Archive > The Amazing Race 17 Spoilers & Speculation
TAR 17 EP 12 (FINALE) "Hi. I'm sorry. I'm in a Race."
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[quote author=ovalorange link=topic=23566.msg582367#msg582367 date=1292305115]
... And I agree with Slayton, why was it done in a car park?...
[/quote]
I think I can tell you. The Rose Bowl is a non-public space except during football games or other event days. It was not just any old car park, it was the rose Bowl car park with a float there to work on. That made it special. It looks to me in the schematic below that there would be several secluded spots for the float to have been parked not easily visible to the jogging public
FLFan:
--- Quote from: ovalorange on December 13, 2010, 11:38:35 PM ---The finale was pretty boring for me. Tbh, I don't think the tasks were awfully challenging for the teams and they didn't allow the teams to overtake and become really competitive with one another.
The bungee swing was entertaining but it really just put more time between each of the teams - something I definitely don't want to see in a finale. I want to see the teams pushing themselves to beat the other team, to be seen racing neck and neck with one another. The only time that happened was in the cabs to the port. The roadblock was boring and lame, the only somewhat exciting aspect of it was when Nat forgot to put the water in the buds - and yet they still managed to leave in first with plenty of time to find a good cab driver. And I agree with Slayton, why was it done in a car park? :cmas18 The memory challenge was okay, but I think it would have been more exciting had we been able to look at the board and try and figure some out, instead of just being shown the teams choosing the right ones or making a mistake. It was better than last seasons, but really didn't challenge either Nat and Kat or Brook and Claire. It was nothing compared to TAR12, TAR13 or TAR14's memory tasks.
What did make it exciting were the teams. They really pushed themselves and their partner to the finish line. And we got a happy ending this time around, it was a lot more joyful than our ugly Brandy/Caite session last season. :mas25
I think this finale failed to allow the trailing teams to catch up and move ahead of Nat and Kat. Once the doctors gained the small lead at the port it allowed them to just take off - and unless they would have make a big mistake, there was no way they were going to lose.
But in saying that:
Congratulations to Nat and Kat for winning the race :cmas9 :cmas23 :cmas16
--- End quote ---
I think WE are part of the reason for such out-of-the-way / "dull" places. Less opportunity for crumbs of clues to fall our way. Also, with all the helicopters that were used, production was probably limited to where they could film safely.
That said, the team bungee drop was not just a way to put time between the racers. Each team apparently had one team member that was not comfortable with that task. Until they started showing the mid-week pre-final promos, I wasn't sure that Nat was even going to be able to finish the race. Jill looked mightly nervous also. AND Brook certainly wasn't her bubbly self!! This was a TEST of truly how much you wanted the million dollars and the support of your partner when you wavered.
As someone else mentioned, being able to pick a good taxi was also probably a portion of the race. After a multitude of taxi rides, you should have learned to query the taxi-driver before getting in. J/T just got into the first taxi available. B/C had less taxi choice, but had the clarity to ask to go to a hotel. It was clear that even if you were book smart and could answer the first question; or trivia / movie smart and could answer the last question; that the middle question was going to REQUIRE you to get internet / tourist info / other assistance to find the proper answer.
I think the memory challenge was an interesting test. You could record all the information that you wanted about your travels and STILL fail the memory challenge.
Yes, the lead N/K had after the jump would have allowed them to win unless they made a huge mistake. But again, there was no expectation Nat would have actually done the bungee jump or that they could have done so well at the memory task as designed.
theschnauzers:
My only concern has been that in the last few seasons, the final leg seems to have become very linear, and it's difficult for teams to really make moves ahead of other teams, except through bad information or bad taxi luck.
You would think TPTB would be trying their darnest to re-create the final leg even-ness of TAR 2, but that doesn't seem to be the case these days. Otherwise, I have no problems with the tasks in this final leg; the memory task was a knockout (with current season and past season greeters); and the use of the Rose Bowl is an iconic element of L.A. that is known around the world.
slayton:
--- Quote from: Joab on December 14, 2010, 12:20:54 AM ---I think people are just hard to please. When the finale is exciting, the people complain that another team should have won. When a deserving team won, people will complain about how the finale is not exciting.
And when we have an exciting finale and a deserving winning team in TAR 15, people complain about the fact that there's no memory challenge and that Meghan and Cheyne are not the most well-liked team around...
:cmaslol Ahhh, people.
--- End quote ---
The finales where I either liked or had no issue with the winners and also found the episode dramatic and entertaining were TAR3, TAR7, and TAR14.
I personally prefer it when everything is outdoors, leads can change, and teams have to travel by foot like TAR2 and TAR3, and there is no celebrity like Wayne Newton, Darth Vader, or Bob Eubanks involved.
Prophet:
--- Quote from: theschnauzers on December 14, 2010, 06:28:47 PM ---My only concern has been that in the last few seasons, the final leg seems to have become very linear, and it's difficult for teams to really make moves ahead of other teams, except through bad information or bad taxi luck.
You would think TPTB would be trying their darnest to re-create the final leg even-ness of TAR 2, but that doesn't seem to be the case these days. Otherwise, I have no problems with the tasks in this final leg; the memory task was a knockout (with current season and past season greeters); and the use of the Rose Bowl is an iconic element of L.A. that is known around the world.
--- End quote ---
I tend to think that starting off with the bungee swing was a mistake since the order of arrival never changed. This task may have spaced out teams up to 15 minutes apart and the way the leg was structured that margin only grew.
I'm not complaining b/c I think that the most deserving team won, but although I did not like the TAR15 finale it did do a good job at keeping teams close together the whole time. Other finales of the past have done this as well. I wish they would return to structuring the finals just like another leg instead of a more scripted feel.
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