S31.E01: You're In Our Race Now

[Whimsy]

Quote

The Season 31 premiere. Eleven teams from past seasons return to compete for the $1 million prize.

Original airdate 4/17/19

 

[mojoween]

Art and JJ and Chris and Bret are four very similar people.

I LOVED Colin 15 years ago and I still love him bunches.  Also I love Victor SO VERY MUCH especially that laugh.  I wish they could be a team.

It’s so funny how to me some of these teams have one good person, one...objectionable one or I’m meh on the whole thing.

Good - Janelle, Chris, Eliza

Bad - Bret, Christie, Britney, Corinne, Nicole, Fucking Rupert

Meh - Rachel and Elissa, Art and JJ, Becca and Floyd, Tyler and Korey

I really have no opinion of Laura, her time on Survivor wasn’t very memorable.

I do like Leo and Jamal but Jamal should keep the curls.

I actually find Britney, Rupert and the reprehensible Corinne more than objectionable. Their exits cannot come soon enough, even if I like Janelle and Eliza.

And rooting for Nicole is going to be so very difficult but I have to because Victor!

I’m not pleased Phil!  Dammit Art!  Or JJ!  SO CLOSE to being rid of Rupert dammit.

[green]

Finally!  The team I wanted out first went out first!!  That never happens.  But it did this time.

And that is saying something given some of the more annoying BB teams and no-name Survivor teams but yeah I didn't like the big bad Border Patrol guys first time around and was happy to see them go out first this time.

Go TAR teams!  Colin & Christie, Afganimals and Team Fun for the final three please!

PS:  Love the new Zen Colin.  Charla & Mirna are probaby asking who is that mellow dude on our screens.  Where did they put the real Colin, haha.

Edited April 18, 2019 by green

[truthaboutluv]

Was really hoping Rupert and his wife would have stayed lost until Art and JJ's time ran out. Aside from the fact that Rupert and his crazy eyes in general annoy me, I liked Art and JJ and was bummed for them to come back after all these years and be the first team out. 

I don't know any of the Big Brother teams since I've never watched or been interested in that show. I know Brendan's wife only because I saw them on The Amazing Race but that's it. She on her own was annoying enough but with her sister who is some clone of her - yeah no, They can leave anytime. 

Nice to see Corinne and Eliza get a dose of reality after all their shit talking. Especially since I couldn't help feeling that there was some obvious shtick with them there. Like, "oh, we're the bitches from Survivor, let's really ham it up by ragging on all the other teams". Boring. 

Tyler and Korey are back and I couldn't be happier. And I see their dynamic of Korey being the complete and utter calm to Tyler's dramatics continue. And their ability to seemingly jump ahead of the pack out of nowhere. This happened a lot in their original season.

Where one minute it looked like they were in 9th or 10th place and the next thing they're in 2nd or 3rd. I know Tyler lucked out on getting the chocolate shoe on his first bite but just how quickly they got to the location was amazing considering they were in the back of the pack in getting the clue.  

Edited April 18, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[Browncoat]

That was more fun than I expected, with all the other reality show people.

I still hate Rachel, and probably will hate her sister before too much longer.

Colin is still a beast, and I love that they showed the broken ox clip, then Christie saying their sand is broken! 

That one Big Brother woman really needs to step away from the plastic surgeon -- sorry I don't know their names!

I don't mind the Afghanimals as much as before, but it's early yet.

I've heard of Rupert, but I've never watched Survivor -- I was hoping he'd fail at the wall, though.  That sucks for Art and JJ on so many levels.

I still love Becca and Floyd, and hope they do well.

Oh, and the commercial with Phil and the Gnome was a hoot! 

At this point, I'm actually rooting for Colin and Christie!  Will wonders never cease!

[TheRabbi]

So happy the race is back! The tasks were a little underwhelming, but I didn't care. I was so happy to see folks like Colin and Christie back on my screen, and even teams like Becca/Floyd and Tyler/Korey. Pretty wild finish too. I imagine Art and JJ were 100 percent convinced they were in last and would have tried their damndest to power through if they knew Rupert was behind them.

Also, Phil in the travelocity commercial gets a 10/10. Its about time!

Edited April 18, 2019 by TheRabbi

[LadyChatts]

Quote

I LOVED Colin 15 years ago and I still love him bunches.  Also I love Victor SO VERY MUCH especially that laugh.  I wish they could be a team.

I loved the crack Christie made about their sand being broken.  I can't express enough how happy I am that they are back.  

