S01.E01: The Internet Never Forgets

[MarkHB]

In the series premiere, nine pairs of ordinary people attempt to evade professional investigators who are trying to track them down for 28 days in hopes of winning $250,000. Later, one team loses valuable time in their escape from town; and a pencil could foil another couple's plan.

NOTE: This episode will air following the AFC Championship football game on CBS, so the actual start time may not be as announced except on the West Coast..

[Lamb18]

I'm watching this right now. Now, wouldn't camera crews following the fugitives be a giveaway?  And the woman waiting for her friend at the checkpoint, I'm wondering if the friend is the person who ran into the first pair of fugitives' car. Curious to see who this works out.

Guess not. The semi truck would have totally taken that car out.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Lamb18

[NYGirl]

I was thinking the same thing about the girl hitting the other teams car!  Great minds think alike.

So far I'm thinking that they had a 48 hour window.  I would have gotten a pre-paid phone, packed my bags and gotten some cash just to be ready. 

Also one couple said they were heading towards his parents' house..not a good idea.

Idiots...didn't they know using the ATM in the bus station would screw them.  I was wishing there was another stop on the bus that they could have gotten off before getting into Atlanta. 

I like the bearded guy but he needs to shave and dye his hair..

Edited January 23, 2017 by NYGirl

[Lamb18]

I also wonder if that one woman wrote a fake itinerary on her calendar. I hope so.   Busted! Tall guy and model! ATM at bus station was not too brilliant.

I guess the calendar notes were real. Hope the bearded guy and his girlfriend escape OK.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Lamb18

[Silver Raven]

I wonder if the team that is tracking these people gets any money for catching them.

That car crash had to be a phony. The woman driving them wouldn't have kept on driving.

Who calls it CCTV?  That's a British term.

Why wouldn't you already have your stuff packed if you knew they were going to be calling you sometime within 48 hours? And know where the car keys were?

These contestants must have given the show permission to look up all of their information and such.

"Put your head down." Uh, I think they might be more likely searching out your license plate.

I love the name Shadow Bilal.  :)

Man, Emiley isn't very bright.

It's kind of silly that the trackers would be using black Escalades with tinted windows.

I wonder what the other bus riders think of the cameras on the bus.

[tawny411]

I hope our government puts the same kind of effort into tracking down terrorists and serial killers as what is shown on this show.

If it were me I would have done some pre planning. Have some money and a pre paid phone along with a packed bag at the ready. A tent is a good idea, so not having to rely on motels. I missed the first few minutes of the show. Did it say how long the couples had to plan? If I had time I might even salt my home with some false clues. The calender that was found? I might put some false info on there for the teams to find.

[Lamb18]

I noticed them saying CCTV  and thought do we use the same term here? In my area they're called traffic cameras.  Now bearded guy and girlfriend should have waited until morning. The guy leaving his house to go to work would not have raised any eyebrows.

They had enough prep time to contact people and think of an escape route, so they could have done the other things. But I wonder if the contract forbid things like prepaid phones. I guess I would have withdrawn a bunch of money, then paid cash for things, like the prepaid phone, so there was no credit card trace.

[Nashville]

CCTV is commonly used in IT and security circles, to distinguish it from other monitoring systems like webcams and such.

In reality, however, the vast majority of CCTV cameras have nowhere near the resolution, quality, or image manipulation capacity you'll regularly see in, say, an episode of Criminal Minds or CSI - they use Magic Hollywood brand cameras. :) 

[tawny411]

If they can't have pre paid phones that really gives them no chance of evading capture. I want to see at least one team have a chance of winning the money. 

 

I wonder if they're allowed to go into the mountains and hide. Very hard to find people that way.

[SoapDoc]

Quote

If they can't have pre paid phones that really gives them no chance of evading capture. I want to see at least one team have a chance of winning the money. 

I agree. They have to be able to do that. I don't know why we haven't seen anyone buy one yet...

I am so annoyed that the attorney has not shaved his beard yet. I do appreciate that they got into the trunk to get out of the neighborhood.

The two women went into the woods for one night and I think one of the pairs we haven't seen yet went off into the woods as well.

