The Amazing Race S34

love skating

Clueless American
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Loved Derek and Claire on Big Brother so was pleased to see them again and see them do well! I find the separated at birth identical twins story so fascinating - rooting for them cause they need time together!! I knew when they showed the girls asking for directions for so long and showing all the other teams leave that it might be hard for them to catch up. The scramble idea was interesting - I kinda liked it but it did make it hard to keep track of teams - esp for a first episode when we don't know everyone. No one was too annoying yet, so that's a plus. They say no non elimination legs but does that include no "you're still racing" legs? We shall see I guess. Anyway, glad the show is back on - still love watching it!
 

Aceon6

Wrangling the duvet into the cover
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I’m amazed that I don’t hate anyone yet, but the cheerleaders came closest to earning my distrust.
 

Lilia A

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I think Abby could potentially become over the top annoying, but with 12 teams she didn't get enough air time. Interesting about the no NEL this season. I kind of like that, actually. And about this scramble, this makes it so much easier for the editors to mess with the viewers as to how far ahead/behind a team actually is. Oh and finally, yay TAR is back :cheer:
 

smurfy

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6,086
Yea it is back. Interesting change. The scramble is interesting, but yes it is hard to know the rankings.
It might be harder for them to edit - so have to be patient.
 

Aceon6

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It might be harder for them to edit - so have to be patient.
From a production standpoint, scramble may be easier as there’s no need to move equipment, just set up and wait.
 

MacMadame

Doing all the things
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No one was too annoying yet, so that's a plus.
There was a lot of screaming this time. I'm not clear on who was doing it, but if they don't stop, I'll be rooting for their elimination. :lol:

I enjoyed the challenges though smashing the ice wasn't that interesting. But the sawing and obstacle course were really fun and having people be all over the place made it really exciting.
 

Lilia A

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Right away we all knew someone would forget the hat, otherwise they wouldn't have aired the teams reading that part of the clue. At least it didn't make a difference in the end. I still don't particularly love or hate any team, so it didn't matter who eliminated. I will say though, tough challenges today. Not physically challenging, but very tough if you're not naturally gifted or had training for music and/or dancing.
 

smurfy

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the girl that left her hat behind - she does seem more interested in providing good narration and it is a distraction for her. imho
 

Prancer

Chitarrista
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Giant cheese wheels! I was hoping to see them rolling down a mountain, but alas.

The Ducati challenge must have taken forever, given that everyone caught up there in spite of the ones who did the anatomy challenge having to do the class over and over. The last two teams at the anatomy challenge did it eight times! One of them should have switched. It was a really easy test if you know anything about anatomy, but clearly that was not the case. Carry the cheese! The physical challenges are nearly always faster.

I love Glenda and Kevin Hart Lumumba. They aren't good racers, but they just seem to enjoy each other so much. OTOH, Dom and Rich (but really just Dom) cannot go soon enough. I would have to stuff her in the trunk if she were my partner. The brothers are obviously doing well, but go twin sisters! I could not believe how quickly Emily put that motorcycle together! I would hate to be Claire and having to do the challenges with Derek stalking along at the sidelines, but she doesn't seem to pay much attention to him.

Everyone else is still kind of blending together.

I was rolling my eyes at the people struggling with the stick shifts, but I do think it's challenging for people in the US to learn, given that there are so few of them around any more. But still--it's TAR. You will be driving a stick shift.
 

sk8pics

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I was rolling my eyes at the people struggling with the stick shifts, but I do think it's challenging for people in the US to learn, given that there are so few of them around any more. But still--it's TAR. You will be driving a stick shift.
Me too! I couldn’t believe how many of them were really bad at driving a stick. There must be some around, some driving schools maybe, but perhaps it’s not so easy to find a stick to practice.
 

Lilia A

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I was rolling my eyes at the people struggling with the stick shifts, but I do think it's challenging for people in the US to learn, given that there are so few of them around any more. But still--it's TAR. You will be driving a stick shift.
This. It's season 34, not 2. If you get cast for TAR, you know there's a big chance you'll be driving stick and you may be driving for long distances in multiple legs. Things people hoping to get into TAR should do 1) learn to drive stick for real, 2) learn to at least go from one end of the pool to the other without help and learn to get out of the pool, 3) know that there's always a chance you'll be doing a heights challenge or food challenge, so be willing to get over a fear. I'll never forget Myka from I-don't-remember-what-season and how she and her partner got eliminated because she wouldn't go down a big water slide. This girl had a fear of BOTH heights and water. Lethal combination if you want to do well in TAR. Oh and, bonus 4) learn to say something other than "rapido".

