S11.E01: Los Angeles City Qualifiers

[Aliconehead]

Season 11 kicks off with the Los Angeles Qualifying Round. Ninjas take on six challenging obstacles, including Walk the Plank and Spring Forward. Also: the two fastest finishers take on the new Power Tower for a chance to advance straight to the National Finals in Las Vegas.

so i like the new host. She seems like she is more comfortable then the past ones.  I will never not laugh at the veterans that crash and burn by going too fast. 

Edited May 30, 2019 by Aliconehead

[enoughcats]

Tonight being tall and slim seemed to make things easier.  The contestants who managed to follow a rhythm and not hesitate were really impressive. 

New favorite: the young woman from San Diego who works as a therapist, and who had to earn time in the gym in grade school and high school by cleaning the gym because the family wasn't very well off.  

If this was filmed before the other city competitions, it will influence which wall they try. 

And at the end, there's a photo essay of how to get on the show, and now it's a lottery for some of the walk on slots.

[ClareWalks]

Kyle Soderman should NOT have gone for the Mega Wall. I was yelling at the TV. 

[saber5055]

I was sorry to see the Marine go first. I liked him a lot but going first means you are going to fail on this show.

The episode kept my interest which is a good thing. Lots of new people being introduced, which is funny to me since some of the ninjas they said had been on for four or five years I don't remember ever seeing. Maybe they were victims of WWWAs. Or my wandering mind.

Speaking of, there were plenty of finishing WWWAs this time but I didn't mind. There seems to be more and more competitors so they have to weed them down somehow.

Maybe they should let people who have no chance run during the afternoon so the field can be thinned down quickly after they all fall on the first obstacle.

I was yelling at everyone who tried the Mega Wall to GETUPTHERE! and was stunned when the one guy actually made it. Good on him. I guess the ninja gyms have to up their warped wall now.

[illini1959]

Gah! I forgot to watch!! After reminding ourselves for a week this was on last night we forgot....do they still rebroadcast the episodes? 

[ClareWalks]

18 minutes ago, illini1959 said:

Gah! I forgot to watch!! After reminding ourselves for a week this was on last night we forgot....do they still rebroadcast the episodes? 

They'll show it again Sunday, it's also on Hulu!

[illini1959]

39 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

They'll show it again Sunday, it's also on Hulu!

Thank you! I don't have Hulu so I'll have to pay attention this time 🙂

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, ClareWalks said:

They'll show it again Sunday, it's also on Hulu!

My tv schedule shows the repeat is on Sunday from 6-8 p.m. central time on NBC, right before the repeat of AGT (if you are interested in that!). Just in case you need to set an alarm or something to remind you!

[adhoc]

what is WWWA?

[saber5055]

25 minutes ago, adhoc said:

what is WWWA?

"While We Were Away." The group of contestants who get short vignettes of their runs shown after a commercial break as opposed to showing them from start to finish, get a WWWA. It is not popular on this thread, and especially short changes ninjas who make it to the buzzer.

[Lantern7]

It's nice to have the show back. It wasn't nice that it runs at the same time as The Amazing Race. I'm going to have to watch the first few episodes the day after they air.

I'm not sure how to feel about the Power Tower. I think Ninja vs. Ninja was shelved on account of injuries . . . or at the fear of missing the main show because of that. Still, it seems like a better way to end and episode than seeing if the last person running greatly succeeds or fails. Also, the winner doesn't have to sweat coming back the following night and fucking up the regional final. In this case, two ninjas with nicknames not featuring the word "ninja" fought, and Hunter "The Lizard" Guerard beat "The Godfather" David Campbell to clinch a trip to Las Vegas.

Anyone else bugged that most of the times were not shown? Lack of information means that results could be fudged. Well, that's my take when I watch the season finales on The Challenge. Speaking of which, it looks like ANW basically traded Natalie Duran (completed War of the Worlds) for Zuri Hall (occasional "After Show" host). I think both sides made out well.

Interesting that Mega Wall is still in play, and that attempting it means not going to the regular Warped Wall. Most impressive showing was the kid with autism completing the course.

Akbar didn't "see" anyone this week. He did go "sha na na!!!" a few times. I think the ninja should get cash for performances that cause Akbar and/or Matt to freak the hell out.

[mlp]

Does anyone know why Kristine left?  I was never crazy about her and I like the new gal better but I'm curious because she was with the show from the beginning I think.  

[TimothyQ]

Power Tower had an "old school" ANW vibe from me. I liked it.

Can't believe how many people went out on Walk the Plank.

Glad to have the show back!

[Booklady1017]

23 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

Kyle Soderman should NOT have gone for the Mega Wall. I was yelling at the TV. 