[tawny411]

I wonder how much time these people did have to prepare. I know 48 hours was said, but it has to be more than that. People have to arrange to take time off from work. Did the show pay these couples while they were off from work? If you're on the run for almost a month, you still need to arrange for someone to pay your bills while you're gone.

[Archery]

I think I would pay some kid to withdraw the money for me. Pretend I'm blind or something. So far the two moms have the right idea: go off the grid and don't head to your parents' house. 

I don't think they could stash money away. One of the rules was that they could withdraw $500 from a specific bank account, $100 at a time.

[GaT]

I didn't know this was following any kind of game, so I guess I didn't get the entire episode. Is the show worth tracking down & watching?

[Maverick]

 Well that was boring and excruciating to get through.  If CBS thinks this is a replacement for Amazing Race....think again.

 I'll grant you the not being ale to prep. pre-pack, etc because the point seems to be what happens if you need to go on the run on a moment's notice but the rest is so contrived.  They can mimic a search warrant by having he contestants give them their passwords, keys, etc.  but they can't get social media to give up deleted records without a real warrant.  They can't get access to transit cameras, security cameras or personal cameras without a warrant.  They can't rely on eyewitnesses because the tagalong camera guy kinda clues people in (not to mention those wigs from the Michael's Halloween clearance sale).  There has to be some shenanigans to ensure one team is eliminated per week, of too many teams don't get to the end or enough teams get  to the end.   Otherwise what happens if they're all caught in 3 days or all get to 28 days.   The whole thing just comes off so fake.  And a note to the editors:  back away from the "fly over a downtown high rise" shots.

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, tawny411 said:

If they can't have pre paid phones that really gives them no chance of evading capture. I want to see at least one team have a chance of winning the money. 

 

I wonder if they're allowed to go into the mountains and hide. Very hard to find people that way.

I like you.  We think alike. :)

Ten minutes after I got confirmation of being accepted for the show, I'd have had a go-bag parked by the front door.  And my very first purchase (cash) would be a burner phone - closely followed by a sleeping bag, a tent, and enough water and Beenie Weenies to park my butt in an Appalachian cave for a month.

 

1 hour ago, SoapDoc said:

I am so annoyed that the attorney has not shaved his beard yet. I do appreciate that they got into the trunk to get out of the neighborhood.

Total agreement.  For a quarter-mil?  It'll grow back, dude.

 

57 minutes ago, Archery said:

I think I would pay some kid to withdraw the money for me. Pretend I'm blind or something. So far the two moms have the right idea: go off the grid and don't head to your parents' house. 

That would take care of half the problem; the card would still pop up on the grid, but they wouldn't get 8x10 glossies of your current appearance.  I immediately tagged the DimWigs as too stupid to survive for that very reason.  For God's sake - if you're going to hit up the ATM, don't put on your "disguise" THEN get in front of the camera.  Go inside barefaced, get the money, and get outside / out of sight.  THEN put on your disguise, ONE of you buy the tickets, go outside again (out of view of cameras AND the ticket seller) to give the ticket to your partner, and board the bus SEPARATELY.  They're looking for couples, remember?  Feh.

As one problem (current photos) is eliminated, however, one or two new problems take its place.  What if the kid rabbits with your card - not to mention, your PIN?

 

57 minutes ago, Archery said:

I don't think they could stash money away. One of the rules was that they could withdraw $500 from a specific bank account, $100 at a time.

When/where that quoted as a rule?  I must've missed it.  That was Strike Two I had  against the DimWigs; I'd have grabbed  all the money at one shot and buried the card.

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, Maverick said:

 I'll grant you the not being ale to prep. pre-pack, etc because the point seems to be what happens if you need to go on the run on a moment's notice but the rest is so contrived.  

Go-bags aren't so far off the mainstream as to be "contrived", though;  I know more than a few people who keep a bug-out bag handy in their house or car, and not for any game show.  

Plus, isn't the premise supposed to be the couples are already anticipating a need to run?  The one lady had already made arrangements for family to watch her daughter, for example.  If that's not out of bounds, I don't see why pre-packing a bag would be.

