S29.E12: We're Going To Victory Lane

[mertensia]

I think production thinks people running the final leg should not, as a rule, be driving. I bet there'd be serious road rage and lots of reckless driving.

When all is said and done,  I'll take Brooke winning any day over Kendra or non-winners Justin and Diana.

[absolutelyido]

5 hours ago, greyhorse said:

The "memory task".  This being season 29, teams are all prepared for these now that it's almost not challenging any more.  They probably keep extensive notebooks that they study over and over when they have any free time.  They probably know things like how many times they pooped in a day or what they ate for each meal.  That said, I was impressed with how calm Brooke was and nailed the challenge.  They were the only team that went down the list from top to bottom.  In terms of efficiency, I'm not sure it mattered that much since it seemed like Scott would still run down to the numbers each time.  I suppose it did make it less confusing which opening to place the next number in.  I wonder if the numbers are heavy?  If not, why don't you just take a huge stack up there with you and then hopefully you have the right numbers to put as you come on down.  Perhaps you can't hear the radio from the very top.

It would have been more interesting if, say, Brooke & Scott had to list the placement of Tara & Joey in each leg, T & J had to list how LOLO placed, and LOLO had to list how B & S placed. The teams may not have been as prepared for that.

[blackwing]

I was hoping to see how far apart the teams started the leg.  I guess it was meaningless because they were all on the same final flight, but I'm curious to see how close it was last leg.  Some have said Loganr/London lost first because they took the elevator, but I have a feeling that was just editing tricks to create suspense.

i also want to know how much money they got this leg.  It looked to me like they landed at O'Hare.  They were probably in the international terminal because of customs/immigration.  But at O'Hare, you usually can't just flag a cab to go to the suburbs.  You have to call one of the suburban taxi services.  Some drivers will do it anyways but usually it's not allowed.  

A cab from the airport to Joliet and them back downtown?  Would have been ridiculously expensive.  I wonder what time of day it was.  They at least could have shown us a shot of the teams stuck in traffic on the way into the city.  But I guess that would have dispelled the illusion that the Chicagoland Speedway is "right there" in the city.

[Pallas]

8 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

it had to help Brooke and Scott at least a little to not have that extra weight to run with.

Brooke had her baggage and Scott had Brooke.

[alecbaldwin]

I really do think from my perspective that there are instances that Brooke is just "vocal" but would come off as "complaining" to the viewers. As Abba (of James & Abba, S.21) once said "Viewers are at the comfort of their own home with the a/c on sipping cold soda, how about you do the task in immense pressure?"  It's easy for them to comment on this and that but when you are at the challenge yourself, it is not as easy as it looks.

[Bryce Lynch]

9 minutes ago, absolutelyido said:

It would have been more interesting if, say, Brooke & Scott had to list the placement of Tara & Joey in each leg, T & J had to list how LOLO placed, and LOLO had to list how B & S placed. The teams may not have been as prepared for that.

Do the teams even routinely get this information during the race?  This season they seemed to keep them around the mat more and they traveled together a lot.  But in other seasons, I'm not sure the team that came in 1st would know who came 2nd through next to last, and the teams bringing up the rear might not know the order of the teams ahead of them.  

[Fukui San]

The Amazing Race could easily reserve some parking spaces somewhere for the racers to park at.  I think it's a matter of not wanting the racers to drive.

I think the Racers should be assigned drivers who must obey all traffic rules including speed limits.  The Racers need to navigate and instruct the drivers on where to go.

[alecbaldwin]

The bottom line is whichever team manages to come in first on the last leg deserves to win. There are no such thing as "underserving winners".

Edited June 2, 2017 by alecbaldwin

[TAG42481]

I was frustrated by the editing, throughout the season as it turns out.  I feel like we never got to know London/Logan as well as we got to know Brooke/Scott and Tara/Joey.  By the time we were down to the Final Five, I was going to be annoyed if L/L won, not because of them as a team, but because they didn't get any screen time and the editors didn't give us a chance to know who they were.  So when they made the Final Three, I knew they already weren't going to win.  That took suspense out of the episode, even if they did finish third.  People have talked about teams getting a "winner's edit".  L/L definitely got a "non-winner's edit".

[willgracefan]

Word to everything TAG42481 said. I wanted Lolo to win because we really didn't get to know them at all.

[greyhorse]

26 minutes ago, blackwing said:

A cab from the airport to Joliet and them back downtown?  Would have been ridiculously expensive.  I wonder what time of day it was.  They at least could have shown us a shot of the teams stuck in traffic on the way into the city.  But I guess that would have dispelled the illusion that the Chicagoland Speedway is "right there" in the city.

