Topic: TAR 29 Ep 1 LIVE SHOW Updates & Commentary! 3/30/17 *read Post 1*

[RachelLeVega]

One thing that puzzled me was about the team that Phil drove to the airport. That seemed to be a big advantage. Phil had his car right there while the others had to hail a cab. Also, Phil probably knows the route to the airport better than anyone else in Los Angeles. Yet somehow that team ended up on the second flight.

 

Same thoughts as you about Jessie & Francesca's situation. If anything, they should have been able to taxi to the airport on their own since the schoolyard pick was based off of first impressions, not an actual deal breaking challenge like the license plates/Qantas plane starting line task. Now that I think of it, I feel like this might be a sign TAR could be coming to a close. The competition has dimmed its competitive flair it once possessed.

The route is great for this kind of premiere that requires introductions to 22 individuals so I understood why they had to rush the Los Angeles pre-race teamings. Once they arrived in Panama City, I was kind of lost with the editing like in last season's first episode. The placements were just highlighted when teams ripped open their clues and Darius & Cameron'd some teams not telling whether or not they even finished the task. Still inconsistent unfortunately.

Leg 1's route and personalities was great though!
Self-driving, teams driving the wrong direction, teams capsizing kayaks, an unbelievable first attempt success with Redmond & Matt, successful matches like Team Fun Meter, Seth & Olive, Red & Matt; and communication breakdowns like Scott & Brooke and Vanck & Ashton. Plus a nighttime drive from Gamboa back into PC.

[NMC]

What a great start to the Season.  I'm so glad it lived up to the hype I had for it. 

I'll keep this short.

Positives:
- What a cast! Loving almost everyone. (Though I never warm to the Alpha M/F Teams, I'm hoping the likes of Logan & London grow on me)
- Even though it was a kinda linear Leg route wise, the self driving made for great TV with teams getting lost.
- Becca & Floyd's connection straight off the bat.
- Vanck & Ashton...... Just.... EVERYTHING with Vanck & Ashton. 
- Phil driving. 

Negatives:
- No full Intro, though I understand why.
- No full team placements, but again, I expected this based on previous seasons editing.
- Kevin & Jenn's elimination. 

Team Ranking:
LOVE: Vanck & Ashton
Like: Mike & Liz, Kevin & Jenn, Tara & Joey, Matt & Redmond, Floyd & Becca
Neutral: London & Logan, Brooke & Scott, Seth & Olive, Jessie & Francesca, Shamir & Sara

[elthemagnifico]

I like the premiere episode overall, it gave a communication-based task for a stranger partner who still learn to adapt to their new partner like self driving task. The detour is fine, though i didn't like shoot task, it's too simple... The scoot task is great task, test the teamwork for the partner that just formed in SL...

I think this blind teams format so far is amazing, we can see how team formed merely on their first impression and turned out that they really need do more than impression to win the leg (or survive the leg minimal), the one that really get into it was Vanck and Ashton. They may seem boring but remember Ashton that these two has two contrary personalities that border them. Communication example ( vanck explain numbers to Ashton's  confusion is actually hillarious). And i like teams that get into each other right aftwr team formed like Seth and Olive, or Becca and Floyd or Matt and Remond. Tbh i really like Becca and Floyd that really having fun in the race and get into it, despite they never met brefore ( or interacted precisely ).

[cbacbacba1]

One thing that puzzled me was about the team that Phil drove to the airport. That seemed to be a big advantage. Phil had his car right there while the others had to hail a cab. Also, Phil probably knows the route to the airport better than anyone else in Los Angeles. Yet somehow that team ended up on the second flight.

 

Yes. I was thinking the same thing as well. Huge advantage and yet the team with Phil got on the second flight. #lol

Without a doubt, my favourite is TeamFun and Team LoLo.

I actually REALLY like LongHairDontCare HAHAHA!!

My least favourite of the list is Brooke and Scott. But then, this just feels like Hayley and Blair just that love won't occur.

Becca and Floyd are amazing match 
I cannot stop laughing at Becca's speech after finishing the shooting task 
Scoot and Brooke looks like the one team that will be constantly arguing

[TARUSAFan]

Golden Moment: Phil driving

[TARUSAFan]

I do not need to post my comments as everyone took the words out of my mouth. Bottomline: It was an amazing 1st leg.  The only negatives I could draw from it are:

-No Roadblock, I wish there was one.
-A longer premiere, I think we missed some bits that needed us to get to know the teams more because it was slated to be 2 hours or 90 minutes??

