S27.E01: A Little Too Much Beefcake

[illini1959]

I'm glad we don't have to hear Phil constantly asking if there's a "love connection" when people arrive at the mat.

 

 

This times a billion.

[Jobiska]

Production rarely dresses the racers

 

But they do sometimes and I think the bathing suits were given in this instance otherwise they sent all the racers to the same store and they were all told to get the same suits, otherwise there would have been the differences we've seen in season's past, color and style wise.

 

I'm pretty sure the original quote was not with regard to outfits supplied and required for task completion, but with the clothing they pack in their luggage from the beginning and wear at all other times.  Because although production assigns team colors, apparently Justin picked the green hat all on his own initiative, which apparently strains the credulity of many a watcher.  

....off to post in an unpopular opinions thread that Justin's hat doesn't bother me, though I don't particularly like it either....

[Ottis]

I don't know enough about these racers yet to say who I like or don't like on my TV, however, once I heard "TMZ" I immediately wanted that team to lose on principle so ... nicely done, show.

 

Agreed that CBS wouldn't have sprung for a second helicopter trip, so if one of the couples had said "What is the name of that statue...Jesus Christ, I can't remember" the guy would have said "Correct! Here's your next clue!"

 

 

I thought perhaps they wanted the name in Portuguese or something, because not knowing the name of the single site Rio is most known for would be like being in Paris and not knowing what the Eiffel Tower is. You didn't even need a helicopter ride for that answer.

 

Joining in ... does anyone know why the one taxi driver booted out that team?

[blackwing]

I don't know enough about these racers yet to say who I like or don't like on my TV, however, once I heard "TMZ" I immediately wanted that team to lose on principle so ... nicely done, show.

 

 

I thought perhaps they wanted the name in Portuguese or something, because not knowing the name of the single site Rio is most known for would be like being in Paris and not knowing what the Eiffel Tower is. You didn't even need a helicopter ride for that answer.

 

Joining in ... does anyone know why the one taxi driver booted out that team?

I too would like to have known what would have happened if a team got the name wrong.  Would they have had a penalty, etc?  I did like that the dancers saw a board and wrote down the names of everything on the board.

 

Are you asking about why the cheerleaders got booted out from the cab and had to walk a lot to get to the puzzle/volleyball?  I don't think they got booted out.  I was under the impression they weren't specific enough with directions.  They simply said they wanted to go to Copacabana Beach.  Which is huge.  He got them to the beach and said "here it is" and they got out.

 

I still can't believe that Crying Justin showed the taxi driver a few coins, said "this is all we have" and the guy basically gave them a free ride.  No doubt the TV camera helped, but still.  Annoying.  I wish the taxi driver had said "I love your hat, you have to give me that too" and spare me from having to see it again.

[gunderda]

I knew the TMZ girls wouldnt have lasted very long but I would have liked them to last at least a few episodes!!

This makes me evil but I was looking forward to their commentary on future legs. 

 

I didn't even realize the cousins were actually 'little people'.  The one is from my city and he was just featured on the news right before the show premiered.  I thought they were just really short guys.  But they do look extra short compared to almost everyone else on this season.

[Rick Kitchen]

 

Would they have had a penalty, etc?

 

Phil said they would have to get back into the helicopter and take the ride again.

[proserpina65]

Don't get me wrong: people can do whatever they want, but to me it's so obvious, so fake-looking, often lopsided (paparazzi woman) or puckered...I don't get it.

 

Lopsided doesn't necessarily mean fake.  Not saying that there weren't a lot of fake ones - I didn't notice particularly but then I wasn't really looking - but natural breasts can vary a lot in size, too.

[barbedwire]

I liked the TMZ girls!  So refreshingly honest ("I would make fun of me too") and I so wanted annoying cheerleaders to go.

 

I really like the homeless dancers.

And how smart of them to look at the map before going up in the helicopter in case the answer to the question could be found on the map!

[Vyas]

I thought perhaps they wanted the name in Portuguese or something, because not knowing the name of the single site Rio is most known for would be like being in Paris and not knowing what the Eiffel Tower is. You didn't even need a helicopter ride for that answer.

 

Amen, just like how the optional Scandinavian capital RI task from two seasons ago should've been common knowledge, i.e. solvable even without local assistance. Just imagine the funds saved from such a pointless sightseeing trip that could have paid for more/harder challenges!

