Author Topic: TAR15EP 1&2 "They Thought Godzilla Was Walking Down the Street" (Japan/Vietnam)  (Read 121807 times)

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Offline ImANewUser

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Guys, can anyone cap Zev/Justin's confessional on Maria/Tiffany? The one while they were waiting at the Ben Tau Du Lich Dock? It seems like the confessional's background is different from the background in Canaan/Sam/Dan's confessionals.
I'm baaaaaack!

Offline Slowhatch

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Both appear to be in the same place.


Offline Jobby

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Okay, finally got down to pen down my thoughts for TAR 15 season premiere. It was a blast, though it was very abrupt at certain points throughout the show (A roadblock in Japan and then pitstop?) But i enjoyed episode 1 of TAR 15 thoroughly.

I was very surprised with Meghan and Cheyne, the way they worked flawlessly together and gave so much support for one another. I guess first impressions really isn't spot on always. I had the impression that Cheyne will be a chauvinistic and idealistic male individual, thus resulting in many rifts and quarrels for this team. But i was wrong! He was not only appreciative of what he's doing (He was in awe with the Japanese game show when arriving at the scene) and he was also a darn good boyfriend as well. I'm not surprise that this team made the F3, and can't wait to see how they will possibly have a large chance of winning this if they continue to work well together. My current favourite team so far, quite unexpected for me really.

Another team which i grew to like was Maria and Tiffany. These two girls, they just know how to play with the hearts of people and i can't help but to want to root for them, seeing their determination to do well and move on further into the race. Was glad that the race first ever first pitstop NEL was used on them, but disappointed at the same time that Eric and Lisa were eliminated at the starting line from the lame starting twist. But i give in, the TAR producers had me on my toes watching Lance and Keri and Eric and Lisa fighting for the last liscene plate. And i think i will grow to love Lisa if they did moved on into the race.. but they didn't.. awww well.

Brian and Ericka surprised me by doing so badly on the other hand. Nearly eliminated on both legs of the race? That doesn't spell good. I was kinda disappointed when Brian lost his cool on Ericka at the Duck Roadblock. But at the same time, i can't help but to love Ms America for being so candid at all times and i really like them alot, hopefully they will do better and don't disappoint their fans. Sam and Dan were nice people and manly in their own way despite being gay. Nothing of John and Scott or Lynn and Alex (thank God!) vibes coming from them for me. Very fun to watch, seeing how they need to work well together as brothers.

Loved the Japanese game show, but hated that Japan leg is barely 40 mins long. Would love to see teams running around Japan rather than get stuck in a studio.. but i guess the running around at Shibuya Crossing made it up. And i wonder when Mika and Canaan left their tourist behind, why was the tourist able to continue walking despite them leaving her behind. Maria and Tiffany's tourist just stood there in the middle of nowhere waiting for them to pick them up. Seems abit unfair here to me. Maybe because Mika and Canaan were very near to the pitstop.. but still.. they left her behind. She should have just stopped and not walk anymore and wait for M/C to pick her up.

Oh.. love Marcy as well. Surprise surprise! This old couple is doing so well and it's darn fun to watch them just work well together and beat out younger and more capable teams. Let's hope they're able to go as far as possible into the race. Gary and Matt, FT and BE were just getting the usual all-male teams edit.. very little confessional and screentime. Need to see more of them to get a good idea of them. But both seemed to be extremely competitive and nice teams.

