I think last week was probably supposed to be a non-elimination leg, though. I know that last season, in Hungary, there was supposed to be a non-elim, but the producers found out at the last minute that begging is illegal in Hungary, so they had to make it a "to be continued" leg.Mega Man's Electric Sheep said:
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The OFFICIAL Amazing Race - Season 7 Thread
- Thread starter Manics
- Start date
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ShadowRed said:
So by that reasoning, they shouldn't even be allowed to have TAXI rides since those are indigenous people escorting them from point to point. Where does it end? Should they only be allowed to ask for directions but not have any locals come with them? Maybe they should just rent cars the whole time and never have anyone drive them anywhere because one team might get a really good taxi driver who knows exactly where a place is, while another team gets a fuckup who gets them lost.
I see the point you are making and I agree only a bit. I think it's ok for them to get detailed directions / help from a local, but maybe they shouldn't be allowed to load a local into their car with them and have him be the escort for the day. It's a fine line.
ShadowRed said:
ShadowRed said:
Now, this is just stupid. You talk about language barriers and being in a foreign country. Wouldn't those two facts make the task of finding a guide infinitely harder? You make it sound like Rob is having a guide every damn leg of the race to get from point to point and that getting a guide is an easy feat. The thing is, how the hell do you even convince a complete stranger to follow you for the entire day, bringing you from point to point?
Let's also not forget that Rob & Amber had to contend with the guide having to squeeze into the cab with them. The extra weight of the guide in the cab probably slows them down by a significant amount as well. Those cabs aren't SUVs, you know?
A big part of the race is finding the next task. Sure. But a bigger part of the race is how you actually go about it. Getting a guide is just another way of going about it.
It's already the 7th season of The Amazing Race. Guides have been used in the past and it sounds like such a completely idiot-proof strategy that other teams in the past would have probably thought about it. The thing is that those other teams just haven't been able to pull it off as well as Rob and Amber.
ElyrionX said:
And I think that's the real problem people have; they think Rob and Amber have an unfair advantage. I disagree and all, but they do have that line of argument.
The Race, in maybe the first season, was about "Clues" but it's now evolved into "Directions". They know what they're going to, they have access to maps and locals...it's about how you do in tasks and the airport strategy. That's really the only strategy involved anymore; getting from place to place by Taxi is rarely overly difficult, and even when it is a guide would not be a surefire answer.
BigJonsson
Member
Wow
That backfired
That backfired
BigJonsson
Member
lol
who lets an old lady do a CLIMBING challenge
SOMEONE SHUT HER THE FUCK UP
who lets an old lady do a CLIMBING challenge
SOMEONE SHUT HER THE FUCK UP
BigJonsson
Member
Damn
Now that is bittersweet
Now that is bittersweet
Baron Aloha
A Shining Example
I hope the old couple wins personally.
Ron is an idiot, Rob & Amber are arrogant, and Uchenna & Joyce never clicked with me.
Ron is an idiot, Rob & Amber are arrogant, and Uchenna & Joyce never clicked with me.
JC10001 said:
FINALLY saw the episode on replay last night as I missed it last Tuesday. All I have to say is, the old couple does NOT deserve to win. Of the 4 remaining teams, I would agree with any of them winning but not Meredith and Gretchen. They have made the most boneheaded mistakes of any team and have only gotten through by sheer luck and help from other teams. Hell even in the preview for this week, you see Uchenna helping them do a challenge cause they aren't phyiscally able. I mean c'mon -- every team is striving for the million and you're down to 4 teams and you wanna actually HELP another team finish a task?? That sort of goes against the entire challenge of racing doesn't it?
Rob's little game about the earlier flight backfired on him, but there was really nothing they could do more. They asked several different people if there was an earlier flight and they received misinformation each time. I don't know how Uchenna got the earlier flight, but it was his luck that helped Meredith and Gretchen tag-along to the 2 hour lead and ultimately 2nd place. They should be eliminated on Tuesday baring another miracle.
Baron Aloha
A Shining Example
Manics said:
Like it or not luck plays a huge part in the game....moreso than skill IMO. You can be the smartest and most skilled team there but one or two bad breaks and you can come in last place. That's just the way the game is.