Yes.  I grew up in Chicago and never even knew there was a "Chicagoland" Speedway.  Joliet is not Chicago.  They must have landed early in the morning in Chicago.  That task had to take at least 3.5-4 hours, mainly for driving and traffic.  And then to do all the tasks in the city and still end with it really bright and no setting sun?  There's no other way.  

20 minutes ago, alecbaldwin said:

I really do think from my perspective that there are instances that Brooke is just "vocal" but would come off as "complaining" to the viewers. As Abba (of James & Abba, S.21) once said "Viewers are at the comfort of their own home with the a/c on sipping cold soda, how about you do the task in immense pressure?"  It's easy for them to comment on this and that but when you are at the challenge yourself, it is not as easy as it looks.

So I guess something like walking and running is considered challenging?  Sometimes I wonder if Brooke is being dramatic just for the sake of being dramatic and wanting Scott/anybody to encourage her.  I think at the first clue box this leg, when Scott and Brooke ran to it, and then Scott opens it up and starts reading, something like "Roadblock", she gives this eye roll like "Oh my gosh, I just can't handle another task!"  WTF was she expecting?  That the first clue would say "Go to the pit stop and collect your $1 million"?  I'm sure in post race interviews, she will be asked something like "You are an attorney yet you showed on the race that you don't handle pressure well.  Are you concerned that this will affect how clients might perceive you as their potential representation?"  To which she will give an answer much like Abba.  Boo. 

[twilightzone]

Undeserving winners.  Boring season.  This show has long jump the shark.

[Bryce Lynch]

28 minutes ago, alecbaldwin said:

I really do think from my perspective that there are instances that Brooke is just "vocal" but would come off as "complaining" to the viewers. As Abba (of James & Abba, S.21) once said "Viewers are at the comfort of their own home with the a/c on sipping cold soda, how about you do the task in immense pressure?"  It's easy for them to comment on this and that but when you are at the challenge yourself, it is not as easy as it looks.

I ended up liking Brooke, despite her helplessness earlier in the race and her complaining, whining and negativity throughout most of the race.   But, I saw her as a lot more  than "vocal".  She was constantly yelling, "I caaaaan't do it!" and often berated Scott.  I would call the Twinnies "vocal".  "Come on Twineeeeeee!!!"  Brooke was generally whiney and negative.  

I certainly don't think most of the tasks are "easy", but nearly all the other competitors managed to do them without that level of whining and negativity (Michael being a notable exception).  

I think Scott made Brooke a lot more likable (or at least bearable) by calming her down (somewhat) and using her outbursts for some hilarious snark.  "You do spin class every day!", "She's having twins.".  He took a situation that could have been ugly, and made it seem funny a lot of the time.  

To her credit, Brooke showed a surprising level of competence and was relatively calm and positive during the final 2 legs.  She nailed the cup stacking and did a great job googling the riddles and remembering where they finished and communicating it to Scott.  

25 minutes ago, Fukui San said:

The Amazing Race could easily reserve some parking spaces somewhere for the racers to park at.  I think it's a matter of not wanting the racers to drive.

I think the Racers should be assigned drivers who must obey all traffic rules including speed limits.  The Racers need to navigate and instruct the drivers on where to go.

I thought TPTB did a good job compensating for the lack of driving by:

1) Giving them a driving task.

2) Making them solve riddles to figure out where they had to go.

3) Making the racers do a good deal of navigating on foot.

4) Making many of the clue givers somewhat inconspicuous.  Many didn't have the red and yellow stripes, but were only dressed in red and yellow and they weren't just standing around like they were waiting for someone to ask them for a clue.

It certainly wasn't like some seasons, where whoever gets the best cab driver wins.  

[Rinaldo]

27 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Making many of the clue givers somewhat inconspicuous.  Many didn't have the red and yellow stripes, but were only dressed in red and yellow and they weren't just standing around like they were waiting for someone to ask them for a clue.

Yes! I had been meaning to mention that. That was a rather consistent feature throughout the leg, and I appreciated that level of challenge. (The more astute racers caught on to this and learned to look for such people at later points -- but that in itself is a good example of racing smarts.)

29 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

It certainly wasn't like some seasons, where whoever gets the best cab driver wins.

Or "whoever can FIND a cab wins," with sad memories of Ken & Gerard in Seattle in TAR3.

[TheRabbi]

54 minutes ago, alecbaldwin said:

The bottom line is whichever team manages to come in first on the last leg deserves to win. There are no such thing as "underserving winners".

Except for Eric and Danielle. They will never be deserving.

As the poster above me noted, this finale did a good job of making the outcome based on merit in the final leg, as there have been many seasons that have awarded the winners based on a stellar cab

[aradia22]

I was curious since someone brought up Instagram. Brooke's account is set to private but this is the little bio she wrote for herself.

