The Amazing Race > The Amazing Race Discussion
Why the Amazing Race has lost its magic
Caelestor:
I personally watch for the locations, because it's a foregone conclusion that one or more of the teams will be annoying on the TV. (Who specifically is your opinion.) The shifting of the emphasis from the locations and route to the teams and tasks is arguably what's strangling the show imo, although the quality has transitioned into better ratings (what does this say about society :groan:). Viewers are very picky when it comes to their favorites, but they genuinely agree that the locations chosen (well mostly in early seasons) are beautiful.
However, on the flipside, the cast did partially redeem the second half of TAR 14, which probably had the most unoriginal planning out of all the editions. I like competitive teams that respect each other and don't argue amongst themselves.
Mr. Seattle:
--- Quote from: Caelestor on December 29, 2009, 02:26:11 PM ---Bypass or Fastrak sounds nice. Giving up all your money sounds harsh though, especially if a team bypasses a task and then realizes they have to take a taxi to the pit stop.
--- End quote ---
I totally agree with this. Begging is awful and mean (IMHO), but I think that if TPTB gave each team an Express Lane (my favorite name for it) at the beginning of the race and told them to use it whenever or exchange it. That could make for some interesting drama. Say, a team lost/used theirs, but their ally was willing to give them theirs in exchange for some money.
I think that the other good idea for how to use the Express Lane would be to hide it in the general vicinity of the cluebox, but give them a few clues. Then, if someone took it, teams could waste time looking in the correct spot, but still believe that it is there.
DeafRacer:
--- Quote from: slayton on April 20, 2010, 06:20:51 PM ---What makes a season magical, special, or memorable, to me, are once-in-a-lifetime spectacles where real-life or real-emotion takes over and reality-tv or the race becomes almost an afterthought.
Locations, tasks, and race routes only meant something to me in TAR1. After the first season, I never cared much about where they went as long as I saw a spectacle somewhere along the way.
Even though I might not be a huge fan of certain seasons, like TAR2/TAR4/TAR6, I give them credit for at least being memorable to me because they all had an event or moment that I consider to be unique.
I appreciate TAR1-TAR7 and TAR14 for having these special moments, and that's how I remember seasons.
[*]TAR1: Everything was unique.
[*]TAR2: Oswald & Danny go shopping.
[*]TAR3: Diesel-gate, and Andre & Damon getting what I consider to be the scariest and worst taxi ride in the history of the race.
[*]TAR4: Female racers getting molested on Indian trains.
[*]TAR5: Colin and the police.
[*]TAR6: Jonathan & Victoria's blow-up.
[*]TAR7: Brian & Greg flipping and crashing their vehicle, and Meredith & Gretchen getting bloodied and battered.
[*]TAR14: Margie collapsing at the Pit-Stop, Margie & Luke and Kisha & Jen's physical and verbal explosion, and Kisha & Jen taking a bathroom break.
[/list]
I thank TAR13 for having Toni & Dallas lose their passports and for them to not be able to recover their passports in time to avoid elimination, but it's no longer unique because the same thing happened to Zev & Justin in TAR15.
The problem that I have with TAR8 to TAR12, TAR15, and TAR16 through 9 episodes, is that I haven't seen anything new that I consider to be on the same level as the events from TAR1 to TAR7 and TAR14. To me, the TAR8 to TAR12, TAR15, and TAR16 casts were/are just going through the motions and mailing it in.
I'm not expecting, and I don't want, another Brian & Greg-level crash every season.
I want to see fresh and exciting moments, which is what I love about TAR: US and TAR: Asia and what I think makes the show special and magical. If nothing happens in a season, then it's partly the fault of the casting directors, but the rest of the blame is entirely on the cast.
--- End quote ---
Now, can I give you a big hug for thinking TAR 14 as one of special seasons!!! I still wish that Mom and I won the footrace against Kisha & Jen. That would have been so priceless.
slayton:
Luke, when you get the chance, please ask Phil what his criteria is for his favorite seasons.
In his EW blog for the TAR14 finale, Phil listed your season, 14, along with 1, 3, 5, and 7 as some of his "personal favorites." I would like to know because those five are also my favorites.
There's no way that Phil wouldn't answer you or Margie. In that blog, he also said, "Luke and Margie were definitely one of my favorite Teams we’ve ever had on the show."
Thanks.
targamer:
We had former racers here!! Cool!
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