The Amazing Race 16x04 (Spoilers!)
Mar. 9th, 2010 01:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
arduinnaGod, season 16? Seriously? I remember when we expected it to be cancelled every year, and now there's like, three months between seasons. (Also, the racers traveled uphill both ways, in the snow. In Alaska. By themselves. Poor Guidos.)
My love for TAR isn't as intense as it used to be, but I've been enjoying it again for the past few seasons. This season there are no actual assholes that I've noticed, which is really nice. Looking at the field right now, there are only a few teams I would rather didn't make it to the final four, but that's mostly because there are a few teams I hope really do. I'm not actively rooting against anyone, which is sort of refreshing.
Random observations on this week's episode:
I'm never thrilled with challenges that require the racers to drink alcohol, especially when both team members have to partake. So the whole episode loses a couple of points for that, even though clearly the teams where one person didn't drink didn't share the beer equally. They still had to take at least a sip, and you just shouldn't require that. (also, omg, that was a lot of beer for one person to drink.)
Best camera angle of the night was the soccer ball careening straight for the camera and then bonking it. Hee!
Worst camera angle of the night: watching Brent throw up. Seriously, camerapeople, you just had to get that on film? I mean, fine, you didn't get the entire thing, but the sound effects followed by the post-vomiting spitting was just ew.
On to the teams:
- I'm liking the cowboys more every week - competent, smart, funny but not trying too hard with it, and taking every challenge in stride. I was thinking last week that so far they'd been strong, but they were also in their relative comfort zone, and I wanted to see how they did once they were out of it. Turns out they do just fine! (Also, their hats don't come off unless they want them to. Good lord. Or should I say, "oh, my gravy". That was some impressive hattage, there, but they must have killer headaches all the time! Also, after all of that "no, I won't take my hat off to bungee jump, it will stay on my head, for it is a Cowboy Hat", I was totally shocked to see... whichever one it was in the cab with his hat off. It's like he was NAKED.) (Having gone back to look at the credits, it was Cord with his hat off. Jet wears the black hat. Which is a very handy mnemonic, if I'd ever bothered to notice it. *kof*)
They wobbled a bit by taking the train instead of a cab (noooooo, never take a train!), but at least several other teams did the same thing, so they didn't lose their entire lead, and they figured out that it had been the wrong call. I was really impressed with how fast they got the soccer challenge, too; it pays to be athletic! They're currently my top favorites.
- I've been rooting for Steve and Allie since the beginning; I don't quite have a handle on them yet, but I like what I've seen so far, since it seems like there's a lot of respect and affection on both sides. I hope they stick around longer, so they get more screen time.
I was cracking up at the whole "this was the best challenge in the world for him. All he ever wants is a beer!" thing. They rocked the soccer, too - again with the athleticism. Second favorites for me, even though I don't think they'll make final four. (I could be wrong, but while I think they're physically strong enough to go the distance, they're not yet showing any real sign of being canny enough racers - too middle of the pack, despite tonight's second-place showing.)
- I'm also liking Dan and Jordan more and more; I usually like sibling teams a lot (cf cowboys), and they're fitting that mold for me. But wtf, CBS, why did you cut away from Jordan smooching Dan on the cheek for going on the race to make Jordan happy? Dan was awesome on the bungee jump with Brandy, too; I really liked the way he looked at her to check that she was okay before he told the operator they were good to go, and the way he just talked her through that entire jump. These are good guys, here. *approves* Third favorites.
- The cops have gone up in my estimation; I've been sort of crankily amused that they've come in last the lat two races after all of their "oh, we're so strong, of course we'll win every leg" posturing before the race, but they did well tonight, and really earned that win.
I sort of loved their interview about how their sauerkraut-eating and beer-drinking skills balanced each other out. Hee! Also, clearly Phil was delighted with their win, or at least their reaction to it, and Phil is always to be trusted. (... well. usually. we have disagreed about one or two teams in the past. MIRNA.)
I did have a moment of being cranky on behalf of the cowboys since the cops pulled ahead only because Jet and Cord stood there at the Intersection yelling "LOOOUUIIEEEEEEE" until they looked over, but J&C also said they would have missed the part about the Metro being the subway without the cops, so that evens out in the end.
I'm pretty much indifferent to the other teams at this point - which probably means three of them will make it to the final four.
I finally went and looked all the remaining teams up on the CBS site, though, and was a little surprised: of the 16 people remaining, 1 is over 50, 5 are over 40, and 3 are over 30. Only 7 are under 30, and there are only two teams where both people are in their 20s. I think this is the oldest-skewing race I've seen.
