Topic: TAR 17 New Game Play Twist

[georgiapeach]

We don't have a lot on this, but something new has apparently been added to our repetoire of Detours/RB's/FF's/Intersections/U-Turns/Yields!

From info overheard at Logan:

Meet the EXPRESS PASS

It appears to be a "new element" added to the game, which will bring a "new level of strategy" to the gameplay.

Details are sparse...but it appears to be something that may be used ONCE to perhaps skip a task? (spec)

Sounds something that may be like a "get out of jail free" card...if you are way behind or utterly stuck, you may be able to move on....once anyway. A mini FF??  (semi-spec)

Wouldn't the Poker Girls have loved having something like this??!! A great tool for a F/F team in particular...

[Coutzy]

I imagine this will be used more to counter the effect of a U-Turn... Imagine what Joe & Heidi could have done, given one of these.

[georgiapeach]

Good thought!

[Dånooky]

They need to start coming up with more original games. Nevertheless, road sign vocabulary is not something easy to work with

[chill_sd]

Maybe they've been reading Aualagi's posts here at RFF?

http://forum.realityfanforum.com/index.php/topic,18602.msg505674.html#msg505674

He called it "Free Pass"

I've inserted a twist called "Free Pass": Before a detour, once in a game, you may choose skip the task and go to the next clue.

[Coutzy]

Just had a thought, what if CBS wants to make alliances more relevant?

What if, in the polar opposite of a U-Turn, one team can choose to allow another team to skip both sides of the Detour???

[Caelestor]

I wouldn't be surprised if this replaced the FF.

[Hooky]

I wouldn't be surprised if this replaced the FF.

Me neither, assuming it does allow a team to skip one or more tasks. But if it's going to replace the Fast Forward, it should have some new aspect to it other than just allowing a team to skip. Maybe it would have to be bought with the money the teams have collected - a way to save some money on the budget while creating an intriguing new game element for viewers. Anyway, we'll see how it goes. Hopefully it will make the game more strategic and entertaining.

[realshowfan]

I wouldn't be surprised if this replaced the FF.

Me neither, assuming it does allow a team to skip one or more tasks. But if it's going to replace the Fast Forward, it should have some new aspect to it other than just allowing a team to skip. Maybe it would have to be bought with the money the teams have collected - a way to save some money on the budget while creating an intriguing new game element for viewers. Anyway, we'll see how it goes. Hopefully it will make the game more strategic and entertaining.

I planned to change Fast Forward in my fanfic to "Highway Express" since FF is not a road sign name. 

I think there's a good chance it will replace the FF, recently there's been only one FF per season.

Can't wait to see it. Hopefully it becomes a hit and will be used over and over. What happened to the Switchback?

[Caelestor]

Well the FF hasn't really had a strategic purpose since S4. If you can choose any leg (up to maybe the 8th) to use it, I wouldn't mind it. In fact, it'd probably be a net benefit.

Now they need to increase the number of U-turns (4?) per race in order to add some actual strategy and lower the kill ratio of that thing.

[David]

I agree with the U-Turns things. 2 is NO strategy AT ALL. Teams who see the U-Turn always use it, as if not, they'll lose the chance.
Having more U-Turns would allow teams to think if it's better for them to use it or to wait until the next one.

[DrRox]

They need to get rid of the Uturn, just like they did with the Yield......they dont need teams hindering other teams in any way.....its a race....not Survivor.

[DeafRacer]

They need to get rid of the Uturn, just like they did with the Yield......they dont need teams hindering other teams in any way.....its a race....not Survivor.

It is a race!!! Racing against the time!!

Honestly, I like the idea of U-Turn. Amanda & Kris could have overcome the U-Turn if they haven't left the wood stack task in 1st place.

For Jen & Kisha, everyone know they could have overcome the U-Turn if Jen only decide to pee on herself. 

You just need to be wise and strategic of how to overcome the U-Turn. It's not that impossible.

[Paron]

I'm interested in this brand-new twist.  Sounds exciting.  Wonder if it played any part at all in getting the F3 we got.

I agree with the U-Turns things. 2 is NO strategy AT ALL. Teams who see the U-Turn always use it, as if not, they'll lose the chance.
Having more U-Turns would allow teams to think if it's better for them to use it or to wait until the next one.

