Topic: TAR36 LIVE STREAMS AND COMMENTARY HERE! FINALE 5/15/2024 8:30-10PM CENTRAL TIME

[Jro]

Not to say this cast wasn't good at the game perse but I'd be interested to see Ricky and Cesar in an all star season to see if it was the cast they were up against or if they're really that good lol.

[Bookworm]

Thank you SO much for your updates throughout the season, Rachel!

[elthemagnifico]

agreed with the rests that was a let down, but i do appreciate the finale leg does have so many tasks. not counting tar 35, but the total of two rbs, two ari tasks, and one ri are a lot comparing to prior seasons, even for a covid season that the finale had been crammed with the penultimate leg.

ricky & cesar proved that they are indeed a great team and i honestly wouldnt be suprised they would do so well on the regular season too

[RachelLeVega]

Thank you SO much for your updates throughout the season, Rachel!

I really appreciate it! Thank you for being a part of the conversation!

[PikaBelleChu]

This season will get low view ratings because of the Spanish tour and with one contestant who had lived in Philly before. The viewers say this is rigged and already determined for Cesar & Ricky to win it all.

[Xoruz]

Combining these legs didn’t do them much favors. Ultimately the final leg was a case where a team got ahead and stayed ahead. Not the most fun as a viewer.

[Brannockdevice]

Dang I was rooting for Rod and Leticia

[cbacbacba1]

To Ricky and Cesar's credit, their 1.45 average placement is best in Amazing race history and it's not really close. Eric and Jeremy's record was 1.75.

They haven't just broken the US record, they are now the top-averaging team worldwide, beating TAR Asia's Marc & Rovilson (1.48)

If we calculate two parts of the megaleg as two separate legs, the racing average of Ricky & Cesar would be 1.5 (18/12), where Marc & Rovilson's would be 1.46 (19/13).

[RachelLeVega]

I will pop the overall season review in the Squeal thread sometime over the weekend when the dust has settled, but just off tonight's broadcast...

I saw the episode as cobbled together just as much as the leg design. Fusing two legs of material into an hour-and-a-half slot shouldn't be an issue normally, but when the legs don't have substantial enough tasks, it turns into an effort of trying to fill the pig. I feel like the "point A" to "point D" in the final leg was a blur (specifically the mascot RB to the Arch Street Meeting House) and the edit and the structure of the leg did not give enough time for anyone to process the info/places thrown at us. I will say there were a couple high points in editing during these two legs that could've been highlighted as a moment more than leaving it as a side reaction, 1) Juan & Shane misdriving to a Pat's Select Pizza & Grill in New Jersey and 2) Leticia and Juan overtaking Ricky at the windsurfing Roadblock. As for the finale, it's a very odd structure with one half being modern Philadelphia icons and then suddenly diving straight into Independence Day historical context even with the Finish Line location. I'd rather they had just picked one motif and went with it like Nashville's music-themed leg in the previous shutdown-period season. Seems like the producers really had their eyes set on airing this leg like last season's, in the spring close to 4th of July (35 ended on July 8 ). Overall, very competitive final 3, I've been impressed by them, but it could very well just be the staggered Pit Starts and no real airport equalizers skewing their dominance in their favor. I'll dive more into that in the overall review soon.

[Maanca]

Rachel, you still did an awesome job as always with the updates! Thanks 

[Alenaveda]

I will pop the overall season review in the Squeal thread sometime over the weekend when the dust has settled, but just off tonight's broadcast...

I saw the episode as cobbled together just as much as the leg design. Fusing two legs of material into an hour-and-a-half slot shouldn't be an issue normally, but when the legs don't have substantial enough tasks, it turns into an effort of trying to fill the pig. I feel like the "point A" to "point D" in the final leg was a blur (specifically the mascot RB to the Arch Street Meeting House) and the edit and the structure of the leg did not give enough time for anyone to process the info/places thrown at us. I will say there were a couple high points in editing during these two legs that could've been highlighted as a moment more than leaving it as a side reaction, 1) Juan & Shane misdriving to a Pat's Select Pizza & Grill in New Jersey and 2) Leticia and Juan overtaking Ricky at the windsurfing Roadblock. As for the finale, it's a very odd structure with one half being modern Philadelphia icons and then suddenly diving straight into Independence Day historical context even with the Finish Line location. I'd rather they had just picked one motif and went with it like Nashville's music-themed leg in the previous shutdown-period season. Seems like the producers really had their eyes set on airing this leg like last season's, in the spring close to 4th of July (35 ended on July 8 ). Overall, very competitive final 3, I've been impressed by them, but it could very well just be the staggered Pit Starts and no real airport equalizers skewing their dominance in their favor. I'll dive more into that in the overall review soon.

