The Amazing Race -- All-Purpose Thread

I agree. It definitely adds a little twist as far as that. And, there might come a time when it truly makes a difference when a team decides to do what, like, weather or light/darkness might enter into things, or the task with relation to fatigue levels might matter, etc. I guess we'll see.

I'm disappointed they've eliminated the non-elimination legs altogether. Perhaps there should've been fewer second chances, but to have none? Something (and, obviously, someone) is lost. I think they should've kept one -- thus making it really something to hope for, and, kind of, sort of, earn, and it truly would be much, much appreciated by whichever team got that second chance.

 

Oh, and I realized my welcome to the new pool entrants was incomplete. I overlooked Mrs. TigerVols and I'm sorry for that. I'm glad she's playing, too. It's great to have some new participants -- even if a couple of them are sitting pretty atop the pool already, right off the bat!

 

Whew.

Thanks for including me. But I was stressed this week.

 

Also, I officially want to go to Austria.

 

Austria is BEAUTIFUL. I've been to Innsbruck, where some of the Olympic stuff still is (the cauldron, rings, and ski jump, from my memory) and so is Salzburg.

I did feel like the challenges this leg were unfairly balanced, basically being all music / rhythm challenges, especially on a Race with no non-elim legs. Also, how far out of their way DID Quinton and Mattie drive?? They're lucky they can dance.

Pool update:
UNC Grad - Derek & Claire | 30
Huggy - Marcus & Michael | 28
MRS TigerVols - Glenda & Lumumba | 21
MTM - Linton & Sharik | 18
WolvEagle - Emily & Molly | 13
WriteThinking - Quinton & Mattie | 12
TigerVols - Abby & Will | 11
Wenders - Luis & Michelle | 10
bumpy mcgee - Rich & Dom | 7
*tea and ease - Tim & Rex | 7
nietsroob17 - Aubrey & David | 6
*Aastha & Nina | 1
* team has been eliminated

 

I haven't watched this week's episode yet (not on yet on the west coast), but I'm with you. I've wanted to go to Austria forever -- or least since, well...honestly, since the hills first came alive with the sound of music. I'm an unabashed fan of "The Sound of Music," and the movie was my first exposure to Austria; a good friend's friends (who came from Austria) and their tales of spending summers bicycle-riding through the alps were my second exposure to the country.

I hope an in-person visit, someday, will be my third.

 

My team T-Rex didn't last long, but I sure enjoyed watching Rex yodel.

 

Ironically, this week's Austria episode aired at the same time that the Austria episode from the Unfinished Business season (18) aired on the Amazing Race channel on the Pluto app.

 

I'm not in the pool but a regular TAR watcher. I'm curious how producers cast the show and the thought that goes into teams' strengths. Obviously, it's important to have some kind of unique hook (long-lost twins, NFL coach), but what other qualities are best to have?

Clearly, it's not just physical, although you have to have stamina. Common sense seems important. There's always some choreography/musical challenge. Memorization plays a part along the way. Seems like many of the challenges favor balance and coordination over brute strength. And you've gotta have an internal compass.

If you were creating the ideal TAR team, what qualities would they possess?

 

Considering my husband and daughter did an open audition, never making it past that first round, it's safe to assume no one in my family has a clue.

 

Yeah, I was disappointed for you that they got eliminated.

Listening to Rex try to yodel -- something I've seen a couple of times is a lot harder than it seems like it would be -- I kept feeling like, "Well, he's never going to live this down..."

 

I've always gotten the sense that, generally speaking, they're looking for adventurers -- people who are kind of outdoorsy, maybe risk-takers, or else, people able to express the importance of life experiences and/or their reasons for seeking them, and what they hope to get out of them. They want people who are interesting -- they've lived interesting lives so far, and either they compliment, or else, combat each other, or they're fun/extraverted/nice, and either combative or cooperative with each other, or with the potential to grow from one to the other.

The demands of the race sort of make it so participants must be in decent physical shape -- not that they can't have a physical or physiological challenge (their have been deaf participants, dwarves, amputees), but otherwise, they need to be in good shape, have good stamina and a certain amount of relative strength and good health. A certain amount of charisma, articulateness and camera-friendliness probably doesn't hurt, either. The audition videotapes probably play a huge role in any team's selection to the show.

I think the show's goal, ultimately, is a bit spiritual/philosophical in nature. It seeks for participants to change, hopefully for the better, to grow, to expand their horizons and open their minds and hearts through seeing, doing experiencing, and sharing things that they probably never would otherwise, in places and cultures that they might never encounter on their own.

I've always thought the show does a good job of that, so much so that it seems too bad, sometimes, that the contestants actually have to race through it all, rather than take their time and immerse and take things in even better.