Rankings after leg 1 in Bangkok, Thailand
1. Jocelyn & Victor
2. Rob & Corey
3. Greg & John
4. Morgan & Lena
5. Todd & Ashlie
6. Steve & Anna Leigh
7. Joel & Garrett
8. Liam & Yeremi
9. Joe & Ian
10. Andrea & Malaina
11. Robbin & Chelsea
12. Elizabeth & Iliana
13. Alexandra & Sheridan (eliminated in Bangkok)
Season 35 is actually season 36 and vice versa, wait what?
For some reason, the producers filmed two seasons after S34 but decided to show the more recently filmed one first, despite the fact that they have actually another season that's probably edited and ready to be released. We have no idea why they have made this bizarre decision, your guess is as good as mine as to why they have done this. Given how expensive it is to film a season of TAR (including the prize of one million US dollars), one would assume that they will definitely show it at some stage. I have heard some bizarre theories like one of the racers must have gotten into some kind of trouble with the law and so the producers may be delaying the broadcast of that season as they don't want to attract the wrong kind of attention by being associated with someone like that. As far fetched as this theory may sound, this did happen in TAR Australia S4 when one of the racers Sidney Pierucci (of team Sid & Ash who finished 6th in that season) was arrested and charged with assault as the programme was running on Australian TV. It was hugely embarrassing for the producers as they do go to great lengths in the casting process to do extensive background checks on all the racers to make sure that they have not done anything criminal in the past to bring the programme into disrepute. But of course, in this case, prior to participating in TAR Australia, Sid had a clean record, that was the case up till he broke the law after he finished the race but by then, it was too late to cancel the series because of one racer's actions after filming had completed. Like I said, this is just a theory I'm stumbled upon on social media. I'm sure we will get to see that season at some stage, it was filmed only in Latin America but still, any TAR is better than no TAR. Heck, the latest season of TAR Canada S9 was entirely domestic within Canada, but then it was still such great fun to watch it.
Did the longer version make any difference?
A big deal was made of the fact that these episodes are now 90 minutes long (with ads, without the ads it is more like 60 minutes). I like the longer versions - the great thing about it was that the pacing and editing was tight, it was always fresh and it didn't feel like it outstayed its welcome. It does feel like the right length - there have been some occasions in past seasons where some tasks simply hit the cutting room floor and I don't like it when that happens as those tasks did take place and have some effect on the position of the teams, hence with a longer format, that will not happen in this season.
The first roadblock even before leaving the City of Angels.
It was a great idea to do a roadblock before even getting out of Los Angeles, after all, the tasks done in the USA are usually reserved for the last leg and usually the teams don't really start the race properly until they get to the first country. But this was a fun roadblock with a great puzzle that really mixed up the order of the teams - I'm a geek who has Wordle for breakfast. I literally start my work day with a cup of coffee and Wordle (amongst other games of a similar nature) so I totally love puzzles like that. I like difficult challenges like that which can well and truly change the order of the teams, though it was also interesting to see how Todd used his powers of persuasions to manipulate the others to jump the queue and get on that first flight - whatever it takes to get ahead in the game. I didn't think that the puzzle was that hard to be honest, but then again, I do word puzzles like that practically everyday but it is fair to say that it did what it was supposed to do - it scrambled the order of the teams. One thing that did surprise me though was how some teams managed to find their way to the Millennium Biltmore hotel fairly quickly whilst others got lost and took their time - the distance is only about 8.8 miles/14.1 km and the drive would have taken approximately 20 minutes depending on traffic conditions. Then from the hotel to the airport, that's another 18 to 19 miles (a few different route options through LA) and depending on traffic conditions, that's another 35 to 40 minutes. I rolled my eyes and thought, if you guys can get lost in Los Angeles, how the heck are you going to cope when you go to a country like India or Thailand? This bit of the race felt like a bit of a warm up for the racers, where there wasn't really a massive penalty for being last but it did give us a good idea of how strong or weak the teams were before they had even left Los Angeles and got on their flights to Thailand.