I was actually surprised that I wasn't actively rooting against anyone tonight.  I wasn't a fan of Leo/Jaamal their first two times, but found them okay this episode.  I love Becca/Floyd, and am rooting for the BB teams (Rachel only because of Elissa).  Rupert can go next, though I was impressed he managed to get up that hill on one try.  I wonder if it became less slippery as more teams did it.  Actually, all of the Survivor teams can be the next to go.  I'm one of the 1% that likes Corinne, but I can't stand Eliza.  

Wasn't sorry to lose Art/JJ first.  It was interesting that you could tell the TAR teams from the rest, because the other teams seemed to struggle-especially the Survivor teams.

Edited April 18, 2019 by LadyChatts

[ByaNose]

Yeah, Art & JJ aren’t gonna be friends anymore. LOL!!!

[InDueTime]

I'm so happy TAR is back!

Are Art and JJ the team that that they didn't talk about the loss on their previous season for 5 years?

Right now, Becca and Floyd are my favorite team. I  don't watch Big Brother, so I don't know any of those folks.

While the Mt. Fuji task did have difficulties, I found the tasks a little underwhelming this episode.

[Lantern7]

Welcome back, my friends, to the show that doesn't officially end! Yeah, we got mental cases from CBS's more popular reality shows, but this is still TAR!

I reckon Art's meltdown at the final Roadblock in TAR20 merited them a return trip, especially after Rachel & Dave (who ran the best Race ever, in terms of leg placement average) actually skipped the Roadblock, hit the finish line, got told by Phil they screwed up, then manage to pull it out before Art could complete it. Granted, they were the team I was least jazzed to see. But going out on an injury and a penalty sucks. And if Rupert & Lauren had been any more hapless, they would've stayed in the game. But the Bonehams survive for another leg, and we got to see Rupert in a bodysuit. You know, he didn't look that horrific in that and the mauve wig.

Racers take the top three spots, and Rachel scores fourth with her sister. Good sign. I'm really hoping Colin & Christie are better people . . . remember, she was apain in the ass way back in TAR5 as well, but that was covered up by Colin lamenting over an ox, jawing with a cabbie, and praying that Mirna's head would explode. "My sand is broken!"? Not bad, Christie. Not bad.

One thing . . . I hate the show's hard-on for "wacky" Japanese game shows. "Mt. Fuji" was a good Roadblock, but the shoe-biting didn't look like skill was involved at all.

I'm hoping Becca & Floyd pace themselves. The "Team Funstoppable" t-shirts are pushing it.

"Teacher says every time Corrine fucks up, Sugar gives herself a headache laughing!"

[QuantumMechanic]

Glad to see the team that lost, lost (rooting against them for reasons that are off-topic in this forum).

With them gone, can we now please knock off all the BB teams, especially Rachel’s team and Team Plastic Surgery? The shit-talking Survivor (?) team (Corinne and whoever) can go soon too, please.

[green]

13 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

 the shoe-biting didn't look like skill was involved at all.

But it was.  Observation.  All the shoes made of chocolate didn't have wood streaks and patterns on them.  They were totally monotone and looked a little lighter than the wooden ones.

Quote

Glad to see the team that lost, lost (rooting against them for reasons that are off-topic in this forum).

With them gone, can we now please knock off all the BB teams, especially Rachel’s team and Team Plastic Surgery? The shit-talking Survivor (?) team (Corinne and whoever) can go soon too, please.

We share similar ideas and boot elimination orders I see.

Edited April 18, 2019 by green

[Lamb18]

So nice to hear the opening music again and hear Phil say, "The world is waiting for you." I always wait for him to say that in the opening episode. 

Any of you who watched Survivor just before TAR, when you saw the building with "Edge of" on it, did you immediately think "Extinction"?

I'm cheering for Floyd and Becca, Colin and Christie, Nicole and Victor the most. I was hoping Rupert and Laura would leave. I got a kick out of Corinne and Eliza. 

When they were biting the shoes, was more than one person biting on the same shoe? Or did they replace the bitten shoe with another? I suppose the Survivor folks wouldn't mind that much but still a little yucky.

Finally - it's been too long since the last TAR!!!

[bunnyface]

13 minutes ago, green said:

PS:  Love the new Zen Colin.  Charla & Mirna are probaby asking who is that mellow dude on our screens.  Where did they put the real Colin, haha.

I have a feeling if Charla & Mirna showed up, the Zen would be out the window.  And it would be glorious!

For elimination, it couldn't have happened to two nicer guys.  The best first elim in a long, long time.  Maybe because I had enough time (7 years) to learn to dislike them.  Usually the first team is gone before you can hate them.

[Wouldofshouldof]

Janelle is one of my all-time favorite BB players, so I'm glad she got her shoe in the first bite.  I can tolerate Britney, so I don't mind the pairing.

[Lamb18]

I also thought Bret was looking a lot like Mike Isabella from Top Chef so I guess I'm hoping he goes soon.

