S25.E09: You're Taking My Tan Off

[ShadowSixx]

I think there is proof that these things are pre-planned out in advance before casting the teams, because we know that TAR have to get permission and possibly go through paperwork to make sure they can do tasks at specific locations. Also proof when Big E had to be excluded from doing some detours/roadblocks because of his height and Luke and Marge were stuck doing a pouring drinks detour because they couldn't do the DJ booth detour because Luke is deaf.

Edited November 29, 2014 by ShadowSixx

[etagloh]

 

I can understand why the plan was to U-turn the two teams that went for the FF - one of them is very likely to be in last place, and since they are such strong teams, you want to make sure they stay in last place.

 

Neither the candy girls nor the wrestlers knew for certain that the surfers had taken the surfing FF by the time they got to the board: they just knew that they were ahead of the surfers and dentists on arrival, and that the dentists weren't worth U-Turning. I'm sure they knew that the nature of the preceding tasks made it very hard for a team arriving later to gain time: the FF added an element of uncertainty to the sequence. I'd like to know how long the leg took to complete from arriving in Singapore to the Pit Stop, and my guess is that it wasn't very long.

 

(Thanks to everyone upthread who cleared up my blurry memories about the drawing FF.)

[LilyoftheValley]

To me, the only team who had a clear and obvious u-turning scheme were the scientists.  They knew 100% that the wrestlers were right behind them.  They knew that either the surfers or the cyclists were already at the mat, and they knew that it would be wasted on the dentists.  Thus, the clear choice for the u-turn were the wrestlers.  

 

You know what I think?  I think the scientists feel insecure running their own race.  They feel more comfortable running the race with another team, even if it is the wrestlers.  I understand in the first couple of legs running a race with a set of other teams, but jeez, this is crunch time.  A female-female team should get rid of a team with a big strong guy on it if they can.  Their plot depended entirely on the wrestlers following through and it may have led to the elimination of the cyclists, who are a very strong team, but are still two women nonetheless.  Why not take pretty much a sure thing and get rid of the wrestlers?  

[backformore]

I really dislike Brooke and her attitude and both of the wrestlers deserve to go home based on their mocking of the profession of Amy and Maya - don't denigrate people because of their jobs!

Food Scientists FTW!

 

What really bugged me was when they referred to them as the "candy girls",as though food scientist is equivalent to someone who sells chocolates for a living.

 

Changing a task because one team may be better at it would then show favoritism toward the team(s) that aren't as good at that particular task.  I assume this is considered a game show and there are rules involved?

No, regular game show rules do not apply. Game show laws are about traditional game shows where the winner is determined by answers to questions, the laws were put in place to not give contestants the answers ahead of time.

[peachmangosteen]

What really bugged me was when they referred to them as the "candy girls",as though food scientist is equivalent to someone who sells chocolates for a living.

 

I think all or most of the teams call them 'candy girls.' But since Brooke/Robbie are such dicks, it's comes off so disrespectful from them.

 

And thanks for the info about whether or not the show is a 'game show' or not. I figured it wasn't since Big Brother and Survivor are not.

[ShadowSixx]

What also makes Brooke tacky is how she mocked Amy's leg injury and how she was also disrespectful towards one of the Italian professional race car driver that was driving her as she was mocking him too. Brooke is just a very unpleasant person which in turns makes her a bitch.

 

I know she wouldn't like it if her profession was mocked since most of the women in the wrestling industry for the most part have to almost dress like hookers to get noticed. Someone needs to tell her that she almost looks like those Blockheads from Gumby. 

Edited November 29, 2014 by ShadowSixx

[fishcakes]

I am shocked that Brooke didn't like the coconut water. I thought she liked everything!

 

You could really see the Killer Fatigue setting in this episode. Bethany and Adam's mistake was assuming there wouldn't be an earlier flight into Singapore, then Jim and Misti messed up by not double-checking before booking the same flight. Scientists were wrong to listen to the wrestlers regarding the lions since, even if they hadn't figured out yet that the wrestlers are using untruths as a strategy, they do know the wrestlers are fairly dumb, so even if they genuinely hadn't found the clue at Mount Faber, it doesn't mean it wasn't there. And the wrestlers were wrong not to u-turn the cyclists, although I don't know if that was due to KF or IQ. The cyclists were the only ones who didn't make a major mistake this episode; even though the FF ended up dooming them, it was a calculated risk and not a bad call.

 

I'm wondering if the spa torture was even worse than was shown. They weren't just pixelating the scientists breasts; they also pixelated their backs a few times, which makes me wonder if blood was drawn. The exfoliation looked to be the worst of it. Where they were scraping, Amy's back was purple and Maya's was lighter, which makes me think they were taking off a good amount of healthy skin along with dead skin. I cringed for them when they left with their backpacks on, although I did get a kick out of Amy's deadpan, "well, that was special."