And I honestly don't think having THAT physical of a challenge is fair so I'm glad Uchenna is helping them. Why have old people compete in the race if you are going to place an impossible barrier in front of them? That doesn't seem right to me.
JC10001 said:
Impossible barrier? It's clearly not impossible; hell, it's even a detour option, so chances are they would be able to choose something else.
I don't want Gretchen and Meredith to win at all; I really dislike them. However, I'm not going to be angry about their luck either. I really don't think they have a chance in hell, because as time goes forward they will eventually find themselves lagging behind.
Lonely College Student
Member
New episode tonight (5/03/05).....
Racers risk unconfirmed seats on an earlier flight in an attempt to get an edge on their competition; one racer shares a stranger's tube of lipstick while begging for money and personal provisions.
Considering what happened last week, Team Black and team old people should have known to check other sources before buying their tickets. Dumb fucking move. Then Team Black was killing me with their not wanting to get a cab. I was screaming at the TV, "GET A FUCKING CAB YOU ASSES!!!!" Rob and Amber always getting a local to guide them around is really fucking getting on my nerves, as well as the morons who will read this and defend them doing so. Yes it's a little late change the rules now, but they have to do something next season about this crap. Sure everyone could do the same thing Rob and Amber are doing but I believe the other teams know it would go against the spirit of the game to do so. As much as I am glad to see the old people go, I was pretty sad to see them go. They were a really nice couple.
Baron Aloha
A Shining Example
spliced said:
Do I really need to make a list? Just from tonights episode there were few examples....
1. He was running around like a nut looking where to buy the tickets for the ferris wheel and he was too boneheaded to stop for a moment and read the clue again. Kelly had to grab him, take the clue out of his hand and be like "look you big dumb oaf it says right here that you buy tickets inside".
2. Later in the episode they had to find a taxi. Ron: "Duh, where can we find a taxi?". Kelly:"There is a sign right there that says 'taxi'."
He's constantly running around like a chicken with its head cut off. If he would just stop for 2 seconds he wouldn't have to ask so many stupid questions. He's lucky to have someone like Kelly on his team because he'd be doomed without her.
It's my goal in (Internet) Life to get on your nerves about reality shows. I'm happy to see I'm getting through.
Look, I don't get this "Spirit of the Game" bullshit at all. The basic task of the Amazing Race is that you get a clue, you are told to go somewhere and you GET somewhere. That's the game. You are supposed to get from Point A to Point B, regardless of where you are, when it is, how the weather is and how serious your arthritis is becoming. That is the reality of the race.
One could say that attempting to deal with the language barriers and cultural changes are the "Spirit of the Game".
Either way, here is how they get from Point A to Point B.
1. Cab - Cab Driver drives them to the place where they have to go.
2. Ask Directions - They ask someone, of that culture or nation, how to get somewhere.
3. A Map - A piece of paper shows them the way to go.
4. Tour Guide - Enlisting someone to help them find a location.
So, those are the four major ways people find places...and yet they all get the same information. When you enter a cab, someone drives you to the place you have to go. When you ask for directions, you are told the best way to get somewhere. When you use a map, the piece of paper shows the best route to take. And, when you use a tour guide, you get the exact same information as the above, only concentrated into one place.
While I agree that there is a difference between asking someone for directions and having someone escorting you, it's the same basic "spirit of the game". They are taking advantage of the knowledge of someone else to get to Point B from Point A. We've had this exact argument before, and you keep dismissing this, but you seem to believe that they're all alone out there. They ask for directions; Ron and Kelly got the SAME information as Rob and Amber coming out of Abbey Road (To go to the subway station to do the detour). All they had to do was ask someone.
Different teams have gotten escorts in the past, and for the most part they are inconsequential. There has yet to be a "guide" who has completely upheaved the race order. Only the first guide for Rob and Amber in Peru really helped them move forward, and that was so early it didn't even affect anything. Lena and Kristy had one last season, in an early episode and did fairly well for themselves with it...but the realities of the race is that everyone evens up.
