S26.E03: #MurphysLaw (Phuket, Thailand)

[Bella]

The proposal was sweet and genuine but dammit TAR, if you ever put together another ridiculous stunt season like this I'm divorcing you.

 

I recommend a trial separation before actual divorce. I skipped a couple of seasons plus some random individual episodes, and came back with a new appreciation of the show.

 

The dating conceit isn't bugging me that much because my favorite teams are the two J&J blind date teams. But Phil is embarrassing himself with this "any chemistry yet?" b.s.

 

And I'm on Team Hayley, FTR.

[Irlandesa]

Some people speculated that Tyler is gay, but I'm not seeing it.  His comments at the ladyboy dance made it evident that he was not amused and not enjoying himself (unlike one of either Bergen and Kurt, who looked like he was ecstatic to be living out his dream).  He also said something about wondering if he had to get his nuts cut off.

I'm not sure why not wanting to do the ladyboy dance proves he's "not gay." I'm not saying he's gay. I don't have great gaydar.  But if he were gay, he chose to run this race as someone who could be potentially paired with a woman.  So if he is gay, there's some internalized homophobia there.  (And yes, that can exist in gay men/women too.)    But you don't need to be homophobic to not want to put on heels, makeup and a slinky dress.  Hell, I'm a woman and I wouldn't want to put on that outfit.  Neither did Jonathan and Harley, who are also gay yet had a different reaction than the gay blind date blonds. 

 

Haley's voice and speech patterns give the impression that she is not too bright - she comes off as a stereotypical "dumb blond". 

I thought that was true in the first episode when she was acting all cutesy.  I think that has been significantly less true in the other episodes.  And she has already shown that dismissing her as a dumb blonde would be a mistake.

 

Last year, I saw the comedienne Sandra Bernhard in concert, and she regaled us with a tale of being in Prague several days and wanting to kill herself from boredom, so I'm guessing that's not that great a prize!

I think that says more about Sandra than Prague.  It's gorgeous.  I can't imagine not being able to amuse oneself for a couple of days.  A couple of months in a place where you don't know the language?  I get that.  A week, though? I think it's a good prize.

[gibasi]

I am not a long time viewer and have only watched the past 4 years or so so when I say I think it is too gimmicky I can only imagine the pain of those who have been watching from the beginning.  I thought last night's episode was boring.  I watch it to have fun; maybe if they had to deal with some animals.  The animals are always good for a laugh.  I don't care one way or the other about the sleeping arrangements or whether or not there is a love connection.  All dating contestants blind and long time=gimmick.

[Rick Kitchen]

I was waiting for the guys to be homophobic and sexist douchebags because it always happens, but other than Tyler, I didn't notice much. Although I gotta admit I couldn't follow those scenes very well because they were so busy and loud. Do you remember what was said and by who? Or do you, piewarmer?

 

 

 

Well, there was the one guy who was afraid they were going to ask him to cut his balls off (I assume that was what was bleeped out), and all of the guys just giggling and acting all horrified that they were gonna have, to you, put on a costume.  I was losing interest fast in the things they were saying, so I tuned a lot of it out, and didn't take notes.

[Alapaki]

Well, there was the one guy who was afraid they were going to ask him to cut his balls off (I assume that was what was bleeped out),

 

 

I think the crude, but somewhat conventional, concept about Thailand is the guys there who are, let's say, more committed to passing as ladies.  That may be what squeaked some of the guys out.  (not that it should, or that they were right, but I"m not sure everyone would associate the term "ladyboy" in Thailand with merely cross-dressers).

[backformore]

Well, there was the one guy who was afraid they were going to ask him to cut his balls off (I assume that was what was bleeped out), and all of the guys just giggling and acting all horrified that they were gonna have, to you, put on a costume.  I was losing interest fast in the things they were saying, so I tuned a lot of it out, and didn't take notes.

Well some young guys in Thailand ARE castrated in order to be "ladyboys".   And, yeah, they get it done "voluntarily", but sometimes it's the only way young effeminate boys can make a living.  

Maybe it's not the racers being homophobic, but knowing more about the culture

[peachmangosteen]

I think Hayley came into this disliking doctors, and Blair came in disliking nurses.

 

That is a good point and I think you're probably right. At least on Hayley's side I think it's pretty clear she does have some doctor baggage. But initially she seemed to be willing to let that go and work with Blair, but Blair wasn't having it. We were shown 2 instances where he wouldn't listen to her and then when she was proven right he just laughed it off or ignored her. I think that's the main reason I root for Hayley more; she seems to have at least tried to work with him even though they don't get along, but he's not putting in any effort at all.

