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The Grand Tour |OT| ...of the world
- Thread starter enzo_gt
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The Johannesburg studio segment was filmed a loooooong time ago, well before the first episode. That could explain why some of the transitions were a bit awkward.
I definitely prefer when they're doing challenges, even if they're scripted, that allow for some more natural banter. The military part definitely was not that.
I definitely prefer when they're doing challenges, even if they're scripted, that allow for some more natural banter. The military part definitely was not that.
Bitch Pudding
Member
Didn't like that military part, either. And given certain segments oif the season's trailer, we're not done with it yet.
eyeball_kid
Member
Yeah the SAS portion was really bad compared to equivalent Top Gear segments. Not only the editing, but just the pointlessness of it. They're at their best when things are a bit unscripted, but this was the opposite of that.
I cannot express how much I dislike the American driver, and it makes me furious at Amazon that he's the new Stig for all episodes. Why do they think that the Top Gear audience suddenly needs to have an Americanized version of the show? The redneck schtick is embarrassing.
As pointless as the Tyres und Smoke event was, I was impressed at the acrobatics on and around the cars. I noticed the shot of the hookah...I wonder if this is primarily an Arab-centric event? It reminded me of the episode of a crew in a Middle Eastern country doing car acrobatics. Actually I don't remember if I saw that on Top Gear or Anthony Bourdain.
I cannot express how much I dislike the American driver, and it makes me furious at Amazon that he's the new Stig for all episodes. Why do they think that the Top Gear audience suddenly needs to have an Americanized version of the show? The redneck schtick is embarrassing.
As pointless as the Tyres und Smoke event was, I was impressed at the acrobatics on and around the cars. I noticed the shot of the hookah...I wonder if this is primarily an Arab-centric event? It reminded me of the episode of a crew in a Middle Eastern country doing car acrobatics. Actually I don't remember if I saw that on Top Gear or Anthony Bourdain.
newtypepilot
Member
omg who the hell thought the army bit was a good idea?? It just dragged on and on and on... It's just terrible.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
That was a tedious episode. It almost felt like they had access to something they thought was cool, a special training course, and then tried to fit some cars into it.
Special Forces thing would have probably worked better if they had included tons of military vehicles. Show is still about cars or not, why not use the hundreds car variations the military has. Race them against or crash them or more heist stuff with them.
Because of the dragging SpecOps thing it felt like a step down from Ep 1. Everything else, well it's Top Gear with a new name, what are people expecting ? Macbeth writing?
Still enjoyable.
Because of the dragging SpecOps thing it felt like a step down from Ep 1. Everything else, well it's Top Gear with a new name, what are people expecting ? Macbeth writing?
Still enjoyable.
Don'tBeWeird
Member
I loved the SAS part.
*shrugs*
*shrugs*
Arthr2ShdsJcksn
Banned
Actually liked the SAS part... not sure why they did it, but it was entertaining.
The celebrity thing needs to die, and I still don't like the American.
The celebrity thing needs to die, and I still don't like the American.
SprachBrooks
Member
The American is one-dimensional. The SAS part was horrendous. They're at their best when given a challenge using real cars, none of this set-piece stuff.
That celebrity part stopped being funny after Renner dropped from an airplane. Anyway, here's hoping next week's is better.
EDIT: It was satisfying seeing James shoot the queen though. Extreme republicanism but yeah, fuck the Royal Family lol.
That celebrity part stopped being funny after Renner dropped from an airplane. Anyway, here's hoping next week's is better.
EDIT: It was satisfying seeing James shoot the queen though. Extreme republicanism but yeah, fuck the Royal Family lol.
Fallout-NL
Member
Straw man.
I expect them to not write as much and just talk about cars.
Yup. Seeing them walk around the cars they have chosen and placing them in some kind of (automotive) historical perspective / verbally ragging on them is when Top Gear is best.
Wow, that was God awful, stilted, unfunny, boring, contrived, it feels like a load of film students made a homage to Top Gear, the whole 'here comes the celebrity, oh no they've died' is just utterly bizarre, and I can't get my head around the 'stig' what's that all about?.
And the production is nowhere near as slick as Top Gear.
And the production is nowhere near as slick as Top Gear.
Weaker episode than last, that Vulkan is a god damn beauty - Missed opportunity not letting Hammond try it out, bet they could have fit 3 of him in that thing.