 

Quote

They can mimic a search warrant by having he contestants give them their passwords, keys, etc.  but they can't get social media to give up deleted records without a real warrant.  They can't get access to transit cameras, security cameras or personal cameras without a warrant.  They can't rely on eyewitnesses because the tagalong camera guy kinda clues people in (not to mention those wigs from the Michael's Halloween clearance sale).  There has to be some shenanigans to ensure one team is eliminated per week, of too many teams don't get to the end or enough teams get  to the end.   Otherwise what happens if they're all caught in 3 days or all get to 28 days.   The whole thing just comes off so fake.  And a note to the editors:  back away from the "fly over a downtown high rise" shots.

The game, however, is already slanted heavily in favor of the hunters.  Two examples immediately jump out.

1. The geographic range restrictions.  In reality if I suspect they're searching for me in the South, I'm hitching a ride with a northbound trucker ASAP and planning my border crossing into Canada en route.
2. If (as someone mentioned earlier) there's a $100 cap on ATM transactions, then the hunt team is guaranteed up to five bona fide location confirmations on a couple.
3. If BOBs are truly against the rules, then the much-heralded "one hour head start" is bull. If you have to get home and then pack before starting your Logan's Run, then it's more like 10-15 minutes.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Nashville
Added #3

[Mystery]

I would have given the ATM card to someone who would take out money every few days in different locations moving farther away from my house, and I would just crash in an extremely close apt/house for the 28 days. By the end of my one-hour head start, I would have stopped moving out in public.

The too-stupid-to-live couple in the bus---argh. As has been said, why use the ATM in the bus station, and why AFTER donning their disguises? 

[palmaire]

Seems like a single-season concept, doesn't it? Contestants will now know which actions work/don't work.

Why the need for burner phones, especially for the hole-up-in-the-woods option? Is it for Internet access?

This reminded me of the series "I Almost Got Away With It" about criminals who really are on the run. They often bug out one step ahead of the law with only a backpack or sometimes nothing. Some of them aren't caught for years or decades, but yeah. The majority for sure leave the area. Geographic restrictions are a huge impediment for the runners on this show.

[Nashville]

3 hours ago, Nashville said:

5 hours ago, Archery said:

I think I would pay some kid to withdraw the money for me. Pretend I'm blind or something. So far the two moms have the right idea: go off the grid and don't head to your parents' house. 

I don't think they could stash money away. One of the rules was that they could withdraw $500 from a specific bank account, $100 at a time.

 

When/where that quoted as a rule?  I must've missed it.  That was Strike Two I had  against the DimWigs; I'd have grabbed  all the money at one shot and buried the card.

Ok - I went back and re-watched, and I stand corrected.  From the voiceover narration as the Legal Beard is making his initial ATM withdrawal:

During their time on the run each fugitive team can only access money via a bank account containing a total of five hundred dollars, and they can withdraw up to one hundred dollars at a time.

Hmmm. 

Interesting wording there: "...up to one hundred dollars at a time." 

Not "per day", but "at a time". 

Perhaps that's simply sloppy wording on the part of narration - but if it isn't, wouldn't the optimum strategy be to serial-hit five ATMS moderately close to your starting point, withdraw $100 from each, then skip town?

Edited January 23, 2017 by Nashville
Expansion

[Zahdii]

I forgot this was on, so I missed the first 20 minutes.  Is there a list or rules online?  I'd want to see if pawning something is allowed. 

[Callasin]

It bugged me the entire episode that nobody took all the money.  There are more than 5 ATM's within blocks of my house that I would hit before heading out.

When the mom and daughter were leaving the apartment what got dropped on the floor?

As for the calender who writes a street name or address for friends?  It would make more sense to use just a first name or even better a fake name. 

[leighdear]

Many of us living in the Southern hurricane zones always have an emergency bag packed.  It's not hard to find out beforehand what's essential and get a packing down to about 10 minutes. 

And could Miss Beauty Queen/Model have been more of a brainless stereotype?  

[serenitynow]

I thought the calender thing was stupid too.  Mr. SN thought maybe it was fake addresses but nope.  

