Hello and hola! In case you're new to my blog reviews of TAR, my name is Alex, I live in London in the UK. And if you're wondering what gives me the right to judge these racers - then I'm proud to tell you that I have done something very similar here in the UK called 007 Road to a Million (Season 2) in 2025 and it is not quite a British version of TAR but it's very similar. So yes, I've been there, I've done that and it does give me a perspective that may make me judge some teams more harshly or make me more empathetic and forgiving to other teams. I also monitor what is being discussed online in social media so I'll also try to address some of the issues that you guys have talked about. I've been doing this for many seasons now: given that I've travelled to 82 countries around the world (including every single one featured S39) and have competed in such a format, I hope to share with you some of my perspectives as a TAR hardcore fan. We are covering two cities in this post: Vancouver and Madrid. For the record, I've been to both cities. It has been many years since I have been to Vancouver but I am a frequent visitor to Madrid. But first let's start with our average rankings.
Average rankings after leg 2 in Madrid
- Michelle & Matthew 2.5
- Erin & Javi 4
- Ali & Joanna = 5.5
- Ann-Marie & Riley = 5.5
- Conner & Garrett = 5.5
- Jody & Jenn 6.5
- Anuar & Andrea = 7
- Cody & Jaime = 7
- Doug & Dylan = 7
- Katie & Charlotte 8.5 (eliminated in Madrid)
- Daisha & Dalton 9
- Dafina & Saran 10
- Zach & Nate 13 (eliminated in Vancouver)
Why are we starting in Vancouver and not in the US?
Well this has been a trend in the last few seasons already. S38 started in the Netherlands, S36 started in Mexico and S34 started in Germany; so this is only the fourth time that it has happened but the first episode of every season is so vital. TAR can count on hardcore fans like me who will always watch the entire season of course, but there is so much competition out there on streaming platforms and if the action doesn't get underway at once within the first few minutes, some viewers may get bored quickly and find something else to watch. If they don't even finish watching the first episode, they are not going to watch the rest of the season. The first five to ten minutes of episode 1 of the new season has to get the action started really quickly for that reason and thus if the first ten minutes showed the teams doing something fairly mundane like getting to know each at the airport departure longue whilst waiting for their first flight then you risk losing a significant chunk of your audience. This is why starting in their first city is a good way to get the episode off to a flying start and we see the seaplanes, we have the colourful performance by the local Squamish people and the first roadblock is an adrenaline filled heights challenge - these producers know what they have to deliver in this crucial first episode.
Has TAR visited Canada before?
Yes but only twice before - it was quite a long time ago in S5 and S8. I suppose American viewers prefer to watch the racers go to far more exotic places far, far away and therefore Canada is just a little too close to home by that token.
What's the big deal about giving every team an express pass?
Like many of you, I watched TAR Canada S12 and that was already done then. So the only dynamic that creates is if you're going to have teams who get eliminated with an express pass in their bag and that whole sense of "darn we should have used it!" And sure enough, both Zach & Nate and Katie & Charlotte got eliminated and went home with an express pass as a TAR souvenir. It does throw teams a lifeline if they find themselves near the back of the pack but also, the teams who do use their express pass can boost their chances of winning a leg and claiming a really nice prize.
Is this a relatively easy leg?
Oh yes, we started out in beginner's mode here in Vancouver. We're right across the border from Washington state and we're in an English speaking city with no language barrier at all. The teams can easily talk to their taxi drivers, ask locals for directions and read all the road signs with ease. I do tend to roll my eyes when it is that easy. They also visit three English speaking countries in this season: Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Personally I really prefer to send these racers to a country where there is a massive language barrier and watch them struggle - now that's just classic TAR.
How hard was the first roadblock at the BC Place? Do we like it?
I love all heights related tasks on TAR - I did three heights related challenges in my season (and nailed every single one of them flawlessly, if I may add). I liked the fact that there was an element of skill involved, so you had to grab the salmon in order to complete the task and those who just grabbed the wires were made to try again. I didn't like the fact that only one team could attempt it at a time so there was no way you could overtake a team in front of you by doing this task especially well. So much of this leg essentially boiled down to how quickly the teams made their way from the starting line to BC Place, it was just a 7 minute taxi ride. So this is why I really didn't like this task, compare that to the detour where multiple teams could all attempt it at the same time and potentially overtake others if they do it really well.