Quote

Brooke Camhi

 Lawyer by day...Rebel by night...Globetrotter on the side...Hopefully making her way to Broadway. The Amazing Race Season 29

WHAT!?!

[Rinaldo]

I've been meaning to add (especially as I hadn't been a fan in most earlier legs, but fair is fair), I have to give Brooke substantial praise for her handling of the Wrigley Field task. Not only did she stay relatively calm and reveal a poised public-speaking voice (suddenly I can believe in her as an attorney), and remember all their placements correctly... her delivery of the information to Scott was excellent (always aware, unlike some, that it had to be a one-way conversation). She not only told him the needed number, she made it clear where it had to go, and she kept reiterating the city name, giving him a chance to double-check from his own memory (and thus disagree if he needed to, though in fact he didn't). Well done.

[Corgi-ears]

Production's getting sloppy. Camera-and-sound crew members could be seen in shots no fewer than three times this episode. Plus they somehow mis-edited the show to show Brooke winning! I never.

Edited June 2, 2017 by Corgi-ears

[Netfoot]

I knew who was going to win right from the start, when Phil said "And Brooke learned to overcome... everything!"  Funny, but foreshadowing.  

Since I didn't particularly like any remaining team, I am not so upset about who did win.  There was a point when Scott said "The last time the race was here was season X" (or words to that effect -- can't find it on rewatch) and I was mildly impressed that he knew it.  Which was a change, because normally Scott annoys me nearly as much as Brooke.  BTW, her middle name is "Ikant," right?  We got a good example at the race course, with her changing the wheel.  The real surprise is why they had them driving so slowly around the track.  Sabine Schmitz could have beaten them in a van!

That final task was pretty dull, but the one-way communication between racers could have been very troublesome.  Brooke, to my surprised did the challenge almost perfectly, and in a cool and collected manner.  Quelle surprise!

Some of the other racers at the mat looked like they were in pain.  Vanck in particular looked like his smile was the result of an uncomfortable dental appliance provided by Production.  

Not the best season, but the worst season of TAR beats the best season of Survivor or BB, there's that.  And we do get an S30.   So, I guess all is good!

[Pallas]

5 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

 Lawyer by day...Rebel by night...Globetrotter on the side...Hopefully making her way to Broadway. The Amazing Race Season 29

 

5 minutes ago, Rinaldo said:

Not only did she stay relatively calm and reveal a poised public-speaking voice (suddenly I can believe in her as an attorney)

Brooke per her IMDB: 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850669/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

[greyhorse]

2 minutes ago, TheRabbi said:

As the poster above me noted, this finale did a good job of making the outcome based on merit in the final leg, as there have been many seasons that have awarded the winners based on a stellar cab

I would argue though that this race was decided in some part by a cab still.  How did Brooke and Scott get such a head start at the racetrack?  It seemed like they had a sizable lead on Joey and Tara and definitely on LoLo.  The cab ride had to be at least an hour out there, so there should have been plenty of time for the other two teams to catch up if they could get their driver to go faster.

Granted, they still needed to complete all the tasks efficiently, which they did so they deserved to win.  But basically it was all set-up by arriving to the Chicagoland Speedway first.

[aradia22]

Quote

Brooke per her IMDB: 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm8850669/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

I revise my opinion. She should have been better at the gondola singing task.

[Bryce Lynch]

4 minutes ago, Corgi-ears said:

Production's getting sloppy. Camera-and-sound crew members could be seen in shots no fewer than three times this episode. Plus they somehow mis-edited the show to show Brooke winning! I never.

LOL!  Actually, I think they mis-edited Brooke all season to make such a strong, competent and confident Amazing Race Beast,  seem like a whiney, negative crybaby. :)

[CoyoteBlue]

9 minutes ago, Rinaldo said:

I've been meaning to add (especially as I hadn't been a fan in most earlier legs, but fair is fair), I have to give Brooke substantial praise for her handling of the Wrigley Field task. Not only did she stay relatively calm and reveal a poised public-speaking voice (suddenly I can believe in her as an attorney), and remember all their placements correctly... her delivery of the information to Scott was excellent (always aware, unlike some, that it had to be a one-way conversation). She not only told him the needed number, she made it clear where it had to go, and she kept reiterating the city name, giving him a chance to double-check from his own memory (and thus disagree if he needed to, though in fact he didn't). Well done.

She also kept a eye across the street to see if any of the other teams had shown up with their dogs. :)

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

 But at O'Hare, you usually can't just flag a cab to go to the suburbs.  You have to call one of the suburban taxi services.  Some drivers will do it anyways but usually it's not allowed. 