And who withdraws money at the BUS station?  Dummies.

We were in Nashville last summer and saw a web series called "The Runner" being filmed.  I thought maybe this was a repackaging of that but nope.

[Skyfall]

Rankings from best to worst

Ex Gang member and his "lady" - If they get out of that neighborhood and don't withdraw anymore cash they should be able to last the rest of the way because the guy has the street smarts to realize that they figured out their plan and they should throw it out of the window.

HS Friends - They've done well but they seem easily psyched out which will screw them once the Hunters start pressuring the kids. Also they legit used the truck of one of their husbands. They will find it odd that the truck went to a campground and likely be in their area soon.

Dumb jock and ditzy blonde aka DimWigs - The hunters had no leads whatsoever and they kept insisting on ditching the car without a set plan. They psyched themselves into making a crucial error when they were in the wind and just changed into "disguises." If I was them I would've used the ATM and bought the tickets but NOT get on the bus. Would've jumped back in the car, get to ATL,  then ditch the car, and put the "disguises" on then. But the time the bus arrives and the teams figure out they weren't on the bus you're safely in a huge city "disguised."

[Dobian]

This is the kind of show you watch on Discovery on a Saturday afternoon when you're bored.  Prime-time network show?  Not.  Interesting premise but it was like watching a simulated America's Most Wanted.  Didn't grab me at all.

[Gregg247]

I thoroughly enjoyed the show.  I'm rooting for the cops to catch all these idiots, though! haha

It seems like they should give them more than a 1 hour head start, because every couple so far was almost caught before even getting started.  Also, the $100 restriction per transaction at the bank seems a little biased for the law.  It would be hard to live for a month on $100, so they're going to HAVE to make multiple withdrawals over their time on the run.

I would run off and hide with friends for a couple of days, like the attorney did.  Then, after the law was finished searching my house for clues, I'd return home and spend the month watching TV and playing video games and sleeping in my own bed! LOL

Does anyone remember a show called "Take The Money and Run" a few years ago?  Contestants had 2 hours to hide a briefcase of money anywhere in town.  Then they were "arrested" and interrogated by professional lawmen.  If the money wasn't found in 48 hours, it was theirs to keep.  If it WAS found, it was the lawmen's to keep.  Another really fun show to watch.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Gregg247

[Skyfall]

9 minutes ago, Gregg247 said:

I thoroughly enjoyed the show.  I'm rooting for the cops to catch all these idiots, though! haha

It seems like they should give them more than a 1 hour head start, because every couple so far was almost caught before even getting started.  Also, the $100 restriction per transaction at the bank seems a little biased for the law.  It would be hard to live for a month on $100, so they're going to HAVE to make multiple withdrawals over their time on the run.

I would run off and hide with friends for a couple of days, like the attorney did.  Then, after the law was finished searching my house for clues, I'd return home and spend the month watching TV and playing video games and sleeping in my own bed! LOL

Does anyone remember a show called "Take The Money and Run" a few years ago?  Contestants had 2 hours to hide a briefcase of money anywhere in town.  Then they were "arrested" and interrogated by professional lawmen.  If the money wasn't found in 48 hours, it was theirs to keep.  If it WAS found, it was the lawmen's to keep.  Another really fun show to watch.

Wasn't that on CBS as well? Might've been ABC. It was a good show but they all pale in comparison to The Mole.

[Eolivet]

28 days, 18 people...1 Survivor (can't see CBS greenlighting that, but it would make it a more exciting show)

Apparently this is based off a U.K. show?  I feel like they've taken a premise and tried really hard to make it fit it into the "reality competition" construct. When...it's not, really. The teams aren't competing against each other, they're all competing against the hunters. It was clear (or I think it had to be clear) that all 9 teams started at once, but they only focused on three in the first hour. So, clearly they're going to go back and "catch up" (in some cases, literally) with teams they didn't address in the first episode. They really needed 90 minutes, I think, in order to briefly introduce everyone, to pretend they were going to make this like a reality competition.