That's a long flight to Bangkok via Taipei.
It is a 14 hour flight from Los Angeles to Taipei, let's just give them a layover of 2 hours to make sure they make that connection to Bangkok and then it is a further 4 hours to Bangkok. That's a total of 20 hours at least and I am not even including the waiting time at LAX. So the teams would have had at least 20 hours before arriving in Bangkok, possibly even 24 hours. What would you do in that time as a racer? I would run to the nearest bookstore in the airport and start reading up on Bangkok, there must be plenty of travel books on Thailand. On the flight, I might try to find a Thai speaker (now admittedly that would be far easier on the Taipei to Bangkok leg) to learn some basic Thai given that the taxi and tuk tuk drivers spoke hardly any English at all. Yet virtually no one made the effort, like seriously guys, are you complete amateurs who have never watched a previous season before? The only team that could communicate in Thai was Jocelyn & Victor, but that's because Victor speaks Laotian, a language that is closely related to Thai - Jocelyn has a surname that looks Chinese (Chao) but she may have learnt some Laotian from Victor over the years? Certainly, this team will have a huge advantage in Thailand given how the other teams seem to make little or no effort to even try to speak Thai (how disappointing) and hence it was no surprise that they won this leg; well done Victor, I'm very impressed!
TAR loves Thailand!
This is the 8th visit to Thailand for TAR, in the previous 7 seasons where they have visited Thailand, 6 of them were either entirely in Bangkok or a combination of Phuket and Bangkok. It was only in S30 when they only went to the northern city of Chiang Mai, bypassing the capital Bangkok altogether. Incidentally, the first season of TAR Finland has just kicked off this week as well and the first city they visited was Bangkok too! It is hard to avoid traveling through Bangkok if you're on a long haul flight to Thailand and there is plenty to see and do there but there was a part of me that thought, come on, you've done Bangkok so many times already, surely you could have taken them to a different part of Thailand this time? Look, I adore Bangkok, it is a fascinating city with loads of culture, history and great food. Speaking of which, let's turn our attention to that massive plate of fried insects that the teams had to eat to earn the express pass.
Seriously? Fried insects again? Why?!
I didn't like the task to win the Express Pass for a number of reasons. Firstly, I have had enough of these gross out eating challenges. Whilst fried insects is a novelty food in Thailand, it is not that mainstream and often the people buying these fried tarantulas are tourists who wanna take a selfie with it and post it on Instagram. I am Asian so I feel uncomfortable with it as it perpetuates the notion of Asian food being gross and disgusting to the American viewers - I have been enjoying Thai cuisine all my life and I have never come across any insects on the restaurant menu before. I also objected to the size of those plates of insects, it harks back to the bad old days of gross eating challenges when racers had to consume a ridiculous amount of food until they threw up. In any case, insects have been done before on TAR France S1 E2 where eating insects was a part of a roadblock. In TAR US S9 E10, the fast forward was a carbon copy of this task - eating a massive pile of fried insects In TAR Asia S3 E1, again, each team had to eat a big bowl of fried insects before getting their next clue in Bangkok. In TAR Asia S5 E5, in a roadblock, one team member had to eat another massive pile of insects and bugs. Urgh. Enough already, nobody wants to see that anymore please, that's just too lowbrow for TAR. In any case, the team that gets there first will almost certainly win that Express Pass and there's little or no chance for the second or third team to overtake the first team given that it was a straightforward eating challenge. Now if it had been a puzzle solving challenge like the one they had to do back in Los Angeles before getting to the airport, then we could have a more exciting situation with a few teams trying to solve the puzzle at the same time, leading to a tense situation where the viewers have no idea which team is going to solve it first and win that Express Pass. Put me on your production team already, I would have easily devised another puzzle challenge relating to local Thai culture to determine which team would win that Express Pass. Perhaps it was funny the first time you made racers eat the fried insects, but please guys, we're in S35 already, you really could be so much more imaginative than that without having to recycle these old tasks.