[bmoore4026]

I'm wondering if you mean Hayley, the screeching nurse.  She and Laura look very much alike.

 

Whoever was going "YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO ME!  YOU NEED TO DO WHAT I SAY!"  Laura or Hayley, this is going to be a joy.

[aradia22]

 

I wondered if the party night wasn't supposed to make them miss start times and sleep in. Seems like encouraging not running the race as opposed to running it.

Maybe I just miss The Mole but I was hoping for something really tricky like 'remember something from the menu of the bar we told you to go to.'

 

Yes, Blair was wrong.  He needs to stop behaving as if she is just an extra back-pack he has to drag around the world.

Haha. This is hilarious in light of the backpack carrying situation.

[Lingo]

Never have I ever been so grateful for a non elimination leg. I just totally dig Jonathan & Harley--their attitude, their love for each other--and was not ready to say goodbye (especially after the "I'm a water mushroom!" clip from their spa date). I also loved the quick shot of a toddler on the loose at Narita, with his mom chasing after him in front of the airline ticket counter. Heh.

 

Finally: Tyler is soooooo pretty to look at; I really enjoy the quietly competent Olympians; and Hayley had a valid point but needs to learn how to make her message powerful and not just annoying.

 

I wonder if you are my twin because you took all the words right out of my mouth (except about Tyler, I can take or leave him, lol).  Yes, I was surprised and super-duper happy they were saved, because I think they're my favorite team.  I think it's just because they're so obviously in love and affectionate with each other, it's just super-adorable.  And I really like the Olympians (well, particularly Aly), and I love the New Yawkers who are also super-cute together, so I was happy with the proposal, and it makes sense to me that he'd want to do it in front of as many people as possible (I wouldn't, but some people are just like that). In fact, as down as I was about the season's theme, so far I'm really enjoying all of the teams so far, except HAYLEY.  And yes, Blair, you're not great shakes either.  We get that you're not into her at all, but could you at least try to make your time with her enjoyable?  You know, like look in her eyes and try to engage in conversation? Maybe smile and laugh? I wonder if you're super-shy or just super-conceited.

 

(And oh, yes, that shot of that runaway todder was sooo cute!)

 

And you guys who say you can't tell the couples apart, I wonder if you're face-blind.  I think they're all physically very distinct from one another.  Just because they're all couples doesn't make them all identical clones (besides Kurt and Bergen anyway).

 

This reminded me of something I've wanted to mention since the start of the season: Is it my imagination, or do a lot of the teams this season have really, really big backpacks? I'm wondering if it has something to do with the blind date business, i.e., making sure you pack a full set of toiletries because you're not going to share with a stranger.

 

They put up a Bonus Clip this week of Hayley showing Blair all the essential things she's carrying in her backpack.  You know, like her bags of makeup, hair dryer, and her curling iron.

 

But going back to Team NKOTB: I'm not gay so I'm not the best person to evaluate this, but I was just struck by the fact that the show has no problem these days showing them kissing and being affectionate with each other.  If nothing else, it reflects how much our society has changed in the last 15 years. I know the show has had gay racers since Season 2, but it was kind of a big deal when Chip and Reichen won S4 and the show edited out their big smooch on the winner's mat -- and I don't remember if they showed any other kissing back then either. It's nice that things have changed.  (Despite their insistence on playing up cross-dressing and "ladyboys" for laughs -- and this isn't the first time they've had Thai cross-dressers on the race.)

 

ETA: I don't think the show's to blame for the fact that Jon and Harley had such a hard time getting to Thailand. I was under the impression that flights between Japan and Thailand are pretty routine, so that surprised me, and it seemed to surprise Phil, too, who questioned them about it on the mat.  In a bonus clip, they blame themselves: their inexperience with booking foreign flights (Jonathan's flights are always booked by his handlers), plus their lack of sleep and their reluctance to book flights that would only get them partway there. This is pretty common on TAR and I don't think it needed any special handling by the producers, who usually pre-book transportation only in remote areas.

Edited March 8, 2015 by Lingo

[green]

Harley & Jonathan: Most times, NELs frustrate me because they save teams who come in last from their own mistakes and screw-ups and thus don't deserve the save.  But this is one time I'll be okay with it, because these two came in last through no real fault of their own.

 

I usually agree with the stuff you say but not here.  The airport was closed overnight.  They had tons of downtime.  They weren't arriving from a task in last place.  They simply chose to go to the airport later than the others to end up last in line.  Why would anyone do that when being early at an airport is practically everything on TAR?  But they didn't bother to do that.  So yeah I'd say it was totally their fault.

[aradia22]

 

I wonder if you're super-shy or just super-conceited.

Can't it be both?