Not always.  Teams passed up the chance to use it both times it came up in TAR13, even though it would've been a good idea to, and look who anticlimactically dominated and won.   And only one got used in TAR15, and it was used incorrectly.

And Luke's half-right.  Amanda & Kris had zero chance to overcome theirs (not that I minded -- they were boring as hell), but Kisha & Jen easily could've done it if not for Jen.

Also, in Israel's version, a team DID overcome it.  Though that's because the legs were longer and they had more time to catch up.

[theschnauzers]

Sounds to me that this will be like the FF without the task set up a FF requires. Since it saves the cost of that task, it fits the cost savings trend since TAR 12.

[Dånooky]

SPEC:
That or there's a U-Turn-like sign where one team can trade a "Courtesy Of" picture to skip a task, so it's first come, first served. but they have to relinquish their U-Turn pic in the process.

[The Queen V]

i dont think the producers will complicate twists. maybe it would be a mini ff that allows you to skip a task.

[Mug Costanza]

I like the ideas you all have come up with! What about allowing only one team to skip any given task? (As in, two teams can't skip the same task.) The "Express Pass" could be given to teams on a lanyard, so that teams could give it to the person giving out the clues at the completion of the task for them to put around their neck. Then, if a second team tries to skip the same task, they go to the person giving them the clues and see that another team has already used their Express Pass (similar to the "Fast Forward Taken" sign). Maybe also toss in a stipulation that teams have to make a legitimate attempt at the task before opting to skip it? I don't know. We'll see how it all plays out. This is pretty exciting stuff!

(And FWIW, I'm all for increasing the number of U-Turns. Make it at least three, maybe four. Put some strategy back into the thing!)

[Evan_Weinstein]

i think this new twist could be helping a team or several teams to get a faster or better connection to their new destination, also i will not rule out the possibilities of letting the team(s) who used it to book business class tickets

[georgiapeach]

Hi Evan!

Not so sure about anything like that, it apparently is more a way for someone to bypass a task, like a mini FF....we think.

[Caelestor]

I'm also wondering, has the penalty for an NEL changed? Speedbumps aren't cheap, and with all the artificial bunching at the airports going on, Marked for Elimination isn't so bad anymore.

[Dånooky]

i think this new twist could be helping a team or several teams to get a faster or better connection to their new destination, also i will not rule out the possibilities of letting the team(s) who used it to book business class tickets

I would think this new twist should be something we can actually see on TV for more than just "___ & ___ used an express pass allowing them to travel via ____"

[Competitor]

I hope that the express pass is used or capable of being used by a team wishing to quickly recover from a U-turn. It seems that over the past few seasons a U-turn has basically eliminated teams on the spot. Hopefully, teams might be able to hold their express pass and use it if they get U-turned, assuming they haven't used it already. If teams have already used their express pass and they get U-turned, then that's just poor luck or management of their opportunities.

If this happens like I mentioned, I think TAR will be making wise improvements.

[theschnauzers]

From what I can tell, the recent refinements in the game have been designed to either reduce costs, or avoid wasting money to set up tasks that are not used. Yes, that does create a natural tension over the Detour, but I think we've seen signs that suggest that if it's a really good task, they're making such tasks a route marker task rather than one of two detour options. The detour options also seem to be more carefully balanced as to their benefits and liabilities, although there have been detour tasks that some teams found easy.
I don't think the express pass relates to travel as such; the show has tried to balance bunching on the one hand, and trying to prevent some teams from being able to get too far ahead or fall too far behind on the other. The one fault is the tasks that a particular teams finds impossible to complete-- we've had more teams quit in the last few seasons and not due to an injury. That's a concern to me (exhaustion really isn't an injury so that's a risk of the game that all of the teams could face if the make a lot a bad decisions in a very short period of time.)

I'm still hoping that at some point we'll be able to get back to a 13-episode season at least some of the time.  TPTB seem to have hit on a filming schedule which allows them to compress filming to 3 weeks; and with 13 legs, we could have 12 teams for a complete first leg.

