LEG 2 (China) EPISODE ANALYSIS:We've seen teams' emotional ups and downs, hackysacks left and right, and John bumping directly into a cameraman. However, we did not see the intro. What's up with that? I felt this Leg was better than the premiere, but I realized what HD seasons have lacked in editing that made the Race less motivational over the years... screentime. It's not as fast-paced and energetic like it used to be. Now, we just see teams WALK most of the time and chat like they are one big happy family. It seems like editors also stick on one team for too long. As for the route, that'll be broken down here.
ROADBLOCK/ROUTE INFO: As much as the kids tempted me to give a flying score for assembling a toy car and giving it back to the community, I just can't.
I really do feel ashamed of myself for this, but the Roadblock was boring for me to watch. You couldn't tell who was close to finishing the final product since the child safety barriers were obstructing the view and the building area didn't have good lighting. As a viewer, all the parts looked uniform making the task nondescript. Giving the toy car to the kids at a community organization was pretty sweet though.
ROADBLOCK/ROUTE INFO SCORE: 5/10
DETOUR: "Kick Back" or "Relax"
The Detour option this Leg brought me back to the pioneer TAR seasons when teams chose between a physical/mental strength task and a self-stimulating task that may take longer. I'm surprised nobody took the cupping therapy option though as the shuttlecock game made teams fall flat on their glutei maximi. The task everyone performed provided excitement in rooting for your team, but there wasn't much variety going on except hitting a birdie that makes you fall down. The cupping therapy had no potential though. Nothing interesting about watching teams' backs turn into a vermilion pattern.
DETOUR SCORE: 7/10
OTHER SCORESLEG DIFFICULTY SCORE: 5/10
TEAM DRAMA SCORE: 8/10 (Sadly, all centering around Mark & Mallory)
CHUCK-E-CHEESE'S ON STEROIDS: 1/10
EPISODE 2 OVERALL SCORE: 6/10