 

They put up a Bonus Clip this week of Hayley showing Blair all the essential things she's carrying in her backpack.  You know, like her bags of makeup, hair dryer, and her curling iron.

Usually I'm harder on reality TV ladies who bring pounds of makeup to a competition that isn't based on looks (e.g. ANTM, The Bachelor, etc.) but this time I think the women can be forgiven because of the dating angle. 

[RedheadZombie]

Whoever was going "YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO ME! YOU NEED TO DO WHAT I SAY!" Laura or Hayley, this is going to be a joy.

That's Hayley. The two blondes look similar enough that I look at the partner to differentiate them. I think Laura's partner is much better looking.

[Donny Ketchum]

I usually agree with the stuff you say but not here.  The airport was closed overnight.  They had tons of downtime.  They weren't arriving from a task in last place.  They simply chose to go to the airport later than the others to end up last in line.  Why would anyone do that when being early at an airport is practically everything on TAR?  But they didn't bother to do that.  So yeah I'd say it was totally their fault.

They were there with everyone else.  All of the teams were having the same flight problems.  Somehow, they got the short end of things while everyone else was somehow landing flights.

[biakbiak]

I am pretty certain that when Hayley speaks it's like the adults in Charlie Brown to Blair and he has completely just blocked her out.

[auntlada]

And you guys who say you can't tell the couples apart, I wonder if you're face-blind.  I think they're all physically very distinct from one another.  Just because they're all couples doesn't make them all identical clones (besides Kurt and Bergen anyway).

 

I can tell them apart physically. I can tell they all look different. I just can't remember which straight dating white couple is which until they get narrowed down a little and show more of each couple. The gay couples and the minority couples I learned the names of right away. All the others just merged. I even have trouble remembering the names of the roller derby girl and beard guy, although at least I know their description.

 

 

I know the show has had gay racers since Season 2

 

Since season 1. Joe and Bill (Team Guido) were a gay couple. I don't believe they were ever shown kissing, either, although, in case you didn't know, they did talk a great deal about how they lived in Paris for two years.

[Lingo]

Oh I can't believe I forgot the Guidos!

 

If by "can't tell apart" you mean "can't remember their names", or "not sure how to describe them without using their names", then I'm right there with you.  I just don't think they look very similar, aside from maybe Jeff and Tyler.

[Irlandesa]

Whoever was going "YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO ME!  YOU NEED TO DO WHAT I SAY!"  Laura or Hayley, this is going to be a joy.

That's Hayley.  Obviously opinions vary about her incessant need to point out that he doesn't listen but I will say that seeing the first two episodes does, at least, offer up some perspective on why she was fed up. Seeing how quickly he tuned her out, perhaps upon learning she was a nurse, was one of the most odd things I've ever seen on reality TV.

[auntlada]

Oh I can't believe I forgot the Guidos!

 

If by "can't tell apart" you mean "can't remember their names", or "not sure how to describe them without using their names", then I'm right there with you.  I just don't think they look very similar, aside from maybe Jeff and Tyler.

 

After the third episode, I'm starting to keep some of them straight. Blair and Hayley because of the arguing and because she would drive me crazy (even if she is right). But I got them after the first episode. He looks more distinct to me than several of the other guys. And I think Laura is the other blond, but I keep forgetting the guy's name (hers is easy because it's my name). Jeff and Jackie (I think?) I'm getting because of the whole are-we-having-sex-wink-wink thing. The other two I can't remember their names. But in the first episode and most of the second, I kept getting confused about which was the hairdresser couple and which of the blind date couples were which. I'm not sure even now I can recognize the Olympic couple, although I know their names now.

 

It probably helped that I watched episodes two and three in a row tonight.

 

And, yeah, I can't tell Jeff and Tyler apart unless they are standing next to their partners.

Edited March 8, 2015 by auntlada

[viajero]

They were there with everyone else.  All of the teams were having the same flight problems.  Somehow, they got the short end of things while everyone else was somehow landing flights.

 

As far as we could tell, they got the short end because they got to the counter last, except for the two teams that went directly to the PAL counter instead (and were thus on the second flight). Interestingly enough, those were also the two teams that arrived first at the airport.  I guess they somehow didn't find out that there was an alternate itinerary that would get them to Phuket at 4 pm rather than 9 pm.  They were very lucky that there were not enough seats on the first flight.

 

I did enjoy this episode, but like others, am getting concerned about the noticeable imbalance between the detours.  I much prefer when the detours are relatively even in difficulty and it comes down to the abilities of the racers. 

 

I can't stand either Hayley or Blair and hope they go home soon.  But they are really the only team I actively dislike.  This is the second season in a row where there are very few objectionable teams.  So at least that's one way TAR is improving.

