S06.E08: The Zombies Are Honing In On Us

[Guest]

Quote

Teams head east to P.E.I. where physical and emotional demands of the race begin to take their toll.

[aemom]

I don't think that we've ever had a season of TAR Canada where a team didn't take a penalty.

I felt bad for the cheerleader, but I don't know, I might have tried to just go back out, sit and try to compose myself, and try again before bailing first shot?  I'm not claustrophobic but that bug challenge from last season would have been on the same level of horrible for me and I would have tried it longer than that.

PEI is gorgeous and it's been MANY years since I've been there and to Stanhope beach.  I should try to get back there someday.

[Pepper the Cat]

Well crap. I really liked the cheerleaders and am totally bummed to see them go.

The food at the restaurant task sounded amazing!! I want to eat there. 

[Rachel RSL]

Oh man, I’m trying so hard (and failing miserably) not to be judgmental right now because I know everybody has their own fears, but come on! It looked like running through that course only took a couple minutes.  Can you imagine losing The Amazing Race because your partner wouldn’t wear a mask for a couple minutes?!

I’m sad that nobody did the goat task. Mainly because: goats! But also, I always feel so bad when nobody goes to one side of the Detour. Those people were probably all so excited and then nobody showed up. ?

[solarfire]

I was wondering if she just couldn't do the task without the helmet, since that was the main thing freaking her out.  Maybe they would have only been penalized a half hour.  In any case, I'm bummed that they are out but really disappointed that they quit.  Good luck to them, though, they seem like a cute couple.

[SnideAsides]

PEI: You'll Wish You Were Dead!

Another pretty underwhelming episode from a season that's been very lacklustre. Like the Gino/Jesse season was BAD bad, but at least there it felt like the producers were trying. This time around the producers have just been coasting. It's a wonder we didn't get yet another dancing task but maybe they just couldn't think of a way to justify one in PEI.

Next week looks almost fun, but I'm not holding my breath at this point.

[lizzie3]

I truly feel badly for Leanne and Mar to be eliminated because of anxiety/breathing issues.  I've had breathing issues my entire life and I know how scary it can be, and how sometimes seemingly random things can trigger it.  In my opinion they were the stronger team in comparison to Dylan and Kwame, and deserved to stick around for another week.  But I guess that's just how the Race goes sometimes...

I enjoyed the leg in PEI (one of my favourite places in the country); planting the potatoes was just classic.  Such a shame that nobody tried the goat challenge; I was hoping there would be a U-turn so that at least one team would be forced to do it.  The zombie thing was pretty random, and not at all what I would have expected here!  It was lovely that they ended up on Cavendish beach, which is truly stunning. 

[cheewhiz]

I was so hoping Dylan & Kwame would be the ones to go this week, I'm having a hard time cheering for them. They just bug. So long cheerleaders, they were a great team who really had a shot at winning this race. Martina is my absolute favourite (love Phil too!) and hope they go to the end.

[Taeolas]

11 hours ago, solarfire said:

I was wondering if she just couldn't do the task without the helmet, since that was the main thing freaking her out.  Maybe they would have only been penalized a half hour.  In any case, I'm bummed that they are out but really disappointed that they quit.  Good luck to them, though, they seem like a cute couple.

Oh hell no. I don't play paintball, but I've been a fan of The Whiteboard for a long time, and one of the biggest rules of paintball is you do NOT take your helmet off while on the course. (Can't find it in action but here's the rule outlined. It's a good thing they were a private event on a small course (and no other teams IIRC), because as soon as she took it off, they probably stopped everything.  (I'm doing an archive binge looking for one of the many instances where someone takes their mask off on the field and gets 'corrected', but I can't find any handily. )

 

As for the rest of the ep, I too am disappointed they didn't do the goats, but that tends to happen as the field shrinks. Overall I didn't mind the challenges; the word scrambles were surprisingly difficult, (especially wiht fatigue factored in) and the food looked fantastic. 