Sanjeev, from a few episodes ago, told their taxi drivers where to go...but everywhere else got there relatively easily. He helped them...how? By following them around? There has never been a guide who changed a race, only ones who helped a team race more efficiently. Guides aren't guarantees either; they can lead you in wrong directions, steer you down the wrong path, or make a mistake themselves. And, really, Rob and Amber aren't hiring experts. They are finding people who have information that the rest of that city may have. And, the other teams have access to it just as easily.
The spirit of the game? It's a race. You do what you can to get from Point A to Point B the fastest. You get help from who you can, when you can, and by whatever means necessary. If every team had your moral fortitude and felt that getting detailed help from a local was wrong, then they couldn't really call themselves racers.
Glad to see Gretchen and Meredith go, only because it means that there are three competitive teams in the final Three. Here's hoping for an awesome finish.
Chesapeake Silt
Member
The old people are gone.... finally.
This was one of the best episodes in a while, I think. Two teams getting on the flight to Germany, without knowing whether or not they could get on the connecting flight was pretty crazy. And they finally got some cool challenges, especially the bus driving. There were lots of random funny things going on too, like Kelly drawing on Rob & Amber's picture.
Ron & Kelly's relationship collapsing has been one of the highlights of the season, really. They started up with that all-american couple junk - she's a beauty queen, he's a POW - and now they're bitching at each other for every single petty thing that comes up. That's high-grade, quality reality television.
As long as Ron & Kelly don't win, I'm OK with this season. The other two teams have both been pretty cool. They're total opposites, but they're both entertaining in their own way. If Rob & Amber win, is there a third leg of the Reality Television Triple Crown that Amber can go after? Would this scenario involve Donald Trump? I like where this is heading....
This was one of the best episodes in a while, I think. Two teams getting on the flight to Germany, without knowing whether or not they could get on the connecting flight was pretty crazy. And they finally got some cool challenges, especially the bus driving. There were lots of random funny things going on too, like Kelly drawing on Rob & Amber's picture.
Ron & Kelly's relationship collapsing has been one of the highlights of the season, really. They started up with that all-american couple junk - she's a beauty queen, he's a POW - and now they're bitching at each other for every single petty thing that comes up. That's high-grade, quality reality television.
As long as Ron & Kelly don't win, I'm OK with this season. The other two teams have both been pretty cool. They're total opposites, but they're both entertaining in their own way. If Rob & Amber win, is there a third leg of the Reality Television Triple Crown that Amber can go after? Would this scenario involve Donald Trump? I like where this is heading....
JC10001 said:
Well yes, that's why I asked. Not everyone shares the same opinion.
I was glad to see the old folks go tonight, they weren't very good competition and I think the best 3 teams are in the final. the second part of this episode wasn't all that great, you could tell the way it would finish to early. I just hope R&A don't run away with it next week.
Kobun Heat
Member
Team Old does the BRAWN TASK. What the FUCK? How retarded can you get? Your combined age is like a hundred and seventy. You're going to drag giant boats around instead of hunting for clues? Congratulations, no shit you lost.
ShadowRed said:
You can't be SERIOUS can you? The other teams would all KILL to have someone be a guide for them. Ron & Kelly even admitted as much a few episodes ago when they wanted Sanjeev (sp?) as their guide after Rob&Amber got him. They're racing for a million dollars, you think they'll care about "spirit of the game" if it means they can win? It's not like you're going out and killing someone now is it? As long as the rules don't specifically forbid you from bringing someone along for the ride, it's not breaking the rules. Also, CBS should have realized something like this would happen by booking 2 minor celebrities as racers -- obviously people will recognize them along the way and offer help.
Other aspects of last night's show.
1. Mistake by Rob & Amber to yield Ron & Kelly instead of Uchenna and Joyce. Reason : R&K were already 1 1/2 hours ahead due to the flight to London so there was little chance of them getting eliminated by the few minutes of a yield. Had R&A thought a bit more, they would have realized that U&J and M&G were on the other same flight, and would have been close enough for a yield to have mattered. They SHOULD have yielded U&J to try and eliminate them and propel the older couple into the finals where they would have been no threat. Also, there was little chance of R&K catching up to R&A because R&A had the guide through the London challenges and were picking up time along the way. They were so far ahead in fact, that they finished the bus challenge before R&K even got there. Bad mistake.