[Runningwild]

Aww, sorry to see Team Border Patrol leave. Really sorry Rupert is still in it. 

[dgpolo]

12 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

but the shoe-biting didn't look like skill was involved at all.

A lot of the 'needle in a haystack' type tasks don't take any skill. Just patience.

[Giuseppe]

4 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

A lot of the 'needle in a haystack' type tasks don't take any skill. Just patience.

Yep, and this show has done plenty of those. It's almost always just luck.

So even after hearing Art and JJ talk about screwing up the final roadblock on their season AND seeing a clip of it, I still have no recollection. I must not have paid much attention to that season. No big loss for me.

I haven't been really excited about TAR in quite a few seasons, but seeing Colin and Christie again has me very giddy. I want my intense Colin back, but still so glad they're on again and I'm rooting for them big time.

I actually laughed when Janelle got the chocolate sandal on her first try. It was just so Janelle-like, lol.

[PaperTree]

So happy TAR is back.  Not a fan of this "reality show contestant" theme, but let's run with it and enjoy.

The experienced racers have a huge advantage.  Mostly.

I loved Rupert when he pirated the shoes.  Not so much after that.  

[Wandering Snark]

I loved that the TAR people sprung into action and the rest mainly wandered about waiting for someone to tell them what do and then realizing they were on their own now! Loved it. As Rachel I'm sure said at one point that we didn't see: "Welcome to the Amazing Race, bitches!!"

I missed this show and so glad there was a (justifiable!) flare-out so we get the show on earlier!

I didn't hate the groups as much as I thought I would so that's good. I guess I'm just happy to have found a teevee oasis in the midst of the Survivor doldrums. Just think tonight TAR eliminated as many people a Survivor has all season!! The Race ain't no joke and I kind of was 'proud' when the new racers came to that realization.

I tend to root for teams to go home instead of rooting for any teams but maybe this year will be different?

I thought all the choco-sandals looked very white as opposed to tan/woodish. They were sitting back a ways from the shoes though so that may not have really been a usable strategy.

Oh and.... BOMP!!!

[ByaNose]

I wanted Rupert & Laura out first. Soooooooo close. The usual Amazing Race mistake. People walking right by the task. Too funny!

[hendersonrocks]

Quote

I still hate Rachel, and probably will hate her sister before too much longer.

I have never once set eyes or ears on the sister before tonight, and I am blessedly thankful for that. Those two need to goooooooo. To be honest, the only Survivor/BB teams I had a positive reaction to were Nicole and Victor (I think?) and the two firefighter guys with Boston accents (couldn't tell you their names if one million was on the line). Everyone else is a hard pass at this point.

Colin and Christie brought me far more joy than I expected - seeing their allegedly zen selves today contrasted with the ox footage was pure gold.

[driver18]

I'll sit in my little corner of loving Rachel. Never saw her on BB (only watched one season and loathed it--it was the one that Janelle returned back, but that sleazy rocker dad won, I did like Janelle though), but I liked Rachel on TAR, and I was annoyed by Eliza (who I liked on Survivor) and Corrine (who I did not) saying that Brendon carried her on previous seasons. Per TAR rules now, the contestants have to do half the challenges, so Rachel did her fair share, thank you very much. She may whine and moan, but Rachel still cracks me up, and she did her part.

I've always liked Rupert too, never developed the hate-on for him that many others on this forum and TWoP did, so... :shrugs: I'm glad he's still in it.

Of all the players, the only ones I don't know are Janelle's partner, Rachel's sister and Nicole/Victor from BB. And there's no one (other than Corrine) that I don't like, so pretty good cast. I don't have a particular favorite team right now, but Corrine and Eliza's shit-talking did annoy me. However, their realization at how wrong they were helped lessen my annoyance about that.

Edited April 18, 2019 by driver18

[Ananayel]

I liked Rupert his first go on Survivor. I liked him less and less each time. And now I'm completely over it. If he was ready to give up after a bit of wandering, it won't be long.

I haven't been able to watch TAR for several seasons, because of the stupid stuntcasting like strangers, blind dates, youtubers etc. So I was beyond thrilled to have my show back! I actually turned a corner on Rachel a while back, so she can stay for a while. Love Victor, don't mind Janelle and Britney. But I am here for Colin/Christie, and I'm betting the Intense Colin overtakes Zen Colin about halfway through, and I can't wait.

[zibnchy]

Elissa (of the team of Rachel and Elissa) was pretty likable during her time in the BB house during a season (15) that was almost completely filled with intolerably gross people. It had racism and misogyny and drawers full of used condoms and GinaMarie and was won by a troll. I never saw Rachel on BB but learned to dislike her whiny ass during her first stint on AR. Both women could step away from the fillers but I like Elissa so I'll reserve judgement for a couple of weeks.

