Topic: TAR 35 (formerly called 36): Bitch, Moan & Squeal Here! *POSSIBLE SPOILERS!*

[kyleisalive]

Best way to sum this up imo: there’s a difference between equal opportunity and equal outcome. We can argue that the show isn’t creating equal opportunity for the female contestants and minorities but even if everything is fully equal in team selection, task variance, etc; there shouldn’t and won’t be any guarantee of any specific type of team winning

100%. People may not be happy with outcome, but the solution isn’t to ‘build a better show because you perceive it as injustice’.  In my opinion, that’s not only selfish, but insulting.

Further, expecting/hoping for certain teams to dominate has generally been proven divisive.  The minute a team wins a significant number of legs, the season becomes more predictable and you get viewers complaining about the foregone conclusion of the race.  This is part of why TAR36 is a bit worrying based on the news here, and part of why I figure CBS was originally hesitant to air it besides the obvious logistical issues.  We don’t need a FF Dave and Rachel running away with a season.  We didn’t even need Dave and Rachel running away with a season; it made for a season no one brings up in conversation because it was beyond dull.  If Tom and Tyler had won TARAUS4, people probably would have referred to it as the second-worst AUS season (because they won't stop ragging on the 5th).  Winning 9/12 legs is great for the team, sure, but it's bad for the value of the race.

[RachelLeVega]

Just an eager reminder, T til 22 hours until the world premiere of TAR35!!!
Excited to have the race back on my TV screen again and can't wait to start updating at 8:30pm Central Time Zone and pregaming as much as I can with you all! Let the comeback of the commercial flights ruthlessly begin!

[ianthebalance]

I am more hyped for this season than I've been for a long time! Really like the cast, the 90 minutes, airports being back, etc

[georgiapeach]

I am more hyped for this season than I've been for a long time! Really like the cast, the 90 minutes, airports being back, etc

Me too!!

[Jack3257]

I started watching TAR when I was 10.  I'm 21 now.  I don't follow the show as religiously as I used to, but I haven't been this excited for a season for a long time!  I think it will be very refreshing since we haven't had a "normal" season since 2020 (which was ironically the least normal time imaginable).  To put this in perspective, our last traditional season of TAR was when I was a freshmen in college who had just moved to California, I am now a senior and working in television.  If this were the route for season 33 I probably would have complained with more visits to Thailand, Vietnam, and India (especially the double legs in each).  However, now that we haven't seen Asia in so long I'm super excited (and we've never had a premiere leg in SE Asia before!).  We're also getting a new country, and overdue returns to Ireland and Sweden which haven't even been featured since we started getting seasons in HD.  Really, the only leg I'm not excited for is Germany, but only because we just had two Europe-centric seasons.

[CoriSanchi]

I haven’t watched the premiere yet so I’m not at all speaking on the quality of it BUT it is a bit concerning to me that 6/7 of the top seven teams tonight make the actual top seven. Hope this isn’t a season where just a few teams dominate

[ianthebalance]

Despite the limited info we have on leg 2 so far, I am hyped. Looks really cool to me

[ianthebalance]

I have a concern that the first 3 legs might be too similar in some ways, especially the 2nd and 3rd. Boat travel on rivers in all 3 and having a task/clue at a market in the 2nd and 3rd.

[RaceUntilWeDie]

I have a concern that the first 3 legs might be too similar in some ways, especially the 2nd and 3rd. Boat travel on rivers in all 3 and having a task/clue at a market in the 2nd and 3rd.

I’m wondering if Mother/Daughter team suffers a fate similar to S17’s Katie & Rachel — never seeing a team before they’re eliminated due to lack of bunching.

[ianthebalance]

I have a concern that the first 3 legs might be too similar in some ways, especially the 2nd and 3rd. Boat travel on rivers in all 3 and having a task/clue at a market in the 2nd and 3rd.

I’m wondering if Mother/Daughter team suffers a fate similar to S17’s Katie & Rachel — never seeing a team before they’re eliminated due to lack of bunching.

In one of the press pics you can see the daughter waiting for her mother to finish the roadblock with several other teams (but likely finishing the task last because there’s a clip somewhere with the daughter seemingly cheering for her mother finishing while all alone)

[RaceUntilWeDie]

I was very hesitant to hear about a possible all male F3, but 2 episodes in, I like them all and how they aren't your typical alpha M/M teams (you could argue Greg and John fit the alpha archetype, but it is very rare for black M/M teams to make it all the way to the end)

HOWEVER -- it's sad to see that all of the entertaining or breakdown-prone teams are gone by even the F4. Would've loved to have seen Jocelyn & Victor, Morgan & Lena or Joe & Ian make it further. I'm afraid those last episodes will be a bore to sit through.

I'm predicting that the entertainment value will drop immensely in a fashion similar to S22 (started out great, ended so boring). Hoping I'm wrong.