[etagloh]

Harley & Jonathan: Most times, NELs frustrate me because they save teams who come in last from their own mistakes and screw-ups and thus don't deserve the save.  But this is one time I'll be okay with it, because these two came in last through no real fault of their own.  The flights were clearly crazy, and I wonder if TPTB knew it, too, hence it being an NEL? 

 

I think TPTB assumed everyone would get into Phuket on the evening. Consider the previous legs: the dance task in Tokyo surely took much longer than TPTB expected, and many teams stuck with it till late. That affected the timing for the Nagano leg, where they might have expected a bigger early morning train bunch. The Nagano Pit Stop was clearly not 12 hours, but I'm sure Pit Stop times can't be jiggered mid-race. Sending them back to Narita (thought blurring all that in the edit) gave them a short window before flights shut down for the night. In that context, the NEL is a kind of failsafe to make sure that if the ETAs do get out of whack, a team isn't punished for it strictly through what happens at the airport.

[Kromm]

This should have been named "I'm a Ladyboy!"

Actually "I'm a Ladyman!" (to mock that pathetic insistence that they were different from the Ladyboys)

Still can't tell all the endless bland white couples apart except the one with the "told you so" woman who finally got her revenge on the snotty, smug man she has been stuck with this whole time.  And I can only tell them apart when she goes off on the twit.

Are you including the team with the Hispanic girl in that interchangeability?  She looks quite different from the other girls.

I was waiting for the guys to be homophobic and sexist douchebags because it always happens, but other than Tyler, I didn't notice much. Although I gotta admit I couldn't follow those scenes very well because they were so busy and loud. Do you remember what was said and by who? 

There were a few minor things.  There was the insistence on being a "Ladyman", of course.  Jeff (who otherwise is fairly unobjectionable) was kind of rolling his eyes at the whole thing.  There was the addressing of the Ladyboys AS "Ladyboys", as if they weren't individuals (but that's a subtle point that may have been due to the lack of time to talk to them and actually ask names and/or a language barrier).  

 

Oh right- the unbalanced challenges.  What is with that his year?

Yeah, we got it again.  An impossible challenge vs. one that's well... doable.

[gryphon]

 

Mike and Rochelle might well have staying power

 I thought I heard Mike's voice coaching Rochelle through the dance and telling her to smile and stuff.  That was pretty cool. He looked like he had the choreography down.  Good on him! 

 

Not really one for tv proposals....and surprisingly, I didn't notice the pillows in the bar at all-- I was looking at the customers' faces.  I'm tired. 

[backformore]

And you guys who say you can't tell the couples apart, I wonder if you're face-blind.  I think they're all physically very distinct from one another.  Just because they're all couples doesn't make them all identical clones (besides Kurt and Bergen anyway).

 

Well, I could probably tell them apart if I saw still photos and memorized faces and names.    But when the teams are racing, there's a lot of chaos, talking, running,  their full faces are not always shown.  I pay attention to cues like hair color to distinguish one team from another team.  But even then, I don't know all the names, and the personalities are not distinct enough to be memorable.  On other seasons, there are "tags"  you can remember teams by, like siblings, best friends, fire fighters, Mother/son,etc.  this season, everyone is either dating or blind dates, and I swear if you switched some of the couples, I wouldn't notice.  I don't know who goes with whom.  

It's not being face-blind, it's just not taking the time to memorize all the names. 

[millennium]

Oddly enough in a leg that contained a showgirl drag challenge, the most un-macho moment was the guy yelling "WHERE"S MY FANNY-PACK???"  

Edited March 8, 2015 by millennium

[elychari2]

I don't really understand how it took the earlier teams so long to get to the airport. Jelani & Jenny left around 4:40pm, yet by the time they got to the airport it was dark and the counters were closed? That makes no sense. How long would it take them to get to the airport, and how early did the counters close?

If they are coming from Nagano and leaving by Narita Airport, that would be a 5 to 6 hour trip to the airport.

[auntlada]

Are you including the team with the Hispanic girl in that interchangeability?  She looks quite different from the other girls.

 

Apparently. Which one is she? It's not that they all look alike. I can tell differences in how they look. I just don't know which look goes with which name. Or what backformoresaid:

 

Well, I could probably tell them apart if I saw still photos and memorized faces and names.    But when the teams are racing, there's a lot of chaos, talking, running,  their full faces are not always shown.  I pay attention to cues like hair color to distinguish one team from another team.  But even then, I don't know all the names, and the personalities are not distinct enough to be memorable.  On other seasons, there are "tags"  you can remember teams by, like siblings, best friends, fire fighters, Mother/son,etc.  this season, everyone is either dating or blind dates, and I swear if you switched some of the couples, I wouldn't notice.  I don't know who goes with whom.  