Loved seeing Colin and Christie again. Have no memory of the border patrol guys and, frankly, thrilled to not see them again. I only wish they could have somehow taken Rupert and Laura with them.

My early favorites are the more mature afghanimals, and the more mature Colin and Christie. And I'll root for Victor and Whatsername from BB because I like Victor.

I had an idea tonight that it'd be fun to bring back an entire cast from an earlier season of AR and rerun the race. Maybe go to the same locations but with different tasks. Obviously this will never happen but it is kinda fun to contemplate.

I missed this show.

[blackwing]

I’ve watched every season of the Race since the very first episode premiered since the week before September 11, 2001.   I have absolutely zero recollection of Art and JJ.  And they finished third in their season???

The one that tried the climb irritated me to no end with his crying and kvetching   “I have a cramp wah wah wah!”  Suck it up buttercup!   But I hate Stupert with a passion so I was hoping that both of those teams could have been philiminated.

Corrinne still sucks.

Is the girl that Rachel Reilly is racing with really her sister?  If so, was she actually on Big Brother?  (I haven’t watched it in years.)  Or does she mean “sister” as in close friend.   If she wasn’t actually on the show and is Rachel’s real life sister, then why is TAR making an exception for her?  She wasn’t on a show.

[zibnchy]

13 minutes ago, blackwing said:

 If she wasn’t actually on the show and is Rachel’s real life sister, then why is TAR making an exception for her?  She wasn’t on a show.

She was on BB15 and she is RR's real life sister.

[Waldo13]

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

I still hate Rachel, and probably will hate her sister before too much longer.

Rachel is so past her sell by date it’s ridiculous that CBS still is promoting her. Elissa isn’t that much better.  Her only claim to her somewhat fame is that she’s Rachel’s sister. 

I’m rooting for Victor and Nicole but my sentimental favorite is Rupert. He’s the  Charlie Brown of survivor and probably of TAR also. 

[missyb]

Yes, Rachel and Elissa were on seasons of Big Brother. Rachel was on first season 12 ( where she met Brandon , her husband and played with Brittney) and won season 13 of Big Brother. Elissa was on season 15 of Big Brother.

Edited April 18, 2019 by missyb

[LittleIggy]

I like Leo and Jamaal! Good to see them again. Could have gone my entire life without seeing Rachel again! 🙄

[Halting Hex]

2 hours ago, Browncoat said:

That one Big Brother woman really needs to step away from the plastic surgeon

That would be Janelle.  And to think, when she first set foot in the BB house, 15 years ago, we thought she looked 100% plastic then.   (Christie could also layoff the elective procedures.  Bit of a shock to see her so "taut"…even moreso than the loss of Colin's lovely floppy hair.  Sigh.)

That said, this was sweeter than a closet full of chocolate sandals.  To have Art and JJ battling for last with Hambone Boneham and his enabler, with Art "I'm in the best shape of my life" cramping and quitting while Rupert attempts to circumnavigate Tokyo, as clueless as ever?  Sheer heaven.  And I loved JJ being all certain that Rupert wouldn't be able to climb the mountain…a task that Nicole and Britney had aced, ffs…when I knew that this was one of the few things that was right in his limited wheelhouse.  Delightful!

In order of finish:

1. Afghanimals.  Not too annoying…yet.  Emphasis on the "yet".  It's early.

2. Colin & Christie.  Hey, they didn't win for the first time until Leg 3 of TAR 5.  So they're actually ahead of that pace now.  Not sure about Mellow Colin, though…it's a "redemption" I wasn't honestly craving; I loved him in Original Manic Flavor.   I smiled to see Christie so eagerly volunteering for the Roadblock, since Collin's the reason they have the "you must split the Roadblocks evenly" rule to begin with.  And, with the only RB she was allowed to do on TAR 5 being the "you must eat a giant pile of caviar" one, ironic that she was chomping on the shoes, again and again.

3.  Tyler and Korey.  Meh.  Still.

4. Goddess Rachel (and sister).  Still awesome and intense, but as I predicted, not prone to going over the edge as easily without Brendon's whiplash temper to provoke her.  Of course, part of that IMO is that Brendon plays on her insecurity about the relationship to maintain his dominance*, whereas even Rachel knows that Elissa's always going to be her sister.  Love that even the credits show her tendency to really overdo her trying to play her designated role (Elissa nails the kickboxing move and pose, where Rachel is pretty much a hot mess), but that's part of why I (and some others) love her so.

Might try to lay off the sandals, though, Rach.  I mean, yes, childbirth, but Elissa's a mother, too.  Electric yellow spandex looks even less attractive in plus sizes, I'm just saying.

