TAR discussion thread

[earendel]

This week the teams went from Krasnoyarsk to Novosibirsk, a distance of some 400 miles (it sure seems that some of the legs are rather short this time around). They had to travel using the Trans-Siberian Railroad (accompanied by an orchestra, perhaps?? ) and then perform several tasks.

Spoiler

The detour involved either driving a Russian snowplow or finding a Russian bride and delivering her to a church. I must say that those were the oddest-looking snowplows I've ever seen. Rather than push the snow aside, they scoop it up and put it into a bin (I guess). I was surprised that the cheerleaders were able to do this, especially since one of them commented that the other one didn't know how to drive a stick. The snowplow was probably a better choice than the bride - the flight attendants got lost on their way to the church.

Using Ladas was a cruel joke - they're not known for their mechanical reliability (fortunately none of them broke down) or their ease of driving. But that was part of the challenge, I guess.

As for the road block - well, any time you can get shapely girls to strip to their underwear (memo to Jen - wear underwear next time!) that's a show worth watching (and CBS has still shots of the contestants in their "bare necessities" http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/. Evidently Christi's thong was too revealing for family hour - they pixeled her behind every time they showed it.

So Margie and Luke finish first (the second time this race) and Christie and Jodi finish last. Fortunately for them it's a non-elimination leg (I said to elwing as the show started that it was about time for the first of these), so all 7 teams are still in the race.

[sunflower]

This is not a spoiler since they showed it in the preview - the underwear thing - I wonder what would have happened if someone had not been wearing any?

Overall, the last 2 episodes have bored me. I don't know if it's because the first couple were so good, that I'm now let down...or if it's just indicative of my general mood these days.

[earendel]

This is not a spoiler since they showed it in the preview - the underwear thing - I wonder what would have happened if someone had not been wearing any?

I generally spoil everything just to make sure that I don't reveal something that someone who hasn't seen it yet wouldn't want to know.

As for not having underwear, that did indeed happen - Jen had to borrow some (from her sister, I presume).

Overall, the last 2 episodes have bored me. I don't know if it's because the first couple were so good, that I'm now let down...or if it's just indicative of my general mood these days.

When the legs are so short, or when there's an "equalizer" (such as the fact that there was only one train to catch) the excitement does seem to lag a bit.

[Jeemie]

Spoiler

As soon as I saw there was only one train to catch, I knew it would be boring.

That, and also I just knew it would be a non-elimination-leg.

Having the underwear run helped, though! Some of the girls were babelicious enough to excite Shallow Jeemie!

PS I'm guessing the Siberian snowplows are so weird because Siberia gets enough snow that they actuallly have to collect it, not simply shove it into piles. However, I refuse to believe the design had to be THAT awkward. Those inefficient Commies! (although they looked easy enough to handle. Right when they announced this, I said it would be a far better option than the brides task. And it was- by and large the top finishers did the snowplow task!

[tanstaafl2]

Another episode where the break was presumably longer than the usual 12 hours as times of arrival and departure were not announced. So if they were going to give them a long break (and for the first time in a long time that I can recall they did not even bother to show each team to depart) why send them off 10+ hours before the train departs. Unless the teams were very widely spread apart after the last leg. Which seems likely given the deliberate bunching of the teams to start this leg. Then again knowing that it iwas a non elimination leg I suppose the producers wanted to keep it fairly close.

Also:

Rules for TAR (A note for Sir G and company)

1.

Spoiler

Learn to drive a stick before the race!

2.

Spoiler

Learn to drive a stick before the race!

3.

Spoiler

Learn to drive a stick before the race!

4.

Spoiler

I AM NOT KIDDING!!!! Learn to drive a stick before the race! Nearly every season has at least one episode where this skill is needed. No sympathy for anybody that can't do it.

5.

Spoiler

Men should wear big baggy boxers at all times! We don't need to see all that junk.

However bikini briefs and thongs are perfectly adequate for the ladies...

[tanstaafl2]

Also I have decided that the stunt jockeys are my new favorite team. They seem to have a good attitude about it all. Although they didn't get any love from the producers on the website for their jogging attire...

That should mean their elimination next week...

And it looks like Mountain Hardwear got to be the product placement sponsor of the week!

[KillerTomato]

Anybody know if TAR is avaiable either On Demand or online???? I thought I was taping it while I watched something else...turns out I got the two confoosed, and was taping the same show I was watching!

[earendel]

Anybody know if TAR is avaiable either On Demand or online???? I thought I was taping it while I watched something else...turns out I got the two confoosed, and was taping the same show I was watching!

Unlike NBC, CBS doesn't seem to be too keen on making their shows available online. You might try YouTube - two seasons ago I caught several episodes there. The only problem is that they are uploaded in smaller chunks.

[KillerTomato]

True, but they do puta lot of them on On Demand. I'm just not sure if this is one of them.

[Jeemie]

Anybody know if TAR is avaiable either On Demand or online???? I thought I was taping it while I watched something else...turns out I got the two confoosed, and was taping the same show I was watching!

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/

Don't know if the most recent one is uploaded- CBS' video page reacts badly to my company's firewall.

PS I went through hulu.com to find this link.

TAR is not available on demand.

[Sir_Galahad]

This is not a spoiler since they showed it in the preview - the underwear thing - I wonder what would have happened if someone had not been wearing any?

Overall, the last 2 episodes have bored me. I don't know if it's because the first couple were so good, that I'm now let down...or if it's just indicative of my general mood these days.