 

Minor weather query: there was a notable mist around Corcovado/Sugarloaf/etc.*, which was absent from the previous (Southern Hemisphere summer) RdJ visits during S2 and UB - would such a phenomenon have something to do with the Brazilian wintertime, or is it more along the lines of, say, morning dew accumulation?

 

*

Edited September 29, 2015 by Vyas

[TudorQueen]

It's back! I still get a thrill when Phil does the whole "the world is waiting, travel safe... Go!" speech, and didn't mind that he didn't arch his brow in the now-standard over-exaggerated style.

 

Rio really is beautiful, but I did appreciate the contrast between the luxe touristy areas and the pavelas.

When Team TMZ was introduced I told myself not to prejudge them because I despise TMZ, that they might be delightful people and great racers. Then the one said that she was perfectly fine with nastiness and I decided I didn't like them based on their own personalities.

I liked the cousins right away and watching them take on - and complete - the volleyball task without any inspirational speeches made me love them.

I like the homeless dancers quite a lot, too, but think competing in a reality show where you have a one in eleven chance of winning a million dollars but otherwise go home empty handed is not, perhaps, the best way to solve your homelessness. Though the media exposure they get might prove helpful...

Count me in the minority that likes the Superfans. I also like the runners, and my mind isn't at all made up on the paparazzi, the cheerleaders or the anchors.  The doctor seems to be a condescending jerk, especially to his wife (I get a 'she's only a dentist' vibe that may or may not be accurate), but I'm open to having my mind changed on them.  Not crazy about Team Beefcake - I generally don't get excited by the Alpha Male teams and these two seem a little smug. Again, they may win me over.

I'm totally in favor with having the express pass played by the fifth leg rather than the eighth, and intrigued by the requirement that it be handed off to another team once used. Will this apply if the EP hasn't been used before it 'expires'?

 

Mostly I'm just looking forward to traveling vicariously with the teams. And Phil. Always with Phil!

[bmoore4026]

He's already ruined one reality show this year; two would be two too many.

 

I'm wondering if they'll ever get some Let's Players to be on this show.  Or would that be redundant?

[RockShrimp]

Was it the cheerleader who said "I'm not a loser, I've never lost at anything in my life?" Wasn't she a Jets cheerleader? Shouldn't she be used to losing?

This race seems to be cast specifically to have horrible people racing. Between the paparazzi, the TMZ paparazzi, the vacuous reporters, the not at all stereotypical ex-cheerleader turned "medical consultant" aka pharma sales rep, the douchey Texas dudes, the type A doctor... Ugh.

[North of Eden]

Just watched now. Already light years ahead of last season just for the fact of not having Phil trying to generate sparks at the mat between people when there were none (still last season gave us the awesome JACKIE who was even better on BIG BROTHER this summer-talk about a near perfect woman).

 

Felt bad for Justin when he almost blew their dream but despite what he says he got to cocky again during the volleyball game. He needed to be more humble after the mistake.

 

Why is that one team called "Chackattack?" I don't get it.

 

Never have been a fan of Alpha Male teams so I was dissapointed they won the express pass.

 

I am very GUARDED about Team Mom and Son. I do not ever want to see another LUKE on this race. I think I may have hated him more than anyone who ever appeared. Just an absolute overgrown baby. I don't know what he will do when Margie dies.

 

Like the Papparazi and a few others. I have a pretty good feeling about the cast over all....still its hard to remember that there were ever NORMAL people like Emily and her Mom and Frank and his wife. The good old days when nobody had a "hook" or a gimmick.

[dgpolo]

 

Emily and her Mom and Frank and his wife

It's funny you should bring this up, I was thinking of Frank today when I was trying to figure out what Justin's fiancee's silence reminded me of. At the beginning of Race 1 Frank came across very strongly as an argumentative and confrontational kind of guy. Then he seemed to get a 'wake up call' and throughout the middle of the race he was a lot more quiet and willing to go along with Marguerite (?) before getting cocky again at the end. Diana (I had to look that up) seems to be very, very aware of the camera and how footage may be used by the editors, as a 'superfan' she would be aware of how contestants have been portrayed in the past. I think she is deliberately being quiet, like Frank did, to avoid becoming 'the nag' or the 'whiner' or something else. It seemed like she really wanted to comfort Justin when he was crying but was almost afraid to say anything in front of the camera. Hopefully she'll either come to relax in front of it or killer fatigue will his and she won't care anymore. Maybe that won't be how it plays out but that was my impression of this episode.