(*-This makes it sound as though I dislike Brendon, which I don't. I'm just on Rachel's side when Dr. & Mrs. Villegas clash, on principle.  Even though I fell in love with him when he was defending Rachel from Britney [and *shudder* Ragan Fox], years and years ago.)

46 minutes ago, blackwing said:

Is the girl that Rachel Reilly is racing with really her sister?  If so, was she actually on Big Brother?  (I haven’t watched it in years.)  Or does she mean “sister” as in close friend.   If she wasn’t actually on the show and is Rachel’s real life sister, then why is TAR making an exception for her?  She wasn’t on a show.

Elissa Reilly Slater is indeed Rachel's older sister and was indeed on Big Brother 15 (Rachel was on BB12 [with Britney] and then won BB13).  She took 6th place, despite being virtually alone in the house for pretty much the entire game.  (And was, IMO, pretty much the only reason to endure watching that vermin-fest.)  She earned her place here far more than Laura Boneham did, that's for sure.

5.  Beka & Floyd.  She's still a little much, but they had a good leg.  Cringed a bit when Phil talked about "hydration" at the Finish Line, though…"Hey, Floyd, remember how the last time you did the Race, you nearly died?  Good times, good times…"

6.  Victor and Nicole.  Got screwed by the random Road Block choice (he gets to hunt the observation haystack and she has to climb the Mountain) but did all right anyways.   I'm still not thrilled with their past associates (her BB16 intro segment showed her wearing a fan-made tee-shirt supporting the Really Incredibly Awful People* who made BB15 such a torment for Elissa, and the [much] less said about his pal, Paul, the [much] better)…but they seem okay on their own.

(*-Those of you who didn't see BB15 probably think I'm exaggerating here.  Oh, no, I'm not.  Am I ever not.  Trust me, I'm being way nicer than anybody not named Elissa, Candice, or Jessie deserves…)

7.  Bret and Chris

1 hour ago, hendersonrocks said:

the two firefighter guys with Boston accents

Bret's a cop, not a firefighter, although he is from Boston.  Chris is a (hulking) lawyer from Oklahoma, so not really the same.  Not too fond of Bret, but Chris is okay.  Didn't have a great leg, but nothing terminal.

8.  "Janey-Doll" and Britney.  For a moment there, when they got lost, I thought we were going to get another case of "Britney folds like a tent under pressure", which is one of my great pleasures.  Alas, they rallied, but I can hardly complain about the outcome and there'll be other days to watch Bitchney fail. And she actually did a good job on the Mountain, to be fair.

Nice to see that Janelle's ridiculous luck is still in effect.  I may not be fond of her, personally, but it goes with the character package, so I can't really complain.  And I'd forgotten Brit's part in sandbagging Janelle in BB14, although that was much more Dan Gheesling and Mike Boogie who pulled the trigger that time, IMO.

1 hour ago, driver18 said:

(only watched one season and loathed it--it was the one that Janelle returned back, but that sleazy rocker dad won, I did like Janelle though)

I believe that you've conflated consecutive seasons; after debuting on Big Brother 6, Janelle returned for the following year's Big Brother All-Stars and took her second consecutive third place.  (She later returned for BB14, and made a much earlier exit, as discussed.)  It was the following year's Big Brother 8 that was "won" (thanks, IMO, to a generous amount of cheating and producer-rigging) by reprehensible sleazeball "rocker" Dickless Donato, not either of Janelle's initial seasons.  (Dickless and his "estranged" daughter, Daniele, did return for BB13, but he failed an HIV-test and was removed from the House in the first week.  So he's played with Rachel [and Brendon], but not Janelle.  And only briefly, at that.)

(Or did you mean that Janelle appeared on BB8 to host a competition, as former Houseguests sometimes do?  I've forgotten that, if it happened, but it's not completely out of possibility, I'd guess.)

9. Corinne and Eliza.  I confess that I'd forgotten Corinne tearing Jessica "Sugar" Kiper a new one at Tribal Council (as shown), but I'm still on her side.  Even if Sugar did ultimately ensure that the people I really hated that year (Kenny/Crystal/Lilliana) lost, giving us the IMO very appropriate episode title "The Good People Should Win in the End".

Eliza I have always loved and always will love.  She even looks better than her near-doppelgänger, Eliza Dushku, these days, IMO.  (Of course, ED does have that $9,500,000 sexual harassment settlement against Michael Weatherly to keep her warm, I'll allow.)  As long as Corinne doesn't try to pass off a stick as a clue, Eliza will be fine. 😉

(Random fun fact:  Eliza Dushku was born on December 30th, 1980.  Eliza Orlins was born on December 31st, 1982. Well, it's fun if you're me, at least.)

