During a week when other versions of TAR are visiting Nepal and North Korea, Thunder Bay sticks out like a sore thumb. The episode was decent though probably not the best showcase of Thunder Bay considering they spent a great portion of the leg in an arcade and a field. I did say last week that I enjoyed the multiple forms of transportation already shown, but I did enjoy the inclusion of an overnight bus ride for this leg. Considering the season didn't go abroad, racer fatigue was less likely if teams continued to travel on planes. Adding the numerous trains and bus really affected teams, as Lauren & Joanne for example were a bit snippy with each other for the first time. The Face Off has felt stale for the past couple years as it killed the momentum of the leg , and for me, the Face Off is at is worst when the team that loses wins the next round. This year, they've actually sought to change it up with some improvements though Jon's voiceover was a bit random. Much like with the Dempster's challenge, the addition of three choices increases the variables considering the team that loses doesn't automatically have an advantage in the next round. We also haven't seen a Detour after a Face Off since its inception, so that was a nice change of pace especially with the limited stations. That addition really made me feel tension for the first time in a while after a Face Off. It was sad that it resulted in the elimination of Aarthy & Thinesh, since they were the most fun team for me to watch this season.
Jon commenting on Aarthy & Thinesh's navigational skills.
Look at this Mohawk guy watching this dude die.
Dave eating the paper.
Moose calls.
Lauren shoots and scores on her own net.
Has that always been the rule for a "Limited Stations Detour"? Once teams have "filled" all the "stations," no other team can wait for that "station" to open up? I seem to remember teams on TARC waiting for other teams to finish a Limited Stations Detour.
It varies. That did happen in season six but season five had the Fort MacMurray Detour that forced teams over to the shotgun side even when teams left the fire task.
ROM: If they are going to bunch teams up on one bus, it was better that teams had to earn their departure time rather than rely on who had the fastest taxi. The task itself was a nice showcase of the museum with a decent task.
Wacky's: Was slightly random that this task took place in an arcade, but I do prefer Face Offs that aren't the sole detriment of a team.
Cutting Edge: Was similar to the RoboHub task, but like that task it was one that required teamwork. Considering TAR is a team show, I would rather see tasks that force teamwork rather than one where one member could do the majority of the work. It also led to a fun moment of J & G.
Cutting Wedge: The task was made better considering it had a really picky judge, and it really did feel like anyones race between the last two teams.
3/5
