farm. I think R&C were much further behind than the show allowed, in order to keep up the pretense that maybe Ashlie and Todd would fall behind. 

Do bags of mussels float? After Corey released it from the buoy they collected, we got a shot of it in the water and it still appeared to be suspended by something. But I think in all likelihood it was just stock footage shot for the demonstration/explanation because once it was untied it most assuredly would have sunk to the bottom.

The issue appears to be that once Rob and Corey had collected a buoy they were obligated to replace that same one, which is why they couldn't simply move onto another. 

[zapper]

31 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Some things I noticed on rewatch:

...

Random things in Congress Square: someone with an ostrich (or was it an emu?) and a guitar player wearing a rubber reindeer head.

...

I also found the sudden appearance of an emu odd. The guitar player seemed perfectly normal to me.

[Browncoat]

44 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Random things in Congress Square: someone with an ostrich (or was it an emu?)

I think in Live Chat we decided it was a rhea.

45 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

a guitar player wearing a rubber reindeer head.

That was quite unusual!

[bioprof]

Kudos to Anna Leigh for helping out Rob and Corey when they arrived at the raft after switching detours. When they said they were switching she gave them the chains they had been using ( they had just finished ) so they wouldn't have to search for them. Not a huge time saver, just a nice gesture. She gets a lot of hate on the forum and should be given credit when it's due. She also is apparently well liked by the other racers.

Still rooting for the brothers or Rob and Corey to win it. 

What a great ( and refreshing) season this has been.

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, bioprof said:

What a great [...] season this has been.

I agree 100%. This is what the fans have been calling for for 15-20 series now. It just might end up being considered as a "Latter-Day Classic TAR" season!

I just hope this season is seen as a success by TPTB. They might be motivated to give us more seasons like this one, rather than switch back to fields of mactors, influenzas and people promoting their brand.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Netfoot

[iMonrey]

Quote

She gets a lot of hate on the forum and should be given credit when it's due. She also is apparently well liked by the other racers.

Anna Leigh is a lot nicer when she's doing well. But I suppose it's possible that after escaping elimination when she was convinced throughout the leg they were last, she has adjusted her attitude a bit and calmed down.

[tvfanatic13]

I haven't even gotten to this episode because it is taking me weeks to slog through the episodes. I am not sure if it is the racers or the 90 minute format (or both as I suspect), but I am just not feeling this season at all. I wish they would reduce back to an hour- 90 minutes is too long each week. UI I am sure. 

[Door County Cherry]

On 11/25/2023 at 8:44 PM, Netfoot said:

I agree, but I think it highly unlikely that there were only the exact number of floats set up as needed for the exact number of competitors. Not saying for sure, but with all those thousands of buoys out there, to have only the exact number would have been very hard on the last team to arrive. There would still be thousands of buoys but only one set of marked ones for the last team to find.

To offer some clarification about Rob and Corey's options, Joel and Garrett are doing recaps of this season on YouTube.  I haven't watched it but I did read that they mentioned that information provided about that task was that if they failed to bring the mussels back, then the only option they have is to switch tasks.  

So Rob and Corey's options were to either find the mussels they lost, use their express pass or switch tasks.  Finding another buoy to replace the one they lost wasn't an option.  

[chaifan]

Thanks @Door County Cherry, for keying us in to Joel & Garrett's YouTube recaps.  I just watched this, and they are entertaining.

A few other things that they mentioned:

The kitchen utensil task - Joel said the clue said you had to "wear the pack", so he put it on his front and bear hugged it.  The producers made him switch it back to his back, and said he was overthinking the clue. That was smart, though.

Other teams also went to the wrong cave, like Robbin & Chelsea did, including Joel & Garrett.  It just wasn't shown.

The bit about the mussels and switching tasks, mentioned above, was interesting. 

They formed an alliance with Chelsea and Robbin, early on.  I'm not surprised that TAR edits out any alliance building.  They said they're really nice, and that doesn't come across on screen.