The SAS segment was funny to begin with, I was actually laughing out loud at Clarkson rappelling out of the helicopter. It just dragged on though.
Would take a car based challenge over that sort of thing any day.
As for the "American", I feel like they're building up to bringing on their own Stigg - Probably kill the American off in a big spectacle.
The SAS segment was funny to begin with, I was actually laughing out loud at Clarkson rappelling out of the helicopter. It just dragged on though.
Would take a car based challenge over that sort of thing any day.
As for the "American", I feel like they're building up to bringing on their own Stigg - Probably kill the American off in a big spectacle.
Cow1337killr
Banned
Yeah, i'm calling this too.
Dee Dah Dave
Member
I think they have gimped the format to cater to the Americans, while forgetting that the British based style and humour was the recipe for success.
The trio were already trying too hard to top their previous best episodes, now they also aren't even getting the basics right.
The trio were already trying too hard to top their previous best episodes, now they also aren't even getting the basics right.
Dynamite Shikoku
Congratulations, you really deserve it!
I was hoping this show was going to have a lot of challenges and road trip stuff, but if they are doubling down on the over the top scripted shit that top gear had become then ill pass.
I enjoyed that quite a lot more than I expected TBH. Don't think it's nowhere near as worse as people are making it out to be.
Pros:
- Conversation Street continues to be great. Unsurprising because the News was one of the best bits of Top Gear.
- Vulcan segment was great, some really astonishing cinematography there.
- Celebrity Braincrash is hilarious and I hope they keep this as a tradition.
- Spinning bit was good, I'd love to see them delve into car culture at all of their different stops around the world, as a regular part of their show.
- I enjoyed watching the feature segment, it dragged a bit in areas but it was chock full of classic Top Gear banter and humour and was really just an elongated Audi S8 Plus test. I can totally understand people thinking there's way too much set up or context to the actual car bits, but that it wasn't enjoyable? Don't agree. Also from the last episode we already know this and the Barbados episode are exceptions in the season so we already know it will still mostly be car-centric.
Cons:
- Don't really like the animated intro. Cheesy and not very automotive-centric. It's super bland. The actual driving to the tent bit is great though.
- A few really quick, sudden, unnatural feeling cuts in both episodes' studio segments that were not present in Top Gear. It's really noticeable and jarring.
- The American's lines is still bad, worst part of the show by FAR.
- Just a lot of the Top Gear-isms that they've slightly modified for use in the new show feel weird, like when they say they're about to do the news or introduce The American with a "some say." IMO they need to drop a lot of the "haha isn't it funny we're not Top Gear" jokes and mannerisms. It's cute at first but now there isn't much cleverness to it, but that might also be due to BBC's lawyers. But then again, why not just say things completely differently?
Pros:
- Conversation Street continues to be great. Unsurprising because the News was one of the best bits of Top Gear.
- Vulcan segment was great, some really astonishing cinematography there.
- Celebrity Braincrash is hilarious and I hope they keep this as a tradition.
- Spinning bit was good, I'd love to see them delve into car culture at all of their different stops around the world, as a regular part of their show.
- I enjoyed watching the feature segment, it dragged a bit in areas but it was chock full of classic Top Gear banter and humour and was really just an elongated Audi S8 Plus test. I can totally understand people thinking there's way too much set up or context to the actual car bits, but that it wasn't enjoyable? Don't agree. Also from the last episode we already know this and the Barbados episode are exceptions in the season so we already know it will still mostly be car-centric.
Cons:
- Don't really like the animated intro. Cheesy and not very automotive-centric. It's super bland. The actual driving to the tent bit is great though.
- A few really quick, sudden, unnatural feeling cuts in both episodes' studio segments that were not present in Top Gear. It's really noticeable and jarring.
- The American's lines is still bad, worst part of the show by FAR.
- Just a lot of the Top Gear-isms that they've slightly modified for use in the new show feel weird, like when they say they're about to do the news or introduce The American with a "some say." IMO they need to drop a lot of the "haha isn't it funny we're not Top Gear" jokes and mannerisms. It's cute at first but now there isn't much cleverness to it, but that might also be due to BBC's lawyers. But then again, why not just say things completely differently?