 

I've been a dentist fan since early on, but they really won me over at the crab task. One guy tootling a flute in his ear and another one insanely crashing cymbals at erratic intervals behind them and Jim's reaction is to pull out his own whistle and start blowing it.

[cooksdelight]

  No, regular game show rules do not apply. Game show laws are about traditional game shows where the winner is determined by answers to questions, the laws were put in place to not give contestants the answers ahead of time.

 

I'm going to answer this in the Previews & Speculation thread, since it is speculation... and yet there are legal issues that say that TAR is indeed a game show, just as Survivor, etc. are.

[Skeeter22]

 You know what I think?  I think the scientists feel insecure running their own race.  They feel more comfortable running the race with another team, even if it is the wrestlers.  I understand in the first couple of legs running a race with a set of other teams, but jeez, this is crunch time.  A female-female team should get rid of a team with a big strong guy on it if they can.  Their plot depended entirely on the wrestlers following through and it may have led to the elimination of the cyclists, who are a very strong team, but are still two women nonetheless.  Why not take pretty much a sure thing and get rid of the wrestlers?

Robbie may be big and strong, but he and Brooke are dumb as dirt and bad racers. Amy and Maya were right to want one of the strongest teams out. The dentists couldn't be eliminated because of the save, so that left the cyclists and the surfers. One of those teams was going to lose out on the fast forward, and were absolutely behind the wrestlers. U-turning the wrestlers would only have saved one of the stronger teams. It was in the wrestlers' and the scientists' best interest to uturn both the surfers and the cyclists. The wrestlers actually gave the cyclists a fighting chance to stay in the race.

[Bryce Lynch]

Glad to see the obnoxious cyclists gone. Truly stupid move doing the FF.

They already had a lead and have done well in most tasks. Why risk everything on a task they knew the surfers would ace?

As for calling the surfing FF "unfair " that is nonsense. There have been at least 2 tasks involving cycling so far, and the surfing task was totally optional.

[iMonrey]

I'm starting to feel a little jaded about the surfers too. I know the legs are supposedly planned well in advance of final casting, but still. A surfing fast forward? Really? What if it had been a dentistry fast forward, or a pro wrestling fast forward, or a cycling fast forward? The problem is that this suspicion is compounded by the fact that the show came up with this "Save" gimmick this season, and then when Adam and Bethany didn't win the Save, suddenly they pulled out the old "Express Pass" for them to win in Leg 2. One can't help but wonder, if they'd not won that, if the show would have kept doling out get-out-of-jail gimmicks until they got one.

 

I'm not saying the show is rigged, necessarily, but just going into it the show had to be hoping Adam and Bethany would go all the way, because they're sort of a stunt-cast team, so if the show can slip in little advantages for them here and there I'm willing to believe they're not above doing so.

[SunshineOnMe]

The spa torture was horrible. Watching them cry in pain made me sick to my stomach.  I feel like they were the hardest on the scientists, maybe because they were there first? It also seemed like they were there the longest.

 

The Dentist really won my respect when he got back on the rope and did it again, after the rope wasn't adjusted correctly for him the first time. WOW!

[ShadowSixx]

The FF is optional and they don't know what it is until they actually get there. As others have said their have been detours and roadblocks where bicycles were involved, does that mean that the Cyclist should have blew those out of the water which they did with the cake detour and balance it while the other drove them on a bicycle. TAR does play to your strengths and weaknesses and I for one don't believe that the show is being catered to Adam & Bethany, if so then they would be first in every single leg which they have shown to not be and was even at the bottom at one point.

 

Risk you take when you take a FF, it will either play to your weakness, strength, or mess with you mentally (Joyce having to shave off her hair during one season).

[lianau]

  However, I think they would be the FIRST to admit that they're not the best racers in any way, shape or form and their taxi luck is horrendous. 

 

 

They think of themselves as gods gift to the race  and the don't have bad taxi luck , they just refuse to actually look for a taxi and spend their time standing at a corner without moving , moaning about their bad taxi luck .

Bad taxi luck is being so far ahead of the other teams that your taxi driver doesn't get to meet the other teams  drivers so they can't tell your driver that your location is wrong and you'll end up being eliminated that way.

 

From the first few episodes never thought I'd hate a team more than the Dentists but the wrestlers just bumped to first on that list. The constant "We can't get beat by a ....." (fill in blank). Especially tonight saying that because they're scientists - like your occupation equals your fitness level and you can't be smart and fit at the same time. Well, maybe the wrestlers can't be both.