10.  Bonehead Boneham and spouse.  He actually got a few points with me for seeing through Russell Hantz's bullshit on Survivor: Heroes and Villains ("He's a villain for a reason!"), but those days are looooong gone.  Hopefully, so is Rupert, and soon.

2 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

we got to see Rupert in a bodysuit. You know, he didn't look that horrific in that and the mauve wig.

Well, it's not hard to improve on Rupert's standard hair and wardrobe choices, I'd say.

11.  Art and JJ.  Byeeeeee!

46 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I have absolutely zero recollection of Art and JJ.  And they finished third in their season???

No, they finished second.  Brendon and Rachel, screwed over by a cab that took them to the wrong island, were third, behind Art/JJ and Major Dave/Other Rachel.  (The editors downplayed Brenchel's getting screwed out of their win by taxi luck, but at least they didn't hide it completely, the way they did with the flat tire that cost Colin/Christie their IMO duly-deserved win in TAR 5)

As for not remembering them…pass me the Brain Bleach.  Please?

Seriously psyched for the Race.  Colin AND Rachel AND Eliza?  Oh, yes and yes and yes again.  (Only thing that could have made it better would be if they'd found a way to get Shelby Stockton [BB Over the Top], but the producers would have wanted the Willett sisters to run together rather than pairing either of them with Shelby, anyway, so I wasn't really hoping.)

Mind you, I'm still terrified that they'll all go out early and I'll have to endure the Afghanimals or Tyler/Korey or even Beka/Floyd winning, but for now, I'm a very happy Hex, indeed.  Is it next Wednesday yet?

Edited April 18, 2019 by Halting Hex

[Fukui San]

Zen Colin was even scarier than Angry Colin. I'm so glad they're back.

Leo and Jamal's playacting fight was genius right there.

Eliza and Corinne's snark was great! As was the teams they ran down casually racing circles around them.

Lots of shadenfreude amongst the teams on the bottom. I loved Art and JJ going out like chumps and Rupert wandering around aimlessly for hours.

[Lakebum]

I'm not a fan of stunt-casting, especially in Amazing Race, a show that so does not need it. And I have yet to experience anything likable about anything Big Brother. And, I haven't watched Survivor in a long, long time (though I was still watching for at least one of Rupert's appearances.) So I'm pretty sure that this won't go down as one of my favorite seasons of TAR. 

But when the theme song started to play? I actually teared up a little bit. Because I really do love this show, and have missed it.

Who am I pulling for? Definitely a former TAR team ("team," so not BBRachel) but I'm just not sure which one yet.

Edited April 18, 2019 by Lakebum
Edited because "teared" is not spelled with an M.

[Wandering Snark]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

The one that tried the climb irritated me to no end with his crying and kvetching   “I have a cramp wah wah wah!”  Suck it up buttercup!

I actually gave him a pass on this one... I get cramps in like the middle of the night sometimes and they are no joke pain-wise. I end up (usually they are in my calves) limping on that leg until around lunchtime afterward. As it seemed he had them both in his calf and then in his foot... brutal. I can understand why he agreed that he couldn't make another go at it.

Anyways they were deserved losers but I wouldn't give him too much crap about his not being able to 'work through' the cramping sitch.

[Steph Sometimes]

I've never seen BB so no comment on any of them yet.

The trio of Survivor teams seems fairly random. I get why Rupert because it's Rupert (gag). I hope they're out soon. Chris and Bret weren't that interesting on their season (other than Bret's scene with Zeke, I don't remember anything about them). And I don't remember Eliza being that...bitchy? I mean she always came across as sort of the outsider in both seasons. Kind of abrasive, but also a little plucky. I guess either she was given a good edit, Corinne rubbed off on her or she's playing it up for TAR.

Well, I'm just glad we're not seeing Rob and Amber again.

I like Becca and Floyd and Leo and Jamal. I like Tyler's laugh. I'm rooting for a TAR team to win I think.

[Cotypubby]

3 hours ago, green said:

But it was.  Observation.  All the shoes made of chocolate didn't have wood streaks and patterns on them.  They were totally monotone and looked a little lighter than the wooden ones.

We share similar ideas and boot elimination orders I see.

The laces on the chocolate shoes also looked like shiny plastic whereas the real shoes had fabric laces. Up close it was obvious, but I’m not sure if they could see that detail from where they were sitting. 

I was laughing so hard at Rupert & Wife bumbling all around that park for over two hours(!!) without noticing the giant inflatable mountain and bright lights. Also loved that Art and JJ were the first out. I have no memory of them, but something in their opening interview made me dislike them, I don’t know what, maybe it’s just they look like douches. 