OH YES, LOVEEE Zev and Justin. Zev, aka the Duck Whisperer.. is simply fun to watch and i can't help but to seem to want to root for this team here, which kinda give me an Oswald and Danny vibe.. doing it slowly and correctly.. and still doing really well for the race. Can't wait to see more dynamics coming from this team. But on the other hand, i'm sick of all the dynamism coming from Lance instead. Hello Lance, the race is not all about brawns, other wise Derek and Drew and a whole lot of other alpha teams would have won the race. And you don't even look like you're muscular and fit or what, you just have big biceps. :funny:

The flood in Vietnam is <, something you won't see in your everyday life and appreciating your comfort zone even more. Hilarious mud challenge and this must be one of the most entertaining Roadblocks ever. I've done something like this before for fun and duck herding is definitely not fun. If you get just one irritating duck who refused to listen to your instructions, you're bound to get a hard time. The way to deal with it is to be calm and move the flag slowly in the direction you want your ducks to head towards to, because the more nervous you appear, the more they think you're going to harm them and go against you. TThis is probably the reason why when some of the girls who failed the challenge at first try who started screaming when the ducks went all berserk continue to do badly after a few attempts and only get it right after a long time.

All in all, love every moment of TAR 15 and can't wait to watch more!

Offline Ruth

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I was very surprised with Meghan and Cheyne, the way they worked flawlessly together and gave so much support for one another. I guess first impressions really isn't spot on always. I had the impression that Cheyne will be a chauvinistic and idealistic male individual, thus resulting in many rifts and quarrels for this team. But i was wrong! He was not only appreciative of what he's doing (He was in awe with the Japanese game show when arriving at the scene) and he was also a darn good boyfriend as well. I'm not surprise that this team made the F3, and can't wait to see how they will possibly have a large chance of winning this if they continue to work well together. My current favourite team so far, quite unexpected for me really.

Agree with you here, Joab, that was my first impression of them too, that they'd be a typical, bickering couple. I like them currently, but gotta hope that they stay nice and continue to work well together instead of transferring to a bickering couple.
TAR 26: Hayley and Blair` Mike and Rochelle` Jelani and Jenny`
Survivor 30: Jenn` Joe` Hali` Sierra`
AI 14: Jax` Clark` Joey`

Offline Hooky

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I was very surprised with Meghan and Cheyne, the way they worked flawlessly together and gave so much support for one another. I guess first impressions really isn't spot on always. I had the impression that Cheyne will be a chauvinistic and idealistic male individual, thus resulting in many rifts and quarrels for this team. But i was wrong! He was not only appreciative of what he's doing (He was in awe with the Japanese game show when arriving at the scene) and he was also a darn good boyfriend as well. I'm not surprise that this team made the F3, and can't wait to see how they will possibly have a large chance of winning this if they continue to work well together. My current favourite team so far, quite unexpected for me really.

Agree with you here, Joab, that was my first impression of them too, that they'd be a typical, bickering couple. I like them currently, but gotta hope that they stay nice and continue to work well together instead of transferring to a bickering couple.

I was going to add them to my favorites in my signature, only to realize that I didn't have room for more (character limits). Oh well...
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive." - C.S. Lewis


Offline Chateau d If

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I had never even noticed it:  Flip Flops   :lol:

I wonder why they went to the Delta Terminal to ask for sneakers?  I would have given Keri my shoes in nothing flat.
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Offline puddin

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I had never even noticed it:  Flip Flops   :lol:

I wonder why they went to the Delta Terminal to ask for sneakers?  I would have given Keri my shoes in nothing flat.
She said she ran out the door in her flipflops, wasn't she sequestered? Wouldn't they have set her up with running shoes if she were?

Offline Obbyz

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I'm so happy that the poker players didn't eliminated this week. I think they are strong team , because they can survive their speedbump :D

Offline slayton

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My expectations for this season were already low, based on the spoilers and the cast.  Couples and all-guy teams usually are my least favorite teams, and they had 11 of them.

I didn't like the first two episodes.

Here's what disappointed me:

1) Starting the race from a sewer.  This might have been the worst starting location ever.

2) No detours.

3) Unexciting tasks.  I don't know why they had two similar tasks -- Leading people in episode 1, and leading ducks in episode 2.

I prefer TAR:Asia 3's first Vietnam leg to episode 2.

I hope things get better.