If the save is here to stay they need to change the rules......it should be like the Immunity Idol, you use it before you know if you even have votes so the save should be handed in if the team thinks they're last enforce Phil says a word. Ypu take the chance of wasting it if you're not last or if it's a non-elim. If that had been the case this season the Dentists would have used it several legs ago which would have completely changed the dynamic this leg.

And no handing back the save on NELs

[green]

The problem is not the morality of what Brooke and Robbie did,but the fact that it was stupid. According to Maya on facebook it was only a few minutes between them and the cyclists. If their lie had gotten the scientists eliminated over a strong team in the cyclists that would have been an all time idiotic play. They should be working with the scientists to get the strong teams out because they are both basically in the same boat.

 

The scientists had the sound strategy of u-turning both the surfers and the cyclists so that whichever lost FF would be eliminated,which they relayed to the wrestlers during the massage.

 

Absolutely.  Also to the person who says that The Scientists should have U Turned the Wrestlers.  Huh?!?!?!  The Scientists would (and should) want to keep the stupid Wrestlers in the Race since they, along with the Scientists, are the two weakest teams remaining.  It would be Race suicide to let the Cyclists remain over the dumb as rocks Wrestlers.

 

I am so sure I've seen that cupping thing before and I have only watched this version of TAR. Does anyone know if it's been used before?

 

Regards original American TAR, there was indeed a detour option of cupping one other time on the Race so when Phil explained the option that season we saw the explanation clip with the cups.  But no one took that option.

 

I had no problem with the massage.  It was explained pretty fully it was one of those deep massages.  And it was a detour option.  No one had to take it.  The people weren't being sadistic like one poster said.  They were being professional.  Millions of people get these massages ever day of the year and it is common in lots of places in Asia so local culture too.  Yes we Americans are pretty wimpy at times.  I would have been screaming worse than both Scientists.  But I also would have been totally down with the locals getting a good chuckle out of our somewhat pampered, non-tough ways catching up with us.

 

What was terrible to see was my two favorite teams battling for last.  My favorites, and one of the strongest all female teams ever, getting eliminated.  I concur with others.  Bring them back on a future "returning Racers" season of the Race.  Can't imagine TPTB not bringing them back. 

 

Dear editors, I love the work you do I really really do.  You guys are amazing and funny and witty and brilliant 99% of the time.  But now the negative 1%.  Your Achilles's heel is always always ALWAYS showing the team that is going to be eliminated saying lame stuff like "It isn't over until it is over."  "We can't be going out."  "There is still hope."  Etc etc etc ad naseum.  Everyone knows at that point they are out.  E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E!  Not just TAR Nerds but the most casual of viewers.  Please please stop that.

 

Guess Brooke is the official villain of the season now.  No way around it.  And there was NO reason to lie to The Scientist about the clue.  You already know two teams went for the FF and one of them will finish first so you aren't fighting for a trip to somewhere prize.  AND you almost eliminated the only possible team you might beat and then only if it is a 100% physical challenges leg with no taxi cabs involved.  You also get the rep of your bad karma not just with them where they could, in turn, refuse to help you when you needed it most in a future leg.  But you also alert the other two teams remaining not to ever work with you again.  Wrestlers just committed what could turn out to be TAR suicide.  100% NO reason to do what they did and all their moves hurt only them in the end.  Stupid stupid stupid stupid team.  But then teams that are dumb enough to actually think lying for no reason can help them on the Race usually find out the opposite is the case.  Come on karma.  Bring it on.

 

There was no "shenanigans" regards the FF task.  They didn't "abort" the China legs (plural) when they cast a Chinese-American team who were the only ones on that Race that spoke fluent Chinese.  Others mentioned the Cowboys lasso one and the Denmark cargo bikes this season.  The Cyclists were my favorites but I had no issue with this FF.  The time and effort to set-up a race course takes literally months.  The filming permits, rentals (as mentioned above), booking the back scene production people and Phil's tickets etc are locked in place before casting. 

 

Changing stuff AFTER casting would be considered fixing things, not before.  So they can't change it.  Just have an alternate leg of two set-up in case of weather (the Belize hurricane during Family Edition), wars, natural tragedies, terrorist threats (aborting Turkey for the UAE in Season 5 after a synagogue bombing in Istanbul only a couple of days before the Race was suppose to go there) etc.  And those alternatives are also  set-up in advance.  And all of that is written up with CBS lawyers to assure everything is in the open and on the up and up.  To have TAR "fix" things to favor one team over another is for production to destroy their own show and get it cancelled.  Ain't ever gonna happen.  And casting is handled by a separate agency.  Also if they didn't "fix" the ending to Season 6 to something better then they would never ever "fix" anything.