It's not being face-blind, it's just not taking the time to memorize all the names. 

 

That's what I meant to say. Thank you.

[Netfoot]

It's not being face-blind, it's just not taking the time to memorize all the names. 

 

I never try to.  As I watch, I'm thinking "Oh, that team has screwed up again.  And those two look like they will finish well. "  And as the field diminishes due to eliminations and I simultaneously get more exposure due to more episodes, the names of the racers sort of lodge themselves in my mind automatically.  And reading 250 posts saying "Shut up Hayley!" quickly teaches me who the Shrill Shrew is. 

 

Some teams I never get to tell one racer from the other.  Like Kurt & Bergen -- I know them by sight, I know their names, but I don't know which is which and I don't expect I ever will.  Or Jackie and Irrelevant.  I know her name now, but his.....

[needschocolate]

Too bad the couple that went home last time - the ones who kept discussing marriage - weren't around for the proposal this episode.  I would have loved to watch the looks on their faces.

 

Well, I could probably tell them apart if I saw still photos and memorized faces and names.    But when the teams are racing, there's a lot of chaos, talking, running,  their full faces are not always shown.  I pay attention to cues like hair color to distinguish one team from another team.  But even then, I don't know all the names, and the personalities are not distinct enough to be memorable.  On other seasons, there are "tags"  you can remember teams by, like siblings, best friends, fire fighters, Mother/son,etc.  this season, everyone is either dating or blind dates, and I swear if you switched some of the couples, I wouldn't notice.  I don't know who goes with whom.  

It's not being face-blind, it's just not taking the time to memorize all the names. 

 

They seem to be using the hashtag names as their nicknames - however, since I can't remember any of the hashtag names right now, those nicknames aren't helping me remember who is who.  I am not sure they even give the same hashtag name every time the couple is shown.

 

It also doesn't help that most of the teams left are "blind dates" so there is no references to their outside lives to distinguish those couples - no comments about doing it for their children or how their jobs as flight attendants or country singers candle makers would make a task easier.  Some of the blind date couples are in the same profession, but they don't work together and son't comment on it, as much as would be done with couples that have history together.  

[truthaboutluv]

I think the poster is referring to Jackie who is paired up with Jeff.

[Omega Mu]

 

Has there ever been a lesbian couple on TAR? I can't seem to remember one. Just wondering.

Kate and Pat, the Episcopal Priests on season 12 are the only ones that I recall...

[iMonrey]

 

There's no way production has any control at all over the airlines. How are producers supposed to know when they plan the legs months in advance whether other regular non-race people are going to date to book seats on the possible flights that racers would need to take?

 

Actually that's a very important part in planning the whole season. it's why teams are so often spoon-fed specific flights more often than not - the producers reserve them in advance to make sure all the teams make it to the next destination. In the increasingly rare instance where teams are able to book whatever flights they want, it's assumed that there will be plenty of flights from point A to point B so no team will be left behind. What happens if there are no seats available between two legs of the race? Does the season just stop? That's why they plan this out in advance. Someone goofed here. Or, at the very least, the producers were aware that this might happen which is why they scheduled the next leg to start the next morning, just in case. And made it a non-elimination leg for that very reason.

 

So, I'm OK with it, because it seemed like they did know this might happen. But like I say, if it had been an elimination round, I would have been furious with the race planners.

[Donny Ketchum]

Has there ever been a lesbian couple on TAR? I can't seem to remember one. Just wondering.

 

Kate and Pat, the Episcopal Priests on season 12 are the only ones that I recall...

Yeah, Kate & Pat, who've been together before and since TAR12, were definitely one.  But there was one other: Carol & Brandy, who broke up soon after they raced in TAR16.  It still steams me that the show couldn't see fit to find at least one interesting lesbian couple to replace one of these pretty coed couples.

Edited March 8, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[djlynch]

I think TPTB assumed everyone would get into Phuket on the evening. Consider the previous legs: the dance task in Tokyo surely took much longer than TPTB expected, and many teams stuck with it till late. That affected the timing for the Nagano leg, where they might have expected a bigger early morning train bunch. The Nagano Pit Stop was clearly not 12 hours, but I'm sure Pit Stop times can't be jiggered mid-race. Sending them back to Narita (thought blurring all that in the edit) gave them a short window before flights shut down for the night. In that context, the NEL is a kind of failsafe to make sure that if the ETAs do get out of whack, a team isn't punished for it strictly through what happens at the airport.