The upside to Rupert still being in the game, we get to see how badly he navigates for at least another round!

[scrb]

Those catty women thought they were out.

Will they be humbled?  Something tells me no.

Nobody else stood out but Floyd and Becca were about having fun on their season. Then in the later stages, didn’t she become bitchy?  Now they’re dating?  After he got them eliminated, surprising that she forgave him?

[zibnchy]

1 hour ago, Halting Hex said:

I smiled to see Christie so eagerly volunteering for the Roadblock, since Collin's the reason they have the "you must split the Roadblocks evenly" rule to begin with.

I have always thought we had Flo (and Zach) to thank for that. Flo, who literally whined her way around the world, and Zach, who singlehandedly dragged her along with the patience of a saint. Was it season 2? Or 3? And they won! Flo did, maybe, one RB and, I'm sure, whined about it loudly. I'll have to revisit C&C's season. All I remember is the Broken Ox.

2 minutes ago, scrb said:

Nobody else stood out but Floyd and Becca were about having fun on their season. Then in the later stages, didn’t she become bitchy?  Now they’re dating?  After he got them eliminated, surprising that she forgave him?

I think the dating comment was a joke. I think they play for different teams. But I do remember them now, she did start out all fun and cheery but her mood did take a turn for the dark side later in the game. If I remember correctly she blamed him pretty hard for something that went wrong. It was very unfair of her and is probably the reason I'm not happy to see her again.

Edited April 18, 2019 by zibnchy

[Wandering Snark]

43 minutes ago, Cotypubby said:

I was laughing so hard at Rupert & Wife bumbling all around that park for over two hours(!!) without noticing the giant inflatable mountain and bright lights.

I loved them staggering about and his insisting "Well, it's not over there..." while we were shown the bright lights of the 'mountain' and given a great 'What the what?' kind of sound effect.

37 minutes ago, zibnchy said:

she did start out all fun and cheery but her mood did take a turn for the dark side later in the game. If I remember correctly she blamed him pretty hard for something that went wrong. It was very unfair of her and is probably the reason I'm not happy to see her again.

Yeah we learned last year that when he screwed up Team Fun lost their 'n' and just became Team FU.

Edited April 18, 2019 by Wandering Snark

[green]

1 hour ago, zibnchy said:

I have always thought we had Flo (and Zach) to thank for that. Flo, who literally whined her way around the world, and Zach, who singlehandedly dragged her along with the patience of a saint. Was it season 2? Or 3? And they won! Flo did, maybe, one RB and, I'm sure, whined about it loudly. I'll have to revisit C&C's season. All I remember is the Broken Ox.

TAR3.  Flo did indeed do just one RB but she was the only one with just one.  Selling the snails in Morocco.  No rules changes were made at that time since it just seemed an anomaly.  Plus it didn't seem unfair since Flo was basically an albatross that Zach had to fight to carry all the way.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Race_3

But on TAR5 both Christie and her counterpart Texas beauty queen, Nichole, as well as Kim of Chip & Kim all did only one single RB period.  That stood out like a sore thumb because there were three of them this time.

(For the record: Christie and Nichole did the caviar in Russia one which made everyone sick because of the huge quantity and tons of salt.  The producers admitted that was a major miscalculation.  Kim I believe did the scarab dig in Egypt.  You know.  Where Colin mixed up the words scarab and scabbard and thought he was looking for a sword sheath at first, hah). 

Anyway that was when the change was made for TAR6 since it looked unfair and totally unbalanced on a team race

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Race_5

I think TAR5 along with TAR1, TAR2 and TAR3 are the very best seasons ever.  (TAR4 was pretty bad.  Very vitriolic and way too many mactor teams). 

TAR5 with intense Colin, easy going Chip, the clueless soccer girl twins, the complaining pizza brothers, the Bowling Moms and especially Charla & Mirna had one of the most entertaining casts ever.  And icing on the cake was the first trans-reality show casting on TAR, BB4 villain Alison, going out early.  I recommend everyone re-watch this season.

PS:  Barely recognized Colin tonight without his trademark mullet hair style.

Edited April 18, 2019 by green

[Honeycocoa]

I'm delighted to have our show back!  "Travel Safe!" and the theme song  just make me so happy. Very glad at the current order, it would be fine if eliminations proceeded like this - well not really  'cause that would be boring, but in a similar fashion would be just fine.  I'm happy to see old racers, though I'd be happier to see brand new normal contestants. Here's hoping TAR racers finish 1, 2 and 3.

[SVNBob]

58 minutes ago, green said:

TAR5 with intense Colin, easy going Chip

What I find amusing is that Colin and Christie are now where Chip and Kim were in life during TAR5.