 

Thanks for info that was Melody as the Greeter.  I was wondering who she was since she vaguely looked familiar.  I downloaded TAR Asia's Season 1 (and a couple after that) and I highly recommend that first season especially to all TAR fans here who love the flavor of the TAR classic era.  Had a really interesting cast.  And TAR Asia is always filmed in English since teams come from about 7 or 8 Asian countries so English is the "universal language" they use for all teams and the one main requirement to qualify to be on TAR Asia.  Heck they even had two western ex-pat teams on the Race too.  And they had a gay couple who were an English ex-pat and a Sri Lankan as I recall.  The first episode was slow and kind of lame but don't give up.  From episode 2 on it was a really really great season.

 

I would be terrible at most tasks in most Races.  But I would have aced the find the right merlion one.  As soon as I saw Mount Fabor as a option it was obvious that was where it was.  With Season 25 being a giant shout out to the early seasons so far, of course the clue was there at Season 3's pit stop location where we said good-bye to Jill & Jon Vito.

 

And next week the ultimate shout-out.  Colin and his broken ox.  I just wish they would show it in color instead of the lame black & white stuff they use for "flashbacks."  That is so corny.  I want both Colin and our favorite ox ever in glorious color. 

 

And now I want to go off and re-watch them both again on my Season 5 DVDs.  Maybe Season 3's Singapore episode too because of Teri & Ian's "informational" on the neato "paper underwear" they scored to take on the Race.  Eh, second thought, maybe not that bit.

Edited November 30, 2014 by green

[SledDog]

I'm wondering if the spa torture was even worse than was shown. They weren't just pixelating the scientists breasts; they also pixelated their backs a few times, which makes me wonder if blood was drawn.

Pretty sure they were just pixelating "butt crack." I'm pretty sure that American TV wouldn't pixelate a little blood.

I have to wonder if the Racers who chose massage were expecting more of a North American spa massage which is closer to a body rub than a true massage. If so they were expecting something that would be relaxing and take away some of the tensions that all of the teams undoubtedly have as a result of The Race. The certainly wouldn't be the first teams to make that sort of assumption. Remember Paul & Amy (I think it was)in season 1 opted to take a Detour involving a Turkish massage in Tunis and the male half of that team spent the entire time complaining about how rough it was, and how the masseuse didn't use any oil. I think North Americans make an assumption about massages which isn't necessarily accurate.

[LotusFlower]

 

No, regular game show rules do not apply. Game show laws are about traditional game shows where the winner is determined by answers to questions, the laws were put in place to not give contestants the answers ahead of time.

I don't think it's this narrowly defined. I think if its a competition, then rules apply.

[biakbiak]

I am surprised that the dentists didn't u-turn the cyclists.

 

Not at all surprising to me, the last time the dentists saw the cyclists was with a good time advantage and a FF'd option and because they went with the crab option they had legitimately no way of knowing where the cyclists were and had good reason to assume that they had already passed the u-turn. I mean I suppose you could argue that on the last U-turn it doesn't really matter if you waste it but they also might not know if B/A changed their mind about doing the FF and wanted to at least give them a chance to use the U-turn once they got there.

[LotusFlower]

I'm going to answer this in the Previews & Speculation thread, since it is speculation... and yet there are legal issues that say that TAR is indeed a game show, just as Survivor, etc. are.

Voila! Thought so! (Off to read the other thread...)

[david gideon]

I get that they can't change the tasks just because one of them favors a team that has been cast. But if they can't change the tasks, why don't they just NOT cast that team? Tell them 'we have a surfing task that we think would unfairly advantage you, so we're going to schedule you for NEXT season'? No fiddling with pre-set tasks and venues required.

[LotusFlower]

I get that they can't change the tasks just because one of them favors a team that has been cast. But if they can't change the tasks, why don't they just NOT cast that team? Tell them 'we have a surfing task that we think would unfairly advantage you, so we're going to schedule you for NEXT season'? No fiddling with pre-set tasks and venues required.

Because that would be not casting a team this season for the possibility that they would a) still be in the race at this point (almost the end); and b) elect to do the FF. Also, there's a slippery slope in designing the legs and then casting and making these decisions. In other words, what's considered an advantage? A bike challenge when cyclists are in the race? Going to China when a Chinese-speaking team is in the race? A task involving riding horses when Cowboys are in the race? Etc., etc... Everybody has skills that may come into play during the race -- maybe just not as overt as surfing.