Yes, they loved the ladies (grandmas) at the mat.

And... Greg & John and Rob & Corey also have YT recaps.  I tried watching Rob & Corey's, but the sound wasn't syncing right and it was annoying.  Watched a few minutes of Greg  & John, but need to go back later. 

[HurricaneVal]

One more for the pile!  This is how I learned it:

StalacTites = The vertical bar of the T hangs down

StalagMites = T the peaks of the M point up

I really liked that you could see several of the teams in the background of a lot of those wandering with wooden utensils shots.  I'm actually quite impressed that you didn't see crew in those same shots.  I wonder if the camera and sound technology and crew are getting so good at this that the equipment is pretty subtle these days.

[Ilovepie]

On 11/26/2023 at 8:12 AM, North of Eden said:

Sadly I think this season will be the last season we see self-navigation. I'm sure the producers are concerned it spoiled the chance for a successful conclusion on too many occasions on this race.

I think this is exactly why there will be continued self-navigation - it's a really easy way to build in a switch up in the pecking order and add some natural drama. I love that they have added back booking travel, but it's only been a couple times. The self navigation always shows some teams as good navigators and some not so good, and I love that it can change the order with one wrong turn.

Funny how AL's demeanor improved the closer she got to first place. She is like two different people depending on where she's at between first and last place. But kudos to them for kicking it into high gear and moving up. They are formidable when navigation doesn't take them out. And I noticed that AL had no problem sharing helpful tips with Rob and Corey at the barnacle challenge, but not a word to Robbin when assembling those pots and pans. I wonder whether that was because she was fighting her way out of last or because Robbin and Chelsea have been less than friendly or maybe both?

I am glad Rob and Corey were so close to the front to not sabotage their chances by changing detours. I think that's the first major error they've committed.

Robbin and Chelsea were more gracious in losing than they were in playing the game. I am not sorry to see these two leave. I wish they had been eliminated before a few of the other teams that seemed sorrier to leave.

Greg and John are so good, but so boring. I would love for someone else to beat them to the mat just once. I hope the F3 are them, Rob and Corey and the Beards. Everyone left is nice and pretty good depending on the tasks and navigation, so I could see any combination of those left getting to the finals, which to me is a good sign of a great season.

[blackwing]

Another fantastic performance by Greg and John.  I like Greg/John and Rob/Corey the most, this is one of the rare seasons where I still have two favourites left at this point in the race.  I can't decide who I would rather win.  Both are great.  The brothers are great examples of 100% sibling trust, while I love the way Corey obviously loves his dad and was happy that his dad got to experience the glider.

On 11/23/2023 at 4:58 PM, Guiaoshi said:

I think this leg just prove we need to be carefull before judge a team based on edit, specially If they are not show alot. We had this impression that Robin and Chelsea (Chelsea in particular) were cold/ unable to enjoy the race till their last leg were producers couldnt ignore them. I dont think they chanced this leg, It was just a case of they not bickering enough, not be loud, and not be in the final 5 teams that producers didnt bother to show more of them. 

I think they are exactly who they were portrayed to be.  The fact that they stated they wanted to enjoy the race and appreciate each other shows that they know exactly how they are and how their relationship is.  They wouldn't have needed to have said that if they weren't aware of how they (well, Robbin) treat each other.  This relationship was formed when they were teens and Robbin was really bitchy and nasty to Chelsea.  Doesn't seem like much has changed. 

When Robbin is stressed, she is nasty.  When they knew they were eliminated, they seem to have talked to each other and vowed to be nice to each other.  I'm glad for them that they had their zen happy "we love each other sooooo much" moments on their last day on the race.  But I don't think there's going to be any lasting change in Robbin, she is who she is.

On 11/23/2023 at 8:41 AM, Silver-hyren said:

Speaking of Todd, what was with him refusing to look at the clue while trying to find the Pit Stop (I think)?  "Don't show that to me because I already took the wrong exit once before so it's your responsibility to make sure I don't do that again."  Sure...   