I agree. I was really wanting to see the competition on the tower between the two friends.

20 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I was sorry to see the Marine go first. I liked him a lot but going first means you are going to fail on this show.

The episode kept my interest which is a good thing. Lots of new people being introduced, which is funny to me since some of the ninjas they said had been on for four or five years I don't remember ever seeing. Maybe they were victims of WWWAs. Or my wandering mind.

Speaking of, there were plenty of finishing WWWAs this time but I didn't mind. There seems to be more and more competitors so they have to weed them down somehow.

Maybe they should let people who have no chance run during the afternoon so the field can be thinned down quickly after they all fall on the first obstacle.

I was yelling at everyone who tried the Mega Wall to GETUPTHERE! and was stunned when the one guy actually made it. Good on him. I guess the ninja gyms have to up their warped wall now.

What's WWWAs? Are those the ones where they only show half their run of the race? I hate when they do that, especially ones I feel like we should know but don't. I think they done that a lot with that guy Nicholas Coolridge the acrobat.

[Booklady1017]

20 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I was sorry to see the Marine go first. I liked him a lot but going first means you are going to fail on this show.

The episode kept my interest which is a good thing. Lots of new people being introduced, which is funny to me since some of the ninjas they said had been on for four or five years I don't remember ever seeing. Maybe they were victims of WWWAs. Or my wandering mind.

Speaking of, there were plenty of finishing WWWAs this time but I didn't mind. There seems to be more and more competitors so they have to weed them down somehow.

Maybe they should let people who have no chance run during the afternoon so the field can be thinned down quickly after they all fall on the first obstacle.

I was yelling at everyone who tried the Mega Wall to GETUPTHERE! and was stunned when the one guy actually made it. Good on him. I guess the ninja gyms have to up their warped wall now.

Yeah, it was the guy who actually never finished all the obstacles, and he did the megawall too. Good for him.

[TimothyQ]

26 minutes ago, Booklady1017 said:

What's WWWAs? Are those the ones where they only show half their run of the race? I hate when they do that, especially ones I feel like we should know but don't. I think they done that a lot with that guy Nicholas Coolridge the acrobat.

While We Were Away - the quick recaps that happen after commercial breaks. And, yes, Coolridge often seems to be a victim of WWWAs.

[Booklady1017]

36 minutes ago, TimothyQ said:

While We Were Away - the quick recaps that happen after commercial breaks. And, yes, Coolridge often seems to be a victim of WWWAs.

Thanks for explaining. 

11 hours ago, mlp said:

Does anyone know why Kristine left?  I was never crazy about her and I like the new gal better but I'm curious because she was with the show from the beginning I think.  

I was wondering about that too since she was at the All Stars event. But it wasn't recorded.

[saber5055]

13 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

It's nice to have the show back. It wasn't nice that it runs at the same time as The Amazing Race. I'm going to have to watch the first few episodes the day after they air.

Catch the rerun on Sunday night. See above for time.

12 hours ago, mlp said:

Does anyone know why Kristine left?  I was never crazy about her and I like the new gal better but I'm curious because she was with the show from the beginning I think.  

Kristine was the fifth woman announcer. Alison Haslip was co-host with Blair Herter during the first season on G4. (Jamie Rahn was "Captain G4" back then.) The next two seasons the sideline reporter was Alison Haislip. Angela Sun was sideline reporter the fourth season, when Johnny Mosely took over as host along with Matt Iseman. The next two years Jenn Brown worked with Matt and Akbar. Kristine was on the four seasons after that. Now we have Zuri Hall. So, 11 seasons, six different women co-hosts/sideline reporters.

Kristine is now star/host of "Fair Game with Kristine Leahy" on Fox sports.

Edited May 31, 2019 by saber5055

[Ilovepie]

2 hours ago, TimothyQ said:

Power Tower had an "old school" ANW vibe from me. I liked it.

I think this was a great addition - it 's a little Ninja vs. Ninja, and I like the strategy of trying to decide between getting the Mega Wall money vs. fastest time. Nice to see the Godfather do so well, but I was bummed and kind of shocked that Flip couldn't get up it. I thought for sure he would do it! I loved his little students cheering for him - I feel like he has changed so much since the early days. Definitely one of my favorites now, and the shot of Drew coaching/warming him up was fantastic. I love how they support each other!

The most shocking moment for me was when Adam Rayl fell. I actually yelled. He has become one of the best, but I could almost feel it coming because he was going so fast. It seems like almost all of the greats have an early flame out trying to get the fastest time. Drew and Flip should have had a talk with him - they learned from experience that doing that sometimes backfires. Glad he made it through though - I may or may not have a teeny tiny crush on him 😜

The autistic kid was a joy to watch. I have a special needs kid, so it warmed my heart seeing him succeed.

