TAR - All Stars Episode 10
If you haven't yet seen (and you intend to see) episode 10 of The Amazing Race Series 11 – All Stars Edition (TARAS), do not read any further!
The last TARAS episode we saw here in Australia ended with Uchenna & Joyce being the last team to reach the Pit Stop and the sixth team to be eliminated from the All Stars edition of the show. The Pit Stop was located inside the grounds of Carcosa Seri Negara, a luxury hotel located near Perdana Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In the second and final Fast Forward on this Race, teams had to travel five miles to a film set located at the former Kai Tak Airport where a high-speed stunt was being filmed for an action movie. When they arrived, they had to get in a car with a professional stunt driver and complete a stunt course, which involved sharp turns and ended with the car flipping over.
This leg's Detour was ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ or ‘Lost in Translation’. In ‘Kung Fu Fighting’, teams had to travel five miles to Tonkin Street and find a nearby building (the former Cheung Sha Wan Police Quarters). Once there, they had to climb up an 11-story bamboo scaffold while avoiding an ongoing battle between stunt kung fu experts to reach the top and retrieve their next clue. In ‘Lost in Translation’, teams needed to make their way four miles to Kowloon City and find Nga Tsin Wai Road. Once there, they had to search among hundreds of similar-looking Chinese signs for the specific sign shown in a photo in their clue. When they matched the photo with the correct store sign, the owner would hand them their next clue.
In the Roadblock, one teammate had to kick down stunt doors in an abandoned building and search through the rooms for their clue.
Teams also had to pull a model boat carrying a Travelocity gnome from one end of a pond to the other without having the gnome fall into the water.
For the record, this was the order in which the teams reached Phil on the mat last episode, and the order in which they started this leg of the Race:
1. Dustin & Kandice
2. Charla & Mirna
3. Eric & Danielle
4. Oswald & Danny
Note: If you're already ahead of this point in the series, please refrain from giving any spoilers in your comments. Thank you.
As always, I’ll provide my thoughts on each team in this episode, listing them in the order in which they arrived at the Pit Stop (hence the 'Spoiler Alert!').
1. Oswald & Danny
Last week: 4
This week: Up three places
I hope these guys win at this stage. This is the second fast forward they've won and as a general rule they have stayed at the front of the pack throughout the entire race, so of those that are left they have played the best game.
Once again the start of this leg came down to who had the best ability to get on a standby list for a flight and then get on that flight. With the few teams that are left at this stage everyone knows where everyone else is, so Oswald and Danny knew that once they saw the fast forward challenge, no one else would beat them to it. The task itself was a complete joke, as all they had to do was sit in a stunt car while a stunt driver flipped the car. Scary if you'd had a serious accident perhaps, but a bit of a thrill to most. Getting to the fast forward first won them a very nice Hong Kong holiday after the race.
2. Dustin & Kandice
Last week: 1
This week: Down one place
I usually find D&K to be rather bland, but this episode I was slightly attracted to them and felt somewhat sympathetic. I think it's probably because the three other teams decided to gang up against them and pretty much made an alliance that the final three teams would not include these blondes.
There was a lot made of the yield issue from last week and about how karma would bite them back, but not much came of it this episode. It is possible that the editors are setting up Eric and Danielle yielding them next week, or that they will be eliminated next week, but who knows. If that's the case, then it couldn't be scripted better.
It was funny to see them in an argument with Mirna over who was placed first on the standby list for their flight, but it turned out to be them.
Also amusing was the brief ride they had in a lift with Eric and Danielle, during which no one said anything nor made any eye contact.
3. Charla & Mirna
Last week: 2
This week: Down one place
Firstly kudos to Charla for climbing the bamboo scaffolding on the outside of a large building while having kung fu fighters suspended on cables, stunt fighting around them. I'm not sure I could have done that, cause I absolutely hate heights and have a morbid fear of widths...also lengths don't thrill me either.
Mirna was her usual loud and brash self throughout this leg, but strangely I found myself wondering what it would be like to be married to her! It's not a fantasy or anything...hey stop looking at me like that!! Her support and praise for her diminutive cousin was a nice, albeit unusual touch for her.
Mirna was the instigator of the alliance against D&K, which the others agreed upon at the airport. Not that it did any good at this stage though. Perhaps next week it'll mean something.
The worst thing that occurred to C&M was that towards the end they had to catch a ferry to Hong Kong Island, but unknown to them, they were driven there and when they finally got on the ferry, they were informed that it was returning to the mainland. This delayed them somewhat as they had to do a round trip to get back to Hong Kong.