But while I think they're going to clearly "eliminate" one couple a week (I'm guessing they have to, with the weeks they have), it already feels artificial, because I know there are 6 other couples on the run that they haven't even addressed yet. And again, they're not competing against each other, like Amazing Race. So, this ends up where I can't forget that it's heavily edited -- and makes me wonder whether they're just going to show the "eliminations" in the most dramatic order possible, because technically the order in which they're caught doesn't really matter.

I mean, I know not everything on these competition shows is real, but the order of eliminated contestants is kind of a big deal.

Then there's whole catch phrase that the hunters have to use when they "capture" the contestants is kind of lame -- like it doesn't count unless you use the catchphrase?

I guess I feel like CBS is trying hard to justify putting this show in the Survivor timeslot by making it into something it's not.

[Primetimer]

But should you be watching Hunted? Find out which parts of the premiere were worth while.

View the full article

[basiltherat]

Did they tell the rules at the beginning?  I missed the first few minutes.  Because the packed bag, burner phone, and cash situations would make a big difference.

How do you explain the fact that you are "on the run" with a camera crew?  On a bus or near an ATM?  What if someone calls the REAL cops on you? 

And, finally, are you showing techniques that would be helpful to REAL CRIMINALS trying to elude capture?

[Puffaroo]

3 hours ago, Eolivet said:

28 days, 18 people...1 Survivor (can't see CBS greenlighting that, but it would make it a more exciting show)

I was thinking along similar lines -- and, like Survivor, if this show... forgive me... *survives*, subsequent contestants would do well to learn from the mistakes in the first edition.

They should also read this forum, 'cause there are some damn fine suggestions here!

[Quilt Fairy]

If it's really "$100 at a time" with no other restrictions, why even bother to find 5 different ATMs?  Just do 5 transactions in a row, right there. It would be the fastest way to get all the money.  Because seriously, how far would $100 take 2 people?

[riverheightsnancy]

I liked it, but I love sneaky shows like this, hence my love of the original Mole show. (I played a competitive online version of that and won-it was fun). I think that I would withdraw all the money (in separate installments) as soon as you got notification someplace near your home, because they already know where you live, so you are not giving them anything else. Plus, I might skim off, the last $20 and give a person (anyone really-or a truck driver) the ATM card and say to them, "Here is the card and here is the pin, there is $20 for you, just use this in your farthest distance from here. This is not illegal and you are not in trouble." 

I do not understand why those dolts (model girl/tall guy) came to Atlanta. I would stay out in the boonies of SC. Coming to a major city has more cameras and ways to track you. You have to go off the grid. Get food (I would buy 2 cases of Ramen, matches, a pot) and get to the land. A person who knows how to camp (think of the show Alone), could get to a remote area and ride this out. A lake or river for fish, camping gear, NO tech unless you buy a burner phone. A way to get water. They probably did not pick people with really good survival skills, because you would want to stay away from cities and cameras as opposed to going to the deep woods. 

[Nashville]

5 hours ago, Skyfall said:

Rankings from best to worst

Ex Gang member and his "lady" - If they get out of that neighborhood and don't withdraw anymore cash they should be able to last the rest of the way because the guy has the street smarts to realize that they figured out their plan and they should throw it out of the window.

HS Friends - They've done well but they seem easily psyched out which will screw them once the Hunters start pressuring the kids. Also they legit used the truck of one of their husbands. They will find it odd that the truck went to a campground and likely be in their area soon.

Dumb jock and ditzy blonde aka DimWigs - The hunters had no leads whatsoever and they kept insisting on ditching the car without a set plan. They psyched themselves into making a crucial error when they were in the wind and just changed into "disguises." If I was them I would've used the ATM and bought the tickets but NOT get on the bus. Would've jumped back in the car, get to ATL,  then ditch the car, and put the "disguises" on then. But the time the bus arrives and the teams figure out they weren't on the bus you're safely in a huge city "disguised."

Pretty close to what I was thinking.  Only difference being I'd buy two bus tickets to Atlanta, then jump in the car and head to Macon, Dalton, Valdosta - anywhere BUT Atlanta.  2nd ATM hit would be Random Destination #1, 3rd would be ATL, 4th would be Random Destination #2, 5th would be ATL again.  After which (a) you have all the money you're going to get, and (b) you are located at the central transport hub of the containment zone and can head out in any direction fast.  