I felt bad for the ginger 19 year old that flamed out. He was not destined to be this season's "Kid" I guess, but I'm sure he'll be back.

No feelings yet about the new host. It did feel kind of jarring seeing someone else. I could take or leave Kristine, but it still felt weird. I guess Kristine kind of grew on me. Huh.

Glad to have the show back. It's my favorite summer show!

[Booklady1017]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

Catch the rerun on Sunday night. See above for time.

Kristine was the fifth woman announcer. Alison Haslip was co-host with Blair Herter during the first season on G4. (Jamie Rahn was "Captain G4" back then.) The next two seasons the sideline reporter was Alison Haislip. Angela Sun was sideline reporter the fourth season, when Johnny Mosely took over as host along with Matt Iseman. The next two years Jenn Brown worked with Matt and Akbar. Kristine was on the four seasons after that. Now we have Zuri Hall. So, 11 seasons, six different women co-hosts/sideline reporters.

Kristine is now star/host of "Fair Game with Kristine Leahy" on Fox sports.

Thanks for explaining. I only started watching in 2016, so I think Kristine already started then.

[realdancemom]

On 5/30/2019 at 9:29 AM, ClareWalks said:

Kyle Soderman should NOT have gone for the Mega Wall. I was yelling at the TV. 

Yes, I wanted to see friends competing against each other in the Power Tower.

3 hours ago, Booklady1017 said:

Yeah, it was the guy who actually never finished all the obstacles, and he did the megawall too. Good for him.

Yes, I was stunned that he completed the Megawall.  Was wondering why he even attempted it since he never finished an obstacle before.  I guess he knew that he already made it to City Finals and wanted a chance to get money.

1 hour ago, Ilovepie said:

I think this was a great addition - it 's a little Ninja vs. Ninja, and I like the strategy of trying to decide between getting the Mega Wall money vs. fastest time. Nice to see the Godfather do so well, but I was bummed and kind of shocked that Flip couldn't get up it. I thought for sure he would do it! I loved his little students cheering for him - I feel like he has changed so much since the early days. Definitely one of my favorites now, and the shot of Drew coaching/warming him up was fantastic. I love how they support each other!

The autistic kid was a joy to watch. I have a special needs kid, so it warmed my heart seeing him succeed.

No feelings yet about the new host. It did feel kind of jarring seeing someone else. I could take or leave Kristine, but it still felt weird. I guess Kristine kind of grew on me. Huh.

Glad to have the show back. It's my favorite summer show!

I thought for sure Flip was going to go up the mega wall.  But they really shortened the ramp up to the wall.  Glad he made it to finals though.  I like how the Ninjas support each other.  Noticed that they were consoling Adam after he fell too.

Yes, the autistic kid was fun to watch.  I bet he'll inspire other special needs kids.

I've only seen Kristine as the sideline host so it was different.  I do like Zuri.  To me, it would be really weird if they replace Matt and Akbar.  I like how enthusiastic they are even if it's sometimes over the top.

[Lunula]

3 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Kristine was the fifth woman announcer. Alison Haslip was co-host with Blair Herter during the first season on G4. (Jamie Rahn was "Captain G4" back then.) The next two seasons the sideline reporter was Alison Haislip. Angela Sun was sideline reporter the fourth season, when Johnny Mosely took over as host along with Matt Iseman. The next two years Jenn Brown worked with Matt and Akbar. Kristine was on the four seasons after that. Now we have Zuri Hall. So, 11 seasons, six different women co-hosts/sideline reporters.

Kristine is now star/host of "Fair Game with Kristine Leahy" on Fox sports.

I've always wanted Jill Wagner from Wipeout to be the sideline host. I always liked her. That said, I liked Zuri - was never a huge fan of Kristine (not sure why I never connected with her).

Akbar continues to crack me up. 

Edited May 31, 2019 by Lunula

[saber5055]

5 minutes ago, Lunula said:

I've always wanted Jill Wagner from Wipeout to be the sideline host.

Hey, there's always hope for next season!

[srpturtle80]

3 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

I felt bad for the ginger 19 year old that flamed out. He was not destined to be this season's "Kid" I guess, but I'm sure he'll be back.

No feelings yet about the new host. It did feel kind of jarring seeing someone else. I could take or leave Kristine, but it still felt weird. I guess Kristine kind of grew on me. Huh.

I felt bad for him too, but he did make it to city finals so I’m hoping he’ll redeem himself there. 