Run it up or paddle it out?
Actually I think both sides of the detour looked relatively doable. None of the teams really struggled that badly on either side of the detour even if some teams did fall into the water whilst doing the canoeing. This was filmed about one year ago in late September 2025, so the water wouldn't have been that cold. Either way, this was a simple choice between a memory task and a physical task. I would have chosen the memory task but then I would gladly go canoeing as well.
Wait, it took them a whole year between filming it and showing this on TV?
Yup, this was pretty typical. I had to wait like 10 months between wrapping the last episode and my season finally getting released. Some teams had to wait even longer. It's not just the large amount of post-production that needs to be done in the editing suite it is often a matter of scheduling. Yes it can feel like an agonizingly long wait to finally see it at long last!
Are we surprised with Zach & Nate being eliminated?
Well it really could have been any of the weaker teams at the back of the pack. But unfortunately these guys couldn't even have used their express pass to save themselves! It looks like they actually jogged/ran from the starting line to BC Place (when the other teams used taxis), so they arrived in last place and by that point Erin & Javi had already used their express pass. They were so slow out of that roadblock that by the time they got to the detour, two other teams had already used their express passes and remember, only one express pass could be used per task. At this point, their only hope was for one of the other teams to really mess up on the detour but that never happened. It all boiled down to one bad decision right at the start that dropped them to last place and they just never recovered. Why didn't they try to get a taxi or were there none available? In any case, they never came across as a particularly strong team so it wasn't a big surprise. I do feel bad for them though - they must have experienced all that excitement throughout the casting process only for it to all end like that on day 1. So yeah, by that token, you have got to feel some sympathy for these two.
Are we surprised to see Erin & Javi win leg 1?
Not really, actually playing their express pass on that first roadblock was a brilliant move because of the queueing system as only one team could attempt the challenge at a time, so they would have been stuck there waiting for a long time. Using the express pass allowed them to jump to first place. I am not sure if they realized what a great strategic decision that was, but well done to them! It shall be interesting to see if they can win another leg without an express pass.
Let's talk about Doug, the oldest racer at 72.
Well, there has been a lot of you on social media writing him off for his age and I want to analyze the issue. Firstly, there is the assumption that he would be less fit and slower than a lot of the younger racers and whilst that is true, TAR is not a straight up athletic contest about running. As we have seen in just this leg, there is a mix of navigation, strategy, attempting challenges which can be either physical or mental and keeping calm under pressure. That first roadblock at BC Place required no physical strength at all, the racer was swung towards the fish and the act of grabbing the salmon wasn't difficult per se, it was more a case of keeping calm under pressure, suppressing your fears and staying focused. What I found somewhat disappointing with Doug though is that he was too keen to use his express pass and whilst they finished a strong 4th in the first leg, they didn't really need to have used their express pass at all since they were in no danger of elimination. So they might have finished further down the pack like 8th or 9th but they could have held onto that precious express pass for a much harder task. Perhaps it was the way it was edited but it looked like they didn't even attempt the detour at all and for me, that is a sign of poor planning and a lack of strategy. So I want to point out that it isn't his age per se that makes him a weaker racer, it was that terrible decision to use that express pass at the detour - like I'm sure they could have done the memory challenge with the flags. Erin & Javi won a lovely holiday to Turkey, Dafina & Sarah were in danger of elimination at the back of the pack - those two other teams used their express pass wisely. Doug & Dylan wasted theirs and thus mark my words, this poor decision will come back to haunt them later.
Onto E2 in Madrid, TAR likes Spain a lot right?
Well actually, you'll be surprised - this is only their 6th visit to Spain (previously in S3, S10, S21, S24 and S34). Compare that to France where they have visited 16 times and Germany where they have visited 12 times. I have been asked to make a correction here between previous seasons where they simply passed through Madrid as a transit hub and point out that this was the first time they actually did challenges in Madrid - so yes that's a fair enough distinction to make.