[ianthebalance]

The quotes they used in the preview were pretty revealing lol

“We’re now in first and second”

“We’re in last”

[RaceUntilWeDie]

What on earth do Joe and Ian do to get u turned lmao

[ianthebalance]

I'm gonna be honest: unless there is more to the leg than being shown in the press pics, I don't know how this episode would fit 90 minutes well. Immediate start due to KOR, a detour, a roadblock, a pitstop that's in the same place as the roadblock, and not having to go outside Can Tho. When planning legs, they can't rely on having a high amount of teams be able to carry this episode unless there's something we're missing.

Edit: Additionally, I wouldn't have minded if we only had 11 legs this season so each episode could be full (only having one leg in Can Tho)

[redskevin88]

I'm gonna be honest: unless there is more to the leg than being shown in the press pics, I don't know how this episode would fit 90 minutes well. Immediate start due to KOR, a detour, a roadblock, a pitstop that's in the same place as the roadblock, and not having to go outside Can Tho. When planning legs, they can't rely on having a high amount of teams be able to carry this episode unless there's something we're missing.

Edit: Additionally, I wouldn't have minded if we only had 11 legs this season so each episode could be full (only having one leg in Can Tho)

I'm just curious how bad was the original TAR 35 season that they refused to air it?

[Malcooolm]

I'm gonna be honest: unless there is more to the leg than being shown in the press pics, I don't know how this episode would fit 90 minutes well. Immediate start due to KOR, a detour, a roadblock, a pitstop that's in the same place as the roadblock, and not having to go outside Can Tho. When planning legs, they can't rely on having a high amount of teams be able to carry this episode unless there's something we're missing.

Edit: Additionally, I wouldn't have minded if we only had 11 legs this season so each episode could be full (only having one leg in Can Tho)

This is my fear too. I feel like with 90-minute episodes, most legs are gonna need a Detour, Roadblock, and Active Route Info so it doesn't drag on. Or an additional task like a Fast Forward or the Express Pass task. Just SOMETHING to fluff up the episodes. Especially when we get towards the end.

[ianthebalance]

I'm gonna be honest: unless there is more to the leg than being shown in the press pics, I don't know how this episode would fit 90 minutes well. Immediate start due to KOR, a detour, a roadblock, a pitstop that's in the same place as the roadblock, and not having to go outside Can Tho. When planning legs, they can't rely on having a high amount of teams be able to carry this episode unless there's something we're missing.

Edit: Additionally, I wouldn't have minded if we only had 11 legs this season so each episode could be full (only having one leg in Can Tho)

This is my fear too. I feel like with 90-minute episodes, most legs are gonna need a Detour, Roadblock, and Active Route Info so it doesn't drag on. Or an additional task like a Fast Forward or the Express Pass task. Just SOMETHING to fluff up the episodes. Especially when we get towards the end.

With how obsessed the show is at "no non-elimination legs", the ironic thing is that if this was a regular non-elimination leg there would be an extra task with the speedbump to take up a few more minutes of time

[RaceUntilWeDie]

Boot order is so horrid omg my dream F5 would be Morgan & Lena, Jocelyn & Victor, Joe & Ian, Andrea & Malaina, and Todd & Ashlie.

[Brannockdevice]

Seems I'm not missing much eh

[Maanca]

Seems I'm not missing much eh

Not a whole lot, no. They didn't add anymore tasks than usual for the 90 minutes, we get 40 minutes of teams running around a market.

[ianthebalance]

Episode 6 could be good but the clips used for the sneak peaks were shockingly boring for sneak peaks imo

[RaceUntilWeDie]

Agreed. One of the clips has 3/4 of the F3 at a task together and it was SOOOOO BORING

[Maanca]

Can't believe I'm saying this considering the last 2 routes, but I'm so ready for this season to leave Asia (probably because it was double legs in 3 of their more frequented countries).

One more week 'til Germany, then the new country!

[ianthebalance]

I'm very concerned about the state of the race now

Someone on reddit pointed out that you can see Liam/Yeremi, Robbin/Chelsea, Joe/Ian, and Todd/Ashlie casually sitting by a wall outside the Big Picture detour when frontrunners Morgan/Lena and Greg/John arrive. I went back to look and the redditor is correct. Are we really having mandatory breaks in between tasks now? Like I've heard of a break between the middle of keep on racing legs, and while I wish that wasn't the case, I at least get the logic. But now we're doing it between tasks? Has this been going on for a while and I just didn't know or is this new?

[RaceUntilWeDie]

So episode 6 was the strongest episode of the season so far and the stars of the episode were Steve & Anna Leigh, Philly Jawns, and Morgan and Lena. Not even the final 3!!!! (Yes I will continue to bitch and moan about this)