S14: Talk

[Whimsy]

Since some older seasons are available to view on different platforms, we are starting all episodes threads for each season.

[Supay]

Talk about the perfect revenge for Season 6: not one couple gets past the F8!

 

Alas, being the first season to limit the route to Eurasia plus the "new country count" to 1 as well as the only season to host three episodes in the same nation mars logistics considerably; production even got the memo to eliminate ESM (Eat, Sleep, Mingle) halfway through, resulting in an abrupt change of tone from a pleasant first half to a downright rancorous second.

 

Somehow, though, these increasingly negative end-gamers emitted enough charisma even without the hindsight of racing once again in two years' time that their conflicts were compelling even in their nastiness. (The finale is unfortunately rather anti-climactic after the iconic penultimate round.)

[scowl]

I'm halfway through this one. The highlight so far has been Tammy and Victor demonstrating how people wander off trails in the wilderness to their deaths. In Transylvania, Victor was completely convinced that painted marks on trees were leading them to the challenge. They went on and on and on and on. Tammy yelled that they needed to go back but no, absolutely no! He needed to "finish" following these marks before he was willing to admit that they are not Amazing Race pointers to the challenge. Because he's not a quitter!

 

By the time they decide to go back and discover the real signs with Amazing Race arrows, it's dark, they lose a key, and somehow find it on the ground. 

 

The only reason they weren't eliminated was because Brad and Victoria were on the worst possible flight and started hours later.

[Supay]

Quite the fall from grace that the Jih siblings needed in order to have the drive in becoming the original edition's first Asian winners. :)

[scowl]

Are Mark and Michael the most penalized team in TAR history? They get two penalties during the rickshaw task by messing with equipment to make it harder for other teams (well, admitting that they had instead of saying it was an accident) and for paying a taxi to lead them. That was a pair of thirty minute penalties. 

 

Then in the next episode twice they use possessions to settle cab fares resulting in a four hour penalty!  And are saved because it's a nonelimination leg.

[Supay]

Yea, the StuntBrothers are the current "record"-holders (seven years and counting!).

 

Speaking of which, Tammy's line about "Mai Thai Trannies" sounds horrifically dated today, yet at the time of airing, it endeared her to the audience despite the irritating presence that is her brother.

[Hera]

What I remember about this season was the fight between Margie/Luke and Kisha/Jen. Neither side covered themselves in glory, but I remember thinking that Kisha/Jen were less wrong. I will also never understand why Margie decided to tell Luke that Jen had called him a "bitch". I get that she translates for him and there's a duty not to censor the world for him, but anyone could see that it was going to rile him up (which it did, which led directly to their second confrontation). If Luke weren't deaf and simply hadn't heard the comment, would she have felt the need to repeat it? And if she thought it was important enough to tell him about later, then why didn't she confront them at the time? It just came across to me as bizarre shit-stirring.

[scowl]

The fight was much ado about nothing. It showed how hard it is to start rivalries on TAR.

[Supay]

What I remember about this season was the fight between Margie/Luke and Kisha/Jen. Neither side covered themselves in glory, but I remember thinking that Kisha/Jen were less wrong. I will also never understand why Margie decided to tell Luke that Jen had called him a "bitch". I get that she translates for him and there's a duty not to censor the world for him, but anyone could see that it was going to rile him up (which it did, which led directly to their second confrontation). If Luke weren't deaf and simply hadn't heard the comment, would she have felt the need to repeat it? And if she thought it was important enough to tell him about later, then why didn't she confront them at the time? It just came across to me as bizarre shit-stirring.

 

Thank Jeebus that all four had buried the hatchet by the time of their joint return appearance!

[hendersonrocks]

Victor is running to be on the Harvard Alumni Association Board of Directors. The first sentence of his bio in the voting materials is about winning TAR (with his fellow HLS alum, sister Tammy). "Never averse to taking a risk, Victor and his sister competed in and won the 14th season of the reality television show The Amazing Race (CBS)." I giggled. 

[Lantern7]

"He almost lost the game when he kept taking the wrong path in Romania. Also, if Luke hadn't flubbed the final Roadblock, Victor and Tammy would have gotten second place."

Good season. Dunno if it was "five entrants on Second Chances" good, though. I was amused that four of those teams went out first, and Kisha & Jen wound up winning.

ETA: I meant Unfinished Business. My bad.