[jjj]

As others have said, then get rid of all cycling tasks, and don't include countries where a language advantage from childhood exists.  But to say "there is a FF that only one team can complete, and only five teams will be left by then, and you might be one of them, and might be the one that completes the FF," would be really splitting the competitive possibilities. 

 

ETA:  hey, LotusFlower, great minds with the same thoughts at the same time, but you said it better! 

Edited November 29, 2014 by jjj

[GaT]

The spa torture was horrible. Watching them cry in pain made me sick to my stomach.  I feel like they were the hardest on the scientists, maybe because they were there first? It also seemed like they were there the longest.

 

 

When Phil was describing the task, he said something about the task wasn't done until the masseuse said all the toxins were out, so they could have been there longer than everyone else. That's why I would have gone with the crab task instead, it sounded like when you were done was just too vague. 

[jjj]

I agree it seemed like they were there longer than others.  They were far along when the Wrestlers showed up, but they all caught up after the U-Turn.

[LilyoftheValley]

I disagree that Robbie and Brooke a poor racers.  They can do a lot of physically demanding stuff with ease, and when it comes to the final few legs of the race, getting rid of a team like that would be nice.  They are not brilliant and they do not have great taxi luck, but they can power through a physical challenge if need be.  

[etagloh]

 

They already had a lead and have done well in most tasks. Why risk everything on a task they knew the surfers would ace?

 

Because they knew that they were U-Turn targets unless they got to the board first, and if they raced alongside other teams, it would lock in the plan to U-Turn them, whereas if they split away it would create uncertainty.

 

All signs suggest they were right to make that call. The Road Block sent teams out in the order they arrived; we really can't judge if the crab meat Detour option offered any chance to gain time over the massage/cupping; we know that the dentists made up the gap between flights to beat the scientists.

 

 

In other words, what's considered an advantage?

 

It needs to be judged against the payoff. The reward of a FF is considerably more than that of a normal leg task, especially now that there's one or two each season, and especially this late. It's more or less a guaranteed leg win if you complete it. Bringing particular skills to a normal task (or language skills to navigation) goes into the mix with everything else in that leg.

[LotusFlower]

As others have said, then get rid of all cycling tasks, and don't include countries where a language advantage from childhood exists.  But to say "there is a FF that only one team can complete, and only five teams will be left by then, and you might be one of them, and might be the one that completes the FF," would be really splitting the competitive possibilities. 

 

ETA:  hey, LotusFlower, great minds with the same thoughts at the same time, but you said it better!

Jinx! (And I like your spin on it, too).

It needs to be judged against the payoff. The reward of a FF is considerably more than that of a normal leg task, especially now that there's one or two each season, and especially this late. It's more or less a guaranteed leg win if you complete it. Bringing particular skills to a normal task (or language skills to navigation) goes into the mix with everything else in that leg.

Yes, there's a greater payoff with a FF, but again, it doesn't matter, since they don't design (or change) the course to fit certain teams, nor do they cast or not cast teams because of design elements of the race. It's all random, not to mention luck.

[Fukui San]

This is the weird thing about the Fast Forward for this round. It's not that it was a surfing task.  It's that it was a task that couldn't be completed within a 40 minute head start. I can't think of another Fast Forward which you might have someone try and fail to complete it within 40 minutes.  Usually it's some sort of kind of scary thing, like a bungee jump or drinking "blood" like Lori and Bolo had to do, or a vanity thing like head shaving, but not a difficult task that you could try and fail to complete within 40 minutes.

 

If I were designing the leg, massage would have been the Fast Forward, and the surfing and crabs would have been the Detours.

[LotusFlower]

Just wanted to add something about the surfing FF: I was just reading some stuff on Adam and Bethany, and Adam is not a professional surfer. He lists surfing as a hobby, and it's possible he just picked it up when he met Bethany. Plus, he grew up in Kansas! Since both teammates had to complete the task, to me it's then similar to any other task where one is skilled at something, and the other is not. And the race is filled with those.

[cooksdelight]

Every time I read the episode title, I chuckle to myself....wondering what Jim and Misti would look like had they done the cupping/massage challenge. Would their tan come off, or not? A mystery we'll never know the answer to. :)

[Muffyn]

The spa torture was horrible. Watching them cry in pain made me sick to my stomach.  I feel like they were the hardest on the scientists, maybe because they were there first? It also seemed like they were there the longest.

It did look like the scientists were there much longer.  Since they were the first and dramatic (a.k.a. in serious pain) they may have dragged in out for supposedly good TV.  The massage would be more painful on someone who is less muscular.  I get Chinese massages sometimes, but I do have to have them back off a little on some under-muscled parts of my body; that is, when they are literally pounding my bones. The wrestlers are also probably more accustomed to getting deep tissue massages.  The cupping wouldn't have been particularly painful if they hadn't had their skin scraped so roughly.  That looked really nasty on the scientists.  A light breeze would be painful at that point.  