The teams didn't really do that much in Bangkok actually.
So the teams went from the airport to the first temple where they had to decide if they wanted to try to win the Express Pass, most didn't bother - so they just went straight onto the next temple via long boat and tuk tuk where they simply collected their next clue. It was only then when they finally did the one and only task in this leg in Bangkok - a detour. Okay, granted that they already did a roadblock back in Los Angeles, that's two tasks this leg only - seems a bit light on content actually. Oh and then the pit stop was at yet another temple. I get it, Thai temples are beautiful but there is a lot more to Bangkok than the temples you know. How about the bustling street markets or the super modern skyscrapers?
Detour: Spa Day or Sword Play
This detour took me by surprise - the massage was 30 minutes long but the sword routine was only 30 seconds. I would have imagined that the teams who rolled the dice and went for the more difficult side of the detour would be rewarded by getting ahead of those who played it safe and just went for the 30 minute massage. However, none of the teams who chose to do the sword dance jumped ahead of the pack and ultimately it was the decision to do this detour that cost Alexandra and Sheridan the race when they really struggled to get the routine right. So I turned to Google maps to see if distance was a factor here: from Wat Paknam, Saranrom Park where the sword play challenge was done was a good 5.8 km (3.6 miles) away by tuk tuk or taxi and given Bangkok's congested roads, that was not a journey I'd want to do when on TAR. However, the Putthinam Thai massage parlour was even further away at 6.6 km (4.1 miles) - now these are not walking distances in Bangkok. Teams would have had to use some form of transport, either a taxi or a tuk tuk, to get to these locations for the detour and that's when the unpredictable traffic on Bangkok's congested roads can play a huge factor in determining which team comes out on top. Furthermore, the two locations are 1.4 km (0.87 miles) apart so switching detours would not have easy given how much time the teams would lose trying to get from one location to the other through the streets of Bangkok. Given the pit stop was a good 13.3 km (8.3 miles) away, the massage parlour was marginally closer to the pitstop but over such a long journey, that advantage wasn't significant. I suppose the teams who picked the sword play task just struggled with the pressure and the tropical heat. The only team who did that task very well was Joe & Ian but then they finished way down in 9th - still, at least they proved that task wasn't impossibly difficult.
Do I have a favourite team yet?
Yes I do! I have this habit of always rooting for the underdog and the team that I was immediately drawn to was Rob & Corey because of two reasons, Rob is deaf - he is the second deaf contestant on TAR after the legend Luke Adams. He is also one year older than me, so I am always cheering on the older racers on TAR as I am only too aware of my own age! Rob was so brilliant at the roadblock in Los Angeles, the other racers were conspiring to help each other solve the puzzle but they left Rob out of all the discussions. No effort was made to try to communicate with the deaf contestant and he was totally left out of all that, but he just ignored them, solved the puzzle like a boss before the rest of them and ran out of there ahead of the rest of them in 2nd place. Oh I was jumping up and cheering as I watched that. I'm definitely playing favourites here, Rob & Corey all the way for me on this season. The other team I like are Jocelyn & Victor, I know, I'm Asian - they're Asian, but they're both two years older than me and the reason why I am cheering them on is not so much before of the Asian factor but because they represent the racer like former winners Kim & Penn who are quite a lot older and not as strong physically as some of the much younger racers, but what they lack in strength they compensate with wisdom and that is what won them the first leg. Ironically, the other team that I liked right from the start were Alexandra & Sheridan because they gave me the same vibes as S34 winners Derek & Claire who were in Los Angeles, handing out the clue after the rooftop roadblock. I always like teams who come across as intelligent and okay, time to be shallow - Sheridan is the best looking racer in this season, but what a shame they got eliminated so quickly.