 

At a minimum, the pit stops seem to be flexible enough that there are usually at least a couple of times per race when it seems like the thing that's set in advance is the first team's departure time rather than the length of the stop. I wouldn't be surprised if they have the option to lengthen or shorten them as necessary to keep the race on schedule.

 

Also, I bet the timing of the first teams getting Narita when it was too late to fly out that same evening wasn't a coincidence. Given that the detour options both looked like they had to be done in daylight, if some of the early teams had managed to get an overnight flight and arrive in Phuket the next morning (basically what Harley and Jon ended up having to do, but a day earlier), they would have ended up either sitting through a full day in Phuket or with an almost 24-hour lead over the back of the pack, neither of which make for good TV. Better to have an airport bunch and a departure-time bunch back to back.

[dustoffmom]

Ingo wrote:

Oh I can't believe I forgot the Guidos!

 

If by "can't tell apart" you mean "can't remember their names", or "not sure how to describe them without using their names", then I'm right there with you.  I just don't think they look very similar, aside from maybe Jeff and Tyler.

I can't either as they are the team I most remember and that was the season I most loved!!  I adored the original premise of the Race, when they would be told to go to the airport and get to "wherever".  No prechosen available flights, nothing.  Route themselves, take whatever flight they wanted, direct or multi stop.  Terrific stuff!  A real challenge.  Then once they got there, get yourself to 'point A' by train, bus or taxi and do this road block.  I will never forget team Guido arriving first with their chosen train and deciding a taxi was too expensive and they would spend the time waiting for the bus by renting a really nice hotel room for the day and sitting there relaxing, drinking champagne....only to finally arrive and find the other teams wisely decided to pool funds and take a taxi and all beat them there!  And the ending, with them in Alaska, in the dark, trying to accomplish a road block to have the producers come tell them they could stop now as all the remaining top teams had all arrived in NYC and the game was won.  Ah....those were the days on the TAR....back when there were choices to be made and I really, really loved it!!

[djlynch]

So, I'm OK with it, because it seemed like they did know this might happen. But like I say, if it had been an elimination round, I would have been furious with the race planners.

There have been times in the past when similar things have happened with flights selling out. There was the thing in the last all stars season were Margie and Luke ended up hours behind the other teams because there were only enough tickets for six ought of the eight teams to get on a direct flight and they chose to play it safe and not attempt a very short connection in Singapore (which Brendon and Rachel ended up making.) At least with that one, you can put some of the blame on them for not taking the risk, but it still seemed like a pretty awful situation that could have been avoided with spoon-fed flights or with some other change to make it a little less major to not be on the first flight out.

Edited March 8, 2015 by djlynch

[AZChristian]

I get where you're all coming from . . . but . . . I fly fairly often.  I don't remember the last time I was on a plane where every seat wasn't taken.  That suggests to me that there aren't a lot of empty seats available for TAR teams.  I'm wondering if production ran into issues with full planes, and no space available for multiple racers . . . and don't forget, they also need space for the camera/sound guys.  Blocking out a number of seats on specific flights ensures that the racers don't arrive within a space of DAYS of each other, rather than hours.

 

I confess to being confused as to why they stop at travel agencies in some cities, but go to the airport in others . . . at least during normal business hours.  And (as we saw this week), airport counters close down, too.  I assume their directions make it okay or not okay to stop at travel agencies.

[jette]

Loved the proposal. I wonder if losing the fanny pack, where he had the ring made him think he needs to ask so he's not carrying around this ring anymore.

 

I wondered the same thing, Artsda, which to me made the proposal less romantic and more: let me get this on her finger so I don't have to keep track of it anymore!

[Maverick]

 If the travel agency is closer than the airport, sometimes it's better to stop there first and get your tickets booked.  They've also mentioned in other seasons that in some countries, you can't buy tickets at the airport; they have to bought prior to arrival.  

[green]

Actually that's a very important part in planning the whole season. it's why teams are so often spoon-fed specific flights more often than not

 

It's very rarely they spoon-feed flights outside of Leg 1 when they want to get all of the teams out of the US asap.  You don't want to start the season with a team that basically can't get off the starting line.  But after that it should be every team for themselves.

 

... Blocking out a number of seats on specific flights ensures that the racers don't arrive within a space of DAYS of each other, rather than hours.

 

I confess to being confused as to why they stop at travel agencies in some cities, but go to the airport in others . . . at least during normal business hours.  And (as we saw this week), airport counters close down, too.  I assume their directions make it okay or not okay to stop at travel agencies.

 

But blocking out pre-arranged seats destroys totally the whole premise of The Amazing Race.  Airport navigation has always been central to the race and I love it.  I detest spoon-fed flights on the other hand.  I understand it in Leg 1 to throw them out of the country quickly but after that, except for very small chartered planes to rural areas, I don't  think they should ever spoon-feed any flights.  Hey I'm old school TAR and I loved it when the race was harder.