[InDueTime]

Why is that one team called "Chackattack?" I don't get it.

They're husband and wife, and Chac is their last name. 

[Sara2009]

Amen, just like how the optional Scandinavian capital RI task from two seasons ago should've been common knowledge, i.e. solvable even without local assistance. Just imagine the funds saved from such a pointless sightseeing trip that could have paid for more/harder challenges!

Minor weather query: there was a notable mist around Corcovado/Sugarloaf/etc.*, which was absent from the previous

(Southern Hemisphere summer) RdJ visits during S2 and UB - would such a phenomenon have something to do with the Brazilian wintertime, or is it more along the lines of, say, morning dew accumulation?

* http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb140/ga--peach/TAR%2027/27%20INTRO%20Caps/27-Intro-CAPS0387.jpg[/

I wasn't familiar with it, and I promise that I don't live under a rock.

[seasick]

My picture was severely pixellated thru nearly the entire show!  I'm wondering if anyone else had this problem.  This also happened during Survivor and Big Brother on Wednesday.   You can imagine how furious I was, and then to have TAR screwed up too!!  

 

I have Direct TV and live in NJ.  There was no rain or storms (definitely none Wed.--I was in Virginia on Friday nite but doubt we had weather)    I rarely watch CBS prime time for anything else..and these are all CBS.--so I don't know if other shows on CBS got screwed up.    I know on Wed. I was able to check other stations and it was only CBS having the problem.  

 

Did anyone else have this problem??   I love my Direct TV but i will switch in a heartbeat if this continues.  It seems very strange and extremely infuriating that it happened on these particular shows.     (I haven't called DTV yet and ask them what they know.. but I will) 

Edited September 29, 2015 by seasick

[shura]

Are you asking about why the cheerleaders got booted out from the cab and had to walk a lot to get to the puzzle/volleyball?  I don't think they got booted out.  I was under the impression they weren't specific enough with directions.  They simply said they wanted to go to Copacabana Beach.  Which is huge.  He got them to the beach and said "here it is" and they got out.

 

I thought they sounded convinced that the driver was refusing to take them where they needed to go. Didn't they ask him for the specific place at Copacabana? I figured the driver was annoyed with them for some reason. He was pixelated, too, so it seems he may not have been too happy with the cameras or something, and didn't give the show permission to use his image. Huh, maybe the guy has something to hide...

[Zahdii]

My picture was severely pixellated thru nearly the entire show!  I'm wondering if anyone else had this problem.  This also happened during Survivor and Big Brother on Wednesday.   You can imagine how furious I was, and then to have TAR screwed up too!!  

 

I have Direct TV and live in NJ.  There was no rain or storms (definitely none Wed.--I was in Virginia on Friday nite but doubt we had weather)    I rarely watch CBS prime time for anything else..and these are all CBS.--so I don't know if other shows on CBS got screwed up.    I know on Wed. I was able to check other stations and it was only CBS having the problem.  

 

Did anyone else have this problem??   I love my Direct TV but i will switch in a heartbeat if this continues.  It seems very strange and extremely infuriating that it happened on these particular shows.     (I haven't called DTV yet and ask them what they know.. but I will) 

 

You'll probably have to call DTV.  Excessive pixelation can be caused by a lot of things.  Weather conditions, sunspots, your disk moving because someone bumped up against it, a faulty cable, etc.  Were you watching in HDTV?  Did it only happen with the one show or is it happening all over the place?  Has anything changed recently, like did you move your TV?  The list is endless. 

DTV has a technical support forum you could access, or you could just call them. 

The best thing to do is to really think about anything that could be affecting your reception, and anything that has changed, and answer their questions honestly.  Go through the process of checking to make sure that all of your cables are fully connected and are in good shape, etc.  The problem is you might get someone who is new and misses the cues you give them when describing your problem.  After you've gone through the initial process, if you still have problems, insist on being connected to the next level of support. 

 

If you've established a brief history of cooperating with them, (and that history only has to be for a couple of calls over a short period of time), you might play the card of saying that you'll go with another provider.

 

In the meantime, you can try to rewatch the episode online.  I think that CBS still puts their most popular shows online for free.

[NurseGiGi]

I absolutely despise celebrity "reporters" and was glad to see TMZ go first.  Maybe the paparazzi team will soon follow.  I'm okay so far with the other teams, except maybe the Doc, but I'm hoping he and the green team settle in and chill out.  My up front favorites right now are the cousins, the runners, and the dancers.  