Then - anywhere you want.  Go camping in Chattahoochie, or the Okefenokee.  Grab a shitty-looking wig and get lost among the tourists in Savannah, or St. Augustine.  Or find a Valdosta hole-in-the-wall near a good BBQ joint, and hunker down for the duration.  You don't have to survive this way for the rest of your life - just the rest of four weeks.

 

3 hours ago, basiltherat said:

Did they tell the rules at the beginning?  I missed the first few minutes.  Because the packed bag, burner phone, and cash situations would make a big difference.

Yes, but not in any organized fashion.  Some of them I missed on the original viewing and didn't catch until I re-watched - and only THEN  because people on here had mentioned them, and I was looking for them the second time around. 

3 hours ago, basiltherat said:

How do you explain the fact that you are "on the run" with a camera crew?  On a bus or near an ATM?  What if someone calls the REAL cops on you? 

!!!DRAMA!!!

 ???

 

3 hours ago, basiltherat said:

And, finally, are you showing techniques that would be helpful to REAL CRIMINALS trying to elude capture?

 I HOPE criminals are taking notes from this bunch of chuckleheads.

The streets will get cleaned up REAL damn quick. 

[rose711]

They needed to have people just use go pros or take selfies and not have a camera crew. It's impossible to believe that the producers won't share info on the teams with the "hunters" as they clearly want the "hunters" to win.

There are people who could survive a month easily in some remote locations or otherwise for $250,000. They didn't cast any of them. You don't even have to have cash- bartering works too.  

Heck they could hide in plain sight after a couple of weeks by just posing as homeless if they didn't have the idiotic camera following them.

The entire camera crew angle ruins what could be a decent idea.

Edited January 23, 2017 by rose711

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, Quilt Fairy said:

If it's really "$100 at a time" with no other restrictions, why even bother to find 5 different ATMs?  Just do 5 transactions in a row, right there. It would be the fastest way to get all the money.  Because seriously, how far would $100 take 2 people?

I'd thought about that as well - then I figured Production had, too.  Several possibilities:

1. The voiceover monologue script was sloppily written, and the limitation was actually $100 a day - or an hour - or whatever.
2. Production has specified that consecutive transactions at the same ATM would be counted as a single "time", and result in disqualification.
3. As has already been discussed, the "one hour" lead time is really not much more than 10-15 minutes.  Depending on (a) how fast the first ATM transaction sets off alarms and (b) how slow your ATM runs each transaction, you're liable to finish pulling the cash for the last transaction just in time to hand it over to your pursuers as they "arrest" you.

[slitz]

I'll watch it.  Mostly because some people I know "hid" one of the teams.  I don't know which team or when my friend and her husband will be on, but that small connection has me interested enough to keep watching until their episode.  Glad I'm not going to have to watch the DimWigs anymore though.  

About the rules...I get the feeling that there are additional rules that we, the audience, are not made aware of, such as the "fugitives" not being able to have go-bags already packed or buy burner phones or not being able to stay in one place for more than 3-4 days.  Otherwise, as several people have said they would do, what's to stop the "fugitives" from just camping out at a friends place for 28 days or legit camping in the woods?  If that's an option for them then why would Bearded Lawyer and the Pastor's Daughter have needed to leave their friends' house?  All they would have had to do is stay inside for 28 days and win.  Instead, their plans (thanks for spelling out your entire itinerary for the "Good Guys" Pastors Daughter!) to move every few days and go to different friends' homes makes me think that it's a rule that they can't stay in one place for the entirety of the 28 days.

[Nashville]

Okay, I'm feeling moderately certain none of these people are going to be around long enough for me to learn their actual names -  so please understand future references to: 

• Dimwigs = dimwits with wigs (RIP)
• Schoolchums*
• Legal Beard and his sidekick GodGirl

*  My actual first pick for this team was "Catholic high school girls in trouble ", but that was just too damn long. 