Offline Slowhatch

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We know a few things so far:
  • The Tokyo arrival was in late afternoon, and the tourist walk was in the morning
  • Teams can be seen entering a studio near 6:00 (morning?evening?) and leaving the same room/building with tourists in tow (below)
It's clear enough (plenty of vidcaps) that the tourist walk started near Muscle Theater, went south on Koen-dori, through the scramble and east to the shrine.
And, unless they bussed in the same crowd with the same clothes, the filming was done at NHK. Below are two comparisons: a fellow in a duckbill hat (Team Pink), and a t-shirt lady and golf shirt man (Team Red).


Offline georgiapeach

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Tell me again why we are sure it is NHK and not the studio at the foot of the Tower? Or are they the same? ???

I got lost somewhere....
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Offline Chateau d If

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Nice findings Slowhatch.  The strange thing that still bugs me is why  we don't see the multi-tiered release of teams (after the overnight).  Is it possible that they arrived at the studio in several waves and just had to wait until the game show started.  If they get there at 6 am they must have either waited about 4 hours or had to do some unshown task at that location.   :duno:

I can make a time estimate for when the red group near the CC Lemon Hall in Shibuya.  There was a shadow for that shot.  It's noonish on the plus side!
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Offline Chateau d If

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Tell me again why we are sure it is NHK and not the studio at the foot of the Tower? Or are they the same? ???

I got lost somewhere....

Like Slowhatch said, they definitely start out by Muscle Theater which is near NHK.  Marcy and Ron are initially going 180 degrees in the wrong direction.  All the locations where we can place the groups make a dotted line from NHK down to the shrine.

And!!! what happend to "The Green Room" are we the only ones who heard about that?   :lol:  Edited out just like so many things that get spoiled.
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Offline georgiapeach

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As we knew at the outset...

A green room could be an actual GREEN ROOM...or a TV studio place to wait ...

Sounds like now that it could have been the second.

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Offline north09

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perhaps we're overlooking the obvious: the studio is the green room. It can't be a place to wait as the teams entered the studio upon their arival.

Offline georgiapeach

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Unless it remains in the edited out time... :groan:
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Offline theschnauzers

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This timing thing really is unusual even with the editing. TPTB gave the departure and arrival times for the flights, and that the teams were directed to the "Tokyo Tower Studios" and the editing was trying to make it appear that the game show roadblock took place the same day (with no hint of any time overnight until the teams depart the pit stop at the beginning of leg 2. The problem with this attempted deception is the departure times for lwg 2 which we're told is a normal 12-hour pitstop (and included the two-hour penalty for Maria and Tiffany.) Those departure times do, in fact, imply that all of the teams arrived at the Shrine between 12:15 and 1:20 in the afternoon, and not in the late afternoon or dusk of the previous day (i.e., the afternoon of arrival.)

What I think happened is that teams got to the Tower, were sent to a nearby hotel for the night, and were probably transported to or near the NHK studio and released to get to the roadblock task in the same order they reached the Tower the afternoon before. I think its highly likely that both of those tasks could be completed within three or four hours so teams could have a 12-hour pitstop, and not be able to fly to Ho Chi Mihn City before that 10:30 am flight. If there was a task, then it was a route marker to burn up time that morning before the teams entered the NHK studios.

This is my speculation based mistly how BVM and company have done things in the past. But I am comfortable with it, you know?
« Last Edit: October 01, 2009, 11:09:04 PM by theschnauzers »
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Offline apskip

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.......

I get very annoyed when WRP gives undeservevd publicity to Japan Air Lines when in fact JL 5133 departing NRT at 1030 for SGN was nothing but a codeshare designation for VN951. JL5133 is labelled "Japan Airlines Operated by Vietnam Airlines". So why didn't Vietnam Airlines not get a picture of their plane in the air and get the sign (instead of JAL)? I have to guess that some sort of promotional deal was cut with JAL that could not be with Vietnam Airlines.