[Evan_Weinstein]

haha, that's why i say this is my guess/prediction, oh wait, did i mention it in my earlier post, LOL

i think this new twist could be helping a team or several teams to get a faster or better connection to their new destination, also i will not rule out the possibilities of letting the team(s) who used it to book business class tickets

I would think this new twist should be something we can actually see on TV for more than just "___ & ___ used an express pass allowing them to travel via ____"

[mswood]

Well the new penalty for non elimination did actually increase production costs (as it was the first time there was a cost to any penalty for non elimination).  I would prefer the new twist to being able to skip a task.  And could we please, please get rid of the U-Turn.  I utterly hate it.  It makes me really question why I watch the show.  I mean seriously, if they are going to have racers actively working to hinder other teams, why do they have rules where you can't hinder a teams progress.  It goes against the very nature of the rules and spirit of the show.

[georgiapeach]

I want it gone too!

[Paron]

I want it gone too!

Not me.  I like it.

[Competitor]

Well the new penalty for non elimination did actually increase production costs (as it was the first time there was a cost to any penalty for non elimination).  I would prefer the new twist to being able to skip a task.  And could we please, please get rid of the U-Turn.  I utterly hate it.  It makes me really question why I watch the show.  I mean seriously, if they are going to have racers actively working to hinder other teams, why do they have rules where you can't hinder a teams progress.  It goes against the very nature of the rules and spirit of the show.

I understand that the producers want there to be some form of interaction as the teams go head to head. I think that is the idea behind the U-Turn. What if they did away with the U-Turn as we know it (making teams do the other detour task) but allowed teams to U-Turn a team where the other team has to perform a speed-bump sized task. Instead of a team getting bumped back by a matter of hours, they could be knocked back by 15-30 minutes.

Just a thought.

[Jobby]

As i've said before, I like U-TURNs but they freaking have to be side by side each other like in Season 12 (Lorena and Jason's) U-TURN. The team will already be losing undetermined amount of time performing another task, why make them lost more time travelling? And also, the other side of the U-TURN must be something that can be done and completed.. Seriously, who knows MORSE CODE? It made me piss when Joe and Heidi got eliminated and it is not because i liked them but because it is not their own fault that they were gone.

And i think we're thinking too much into the Express Pass, like we did for the Speedbump. It's going to be like literally like what it's name suggest, that one team can choose to skip a task. But maybe getting the Express Pass might be something difficult. I don't think the producers would like to have teams constantly harping on the fact that they can skip a task.. I want to believe that the producers will not go into such an extent as to allow all the teams to have one chance to skip a task at any one point throughout the entire race...

[Coutzy]

As i've said before, I like U-TURNs but they freaking have to be side by side each other like in Season 12 (Lorena and Jason's) U-TURN. The team will already be losing undetermined amount of time performing another task, why make them lost more time travelling? And also, the other side of the U-TURN must be something that can be done and completed.. Seriously, who knows MORSE CODE? It made me piss when Joe and Heidi got eliminated and it is not because i liked them but because it is not their own fault that they were gone.

And i think we're thinking too much into the Express Pass, like we did for the Speedbump. It's going to be like literally like what it's name suggest, that one team can choose to skip a task. But maybe getting the Express Pass might be something difficult. I don't think the producers would like to have teams constantly harping on the fact that they can skip a task.. I want to believe that the producers will not go into such an extent as to allow all the teams to have one chance to skip a task at any one point throughout the entire race...

Perhaps they need to give up their money or possessions for it? Some sort of trade-off, perhaps?

[Dånooky]

As i've said before, I like U-TURNs but they freaking have to be side by side each other like in Season 12 (Lorena and Jason's) U-TURN. The team will already be losing undetermined amount of time performing another task, why make them lost more time travelling? And also, the other side of the U-TURN must be something that can be done and completed.. Seriously, who knows MORSE CODE? It made me piss when Joe and Heidi got eliminated and it is not because i liked them but because it is not their own fault that they were gone.

And i think we're thinking too much into the Express Pass, like we did for the Speedbump. It's going to be like literally like what it's name suggest, that one team can choose to skip a task. But maybe getting the Express Pass might be something difficult. I don't think the producers would like to have teams constantly harping on the fact that they can skip a task.. I want to believe that the producers will not go into such an extent as to allow all the teams to have one chance to skip a task at any one point throughout the entire race...

