I skipped the last couple of seasons, because I didn’t care for the gimmicks, but tonight’s opening looks pretty solid.
Besides, stubborn animals, stupid Americans, and third-worlders laughing at both never get old.
The season where they had the black family, whose last name was actually “Black”, and they went into a place and said, “Hi, we’re the Black family” was great for the look on the faces of the people there.
Good opening, particularly since we’ll be visiting Panama in the next year or so with the thought of retiring there. Plus one of the two most annoying teams got to go home (Team “Fun”, you’re next).
I think it’s going to be a strong season.
What a great season this is turning out to be. Nice to see the show returning to real clues instead of “Go here, Dummy”.
And Michael (the butcher) is flat-out awesome.
OK. Maybe not so much.
Thanks for the heads up. I totally forgot the new season should have started by now. I hope CBS.com still has all the episodes up.
All 5 episodes of the season are still up on the CBS website, thankfully. I watched the first episode. I love this season’s gimmick of strangers racing together and how they implemented it in the opening episode.
For the most part it sounds like most teams ended up with their ideal teammates, except for 2 teams, who are actually quite funny to watch.
One interesting side effect of letting the teams pick each other is that we have an Alpha Males team again. Now, there are several seasons of the show in recent years that I haven’t watched, but in the beginning of the show, the first two seasons were won by Alpha Male teams. Basically two fit guys teamed up together. The only reason Season 3’s Alpha Male team got eliminated is because Flo unknowingly told them to go the wrong way. She was trying to help them but ended up getting them eliminated. And then Flo & Zach ended up winning the race. And then Season 4 was also won by an Alpha Male team.
Season 5 onwards they seem to realize the pattern and got rid of Alpha Male teams altogether. Season 5 didn’t have one, Season 6 didn’t have one, Season 7, 8, 9 didn’t have one, etc. The only way they let two guys team up from then was to have a father son team or two gay guys team, or that sort of thing. Never again an Alpha Male team, as far as I know.
Until now. One of the teams this time is “The Boys”, and I think they could win the whole thing. There’s a reason they stopped casting this type of team. But no the Race you never know. Just like Season 3 showed, one mistake at a critical time and even the strong Alpha Male team can get eliminated.
@Rock8man - Have you watched all 5 legs? Because Team Rumproast would have been my pick to win through the 4th leg, but they just got real lucky on leg 5. I’m not so sure they can take it, since Michael apparently doesn’t do so great under pressure
I have not. I’ve only watched the first two. So I’ll read your post after I’ve seen the next three. :P
Team Rumproast will probably make it through this next leg somehow. But it’s going to take some mending. Michael is such an idiot, getting hung up on something so small with that stupid map. Yes Michael, the map doesn’t magically tell you which way is north like a compass does, but she just meant the top of the map, not north, when judged by the landmarks on it. Sheesh. Let it go already.
I love how the show teased you at the end. Did they really find a secret elevator that will take them to the top of the mountain? Keep watching and find out! :)
I don’t know that I would call him an idiot. He’s a very good racer when things go right (Freddie Mercury) but freaks out under pressure.
Brooke, on the other hand, needs to get off my television immediately.
I don’t know, I’m kind of loving how much Brooke and her partner hate each other. Their blatant ‘telling the camera how much their partner sucks’ confessionals that happen while the partner is standing right next to them rolling their eyes had me laughing out loud multiple times. The tension there is really palpable. I like them both individually, but they really do get on each other’s nerves so much.
Btw, I’m so glad whiny Shamir is off the show. His partner really got screwed, she seemed very strong and capable and probably could have gotten much farther with a better partner.
I couldn’t take her incessant whining when making the ladle.
We just watched this episode and oh my God the ladle whining drove me up the wall
My god, Lake Como looked gorgeous. I need to go there before I die.
It looked expensive though. I bet getting a speedboat taxi to get around isn’t cheap.
I was thinking the same thing. The restaurant on wheels looked pretty cool too.
But more Brooke whining. Jesus. It’s not like she got knocked out and shanghaied onto the show. I assume she applied. Did she think she was going on Big Brother or something?
Anyone who’s ever watched 5 minutes of TAR knows that if you’re you you can expect two things:
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There’s going to be climbing and/or rappelling
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You’re going to have to drive a car with a manual transmission.
I admire Brooke a lot. Despite all her whining, she got through it. That wasn’t the type of climb where you’re getting much help from gravity (rappelling) or external sources. That takes a lot of upper body strength, and I certainly wouldn’t have been able to do it. Say what you will about her panic and freakouts, so far, she has gotten things done despite it.
Venice always looks so… run down and dirty. I’m glad I got to see it in the second half of Assassin’s Creed II, since I have no desire to see that city in real life.
I’ve never been there but my sister has and she said the canals really stink.