The Amazing Race > The Amazing Race Discussion
Why the Amazing Race has lost its magic
mswood:
Yikes
Slayton, while the two moments you picked are great moments one was a team thinking outside the box (not as a way to shop but as a means to pass the other teams, they just needed something to pass the down time waiting when they went shopping).
Season 7 was simply a foot race where a team came from behind to beat another team (that still to this day happens), it just usually doesn't occur after a team is driving so recklessly that they cause an accident that injury's a cameraman. And lets be clear others racers have been in a hurry and caused accidents luckily done of them have caused injury.
Since those seasons we have had teams use travel agents (even those from hotels) to get ahead, we have seen teams use their down time to recharge. We have seen take risk driving out into the desert to gain a chance at first place (dumbest move that strong team ever made), we have seen teams take huge, huge flight risks (both in causing their elimination and in causing them great leads).
We have seen more teams push themselves into requiring medical assistance then we ever did before.
mswood:
On the Fast Forward and the Express Pass.
As long as multiple Fast Forwards are no longer a part of the race (and they were last available on all but the final leg what season 4) they are useless.
And I liked how they used to do the Fast Forward, something you could only do once, but you weren't just given one you had to earn it. I hate just giving teams an advantage.
Thats why I am very much against just giving each team an express pass (make them earn it).
My favorite racing team is Eric & Jeremy. What I loved about this team is their drive to always come in first. I mean look at the legs they didn't come it first (except for the leg that another team used a Fast Forward) they were always exceptionally hard on themselves. If they had to run from every point A to Point B then they ran. I like that. I like teams (and you don't have to win to do this) that push themselves all the time throughout the full race. We rarely (and this goes to the very first season) have teams that will go all out all the time (well most of the time).
So in that spirit I would love to see the Express Pass rewarded every leg (up to a certain leg say 6th or 7th) to which ever team comes in first. But keep it as something that can only be used once. That pushes all teams to always push themselves. Keeps teams who think they might need an advantage down the road to push for first, and pushes teams that already are doing great to keep other teams from gaining an advantage.
I would much, much rather see competition for something like this then the stupid U-Turn Yields. Still can't fully express how much I hate teams being able to hinder other teams (when at all other times its against the rules).
slayton:
Thanks for responding, mswood.
Just to clarify, when I'm talking about teams being daring or putting themselves in danger, I'm referring to teams that are willing to make personal sacrifices that have real life consequences in order to stay in the race, like Uchenna & Joyce with the head-shaving, and teams like Brian & Greg who go, "To hell with safety. This is a race."
With the way the race is constructed now, and especially after doing things their own way happened to spectacularly blow up in both Tammy & Victor's and Brad & Victoria's faces in TAR14 Leg 3, I don't expect teams to take chances with flights because the upside is small and the downside is huge. I also don't expect production to allow sleep-deprived teams to drive themselves much anymore for insurance reasons.
If production now avoids casting potentially reckless teams in order to minimize insurance and other costs, then I'd prefer them doing what the TAR: Asia 3 producers did to their teams in their killer Leg 2.
I'm not trying to be sadistic when I say that moments like Margie collapsing at the mat in TAR14 are special moments. Production already dumped ESM; from some of the TAR14 interviews, they seem to be stirring the pot and starving racers also.
I don't understand why production doesn't seem to be willing to go all the way and try to completely break every team's mental and physical will. I'm not talking about a Mika & Canaan, Maria & Tiffany, or Joe & Heidi type of breakdown. I'm talking about a quasi-post-traumatic stress disorder state, like the TAR14 finale, where the final 3 teams were all in tears.
The new races will never be like the old races, but I think the show will be back on track if production makes the race an experience where all the losing teams are either psychologically damaged or carried off the race on a stretcher.
mswood:
Slayton
Brian & Greg simply lost control over their vehicle it wasn't I don't care if we wreck choice. Teams still do this, it s just with a shorter production schedule it really limits the amount of time teams are now driving.
As for Uchenna & Joyce shaving their heads. The race has only two tasks that would have a long term impact on the appearance of a team (the same task) and always done as an optional task. One team did it and in season 5 one team didn't). The only permanent change the race as ever had was in season 12 with the tattoo that Nicolas and Don got.
Seasons 10 and 12 also featured extremely rare long distance driving at night. Something even in the earlier years producers rarely let teams do.
The producers haven't lowered the number of racers who are brash or willing to take risks. I see nothing that points to that. They may have cut back on the number of tasks where racers have more direct control to behave recklessly (and that I would agree with), but teams still react rashly. Last season was really the only season where I felt teams didn't have (as a whole) a lot of drive (some teams yes but as a whole). And just look at the teams pushing their cabs this week, or dodging the traffic with their coffins and you see a lot more daring then a good portion of last year.
But even in the first 7 seasons you saw some cast that were more balls to the wall and some that were a little more laid back. They never know how teams will react until they start racing.
Jobby:
Okay, TAR producers needs to stop bringing in new elements into this race. Sure it's exciting, but what the hell, we're loyal fans and we don't need a new twist every season.
The Switchback in TAR 15 was great but what the hell, just one season?! I want to see teams eat caviar, ostrich egg and pull the ox again!
What about the Intersection? It was done in Season 10, and it was really a good twist.. why did some season have them, then some season no?
I like the U-TURN better than the Yield, so i have no complains about that.
I still want the Fast Forward.. but MORE FAST FORWARD please! And not just one in every race.. which the first team will definitely get it?!?!! :groan:
The Speedbump is actually kinda creative, but it needs to be a creative task.. really!
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