 

I would prefer if the race did not include tasks that are this brutal.  I noticed Amy was walking okay until after the massage, so they aggravated her leg injury.  Their skin is raw.  I would hate to be racing with this kind of damage to my body.

 

As for the wrestlers, I don't care that they lied.  That is their choice to make.  I care that they gloated and smack talked their competitors.  Nothing in their actions made them the greatest racers ever, so they need to back down the self praise.  Of course the scientists should have checked anyway, if based on nothing other than the fact that the wrestlers have a hard time finding clues and taxis and . . . . 

 

I will miss the cyclists.  I definitely want to see them come back to race again.  They were a really strong team.   

[Netfoot]

I've picked crab meat before, many times, when I was a youngster.  (I used to catch the crabs first!)  So, would that Detour option have to be changed to avoid giving me an advantage?  How would TPTB have known about my special abilities?  It isn't something that would "come up" in a regular interview, unless they specifically went through a list of challenges, asking about each and giving away hints as to what was to come on the race.

 

I also drive on the correct side of the road (the left).  And I drove a manual transmission for years!  I was schooled in map reading.  I have skippered small boats, powered and sail.  I used to  surf.  Body, belly, and board.  Etc, etc.  We've all got a list of diverse skills we've picked up over the years, many of which we consider useless and not worthy of mentioning.  I don't think it would be possible to set a race with many and varied challenges, without someone finding out that some challenge was right up their alley.

 

Didn't the Candy Scientists say just a few legs back that one of them had made a special study of butter?  So was the churning challenge an unfair advantage that should have been redacted?  Or was it tampering on the part of TPTB, to ensure Amy & Maya went deeper into the race?

 

I think they set the challenges, and if one team finds they have the advantage at one challenge, they probably suffer a disadvantage at another.  Bethany solving puzzles, shifting peat, rappelling, etc, with one arm, is probably her at a disadvantage, with balancing on the water obviously to her advantage.  Swings and roundabouts, for all competitors.

[ottoDbusdriver]

As others have said, then get rid of all cycling tasks, and don't include countries where a language advantage from childhood exists.  But to say "there is a FF that only one team can complete, and only five teams will be left by then, and you might be one of them, and might be the one that completes the FF," would be really splitting the competitive possibilities.

 

Thing is, the cyclists nearly had the fast forward completed with about 30 seconds left when Adam and Bethany showed up -- the cyclists both lost their focus on the task and down they went.  If Adam and Bethany had not been allowed within eyeshot of the task, the cyclists would have most likely finished it.  IMHO.

[CrashTextDummie]

I loved this episode from start to finish. It may be in my top 5. The only things that could have improved it in my eyes would have been no save in play and a footrace to the finish.

 

First the flight route twist which landed the two strongest teams on the second flight and added to the U-turn tension, which psyched out the Cyclists into attempting the FF. I don't see any problem with that FF at all, the cyclists didn't have to take it and the surfers arguably shouldn't have taken it being 40 minutes behind. It didn't look like an impossible task at all for the cyclists and I think the surfers showing up threw them off something fierce. It helped that the task itself was really tense and the editing was spot on.

 

The rope walk roadblock would have been lame if not for Jim the dentist nearly falling to his death. My heart nearly dropped to my pants when his guiding rope gave way. The massage detour looked like hell but I'm sorry, I enjoy watching people subject themselves to pain. It would have been a questionable task if it was mandatory (àlà the foot massage roadblock a few seasons back) but they could have quit at any time. And it's not like the alternate choice was a walk in the park either.

 

Finally, even though the first and last place finish where essentially decided at the FF, the wrestlers kept me entertained with their over-the-top villainy. They may be amoral and they may be stupid, but they make for great television. Besides, unlike other people in this shows past who revealed their true despicable personalities, the Wrestlers still strike me as fun and easygoing people. It's their profession to play bad guys and they're clearly hamming it up and having fun with it.

 

I'm sad to see the cyclysts go because they were a strong and likeable team, but I'm fine with everyone remaining. I'm even kind of pulling for a Dentist win, as they have both won me over with their partnership and work ethics.

[Lantern7]

I showed the episode to my mother. She got a kick out of the Scientists' misery. Poor girls . . . I wonder how long the welts will remain on their backs. In that regard, you have to envy the Cyclists. They get to chill out while being sequestered.

 

Seriously, though . . . who would've guessed that Amy & Maya would be the last all-female team racing?