Perhaps they need to give up their money or possessions for it? Some sort of trade-off, perhaps?

how about exchange skipping a task and then having to complete a speedbump on the next leg?

[walkingpneumonia]

Seriously, who knows MORSE CODE?

I know morse code, as does anyone who was in the Boy Scouts or was an ham radio enthusiast (pre-internet nerd) during the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
Most people know at least 2 letters - s and o - so they can send an sos when their ship starts sinking...

... --- ...

[HiddenPerson]

I've always thought that the u-turn was a stupid twist -- it's way to hard to make up time.
They should just bring back classic TAR with the yield. The way it was back when I loved it.

[walkingpneumonia]

Since the "Express Pass" was known about by the racers in Logan, I wonder if they received a physical pass (like a passport) at the beginning of the race, with instructions on how to use it?
I'm guessing its something that allows a team one time to strategically bypass any task at any time in the race. I would use it if I got U-Turned and was in danger of being eliminated.

[Jobby]

I would use it at any one point when i know i'm in dead last and all the other teams have already somehow started on the task and looks like they're going to complete.

And yes, i know the simple morse code, but if you do a google search on how many percent of the Americans actually do know how to use the morse code.. i don't think you'll be pleased with the results. When teens can't even locate the US on the map.. *cough* Caite. LOL.

[Mug Costanza]

As i've said before, I like U-TURNs but they freaking have to be side by side each other like in Season 12 (Lorena and Jason's) U-TURN. The team will already be losing undetermined amount of time performing another task, why make them lost more time travelling? And also, the other side of the U-TURN must be something that can be done and completed.. Seriously, who knows MORSE CODE? It made me piss when Joe and Heidi got eliminated and it is not because i liked them but because it is not their own fault that they were gone.

I agree. The best U-Turn I can think of was the un-aired one in TAR13 at the Moscow military camp (Boots or Borscht). Both Detours were in the same compound, so teams wouldn't have wasted loads of time travelling between tasks.

For Express Pass, I think it'll be an actual, phyiscal pass that they can trade in for the next clue, as opposed to teams just looking in the camera and saying, "We choose to use our Express Pass." I mean, we're all just kinda guessing what it will do exactly, but we still don't know how to get one, how to use one, or even what it necessarily does. But if it does do what we think it does, I would hope that there would be a limit on a number of teams that can use the Express Pass on any give task, preferably 1.

[Caelestor]

I do like the concept of the U-turn, but like the FF, it has to appear more frequently to have any sense of strategy, and the two tasks should be located near each other.

I personally think that Joe and Heidi had ample amounts of time to solve that Morse Code and beat Jeff and Jordan. It was only 25 characters, and they had the translation book. They just didn't tackle it methodically because being U-turned messed with their minds. My issue with that leg was there was only one major task, and there was pretty much no way to recover.

In classic TAR, the producers would have made the teams go on an epic 500 km+ drive from Hamburg to France, not use some mobile pitstop as a cheap way out. That alone would have made the episode more fun to watch.

The express pass will be a physical item that allows a team to bypass any one task up to a certain point in the race (Leg 8 maybe?).

[Mug Costanza]

Caution!   Ahead.

In reality, I was really glad Joe & Heidi were U-Turned. I hated the way Joe interacted with his wife. Saying, "I'm the team leader" is fine with me, but saying that Heidi should do the Leg 2 Roadblock because it involves her being in the kitchen is pushing it. Then saying "Why would you U-Turn a guy with a busted knee and a wife?" over and over again at Elimination Station made me angry to no end. The way he said it made it seem like he thought of his wife as nothing more than an incumberence, that she was going to slow him down and keep him from winning the Race. I know people give Louie & Michael a hard time for doing it, but I think Joe needed to be taken down a peg.



Okay. Sorry about that.


I think it's good that the producers are still finding ways to implement new things into the Race. It keeps the Race from stagnating, and we haven't really seen anything new since TAR12. Express Pass sounds awesome, regardless of what it ends up being. I have yet to meet a twist I didn't like.   (Except the reduction of number of Fast Forwards, but that's not really much of a twist.)