I have a 4K Samsung from last year (55JU7100) and was very happy with the HDR sample clips I tried before. Tried the second episode of Grand Tour and tent segments looked fine,but the military training segment looked too dark for being in the desert in daytime and the Vulcan test seemed a bit dark too. I'm using the TV's built-in Amazon app to watch it.
Was the training segment really supposed to be a lot darker than the host tent?
Was the training segment really supposed to be a lot darker than the host tent?
thesoapster
Member
The Vulcan was cool, almost everything else mediocre to terrible (though that Mercedes replica bit was cool...also took up all of a minute). They also claimed no car before that Aston 001 thing achieved 1 HP per kilo...have they forgotten Koenigsegg? You know...an actual road car?
Honestly at this point I'm looking forward to the next season of Top Gear more now that Chris Evans is gone.
Honestly at this point I'm looking forward to the next season of Top Gear more now that Chris Evans is gone.
shitty scripted stuff was a part and parcel of top gear before Amazon became involved.
Yeah, even when using Top Gear as background noise the part where they film a car chase for an action movie gets skipped every time.
Dee Dah Dave
Member
Right, which I alluded to in the second line. They have long ago run out of good material and so rely upon heavy scripting to try and force the quality and laughs. But doing that and Americanising it is a double whammy.
I wasn't a fan of the homemade ambulance and Peugeot episodes in their last season either, though this latest Grand Tour episode took it to the extreme. Usually their overly scripted stuff is still pretty funny to me but they've had some misses lately.
If the entire show was shot the same way they shot the Vulcan scenes, I would be ecstatic. Why do they have to throw these non car skits in there? They can bring the same humor while reviewing cars or news about cars. Even with "The American" yapping away, watching him drive the Vulcan was a treat. What a raw piece of machinery that thing is.
I think this might be a PS vs. bhp conversion thing, because each company has made their claims in different units.
Not as a big of a misnomer as the electric LaFerrari error last week. Not a dealbreaker either IMO, Jeremy was clearly exaggerating when he said nothing comes close to half that etc.
Also, Britain bias lol
HyperCroutons
Member
The second episode was definitely weak and I agree with a lot of people on here that the Army Training portion was not very entertaining, way too scripted.
The one part of the episode when Jeremy was getting shot at while driving the Audi and escorting the queen would have been a cool challenge to do. They could have made an episode about secret service type vehicles and the tech they got in them to defend against attacks would have been way more interesting. Although a lot of that stuff is classified, but if they did a challenge were they would have to build bullet-proof/explosive-proof cars and test them that would've been cool.
Still looking forward to later episodes though.
The one part of the episode when Jeremy was getting shot at while driving the Audi and escorting the queen would have been a cool challenge to do. They could have made an episode about secret service type vehicles and the tech they got in them to defend against attacks would have been way more interesting. Although a lot of that stuff is classified, but if they did a challenge were they would have to build bullet-proof/explosive-proof cars and test them that would've been cool.
Still looking forward to later episodes though.
Robot Carnival
Member
not really feeling this new ep. coming off the high of the 1st ep this feels so... dry and forced. I understand the point of the special force training stuff is suppose to be fun, but with the whole flash back repeating of the early parts, it really gets old quickly. it's very obvious that the editing here needs some improvement but overall it's still enjoyable, even if it goes on for too long. I do wish they put a little more time on car. even during the silly milliary section they coulda do more, such as shoot at different cars to see which can stand up the bullets better or what not.
I guess that kinda explains it.
I guess that kinda explains it.
How is it Americanised exactly?
nightmare-slain
Gold Member
2nd episode wasn't that great. feels way too scripted. i miss the celebrities appearing and doing a lap. having someone appear and then having them die isn't gonna last. the american was OK in the first episode but it's boring already. also the military part was repeated too much and just not funny.
m_shortpants
Member
I couldn't even finish the episode. The military bit was just complete crap.
giancarlo123x
Banned
Or the over scripted shenanigans of this episode was too much and forced as shit. This was terrible compared to the awesome first one.
Fox Mulder
Member
Well people still complained when top gear went full scripted looney tunes, like the episode blowing up cars and just getting a dirty face and holding a broken steering wheel.
I was kind of hoping we'd get more car challenges in the unique locations. Otherwise, what's the point in traveling everywhere?
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