My love for TAR isn't as intense as it used to be, but I've been enjoying it again for the past few seasons. This season there are no actual assholes that I've noticed, which is really nice. Looking at the field right now, there are only a few teams I would rather didn't make it to the final four, but that's mostly because there are a few teams I hope really do. I'm not actively rooting against anyone, which is sort of refreshing.
Random observations on this week's episode:
I'm never thrilled with challenges that require the racers to drink alcohol, especially when both team members have to partake. So the whole episode loses a couple of points for that, even though clearly the teams where one person didn't drink didn't share the beer equally. They still had to take at least a sip, and you just shouldn't require that. (also, omg, that was a lot of beer for one person to drink.)
Best camera angle of the night was the soccer ball careening straight for the camera and then bonking it. Hee!
Worst camera angle of the night: watching Brent throw up. Seriously, camerapeople, you just had to get that on film? I mean, fine, you didn't get the entire thing, but the sound effects followed by the post-vomiting spitting was just ew.
On to the teams:
- I'm liking the cowboys more every week - competent, smart, funny but not trying too hard with it, and taking every challenge in stride. I was thinking last week that so far they'd been strong, but they were also in their relative comfort zone, and I wanted to see how they did once they were out of it. Turns out they do just fine! (Also, their hats don't come off unless they want them to. Good lord. Or should I say, "oh, my gravy". That was some impressive hattage, there, but they must have killer headaches all the time! Also, after all of that "no, I won't take my hat off to bungee jump, it will stay on my head, for it is a Cowboy Hat", I was totally shocked to see... whichever one it was in the cab with his hat off. It's like he was NAKED.) (Having gone back to look at the credits, it was Cord with his hat off. Jet wears the black hat. Which is a very handy mnemonic, if I'd ever bothered to notice it. *kof*)
They wobbled a bit by taking the train instead of a cab (noooooo, never take a train!), but at least several other teams did the same thing, so they didn't lose their entire lead, and they figured out that it had been the wrong call. I was really impressed with how fast they got the soccer challenge, too; it pays to be athletic! They're currently my top favorites.
- I've been rooting for Steve and Allie since the beginning; I don't quite have a handle on them yet, but I like what I've seen so far, since it seems like there's a lot of respect and affection on both sides. I hope they stick around longer, so they get more screen time.
I was cracking up at the whole "this was the best challenge in the world for him. All he ever wants is a beer!" thing. They rocked the soccer, too - again with the athleticism. Second favorites for me, even though I don't think they'll make final four. (I could be wrong, but while I think they're physically strong enough to go the distance, they're not yet showing any real sign of being canny enough racers - too middle of the pack, despite tonight's second-place showing.)
- I'm also liking Dan and Jordan more and more; I usually like sibling teams a lot (cf cowboys), and they're fitting that mold for me. But wtf, CBS, why did you cut away from Jordan smooching Dan on the cheek for going on the race to make Jordan happy? Dan was awesome on the bungee jump with Brandy, too; I really liked the way he looked at her to check that she was okay before he told the operator they were good to go, and the way he just talked her through that entire jump. These are good guys, here. *approves* Third favorites.
- The cops have gone up in my estimation; I've been sort of crankily amused that they've come in last the lat two races after all of their "oh, we're so strong, of course we'll win every leg" posturing before the race, but they did well tonight, and really earned that win.
I sort of loved their interview about how their sauerkraut-eating and beer-drinking skills balanced each other out. Hee! Also, clearly Phil was delighted with their win, or at least their reaction to it, and Phil is always to be trusted. (... well. usually. we have disagreed about one or two teams in the past. MIRNA.)
I did have a moment of being cranky on behalf of the cowboys since the cops pulled ahead only because Jet and Cord stood there at the Intersection yelling "LOOOUUIIEEEEEEE" until they looked over, but J&C also said they would have missed the part about the Metro being the subway without the cops, so that evens out in the end.
I'm pretty much indifferent to the other teams at this point - which probably means three of them will make it to the final four.
I finally went and looked all the remaining teams up on the CBS site, though, and was a little surprised: of the 16 people remaining, 1 is over 50, 5 are over 40, and 3 are over 30. Only 7 are under 30, and there are only two teams where both people are in their 20s. I think this is the oldest-skewing race I've seen.
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Date: 2010-03-09 02:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-10 03:39 am (UTC)