This the game designer speaking not the detective: not all cities can provide you with a consistent themed structure for the final leg, sometimes you just have to go ahead with what you find and try to assemble something feasable enough to challenge the teams in the run for the million dollars. That's why sometimes we got outstanding final legs - in terms of tasks - and some really forgettable.

[RachelLeVega]

I will pop the overall season review in the Squeal thread sometime over the weekend when the dust has settled, but just off tonight's broadcast...

I saw the episode as cobbled together just as much as the leg design. Fusing two legs of material into an hour-and-a-half slot shouldn't be an issue normally, but when the legs don't have substantial enough tasks, it turns into an effort of trying to fill the pig. I feel like the "point A" to "point D" in the final leg was a blur (specifically the mascot RB to the Arch Street Meeting House) and the edit and the structure of the leg did not give enough time for anyone to process the info/places thrown at us. I will say there were a couple high points in editing during these two legs that could've been highlighted as a moment more than leaving it as a side reaction, 1) Juan & Shane misdriving to a Pat's Select Pizza & Grill in New Jersey and 2) Leticia and Juan overtaking Ricky at the windsurfing Roadblock. As for the finale, it's a very odd structure with one half being modern Philadelphia icons and then suddenly diving straight into Independence Day historical context even with the Finish Line location. I'd rather they had just picked one motif and went with it like Nashville's music-themed leg in the previous shutdown-period season. Seems like the producers really had their eyes set on airing this leg like last season's, in the spring close to 4th of July (35 ended on July 8 ). Overall, very competitive final 3, I've been impressed by them, but it could very well just be the staggered Pit Starts and no real airport equalizers skewing their dominance in their favor. I'll dive more into that in the overall review soon.

This the game designer speaking not the detective: not all cities can provide you with a consistent themed structure for the final leg, sometimes you just have to go ahead with what you find and try to assemble something feasable enough to challenge the teams in the run for the million dollars. That's why sometimes we got outstanding final legs - in terms of tasks - and some really forgettable.

Fair point, sometimes things aren't available and that's okay. They made it happen with the extenuating circumstances. I still found it odd that Phil introduced the final leg in a way that felt like it was going to be a tour through Philadelphia pop culture, but end up with tasks at the aft revolving around U.S. independence. Seems and feels like a portion of Philly's original final was scrapped whether this was their primary intent or not.

[ZBC Company]

I thought it was a good final leg, but the preliminary leg was boring. I actually wanted to be Lincoln Felid when I was in middle school. The guys got lost in Passic, New Jersey, and passed through Trenton. We went to New Jesery, to go to BJS or gas station. I thought this was the best leg or visit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

[Pi]

Loopsided detour for leg 11 

I guess you don't have to worry about whether a Detour is balanced if all teams pick only one side? However, it made the task feel like an ARI and contributed to the first leg's super short feel.

The man Juan & Shane asked for directions to the stadium was wearing an Eagles cap. Seems like he should know!

The first Roadblock was... mild. A more involved obstacle course and/or more "fans" reacting from the crowd would have gussied up the spectacle a bit more.

The second RB was much better done. I'm from the US (although not from any of the original 13 states) and I only knew the first two in order, Delaware and Pennsylvania. But as long as you weren't impatient you could easily get all the info from the actors. The Betsy Ross script in particular was nicely written: she mentioned the line about six point stars first, but then they had to keep listening to hear that it was the five-point stars they needed. Unfortunately the teams were far enough apart such that small things like that didn't end up mattering.

It's interesting how most of the racers encountered something in their wheelhouse these last two legs- a bartender and a chef got a drink-making/recipe-following task, Vinny had a watersport RB, Rod was asked to find an NFL stadium, and (perhaps most consequentially) Ricky got to navigate around his hometown. No way he was going to be confused about what Pat & Geno's are.

I don't think Ricky & Cesar faced as much adversity as a lot of winners have - not that it matters, $1,000,000 is $1,000,000 - but they certainly did about as good as anyone could do given what was put in front of them all season long. They would be right at home on an All Stars race.

Thank you to Rachel for the excellent updates! And here's to non-COVID racing coming back!