Edited August 22, 2018 by Taeolas

[raidergirl3]

I’m guessing no one did the goats because of its location. The potato task was closer  from the food challenge. The extra navigation (probably about 10-15 minutes) would have been a worry. From Graham’s Road the teams would drive by potatoes  on way to goats. And the potato task was ultimately closer to Cavendish Beach pit stop. 

It also probably looked much further on the map!

[EverettO]

18 minutes ago, raidergirl3 said:

I’m guessing no one did the goats because of its location. The potato task was closer  from the food challenge. The extra navigation (probably about 10-15 minutes) would have been a worry. From Graham’s Road the teams would drive by potatoes  on way to goats. And the potato task was ultimately closer to Cavendish Beach pit stop. 

It also probably looked much further on the map!

I figured no one wanted to milk a goat. I think milking animals is tough. 

Yes, sad to see Leanne and Mar go. I would be fine if they made it the finals, but I wouldn't have been satisfied with their win. Mar really carried the team. For being a cheerleader, it was surprising how poor a dancer Leanne was. I guess having a pretty face is enough. 

Hoping for a Martina and Phil, Courtney and Taylor, and Nancy and Melissa final. 

[solarfire]

Ok thanks for the paintball info, I've never done it so I didn't know.  

Also, regarding the speed bump.  I was so hoping they would make them cut their hair, maybe not shaved off like Uchenna and Joyce but at least a short hair cut.  It grows back!  As it was, for a good cause but a lame extra "task".

[TVbitch]

Potato farmer did not understand the mechanics of the single arm bro hug.

It's one thing to get short of breath and not know what is going on and freak out, but Leanne clearly knew she was having a panic attack. Okay, so you know you are not really dying or anything, just take a moment to calm down and get your breathing under control and move forward. She kind of worked herself up and when Mar gave her an easy "do you want to take a penalty, I'm not mad at you" out, she took it. 

[aemom]

1 hour ago, solarfire said:

Ok thanks for the paintball info, I've never done it so I didn't know.  

Also, regarding the speed bump.  I was so hoping they would make them cut their hair, maybe not shaved off like Uchenna and Joyce but at least a short hair cut.  It grows back!  As it was, for a good cause but a lame extra "task".

Usually they do extreme tasks like that (head shaving, tattooing, blood drinking) for Fast Forwards.

With the hair cutting for wigs, my understanding is that the hair must be a certain length in order for it to be useful to make a wig with, so if they had cut Nancy and Mellisa's hair, they wouldn't have been able to actually use anything they cut - so kind of a waste.

I think that this Speed Bump was simply to bring attention to the charity, and I don't really have a problem with that.  Speed Bumps usually slow the team down for about 15 minutes, so that seems about right time wise.

Edited August 22, 2018 by AEMom
Clarification

[UsernameFatigue]

3 hours ago, raidergirl3 said:

I’m guessing no one did the goats because of its location. The potato task was closer  from the food challenge. The extra navigation (probably about 10-15 minutes) would have been a worry. From Graham’s Road the teams would drive by potatoes  on way to goats. And the potato task was ultimately closer to Cavendish Beach pit stop. 

It also probably looked much further on the map!

But how would the teams know this by opening the envelope? Doesn't it just give them a choice of two challenges without any other details? The teams immediately say which challenge they want to do, and then presumably look on the map to see where they are going? Or are you saying that the scene is edited and the teams actually have time to look at a map before deciding, all of which is edited out? 

I haven't watched the American version for years, but have watched all but one season of the Canadian version. Serious question here. Would the producers not take into account a difference in travel time to and from a task and make that task shorter in order to make the two challenges relatively equal in length of time in total for travelling and completing any given task? 

I am glad no one did the goat task (though feel sorry for the people who were there expecting someone to show up) as I hate it when animals are used. I don't think the goats should have been subjected to inexperienced (assuming most would be) people trying to milk them, not to mention quickly, because TARC thinks it is entertaining. I feel that way about most animal related challenges. 