[sinycalone]

 

Thing is, the cyclists nearly had the fast forward completed with about 30 seconds left when Adam and Bethany showed up -- the cyclists both lost their focus on the task and down they went.  If Adam and Bethany had not been allowed within eyeshot of the task, the cyclists would have most likely finished it.  IMHO.

 

No way to know if the Cyclists would have finished it or not, of course.  But more importantly, as others have pointed out, the Cyclists got to watch the Surfers both times, too.  It is fairly standard practice on TAR for those waiting to have a clear view of the other competitors...and for the teams working on the challenge to be aware of it.  Nothing new.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I really dislike Brooke and her attitude and both of the wrestlers deserve to go home based on their mocking of the profession of Amy and Maya - don't denigrate people because of their jobs!

I agree - while I understand that many of the teams' nicknames are based on their professions, judging people for what they do for a living is snotty. Maybe it's because I know people with a wide range of occupations and hobbies, but I don't think that what a person does for money is all that they are.

I don't dislike the wrestlers because they fake fight for a living. I dislike them because they're stupid and obnoxious. See how that works, Brooke and Robbie? Yeah, throwing ice cream is what you should fear most from Amy and Maya.

Brooke is such a negative person with a persecution complex. She thinks everyone is out to get them. And she loves to paint herself as a victim. It's the universe's fault that the other teams are always able to find taxis and clue boxes but the wrestlers aren't! It has nothing to do with the fact that they're such dumbasses that they walk past signs that say, "TAXIS THIS WAY" or guys with huge red and gold outfits. They are good at some of the physical tasks but any time they aren't told exactly where to go with a giant bullseye marking the spot, they're totally clueless. Great that they can pound out some of the tasks but you have to be able to get there first.

[GaT]

Thing is, the cyclists nearly had the fast forward completed with about 30 seconds left when Adam and Bethany showed up -- the cyclists both lost their focus on the task and down they went.  If Adam and Bethany had not been allowed within eyeshot of the task, the cyclists would have most likely finished it.  IMHO.

But that's the way it is with any of the challenges, why would a FF be any different?

[RedheadZombie]

And let's not forget of course that Detour challenge in Copenhagen with the wedding cakes and the freight bikes. Surely that was a task that the Cyclists had an unfair advantage in because of their profession and indeed was one where Bethany in particular was at a severe disadvantage, and we saw it when they attempted it. Surely if you scrap the waverider Fast Forward because there are surfers who could compete in it, you should scrap that part of the Detour because there are professional cyclists who could compete there (and indeed are more likely to be in the competition because it took place earlier in the Race).

 

I don't think this is a fair analogy.  It's a rare American who hasn't been proficient on a bicycle since the training wheels were removed.  On the other hand, I'm from the Midwest, and I've never surfed.   To my knowledge, I've never had a friend who surfed.  It is a very particular skill, and I've seen (on TV) how difficult it is for a newbie to even balance upright on the surfboard without falling. 

 

I think a better analogy would be a mathematician team having a FF which included a complicated geometry proof.  And in that situation, almost everybody would have at least taken a geometry course in school.  Another analogy would be an Olympic gymnastic team have to perform a move and dismount on the uneven bars. In that situation, most of us have taken gymnastics as a child are in a PE class.  I think there are situations where tasks should be adjusted once the show is cast.  I'm not talking making it easier on those with difficulties, I'm talking about removing tasks that you know a team absolutely cannot compete in.  That means not having a task you must have hearing when you know you have a deaf participant, or a task with a weight maximum when you know you have someone who exceeds that weight.  So far, there hasn't been a task that Bethany inherently couldn't do.  For instance, a task that requires two arms to hold something.  That would be a task that Bethany is incapable of doing, and I think there would have been a lot of complaints.

 

I don't think the FF was setup for Bethany and Adam, but I think it was an unbelievable advantage.  I also think that if it was an unlikeable team with a huge advantage (the wrestlers), there might have been more outrage.  There are certain tasks that are an advantage to athletes, but in a more basic way.  I wouldn't complain about that, because if I was cast on TAR, I would make sure I was aerobically fit and strong, I could drive a stick shift, read a map, and learn some basics of as many languages as possible.  Those are all reasonable expectations.  Knowing how to remain upright on a surfboard for two minutes - never in a million years would I have guessed I should work on that.

[sinycalone]

 

That means not having a task you must have hearing when you know you have a deaf participant, or a task with a weight maximum when you know you have someone who exceeds that weight.

 

Actually, both situations have occurred on TAR in the past:  Luke and Big Easy come to mind.  They did nothing to make it easier for either one of them...no tasks were eliminated.

[SoCal4Us]

IMHO it's a slippery slope if tasks are changed because a contestant may have an advantage…I agree that it becomes rigged contest and the integrity of the game will be compromised.