 

Going to a travel agent vs the airport is one of the choices you make on how you race.  Another important element in TAR.  Who can forget one of the most famous episodes in TAR history ever in Season 2 when Danny & Oswald went to the concierge at a four star hotel to ask which travel agency they should try.  The hotel hooked them up with theirs and they got the best flight from Hong Kong to Sydney and a free, chauffeured limo to the airport.  In the meantime they got to go shopping while awaiting the limo's departure time.  Meanwhile the other Racers were all at the airport screaming at each other and the poor counter people there whilst ending up on the later flight. 

 

It's what TAR is all about.  Multiple choices, not a tourist group planned itinerary.  Imagine if Charla & Mirna didn't sneak off and change their itinerary during a connection because TPTB gave them a spoon fed flight.  They wouldn't have made the riding around the Great Pyramids detour during the hours of operation which was an awesome visual moment.  And we wouldn't have Colin's mad airport skillz getting him to Egypt even earlier.  Nor the drama of if the Bowling Moms could catch up or be stranded in the snows of Russia.  Another classic episode.

 

Now there are times when their clue does tell them they HAVE to get tickets at a travel agency.  In Vietnam in TAR3 it was required because, at that time anyway, you couldn't buy tickets at the Hanoi airport itself.  Happened other times too in other countries.  But usually it's the team's call.  You want teams making decisions and not just along for the ride.  It's their amazing race.  Stand back and let them run.

Edited March 8, 2015 by green

[Alapaki]

It's very rarely they spoon-feed flights outside of Leg 1 when they want to get all of the teams out of the US asap.  You don't want to start the season with a team that basically can't get off the starting line.  But after that it should be every team for themselves.

 

 

I have to disagree with the characterization as "rarely".  Maybe I'm misperceiving it, but it certainly seems to me that in recent seasons there have been more and more spoon-fed flights.

 

But blocking out pre-arranged seats destroys totally the whole premise of The Amazing Race.  Airport navigation has always been central to the race.

 

 

I agree that there should be a reward for navigational savvy.  

 

But it's one thing for a Team to take a chance on an alternate flight that is scheduled to arrive earlier but has more connections, or connections through busier airports.  Or deciding to book only to a large airport partway to the ultimate destination hoping for a better connection rather than booking straight through from the last Pit Stop.

 

It's a whole other thing for there to not be sufficient seats leaving a city/country to get to the next location.

 

You might say, well that's just the penalty for not finishing the previous leg earlier.  But the matter of cumulative leads/deficits has never been a part of the Race (much as I sometimes dislike the artificial buntings). 

[Ageha]

If they are coming from Nagano and leaving by Narita Airport, that would be a 5 to 6 hour trip to the airport.

Indeed. Plus, it was fall in Japan, which doesn't follow Daylight Saving and gets darker earlier in the day.

[seacliffsal]

I'm enjoying the season and confess that there may have been a tear in my eye for the proposal.  I agree with others that he may have proposed at that particular pit stop so that he would no longer be responsible for the ring...  I also wonder if he planned to propose at that pit stop and let the producers know leading them to make it a NEL as it would be horrible if they came in last, he proposed, and they were eliminated...

 

On the other hand-

I would have preferred something like the dancing challenge in another country.  Thailand has a notorious reputation for its sex trade-especially that of children who have been sold by their parents or runaways, etc.  The child prostitution is enslavement and with the title of ladyboy it gives one pause.  I wonder if the one racer who kept insisting 'ladyman' was reacting to a concern for the young boys (or not).  I have been to drag shows and plays, so I'm not opposed to this type of detour/roadblock, I'm just concerned that it occurred in Thailand.  When I lived in Japan, it was well known that there were charter flights to Thailand for 'pleasure vacations' and that international travelers (including many Americans) go for the sex trade, especially young children.

[Kromm]

Apparently. Which one is she? It's not that they all look alike. I can tell differences in how they look. I just don't know which look goes with which name. Or what backformoresaid:

She's Hispanic-which nobody else in the cast is.  She's got darker skin that the other girls (excluding the Lebya from Team Tuskegee, of course), and Hispanic looking features. There's also a Chinese woman (Jenny), who'd I'd also say looks distinctive from all of the white girls in the cast.

 

I would say that Laura and Blair look somewhat alike (the two blondes).  And Ashley and Aly might be confusable with each other (two brunettes who are white girls rather than Hispanic or Asian).  Rochelle probably isn't that confusable, mainly because she's got this rocker-chick look with pale skin and dyed black hair and she hangs out with a dude with a big beard.  