I heard an interview this morning with Leanne and Mar, and they said that they both have anxiety issues. Mar said that she too was panicking, but in instances where they are both panicking one manages to tamp theirs down to support the other. It is really amazing that they got that far without encountering a task that would bring on their anxiety to the point they would not be able to compete a task. (Without going over in my mind instances where that may have happened). As someone who has claustrophobia, I can sympathize. There are situations/days where I can talk myself out of panicking, other times not. I could never go on TARC because with claustrophobia and a fear of heights, I don't think I would get too far. Kudos to them both for getting as far as they did. 

[raidergirl3]

30 minutes ago, UsernameFatigue said:

But how would the teams know this by opening the envelope? Doesn't it just give them a choice of two challenges without any other details? The teams immediately say which challenge they want to do, and then presumably look on the map to see where they are going? Or are you saying that the scene is edited and the teams actually have time to look at a map before deciding, all of which is edited out? 

I haven't watched the American version for years, but have watched all but one season of the Canadian version. Serious question here. Would the producers not take into account a difference in travel time to and from a task and make that task shorter in order to make the two challenges relatively equal in length of time in total for travelling and completing any given task? 

I was just guessing! I don't think they see a map, or edit stuff out. I do think even if a team picked the goats, since they would have had to drive by the potato task, and they would have just pulled in, as they are allowed to change tasks, and they aren't bound by their original decision.

I agree on your second point - the difference in the two tasks is accounted for. The goats task looked faster, and was a little further away. It's just once they were at the potato, the risk of finding the soap task would have been that - a risk of time to find it. And since PEI is small, looking on the map once they were headed there, would have looked significantly farther. 

[aemom]

59 minutes ago, raidergirl3 said:

I agree on your second point - the difference in the two tasks is accounted for.

Not necessarily.  I have seen many detours over the years where one side of the Detour was very lopsided time-wise.

[Taeolas]

3 hours ago, AEMom said:

Not necessarily.  I have seen many detours over the years where one side of the Detour was very lopsided time-wise.

It happens, but it's rare. Both tasks should take about the same time just to be fair, after accounting for travel time. Of course, some teams don't read the clue properly, or they miss the obvious elements and make things more difficult than intended. Or one is a dance task and they have two left feet. But in general the tasks should always take about the same time.

[SnideAsides]

Yeah I think the show's really lost something by not mentioning distances to the Detour tasks in recent years. Makes it much harder to hide a lopsided pairing.

[EllaDisco]

On 8/21/2018 at 7:15 PM, Pepper the Cat said:

Well crap. I really liked the cheerleaders and am totally bummed to see them go.

The food at the restaurant task sounded amazing!! I want to eat there. 

Well, you know the address if you want to go sometime!

[EllaDisco]

On 8/22/2018 at 1:06 PM, UsernameFatigue said:

 

I heard an interview this morning with Leanne and Mar, and they said that they both have anxiety issues. Mar said that she too was panicking, but in instances where they are both panicking one manages to tamp theirs down to support the other. It is really amazing that they got that far without encountering a task that would bring on their anxiety to the point they would not be able to compete a task. (Without going over in my mind instances where that may have happened). As someone who has claustrophobia, I can sympathize. There are situations/days where I can talk myself out of panicking, other times not. I could never go on TARC because with claustrophobia and a fear of heights, I don't think I would get too far. Kudos to them both for getting as far as they did. 

It's a good thing there were so many dance tasks then!  I thought they were a strong team, but if they had such serious issues with claustrophobia and other things, they might not have done as well in past years where the tasks were tough.

As for the detour, sometimes they are lopsided, but there are other factors.  One might take longer but the other one is much more difficult.  If you can do the hard one fast, you get a jump on the competition.  I think in this one, teams probably felt the potato one was more straightforward and they weren't relying on animals.  Plus scent / taste ones in previous seasons have turned out to be really tough if you mess up, so that could have steered them away from that challenge too.