 

I'm relieved to be able to pick someone I like this year, unlike last year.  It took me forever to find a team I could tolerate.

[ProfCrash]

OK, I was thrilled to see TMZ go out. I seriously dislike that style of TV, newspaper, media stuff. I could only have been happier if TMZ and the Paparazzi team went out together. Maybe both of them failed to complete the puzzle and Phil had to fly on. A first time double elimination due to ineptness would have warmed my heart.

 

I really like the dancers and thought it was smart that they wrote down the various thigns that they would see on their helipcopter trip. Thankfully they were able to find the right answer. I strongly suspect that they are not as well read regarding world landmarks and history so that they might not have had a clue about Christ the Redeemer while most of the other teams knew that they would see it right away, I fear for this team because I think their lack of knowledge is going to hurt them badly. They seem like pretty smart guys who are paying attention to details and I want to see them do well since they really are not the stereotypical team. I think it will be fun to watch them explore the world.

 

I like the cousins and was more then shocked that they did the volleyball. I was happy to see them do well but that did indicate to me that if you were capable of occassionally hitting the ball over the net you would be fine. I suspect that it was menat to be something that was a time killer and less of a threat for anyone to fail. Except the people who clearly suck at all thigns sport, like the cheerleaders and TMZ. The cousins have a good dynamic so far and seem to be motivated.

 

I need the papparzzi and reporters out tomorrow. The last thing I want to do is listen to the paparrazi talk about their people stalking skills. Their profession is flat our reprehensible and I don't want to see them. Just awful casting. The reporters schtick is going to get so old real fast. Hell, it already is.

 

I like the track stars. I liked how they handled everything and I hope that they beat out the beefcakes.

 

The beefcakes can lose right after the papparazi and reporters just because the alpha male teams annoy me. It is a bias of mine.

 

The Doctor team can leave after the beefcakes because I don't like their dynamic.

[seasick]

You'll probably have to call DTV.  Excessive pixelation can be caused by a lot of things.  Weather conditions, sunspots, your disk moving because someone bumped up against it, a faulty cable, etc.  Were you watching in HDTV?  Did it only happen with the one show or is it happening all over the place?  Has anything changed recently, like did you move your TV?  The list is endless. 

DTV has a technical support forum you could access, or you could just call them. 

The best thing to do is to really think about anything that could be affecting your reception, and anything that has changed, and answer their questions honestly.  Go through the process of checking to make sure that all of your cables are fully connected and are in good shape, etc.  The problem is you might get someone who is new and misses the cues you give them when describing your problem.  After you've gone through the initial process, if you still have problems, insist on being connected to the next level of support. 

 

If you've established a brief history of cooperating with them, (and that history only has to be for a couple of calls over a short period of time), you might play the card of saying that you'll go with another provider.

 

In the meantime, you can try to rewatch the episode online.  I think that CBS still puts their most popular shows online for free.

Thanks for your response on this. I called DTV and they said they would look into it and transmission of CBS.  They did not have an explanation.  In my case no moving the tv or unlikely bump to my dish..I would think that would cause a constant problem and there are none others.

 

What is strange (and infuriating) to me is that I have not had this problem at any other time or with any other recordings.  Only these three shows!!.  CBS seems fine any other time.. no other channels/shows affected, even during the transmission of Survivor/Big brother.  Sun spot--maybe. nothing else changed.. satellite fine otherwise.  Only other thought could be the Pope was in the area so everyone was super transmitting (or something idk)

 

.Would really like to hear if anyone else had this problem.  When I put my tin-foil hat on I swore it was some neighbor screwing it up.  (do people still use 'ham' radios?  maybe??)       Anyway thanks for your thoughts. 

[Netfoot]

As I was reading along, I was thinking "The Pope did it!  Hahaha!" and then...

 

Only other thought could be the Pope was in the area so everyone was super transmitting (or something idk) 

[Zahdii]

Thanks for your response on this. I called DTV and they said they would look into it and transmission of CBS.  They did not have an explanation...

 

What is strange (and infuriating) to me is that I have not had this problem at any other time or with any other recordings.  Only these three shows!!.  CBS seems fine any other time.. no other channels/shows affected...

 

.Would really like to hear if anyone else had this problem.  When I put my tin-foil hat on I swore it was some neighbor screwing it up.  (do people still use 'ham' radios?  maybe??)       Anyway thanks for your thoughts. 