[scowl]

In the episode after Victor almost got them eliminated he said in an interview that it was completely his fault and it wouldn't happen again. To my utter shock, it never happened again! How often do racers say they're not going to be stupid again and go stupid again almost immediately?

[beeblebrox]

Watching this season over again reminded how whiny Luke could be. I remember thinking that how could a deaf guy be whiny, but he was such a whiny baby throughout the race. This season was one of the more enjoyable ones to rewatch. I still love Mike & Mel. Mike seems like a low key Hollywood writer and actor and so happy to be on the race. I just thought that their genuineness shown through. 

[Kanaloa]

On 9/28/2016 at 7:36 AM, beeblebrox said:

This season was one of the more enjoyable ones to rewatch. I still love Mike & Mel. Mike seems like a low key Hollywood writer and actor and so happy to be on the race. I just thought that their genuineness shown through. 

Arguably the most overall lovable father-son team of the American edition, narrowly edging out Dennis/Andrew from Season 3, Gary/Matt from Season 15, and Michael/Kevin from Season 17. 

Their early ouster during their return stint was quite the bummer. 

[Robert]

This was the last season I truly managed to watch in real time and get heavily invested in (darn you real life!).

I loved it initially because all the married & dating couple went out first. It was just delicious and the colourfulness of the remaining cast was great.

Sadly the route was hella boring and the biggest downside. Considering the production company went into it knowing it was going to be a cold race due to being filmed late in a Northern Hemisphere Autumn they should've thrown in a few more sunbelt or southern hemisphere destinations. There was a general white/beige feel to the entire season because of that. I recall hearing the entire show, cast and crew, where stuck on the Siberian train for a day or so because of a blizzard (not shown though on the tele) forcing the training to stop.

I recall reading years ago that the main reasons the Margie vs Kisha/Jen occurred was because the producers didn't allow the team to interaction between rounds and in downtime like the did in previous seasons. Thus people not getting to know each other - and in turn allowing for those festering feelings to explode out like they did. As much as I still like the seasons, that entire bit was just plan uncomfortable and not something I should expect on a show about racing and travel.

It was also one of the most gay friendly seasons having 4 GLBT contestants that I'm aware of (Mel, Mike, Luke & Kisha)

[Jabu]

On ‎11‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 9:44 PM, Robert said:

It was also one of the most gay friendly seasons having 4 GLBT contestants that I'm aware of (Mel, Mike, Luke & Kisha)

Five.  Victor was/is also gay.

[Lantern7]

Victor is gay? Did not know that.

Once again, I feel that Luke was a brat and nothing more malicious. Not evil. Also, I hated how he went out in his first two Races. I think the final TAR14 Roadblock had him befouling the bed as bad as Eric in TAR9. I emphasize with the kid.

[Robert]

I didn't know that about Victor (though looking back, I can see it).

I do wonder, if Luke's brattiness is partly due to Margie's over mollycoddled him throughout his life due to his disability? Also I think the season, if the producers allowed more socializing between contestants in the down time, if it would've lessened any the issues that naturally occur when a young man naïve to the world and his overprotective mother a thrown into a chaotic situation that is the Race?

[Kanaloa]

Agreed - unlike future seasons that would start off venomous from the get-go *cough16&20cough*, this one began with an organically cheerful European half and only degenerated into its more notorious Asian phase after the forced sequestering from one another of teams still racing. 

In other words, blame production, not the Final Seven (excepting perhaps the Stunt Brothers).

[cherrypj]

As a deaf person and the parent of an autistic, I won't touch the coddling or whining remarks (they're not true).

I will say that, yes, this season makes a turn for the worse: I don't blame production, either. I blame Jaime and Cara. Mean girls, especially Jaime, through and through. Mel even said so, and that's enough for me.

Edited June 24, 2017 by cherrypj
Spelling

[Star Aristille]

7 hours ago, cherrypj said:

I blame Jamie and Cara. Mean girls, especially Jamie, through and through. Mel even said so, and that's enough for me.

Sorry (except not really) to burst your bubble, @cherrypj, but Cara was not mean in any way.  NO ONE on that season thought she was.  Any meanness shown was by Jaime, not by her.

6 hours ago, Geenee said:

I would've thought that he'd forgiven her by the time they were racing together again for Unfinished Business? (Everyone at Elimination Station except Linda would agree, nonetheless.)