[derriere]

I've been rooting for the cheerleaders all season but by the end I was glad they were eliminated and that Dylan and Kwame were able to continue. They are by FAR the more deserving team.

 

I'm sorry, but that was very nearly as pathetic as that lady on the American version who balked at a water slide. It's the Amazing Race, folks, you're there to confront and push through your fears.

[Rachel RSL]

That waterslide was freaking terrifying! I can see why someone might be scared of that (especially when your douchebag boyfriend tries to physically drag you on to the slide). But wearing a mask for a couple minutes? Scary if you’re claustrophobic I guess but not even in the same realm as going down a waterslide that is taller than most buildings. Of course, that’s the main reason I’m a loyal viewer but could never be a Racer. I’d be way too afraid to do so many tasks. Anything height-related and I’d be out for sure! That’s why I would never take up a spot on the Race.

[piequinn35]

On ‎2018‎-‎08‎-‎21 at 6:37 PM, Rachel RSL said:

Oh man, I’m trying so hard (and failing miserably) not to be judgmental right now because I know everybody has their own fears, but come on! It looked like running through that course only took a couple minutes.  Can you imagine losing The Amazing Race because your partner wouldn’t wear a mask for a couple minutes?!

I’m sad that nobody did the goat task. Mainly because: goats! But also, I always feel so bad when nobody goes to one side of the Detour. Those people were probably all so excited and then nobody showed up. ?

Yes, I am not sorry to see the cheerleaders go, pls tell me again why they are heroes? 

[SomeTameGazelle]

5 hours ago, piequinn35 said:

Yes, I am not sorry to see the cheerleaders go, pls tell me again why they are heroes? 

They are heroes not because they are cheerleaders but because they do some kind of anti-bullying outreach with schoolchildren.

[EllaDisco]

1 hour ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

They are heroes not because they are cheerleaders but because they do some kind of anti-bullying outreach with schoolchildren.

They were also going to donate (part?) of their winnings to anti-bullying initiatives.  I kind of rolled my eyes at first too, but they seemed like decent people and I blame the show for the concept, not the participants.

[Fake Jan Brady]

On 23/08/2018 at 3:02 AM, TVbitch said:

Potato farmer did not understand the mechanics of the single arm bro hug.

Poor old stoic farmer probably never had that many hugs in his lifetime. 

Still cheering hard for both sibling teams; love the competence of Taylor & Courtney and the enthusiasm of Martina & Phil. 

[egnever]

21 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

That waterslide was freaking terrifying! I can see why someone might be scared of that (especially when your douchebag boyfriend tries to physically drag you on to the slide). But wearing a mask for a couple minutes? Scary if you’re claustrophobic I guess but not even in the same realm as going down a waterslide that is taller than most buildings. Of course, that’s the main reason I’m a loyal viewer but could never be a Racer. I’d be way too afraid to do so many tasks. Anything height-related and I’d be out for sure! That’s why I would never take up a spot on the Race.

I don't see how the waterslide was terrifying, but then again I don't have a fear of heights. At worst, you commit to it, tuck your arms in, and within a few seconds you're safely dumped in the water. It's a ride that's designed for common use and there's minimal risk if you use it properly.

Trying to dissect and compare phobias from the perspective of someone who doesn't have it is kind of silly. You have a fear of heights so you think the waterslide task was scary. Someone without the same fear may find being paralyzed at the top a completely ridiculous way to lose a leg. A phobia is irrational by definition. It's really dismissive to try to say that someone's irrational fear is "not in the same realm" as someone else's irrational fear.

I'm more wondering why they decided to take a 2 hour penalty instead of switching to the goat detour.

Edited August 25, 2018 by egnever

[SomeTameGazelle]

3 hours ago, egnever said:

 

I'm more wondering why they decided to take a 2 hour penalty instead of switching to the goat detour.

The zombie paintball wasn't part of the detour. The detour was goats vs potatoes and everyone chose potatoes.

[Rachel RSL]

5 hours ago, egnever said:

Trying to dissect and compare phobias from the perspective of someone who doesn't have it is kind of silly. 