[Haleth]

The racers should be reminded periodically that this is a competition.  You take advice from other teams at your own risk.  You should not expect any other team to help you in any way.  You should not be surprised if another team misleads you, refuses to do what you agreed to, or does not follow through with any kind of alliance.  If listening to another team delays you or even makes you arrive last, that is on you, not them.  Jim and Misti should have done their own travel arrangements.  Brooke and Rob should not have asked the scientists for help finding the clue.  Amy and Maya should not have listened to the wrestlers regarding the lion clue.  Neither should any of them be annoyed that other teams weren't holding their hands.  Run your own damn race.  

 

I had no problem with the massage.  It was explained pretty fully it was one of those deep massages.  And it was a detour option.  No one had to take it.

 

And they could have bald snarked any time.

[Sarahendipity]

Those wave-riding set-ups aren't intended for only pro surfers though, they are for beginners to get a feel for it. I'm pretty sure I've seen them on cruise ships. Adam even said it didn't feel like surfing, he compared it to snowboarding. You just had to stand with your weight on your back foot, Bethany was clearly doing this. Kym and Alli were more even, that's why the kept cathcing edges and going down.

[Kromm]

Meh.  I loved seeing the dissension in the ranks but hated seeing the team that left go.

 

I will say that if the Cyclists aren't on the next All-Star season, then there's no reason to even have those.

Edited November 30, 2014 by Kromm

[TheOriginalDonald]

Too bad NO ONE thought of U-Turning #ISITSAFE??? because NOW next week is a NEL, whereas if someone made Jim and Misti use the Save there would have been a lot more drama #MyTARIsBroken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[etagloh]

 

I think they set the challenges, and if one team finds they have the advantage at one challenge, they probably suffer a disadvantage at another.

 

Absolutely. I think the question is whether that evens out over the entire race or whether you look for some kind of balance on a leg by leg basis.

 

Again, it's a Fast Forward. It's that weird thing TPTB keeps around for old time's sake even though it doesn't really fit into a race with U-Turns and Saves and other more recent gimmicks, and as a result people who've been following TAR since the early days project a lot of their sense of "the essence of TAR" onto it. It has a lot of power, even in its diminished state. A FF that turns out to be especially suited to a particular team, even through blind coincidence, feels like the gift of a leg from the producers. Perhaps I wouldn't be as annoyed by this if the Save hadn't been around to make the dentists bulletproof since leg 2, which is the biggest gift TPTB have handed out in 25 seasons.

[tds444]

Too bad NO ONE thought of U-Turning #ISITSAFE??? because NOW next week is a NEL, whereas if someone made Jim and Misti use the Save there would have been a lot more drama #MyTARIsBroken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the save expired after this leg. They are eligible to be eliminated from here on out. There was no reason to u-turn them

[RedheadZombie]

Actually, both situations have occurred on TAR in the past:  Luke and Big Easy come to mind.  They did nothing to make it easier for either one of them...no tasks were eliminated.

 

I realize that - that's why I used those examples.

 

Meh.  I loved seeing the dissension in the ranks but hated seeing the team that left go.

 

I will say that if the Cyclists aren't on the next All-Star season, then there's no reason to even have those.

 

I agree.  My fear is that the wrestlers will be asked back, and Brooke and Robbie know that being obnoxious increases that chance.

[jhlipton]

Bethany (and Adam) really messed up with the flights, and Jim and Misty also blew it, by not double checking.

 

I missed that the Paris flights were spoon-fed but that other flights were available. I really thought that the first agent lied to the surfers and dentists.

 

Problem is, Amy and Maya can't tell them without acknowledging that they themselves voted for the surfers.

I expect that A&M will go up to A&B (probably off-camera) and say "You're going to find out that we U-Turned you. We knew that you and the cyclists had to be last. Since you're both such strong teams, we U-Turned you and thought the dentists or the wrestlers would U-Turn the cyclists. I hope there's no hard feelings."

[RedheadZombie]

I expect that A&M will go up to A&B (probably off-camera) and say "You're going to find out that we U-Turned you. We knew that you and the cyclists had to be last. Since you're both such strong teams, we U-Turned you and thought the dentists or the wrestlers would U-Turn the cyclists. I hope there's no hard feelings."

 

This is probably the best approach, but I want Adam and Bethany to know that the wrestlers were the ones pushing for their U-turn.  I would like to see the wrestlers become the outsiders, but at the very least, I want the other teams to tell them FU when approached about strategy.  Next time they ask to be spoon fed something - ignore them.  Next time they try to rally for a team's ouster - ignore them.