Holy crap, you're right. There's no way they should have been able to pick up a cab from the cab line at O'Hare and go to Joliet. Isn't it actually illegal or something? (I was actually wondering where the "Chicagoland Speedway" was because I only know of the "Joliet speedway" and didn't realize it was the same thing until someone here said something, so maybe that's why I never caught the cab issue.)

[aradia22]

I wasn't paying attention to the cabs but I think I remember the subway car doors having a little red/yellow logo. I wouldn't be surprised if they were looking for "taxis" but it was some pre-arranged car service. I don't know. Things were happening too quickly in this finale. The details got lost.

[fib]

24 minutes ago, greyhorse said:

I would argue though that this race was decided in some part by a cab still.  How did Brooke and Scott get such a head start at the racetrack?  It seemed like they had a sizable lead on Joey and Tara and definitely on LoLo....

Granted, they still needed to complete all the tasks efficiently, which they did so they deserved to win.  But basically it was all set-up by arriving to the Chicagoland Speedway first.

Not really.  I believe they probably got out of the plane faster, through customs and immigration faster, and through the airport faster because they had ditched their bags by checking (or gate checking) them.  Which was a smart maneuver that paid off for them the rest of the leg.  

Plus, Tara and Joey had caught up at the start of the post card task.  They were seen in the subway in the same shot as Brooke and Scott when Tara and Joey were looking for the construction worker and Brooke and Scott were researching the riddles. They were just really efficient from that point on (and a luttle lucky), but they raced well from that point on. 

Im not happy Brooke won, but they did complete a tough leg intelligently, and for that I give them props. 

Edited June 2, 2017 by fib
More complements ;-)

[backformore]

3 hours ago, TheRabbi said:

I wonder if CBS aired this season so late, with the finale in the summer tv season, because they figured Brooke and scott might be the least popular winners ever. Wouldn't surprise me. I'm kind of ambivalent towards them. Scott seems excited about the show and a decent guy. 

They could easily have edited OUT the screeching and whining, and made Brooke more likeable.  I'm sure that all teams have positive and negative interactions, and we only get to see a small percentage, what the producers think will make good TV. 

I think the concept of strangers as partners is interesting.  I'd like if they could do it completely randomly, if they did it again.  But I prefer seasons where the partners know each other.  I like seeing the relationships play out as they tackle being on TAR.

[proserpina65]

UGH!  Not the worst winners ever, because Kendra exists, but definitely down there with Flo.

[Edgehopper]

FYI, for the story writer--the Wrigley Rooftops are a real thing. The owners of the buildings next to the park figured out that they could build tall enough to see into the stadium, put bleachers on the roof, and sell tickets. They usually also add other perks like all-you-can-eat food and drinks, and keep the game on a big screen on lower floors as well. There was a big fight a few years ago when the big scoreboard you saw was installed, with rooftop owners claiming it would ruin their business by blocking the view :)

[proserpina65]

That said, I actually liked the concept of this season and thought that it worked for the most part.  I enjoyed this season quite a bit.  I don't need the built-in drama of pre-existing relationships because the interpersonal drama is not why I watch AR.

[Bryce Lynch]

6 minutes ago, backformore said:

They could easily have edited OUT the screeching and whining, and made Brooke more likeable.  I'm sure that all teams have positive and negative interactions, and we only get to see a small percentage, what the producers think will make good TV. 

I think the concept of strangers as partners is interesting.  I'd like if they could do it completely randomly, if they did it again.  But I prefer seasons where the partners know each other.  I like seeing the relationships play out as they tackle being on TAR.

If they edited out all of Brooke's screeching and whining, when the finale came on viewers would be asking, "Scott and Brooke? Who are these people and when did they enter the race?" :)

[MyAimIsTrue]

4 hours ago, xcrayon2215x said:

it was pretty funny when Joey said Go Red Sox and the Cubs fans booed.

I loved that moment.  Back in 2003 before both the Red Sox and Cubs had spectacular collapses in their respective league championship series' I was so hopeful the two would meet in the World Series.

[blackwing]

3 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

UGH!  Not the worst winners ever, because Kendra exists, but definitely down there with Flo.

I agree that Brooke was generally unpleasant throughout the season, but in terms of unpleasantness she's far from being my least favourite.  Brooke was whiny but I would take her any day over the humourless, ultracompetitive and often nasty people like Justin and Diana, that dentist from a few seasons ago who was on steroids and his plastic wife, Millie the Mole, Cindy.  I think Brooke is better than Flo.  Flo threatened to quit many times, and I still remember the scene of her sitting down and throwing her bike helmet.  Brooke whined but always carried on.  Some here are saying that if nobody helped her with the ladle then they would have been eliminated, but that's on those other teams, not her.  She asked for help, they gave it.

