S04.E07: I Could Be Prime Minister

[Kanaloa]

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The teams continue on to Kingston, the nation's first capital.

Double-record time: first North American TAR season with three F/F teams in the Final 5, one of whom is also the only EP winner ever to have successfully avoided its use!

[Artsda]

So Steph and Kristen are far head, they have an express pass, they know they're in the lead, they know Emmett&Jill are strong and would not get eliminated but they U-turned them anyways? How stupid. They didn't need to u-turn them nor anyone since they were so far ahead with the express pass. 

Ashley and Joel's reaction to being u-turned didn't make them seem likeable at all. It's the race, it happens.  

Sad to see Julie and Lowell go, especially when people like Ashley and Joel are still around. Julie and Lowell are just great people who have such an amazing outlook on life. Just wanting to race and see the world before Lowell couldn't. They should be so proud of how far they made it. 

[bagatelle]

Agree, I also liked  Julie and Lowell very much. They had such a great attitude and his remarks were really cute.

I should like the girlfriends for being so competent and I like competent players, not those that get lucky… but for some reason, I can't warm to them.  Perhaps because I can't tell them apart.

[Keener]

I think uturning them is a way to try and push them to their limits and get them eliminated. Honestly, for me there was no other choice. Jillian & Emmett are the biggest threat for first place at the end of the game. The sooner they're out, the sooner you can clear your path to the final. 

I think Ashley and Joel figured that the only people who'd uturn them would be Steph & Kris. They probably hadn't banked on Jill & Emmett doing it and were pissed to have seen it. Alternatively, maybe they made an off-camera deal with them as well? I think I'd be pissed too, especially since Joel & Ashley haven't really had a solid break in a long while. It's like kicking someone when they're down.  I think when they've had time to calm down and reflect, they might've seen it differently, but in the moment, I'd have been pissed too! 

Edited August 10, 2016 by Keener

[Rachel RSL]

I loved the places they went to this leg! Going inside the Kingston Pen was cool enough but then I completely geeked out when they went to Sir John A. MacDonald's house.  I was impressed with how well they all did with the speech (except Emmett).  The twin was my favourite, she really got into character.

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So Steph and Kristen are far head, they have an express pass, they know they're in the lead, they know Emmett&Jill are strong and would not get eliminated but they U-turned them anyways? How stupid. They didn't need to u-turn them nor anyone since they were so far ahead with the express pass. 

I'm not really sure why this is stupid. As far as I'm concerned, you should *always* U-Turn someone if you get there first, especially if one team is a big threat like E & J are.  Worst case scenario: they stick around anyway.  Best case scenario: you eliminate a really strong team.  And if the team you U-Turned makes it through to the next leg, oh well, no big deal. I mean, who cares if you piss them off? It's not like this is Survivor and they can vote you off.

I'm ready for Ashley and her dad to be eliminated next.  I've always been iffy on whether I like them or not, something about Ashley has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way.  The attitude they gave Emmet & Jillian for U-Turning them was ridiculous.  It's a strategic part of the game and E & J had a very logical reason for using it on them.  I just find her extremely full of herself and unpleasant at times.

The married couple seemed very sweet.  I felt so bad when Lowell went into the cell with the clue right there and still couldn't see it.  I wonder if they'd been wandering around a long time and they put a cameraman in that cell to try to help them out.

Edited August 10, 2016 by Rachel RSL

[BlueJayFan]

55 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

I loved the places they went to this leg! Going inside the Kingston Pen was cool enough but then I completely geeked out when they went to Sir John A. MacDonald's house.  I was impressed with how well they all did with the speech (except Emmett).  The twin was my favourite, she really got into character.

I'm not really sure why this is stupid. As far as I'm concerned, you should *always* U-Turn someone if you get there first, especially if one team is a big threat like E & J are.  Worst case scenario: they stick around anyway.  Best case scenario: you eliminate a really strong team.  And if the team you U-Turned makes it through to the next leg, oh well, no big deal. I mean, who cares if you piss them off? It's not like this is Survivor and they can vote you off.

I'm ready for Ashley and her dad to be eliminated next.  I've always been iffy on whether I like them or not, something about Ashley has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way.  The attitude they gave Emmet & Jillian for U-Turning them was ridiculous.  It's a strategic part of the game and E & J had a very logical reason for using it on them.  I just find her extremely full of herself and unpleasant at times.

The married couple seemed very sweet.  I felt so bad when Lowell went into the cell with the clue right there and still couldn't see it.  I wonder if they'd been wandering around a long time and they put a cameraman in that cell to try to help them out.

