Author Topic: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?  (Read 9249 times)

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Offline G.B.

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The Double-Battle, now with the official English title of Face Off, is a type of task that was introduced in the Latin American race and popularized by the Israeli race. It has also been featured in the Norwegian version (as the "Intersection"), the Filipino version (as the "Duel") and the Chinese version (as "Versus"). Now it has been introduced to the Canadian version as a full structure of the race with its own name, clue design and on-screen graphics.

But it has never been adopted by the original American version of the show.

Do you think it ever will be?
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Offline bottle

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2015, 03:25:33 AM »
I would love to. It separates teams more and the leg becomes harder to complete IMO  :)


Offline Platrium

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2015, 09:23:08 AM »
Maybe they wouldn't do it in the American TAR, but I'd love to see it once in a while.

It makes me ponder why there are so many names for this type of task ??? , but even I renamed it to roundabout for my fanfic. :funny:

Offline Maanca

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2015, 09:31:04 AM »
It didn't make a good first impression to Canadian viewers with this cast managing to show how breakable it is  :funny: 2 teams taking penalties, resulting in the last team getting a free pass because they had no one to compete with.

Though that was thanks in part to the prior Roadblock, which had one team member buried on a cold beach for 2 hours, hypothermia set in

Offline G.B.

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2015, 03:21:01 PM »
It didn't make a good first impression to Canadian viewers with this cast managing to show how breakable it is  :funny: 2 teams taking penalties, resulting in the last team getting a free pass because they had no one to compete with.

Though that was thanks in part to the prior Roadblock, which had one team member buried on a cold beach for 2 hours, hypothermia set in

That would not have happened in other versions. Teams who have quit the Double-Battle previously (ie, Roni & Yael, TARI 4) have had to sit around and wait until the last team leaves and then serve the 15-minute penalty before leaving. The Canadian version was too lenient.
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Offline gamerfan09

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2015, 09:43:20 AM »
The Double Battle is horrible but I wouldn't mind the Intersection returning  :conf:

Offline Declive

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2015, 05:38:01 PM »
The Double Battle is horrible but I wouldn't mind the Intersection returning  :conf:
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Offline dryedmangoez

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2015, 06:07:31 AM »
It didn't make a good first impression to Canadian viewers with this cast managing to show how breakable it is  :funny: 2 teams taking penalties, resulting in the last team getting a free pass because they had no one to compete with.

Though that was thanks in part to the prior Roadblock, which had one team member buried on a cold beach for 2 hours, hypothermia set in

That would not have happened in other versions. Teams who have quit the Double-Battle previously (ie, Roni & Yael, TARI 4) have had to sit around and wait until the last team leaves and then serve the 15-minute penalty before leaving. The Canadian version was too lenient.

Yeah, in TARPH2 also, teams who wanted to quit or hand over the win actually had to wait for the next team to arrive.

The idea of the Double Battle is fine, but I don't think it should have a hand in eliminating teams.  I think it depends on the task too.  But it should simply cause drama and foster rivalries or just be somewhat fun. 

One of the best "Duels" from TARPH2 was in Leg 8 where teams were pulled in a chariot by carabao/oxen and they had to grab flags along the way.  They had to beat their opponent to the finish AND grab all the flags.  The best part was that in any duel, it was possible for neither team to win and both would have to get back in line.  That was very exciting.

Offline toanglobal

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The amazing race ANZ also have the double-battle but in different format, that is a nation double-battle, at SL five teams of each countries play tug of war, the winner will immediately be allowed to depart for the airport. The losing country's team would have to wait out a 10-minute time penalty before departing
There is also a nation double-battle task at start of 6th leg, Each individual team would have to choose a Russian nesting doll, and then had to search among hundreds of other nesting dolls in five separate houses to find the four smaller dolls that fit inside of theirs.
New Zealand teams won a first match but lost in a second match,

Offline TARUSAFan

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The Double Battle is horrible but I wouldn't mind the Intersection returning  :conf:

I'd be happy if they bring back the Intersection. Double Battle is a risk.


Offline Dånooky

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I think the Double Battle would be too anti-climatic for US audiences
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Offline Best Loser

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The reason the double battle works in the Israeli version and failed so hard in the Canadian version is that their legs are much much longer. American legs are even shorter than Canadian ones, so there's no chance of the loser catching up. Look at the results of U-turns in the Israeli version compared to other versions.

Offline Maanca

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The reason the double battle works in the Israeli version and failed so hard in the Canadian version is that their legs are much much longer. American legs are even shorter than Canadian ones, so there's no chance of the loser catching up. Look at the results of U-turns in the Israeli version compared to other versions.