Some here called them "undeserving".  In terms of deserving, I do think they deserved the win.  Scott was great throughout the race and he really carried the team.  Which is no different than early seasons of the Race when the male half of the team did almost all the roadblocks (culminating in the 50/50 rule after TAR 5 and the useless trio of Kim, ChrASStie, and "shave our heads, no way, Brandon's hair is his life" Nicole).  For me, the least deserving winners ever would be the Beekman Boys.  For over half the race, they were either last in a nonelimination leg or second-to-last and barely surviving.  And of course, there was the one leg where they were so incompetent at the task that the place closed.  That should have been grounds for instant elimination right there.  They only got saved because Long Hair had lost their passports.

[Hpmec]

There should be a rule. Any racer whining "I can't" during a task should incur an automatic 30 minute penalty to be served at the mat. That would have eliminated Brooke early on and we would have been spared her nails on the chalkboard presence. Sorry Scott. He deserved better and he definitely deserved the bulk of the prize just for enduring her excrutiatingly annoying season ruining self. She and Flo must be related -- both carriers of a dominant pain in the ass gene.

 The final leg sucked. Throwing hot dogs? Come on. I'm with the poster who suggested eating multiple hot dogs after preparing them to a specification. That would have made quick work of Brooke. "I can't! I hate mustard. Waaaaaaa!" 

Someone should have let LoLo know they were racing for a million dollars. They really had no business in the final 3. Too bad "the boys" screwed up. They would have made the final competitive. 

If the 30th season is the last, I hope the producers go back to classic TAR with teams composed of friends, couples, sisters, brothers, parents and children with the added caveat that they be pre-screened for positive can-do attitudes in the spirit of Team Cha Cha or the Cowboys. No more gimmicks, please! 

Edited June 2, 2017 by Hpmec

[blackwing]

I'd like to understand how it is that Tara and Joey ended up at the Chicago Temple.  That seemed to lose the race for them.  Did they see the spire and just assume that was it?  Did someone direct them to it?  I don't think we saw how they got there.  We see Brooke borrowing a phone and confirming all the answers.  We don't see Tara and Joey googling.  I have to believe they asked someone and someone told them about it.  Joey seemed fixated on "Gothic spire" and maybe someone suggested that.  I have a hard time believing that anyone from Chicago would hear "spire" and "fire" and not think of the Water Tower.

I agree that it is less interesting watching teams solve puzzles via google.  I think one simple solution would be that there should be a restriction that you can ask people for help, but you cannot use a phone or have someone else use their phone to find the answer.  Otherwise there is a penalty of 30 minutes.  It's not hard at all to enforce.  The camera and sound guys will notify Phil if teams violated a rule (non-participating team member helping during a Roadblock, taking a cab instead of walking, etc).  So all they would need to do is add "using the internet on a phone" to the list of infractions.   Teams often ask to borrow phones to call someone for directions or instructions.  But they aren't allowed to call anyone they know.  This seems to be policed well enough, so I don't see why using the internet can't be policed as well.

As it was, Brooke and Scott were the only team seen borrowing a phone and googling.  So I guess it was a good strategy for them, it won them the race.  The others just asked random people on the street.  It would have been interesting if teams were restricted from asking strangers on the street and forced to find a place like a hotel concierge or tourist information booth to find the answers they needed.

[backformore]

36 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

If they edited out all of Brooke's screeching and whining, when the finale came on viewers would be asking, "Scott and Brooke? Who are these people and when did they enter the race?" :)

True enough.  I guess they would have had to mute her voice, or play music when her mouth was open.   

10 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I agree that it is less interesting watching teams solve puzzles via google.  I think one simple solution would be that there should be a restriction that you can ask people for help, but you cannot use a phone or have someone else use their phone to find the answer.  Otherwise there is a penalty of 30 minutes.  It's not hard at all to enforce.  The camera and sound guys will notify Phil if teams violated a rule (non-participating team member helping during a Roadblock, taking a cab instead of walking, etc).  So all they would need to do is add "using the internet on a phone" to the list of infractions

This would be an excellent idea.  Especially since a lot of people who live in Chicago have a general notion of where those places are, but most would not be able to give precise directions. 

I enjoyed the earlier seasons, before everyone had smartphones. 

[chitowngirl]

Could someone explain the checking or gate checking of the bags? I don't travel by plane much. I know how to check bags, but can you just not claim them?

