The Amazing Race -- All-Purpose Thread

I'd probably have been Claire on that tight-rope-walking flag challenge, both during and after. I'm not sure I could've done it, even knowing that I has wearing a harness.

Boy, I guess everyone was lucky they managed to guess correctly on their flags, and thus, didn't have to go experience it again. (I was very surprised at that).

I like all the teams left, but was sorry to see Micheal and Marcus eliminated. It just feels like they should be in the final leg(s).

 

Anyone else feel like they just watched an hour long Expedia commercial? I know they're a huge sponsor, but between all of the prizes and this leg? come on. (cough where's my Travelocity Roaming Gnome?!?!)

I don't know if we've ever really run into someone as inept at swimming as David. I never took formal swimming lessons but I can at least doggy paddle. I have also been snorkeling without much issue. As soon as I saw the second task, after he had such issue with the canyoning Road Block, I was like...this ain't good for them.

I'm pretty blown away that Claire nailed the volcano challenge in one go.

Pool update:
UNC Grad - Derek & Claire | 85
Wenders - Luis & Michelle | 81
*Huggy - Marcus & Michael | 69
WolvEagle - Emily & Molly | 55
*WriteThinking - Quinton & Mattie | 32
*MRS TigerVols - Glenda & Lumumba | 30
*nietsroob17 - Aubrey & David | 29
*TigerVols - Abby & Will | 26
*MTM - Linton & Sharik | 21
*bumpy mcgee - Rich & Dom | 8
*tea and ease - Tim & Rex | 7
*Aastha & Nina | 1
* team has been eliminated

And then there were two...it's just me and you, @UNCGrad, for all the bragging rights.

 

I don't know about an Expedia commercial, but I really liked this episode. It definitely felt like I was watching The Amazing Race, and I enjoyed it immensely.

Some of it could've been because I plan to go to Iceland soon (in the next year or so), and am looking forward to it, so I was happy to get a good more-than-sneak peak. But the challenges also felt very TAR-esque, and the competitiveness fair and square.

Water can be a scary thing for people if they don't feel reasonably confident in their swimming. I've never done any canyoning, but I would imagine that would be doubly true of water in caves and/or canyons. I felt for Aubrey and especially David because of that, but their real problem was having gotten so many of the memory parts of the task wrong, too. With only a couple of things to correct, as Molly and Emily had, there might've been a much closer race to the pit stop.

And, just to note it: When, oh when, will TAR participants make sure they know how to drive a stick-shift car?! It's incredible how, every season, this comes up and becomes a problem, or even a potentially devastating issue, for one or more of the teams.

 

I thought those particular jeeps/ trucks had two (drive trains) that complicated things. Regardless if not, your point stands. A wonderful leg IMO. As Tina Fey says, "I want to go to there".

 

Yes, the impression I got was it was not your typical stick shift. All of the teams hopped in and were like, "wtf", so I don't think it was anyone's lack of stick shift knowledge, so much as something a little strange about the jeeps.

I'm not saying I didn't like the ep, I definitely want to visit. One of my friends went a few years ago and her main gripe was having to go back to the hotel every night. She says she would rather rent a motorhome and merrily drive around the island without being tethered to a hotel for sleeping and showering purposes.

 

My 12 year old daughter is obsessed with Iceland. The 'Iceland Dream Fund,' is getting a large contribution from Christmas gift money this year.

 

With no airports to contend with, this was a SUPER tight final leg.

Also there is zero way I would have been able to do the bridge challenge. I don't even know if I would have been able to get off the ground. that looked terrifying.

The final location of the Ryman was hella awesome though. Derek also had a huge advantage, I think, in knowing how to play the piano. Memorizing notes versus random keys? Super interesting final memory challenge.

Pool update:
UNC Grad - Derek & Claire | 98
*Wenders - Luis & Michelle | 82
*Huggy - Marcus & Michael | 69
*WolvEagle - Emily & Molly | 57
*WriteThinking - Quinton & Mattie | 32
*MRS TigerVols - Glenda & Lumumba | 30
*nietsroob17 - Aubrey & David | 29
*TigerVols - Abby & Will | 26
*MTM - Linton & Sharik | 21
*bumpy mcgee - Rich & Dom | 8
*tea and ease - Tim & Rex | 7
*Aastha & Nina | 1
* team has been eliminated

CONGRATS @UNCGrad! You are the official winner of the TAR Season 34 SJ Pool!

 

Noticed Tim & Rex were MIA at the finish line.

 

As usual, I enjoyed the final leg, and The Amazing Race, in general. It's always exciting to watch the final leg, and oftentimes, I find it somewhat emotional and inspirational. That was the case this time, and I was sorry to see the season come to an end.

It was an interesting last leg, with that bridge climb, which looked potentially terrifying if you looked around too much, or thought about it too much, and that final memory challenge, which I'm not surprised everyone found...well, challenging, both in terms of figuring it out to begin with, and then completing it in a timely, hopefully, race-winning way.

I'd thought that Derek and Claire would win. As I was throughout the race, though, I was pleasantly surprised and pretty impressed with Emily and Molly. That last leg had to have strained Emily's knee in the extreme, and yet she performed well, and Molly picked up any slack, as she'd done all race long. And I just liked Luis and Michelle. They were competitive but positive, and remained so throughout the race and right to the end.

 

I think I've read, or maybe found out here (or both), that this was supposed to be the last season of The Amazing Race. Is that so?

I hope not. It really is a worthwhile show, and experience for the participants.

 

Note to self: Get to the Gibson Garage when I am in Nashville for the NHL Draft next June.

Thanks, Wenders, as always, for doing this!

 

It lives. Season 35 is/was supposedly in production, and Phil did a promo for people to try out for the show at the end of this week's finale.

"The Amazing Race" season 35: Everything we know so far