Author Topic: What factors would you consider for an episode to be good?  (Read 2039 times)

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Offline Platrium

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Sometimes, when I find a TAR episode good, some people would say otherwise. I'm aware that everyone has different opinions, so I wonder: What factors would you consider for an episode to be good?

In my opinion (in no particular order from most important to least important)…
1.) The leg design affects the episode, so much. A bad leg design may usually lead to a bad episode these days. A good leg design on the other hand usually makes us like an episode. For example, I would consider TAR27's 1st leg badly designed, and this affected my opinion on the episode.
2.) The locations and sceneries visited by TAR sometimes leave me awestruck. TAR28's Leg 5 in Chamonix may not have the most extraordinary tasks, but the scenery made me like the episode.
3.) The tasks themselves also affect my opinion on the episodes. The oil changing in Armenia during TAR28 ruined what could've potentially been an awesome leg overall.
4.) The teams creating intentional or unintentional drama also affect the episode. We've had memorable moments like mass quits in TAR22 and TAR25, the TUS in TAR21 and TAR28, the 2EP drama in TAR23, and more. Without these moments, the episodes could've been dull.
5.) The editing affects the episode overall. The moments that are shown in each episode would reflect how the whole episode would go. If the episode focuses on one team's story and ignores the other teams' significant scenes, the episode could go bad even with good tasks.

How about you? What factors would you consider for an episode to be good?

Offline elthemagnifico

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Re: What factors would you consider for an episode to be good?
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2016, 06:36:00 PM »
I don't mind if that leg is bad in term of design... but as long  as the leg is enjoyable (tasks are good, intentional drama, great scenery), it is a good episode for me....
what might have been


Offline cbacbacba1

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Re: What factors would you consider for an episode to be good?
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2016, 11:39:28 PM »
I would like to see more dramas between teams. Teams nowadays are too nice to each other, I still enjoy the old days where teams do anything (including some dirty moves) to get in front of the others.

To be honest, I enjoyed almost all the episodes involving u-turns except for a few.
I enjoy seeing teams doing dirty moves as well  :funny: :funny:
That is why I always love villain teams  :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Offline TARUSAFan

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Re: What factors would you consider for an episode to be good?
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2016, 01:29:44 AM »
In no particular order
 
1.)   Locations. TAR’s routes affect on how good the episode is. I’m watching it and they are experiencing it 1st hand. I look at it from my t.v., and this looks good, this awesome picturesque sceneries and I come to think of it on how awesome it is if I was there also. TAR 22 nailed it for me, hands down. TAR 27’s route was also great. Also new locations are a factor on making it a good episode for me. New countries are always welcome for me Malta, Monaco, Zimbabwe Colombia, Armenia, Georgia which have been visited in last 3 seasons as well as undervisited ones such as Portugal, Namibia which were visited in Season 23 & Season 26 respectively. I'm expecting revisits in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Greece, Norway, South Africa, Mauritius, Finland and Czech Republic to name a few which are underused countries  and in the future first time visits to Israel, Fiji, Maldives, Myanmar, Latvia, Luxembourg which are countries yet to be visited.

2.)   Leg Design – A poor leg design will result in a bad episode which is a trend in recent seasons. Season 28’s Indonesia 10th leg gave us this. It was a bad design, considering the previous Indonesian leg (9th)  was absolutely great and delivered on all tasks. Indonesia is a great country with loads of culture and all they did in Leg 10 was deliver coconuts, chickens. Although, seaweed task was great it felt imbalanced given the other Detour was easy. The Roadblock was easy as pie. Another example is Season 26’s 1st leg in Japan. You have a 90-minute premiere where you could at least add more tasks and they did dancing and finding sake and of all places, Japan. I mean Japan is culturally diverse and there are loads of activities to be done. The leg itself felt lacking and bland.

3.)   Tasks – The Race has destroyed some episodes for me with their choice of tasks. Clear examples would include Season 24’s Spain leg. They went there to shave a balloon. Really? This is Spain, another country teeming with loads of activities and culture. Season 10’s Mauritius leg was also bad. You have here one of the best African destinations and they completely ruined the episode with mediocre tasks. Mauritius is a melting pot of cultures and the country itself is marvelous. I find it hard to watch sometimes seeing the horrible tasks on some of my favorite countries.