I hate to agree with you, Sunflower, but this has been a rather lackluster series thus far, AFAIC. They need some spice. Someone with an attitude < wink, wink >. I'm just not seeing that yet.

I wondered if they "previewed" the "Cold Run" stunt with the couples beforehand. Lady G said to me that since none of the girls were wearing a thong, they must have been briefed (so to speak). But, then the one girl does the run wearing the thong and blows that theory out. I still think they were briefed, though.

Also,

Learn to drive a stick before the race!

I drove one for 30 years before my latest vehicle, so I am well acquainted with various clutches and such. Actually, this was one of the questions they asked on the application - if you knew how to drive a stick. Now, if they asked if I knew how to drive an 18-wheeler, I would have to say "no."

Also,

nybody know if TAR is avaiable either On Demand or online???? I thought I was taping it while I watched something else...turns out I got the two confoosed, and was taping the same show I was watching!

Yes. All episodes are available on the Amazing Race website. You can even watch some of the backstage stuff and what goes on at The Elimination Station which is where the eliminated couples go.

[earendel]

I wondered if they "previewed" the "Cold Run" stunt with the couples beforehand. Lady G said to me that since none of the girls were wearing a thong, they must have been briefed (so to speak). But, then the one girl does the run wearing the thong and blows that theory out. I still think they were briefed, though.

Well, all accept Jen. She was "de-briefed" before the challenge.

[tanstaafl2]

Learn to drive a stick before the race!

I drove one for 30 years before my latest vehicle, so I am well acquainted with various clutches and such. Actually, this was one of the questions they asked on the application - if you knew how to drive a stick. Now, if they asked if I knew how to drive an 18-wheeler, I would have to say "no."

I wonder if that is a new addition to the application. Or maybe they only accept the ones who answer no because they certainly have had some lousy manual transmission drivers in the past...

Just make sure that if/when you get the call that you teach your partner the basics as well!

[sunflower]

True, but they do puta lot of them on On Demand. I'm just not sure if this is one of them.

It is not on demand at my house. So many of the CBS shows are! And unlike NBC, CBS actually gives them to you for free, so it's unfortunate it's not on demand.

[KillerTomato]

True, but they do puta lot of them on On Demand. I'm just not sure if this is one of them.

It is not on demand at my house. So many of the CBS shows are! And unlike NBC, CBS actually gives them to you for free, so it's unfortunate it's not on demand.

Well, it all depends on who produces it. Although I thought it was made by the same folks as "Survivor" and that's On Demand, so you never know.

[Jeemie]

Anybody know if TAR is avaiable either On Demand or online???? I thought I was taping it while I watched something else...turns out I got the two confoosed, and was taping the same show I was watching!

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/

Don't know if the most recent one is uploaded- CBS' video page reacts badly to my company's firewall.

PS I went through hulu.com to find this link.

TAR is not available on demand.

Sniff!

Am I invisible?

Sniff!

[Snaxx]

This week the teams went from Krasnoyarsk to Novosibirsk, a distance of some 400 miles (it sure seems that some of the legs are rather short this time around). They had to travel using the Trans-Siberian Railroad

I read in a couple of places and also looked up the schedule and found it is about a 13-hour trip depending on the train. 13 hours to go 400 miles; is it run by Amtrak?

Along the way, the show treks for the first time to Romania and Siberia, where contestants endure a 13-hour ride on the Trans-Siberian Railroad and face a major snowstorm.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/200 ... race_N.htm

[KillerTomato]

Anybody know if TAR is avaiable either On Demand or online???? I thought I was taping it while I watched something else...turns out I got the two confoosed, and was taping the same show I was watching!

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/

Don't know if the most recent one is uploaded- CBS' video page reacts badly to my company's firewall.

PS I went through hulu.com to find this link.

TAR is not available on demand.

Sniff!

Am I invisible?

Sniff!

Not A-Tall! I have limited posting ability with my iPhone, since A) I can't cut and paste and B) long replies confoose the thing, since it can only handle one scrolling action,and the reply box is embedded inside the main page, so I can't scroll within it. Therefore,replying to a longish post is difficult. I didn't mean to imply i was only replying to one person; I do appreciate everyone's responses!

[tanstaafl2]

This week the teams went from Krasnoyarsk to Novosibirsk, a distance of some 400 miles (it sure seems that some of the legs are rather short this time around). They had to travel using the Trans-Siberian Railroad

I read in a couple of places and also looked up the schedule and found it is about a 13-hour trip depending on the train. 13 hours to go 400 miles; is it run by Amtrak?

Given it takes place in November in Siberia, where it is already below freezing and snowing and the train is likely the primary and often times perhaps the only consistently reliable form of transportation in an isolated and potentially stormy region I am guessing it takes its time making the trip for good reason! I don't know if it makes any stops along the way as well. If it is the express or "firmenny" train then perhaps not but otherwise it probably does. If so I suspect that tends to slow things down a wee bit as well. The schedule I found suggests at least 4 stops between the two cities.

Trans Siberian Railway

And having done an overnight train trip a few times I can certainly say that stopping and starting, with the associated noise and jerking motion that is involved, is a great way to insure a remarkably poor night of rest!

[takinover]

If someone misses an episode in the future, the show reruns on the Travel Channel later in the week. It just went off here.

[sunflower]

If someone misses an episode in the future, the show reruns on the Travel Channel later in the week. It just went off here.

YES! I figured that out last night a couple hours before it went on. I just finished watching it (I DVR-ed it last night)...now I only need to wait 5.5 hours for the new episode!