This. In the videos they saw in Hamilton from family, her mother came across as completely spoiled and entitled. Not by what she said, just a vibe I got. Like mother, like daughter.

[bagatelle]

3 hours ago, Keener said:

I think Ashley and Joel figured that the only people who'd uturn them would be Steph & Kris. They probably hadn't banked on Jill & Emmett doing it and were pissed to have seen it. Alternatively, maybe they made an off-camera deal with them as well? I think I'd be pissed too, especially since Joel & Ashley haven't really had a solid break in a long while.

I liked Emmett and Jill, for that reason.  If they did bitch about being u-turned, the editors didn't include it and we just saw them get on with things.

Funny, I don't like Ashley and her dad either. I thought it was just me. I didn't realize he was her step-father, until I checked as to why they have different last names. I also thought her being recognized at check in, a while back, was the producers telling the woman who was soon to be arriving. 

[piequinn35]

Rita (or the other one) and Lowell nailed the speech, they were awesome!

Sad to see Lowell & Julie go. :(

I am still rooting for Ashley/Joel, don't like the lesbians and BB and I think the sisters and Frankie/Amy won't win.

Oh well.

[Artsda]

4 hours ago, Keener said:

. They probably hadn't banked on Jill & Emmett doing it and were pissed to have seen it. Alternatively, maybe they made an off-camera deal with them as well? I think I'd be pissed too, especially since Joel & Ashley haven't really had a solid break in a long while. It's like kicking someone when they're down.  I think when they've had time to calm down and reflect, they might've seen it differently, but in the moment, I'd have been pissed too! 

According to the post interview with Jill and Emmett, it was Steph&Kristen they had a no u-turn deal with nothing with Joel and Ashley. Steph and Kristen had deals with both teams, yet still chose to u-turn Jill and Emmett. 

Joel was still being a jerk about it after the leg was over too. 

[Keener]

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I also thought her being recognized at check in, a while back, was the producers telling the woman who was soon to be arriving. 

See I think that was genuine. Alex (the Haida girl) seemed star struck meeting her.  And it's reasonable to assume that she'd be a mini-celeb in the FNMI community. I do vaguely remember hearing about her when she won.  Also, it's possible her role in Blackstone or 8th Fire might've garnered her some attention. 

[bagatelle]

3 minutes ago, Keener said:

See I think that was genuine. Alex (the Haida girl) seemed star struck meeting her.  And it's reasonable to assume that she'd be a mini-celeb in the FNMI community. I do vaguely remember hearing about her when she won.  Also, it's possible her role in Blackstone or 8th Fire might've garnered her some attention. 

Yes, I think Alex (the Haida girl) was star struck, but I don't know if she would randomly recognize Ashely when she ran up. Ashely just finished a long and gruelling race, minus the false eyelashes and what not and didn't have her stage look on. I just thought the producers would say who to expect at the check in, so the check in girl could say something nice to a star of the FNMI community.

So, Steph and Kristen had a deal to not u-turn Jill and Emmett and did anyway.  Yet we didn't hear them bitch. I admire that. I'd probably be like Ashley and get angry.

[Rachel RSL]

I don't have a problem with Steph & Kristen breaking a deal with Jillian & Emmett.  Emmet & Jillian broke their agreement (for lack of a better word) when they both were going for the Express Pass but then E & J bailed.  Plus, Jillian and Emmett seem like very realistic people who are able to separate game from personal, they were like that on Big Brother too, so I'm not surprised that they took it in stride without being all bitter about it.

[gryphon]

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The twin was my favourite, she really got into character.

Me too!  That was awesome.  I'm really starting to like them....hope they don't succumb to KF.  I still like the softballers, but the twins are a close second and hopefully they get a first place finish.....

[Fat Bastard]

Wow, was that one generously arranged bunch to keep Joel & Ashley in the race!

I didn't really get Steph & Kristen logic of using U-turn. As a front-runner they have no real need to do that and as there is likely another U-turn coming up later  on it would make sense not to paint the target in their backs even larger it already is. Maybe it was payback to Jillian & Emmett for breaking their Express Pass -alliance. Only reason for leading team to use U-turn would be if they know their worst rival team is suffering on that exact leg and they want to try to kick them out. Otherwise, better not use it as there is no benefit. Delaying any team is just equalized by next bunch. They were smart with Express Pass though, keep it just in case but if they clear tasks easily Pass won't help any. Any time advance gained by Pass over other teams would just be equalized off next bunch.