[Nyoman_SB1]

22 completely strangers twist, i don't really like it before but after watching the premiere episode i enjoyed it.  But i still can't remember most of the cast and their team mates Becca & Floyd are the stars of this episode, i love their spirits #TeamFun 

Likes:
- Great cast
- #TeamFun
- Self driving leg

Dislikes:
- No full intro. I mean seriously?? we've been waiting this season for so long. The intro is one of my fav elements of TAR and it help us to remember the cast
- No full team placements
- No prize for the winner of the leg (or it wasn't aired?)
- Kevin & Jenn eliminated
- I feel like this leg more focus on the detour. I can't really see Panama in this leg.

overall i loved this episode, can't wait for the second leg 

[Neobie]

Agree with most of you guys, but what's up with the Express Pass being randomly assigned?

[NMC]

Agree with most of you guys, but what's up with the Express Pass being randomly assigned?

Yea, I was meaning to ask this. Even though producers wouldn't have known the Team that would end up with it, obviously they knew who owned which case, and knew they had given it to Floyd?  This is the type of thing that could come across as a "Fix".  Even though it was most likely an entirely random choosing of a case.

Just wish they had've implemented some sort of a task for it instead - Or just go back to giving it too the Leg winner.... Even use it as the 2nd Leg Prize, like S21.

[BritishTARFan]

I don't think really mind because it went to TeamFun 

[gamerfan09]

I don't think really mind because it went to TeamFun 

Imagine if Kevin & Jenn got it? It would have absolutely changed everything.

[Platrium]

I don't think really mind because it went to TeamFun 

Imagine if Kevin & Jenn got it? It would have absolutely changed everything.

True. I wonder why TAR decided to try out this randomness though.

[BourkieBoy]

True. I wonder why TAR decided to try out this randomness though.

Haven't heard what CBS are saying?
'New twists are the way'

[paradoxinee]

Agree with most of you guys, but what's up with the Express Pass being randomly assigned?

Yea, I was meaning to ask this. Even though producers wouldn't have known the Team that would end up with it, obviously they knew who owned which case, and knew they had given it to Floyd?  This is the type of thing that could come across as a "Fix".  Even though it was most likely an entirely random choosing of a case.

Just wish they had've implemented some sort of a task for it instead - Or just go back to giving it too the Leg winner.... Even use it as the 2nd Leg Prize, like S21.

The EP was completely random. What's with "fix" thing? Those suitcases were not contestant's personal suitcases. Contestants have only backpacks.

[paradoxinee]

And about full intro, I think they will do the shoot after leg 1 (like in season 26, stranger teams' intro videos were taken in Japan). So to not spoil the leg, they may do it from leg 2.

[Jobby]

I still preferred it when they got a team to risk first place or go retrieve the Express Pass. I wished they try it more.

[Platrium]

I still preferred it when they got a team to risk first place or go retrieve the Express Pass. I wished they try it more.

This was a fun bonus to watch. Other franchises could adapt this method of earning the EP.

[Lemontail]

I haven't watched this fully because lack of time. But this looks promising.

[BourkieBoy]

What if they had to look through BACKPACKES, instead of suitcases? This is just what Paradox said and actually, it makes sense!

[gamerfan09]

Paradox didn't say anything like that 

He just meant that there was no way for it to be rigged for a certain team because of the nature of the Starting Line Task. It was 100% pure luck.

RE: Potential Rigging

I'm pretty sure if there was a racer that would get an EP handed to them it would be Redmond because of how he's supposed to be inspirational.... just saying. Having Floyd & Becca get it (when they're probably the most out there and unexpected pairing out of the entire cast) just proves how it wasn't rigged. And besides, this isn't Big Brother. Alison Grodner isn't here to ruin things.

[georgiapeach]

There is NO rigging.

[Keepcopz]

Idk, but the premier rubbed me in not quite right way. It felt strange and rushed. I'm OK with the twist but the atmosphere of the entire episode is really awkward IMO, and I don't know why.

Gonna stick around for couple more episodes since I'm interested to see the dynamic of some pairing.

[Marionete]

It was really unfortunate that they had to cram all the activity of leg 1 into a 42-minute episode. But that is in no way the editors' fault - it was CBS who only gave them an hour-long timeslot.
I definitely felt the same as Keepcopz, as everything was really rushed once the teams arrived in Panama. However, this is perfectly understandable as there wasn't anything unnecessary aired, it was just that we had an unprecedented number of teams' introductions and Phil's explanations to see.

I'm sure the editing will feel a lot better moving forward, even if some aspects of the golden editing era (TAR14-18) are excluded.

[ianthebalance]

How is 14-18 the golden Era of editing?

[Marionete]

Just my opinion honestly, that's when I thought the editing was the most suspenseful and had all the nostalgic moments like the ripping of clues, all placements announced by Phil and shown on screen before & after tasks, etc.