2. Kelly using some stranger's lipstick. My wife and every other woman i've asked since last night thought this was really disgusting and would never do it themselves. That was pretty gross -- you don't know where that lipstick has been.
3. Did Phil say at the beginning of the show that they had the "2nd of 3 non elimination rounds"? I coudl have swore I heard something to that effect but I didn't record it so I can't go back and check. In the previews for next week there was a shot of U&J in an airport with garbage bags -- just wondering if next week's 2 hour show has a pit stop after hour 1 that is non-elimination which causes U&J to lose their bags. Just a thought.
All in all good show last night.
You comment on the "spirit of the game" but when Uchenna & Joyce CLEARLY BREAK THE RULES by helping Meredith & Gretchen during this leg of the race you don't mention it. It's very clear that your biggest problem with Rob & Amber is that they won $1.1 million on Survivor and you just don't want to see them win again.ShadowRed said:
Manics,
1). It's easy to see that R&A yielding R&K was a mistake but they had no idea how far back they were and yielding them guaranteed them first place in the leg. Since R&K wasted so much time being stuck in traffic and because of the yield, they're now two hours behind R&A along with U&J but it'll most likely be wiped out at the next airport.
2). I'm not a woman and I knew better than that.
3). Yes Phil did say that.
1). It's easy to see that R&A yielding R&K was a mistake but they had no idea how far back they were and yielding them guaranteed them first place in the leg. Since R&K wasted so much time being stuck in traffic and because of the yield, they're now two hours behind R&A along with U&J but it'll most likely be wiped out at the next airport.
2). I'm not a woman and I knew better than that.
3). Yes Phil did say that.
Fuzzy said:
I agree they didn't know how far back Ron & Kelly were, but at the very least they should have realized the other 2 teams were 1 1/2 hours behind from the flight since they didn't see them on their flight and left them at the aiport waiting that 8:30 am flight. I think trying to eliminate Uchenna & Joyce ahead of the old couple would have meant more than getting first place in yesterday's leg. They would have only had to worry about Ron & Kelly in the final 3 cause the old couple was in over their heads already.
I agree completely, unless R&A get really lucky at the airport like they did on the leg after not eating the meat. I'm pretty sure that Rob doesn't see U&J as any competition at all (at least mentally because of his previous comments about them) and having M&G instead would be exactly the same to him.Manics said:
OK, finale is tomorrow.
I THINK Rob & Amber will win. There's been alot of focus on them, they have their CBS wedding special coming up, they're booked on Regis for next week....I dunno...just seems like it makes for the perfect story for CBS. Also they have the "help" factor all through the race and there's no way they'll let up on their celebrity status especially with the final leg in the U.S. I could see them getting an escort to the finish line. Would piss alot of people off woh have the hate on for this team.
Should be an interesting show tomorrow night.
I THINK Rob & Amber will win. There's been alot of focus on them, they have their CBS wedding special coming up, they're booked on Regis for next week....I dunno...just seems like it makes for the perfect story for CBS. Also they have the "help" factor all through the race and there's no way they'll let up on their celebrity status especially with the final leg in the U.S. I could see them getting an escort to the finish line. Would piss alot of people off woh have the hate on for this team.
Should be an interesting show tomorrow night.
Tortfeasor
Member
I think it would be great if Rob and Amber won because they ran a great race. It is a game... It is not about being nice, it is about coming in first.
If you didn't come to win, then you you shouldn't come to race.
If you didn't come to win, then you you shouldn't come to race.
BigJonsson
Member
GO TEAM SURVIVOR
BigJonsson
Member
Mikey and Tyson lol
MIKE TYSON
POLICE?!?
WTF!!
MIKE TYSON
POLICE?!?
WTF!!
BigJonsson
Member
Wow
Final 3 in the final leg
Final 3 in the final leg
BigJonsson
Member
Team Black is pretty much done for
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