 

Sorry I have no more ideas to help you.  It does seem to be a problem with CBS.  I have no idea what some neighbor could be doing that would affect your signal only on certain shows.  Good luck!

[blackwing]

I don't mind the paparazzi team.  It doesn't bother me one bit what they do for a living.  To me it's just a job.  They get paid to take photographs of people.  And the reason why they are able to make money doing what they do is because of this country's celebrity-obsessed culture.  If people weren't obsessed with no-talent hacks like Kim Kardashian and Kristin Cavallari, then there would be no demand for pictures of them walking their dog or eating an ice cream.  So I guess I blame VH1 and MTV and whatever networks promoted these useless twits in the first place.  There's nothing illegal about what they do, and I think if you're an actor or someone famous who has made lots of money by being famous, then getting your picture taken comes with the territory.  Publicity is a double edged sword.

 

I thought the paparazzi team worked well together.  I also like them because they appear to be in their 40s, so yay for older teams being calm and competent.

[Sayla Vee]

My picture was severely pixellated thru nearly the entire show!  I'm wondering if anyone else had this problem.  This also happened during Survivor and Big Brother on Wednesday.   You can imagine how furious I was, and then to have TAR screwed up too!!  

 

 

 

 

 

I also live in NJ (central part) and have had no problems like this, but I have cable.  I would definitely check with Direct if I were you.  Checked with my friend in South Jersey, and she also saw all three shows on her cable with no problems.

[ProfCrash]

I don't mind the paparazzi team.  It doesn't bother me one bit what they do for a living.  To me it's just a job.  They get paid to take photographs of people.  And the reason why they are able to make money doing what they do is because of this country's celebrity-obsessed culture.  If people weren't obsessed with no-talent hacks like Kim Kardashian and Kristin Cavallari, then there would be no demand for pictures of them walking their dog or eating an ice cream.  So I guess I blame VH1 and MTV and whatever networks promoted these useless twits in the first place.  There's nothing illegal about what they do, and I think if you're an actor or someone famous who has made lots of money by being famous, then getting your picture taken comes with the territory.  Publicity is a double edged sword.

 

I thought the paparazzi team worked well together.  I also like them because they appear to be in their 40s, so yay for older teams being calm and competent.

While they might not do things illegally, many papparazzi do. The celebrity culture has existed for a long time but it used to be far more civil then the insanity that exists today. I find it distasteful. But the closest I come to reading that type of stuff is the People magazine brought into the office by a subscriber. If I heard that they had a policy of not taking pictures of kids whose only value is that their parents are celebs, refused to participate in car chases and the like, and generally speaking fll into the catagory of not slimey paparrazi then I would feel better about them. But overall, I don't find it a profession with much value. So yeah, my first impression is not positive. Hopefully they don't mention it 9,000 times and just race. Given that they are on a TV show that is listing them by their occupation, I am going to be reminded of it 9,000 times and I am going to be annoyed.

 

I get that this is my bias but it makes me want them out as fast as possible.

[Netfoot]

I don't mind the paparazzi team.  It doesn't bother me one bit what they do for a living.  To me it's just a job.

 

Diana and I disagree with you.

[seasick]

As I was reading along, I was thinking "The Pope did it!  Hahaha!" and then...

If the Pope has a problem with me watching these shows I will have to change my religion!!  Sorry Pope!  Love ya but...

I also live in NJ (central part) and have had no problems like this, but I have cable.  I would definitely check with Direct if I were you.  Checked with my friend in South Jersey, and she also saw all three shows on her cable with no problems.

I know cable would be fine.  It's the satellite reception somehow.  I was hoping other DtV viewers could enlighten.   It would help to know if other DtV ers in the area had same problem or not.  Then I would know if it is MY connection or if it was systemic.      Appreciate your responses tho. thanks

[blackwing]

Diana and I disagree with you.

 

Diana could just as easily blame her off-duty driver who had way too much to drink before being recalled.

 

I guess my point is that I'm not going to judge Logan and Chris based on what they do for a living.  I thought I would dislike them but was pleasantly surprised by how competent they seemed.  Contrast that with TMZ.  Even though I dislike the website and show, I didn't want to judge them based on what they did for a living either.  But then they proved to be just as nasty as I thought they were going to be.  

[proserpina65]

If the Pope has a problem with me watching these shows I will have to change my religion!!  Sorry Pope!  Love ya but...