A switchback - La Tomatina festival.
Yes this task was first done back in S10 where a racer had a look for a clue in a pile of tomatoes whilst being pelted by - yup, you've guessed it - even more tomatoes. So this is your classic needle in a haystack challenge where you will need a huge dose of luck as luck would matter far more than skill. Now this was a true reset as all teams got there at the same time Do I like challenges like this? No, not at all. I believe that a task should involve a much higher level of skill or effort and the outcome ought not depend on luck. So the reason why the producers put tasks like this in the race is really to level the playing field and randomize the order of the teams, so a weaker team could get ahead whilst a stronger team may fall behind if they are unlucky. At least at this early stage of the race with still so many teams around, even if a strong team gets very unlucky with this challenge, they can still count on a weaker team falling behind during the detour so it was still highly unlikely for a strong team to be eliminated. It is a messy and colourful part of the local culture so I can see why the producers wanted to include it. Showcasing vibrant interesting local culture like this is a vital part of TAR.
Let's talk about public transport in Madrid.
I am a huge fan of the public transport system in Madrid and this is a city I know well having visited many times, so I'm speaking from experience. Practically all signs are in English as well as Spanish, all maps are bilingual as well and it is only the announcements which will only be in Spanish. But the information is always there in English, some teams were just utterly hopeless in reading a map, navigating public transport and I was rolling my eyes so hard each time yet another team got lost. Oh please, this is a modern European city with clearly signposted streets. Is this younger generation so totally dependent on their phones for directions? When Katie & Charlotte didn't notice the difference between Sol and Sur, I was thinking, you two deserve to be eliminated just for that mistake. Even if you don't speak Spanish, surely you can't possibly assume that the difference in spelling doesn't matter. Sur means south and Sol means sun in Spanish. And as for Doug & Dylan walking around central Madrid getting hopelessly lost, one wonders just how many times they asked for help. If you are not sure where you are going, the golden rule is to always ask for help and there is absolutely nothing in the rules against approaching some locals for help! In fact Dafina & Saran got a lot of help from some kind locals completing their history detour. Was it just the way it was edited? Or did Doug & Dylan forget to ask for help? Or did they ask for help then promptly forgot the directions they were given and still got lost regardless?
Do people in Madrid speak English?
Not fluently but yes, most of them do! They might not be able to have a complex debate with you about politics in English but they will certainly be able to give you directions to the place you are looking for. Besides, people are genuinely friendly and will always have a translation app on their phones. Most younger Spanish people have to do English for many years at school, so most of the younger people under the age of 30 will speak English remarkably well so if you need to ask for help in Madrid, try approaching someone between the age of 18 to 30 whilst avoiding anyone who looks over 50. I know that will come across as ageist but it is true - older Spanish people grew up in an era where learning English simply wasn't considered that vital. Thus with this in mind, may I remind you that they were racing through central Madrid so the teams could have and should have asked for help all the time the moment they felt somewhat unsure.
Oh wait, don't the locals have to spend ages signing a release form if they appeared on camera?
So this is how it works: if a team asked a local for directions and gets some help, the local would then be approached by a member of production to explain what this is all about. The local would be given the option: we can blur your face to mask your identity or you can be in the shot and appear for a few moments on this popular TV programme, what will it be? If they choose the latter, then they will have to fill up and sign a release form and that may take a few minutes if they want to read the form slowly but it can be done quite quickly. Yes it will slow you down a bit, but it is definitely worth it if you're getting good directions. What is the alternative to not asking for help then? Well, Katie & Charlotte and Doug & Dylan demonstrated it in this episode - you end up wasting even more time getting terribly lost and so it is very clear: ask for help. Pay the price by sacrificing a few minutes waiting for the paperwork to be sorted, it is definitely worth it.
Slice of ham or slice of history?
The ham side of the detour seems like the safer bet, there is far less that can go wrong whereas if you are confident about your Spanish history, then the history side of the challenge could be a lot faster. I was glad to see high standards being enforced on the ham side of the detour as the history detour wasn't easy at all, though the fact that one could ask the locals for help does seem like cheating to me. I would have opted for the history detour only because I speak Spanish and have a firm grasp of Spanish history and I think that would have been the faster of the two, but if you don't feel confident about your knowledge of Spanish history then opting for the food preparation option would be wiser. This is why I am sure so many of you were shaking your head when Jody & Jenn used their express pass at that deour despite the fact that Jody is a history teacher! Oh, this bad decision will come back to haunt them for a long time to come.