4.)   Certain Rewards – The Save of Season 25 was a bad prize in my opinion. It gives you immunity till Leg 9 excluding NEL’s. Very powerful and pathetic at the same time as the team could win it is an unlikable team like Misti & Jim (Only Jim was the bad one though). Another is the Double Your Money back in Season 21. It was a prize and automatically it would put a target on your back. I feel bad for Abbie & Ryan. Double Express Passes give additional drama a la Tim & Marie vs. almost everyone

5.)   Drama – This adds that flavor to any episode. Airport drama’s like Nicky & Kim getting on an earlier flight rather than Tim & Marie. Mass quits (S.22 & S.25). Hard tasks where teams bicker at each other like Season 25’s Punting task in London where Amy & Maya fight. It was cute, sadly this was available only on the Secret Scenes. Nici getting an earful from Phil after disrespecting her mom, Shelley in Copenhagen, Denmark (Season 25). Kisha & Jen taking a break that caused their elimination. Suspense finishes, surprise eliminations, meltdowns like Mika of Season 16. Her fear of water and slides caused their elimination, bad for Canaan but funny from a viewers point of view. Colin & Christie's "My Ox is Broken!!"

6.)   Underdogs Beating Villains – These are an added factor to make a good episode. Such as when an underdog tramples or gets revenge on a villain by beating them a la Charla & Mirna vs. Rob & Amber (A waste of an Amazing Race cast spot. They should have stayed in Survivor only.) Tiffany & Krista beating Kelly & Shevonne in Rio De Janeiro


7.)   Certain Villains – While it may contradict the statement above, certain villains are fun to watch and they know how to play the game very well. Season 22’s Max & Katie are a clear example of this. A villain team but not too loud compared to others and played the game very well. Natalie & Nadiya are loud but somehow they cross the villain side and are very smart.

8.)   Cast’s experiences, views, life-changing moments, comments, humor, violent reactions in the countries they’re in and the tasks they’re doing. Them overcoming their fears (Cole of Season 28),completing tasks despite their disabilities (Bethany of Season 25), Luke (of Seasons 14,18 & 24). Their funny comments such as Shelley’s (of Season 25) or Brooke & Claire’s (of Season 17).
   
« Last Edit: May 06, 2016, 02:05:20 AM by TARUSAFan »

Offline Declive

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Re: What factors would you consider for an episode to be good?
« Reply #4 on: May 07, 2016, 12:46:08 AM »
Just competitiveness.
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Offline RachelLeVega

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Re: What factors would you consider for an episode to be good?
« Reply #5 on: May 07, 2016, 08:17:52 AM »
1) The tasks!
You can visit anywhere the route desires, but it always boils down to how challenging and creative the tasks are. Weakly anticipated routes can be saved by great missions (AKA season 26 to some or 14), but mediocre or simply poor tasks will drag down the quality of the leg (24) regardless of how much drama or fun goes into that night's episode.

2) Suspenseful editing
This has been the main struggle since TAR21 and I am still questioning why editors made such a drastic change from edgy, exciting soundtrack with consistency in scenes to localized, modest music with sacrificing important race aspects for excessive drama/unnecessary chatter. Great suspenseful magic can fix a boring or poor mix of teams and bring out the adventurous qualities of TAR (season 6 and 15). It makes people WANT to watch like a true competition between the teams and the travel world, and not just teams in a country doing a laundry list of tasks.

3) A pleasant balance between tasks, humor and drama
I personally don't want a certain aspect of the show to overpower another. Otherwise, the episode feels extremely centralized on certain topics, such as the Express Pass, the U-Turn or inter-team romances, and the issue becomes irritating. A relatively equal medley of teams completing tasks, showing off every teams' fun/funny side, and competitive spirit is all one episode needs to capture my heart.

4) Competiveness
What is a race without competition between others and each other? The big, happy family edits can be left for extras. This doesn't need to be part of the show, let alone episode, unless it affects how a team performs or fits into a deeper story line later on. Heck, even the Family Edition cast was not a big, humble, smiley family. :lol:

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Countries "raced": Greece (2019), Italy (2017), Switzerland (2017), Taiwan (2016), U.S. (WA 2013, CA [S.F. 2014, L.A. 2023], TX 2021, IL all the time)