[georgiapeach]

Seriously, who knows MORSE CODE?

I know morse code, as does anyone who was in the Boy Scouts or was an ham radio enthusiast (pre-internet nerd) during the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
Most people know at least 2 letters - s and o - so they can send an sos when their ship starts sinking...

... --- ...

Detectives with skills...I love it!

I once knew all the semaphore signals...thanks to reading Arthur Ransome! But they are "Gone with the Wind" now 

And just a reminder...we now have a thread available for Discussions of previous seasons...

http://forum.realityfanforum.com/index.php/topic,22643.msg540607.html#new

[Mug Costanza]

And just a reminder...we now have a thread available for Discussions of previous seasons...

http://forum.realityfanforum.com/index.php/topic,22643.msg540607.html#new

I know, I'm sorry! I got on a roll and couldn't stop it!

[redskevin88]

Caution!   Ahead.

In reality, I was really glad Joe & Heidi were U-Turned. I hated the way Joe interacted with his wife. Saying, "I'm the team leader" is fine with me, but saying that Heidi should do the Leg 2 Roadblock because it involves her being in the kitchen is pushing it. Then saying "Why would you U-Turn a guy with a busted knee and a wife?" over and over again at Elimination Station made me angry to no end. The way he said it made it seem like he thought of his wife as nothing more than an incumberence, that she was going to slow him down and keep him from winning the Race. I know people give Louie & Michael a hard time for doing it, but I think Joe needed to be taken down a peg.



Okay. Sorry about that.


I think it's good that the producers are still finding ways to implement new things into the Race. It keeps the Race from stagnating, and we haven't really seen anything new since TAR12. Express Pass sounds awesome, regardless of what it ends up being. I have yet to meet a twist I didn't like.   (Except the reduction of number of Fast Forwards, but that's not really much of a twist.)

And I know you guys give **** to Brent & Caite but look at it this way. Those bozos are never going to challenge the other teams for first, they were also going to be at the back of the pack. U don't know where Dan & Jordan is.  Louie & Mike you can beat them in a footrace (they're too much of coffee and doughnuts). Jet & Cord are beatable, as they showed in Seychelles (they were lucky in Penang but let's not get into there here). That leaves Carol & Brandy to U-turn.

[realshowfan]

Who knows what the Express Pass would be? It may just be a replacement name for the Fast Forward.

[Slowhatch]

One EP for the first-leg winner? I'd like it better if they handed out EPs to each team at the start, telling them the passes could only be used once: turn it into a wild-card thing.
(Or hand them out to the winner of each leg; I think the teams would appreciate an EP more than a catamaran  )

[georgiapeach]

I'd like a wild card Express pass a LOT! And subtract the U-turn and you are back to teams using STRATEGY! Novel idea...

[The Queen V]

One EP for the first-leg winner? I'd like it better if they handed out EPs to each team at the start, telling them the passes could only be used once: turn it into a wild-card thing.
(Or hand them out to the winner of each leg; I think the teams would appreciate an EP more than a catamaran  )

where was this seen? is it shown in an article already? or is this just a speculation?

[georgiapeach]

From the official cast reveal:

This season's cast of Racers will travel over 32,000 miles, covering four continents and 30 cities, with first-time visits to Bangladesh, Ghana and the Arctic Circle. Additionally, for the first time in the history of the Race, the Team to finish in first place during the premiere episode will be awarded a surprise, game-changing advantage.

http://forum.realityfanforum.com/index.php/topic,23143.0.html

[Hooky]

Additionally, for the first time in the history of the Race, the Team to finish in first place during the premiere episode will be awarded a surprise, game-changing advantage.

...Which may or may not be the Express Pass. I'm leaning toward it being the case, though.

[Jobby]

Why not as long as you win a leg, you win an Express Pass.. however you can only use it once throughout the entire race.

[Neobie]

Would that help strong teams leap further ahead?

[georgiapeach]

Phil talks about the new game twist in this clip taken the night before the Emmy's at the The Reality Cares Achievement Awards! "Game changing!!"