Edited June 2, 2017 by chitowngirl

[greyhorse]

4 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

I'm afraid that's just a fact that has to be lived with. Being polite and pleasant enough to persuade a total stranger to share their phone is a skill of sorts, I suppose. (Though the omnipresent CBS camera must help.) Finding an internet cafe (are those still a thing?) or a tour book just adds more time to the process of determining the locations, with no added value, so I don't see the benefit.

 

1 hour ago, aradia22 said:

I wasn't paying attention to the cabs but I think I remember the subway car doors having a little red/yellow logo. I wouldn't be surprised if they were looking for "taxis" but it was some pre-arranged car service. I don't know. Things were happening too quickly in this finale. The details got lost.

I thought I saw a subway door open with a red and yellow logo too, but I think it was probably just a "warning" or something of the sort sticker on the door, nothing race related.  We did see in that same shot that LoLo each had a small red/yellow TAR identification tag on their backpacks.

39 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I'd like to understand how it is that Tara and Joey ended up at the Chicago Temple.  That seemed to lose the race for them.  Did they see the spire and just assume that was it?  Did someone direct them to it?  I don't think we saw how they got there.  We see Brooke borrowing a phone and confirming all the answers.  We don't see Tara and Joey googling.  I have to believe they asked someone and someone told them about it.  Joey seemed fixated on "Gothic spire" and maybe someone suggested that.  I have a hard time believing that anyone from Chicago would hear "spire" and "fire" and not think of the Water Tower.

I agree that it is less interesting watching teams solve puzzles via google.  I think one simple solution would be that there should be a restriction that you can ask people for help, but you cannot use a phone or have someone else use their phone to find the answer.  Otherwise there is a penalty of 30 minutes.  It's not hard at all to enforce.  The camera and sound guys will notify Phil if teams violated a rule (non-participating team member helping during a Roadblock, taking a cab instead of walking, etc).  So all they would need to do is add "using the internet on a phone" to the list of infractions.   Teams often ask to borrow phones to call someone for directions or instructions.  But they aren't allowed to call anyone they know.  This seems to be policed well enough, so I don't see why using the internet can't be policed as well.

As it was, Brooke and Scott were the only team seen borrowing a phone and googling.  So I guess it was a good strategy for them, it won them the race.  The others just asked random people on the street.  It would have been interesting if teams were restricted from asking strangers on the street and forced to find a place like a hotel concierge or tourist information booth to find the answers they needed.

Yes.  Who would direct them to the Chicago Temple?  What Chicagoan even knows of the Temple?  There is so much architecture in the great city, but there are landmarks that any local should know, the Water Tower being one of them.  I do think that Googling on cell phones has destroyed any suspense.  The poster up above thinks that funneling racers into a tourism booth or an internet café would just essentially be the same thing, but I disagree.

I suppose that is the way of technology.  iPhones and smartphones are so ubiquitous now.  Wasn't the case when TAR debuted.  Remember when one of the smart strategies was to buy a guidebook of the place that you'll be visiting?  Not as important any more, but I think I would still have done for the final leg.  It's a long flight from Korea and rather than spending all your time in the lie flat Prestige seating, they could have been studying about Chicago.

I agree that ditching the backpacks was probably one of the keys of the race.  Probably made customs faster.  I wonder also if you have Global Entry if you are allowed to use that on the race?  That would certainly speed up customs.  But that seems like an unfair advantage.

[blackwing]

2 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

Could someone explain the checking or gate checking of the bags? I don't travel by plane much.

If you check your bags at the ticket counter, your bags will go to the baggage claim.  On an international flight you would have to retrieve your bags from baggage claim and then go through customs and potentially have them select your bag for further screening.  Thus delaying you.  Almost always on the TAR final leg, all teams just ditch their bags.  Whether they just leave them in baggage claim or just give them up and not care, I don't know.

Apparently none of the teams this time checked their bags at the ticket counter.  They all apparently carried on their bags.  Scott said that he purposely waited to be last of the three teams to board, and then they gate checked their bags.  What this means is that he tells the agent at the gate that he wants to have them check his bags after all.  You leave the bags at the end of the gangway just before you step onto the plane.  The bags still make it onto the plane.

But in doing so, this was a smart move.  Scott expressed surprise that none of the other teams thought to check their bags.  Without bags, except for two small hand bags, they probably got through customs more quickly.  But more importantly, they weren't saddled with heavy packs as they ran around the city.

[chitowngirl]

Did the clue specifically say the Monroe stop on the Red Line? Because there is a Monroe stop on the Blue Line a block away and they are connected by a tunnel. That could have been fun to figure out!

[ByaNose]

I wonder if there is rule of dumping your backpack once off the plane in the states. When the teams saw Brooke and Scott without their backpacks could they have "lost" them in the taxi? Could they have dumped them in the trash?