Offline apskip

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I also get annoyed when WRP uses some arbitrary logic for determining the length of a penalty even though they apparently labelled the "lead tourist group to the pit stop" task as not a general task, only warranting a 2 hour penalty. I think 4 hours would have been more appropriate for non-completion of that task (refer to thet AR7 Mendoza meat eating ROADBLOCK for several 4 hour penalties for non-completion that look comparable to me). Maria and Tiffany were given a 2 hour gift in my reckoning. However, either penalty would have had the same result, easily making the 1030am flight to HoChiMinh City the next morning.

Offline Caelestor

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Actually, a starting line task in the future could be useful for determining staggered departure times if there's an HOH at the first destination. It might spare us some drama just to put everyone on one flight.


Offline theschnauzers

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The leading the group to the pit stop task was not part of the Roadblock. It's controlled by the route info clue the teams received at the completion of conauming the wasabi bomb for the roadblock. That said, it's not subject to the penalty for not completing the roadblock. The task was not a detour, either, and as far as I can remember, the only time a penalty was assessed for not completing a detour was the 24 hour penalty assessed against Nancy and Emily in TAR Classic.

Nor can I recall there has ever been a penalty for a team not completing any other task until now. So it may well be that this was the first instance of such a penalty on original US-flavored TAR.  I haven't watched any of the regional versions (except for parts of some episodes here and there, so I can't speak as to those. It may be that the two-hour penalty has been there all along, and maybe a former Racer can speak as to whether in their season such a penalty was briefed with them in their pre-Race preparations.
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Offline Hooky

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The leading the group to the pit stop task was not part of the Roadblock. It's controlled by the route info clue the teams received at the completion of conauming the wasabi bomb for the roadblock. That said, it's not subject to the penalty for not completing the roadblock. The task was not a detour, either, and as far as I can remember, the only time a penalty was assessed for not completing a detour was the 24 hour penalty assessed against Nancy and Emily in TAR Classic.

Nor can I recall there has ever been a penalty for a team not completing any other task until now. So it may well be that this was the first instance of such a penalty on original US-flavored TAR.  I haven't watched any of the regional versions (except for parts of some episodes here and there, so I can't speak as to those. It may be that the two-hour penalty has been there all along, and maybe a former Racer can speak as to whether in their season such a penalty was briefed with them in their pre-Race preparations.

I believe this is in fact the first penalty for non-completion of a general task. I can't think of any other instance.
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Offline georgiapeach

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The leading the group to the pit stop task was not part of the Roadblock. It's controlled by the route info clue the teams received at the completion of conauming the wasabi bomb for the roadblock. That said, it's not subject to the penalty for not completing the roadblock. The task was not a detour, either, and as far as I can remember, the only time a penalty was assessed for not completing a detour was the 24 hour penalty assessed against Nancy and Emily in TAR Classic.

Nor can I recall there has ever been a penalty for a team not completing any other task until now. So it may well be that this was the first instance of such a penalty on original US-flavored TAR.  I haven't watched any of the regional versions (except for parts of some episodes here and there, so I can't speak as to those. It may be that the two-hour penalty has been there all along, and maybe a former Racer can speak as to whether in their season such a penalty was briefed with them in their pre-Race preparations.

 
From a former racer:

"IIRC we were told that, in general, there would be a 2 hr penalty for not completing any TASK, and a 4 hr penalty for not completing a RB.  I recall there was some discussion of producer flexibility to penalize teams at producers discretion to resolve any inequities."


:thankyou:
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Offline theschnauzers

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My thanks to Peach and the "former Racer" for confirming.  Who would have thought that there would be a "first instance" of a penalty this many seasons after the original season back in 2001.
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Offline BayBay

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I noticed this the first time I saw the episode but watching it again last night I just have to know:

1. Why are there like a 'million people' standing behind the Mat at the Start Line Task?



2. Why do Lance and Keri just run off and not get their ticket?

Please enlighten us detectives  ;D

PS. Sorry for my crappy screenshot
« Last Edit: October 09, 2009, 01:47:57 AM by baydogg »