Edited January 23, 2017 by Nashville
Typo

[TheRabbi]

Slitz - those are exactly the things I was thinking. There's got to be a bunch of rules we are unaware of, and I'd be willing to guess that teams have been told they can't get burner phones (or at least not have one pre-ready, maybe they can use their $500 for one), and that there's a limit of how long they can stay in one place. It would be a pretty boring show if we watched a team camp in the mountains for a month with the hunters spinning their wheels.

The $100 limit on withdrawals is so blatant to slant things toward production it's frustrating. It all feels a bit fake to me. One will get caught every week and one or two will win the race, err, outwit the hunters.

Amazing Race has long been my favorite show, and to see it tossed aside for this is disheartening. I'll give this another week or two.

[slitz]

40 minutes ago, TheRabbi said:

Amazing Race has long been my favorite show, and to see it tossed aside for this is disheartening. I'll give this another week or two.

Ok I'll admit that I've been hiding under a rock for a bit this year with the birth of my 2nd son but WHAT IN THE SWEET HOLY HELL?!?!?!  For reals?  They cancelled The Amazing Race for THIS?!?!  Please tell me I'm misreading your sentence.  Please.

[AlleC17]

I was confused about the $500 being the only source of funds, which it seems to be..I think if I were on the show, I would give the card and PIN to someone I knew well at the very start, in exchange for $500.  Then, they can use the ATM throughout the course of the 28 days, and I would use the $500 to hole up somewhere and stay off the grid.  That would be my strategy. 

I am loving the name DimWigs.  lol.  This entertained me, but could get tedious fairly quickly.  It is definitely in favor of the Hunters and not the Hunted.

4 minutes ago, slitz said:

Ok I'll admit that I've been hiding under a rock for a bit this year with the birth of my 2nd son but WHAT IN THE SWEET HOLY HELL?!?!?!  For reals?  They cancelled The Amazing Race for THIS?!?!  Please tell me I'm misreading your sentence.  Please.

tAR is back on April 21, however it normally would have been coming back earlier.  The ratings have been shrinking and a lot of people are speculating that the push back to April could mean this is the last season.  I have no clue myself, but I fear it looks pretty ominous.  tAR is my favorite reality show. 

[Nashville]

2 hours ago, slitz said:

About the rules...I get the feeling that there are additional rules that we, the audience, are not made aware of, such as the "fugitives" not being able to have go-bags already packed or buy burner phones or not being able to stay in one place for more than 3-4 days.

At present, I am pretty certain of this as well.

[Cotypubby]

I gave up after 15 minutes. The extremely over-shaky camera makes this show basically unwatchable.

[Skyfall]

4 hours ago, slitz said:

I'll watch it.  Mostly because some people I know "hid" one of the teams.  I don't know which team or when my friend and her husband will be on, but that small connection has me interested enough to keep watching until their episode.  Glad I'm not going to have to watch the DimWigs anymore though.  

About the rules...I get the feeling that there are additional rules that we, the audience, are not made aware of, such as the "fugitives" not being able to have go-bags already packed or buy burner phones or not being able to stay in one place for more than 3-4 days.  Otherwise, as several people have said they would do, what's to stop the "fugitives" from just camping out at a friends place for 28 days or legit camping in the woods?  If that's an option for them then why would Bearded Lawyer and the Pastor's Daughter have needed to leave their friends' house?  All they would have had to do is stay inside for 28 days and win.  Instead, their plans (thanks for spelling out your entire itinerary for the "Good Guys" Pastors Daughter!) to move every few days and go to different friends' homes makes me think that it's a rule that they can't stay in one place for the entirety of the 28 days.

Actually you're more likely to be caught staying in one place than jumping around. Mainly for the fact that the fingers will be pinpointing your circle of trusting and sending units to each of theirs houses eventually. At least when moving you may be able to get a jump on a bust and speed away with a change in plan.

2 hours ago, slitz said:

Ok I'll admit that I've been hiding under a rock for a bit this year with the birth of my 2nd son but WHAT IN THE SWEET HOLY HELL?!?!?!  For reals?  They cancelled The Amazing Race for THIS?!?!  Please tell me I'm misreading your sentence.  Please.