4. Eric & Danielle - SAFE!
Last week: 4
This week: Down one place
Ahhhh!!! They should be gone! Non elimination rounds are the bane of this game. To me it just feels like the entire leg has been wasted when they do them. I though they only had two in the race, but perhaps I'd just forgotten the third one. These two have been limping (metaphorically) the last few legs, and now would have been a good time for them to go. But nooooooo! Random loser teams get given a second chance. I hope they're gone next week.
If you haven’t already done so, check out the review of this same episode that BEVIS posted on his blog.
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posted by Javatari at 2:13 AM
6 Comments:
Hehe ... your hatred of non-elimination legs amuses me. :)
I don't think we're told how many non-elimination legs there's gonna be in any given season. (We get told how may Yields and Fast forwards there'll be.) My tip for this one is four. The Guidos, Uchenna & Joyce, Eric & Danielle, and whoever comes in third place in next week's episode (ie. a week tonight).
Think about it - there are three episodes left, starting with tonight. So that means one team will be eliminated tonight, leaving three teams to run two more legs. Clearly they're gonna do what they always seem to do (which annoys me because teams - and viewers - know to expect it) and have a non-elimination leg in the second-last episode, which then keeps the three teams in the Race for the final leg.
But because teams who are saved by non-elimination legs in this season aren't penalised by having their clothes, possessions and money taken off them, I can't see where the 'punishment' will be this time. You can't just say they'll be given a half-hour time penalty if they're not first, because if they're not first, it's all over anyway. hey'll have to come up with some other kind of penalty on the second-last leg (IF I'm right and it IS a non-elimination leg).
Anyway, nice review.
Bevis, well they don't amuse me!! *serenity now, serenity now*
Like I said, I think they are a waste of time that don't progress the game at all. This is supposed to be entertainment for the viewers, not for the racers. I want to see them tortured for the chance at $1 million, so some randoms given second chances isn't interesting for me.
Seriously if they have 4 this season, I might consider missing the next season, cause I feel that strongly about it. And believe me they'd miss me....or not.
Haha ... I'm interested to know how last night's result makes you feel!
I won't say anymore at this point in case you haven't seen it yet. (But I have questions for you once you've watched it!)
Bevis, question away. My personal view was that we just had two waste of time episodes in a row, which didn't bring the show forward at all.
I say they either give everyone a second chance at not being eliminated or no one at all. But I'm all about fairness, so what do I know.
I've kinda asked them in my own post for episode 11, but as you didn't answer them there, I'll ask them again now. Maybe you'll answer these in your own post for episode 11. If so, disregard what follows.
Do you still hate non-elimination rounds, even though your preferred team has now benefitted from one?
And that makes four - will you seriously not watch the next season as a result?
Could you please explain to me what's so different about non-elimination rounds that sets them apart from the other 'tricky' and 'random' aspects of the Race, such as Yields, Fast Forwards, Intersections, and even the randomness of choosing one Detour over another (harder) one, or selecting one team member to complete the Roadblock before they actually know what it is? They're all just elements on the Race, in my view, and not only do they make them interesting and help to keep both teams and viewers guessing, but they prolong the Race so it can last for thirteen episodes. (Presumably they can't start with thirteen teams because of the expense in those early legs to have thirteen sets of all tasks and stuff ready - and also to pay for thirteen times four airline tickets ... plus Phil and HIS camera crew (and all the producers, etc, who fly around the world setting everything up and preparing the rest periods, etc). I'm sure it's a lot to arrange and pay for, although a couple more teams probably wouldn't break their budget. But you'd have to agree, having non-elimination legs (expecially towards the end of the Race when there are so few teams) makes it more cost efficient for the production company.
I think I make this clear in the next post, but yes I still hate non-elims even though a team I prefer was saved this week. If E&D had gone last week and O&D were to go next, then fair enough, it was both teams time to go. I object to random teams being give second chances whether they are deserving or not.
I think my rabid ranting in my next post should answer your other questions, but I will say that I don't really give a damn about cost efficiency of the production company. Perhaps if Phil spent a little less on his designer shirts and shoes! ;) I do offer an alternative to non-elim rounds in my next post as well, to extend the episodes.
To be honest though, I am continueously impressed at the effort and logistics that must go into setting up all the travel and challenges on the show. It must be a bloody nightmare to organise.
I am undecided as to whether I'll watch the next season. Perhaps I'll check out the teams and consider it.
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