I know cable would be fine.  It's the satellite reception somehow.  I was hoping other DtV viewers could enlighten.   It would help to know if other DtV ers in the area had same problem or not.  Then I would know if it is MY connection or if it was systemic.      Appreciate your responses tho. thanks

I have problems periodically with needing to trim back a bush I stupidly planted too close to my DTV dish or it interferes.  Is something like that possible in your case?

 

I enjoyed the episode, and am positive or neutral on most of the teams.  Didn't like the TMZ team, partly on principle, or crying Youtube guy, and could do without the paparazzi - again, on principle - but everyone else seemed mostly okay.  We'll see how that changes as the Race progresses.

[possibilities]

DirecTV can also have pixellation in very high winds. I live in MA and had no problems with TAR, and generally I love my DirecTV service, but occasionally it does have transmission problems.

 

I am having even more than the usual amount of trouble telling teammates apart-- so far I have no idea which is which on most of them. But I'm finding it pretty easy to tell one team from the other, which is good. I also thought that they did a better than usual job of finding worth-viewing moments for each team, compared with most premiere episodes, which tend to go by so fast, it's all a big bland blur.

 

I wonder if there is a deliberate effort this time, to confuse the teams by offering "advantages" that are actually not so great-- like "first flight has only one team and is only 30 mins ahead of everyone else" (thus possibly a bad gamble, as you could wind up behind everyone else quite easily and isolated besides) and "express pass, once used, must be given to another team" (which will get to skip a task later in the game than you did, which means you are arguably giving a bigger advantage to a strong team, close to the end of the race, compared to what you yourself got out of it). They often seem frustrated by racers learning how to outsmart the twists and wrinkles the show thinks up, and I think it would be really interesting if the show stops making the choices so obvious, and starts making new rules that are actually somewhat challenging to decide about. The FF used to be that way. I would love it if they have decided to reverse the dumbing down of the race and start really trying to make it more of a challenge to something other than clue-reading and general stamina.

[bmoore4026]

Amen, just like how the optional Scandinavian capital RI task from two seasons ago should've been common knowledge, i.e. solvable even without local assistance. Just imagine the funds saved from such a pointless sightseeing trip that could have paid for more/harder challenges!

 

Minor weather query: there was a notable mist around Corcovado/Sugarloaf/etc.*, which was absent from the previous (Southern Hemisphere summer) RdJ visits during S2 and UB - would such a phenomenon have something to do with the Brazilian wintertime, or is it more along the lines of, say, morning dew accumulation?

 

*

 

Mmmmmm.  Sugarloaf *drools*

[Whimsy]

Reminder- this is the episode topic. Issues with your reception, etc can be taken to small talk.

Thanks and happy posting!

[Bryce Lynch]

I too would like to have known what would have happened if a team got the name wrong. Would they have had a penalty, etc? I did like that the dancers saw a board and wrote down the names of everything on the board.

Are you asking about why the cheerleaders got booted out from the cab and had to walk a lot to get to the puzzle/volleyball? I don't think they got booted out. I was under the impression they weren't specific enough with directions. They simply said they wanted to go to Copacabana Beach. Which is huge. He got them to the beach and said "here it is" and they got out.

I still can't believe that Crying Justin showed the taxi driver a few coins, said "this is all we have" and the guy basically gave them a free ride. No doubt the TV camera helped, but still. Annoying. I wish the taxi driver had said "I love your hat, you have to give me that too" and spare me from having to see it again.

IIRC, the cheerleaders said something like "He wants us out." I believe they were under the impression that he was not willing to take them any farther.

[rozen]

Oh great, another physician compelled to condescend to everyone, including his equally accomplished wife. No nurse wants to hear that shit either. Please get eliminated soon so I don't see you emotionally eviscerate your spouse like that couple a few seasons ago.

 

I irrationally love the dancers if only because they spent time looking at the flipping map of the helicopter route and took notes. Who are you people, and how did you make it past casting?

 

The green team guy had a legit case of "wanna win ALL THE THINGS!" He wanted the triple crown when what he should have down was kept his head down and tried to hold on to 1st place. I feel sorry for his fiancee if she has to pep talk him through every step of the process. 

 

I like how the southern mom was all "are you kidding me?" in the sweetest have-you-lost-your-goddamn-mind voice when the son said they could run the 2K.

 

I kind of cracked up when they had the question be about the Cristo Redentor. Oh man, one of the best vanilla culture wonders in Civilization V and I didn't have to sling-shot it, awesome!