Jillian & Emmett did the right thing, as they were U-turned, they U-turned team they think is the weakest to make sure somebody stays behind them and they saw Joel & Ashley arriving to the market square last so they picked them.

I didn't know rigging and sailing a boat was so easy that all teams cleared it up just like that.

It is easy to see that Steph & Kristen and Jillian & Emmett are the likeliest teams in the Final Three. The last team there can be any of the other teams depending on luck when they have good legs and bad legs.

Going to Cuba is great. When TAR Australia did that on Season 2 it was truly fun.

[RHJunkie]

13 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

I don't have a problem with Steph & Kristen breaking a deal with Jillian & Emmett.  Emmet & Jillian broke their agreement (for lack of a better word) when they both were going for the Express Pass but then E & J bailed.  Plus, Jillian and Emmett seem like very realistic people who are able to separate game from personal, they were like that on Big Brother too, so I'm not surprised that they took it in stride without being all bitter about it.

We're past the point of tit for tat in that regard. Steph and Kristen leveled the field of broken agreements when in kind, they didn't give the other Express Pass to Emmett and Jillian when they won it. The deal was made in haste with zero conditions in place so the bare bones of it is, by the time Steph and Kristen gave the pass to the annoying mom and daughter duo, they returned the favour and went back on their word as well. The U-turn business is now a whole other broken agreement. However, that's all part of the game and while you want to do your best to keep your promises, at the end of the day, no one is getting voted off here. A setback doesn't mean that your fate is no longer in your own hands.

Ashley and her father seem entitled with their attitude, particularly after being U-turned. I want to like Ashley but I often find her annoying. Steph and Kristen I can't seem to get on board with. They are obviously heavy contenders for the prize here but I can't find myself rooting for them.

Going to miss Julie and Lowell. They were absolutely fearless and positive competitors. I love that even with his eyesight wearing on him, he still had expected and hoped for a better outcome. They never sold themselves short and they weren't afraid to just put their heads down and get the tasks done - no bargaining required.

[Rachel RSL]

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Steph and Kristen leveled the field of broken agreements when in kind, they didn't give the other Express Pass to Emmett and Jillian when they won it.

But that agreement was made based on the fact that Jillian & Emmett had said they were going for the Express Pass too. It was Emmett's idea.  That way, if one team found the EP first, the other team wouldn't have wasted their time. But when E & J changed their minds and went to the Detour instead of going for the EP, they're the ones who voided that deal. 

[kingshearte]

I still like the softballers, because they seem decent to each other and competent with race tasks. Where they fall down is in strategy. They don't really seem to have a head for that, so they end up trying things that seem like strategy for strategy's sake (lying about the express pass, U-turning Jill & Emmett) but don't really gain them anything. If they could just quit it with that, they'd be fine.

Also didn't love Joel & Ashley's reaction to being U-turned. She's been just shy of actively bugging me for the last week or so, and that kind of pushed past the limit. I think getting U-turned is a part of the game and should generally not be taken personally at all (and reacting that way to it is probably my most-liked moment of Jill & Emmet's to date), but you really have no call whatsoever to be upset with a team for U-turning you when they've already been U-turned. In that situation, they really have to U-turn somebody, and while it sucks if you get the short end of the stick and it ends up being you, suck it up.

Sad to see Julie & Lowell go, but they should be really proud of getting as far as they did, and this truly was a rough leg for someone who can't see properly. I love that they were unfailingly supportive of each other, and that she quietly stepped up and took care f things he couldn't with neither recriminations on him for not being able to, nor crowing about what a great partner she is for picking up any slack. Generally just classy all around.

[Pepper the Cat]

So sad to see Julie and Lowell go. What a lovely team. He never felt sorry for himself, and truely gave it his all. 

I really wanted them to win. 

Lowell is a true inspiration to us all. Accept what life hands you, make the best of things and enjoy life to its fullest.

[Blackie]

Blech I hate all the draaaaaaama, which I think is all contrived anyways.  Although I laughed when Ashley called Jill and Emmet fartfaces.

I just like the scenery and fun, joyous people like Julia and Lowell

I am surprised Ashley was all positive about Sir John A., I thought FN people were trying to get his statue removed from some university campus or something.

[Taeolas]

Does anyone know if TARCAN does a Decoy race to fool people for the remaining race? With 5-6 racers left, I would think that Julie and Lowell would be decoy running at least. 

 

I loved their love of the race and desire just to see things in general; so knowing they might be running even as decoys is enheartening at least. (though possibly wrong)