How do we feel about Katie & Charlotte's elimination?
Sorry but it was no surprise at all. Oh the moment they were the very last ones out of the La Tomatina challenge and then ended up on the wrong train, I knew they were done for. Mind you, they also went home with their express pass - just like Zach & Nate. They did try to use their express pass at the detour and if Jody & Jenn hadn't done so, that would have easily kept them in the race ahead of Dafina & Saran who had already used their express pass in Vancouver. Thus this does show that Daisha & Dalton using their express pass at a challenge which depended on luck was a great decision - I just think that they ought to have done it a lot sooner to maximize the benefit of bypassing a task. After all, we have already seen two teams go home with an express pass because the other teams were very willing to use theirs.
How close were the last two teams in both the first and second legs?
The producers don't show us how close they were but I just wanted to share my own experience on the matter. When I was on my show and I won my leg in Vienna, they were very strict on the timekeeping so I knew we had won by a comfortable margin of 11 minutes 38 seconds. Yet in the final edit, they made it seem like we won with a difference of mere seconds. Why? I suppose for the viewers, it seems a lot more exciting if the teams were close to each other in he race. If there was a massive gap of over 10, 11 minutes as it was in my case, then there is little or no drama at all and manufacturing drama when there isn't any is all part of the reality TV formula. I get the feeling that the gap between the teams were significant but you were never going to be told that as a viewer. They can't go as far as to change the results but in the edi, they will artificially make teams seem a lot closer than they are to create drama for the viewer.
Which are the strongest teams on this season who will go all the way?
I like Conner & Garrett, Cody & Jaime and Ali & Joanna. I feel I need to make a disclaimer though as we have had a nice and easy start and the teams have not been pushed to their limits yet, not by a long way so I guess these are just my first impressions and I may change my mind after a few more legs. As the teams weren't really tested yet on the first two legs, I will reserve my judgement for now. What I do like about this season is that there isn't a clear winner right from the start - in TAR Canada S12, I picked the winning team within the first 15 minutes of the first episode, like it was so clear which team was the absolute strongest and was going to win. In this season, I can certainly say which teams I like but I find it a lot harder to accurately pick a winner at this stage. If I had to, I'd say Ali & Joanna but that's more because I like them, they have a professional sports background rather than any other reason. Right now, five teams still have their express passes and so the outcome of the following legs will still be determined or at least greatly influenced by that.
Where are they going next?
They're off to Marrakech, Morocco. Perhaps to someone watching this in Iowa or North Dakota, it might sound exotic but oh please, Marrakech has been connected to Europe through a huge network of budget airlines bringing so many tourists looking for bargains and adventure for the last few decades. It is an extremely touristy destination and not off the beaten path at all. Quite the opposite. And yes, I have been to Morocco a couple of times, including to Marrakech.
Which will be the next team to go? Who will win?
Statistically, Dafina & Saran are the weakest and they no longer have an express pass so logic would say that they are next to go. However, I can't ignore the fact that Doug & Dylan got awfully lost in Madrid and really suck at navigation. If they can get lost in a modern European city like Madrid, they stand no chance in a place like Marrakech's old town. If any of the teams speak French or Arabic, that would be a huge advantage in Marrakech. Might Anuar, Andrea or Javi be able to speak some French if they are already fluent in Spanish? If not, then I'd place my bet on Ali & Joanna to win again. All we get from the previews is Erin being angry with Javi for helping another team and a small mishap with fruits for Conner & Garrett. Not much is given away at all. Will we see another team go home with an unused express pass in leg 3?
Okay so that's it from me on these first two episodes of S39. I tried my best to rush them out and I hope I have done them justice. I can share so much more about my experiences as well having done a very similar programme but I hope you have found my perspectives interesting and I had fun sharing all this with you guys. Many thanks for reading.
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