I felt like maybe the new host was trying a bit too hard. I also had grown to like Kristine and I’m a bit sad that she’s gone. 

I felt absolutely terrible for Adam Rayl as he’s one of my favorites. And his poor mom crying on the sideline got me! 

Loved the autistic kid, he was very impressive. However (I shouldn’t say this, I’m terrible) I couldn’t get over his mom’s hair! Yikes! 

This is my very favorite summer show so I will echo the others and say how happy I am to have it back! 

[Ilovepie]

Just now, srpturtle80 said:

I felt bad for him too, but he did make it to city finals so I’m hoping he’ll redeem himself there. 

I felt like maybe the new host was trying a bit too hard. I also had grown to like Kristine and I’m a bit sad that she’s gone. 

I felt absolutely terrible for Adam Rayl as he’s one of my favorites. And his poor mom crying on the sideline got me! 

Loved the autistic kid, he was very impressive. However (I shouldn’t say this, I’m terrible) I couldn’t get over his mom’s hair! Yikes! 

This is my very favorite summer show so I will echo the others and say how happy I am to have it back! 

I didn't notice ginger kid made it to the finals - I'm glad for him!

I think the new host does seem "on" a little more than Kristine, but maybe it's because she is new - Kristine has been around for a while, so I think she seemed more relaxed because she has a natural rapport with the competitors from knowing them for longer.

My husband and I thought maybe autistic kid's mom was wearing a wig - maybe some type of illness? It did look terrible, but we didn't want to judge not knowing her story.......

[ams1001]

So, Walk the Plank was new, right? No one's seen it before? I don't think they said...🙄

19 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Akbar didn't "see" anyone this week. He did go "sha na na!!!" a few times. I think the ninja should get cash for performances that cause Akbar and/or Matt to freak the hell out.

Every time he says "I see you" I yell at my TV, "I hope so! It's your damn job to watch them!" (Okay, not really, 'cuz then I'd be yelling all night, but I want to.)

3 hours ago, realdancemom said:

I've only seen Kristine as the sideline host so it was different.  I do like Zuri.  To me, it would be really weird if they replace Matt and Akbar.  I like how enthusiastic they are even if it's sometimes over the top.

It's so weird when I catch an earlier-season episode and they're so much calmer. They've really ramped it up over the years.

1 hour ago, srpturtle80 said:

Loved the autistic kid, he was very impressive. However (I shouldn’t say this, I’m terrible) I couldn’t get over his mom’s hair! Yikes! 

Yes! Glad I'm not the only one! Her hair was fantastic! 😄 

[Vermicious Knid]

Hair like that is why stereotypes exist.

That was pretty cruel of them to have three new obstacles all at the beginning. The  city courses can be so wildly different, they really need to make them more equitable. Last season, or the season before?, one city had only 2 finishers and another had 30.

[AuntieDiane6]

Quote

I liked Zuri  ...

She was cute and bubbly ... and asked completely inane questions.

ANW showed a clip of the red-haired kid practicing for 5 YEARS waiting to meet the age requirement and that bimbo asked him, "Did you ever think you'd make it here?"  NO, LADY, I SPENT 5 YEARS AT A PROFESSIONAL NINJA GYM AND HAD NO IDEA I COULD GET HERE AFTER THE FILM CREW DID A 2-MINUTE BIT ON ME.  

So many better questions she could have asked.  She seemed like she wanted to be a cheerleader rather than ask what they could have done differently, better etc.

Sorry .... this round Zuri is a ZERO.  But we have seen in other sports where announcers have improved dramatically, so there is still hope.

[AZChristian]

19 hours ago, srpturtle80 said:

Loved the autistic kid, he was very impressive. However (I shouldn’t say this, I’m terrible) I couldn’t get over his mom’s hair! Yikes!

If it's the lady I'm thinking of, we never saw HER hair.  That was a wig.  And not one that looked all that good on her.

[Rosenrot]

I'm so glad that ANW is back, but I always feel so sad for myself when I watch this show with my hand repeatedly in a Pringles jar. 😑

I liked Zuri fine; never was a fan of Kristine. Akbar is still hilarious.

I'm a bad person, but I still fast-forward almost all the sob stories. I'm just interested in how the person does on the course.

[enoughcats]

Somehow (sarcasm) TPTB manages to condense this opening ep into less than an hour for its repeat last night.  I had it on as background, and most of the good things from the original airing were there. A lot less fluff. A whole lot less WWWA which is one of my 'must watch and not blink' parts.  But better than watching the first 55 minutes of a basketball game.

[Lantern7]

Heads up: this episode will be run again on NBC from 7-9 p.m.

ETA: Tomorrow night.

Edited June 10, 2019 by Lantern7