[Jobby]

Only the first leg winner getting an express pass would be......... like almost similar to a Fast Forward? It's like once in every season and completely random?

[ZBC Company]

i love this twist hoever i think should give to everyteam

[Cocoa]

I hope the Express Pass is not awarded to the first team to arrive...
Imagine Eric & Jeremy, BJ & Tyler, Meghan & Cheyne, Nick & Starr, and dun dun dun... Marc & Rovilson doing that.

HOWEVER, It doesn't hurt if it is indeed awarded to first team. They deserve it.

[georgiapeach]

First Look!! Our spoiler comes alive!!

[Vitoko]

I still don't understand this "Express Pass" it will be only delivered to the winner of the first leg? or in every leg?

Don't know why but I think that will allow to skip a task in a future leg... but what if the winner of the first leg make it all the way to the final 3 and decide to skip  the final roadbloack that will automaticaly made them the winner of the race and will be really unfair to the other teams if this theory its true...

[DrRox]

I still don't understand this "Express Pass" it will be only delivered to the winner of the first leg? or in every leg?

Don't know why but I think that will allow to skip a task in a future leg... but what if the winner of the first leg make it all the way to the final 3 and decide to skip  the final roadbloack that will automaticaly made them the winner of the race and will be really unfair to the other teams if this theory its true...

I feel pretty confident that it will be like the FF and the FF had to be used BEFORE the last leg........I doubt very seriously that the express pass will be valid on the final 3.

[georgiapeach]

New promo featuring the Express pass in post 2 of the ep 1 thread!!

[TrueNorth]

I'm guessing it's a "fast forward" to be used during any leg up until the final 3.

 It's a great idea and let's see if the team that gets it saves it for when they are in peril, or if they can't resist and use it too soon.

[georgiapeach]

TVGuide.com: Speaking of new things, what can you tell us about the Express Pass?


Keoghan: Well, first of all, I think we've tried to always inject new things, but at the same time, we don't want to mess with something that's worked. Like I said, change is always good. It livens up the show and keeps everyone on their toes, especially for a show that's been on as long as ours. This is a tool that teams can use to help themselves stay in the race and it's something from the beginning that gives them an extra incentive to race really hard right out of the gate. It rewards the team that does well, but unlike the Fast Forward, its impact is not for one leg. It has an effect on the entire race.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Amazing-Race-Keoghan-1023630.aspx?rss=breakingnews

[Hooky]

The entire race, not just one leg? So you can, for example, skip a Roadblock EVERY leg? That might be a little extreme.

[redskevin88]

The entire race, not just one leg? So you can, for example, skip a Roadblock EVERY leg? That might be a little extreme.

According to Wiki, only the first 8 legs.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Race_17#cite_note-6

[Dånooky]

The entire race, not just one leg? So you can, for example, skip a Roadblock EVERY leg? That might be a little extreme.

Let's not get that far ahead, I think it only applies for standard rout infos if it works indeed for the whole race

[Hooky]

I think I just found our answer!

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/131418-the-amazing-race/

'The Amazing Race' Season 17 Premiere

By Chris Conaton 26 September 2010

Getting to Know Them

The Amazing Race returns Sunday, 26 September. Over the past 16 years, the show has tweaked details, but rarely strayed from the basic blueprint. At the opening of this edition, host Phil Keoghan introduces a new wrinkle to the game. This season, though he predictably oversells the new Express Pass, it does have the potential to help a team in trouble. The Pass can be used at any point during the first eight legs of the race to allow a team to skip a challenge and move on. Keoghan provides extra motivation to the 11 teams by offering the Pass as a reward to the winners of the first leg of the race.

And with that, the teams are off to make their way to Boston’s Logan Airport and fly to London. This time out, the groups include the usual assortment of family members, dating and married couples, and odd pairings. The most interesting team on paper may be Andie and Jenna, a mother-daughter team. Andie gave Jenna up for adoption as an infant and they’ve only recently been reunited. They’re using the race as a way to get to know each other and spend time together. Using a TV show to “get to know” someone sounds like a bad idea—and in The Amazing Race has led teams to implode after a few legs, but there’s always the chance this version will work out.