[iMonrey]

I for one found the episode particularly suspenseful because I was rooting against Tara and Joey and it became clear fairly early on the only team that had a chance of doing that was Scott and Brooke. So I spent the whole hour on the edge of my seat waiting for them to screw up somewhere and I was thrilled they managed to stay ahead of the pack.

Scott deserves a million dollars for putting up with Brooke. Am I thrilled Brooke gets half of that money? No. She did pull her own weight in this final leg though. She's annoying as hell but not totally useless. I'm just glad Joey and Tara lost.

Quote

 it was legitimately hard to cover so much ground at a jog, the way Scott was). The two of them were smart to work out their route on a map in advance, and to take the subway to the furthest point (as they'd already paid to enter the station).

That's where they won, right there. Neither of the other two teams nailed that part of the leg like Brooke and Scott. I actually felt like this final leg was pretty "old school" with the riddles instead of just "go here." The teams searching for the landmarks - and the editing - made it look easier than it was, but obviously only one team managed to do it without screwing up.

I'd be interested to know how far behind Tara and Joey were in the Scoreboard task, because editing made it look like they finished it quickly, but for all we know it took them a few tries to get it right. And who knows if Team LoLo even finished the damn thing or whether the producers just told them to proceed to the finish mat once Brooke and Scott won.

Overall? Not a great season, but I'm satisfied with the ending.

[meep.meep]

5 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

I wonder if there is rule of dumping your backpack once off the plane in the states. When the teams saw Brooke and Scott without their backpacks could they have "lost" them in the taxi? Could they have dumped them in the trash?

Definitely!  They just need what they need to check in at the pitstop and that's usually the stuff in the fanny pack.

Sometimes racers have been allowed to bring the backpacks on board as carryons, and they've just been left in the overhead compartments.

I wasn't really rooting for anyone here, but you could clearly see Scott and Brooke being edited like Zach and Flo, so not surprised they won.

[HawaiiTVGuy]

13 hours ago, piequinn35 said:

Boo! Yuck! Puke! :))

See you at TAR Canada forum on July 4th!

Is there any way for an American in the middle of the Pacific be able to watch?

[aradia22]

Quote

As it was, Brooke and Scott were the only team seen borrowing a phone and googling.  So I guess it was a good strategy for them, it won them the race.  The others just asked random people on the street.  It would have been interesting if teams were restricted from asking strangers on the street and forced to find a place like a hotel concierge or tourist information booth to find the answers they needed.

Again, it was too quick and chaotic but to be fair... Brooke and Scott were also asking people for directions. I remember Brooke pestering a guy as he was walking down the street. Lolo got a map from some kind of tourist booth. And I forget what Tara and Joey did. But it's possible there were more phones in play than we saw and the others just didn't use that information as effectively or they were so single-minded in their goals that they didn't stop to race smart instead of just running around. 

[HawaiiTVGuy]

12 hours ago, GaT said:

Friggin' Brooke won, the entire season is ruined for me.

So why could Logan yell “drop the gun, drop the gun!” to London, but Becca couldn’t tell Floyd when he dropped the traps? 

I actually think that Joey said that to London.  

 

6 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

 

I'm afraid that's just a fact that has to be lived with. Being polite and pleasant enough to persuade a total stranger to share their phone is a skill of sorts, I suppose. (Though the omnipresent CBS camera must help.) Finding an internet cafe (are those still a thing?) or a tour book just adds more time to the process of determining the locations, with no added value, so I don't see the benefit.

I agree, I almost wish they would ban the contestants from asking strangers or using phones.  Can you believe that when TAR first started, using phones to help was not actually possible?  Wonder if the producers need to update the rules with the increasing technology advances (along with unlimited data plans, I doubt anyone is going to let people use their phones if they still had to pay $2/MB or whatever).  It would be more fun trying to find and use actual maps (like Logan and London did) and then have to find another resource area if they needed it, like a library or something.  But I guess things would just get too complicated.  Oh well, I will just have to admit there is no way for a perfectly designed show, and I am sure the producers look at all the angles to try to create the most entertaining product possible.

Edited June 2, 2017 by HawaiiTVGuy

[greyhorse]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

If you check your bags at the ticket counter, your bags will go to the baggage claim.  On an international flight you would have to retrieve your bags from baggage claim and then go through customs and potentially have them select your bag for further screening.  Thus delaying you.  Almost always on the TAR final leg, all teams just ditch their bags.  Whether they just leave them in baggage claim or just give them up and not care, I don't know.