Yeah, that’s basically what I said in my first post. As for my 2nd post, I was discussing why either of those tasks might be scary for someone without those phobias. I even specifically said that the mask would be scary if you’re claustrophobic. But for those who don’t have those phobias, wearing a mask isn’t in the same realm as going down a waterslide that is taller than most buildings. People do die on attractions like that sometimes. As far as I know, people don’t usually die from wearing a mask. So for the average person, no, they’re not even close to being in the same realm.

[EllaDisco]

Okay, I need to know.  Where is this waterslide that's taller  than most buildings?!?  I must have missed that show!

[egnever]

11 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

People do die on attractions like that sometimes. As far as I know, people don’t usually die from wearing a mask. So for the average person, no, they’re not even close to being in the same realm.

Not particularly. The statement is literally true, but it neglects the fact that people die in general. People die walking down the sidewalk. Considering the usage rates on waterslides in general, the number of waterslide-related deaths is so minuscule that it's usually negligible. Statistically it's more dangerous to drive your car. By comparison, there have been people who died in paintball after being shot in the chest, which would be the more apples to apples comparison.

As someone with neither claustrophobia or fear of heights, I definitely think they're in the same realm of general discomfort.

Edited August 26, 2018 by egnever

[Fake Jan Brady]

On 26/08/2018 at 9:42 AM, EllaDisco said:

Okay, I need to know.  Where is this waterslide that's taller  than most buildings?!?  I must have missed that show!

During TAR15 the teams hd to slide down the Leap of Faith at a Dubai resort to retrieve a clue at the bottom. It's a nine story mega slide with a near vertical drop to begin.

[RHJunkie]

On 8/25/2018 at 10:39 AM, Rachel RSL said:

Yeah, that’s basically what I said in my first post. As for my 2nd post, I was discussing why either of those tasks might be scary for someone without those phobias. I even specifically said that the mask would be scary if you’re claustrophobic. But for those who don’t have those phobias, wearing a mask isn’t in the same realm as going down a waterslide that is taller than most buildings. People do die on attractions like that sometimes. As far as I know, people don’t usually die from wearing a mask. So for the average person, no, they’re not even close to being in the same realm.

But the average person is aware of phobias even if they don't suffer from one. And the average person likely understands that phobias are more of an irrational fear than a fear that is derived from statistics and high probability. Maybe we don't know of any cases of someone who has died from wearing a mask, but it's not at all uncommon to know the symptoms one experiences when suffering a case of claustrophobia. You can't breathe properly, your heart rate increases, and your symptoms all mimic a life threatening emergency even though it isn't one in real life. I don't think the average person would associate their fear to the mask itself.

[piequinn35]

There were contestants on TAR that conquered their fear of heights, she didn't conquer her fear, what if this was the finals? 

[Rachel RSL]

19 hours ago, RHJunkie said:

I don't think the average person would associate their fear to the mask itself.

I'm not sure why my message keeps getting misinterpreted, perhaps it's my fault because I'm not wording it properly? What I am attempting to say is that, for the average person who doesn't suffer from a specific phobia, going down a 9 storey water slide is much scarier than putting on a mask.  It just is.  I really don't think that's debatable.

[RHJunkie]

2 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

I'm not sure why my message keeps getting misinterpreted, perhaps it's my fault because I'm not wording it properly? What I am attempting to say is that, for the average person who doesn't suffer from a specific phobia, going down a 9 storey water slide is much scarier than putting on a mask.  It just is.  I really don't think that's debatable.

Ahhh, I see. I understand that much better. From your original post, it seemed like you were saying that for the average person, they can understand someone's phobia of heights but not one who has a phobia of enclosed spaces. Thanks for clarifying.

[Rachel RSL]

Yeah, that was my fault for not wording it correctly. I just meant that even someone without a fear of heights might still be scared of that water slide.  But, most likely, someone without claustrophobia wouldn't be scared of the mask at all.