That is true. While American/Canadian/other version's legs are typically: Extra task (often 2 in Canada, sometimes none in US), Roadblock, Detour, Pit Stop

Israel has so many tasks it takes 3 full episodes to cover it all. Have you ever seen the length of the leg summaries on Wikipedia?

Offline toanglobal

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #13 on: October 31, 2017, 09:54:53 PM »
The reason the double battle works in the Israeli version and failed so hard in the Canadian version is that their legs are much much longer. American legs are even shorter than Canadian ones, so there's no chance of the loser catching up. Look at the results of U-turns in the Israeli version compared to other versions.

That is true. While American/Canadian/other version's legs are typically: Extra task (often 2 in Canada, sometimes none in US), Roadblock, Detour, Pit Stop

Israel has so many tasks it takes 3 full episodes to cover it all. Have you ever seen the length of the leg summaries on Wikipedia?
4 episodes with 72 minutes each for leg 9 TARI 5 in South Korea, and for Israeli version double battle usually occured in first episode of each legs then follows vy plenty of tasks

Offline BourkieBoy

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #14 on: November 01, 2017, 12:28:31 AM »
I hope to see the Face-Off in the US version one-day!  :conf:

Offline georgiapeach

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #15 on: November 01, 2017, 05:14:32 AM »
I hope NEVER to see this. One of my least favorite tasks ever.
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Offline BourkieBoy

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #16 on: November 01, 2017, 05:23:07 AM »
I hope NEVER to see this. One of my least favorite tasks ever.

Why do you think this!

Offline Maanca

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #17 on: November 01, 2017, 10:23:15 AM »
There was 2014 interview with Bertram and Elise (http://variety.com/2014/tv/awards/amazing-race-brain-trust-reveals-some-tricks-to-the-trade-1201221416/) where one question about the Intersection.

Quote
VARIETY: Has there ever been something you’ve tried, that didn’t work out in terms of a challenge?

ELISE: Not that didn’t work out in a challenge, but there are certain things we did, like the “Intersection”, where you had to wait for another team to show up and then do something as a group of four. That’s something we probably won’t bring back.

With the Double-Battle essentially being a reverse Intersection, I'd guess that's pretty much a "No".

It bottlenecks everybody (team in 1st has a significant lead. Not anymore, sit and wait...and wait), which in turn disadvantages the weak ones even further.

Offline Marionete

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #18 on: November 01, 2017, 10:28:15 AM »
Agree, but you can work around that.
If the Intersection/Double-Battle was placed as the first task of the leg, in which teams are bunched by an HoO or a flight, then It could work nicely, helping to spread out the teams.

Offline georgiapeach

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #19 on: November 01, 2017, 10:30:40 AM »
That's my objection. It takes the outcome out of the racers' own hands. If they arrive at different times based on their own travel, that's one thing. But to then have to sit and WAIT based on ANOTHER team's placing...sucks.

I want the racer determined by how the TEAM performs. Not by artificial means. It is the same reason I hate the U-Turn. But I get that, but this makes zero sense to me.

Plus watching racers sit around waiting...is boring.
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Offline dryedmangoez

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #20 on: November 01, 2017, 10:20:49 PM »
A Double Battle at the start of a Leg is much better than forced staggered start times at least.

Offline cbacbacba1

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #21 on: November 02, 2017, 02:12:17 AM »
Hell no to this idea!
I don't like mid-leg bunching at all.

Furthermore, it nearly certain leads to the death of the losing team, which is even worse than the u-turn

Offline georgiapeach

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #22 on: November 02, 2017, 07:27:05 AM »
A Double Battle at the start of a Leg is much better than forced staggered start times at least.

Start times are based n Arrival at Mat times, they aren't forced, they continue to recognize and maintain the finish/arrival order...at least until airport bunching.
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Offline G.B.

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #23 on: November 02, 2017, 04:27:40 PM »
I think that both the Intersection and Face Off can work if they are placed smartly. There are times when production knows with certainty that all teams will get bunched up, so it's good to place one right after that. The Intersection in Madagascar was good because it was obvious everyone would be on the same flight from Mauritius. The one in Poland was NOT smart and remains as one of the dumbest things TAR has EVER done.

There could even be a contingency. If a team is waiting for too long without anyone showing up, they can skip the task, and whoever is showing up really late will have to wait a penalty or do a different, hard task.
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Offline Declive

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Re: Do you think the American version will ever include the Double-Battle?
« Reply #24 on: January 14, 2018, 11:01:08 PM »
Now, what does everyone thinks?

I don't like it. As the firefighters said on the last episode, after winning the last race:  "you were the better team today"

So if they were the worst team that day, they should've gone home! The twist gives too much chance. I didn't like it.
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