Edited March 9, 2015 by Kromm

[green]

She's Hispanic-which nobody else in the cast is.

 

But Hispanic isn't a race.  There are no hispanic-looking features that I know of.  It's a cultural/language grouping of people who either have come from or descended from people who came from Latin America.  And Hispanics are totally diverse.  They come in all shades from the darkest ebony to the lightest ivory.  Whoever this she is, she must look white to me.  And since no one uses last names on the Race who would know if a white person was Hispanic-American or Irish-American or Polish-American or Italian-American etc?  You must have read the Racer's last name but I bet 99% of viewers never read/know/want to know a Racer's last name.  And why should they.

 

Only the Asian woman and the Black man are technically racially different.  They I can recognize as well as the couple where the guy has the big beard (visual hook).  Also the two gay teams cause they are the only two all male teams.  And I can even tell them apart now cause one team dresses in bright green all the time.  See, visual clues. 

 

But the white couples, not a clue.  Nothing really stands out visually to "hook" onto during the 2 seconds of blurred motion. Only when the nurse one rips into Mr Condensation can I separate them from the milk-toast herd.  The others?  Forget it.  They all look alike to me, have no unique personality or story to tell and are all 20-something "couples".  And since they are all so uninteresting I could care less to try and figure them out.

[Kromm]

But Hispanic isn't a race.  There are no hispanic-looking features that I know of.  It's a cultural/language grouping of people who either have come from or descended from people who came from Latin America.  And Hispanics are totally diverse.  They come in all shades from the darkest ebony to the lightest ivory.  Whoever this she is, she must look white to me.  And since no one uses last names on the Race who would know if a white person was Hispanic-American or Irish-American or Polish-American or Italian-American etc?  You must have read the Racer's last name but I bet 99% of viewers never read/know/want to know a Racer's last name.  And why should they.

 

Only the Asian woman and the Black man are technically racially different.  They I can recognize as well as the couple where the guy has the big beard (visual hook).  Also the two gay teams cause they are the only two all male teams.  And I can even tell them apart now cause one team dresses in bright green all the time.  See, visual clues. 

 

But the white couples, not a clue.  Nothing really stands out visually to "hook" onto during the 2 seconds of blurred motion. Only when the nurse one rips into Mr Condensation can I separate them from the milk-toast herd.  The others?  Forget it.  They all look alike to me, have no unique personality or story to tell and are all 20-something "couples".  And since they are all so uninteresting I could care less to try and figure them out.

Fine.  Guilty as charged.  If we want to refer to her as "of the Spanish speaking population who has some indigenous blood, and thus a darker complexion, and certain features in her face that aren't the same as pure European stock" than we can do that.

 

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I don't think this:

 

 

 

Is the same as this:

 

Edited March 9, 2015 by Kromm

[millennium]

I cringe when the challenges derive laughs at the expense of other cultures and/or lifestyles.

 

The ladyboy challenge, for example.

 

If you took a moment to look at the performers in the cabaret, they were all very serious about their craft.  Obviously they have invested a great deal of time and effort to create a female illusion, learn the dance numbers, etc.

 

Then the hairy brutes of the show come stomping in, yukking it up, insisting "I'm a LadyMAN" and making like it's all a big joke, an embarrassment or a hassle.    The Ugly American Hour.

 

I realize a cabaret is a bawdy environment; even so, there was an artistic discipline at work in that establishment and the racers seemed to have zero respect for it.

 

It happens a lot on this show, in many countries.    I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear what the natives have to say after the racers leave these places.

[Kromm]

I would have preferred something like the dancing challenge in another country.  Thailand has a notorious reputation for its sex trade-especially that of children who have been sold by their parents or runaways, etc.  The child prostitution is enslavement and with the title of ladyboy it gives one pause.  I wonder if the one racer who kept insisting 'ladyman' was reacting to a concern for the young boys (or not). 

We're just judging by tone and expressions, but I'd say probably not. His insistence on "Ladyman" seemed to be more to mark out his territory as different from them--in other words "not effeminate".  It didn't seem to really be about the Ladyboys in the least--it was totally about himself and his need to protect his masculinity with an implied "I'm not gay and I'm going to make sure I verbalize that without saying it directly".

[Packerbrewerbadger]

Alot of people have commented on how nice it was that the racer ( don't remember his name) gave up their date Night. Call me cynical, but I'm thinking the last thing he wanted was to be in that situation with his racing partner and jumped at the chance to gracefully get rid of the prize ..

[Netfoot]

I considered that possibility, but I concluded it was just generosity.  We'll never know for sure, unless they come out and say so.