<p>I’m not crazy about the Survivor couple either - I would rather see two non-famous people get a chance at the money! I thought the Survivor couple was a little delusional when they mentioned that they weren’t going to tell anybody they had been on TV before - I think they are pretty easy to recognize! I never watched them on Survivor but I still knew who they were from all the news articles about his cancer. I remember Rob and Amber - gag!</p>
<p>No favorites yet, but the engaged couple that came in first was super cute and the football player/wife have good personalities… I liked the idea of the family version, but it quickly became a hot mess (and the no traveling abroad thing got old really fast)!</p>
That’s just it - I think the appealing gimmick to me is to use ordinary people to do the show - not famous, not always ‘pretty and athletic people’ like some other reality shows, not cookie cutter. They started out this way but recently have been obviously tweaking the contestants too much and going for the gimmicks. The contestants are almost becoming formulaic - ex sports star, older couple, gay couple, parent/kid, model girls, etc. I was almost waiting for this season’s version of the goths.</p>
<p>Rob Mariano was on Survivor four times and TAR twice. I actually don’t really care about Ethan and Jenna being on the show. If they’re going to make contestants get through a means test, then there are likely many contestants who would be disqualified. One that comes to mind is Mike White who was on TAR twice and is one of many contestants who are more wealthy than Ethan and Jenna. Same with this season’s Marcus Pollard who played in the NFL for more than ten years. </p>
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<p>They did leave the U.S. There were legs in Costa Rica, Panama and Canada.</p>
<p>If it makes anyone feel better, Ethan (who, btw, was a soccer goalie at Vassar) has given a big chunk of his Survivor winnings to Grassroot Soccer, a charitable organization he co-founded. I imagine any TAR winnings would be handled the same way. He’s a pretty neat guy.</p>
<p>I wasn’t knocking Ethan or Jenna personally - it’s just that they had their opportunity already to win lots of money on a reality show so it’d be better to give a random no-name a chance. There are a lot of other neat people, people who have dealt with diseases, etc. out there.</p>
<p>I loved this show for the first few seasons. Unfortunately, they jumped the shark more than a couple of seasons ago. I tuned in the other day for the first time and when I saw what appeared to be a SNL skit with the old farts spinning in circles I turned it off. They actually reminded me of the old couple from Caddyshack, “that’s a peach hon”…ugghhh. They would have been eaten by the shark as they could hardly walk let alone jump. What a shame.</p>
<p>I have always been kind of turned off by ARace contestants who have had their “win” on another reality show, but after hearing more and more about Ethan, his fight with his illness, and his charity work (he was wearing the Grassroots Soccer shirt on the opening show), I’m less bothered by it. </p>
<p>If I could only watch one tv show a week, Amazing Race would be it! It’s my all-time favorite. The only show I watch “live”!!!</p>
<p>^^ But there are thousands and thousands of other potential contestants who also have battled diseases and performed charity work who could have been chosen. This Ethan guy sounds like he’s faced some hurdles and also is charitable but he’s already had his spot in the light to the tune of a million dollars already so I think they should give someone else a shot at it.</p>
<p>The show’s producer’s must think people will tune in and watch the show specifically because of the Survivor people who might tune out if they weren’t on. I don’t watch Survivor and had never heard of either of them until now but maybe they hold some celeb factor for others.</p>
<ul>
<li>Can’t believe the old folks made a comeback! I have to give it to them… they redeemed themselves from last week, ha ha.</li>
<li>SO GLAD to see Ethan and Jenna get the boot. I was not liking their vibe at all for some reason.</li>
<li>I wish the gay couple could have stayed and the brother/sister pair would have gotten kicked off - the sister (Jennifer) is awful!! Some major resentment issues or something going on there. Her brother is adorable, so she needs to start being nicer to him. Yikes!</li>
<li>The snowboarders and father/son pairs seem really nice so good for them coming in first and second (and reading the dang sign correctly)!</li>