Apparently none of the teams this time checked their bags at the ticket counter.  They all apparently carried on their bags.  Scott said that he purposely waited to be last of the three teams to board, and then they gate checked their bags.  What this means is that he tells the agent at the gate that he wants to have them check his bags after all.  You leave the bags at the end of the gangway just before you step onto the plane.  The bags still make it onto the plane.

But in doing so, this was a smart move.  Scott expressed surprise that none of the other teams thought to check their bags.  Without bags, except for two small hand bags, they probably got through customs more quickly.  But more importantly, they weren't saddled with heavy packs as they ran around the city.

I kept hearing them say gate checked, so I guess that's what they really did and not check them at the counter on arrival.  Smart move.  So that means essentially their bags were waiting in the gangway and they never got claimed.  I suppose that airport personnel would then just bring them to baggage claim.  I'm not sure how that gets handled from a customs perspective.  Do they even know that you're supposed to have luggage with you?  I suppose not, so they would just breeze through customs inspection.

1 hour ago, ByaNose said:

I wonder if there is rule of dumping your backpack once off the plane in the states. When the teams saw Brooke and Scott without their backpacks could they have "lost" them in the taxi? Could they have dumped them in the trash?

Definitely can.  I do recall at least one season where the team was shown getting rid of stuff, or making arrangements to have it delivered to them later.  Once the other teams saw how unencumbered Brooke and Scott were without the heavy bags, they should have left them.  Heck, even leave them all the way out at the Joliet Speedway.  I'm sure you could always make arrangements to get them back from there.  It did get me wondering all last night watching why a team would keep their bags.  What is so important in the bag that you can't do without, especially when you are talking about winning $500K?  You've got some clothes.  Your toiletries.  It's not as if you have your laptop, camera, or cellphone.  The clothes and pack are easily replaceable.  Maybe it is full of souvenirs like Logan's colorful straw hat.  A terrible mistake by the other two teams which surely cost them some time.  Kudos to Scott for that game changing move.

[HawaiiTVGuy]

1 minute ago, greyhorse said:

I kept hearing them say gate checked, so I guess that's what they really did and not check them at the counter on arrival.  Smart move.  So that means essentially their bags were waiting in the gangway and they never got claimed.  I suppose that airport personnel would then just bring them to baggage claim.  I'm not sure how that gets handled from a customs perspective.  Do they even know that you're supposed to have luggage with you?  I suppose not, so they would just breeze through customs inspection.

Definitely can.  I do recall at least one season where the team was shown getting rid of stuff, or making arrangements to have it delivered to them later.  Once the other teams saw how unencumbered Brooke and Scott were without the heavy bags, they should have left them.  Heck, even leave them all the way out at the Joliet Speedway.  I'm sure you could always make arrangements to get them back from there.  It did get me wondering all last night watching why a team would keep their bags.  What is so important in the bag that you can't do without, especially when you are talking about winning $500K?  You've got some clothes.  Your toiletries.  It's not as if you have your laptop, camera, or cellphone.  The clothes and pack are easily replaceable.  Maybe it is full of souvenirs like Logan's colorful straw hat.  A terrible mistake by the other two teams which surely cost them some time.  Kudos to Scott for that game changing move.

Not to mention the clothes are probably pretty rank.  There really is nothing in those packs that would be remotely valuable or of interest to any thief.

[basiltherat]

.  .  . makes me think of the disposable paper panties that Teri carried!

But if they did away with asking people, could we have any Ferns anymore?

I'm sure a lot has changed in TAR since the beginning -- from technology to terrorism -- to change the way things are done.

[fib]

1 hour ago, ByaNose said:

I wonder if there is rule of dumping your backpack once off the plane in the states. When the teams saw Brooke and Scott without their backpacks could they have "lost" them in the taxi? Could they have dumped them in the trash?

I doubt there is a rule about it, but the key is that if fail to claim your bag at the airport, the airline will keep it for you and you can claim it with you baggage ticket stub after the race.  If you ditch it in cab, chances are it's gone for good. 

8 minutes ago, greyhorse said:

I kept hearing them say gate checked, so I guess that's what they really did and not check them at the counter on arrival.  Smart move.  So that means essentially their bags were waiting in the gangway and they never got claimed.  I suppose that airport personnel would then just bring them to baggage claim. 

No, when you gate check, your bag goes to the hold and gets claimed at baggage check.  The only items brought to the gangway are strollers, wheelchairs, etc.  Your bag gets the same kind of tag it would get if you went through a normal process.  (Side note: this is not true on the little tiny regional jets with limited space in the overhead bins where no one can carry on a normal size bag.  In these situations, the bags are brought to the exitting passsengers as they exit the plane.  This isn't 'gate checking' though, which is available on all planes, especially now that baggage fees mean no one wants to stow luggage so they often run out of room on the plane for bags).