[Netfoot]

I feel sorry for his fiancee if she has to pep talk him through every step of the process.

 

Wait!  She can talk?

[Sayla Vee]

So far I'm pretty happy with casting and route, but that could be because I'm so darned happy to have my show back and NOT have blind daters or other gimmicky crap going on.  So nice to see Rob & Brennan...still my all time favorite racers.

 

Started out liking all the teams equally, but that changed.  In fact, it changed pretty quickly for TMZ.  Since they decided to keep up a running commentary of what was wrong with everyone else, I think the race was better off without them.  Funny how they thought they were better and smarter than the others, and couldn't manage to either play volleyball or work a slide puzzle.  Unfortunately, all the people they thought were beneah them could do one or the other.   

 

Still like most of the others, but the OB/GYN better treat his wife better or he can go too.  I'm going to give the cheerleaders a pass on crying for the first day.  It was a long hot day, and their cab driver deserted them.  I would be so frustrated myself.  But it's time for the tears to dry up.  Same with the Boy With the Green Hat.  I was about to give him a pass as well, but then it turned out he wants everything for himself without having to work for it.  Just be glad you're there, Green Fella, and keep racing and stop crying.

 

Favorites are the cousins, Texas boys, racing girls, and I like Kelsey and Joey as well (pleasant).  I originally had the Dancers at the top as well, but then two things got in the way.  Please don't remind me that you should win because you have no home.  If you don't have a place to live, get a job and pay the rent.  TAr is not a charity.  The other thing is that they have done too much reality TV for me.   Are they the next Rob and Amber?

 

Can't wait for next Friday night.

[Special K]

I think the cheerleaders just told the cabbie "Copacabana  Beach" instead of giving him the exact location on the beach (which the others seemed to know).  He got them there and they were looking for a flag, but once they could not give him further instructions, he kicked them out.  Which is what cabbies do when you want to just sit in the cab and quibble.

[Lingo]

You betcha that someone would give ya props for all those Insider Clip Digests of yours. :)

 

Now, about the bolded - it'll come as a pleasant surprise that instead of uploading the Bonus Clips to the official site, the channel has instead put them up on TAR's official YouTube page with ~95% less intrusion by auto-play ads:

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/AmazingRace/videos

 

(Perhaps they really did mean it when they "listened to the fans". XD)

 

Well, they had the videos on youtube last year too, but I remember having issues with those as well. Like in S25 they were fine, but in S26 they added a bunch of ads? Oh, and I don't like the random order they're in. I'd like to be able to just hit play and watch all of the web-exclusive videos in a row, but half of the videos are just clips straight out of the show and I don't want to waste time watching those again. Oh well, maybe I'm just being too picky!

Edited October 2, 2015 by Lingo

[TheOriginalDonald]

Was it the cheerleader who said "I'm not a loser, I've never lost at anything in my life?" Wasn't she a Jets cheerleader? Shouldn't she be used to losing?

This race seems to be cast specifically to have horrible people racing. Between the paparazzi, the TMZ paparazzi, the vacuous reporters, the not at all stereotypical ex-cheerleader turned "medical consultant" aka pharma sales rep, the douchey Texas dudes, the type A doctor... Ugh.

Notice the shirts the cheerleaders are wearing in this video. I swear they were made by #TWINNIES!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IO53gkQe1E&sns=tw

[blackwing]

I kind of hoped the show gave Justin's team some more cab money.  Did I miss something or were they only broke because the FF didn't pan out so they had extra cab rides?  That seems unfair.

 

It did look like they ran out of money because they had to take extra cab rides to get to and from the Fast Forward.  But that's only what we saw, for all we know, they could have spent a lot of money on champagne at their layover in Atlanta to celebrate being in first place.  I don't agree that it seems unfair that they were broke because they wasted money on the failed FF attempt.  Why should the show give them more money?  If other teams had gone to the FF and it had been taken and then they wasted money, should they also get more money from the show?  

 

Going for the Fast Forward, as with many other decisions in the Race, is a voluntary choice.  They were told that there was a chance that they wouldn't be able to do it because of weather, and if they are as big of fans of the show as they purport to be, based on past experience, they should have known that any time there is a task that might be restricted by weather (hang gliding, bungee jumping, etc), there is a fairly good chance that there will be a delay.  They proceeded anyhow.  By your logic, any time a team switches detours and has to take an extra cab ride somewhere out of the way, the show should give them more money.