It's because this couple bickers a lot and Ashlie very obviously seems to always criticise him and yell at him.  He decided he already messed up once so he was going to let her make the decisions.  She doesn't seem like a very supportive person.  She expected him to do all the driving and navigating and decision making but then relentlessly badgers him when he makes a mistake.  It's no wonder why he didn't want to make the decision.  Just like with Robbin and Chelsea, this team explained their dynamic to us clearly, Ashlie said that they fight a lot but they understand each other.  Ok.

On 11/22/2023 at 11:48 PM, PurpleTentacle said:

Caves really aren't my thing, but this was spacious enough that I don't think I would have had a problem. From behind a screen it certainly looked beautiful.

I'm claustrophobic and caves creep me out.  Especially the ones with water.  Years ago I went with my family to this cave in Pennsylvania where the whole thing seemed to be an underground lake.  The tour was conducted in these boats.  So dark, so creepy.  The river that Greg (or John) pointed out reminded me of this cave. 

 

 

[fishcakes]

8 hours ago, tvfanatic13 said:

I haven't even gotten to this episode because it is taking me weeks to slog through the episodes. I am not sure if it is the racers or the 90 minute format (or both as I suspect), but I am just not feeling this season at all. I wish they would reduce back to an hour- 90 minutes is too long each week. UI I am sure. 

Unpopular, but I agree. I like most of the remaining racers, but 90 minutes is too long for this show. I find myself hitting the clock display to see how much time is left and it's always too much. It seems to me that TAR has always depended on the racing itself to provide drama rather than individual personalities as other reality shows do, so in general the racers are nicer but blander than the players on, say, Survivor or Big Brother. But since a lot of the tasks themselves aren't necessarily that interesting to watch, the show has also relied on tight editing. With the extra half hour, we end up watching a lot more of the task and, for me anyway, watching people try and fail to pick up rice paper or carry heavy mattresses up stairs isn't that riveting. (I will say, though, that I could have watched another hour of them getting Thai massages and looking into the camera with "help me" faces.)

The other problem for me is that the tasks, especially the detours, don't seem as well thought out as they used to be. Phil has long since stopped giving the, "a detour is a choice between two tasks each with its own pros and cons" because while in the past they worked hard to make one side of the detour be more complicated/difficult but potentially fast if teams figured it out and the other option straightforward but grueling and inevitably slower, now they just throw up two pretty equal options like make marionettes or complete a mural, and teams just pick whichever one seems easier or closer. There's very little strategy involved in their choice. Greg and John talking about how doing the mussels and the buoys was a good choice for them because they were in first feels like the first time in ages I've heard anyone weigh out the pros/cons.

Edited November 28, 2023 by fishcakes

[Haleth]

In spite of another less than suspenseful result this was another fun episode. I can’t get over how beautiful Slovenia is. The dragon master and the cute ladies at the mat were awesome. Greg & John ran another (nearly) flawless leg while Rob & Corey and Todd & Ashley stumbled a bit. AL & Steve and the Beards are still in contention. It’s going to be an exciting finish!

Edited November 28, 2023 by Haleth

[Tdoc72]

On 11/24/2023 at 11:06 PM, ML89 said:
 

This has been a great TAR, and I like everyone left, even Todd and Ashlie. I hope they do get to assemble some IKEA furniture. That was a challenge one time IIRC.

I remember they once had to count a huge bin of little stuffed animals at Ikea. Google tells me it was the episode with the hay rolls that eliminated the sisters. 

[shura]

6 hours ago, chaifan said:

The kitchen utensil task - Joel said the clue said you had to "wear the pack", so he put it on his front and bear hugged it.  The producers made him switch it back to his back, and said he was overthinking the clue. That was smart, though.

Interesting use of the word “overthinking”.  I have only heard it used to mean that you are making things more difficult than they have to be, so stop overthinking and find an easier way.  Not this time though.  Kind of sounds like production had screwed up and didn’t phrase the clue precisely enough, and then didn’t let Joel do what was technically perfectly following the instructions as written.

