S01.E01: The Internet Never Forgets

[loki567]

I thought it was really enjoyable, even though I imagine the "reality," part of the show is probably pretty shaky. It does a good job of giving a visceral thrill. I thought there was about three or four scenes tonight that were as tense as anything I've seen on television in months. 

My guess is that David is a particular target by the Hunters being a criminal defense attorney. 

I wonder if the show wouldn't benefit from being more Amazing Race-ish, putting all the teams at a starting point or ending point at the end of a leg, allowing for more interactions between the groups. It would be pretty great if we could see one team sell out another team for time or something. 

ETA: Something I'd enjoy watching somebody try, hunt the hunters. Suppose you waited around for the ground team to case your place and FOLLOWED them back to the command center. Maybe plant a bug on their computers, get inside info on them tracking you. I have no idea if anybody could actually do that but it would be hilarious. 

Edited January 24, 2017 by loki567

[green]

14 hours ago, basiltherat said:

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

No.  Real criminals that actually know how to allude know all this crap already and much much more.   But most real fugitives are as dim witted as these guys and head immediately to their home area for help from friends and family where they are quickly caught.

8 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.

People above have mentioned the April start date but this season should have started this fall.  The Amazing Race is on it's last legs and it is either CBS' and/or production's own fault.  The stupid gimmick casts of uninteresting fame whores and way dumber race courses have taken the amazing part out of what once was my favorite TV show too.  I think they were green lighted for one more season that they may be just finishing about now but I might have read that wrong too.  And no guarantee it will ever air.  The gimmick for the one starting in April is terrible and I don't even know if I'll tune in.  And I've seen every single episode of every single season down the years.  But I'd rather sit back and watch my DVDs of Classic TAR (Seasons 1,2,3 and 5) over watching this poor shadow of it's former self embarrass the show's Emmy-deserved heritage.  I think it is time for it to leave the air.

This show mimicking the teams of two definitely was an attempt to imitate The Amazing Race of course.  But that is the end of the similarity.  The camera crew is a major hindrance on the show.  TAR made you forget there was a crew but that was all I could think of here.  Hiding while trailed by the cameraman and the boon mike guy just doesn't work.  They can't stop and film themselves if they are running around and so if they had small cameras you would miss any good stuff that went down.  The logistics aren't workable.

And you want to root for the hunted but they have no chance.  The rules all favor the hunters.  So what is the point?  It's rigged so only one team could win the money and that is if the hunters fake not finding the last team. 

I really like the premise of being on the lamb and alluding capture.  It feeds into my paranoia.  When I first read the original The Bourne Identity years and years ago it freaked me out more than any Stephen King book.  But I see no way you can make this into a reality show given the above.  And I got no chills up the spine from alluding and escaping probably because standing around an ATM at a bus station making some of the most dumbest mistakes on any reality show ever was silly and funny but not tense or thrilling.  So as a comedy show filler I guess it is okay but it doesn't have the visceral feel a show about hunted people should have.

Side note: Someone up thread said they should split up.  You better believe it is in the rules they have to stay together a la TAR.  They have only one camera crew per team and they need the people to talk to each other to give us something to watch.

Anyway the best thing the show did was that I can now fantasize how I would escape authorities which is a nice daydream to have while trying to fall asleep I guess.

[Lamb18]

Regarding ATMs, I'm pretty sure trying to do five transactions in a row at the same ATM would make the ATM reject transactions before getting to the fifth one. What you could do is drive to medium to large metro area and try transactions at five different ATMS from five different banks. Or hit a couple of grocery stores or restaurants that have those ATMs that aren't associated with a major bank. The restaurant/bar ones probably wouldn't have cameras either.

You could also withdraw funds, then go to the airport, park, and rent a car for a couple of days, cash or cc. While the credit card transaction would display to the hunters, they wouldn't know what kind of car you're driving right away and they'd have to take time to get a fake court order to get the rental company to disclose the info. Actually, before you go to the airport, you would drive to a friend's house, leave your car in their garage, have the friend drive you to the airport, then rent the car. Drive around for a week or so (don't want to blow all the money), then go back and get your car. I haven't rented cars very often, but I imagine there are smaller rental companies where you could rent a lousy car for cash, too. You could even buy a junker for pretty cheap somewhere, too.

I wonder if you could just go to Atlanta and just take the bus around during your time. Buy a month-long or stored value transit card for cash and just hop the bus and go someplace different every day. The buses might have cameras, but I don't think they are as camera-heavy as subway or train stations. Wear your oldest clothes and stay at a homeless shelter, however, the camera crew might get the door closed in your face.