[ProfCrash]

Agreeing with Winston9-DT3. If the show is going to have a Fast Forward, then they need to provide enough money for teams to get there, not get the fast forward (weather is bad, another team got it, whatever reason) and get to the original task. Going for the fast forward and not getting it is dangerous enough without a team not having enough money to get around.

[Netfoot]

I don't like to see them beg for free cab rides or begging on the streets, personally.  

 

No, I agree.  But they can't simply reward extravagant spending with a fresh wad of cash.

 

Perhaps they should make funds available to the crew.  If the racers want it, they can have it, but the price to be paid is some sort of penalty.  Say, 1 hour per $100 payable prior to check-in, or added to your start-time for the next leg.

[ProfCrash]

They do have emergency money for the teams. I am guessing that the cabby was paid. And cabbies have to sign releases. The cabbie with the blurred face had not signed one.

[dgpolo]

Phil doesn't say "You have $104 for this leg of the race, but if you run out we'll give you more, so don't worry" if they don't manage their money it's their fault and they should endure whatever happens, it's part of the race, always has been. I remember Chip offering his watch to a cabbie and Joyce and Uchenna begging for money so the could WIN the million. They were going to a famous beach right, were there buses? could the cabbie have taken them to a bus stop for less money? Sure the bus would be slow but it would be cheaper. A team shouldn't be rewarded for running out of money when there was cheaper transportation available.

 

Found this on Wikipedia: The taxi trip into the city centre is rather long and some taxi drivers try to take advantage of foreign tourists that are not familiar with the pricing and options of the local transportation. Scams happen more often outbound to the City and during high tourism periods such as New Years and Carnaval (mid to late February). Options from the airport include both yellow taxis and radio taxis.

And this: Buses are still the cheapest and most convenient way to get around the South Zone (Zona Sul) of the city due to the high number and frequency of lines running through the area. There are designated bus lanes in most streets that make travel times shorter. For the adventurous or budget traveler, it is worth asking your hotel or hostel employees how to navigate the system or which routes to take to arrive at specific locations.

 

So, no, I don't think teams should get 'extra' money when they fail to budget correctly.

[Netfoot]

A team shouldn't be rewarded for running out of money when there was cheaper transportation available.

 

[...]

 

So, no, I don't think teams should get 'extra' money when they fail to budget correctly.

 

I agree with all this.  However, some racers do stupid things and have in the past (and will, in the future) run out of money.  When this happens, I don't like the usual reaction, which is to beg for cash.  Bad enough in Rio.  Much worse in some of the less affluent corners of the globe.

[Kromm]

Wasn't all that surprised by the outcome since TMZ mentioned them coming in last awhile back.

Trust TMZ to exploit even their own people.

[kingshearte]

So, no, I don't think teams should get 'extra' money when they fail to budget correctly.

I don't think anyone really thinks they should. I think what's at issue here is more the question of whether or not the amount of money they were given was reasonable. If they spent a bunch somewhere on something unnecessary, and that's why they didn't have enough to get back, I think that's a very different situation from if they didn't spent any money unnecessarily, but still didn't have enough to try for the FF, not get it, and have to proceed. I figure that racers should not have to run an absolutely perfect, flawless leg in order to not run out of money. Yes, the FF is a choice, but it's a choice that several teams could make, and it's only going to work out for one team (if that), so a failed attempt really ought to be built into the budget of the leg — at least on the first leg, when they haven't yet had a chance to bank anything they didn't spend on previous legs. Admittedly, public transit and other alternative forms of transportation do add some complication to the calculations of what's reasonable. I think what we'd all just like to know here is was the amount unreasonable or did they screw up beyond simply a bad FF call? Maybe it'll come up in a post-show interview sometime.

[Vyas]

Well, they had the videos on youtube last year too, but I remember having issues with those as well. Like in S25 they were fine, but in S26 they added a bunch of ads? Oh, and I don't like the random order they're in. I'd like to be able to just hit play and watch all of the web-exclusive videos in a row, but half of the videos are just clips straight out of the show and I don't want to waste time watching those again. Oh well, maybe I'm just being too picky!

 

Indeed, CBS should've organized their YT page such that all the Web Exclusives were on a single Playlist distinct from the Broadcast Snippets!

 

Alas, my tactic of working around this oversight of theirs requires me to go to the show's official website, click on the Video link, and note that the Episode Excerpts appear on both sites (as opposed to the Bonus Clips, which are now restricted to the aforementioned link).