I actually liked Linda more when she defended Jaime.  She knew she was never a terrible person, just very highstrung in high-stress situations (understandable, given her cop background, which is filled with those situations).

[cherrypj]

2 hours ago, Star Aristille said:

Sorry (except not really) to burst your bubble, @cherrypj, but Cara was not mean in any way.  NO ONE on that season thought she was.  Any meanness shown was by Jaime, not by her.

Sure, except she laughs a little too hard every time Jaime berates an unlucky person for not knowing English. 

[Star Aristille]

19 hours ago, cherrypj said:

Sure, except she laughs a little too hard every time Jaime berates an unlucky person for not knowing English. 

I always took it to be because she knew how much Jaime was embarrassing herself.

[Roccos Brother]

Aww, major spoilers in this thread for later seasons. ;_;

[Roccos Brother]

Anyway, this was a good season overall. Much better than the one before it. I was very happy to see the first TAR winners of East Asian descent, although I would have been okay with Margie and Luke winning as well. Margie was tough!

Tammy and Victor were a little obnoxious and immature at times, but they were endearing in a quirky and dorky sorta way. They didn't argue or get into many conflicts with locals, and came off as surprisingly good-natured, contradicting stereotypes about lawyers. But following the wrong trail in Romania was a pretty dumb mistake.

The two female teams in the end were insufferable. I'm usually forgiving when teams freak out or get moody, knowing that I myself wouldn't last five minutes on this race, but the cheerleaders had consistently unpleasant attitudes (to be fair, they really were unlucky in the final leg). I couldn't get over how beautiful their hair was though. I need to be reborn as a red head chick in my next life.

Kisha and Jen also had a crappy demeanor and said some tasteless things. The whole quasi drama with Luke was super awkward. Fighting with a deaf person, even when you're right is not a good look.

Best part of this cast was all the couples being eliminated early. I vaguely remember some good looking coupled guys, but not much else. 

I did like the hillbillies and the gay dad/son. Wish both teams could have gone further.

Germany was beautiful and the pie-throwing was entertaining.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Roccos Brother

[Lantern7]

Story on Survivor casting for future seasons. One of the people involved is Jodi Wincheski. According to the article, she was on TAR14. Wikipedia confirms that . . . but I have zero memory of her or her partner Christie. Anybody recall the flight attendants?

[Lamb18]

I remember them.  I think they messed up in Switzerland but I don't remember much about it. They were one of the teams I was cheering for when the season started.

[Robert]

The flight attendants did have one good leg where they used their flying knowledge to get an earlier flight and thus blitzing that leg (in Russia no less!). Otherwise they where a fairly mediocre team.

[dgpolo]

Done with this re-watch. Only disliked Jaime of the final six. Luke definitely had 'unfinished business' to get that close with no other teams there and then come in third had to be so frustrating.

I'm glad Victor got his act together after Romania and I did think 3? China legs were a bit much but overall I liked this season. Hated when Jaime went off on locals for the sin of not speaking English.

Jen definitely should have peed her pants.

Loved Mike and Mel.

Stunt brothers didn't have to confess, and couldn't say it was an 'accident' their cameraman filmed them talking about it and doing it.

I think Phil now pays more attention to when a contestant needs water at a pit stop.

Why do the teams never seem to notice when Phil says 'You are the first team to arrive...' instead of 'You are team #1'? they should have heard it enough by now to not start celebrating until they here the 'however'.

[jette]

Re: Episode 13 -  Oh dear. If you're  so offended when someone calls you a bitch, it's probably not a good idea to call that person a bitch back.

Because then someone like me will despise you all these many years later.

Both combatents misremembered the collisions; both were to blame. And Margie should've stayed out of it because she escalated the situation. 

I lost all respect for her early in the season when she said her arms were so incredibly tired because she had to keep signing to her son. Kinda mean.

Also, Christie looks like Kirsten Dunst!

[AncientNewbie]

Just finished a rewatch last night. I had forgotten how much I disliked Luke and Margie. Especially Margie with her over the top "they are laughing at my poor poor defenseless adult son because he signs" when in fact, to me it looked like they were awkwardly laughing at a fully grown adult man having a temper tantrum and storming off set and his mother raving like a madwoman about how ableist and offensive the sisters were being for not quitting the race and diving off the top of the building for daring to challenge her son in any way.