AAARHHHH! That's my street! *dies. repeatedly.*
Very well-played, show! Highly recommended episode, even for those who haven't been following TAR:I. (It's the 1.01.54 clip on their website.)
Here's a local's take on how it stacks up against the other Hong Kong episodes...
TAR 2.7 7/10: Great showcase of Hong Kong's blend of new and old, featuring herbal recipes and fishing junks juxtaposed with cargo ports and skyscrapers. Also, the awesomeness of "Did you ever think in your life you'd be in Hong Kong?"
TAR 2.8 8/10: Visit to Tin Hau was pointless, but... lions versus dragons! Limousines to the airport! And Oswald/Danny stumbling upon Hong Kong's biggest claim to fame! Aah. Delicious.
TAR 11 2/10: Too much dawdling on stunts, and inventing fake "traditions". Goes against entire spirit of The Amazing Race. FAIL.
TAR:A 2 0.5/10: Thanks, show. Go all the way to Hong Kong for product placement and a pointless task. Half a point because Hong Kong = money, and they got that right.
TAR:A 3 6/10: Campy tasks, but can see how handbags and gutting fish are part of the locale. Fortune cookies, though? Disappointing. (Announcement: you will find more fortune cookies in any store in San Francisco's Chinatown than you will the whole of China.)
TAR:I 1.7A 8.5/10: Hong Kong as crowded busy money-making metropolis. Correct! The subway beating the taxi. Finally! Dumping them in the centre of town with no regard for spoilers. Yes! Good use of culture: the absence of 4s, ping pong and much more. Upping the herbal tea, yet staying perfectly acceptable bounds! Drawback: They're force-fitting that FF into every locale now.
Damn. Previews look badass!
Anyone want to weigh in on the portrayal of your city/country in TAR:US/TAR:A/TAR:I?
PS. I was/am totally that nerdy kid with the glasses. Minus the ping pong prowess.