[Fake Jan Brady]

What a shock/thrill to see Colin and Christie again. I so hope their zen wears off over the course of the race and we see their intensity again. He may be remembered for the ox incident but I believe she was the first racer to tell a cab driver to “just run over” somebody. 

I skipped TAR20 - are those unlikable border patrol guys legit or the type of douchebags that volunteer? 

Happy with the TARers that remain, no idea who the BB people are and not keen on the Survivors [altho Chris & Brett are ok]. 

I miss airport drama. Colin & Christie got me to thinking back to Mirna & Charla’s schmoozing ability with ticket people. 

[Bryce Lynch]

I am fine with the cast, but I thought the tasks and scenery were very subpar.

Two needle in a haystack type tasks.  The chocolate sandal one was total luck.  At least in the sand digging you could work harder than your rivals.

The Japanese game show thing is pretty played out.  But what made it even worse was the lack of any goofy Japanese game show atmosphere and audience.

The "Mount Fuji" task seemed like something you could either do fairly quickly, or (in one case) not at all.  

There was really no task where skill and ability could allow you to gain a lot of time.

[Gummo]

TAR is back! 

I usually don't like stunt casting, but since I watch all 3 CBS shows, I'm more or less okay with it this season. Zen Colin = Boring Colin, so I hope THAT doesn't last. I've had enough Rupert to last me several lifetimes, so he can go anytime. Corinne & Eliza = trying way too hard to be reality show cartoon villains, glad they were humbled, they can leave right after Rupie. Glad the border agents are gone.

Can't stand the Reilly sisters but Rachel is one hella fierce competitor, so she always gets respect for that. Janelle - can't even look at her. Ugh, I'll never understand people who do that to themselves, but her luck is downright diabolical. Leo & Jamal = great players, both a bit of a shit, but smart - that fake fight worked perfectly! Nicole & Victor = like'em both as they're portrayed on TV but their choice of friends makes me wonder about who they really are. Nicole is another fierce competitor who will surprise the others who probably see her as just a blond ditz. 

Flying all the way to Tokyo to play on a slip-and-slide? Really? What's the non-travel budget per episode now, $20?

[Eolivet]

I have no memory of Art and JJ at all, not even a little bit.

Survivor did not exactly acquit itself well, when Chris and Bret are your top finishing team. There really is a learning curve to the Amazing Race, as evidenced by all four top teams having former racers on them.

I also watch all three shows, and other than Art and JJ, who I think they incepted into the show just to mess with my head, I have fond-ish memories of all of them. Rupert is so ridiculous, I have to laugh. I'm fine with Rachel's schtick, since she hasn't changed it at all since her first Big Brother season (though I disagree that Elissa will do a better job calming her down -- Brendon was so zen). Christie was unrecognizable, though I guess it's been a while. Corrine and Eliza look -- and act -- exactly the same. Nicole looks happy. And I think Janelle's going to be carrying Team BB Blondes.

I absolutely love this concept, though. I've had it up to here with either "bland, zero-drama sibling teams" and "dating couples that snipe constantly at each other." These are all famewhores, so the playing field will be nice and level, the confessionals will be good and the meltdowns will be epic. And if it keeps Amazing Race on the air, bring it on.

[Haleth]

Oh, Rupert.  That was painful to watch.  The last two teams were just not cut out for this type of physical race.  I don't remember Art and JJ at all, but how did they do so well their first time?

The returning TAR players really had an advantage, knowing that you have to do more than wander around and snark on your competition.

6 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

I was laughing so hard at Rupert & Wife bumbling all around that park for over two hours(!!) without noticing the giant inflatable mountain and bright lights.

They did notice it but completely discounted it.  Not a good way to start.

10 hours ago, green said:

PS:  Love the new Zen Colin.  Charla & Mirna are probaby asking who is that mellow dude on our screens.  Where did they put the real Colin, haha.

Oh, it's early.  I wouldn't be surprised to hear some broken oxing before it's over.

10 hours ago, Browncoat said:

At this point, I'm actually rooting for Colin and Christie!  Will wonders never cease!

Yeah, me too... until I remember her "breeding and breeding" remark.  Oops, I misremembered.  Thanks for the correction, mikewho.

Favorite moment was the Roaming Gnome commercial featuring Phil.

Edited April 18, 2019 by Haleth

[JudyObscure]

With a few exceptions, the show managed to pick  my least favorites from BB and Survivor. so I was not excited to watch.  Then Rupert spoke, within the first few minutes, managing to say, "Survieeey-Vor," about ten times in one sentence, so I had to turn off the TV.  Now reading here that he's gone I may give it another try.

[mikewho]

Quote

Yeah, me too... until I remember her "breeding and breeding" remark.

That was Kendra, who won TAR 6.