I know mega legs are not new, but I think there will be more than one this season in lieu of NEL. I would have chosen the anatomy challenge but only because I took anatomy in college. Now, even if you never took anatomy, I still expect people to know where the liver is. The Ducati challenge looked hard as hell. Props to the twin for figuring it out so quickly.

Oh, also, I'd like to say just how much I'm enjoying the lack of alliances so far. I feel like in past seasons there would have been 4 teams working on the anatomy challenge AND the Ducati challenge together, and then whatever team isn't part of the alliance would be screwed.
 

Prancer

Chitarrista
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Now, even if you never took anatomy, I still expect people to know where the liver is.
I don't think the liver gave too many of them trouble, but the sections of the small intestine? I think that would be really tough, especially since TAR gave them extra body parts.

I just checked to see if any of the driving schools near me teach people how to drive a manual transmission; nope. Someone obviously taught the driving twin or she's had practice or both, as she was talking about the sweet spot, but Rich was acting like he'd never driven a stick before in his life.

I know how to drive a stick and did for many years, but I would probably have stalled out a time or two myself in their shoes. I do try to keep in mind that it would be a lot more difficult to do things when you have that adrenaline pumping through your veins and the pressure to perform is doing in your head.
 

MLIS

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541
This. It's season 34, not 2. If you get cast for TAR, you know there's a big chance you'll be driving stick and you may be driving for long distances in multiple legs. Things people hoping to get into TAR should do 1) learn to drive stick for real, 2) learn to at least go from one end of the pool to the other without help and learn to get out of the pool, 3) know that there's always a chance you'll be doing a heights challenge or food challenge, so be willing to get over a fear. I'll never forget Myka from I-don't-remember-what-season and how she and her partner got eliminated because she wouldn't go down a big water slide. This girl had a fear of BOTH heights and water. Lethal combination if you want to do well in TAR. Oh and, bonus 4) learn to say something other than "rapido".
5) Learn to read and navigate using a map!
 

Spikefan

Rooting for that middle-aged team
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My school required a drivers course and we all had to learn manual. However, I never drove manual again for ten years. Then, on a trip to Spain, here I am driving manual again and was stuck driving as DH did not know how. It did come back but when I was stressed I would stall or do something dumb. I’m guessing some practiced but then got stressed.

The other thing, I’m the map reader in our relationship. On a TAR team you definitely need your non-driver to know how to read a map.
 

Aceon6

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On a TAR team you definitely need your non-driver to know how to read a map.
I’ve been surprised at the number of teams who just hop in the car and roll. I’d take a minute looking at the map… where are we, what general direction do we need to go n/s/e/w, what are the major towns en route, etc. As a driver, I need a general sense to avoid doing something dumb.
 

MacMadame

Doing all the things
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I’ve been surprised at the number of teams who just hop in the car and roll. I’d take a minute looking at the map… where are we, what general direction do we need to go n/s/e/w, what are the major towns en route, etc. As a driver, I need a general sense to avoid doing something dumb.
I've become very dependent on my GPS and I suspect some of these younger folks haven't had significant map-reading experience as a driver.

Now I've always had a bad sense of direction and am bad at reading maps so that probably accelerated my abandoning them and moving to GPS but every phone has a GPS built in and many cars do too so I think it's just taking over as a way to navigate.
 

Prancer

Chitarrista
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I’ve been surprised at the number of teams who just hop in the car and roll. I’d take a minute looking at the map… where are we, what general direction do we need to go n/s/e/w, what are the major towns en route, etc. As a driver, I need a general sense to avoid doing something dumb.
My husband would totally do that (he always drives; I always navigate) and just expect me to figure out where we were on the map as we drove. And if we got lost, he would continue to drive in spite of my insistence that we stop so I could figure out where we were on the theory that it is better to keep moving because then you are at least getting somewhere.

Pre-GPS, we used to have many "discussions" about how difficult it is to find a moving target on a static map.
 

Susan1

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I just got around to watching this last night.
I've always been the navigator. I look for landmarks.