What went so desperately wrong for Alexandra & Sheridan on this leg?
Firstly, they took so long trying to get directions right at the start outside Griffith Park that they had greatly reduced their chances of getting on the first flight. But being on the second flight wasn't the nail in the coffin, they were actually doing pretty okay in the middle of the pack until they made the wrong decision to sword play over spa day at the detour. Yes the massage would have been painful but at least at that point, if they had just gone ahead and got the massage, they would have easily coasted through the leg and lived to fight another day. But they rolled the dice and went for sword play, I felt so bad for them as it must have been ridiculous hot in that park - this was Bangkok in June earlier this year, so the temperature would have been around 33 degrees Celsius (91F for you Americans) - given the jet lag, fatigue and stress, trying to learn a routine under those circumstances would have been challenging for even those who are experienced in taking dance classes. Tactically, it was a fatal decision - they didn't need to roll the dice at that stage to try to get ahead and if Alexandra was worried about the massage being painful (well, yes, it was, of course it was), the sword dance was never going to be the easier option. Oh dear, they really struggled with it and quite frankly, I think most teams would have found that difficult unless they have had the experience of memorizing routines like that by taking regular dance classes. This kind of physical memory task is popular on TAR but a lot harder than it looks. So this was designed to be the harder option that could allow teams with a knack for memorizing dance routines to get ahead very quickly. So overall, it was a good detour but I was so upset when I saw one of my favourite teams eliminated as a result of it. Damn, so now I am down to two teams that I really like in this season. What a shame, normally I usually mock the teams that get eliminated first but this time I really feel bad for Alexandra & Sheridan. There are no non-elimination legs in this season again which means more teams taking part but it is a lot more harsh - just one wrong decision (like choosing the wrong side of the detour) and it is game over for your team. Bad luck guys, I am very sorry you got eliminated under such circumstances.
Let's talk about the winning team: Jocelyn & Victor
Well they stormed their way to victory in this first leg and there were signs of brilliance early on when Victor got out of the rooftop challenge fairly quickly in 3rd place, securing their place on the first flight. But once they got to Bangkok, they just ran a steady race - they didn't go for the Express Pass and after that, it probably was just a advantage of being able to communicate with the taxi and tuk tuk drivers in Thai and also being able to ask for directions in Thai that saved them precious time. They opted for the safer detour option which meant that they weren't gunning for first place, but sure enough they won the leg. I am delighted for them of course and TAR is a lot more fun when a team you like wins a leg and with my other favourite team Rob & Corey coming in second, I was a very happy fan indeed. But to be honest, I didn't think that Jocelyn & Victor were going to win this leg, I thought that a team might take a huge risk, roll the dice and go for the sword play detour and be rewarded with a victory but that just didn't happen. The teams on the first flight just didn't want to take a risk on the detour and that allowed team Jocelyn & Victor to claim the grand prize of a trip to Patagonia - I've been there, one of the best trips of my life, ever. They are really going to enjoy it, congratulations guys.
Can we try to predict a winner at this early stage?
No, it is still way too early. There are quite a few strong teams on this season so I don't think one team in particular stands out at this stage. Credit to the casting this season, you don't want to have a season like TAR Canada S9 where the winning team were the clear favourites right from the beginning given how much they dominated the entire race. That situation would make the season quite predictable and we don't like that as fans - we like a tight race where you have no idea who is going to win until the last moment when the winning team steps on the pit stop. I might have more material to go on by next week and can try to make a prediction then, but at this stage I can only go with my gut instinct and admittedly one of the three teams I picked at the starting line has already been eliminated! I've spoken a lot about the top two teams already but what about Joe & Ian nailing the sword dance detour on the first attempt, oh that was impressive and it does prove that the sword dance really wasn't that impossible to learn. Don't forget, Greg was the first one who solved the puzzle on the rooftop in LA, enabling them to leave first from that roadblock, so they are a strong team too. But for now, it is so much easier to talk about the weaker teams who ran a bad leg and see what their weaknesses are.