I've posted here and TWOP for a few years, but I don't know if I've ever posted at the beginning of a brand new show. It's fun to be in the group of posters making the first posts on a new show and who are creating legends, like DimWigs (ha!).

[palmaire]

I mean, the runners have $17.85 per day to feed, transport and house two people. Even Motel 8 charges around $40-50 a night. As others have said, the deck is heavily stacked in favor of the hunters.

Edited January 24, 2017 by palmaire

[Porkchop]

This forum is more fun than the show .. but I'll hang in there for a couple of weeks to see if it gets more interesting. It will break my heart if The Amazing Race is not renewed. If only production would look back at some of the early very-entertaining seasons!

[Hootis]

I guarantee there are rules we don't know.  Otherwise this would be too easy.  Get your $500, buy cheap food and water, and go camping.  Or squat somewhere if you didn't already have camping equipment.

Submerge once and don't surface.

[Vicky8675309]

I wonder if the show allows them to buy cheap junker cars with cash or have friends rent them cars/loan them cars/buy tickets for them (using the contestants money) while the contestants wait out of sight. I wonder what the rules say about assistance from friends. What about holing up at a friends house for the span of the show and not leaving the house. I don't think they can search a non-contestants house or can they....

[Nashville]

On 1/24/2017 at 1:40 AM, loki567 said:

My guess is that David is a particular target by the Hunters being a criminal defense attorney.

Did anybody else get a vibe from the hunters that (a) they automatically assumed Legal Beard had a chip on his shoulder against law enforcement, and (b) they therefore automatically adopted a knee-jerk 'attitude' about him in kind?

 

19 hours ago, Lamb18 said:

Regarding ATMs, I'm pretty sure trying to do five transactions in a row at the same ATM would make the ATM reject transactions before getting to the fifth one.

In truth, not so much - not from the bank's point of view, anyway.  Daily ATM transaction limits vary according to bank, type of account, etc. - but the limits are based on total amount withdrawn in a day, not number of transactions.  Looking at SunTrust, for example:

Quote

 

Daily ATM withdrawal limits

• SunTrust Classic Check Card $500
• SunTrust Gold Check Card  $1,000
• SunTrust World Check Card $2,500

 

(Actually, this doesn't surprise me; on more than one occasion I've gotten caught in an ATM line behind a not-too-tech-savvy old dear who wanted to withdraw something like $200, and proceeded to do so via 10 separate $20 transactions.  Why?  Because the only ATM button they understood/trusted was the $20 Fast Cash button....)

Besides any bank restrictions, however, Hunted's Production can set any conditions they want on how the money may be accessed - and if disobeying those conditions constitute grounds for disqualification, the contestants have no choice but to comply if they want to stay in the game.

 

5 hours ago, Vicky8675309 said:

I wonder if the show allows them to buy cheap junker cars with cash or have friends rent them cars/loan them cars/buy tickets for them (using the contestants money) while the contestants wait out of sight.

I doubt Production's rules would stop them - but their amount of available cash probably would.  As @palmaire noted earlier, $500 to cover 28 days on the run works out to about $17.85 per day per couple; I doubt that leaves enough slack to pick up a set of wheels. 

Besides, even on Craigslist you have pretty much zero odds of finding anything resembling an operational auto for $500 or less - and that's assuming (a) you're giving up eating for the duration of your run and (b) your newly-acquired WonderJunker runs on air.

 

5 hours ago, Vicky8675309 said:

I wonder what the rules say about assistance from friends. What about holing up at a friends house for the span of the show and not leaving the house. I don't think they can search a non-contestants house or can they....

Unless the homeowner in question had already signed a waiver contract granting access to the property, not a chance in hell. 

I don't care how good their ratings are, the exigencies of a TV show do not override the 4th Amendment.  :)

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Hunted Is Watching You

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

[Wings]

The ATM rule and camera's following them says the hunters will win.  How could they not?   I love the premise and would probably like another season with the rules reworked.  

I am surprised the lawyer didn't know their apt would be searched.  The calendar was stupid mistake.  Clearly they don't watch the ID channel. 

Assuming the ATM withdrawals have to be made each week (stupid rule), staying put is the best approach.  You cannot be in public with cameras following you.  Finding a place to hole up is the only way to win. There are ways to do that for those participating in the next season, if that happens.  $500 is another stupid rule. 

My idea would require a fuller knowledge of how this will play out and a lot of pre planning which would have to be done the moment you were notified you had been cast or even approached. 

Your friends are crucial here.  Find a host home that cannot be traced to you.  That would mean a friend would have to reach far and wide to enlist a safe house.  Or if you have time, you do it.   There are enough reality show aficionados who would love to participate!   I would!   You have to use a burn phone to set this up.  

