Watched two long promos last night and the first episode "Donkeys Have Souls" is falling into place. A lot of activity for one hour, so this may indeed be a TBC. So far its looks like this:
Teams arrive at the Playboy Mansion in old vintage convertables. Each team (11) has an into and short bio and a few choice words about how they are in the race to win, etc. etc. etc. Phil gives them their final instructions, and after saying the traditional words" "the world awaits you, travel safe, go!) Teams race to their backpacks. Note that most teams have really caught on about taking the bare minimum and keeping the backpacks small. Good example: The Couple in Conflict(Nathan and Jennifer). Bad example of not learning by experience and carrying much too much: The Gothics (Kynt and Vyxsin). Teams run to a parked SUV (who is the sponsor this year?) and drive themselves to LAX.
Guess may be that the teams have two options on flights: one on Aer Lingus and another on British Air. We have takeoffs for both airlines.
Upon arrival in Ireland (Shannon or Dublin? Or some teams to each?) Here they pick up a taxi to take them somewheres outside of the city. Nice rural area, no buildings, no farms, cliffs, and sea. Also lots of stone walls and dirt trails.
Here we see teams in three different activities: Leading a donkey with loaded baskets along a dirt trail somewhere.
Riding a bicycle built for two along a country trail past stone walls.
At first I thought that all the teams had to do both these tasks, but in one scene we have one coulple on the bike passing another couple pushing the donkey. And on the other hand we have the Nathan and Jennifer doing both tasks.
So could this be a Detour? Ride or Lead? Do Nathan and Jennifer start on one task and switch later to the other?
Finally, all teams seem to have to do a real douzy of a task: Ride a bike on a high wire stretched over an ocean inlet while their partner is suspended on a seat hanging below!!!!!
The final pit stop seems to be on a terrace or some such area surrounded by a low stone wall with the green countryside stretching out to a distant hill. We have shots of four teams seemingly happy to have arrived at the pit stop - jumping with joy and high fiveing (no belly bounces yet) Teams arriving with afternoon sun upon them (although in July the sun is setting pretty late in Ireland): The Gothic couple, the Ministers, The Father and Daughter, and the African American couple.
Some other observations: All teams are seen in Ireland dressed differently than when we first saw them in Los Angles.
The Couple in Conflict has changed clothes but in all three activities that we see they are now dressed the same; Jennifer starts off with a white windbreaker over a green shirt, but she takes it off and ties the jacket around her waist for the donkey and aerial bike stunt. So this might show that the donkey and twin bike are not a detour but tasks that everyone has to do. Why would she take it off for the donkey stunt (hot), put it on for the twin bike ride, then take it off again for the high-wire act? If that were the correct sequence.
The sun keeps going in and out and it looks like rain comes and goes (typical Irish weather) rain gear gets put on and taken off. Perhaps Chateau will be able to deduce some time frames here when the sun is shining.
Shots of teams in the taxi must be Ireland since the cameraman is on the left and the driver on the right.
The ministers have the same tee shirts on during their confessional as they had on at the pit stop but different from what they had on in Los Angles. The Gothic couple have different tee shirts on during their confessional than they had on at the pit stop and still different from those they were wearing in Los Angles.
One more scene places the teams in Ireland. We have shot of one couple (I'll get everyone's names down some day) entering what looks like a typical bed and breakfast (note sign on door "Toilets"; elsewhere in Europe or rest of the world for that matter except in the U. S. such facilities are named WC or Water Closet) and greeting Azaria and Hendekea who are already there. Could this be an "overnight wait for tomorrow stop" or after the pit stop? I want to go back and check their clothing with the LAX stuff.
And there is a shot of the Ronald in rain gear getting off a "ferry" or small inter-island ship. He is wearing later the same rain jacket after completing the high-wire, death-defying bike ride. So do teams travel to an outlying island (Arran) before doing tasks, or is this something that comes later?
That's a quick rundown from what I have seen . Again, it looks like an awful lot of stuff for one one-hour program.