<li>I couldn’t believe some people had never heard of spelunking before.</li>
</ul>
<p>Wow, crazy tasks, crazy outcomes! While I wasn’t a fan of Ethan and partner at first, I had grown to like him anyway - so sorry to see them end so quickly. I feel like bowing out due to not seeing that sign is CRAZY! (I know, I keep using that word!)</p>
<p>Congrats to Older Folks for having some success! And to the snowboarders for coming in first! Agree that the sister in the bro-sister team has a TERRIBLE attitude! Was glad to see the football guy get through - he’s funny - sad to see the gay couple go already. </p>
<p>I’m never a big fan of the girl- girl teams - could have done without either one of them. </p>
<p>You would think after all these years of TAR that fewer teams would’ve missed the sign on the table at the orphanage. I guess I’m just the sort to read everything, but I guess on TAR the teams are so focused on getting to the pit stop that they move too quickly to take everything in.</p>
<p>shellfell, I agree with you. It’s amazing how many teams make stupid mistakes - not reading clues carefully, losing their clues, dropping their passports, just not paying close attention to everything.</p>
<p>Loved the episode and could hardly believe how many did not read that sign on the table. I too read everything! I would have loved that spelunking challenge. </p>
<p>As I was listening to “Mom & Pop” (as I think some teams called them) I swear I heard the Mom & Dad characters from That 70s Show (actress Debra Jo Rupp & actor Kurtwood Smith).</p>
<p>When I think of how exhausted I am after just one long flight, I can’t even imagine how mentally and physically drained the TAR teams must after just a few days of traveling in multiple forms of transportation, crossing borders, dealing with language barriers, sleeping in a different place every night, carrying all their possessions on their backs, and accomplishing crazy mental and physical tasks. It doesn’t surprise me a bit that they make “stupid” mistakes. It’s a game for the young, the strong, the bright, and the supremely well-organized.</p>
<p>Great episode! I wasn’t too sad about seeing the passport girls get the boot… I like the twin sisters more so was glad to seem them scrape by. Also glad Amani and Marcus made a comeback. I really like the snowboarders - they seem like really sharp guys. Same with the father and son!</p>
<p>I know it’s terrible but… did anyone else laugh every time Cathy fell down? I know I would have done the exact same thing! Those fields looked so slippery. She did crack me up when she said something like, “We’re fearless because we aren’t going to be alive for that much longer!” Haha. Also… how in the world does that one girl have a blonde and blue-eyed child?? Dang! Genetics are something else.</p>
<p>jambaby, i laughed out loud everytime she fell. “I’m okay!” They are a little nutty but make things interesting. I felt bad for those sheep! The way they were being held by the different groups as they ran to the well! I like the snowboarders and Marcus and Amani, too.</p>
<p>My daughter looked at me with jaw dropped when Cathy said “we aren’t going to be alive for much longer!” - YIKES! </p>
<p>I actually thought that the episode was kind of “eh” - not all that interesting. The Buddha task was crazy! You really had to be focussed in the midst of all that anxiety to count correctly! </p>
<p>Snowboarders have a great attitude. Was glad to see the football player/wife come from behind. Kudos to Bill and Cathy for making it through every week they do!</p>
<p>My son thought the father/son team should not have had the penalty at the pit stop - he thought they should have not been given their clue at the well task - that they should have had to start over with just the two buckets? The snowboarders seem to have totally not realize that the father/son team would have a time penalty at the end as well even though they clued them in at the well, to “read your clue”. Hm.</p>
<p>I am thinking Justin and Jennifer (brother/sister) are originally from somewhere in NC because they interviewed their uncle on our local news (I am from NC and a UNC grad!). The uncle lives somewhere here. I am liking Justin’s hat for sure! LOL. Not a huge fan of them though because the sister seems to have some inner rage issues…</p>
<p>Bill and Cathy make me laugh, so good for them for hanging in there! I thought the same thing about the father/son - I was expecting the guy to just not give them the clue. I also felt bad for the sheep! Ha.</p>