I kept saying they know they are going to have to drive a stick shift. I haven't done it for years. When I was about 14 I used to shift the car for my dad by watching his feet and the sound of the car. When it got to the doing it part, I couldn't coordinate my own feet. My ex's 16 year old daughter drove a stick with a cigarette in the other hand and a Pepsi bottle between her legs. Ya'd think I could do it. Nope. We were practicing in a neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon, and I couldn't get moving after the stop sign and rolled backwards - INTO A POLICE CAR. He just laughed. We stopped at her friend's house and she said told them I shook the p*ss out of her. Then I stalled at a red light in Saturday night traffic at a very busy intersection. I got out and walked around to the passenger door and waited. That was it.

I would have done great on the anatomy thing with all of my medical problems. I was pointing to parts of me when they said the words. I'm very familiar with the tibia, mandible, femur, ulna, etc.

I can't stand that freaky-deaky girl with the multi-colored hair and all her woo-woo comments. I don't know how they've made it through the last two legs. ~Be one with the motorcycle. Yes, dear. Sheesh.
 
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MacMadame

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I can't stand that freaky-deaky girl with the multi-colored hair and all her woo-woo comments.
Word. (I like the hair though.)

I learned to drive a stick shift and every time I have to use one, it comes right back to me. Plus I would, ofc, practice before the trip. I'm not saying I wouldn't stall a single time, but I wouldn't be stressed about it so I wouldn't get into a panic like some of them did.
 

Aceon6

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Word. (I like the hair though.)

I learned to drive a stick shift and every time I have to use one, it comes right back to me. Plus I would, ofc, practice before the trip. I'm not saying I wouldn't stall a single time, but I wouldn't be stressed about it so I wouldn't get into a panic like some of them did.
I’m ok with a stick once I figure out the clutch engagement for a particular car. It usually takes me about a half dozen shifts to feel it properly. I’d be dead without a hill holder clutch, though. I used to be pretty adept at keeping my heel on the brake then sliding my toe over to the gas, but I doubt I’d be any good at it now.
 

MacMadame

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I’m ok with a stick once I figure out the clutch engagement for a particular car. It usually takes me about a half dozen shifts to feel it properly. I’d be dead without a hill holder clutch, though. I used to be pretty adept at keeping my heel on the brake then sliding my toe over to the gas, but I doubt I’d be any good at it now.
I cheat and use two feet for that case. ;)
 

Aceon6

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I cheat and use two feet for that case. ;)
Do you have a 3rd foot for the clutch? My mother’s car had a foot operated emergency brake, so there was no way to use it on a hill, so it was left clutch, right heel brake, and right toe gas.
 

MacMadame

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Do you have a 3rd foot for the clutch? My mother’s car had a foot operated emergency brake, so there was no way to use it on a hill, so it was left clutch, right heel brake, and right toe gas.
My parking brake was a hand brake. I meant to say I cheated and used that.
 

Prancer

Chitarrista
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I can't stand that freaky-deaky girl with the multi-colored hair and all her woo-woo comments. I don't know how they've made it through the last two legs. ~Be one with the motorcycle. Yes, dear. Sheesh.
Like I said, I would have to stuff her in the trunk if she were my partner. I'm glad her husband likes her.
I’m ok with a stick once I figure out the clutch engagement for a particular car. It usually takes me about a half dozen shifts to feel it properly. I’d be dead without a hill holder clutch, though. I used to be pretty adept at keeping my heel on the brake then sliding my toe over to the gas, but I doubt I’d be any good at it now.
I always do a couple of tests to find the sweet spot, but this was not something I was ever taught to do. I learned about it when I was trying to teach my kids how to drive a stick and I read about it in (I think) a Click and Clack column.
 

love skating

Clueless American
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2,997
Derek and Claire do a recap each week on youtube. It's interesting to hear some of the things that don't get shown. They struggled with the stick shift too, but they didn't show that. Here's a link to their week three recap:

 

DreamSkates

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3,364
I’ve been surprised at the number of teams who just hop in the car and roll. I’d take a minute looking at the map… where are we, what general direction do we need to go n/s/e/w, what are the major towns en route, etc. As a driver, I need a general sense to avoid doing something dumb.
That’s what I think zI would. But when Adrenalin kicks in, who knows!
 

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