6 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

I'm actually quite impressed that you didn't see crew in those same shots.  I wonder if the camera and sound technology and crew are getting so good at this that the equipment is pretty subtle these days.

Or they use a Magic Eraser-type technology to remove them.

[Haleth]

On 11/24/2023 at 5:52 PM, aghst said:

AL and Steve started last and were supposedly way beyond the others but they passed up Robin and Chelsea in the first task and then drove past the beard guys.

I only glanced at the start times but I think AL and Steve were only something like 4 minutes behind Robbin and Chelsea.  The editing last week was misleading.

It seems Rob and Corey were told they had to bring back that particular bunch of mussels, the one they dropped.  That's the only thing that would make sense with their efforts.  (Thanks Door County Cherry for confirming.)  Even so it's good they didn't waste their express pass since there will likely be a bunching at the airport soon.

Self navigation is such an important task itself, it will never be eliminated by production.  If racers are unable to read a map or follow directions they will not last long.  Navigation is as much a required skill as anything else they do.

This has been a great season!  Such interesting locations and challenges and the cast is mostly very likable.  I like all the remaining teams to an extent and although I have my preferences I'd be happy with any of them winning.

Edited November 28, 2023 by Haleth

[blackwing]

13 hours ago, fishcakes said:

The other problem for me is that the tasks, especially the detours, don't seem as well thought out as they used to be. Phil has long since stopped giving the, "a detour is a choice between two tasks each with its own pros and cons" because while in the past they worked hard to make one side of the detour be more complicated/difficult but potentially fast if teams figured it out and the other option straightforward but grueling and inevitably slower, now they just throw up two pretty equal options like make marionettes or complete a mural, and teams just pick whichever one seems easier or closer. There's very little strategy involved in their choice. Greg and John talking about how doing the mussels and the buoys was a good choice for them because they were in first feels like the first time in ages I've heard anyone weigh out the pros/cons.

There are times when the choices seem about equal.  I would agree with you that there doesn't seem to be as many obvious "physically strenuous but fast" vs "easy but steady and slow" choices.  I think maybe the producers wanted to make the choices less obvious?  There have been many times in the past when no team chooses one half of the detour. 

This season, though, there are still times when the tasks turn out to be unequal, even though it's hard to tell just from reading the clue how or why.  The dolls/diorama choice is a good example.  I would have chosen diorama in a heartbeat, because arts and crafts and making dolls seems like a pain to me.  But the dolls turned out to be way faster.

I get why teams chose the mussels, like Greg (or John) said, it's like needle in a haystack and can be done quickly if you're one of the first teams there.  I was confused by the other task... take some ropes/chains and just go around the ring, pull the ropes back and forth to remove the barnacles?  I wanted to know how the lady knew they were done or that all the barnacles had been removed, it seemed to me like she barely even looked.  I'm curious as to how long the average completion time was for each task, because the barnacles task didn't seem that strenuous, especially if both team members were working at the same time.

[Ancaster]

On 11/24/2023 at 1:27 PM, MonkeyLizard said:

The Futon Critic lists the last episode for Dec 13.

The 20th is reserved for the 3-hour bloatfest that is the Survivor finale

Three hours!  God, it was awful the first and only time I watched it eons ago and I'm sure it wasn't three hours long way back then.

[proserpina65]

On 11/23/2023 at 3:48 PM, eel2178 said:

They were last to arrive at the first task which took about 45 minutes to complete in one try.

I thought R & C got there before S & AL.  Or at least about the same time.  But yeah, Chelsea having to redo that task started them on a downward spiral from which they never recovered.

On 11/23/2023 at 4:33 PM, Ancaster said:

Any of them with kids (or young enough themselves) have probably already helped with a fair share of them already, albeit on a smaller scale!

I don't have kids but I love dragons and have assembled some model ones similar to that, on, as you said, a much smaller scale.  Between that and my ability to assemble IKEA-type stuff, I would've loved that task.