Most of the teams have little trouble getting to the airport. Ron and Tony, best friends from California, boast about their compass-reading skills, then use one to find their way to the airport. It seems a little premature to be relying on a compass to make the under-an-hour drive from Gloucester to the airport, but it tells us something about the team’s preparation and their inclination to brag about it. On the other hand, Connor and Jonathan, this season’s designated nerd team (they’re a cappella singers from Princeton), manage to get hopelessly lost.

Once the teams get to London, all of the hallmarks that make The Amazing Race so consistently entertaining show up. Some contestants show shocking ignorance. Vicki, who along with her partner Nick is worried the other teams will underestimate them because of their multiple tattoos, shows that she might have other things to worry about. “This is the first time I’ve ever even heard of Stonehedge, and then uh, I found out that it was a bunch of rocks!” she says incredulously. Another team wastes time attempting to retrieve a flag from the battlements of a castle because they think that the word “battlements” refers to a person.

In one incident during the season premiere, a team fails at driving a manual transmission, leaving their car stalled in the middle of a busy street. You’d think that with 16 seasons to watch, new team members would know to learn how to drive a stick shift before starting the race. But something like this happens every season. And what would an edition of The Amazing Race be without arrogance and a short-tempered alpha male? The arrogance this year comes courtesy of Thomas, who informs the camera during a confessional that he believes his Notre Dame education gives him a big advantage on the race.

Our short-tempered “villain” is Chad, who starts shouting and ranting almost as soon as the plane touches down in England and doesn’t let up for the rest of the episode. Unlike past female partners of Amazing Race alpha males, though, Chad’s teammate Stephanie isn’t about to be a doormat. She deals with him by staying calm and firmly telling him that his explosions of anger aren’t helping them at all.

Still, it’s pretty amusing to see the pair struggle mightily on a river crossing challenge that requires patience and balance. Forced to use tiny, precarious boats and an overhead rope, the teams all face a steep learning curve, repeatedly swamping their boats and having to start over. The episode’s other big challenge involves using a ballista to shoot watermelons at a suit of armor, attempting to knock it over. As far as challenges go, this one is pretty mundane except for the incident that CBS released on tape weeks ago to promote the show. Home shopping host Claire somehow manages to get her watermelon stuck in the oversized slingshot, so that instead of shooting outwards, it comes out in the opposite direction and slams into her face, exploding on impact. That she manages to finish the challenge despite being in obvious pain is impressive, but I would be surprised if the unnerving now doesn’t affect her team in future episodes.

The Amazing Race typically features interesting contestants from a variety of backgrounds and thrown into a high-pressure, high stakes race set in unfamiliar environments. This opening leg of Season 17 feels like a warm-up for difficulties to come. The British locals speak English and there are no devilish taxi drivers to deal with. But the extended, 90-minute episode contains the usual amount of air travel and challenges found in a normal 60-minute episode. The show uses the extra time to introduce the teams, giving the audience an opportunity to “get to know” most of them. As always, viewers are bound to pick favorites and antagonists, and so have reasons to watch again.

[Jobby]

Okay when Phil meant impact not only for one leg.. maybe he meant the team may be in last and decides to use the Express Pass to skip a task and caught up some time ahead of another team and avoid elimination, task the impact is not for one leg but the entire race as race results was changed as the team could have been eliminated had not been for the Express Pass.

Had the Express Pass been given since season one, i think Debbie and Bianca, Rob and Amber and a few other teams would have loved it.

[Belle Book]

Okay when Phil meant impact not only for one leg.. maybe he meant the team may be in last and decides to use the Express Pass to skip a task and caught up some time ahead of another team and avoid elimination, task the impact is not for one leg but the entire race as race results was changed as the team could have been eliminated had not been for the Express Pass.

Had the Express Pass been given since season one, i think Debbie and Bianca, Rob and Amber and a few other teams would have loved it.

Especially Debbie & Bianca -- or John Vito & Jill!

Belle Book

[gayron]

They need to get rid of the Uturn, just like they did with the Yield......they dont need teams hindering other teams in any way.....its a race....not Survivor.

It is a race!!! Racing against the time!!

Honestly, I like the idea of U-Turn. Amanda & Kris could have overcome the U-Turn if they haven't left the wood stack task in 1st place.