Which teams made mistakes in leg 1?
Firstly, some teams had navigational problems in Los Angeles - Elizabeth & Iliana struggled to find the Biltmore hotel for the roadblock, Joe & Ian got lost on the way to the airport. Then in Bangkok, Rob & Corey did waste some time trying to find the insect stall for the Express Pass challenge. I think that Andrea & Malaina made a bad decision by switching detours given how much time they had already invested in learning the sword dance, it was only being on the first flight that saved them from being eliminated after wasting so much time. Then of course Elizabeth & Iliana got hopelessly lost trying to find the massage parlour, before agonizing over whether to wait for the next available massage or go try the other detour. It was ultimately luck which kept them in the race - they made so many mistakes but not as many as Alexandra & Sheridan.I don't want to be too harsh on the teams on leg 1, but I hope they will learn from their mistakes.
Who will be eliminated next in leg 2?
We stay in Thailand for one more leg. Based on their performance in leg 1, Elizabeth & Iliana are unfortunately the weakest team right now, they are not good at navigation and are starting in last place. I also think that Andrea & Malaina might struggle in this leg as well, but the preview of the next episode suggest that Joel & Garrett have a mishap, leaving their fanny pack behind at one of the locations - this bag usually contains vital travel documents like your passport so losing it would be a big deal. We don't know if they lost only a few minutes going back to retrieve it or if they took a much longer time, but it means they would be one of the teams that could be eliminated next week as it's such a big mistake.
Who will win leg 2?
In the preview, we see the teams in a rural farm setting in the Thai countryside with lotus flowers, coconuts, boats and a lot of water. It's going to be a really tough leg in the unforgiving tropical heat and that is going to favour the younger, stronger teams if the tasks are going to be quite physical. Thus I am going to pick two teams that may thrive in such conditions: Greg & John and Joe & Ian - both teams are made of young men who are strong and can probably complete these tough challenges that require a lot of physical strength. Having said that, the lotus flower task looks like it may be more to do with attention to detail (like how much can a stalk of lotus flower weigh), so I hope it will take the form of a detour where the older racer can avoid the more physically demanding task. I'm still hoping for my two favourites to win of course, but I think I am going to stick to the two teams who I have already named above: Greg & John and Joe & Ian.
Finally, a little something I'd like to share with you.
Well guys if you have made it this far, I have an announcement to make - look it is early days, but there is a UK version of TAR. It has a totally different name, the format is different (well it has to be, it cannot be a carbon copy of TAR whilst not being an official TAR franchise) but it is the closest thing that we have to TAR here in the UK and the key feature it shares with TAR is that it will features teams of two racing around the world to exotic locations to win a big pot of prize money. No it is not BBC's 'Race Across The World' - this is a different programme I'm talking about here. I have applied with my husband, I have made it through the initial casting process and I'm waiting to find out if I will make it through to round 2. You do realize that TAR US is only open to American citizens and TAR Canada is only open to Canadian citizens etc, thus as a British citizen I'm not even eligible for applying for any of these TARs outside my country. After watching TAR for so many years, if I do get to go on this British programme, it will be a dream come true. I have even seen the shortlist of some of the places they are going to visit on that season, my first reaction was, "yeah been there, been there, been there, ooh now that's one place I've not been yet." I look at the way the casting has tried hard to cover all minorities and I tick three boxes for diversity: I am openly gay, I am Asian and I'm disabled (I have a degenerative eye defect that affects my vision). Let's see if I can go from just talking about racers to actually becoming a racer next year, wish me luck! I can't even find the words to tell you just how badly I want to do this. In the meantime, I look forward to enjoying this new season of TAR with you. I may have a business trip or two coming up before the end of this season but don't worry guys - we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. So as always, please leave a comment below and many thanks for reading.
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