Amazing Race is still active and this isn't even in the AR time slot. This is in survivor's slot.

[TheRabbi]

3 hours ago, slitz said:

Ok I'll admit that I've been hiding under a rock for a bit this year with the birth of my 2nd son but WHAT IN THE SWEET HOLY HELL?!?!?!  For reals?  They cancelled The Amazing Race for THIS?!?!  Please tell me I'm misreading your sentence.  Please.

Race is back in April, so it's not officially canceled...yet. But the fact that it was cut back to one cycle, and another reality show with teams of two competing has started, is a sign to me that CBS is clearly looking for a replacement.

[breezy424]

I actually enjoyed the show.  Yeah, there's probably a lot of rules, including burner phones, preparing in advance, etc.  It made me think about what I'd do and that made it interesting. 

I understand that they required it to be in a certain radius because you just can't access all this information without certain permissions.  

I'll continue to watch...for now.

[MarkHB]

3 hours ago, Skyfall said:

Actually you're more likely to be caught staying in one place than jumping around. Mainly for the fact that the fingers will be pinpointing your circle of trusting and sending units to each of theirs houses eventually. At least when moving you may be able to get a jump on a bust and speed away with a change in plan.

Except in this case, your friends haven't signed a contract with the network and are under no obligation to allow the hunters into their home.  If they come to the door, the contestants hide.  It's not like the hunters have actual warrants.

If I were down there, my first thought might be to hit the Appalachian Trail.  Go camp in the woods in the ass end of South Carolina for a month, just be careful not to cross the border into TN or NC.

[dr pepper]

I'd dye my hair, change my clothes, fill a bag with bottled water, granola bars, and reading material, then head to a random city, where i'd buy a burner phone and hole up in a cheap motel for several days. After that, i'd draw my $100, head for the bus station, and repeat. I'm pretty sure that that would be enough to stymie anyone who couldn't make use of an all points bulletin.

However.

This concept has a long history in science fiction. And in most of those stories, the audience is part of the game, calling in tips for the hunters or warnings for the fugitives. That would make this show more interesting.

[Mystery]

14 minutes ago, dr pepper said:

After that, i'd draw my $100, head for the bus station

That's crazy talk! There's probably an ATM right THERE! 

[Vicky8675309]

like many of you had said (and I don't know all the rules), I would have done multiple transactions at one ATM or 5 closely located ATMs so I would have all 500$ day one (if possible) then get a burner phone (if possible) and better disguises (maybe a walker, or put stuff between the gums and cheeks to change the facial features, maybe a burka or something....I'd put more thought into it once I was cast for the show). Also since they knew their homes would be searched then why not plant fake clues (this is a no brainer imo.....have your computer search history for places you won't go.....have the impressions from the pen be to places you aren't going). Then have a friend take you to the main bus terminal and pay for your ticket with cash.

Consider going to a (this is really evil and twisted but it did pop into my mind, sorry) shelter for domestic violence victims (later donate some $ to them if you win). Also may use some of the 500$ and have a friend use it to buy you some flint, sleeping bag, tent and ramen noodles and bottled water (I would had to research this first on a friend's computer). After the 1st day or two, stay away from friends and family and places your are familiar with... I guess if I was really desperate I could consider going signing the billion year contract with the sea org (cult of scientology) and then "blowing" it once time was up (lol, they would have kicked me out first for being a "suppressive person", lol). Most of this wouldn't work due to the nature of the show---having a camera crew with you. I guess camping out in the wilds would be the best bet but I'm a city gal and have no experience with camping (but I love the show Alone).

I think if one isn't super tall/short/heavy then changing appearance often would be a good idea. I wonder if they can get "lost" among the masses on the beaches in Florida (especially the younger prettier ones). Then again the camera crews presence favors the trackers so the show is set up against the people on the run. Holing up in a cheap motel may work if they don't require ID and take cash without a credit card deposit.

I feel like the participants didn't research it enough but even if they did, the show isn't set up in their favor. I'm bummed that the one couple didn't plant false clues. The pressure marks from marking the calendar was amateur (and they are amateurs) but that was a perfect opportunity to send the trackers on a wild goose chase!