For Jen & Kisha, everyone know they could have overcome the U-Turn if Jen only decide to pee on herself. 

You just need to be wise and strategic of how to overcome the U-Turn. It's not that impossible.

I too like the u-turn, but has anyone ever overcome it?

[Paron]

They need to get rid of the Uturn, just like they did with the Yield......they dont need teams hindering other teams in any way.....its a race....not Survivor.

It is a race!!! Racing against the time!!

Honestly, I like the idea of U-Turn. Amanda & Kris could have overcome the U-Turn if they haven't left the wood stack task in 1st place.

For Jen & Kisha, everyone know they could have overcome the U-Turn if Jen only decide to pee on herself. 

You just need to be wise and strategic of how to overcome the U-Turn. It's not that impossible.

I too like the u-turn, but has anyone ever overcome it?

I think a team did in Israel's version, but that version's legs are long and spread out over two episodes, so that was easy enough for them.  And just recently, Dimple & Sunaina did on TARA4.

On this version, though?  No, not yet.

[Belle Book]

They need to get rid of the Uturn, just like they did with the Yield......they dont need teams hindering other teams in any way.....its a race....not Survivor.

It is a race!!! Racing against the time!!

Honestly, I like the idea of U-Turn. Amanda & Kris could have overcome the U-Turn if they haven't left the wood stack task in 1st place.

For Jen & Kisha, everyone know they could have overcome the U-Turn if Jen only decide to pee on herself. 

You just need to be wise and strategic of how to overcome the U-Turn. It's not that impossible.

I think Amanda & Kris had little chance to overcome their U-Turn, but I agree that Jen & Kisha had the opportunity to overcome theirs!  Still, I think it's much harder to overcome the U-Turn than it is to overcome the Yield (which proceeded the U-Turn).

Belle Book

[DrRox]

It depends on what you mean by "overcoming" the U-turn. Kisha and Jen finished the both detours BEFORE Jamie/Cara finished one detour. To me that means they overcame the U-turn. Further, Kisha/Jen arrived at the Roadbock before Jamie/Cara and left the Roadblock before Jamie/Cara. So again....they were ahead. Here is where it went bad for Kisha/Jen. They got a bad taxi driver. From post race interviews, he drove very slow and apparently wasnt really sure where to go. He dropped them off at the very far limit of the Olympic stadium park. They had to walk a long way. On the other hand, Jamie and Cara's taxi drove right to the right side of the park and the correct side of the Birds nest stadium. All the teams had a hard time finding the Pit Stop mat...If I remember correctly, J/C finished about 20 minutes before K/J and I really doubt that it took her that long to go to the bathroom in that Port-a- Potty.

So to me, they overcame the U-turn, but not the bad taxi driver. Many others have a different opinion, I am sure.

[Paron]

Except Phil told Jaime & Cara that Jen was in the bathroom while they were having their mat chat, so I think it was much less than twenty minutes.

[redskevin88]

J/C finished about 20 minutes before K/J and I really doubt that it took her that long to go to the bathroom in that Port-a- Potty.

Girls can take pretty long ur know..

I think a team did in Israel's version, but that version's legs are long and spread out over two episodes, so that was easy enough for them.  And just recently, Dimple & Sunaina did on TARA4.

On this version, though?  No, not yet.

And don't forget Deepak & Naresh, China Rush, they actually finished HIGHER then the team that u-turned them, Karen & Lisa 

[DrRox]

Except Phil told Jaime & Cara that Jen was in the bathroom while they were having their mat chat, so I think it was much less than twenty minutes.

Paron, you are certainly able to believe who or what you want......especially what you see on an "edited" television program.

One of the reasons THIS site exists, is that most of us DON'T believe what WRP shows us on the show. We search for the truth.

[DrRox]

J/C finished about 20 minutes before K/J and I really doubt that it took her that long to go to the bathroom in that Port-a- Potty.

Girls can take pretty long ur know..

You really don't know much about females and Port-a_Pottys.....

[Dånooky]

So, going back to "New Game Play Twists"

do you think we'll get a reprise of those new twists like the Switchback or the double Roadblocks?

[georgiapeach]

From CBS?