Once in the safe house the following ATM withdrawals are made by random people your host finds on the street, or friends all at different locations.  This happens all over the city.  They know you are there but cannot find out where.  

[green]

^  I am sure there is a rule about not being able to just hole up in one person's home the whole month.  After all the show was not created for the benefit of the contestants to win a bunch of money while providing zero exciting footage other than sitting around someone's table eating PBJ sandwiches for a month.  Allowing that would make no sense at all and would lead to immediate cancellation of the show.

Production set up the ATM stuff to assure drama which is the central component needed for all TV shows.  So I'm sure they have a limit on how long you can stay in one place too. 

I mean look at the In-The-Trunk team in the last scene from episode one.  If they knew they were tracked to this street why even try to leave if the rules allowed them to hole up in one place where the hunters couldn't get a search warrant to enter?  Just sit in a back room the rest of the time then come out after the month and collect your money.

[Wings]

We really need to know all the rules.  It takes the fun away from watching without them. 

Edited January 26, 2017 by wings707

[FastLou]

I agree w/ everyone here they need to tell us the "hidden" rules in order for me to really be interested.

Depending on how long it takes to get the money, one could basically hole up in a by-the-week motel for a month & buy cheap food with $500 in some place like Macon. It wouldn't be much fun, but if you get your money and get a ride there undetected, they would never find you.

That said, I am enjoying the show - I live in Atlanta, so I'm spending most of my time figuring out exactly where everyone is.

i Don't like that they seem to be pushing a "respect the authorities & don't bother running" narrative despite the runners supposedly being the stars.

[Nashville]

4 hours ago, green said:

^  I am sure there is a rule about not being able to just hole up in one person's home the whole month.  After all the show was not created for the benefit of the contestants to win a bunch of money while providing zero exciting footage other than sitting around someone's table eating PBJ sandwiches for a month.  Allowing that would make no sense at all and would lead to immediate cancellation of the show.

Just a guess, but I'm sure it's entirely possible - probable, even - that:

• Pre-run, contestants had to provide Production with a list of all potential contacts / residential hiding places.
• Production then had to vet the list and acquire filming and property access waivers from all potential participants.
• If a potential contact refused to sign the waivers, then they were blackballed from participation and the contestants cannot use that contact/residence.

... and nothing says Production has to share the vetted list with the hunters.

[Wings]

That makes some sense, @Nashville.  Why would this show be the only one that does not manipulate every damn thing.  

There may be a possibility that the camera crew has forms with them. You often see people's faces blurred on any show that films in public.  They either refused to sign or more likely were missed.  Think Jimmy Kimmel and cousin Saul doing his sidewalk Q&A.  Probably a pretty quick process. 

[RedheadZombie]

Caught this on demand.  It's seems interesting enough.  I'm confused by the rules.  Are the hunters allowed to enter homes other than those of the hunted?  Because Red and Emiley could have hung at the house for the full time, and never used the ATM because their friends are feeding them.  I wonder if there's a limit to how long you can crash at one sight.  I wonder if his checkered background was wildly exaggerated.  He was way too stressed for someone who claims to be on the run many times for real, and had law enforcement with guns hunting him down.

It seems like the producers could easily manipulate the win, considering all the couples are accompanied by camera people paid by the show.

Good to know that patriarchy is alive and well on this show.  Emiley's chyron identifies her simply as "pastor's daughter".  Not a student, not id'd by her occupation.  Identified only as she relates to her father.  OK.

I'm glad the tall couple was eliminated.   If you put a long blond wig on the guy, he's a ringer for Amber Frey.  I found it very distracting.  

[Lamb18]

The DimWigs reminded me of the Miss South Carolina and partner team from the Amazing Race a while back. Her partner was a tall gangly guy from what I recall and both were dim, too.

[dgpolo]

When I first heard about the premise for this show I thought it might be based on this Russian one, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

http://carhumor.net/russian-extreme-game-show-the-interception/#

Not knowing the rules doesn't help in following the show.

[jhlipton]

On 1/23/2017 at 9:40 AM, Gregg247 said:

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.

I do!  Paul Bishop (the guy behind it) got way too serious, to the point of psychologically scarring the contestants.  It made what should have been a light, fun show into an exercise in sadism.  From Wikipedia: "{The briefcase was f}ound with 18 hours remaining when a contestant quits under intense pressure. In this episode, the contestant was never permitted to leave his cell, not even to go to the interrogation room. He finally broke when the interrogators took his book leaving him absolutely nothing to do with the long hours. He had already openly complained he couldn't sleep due to the lights never turning off, and he did not eat any of the food provided."