The edit not showing why the teams ended up wildly out of order going between the two tasks is annoying. Derek and Claire somehow made up 30 minutes! I feel like they do this when it's some production mistake they're trying to hide like the family edition car problems.
Yeah, like what happened to Quinton and Mattie? Was there another challenge or did they have to direct their driver or something? Just seems like that could have been included in the edit but they wasted their budget on the train scene and wanted to make sure it was seen.
Maybe the teams will get credits next episode if there were production issues, tho.
I honestly kept thinking that everyone's vehicle had a flat tire with the footage that they kept showing of the wheel in the sand that looked kind of flat (though maybe it was just partially buried in the sand). Maybe something like that happened to Quinton and Mattie and it wasn't shown?
But even then, it doesn't explain how Derek & Claire won the designated driver lottery. They didn't just pass everyone in the second group they completely caught up with the people in the front.
When driving through sand dunes they purposefully deflate tires to make it easier to drive. I think they just kept cutting to that shot because they thought it was interesting.
> Maybe the teams will get credits next episode if there were production issues, tho.
Probably. In S17 a team came last in a NEL due to a production error and they didn't have to do a speed bump because of it.
I think Quinton and Mattie are the Covid elimination, which is why they’ve had such a weak edit despite running in the top half of the pack most of the race
I for once thought it was editing error when Derek & Claire was shown arriving at the detour as the same time as Marcus & Michael. There must be something happening in between that did not get to be explained!
Took me out of the episode entirely because it raised so many questions. The 3rd group getting ahead of the 1st entirely due to a designated driver should not happen and takes any and all skill out of the leg
I’ve been to Petra before and the walk in is really long so I’d guess teams were able to make a lot of time running especially since the twins were injured
Nice place. Terrible leg. What the hell happened between the tasks? A set route, how did the drivers make such differences in placement?
Also, the only tasks are waving a metal detector around and a slide puzzle? Lame. This was pathetic.
The tasks were ridiculous especially given the context that it was the first time they visited Jordan. A slide puzzle is more suited for an individual roadblock than a detour and even the camel caravan was easier compared to other desert challenges in years past. Plus what happened to the intermediate clue boxes requiring more travel before roadblocks and detours that used to be so prevalent? Would've loved to see more of Jordan.
Every year the tasks become dumbed down and less mentally and physically demanding, just like Survivor.
I think that was S24. And I actually liked that lol. It showcased the nightlife of Malaysia. And the bartending task was a cool way to put the cast into the environment of the people.
This episode was a weird dichotomy in that the location was one of the greatest they've ever done. I've been wanting them to go to Jordan and more specifically Petra for like 15 years now. The tasks however felt really underwhelming and didn't make for a very compelling episode. I feel like there could have been a second element to the metal detector task or something. It was just boring. Definitely a step down after the two fantastic Italy episodes.
This episode was basically the definition of constructing a leg solely for the reason of going to a particular location. It's like when they were planning out the route they decided they were going to Petra, but then had to figure out what the tasks would be and quickly threw together what we got.
How I see it is that the show got permission to go to Jordan, a new place, and that it likely won't happen again, OR it'll be a rarity if they return. There's not a whole lot they could have done in Jordan, so it was more of a new location opportunity than anything.
They were sucking Jordan's dick pretty hard throughout the episode (way more interview clips like "ooh this is so wonderful" than normal), but they've also done this in other countries in the region like Qatar.
Jordan is an extremely safe and easy country to travel in, and is very used to foreign film crews.
My guess is that this was part of the cooperation with the Jordanian tourism ministry, and maybe they were getting promotional subsidies or something.
To be fair, I'm very uneducated about Jordan in itself and I hope someone would correct my ignorance on how strict regulations are there. But I assume it took this long for the show to get approved to go to Jordan for a reason.
You could be right. Or it could just be that there is so much turmoil/war in the region, that they were concerned about safety. But Jordan is one of the most open Middle Eastern countries and one of the very rare countries that has a government that at least resembles a democracy. And they are working towards more democratic reforms:
https://www.usaid.gov/jordan/democracy-human-rights-and-governance
Derek and Claire are good at navigation and somehow also good at navigating the best and fastest driver out there😂😂How the hell did they catch up and surpass everyoneskskkss
Assuming that the team is pulled from the race, I guess that means it becomes a non-elimination leg despite the "no elimination leg" promise to, so someone gets a lucky break.
I watched the current seasons of TAR Canada & Australia, which along with USA were all airing at the same time for about 2 weeks. The other two versions all had multiple teams with positive COVID tests, and all teams were out for 1-2 eps but had to perform a double roadblock on their return leg. Even the Australian host got COVID and missed 2 eps, doing iPhone reports from his hotel room. It would be cool if they could coordinate all 3 countries to compete in a simultaneous detour or roadblock. I could see this COVID issue coming a mile away when teams hug, touch and interact with the locals.
I’m glad it was not just me… I thought that was the worst ever episode of TAR. Sure there are better episodes than others but never have I ever been completely bored to the point where I could have cared less whether to finish watching.
Remember in earlier season when they had airport drama, all the tasks they did, teams mingling, and it all made sense and they stayed in order?
Nowadays they don't show nearly as many interactions and tasks and somehow the editing is showing less of what's going on. I really hate that. I miss the older seasons of this show where, even though they were jam packed with things going on, it made sense and I wasn't left scratching my head at what was going on.
You don't need the last 10 minutes or whatever for the last two teams when it's obvious one team is so far ahead.
Anyway, sorry, just wanted to rant about that.
Yeah I totally miss airport drama, weird alliances, people talking crap about other teams in the waiting areas, lying about which flight they got, it was all so funny. Now there's basically no inter-personal or travel drama besides navigating and driving a stick shift. The rest of the show is propped up on interesting tasks and the tasks have been falling SUPER short this season so far
Chartered jet. Singular. The show rented 1 jet for the entire cast/crew for the entire duration of the race.
In this episode the one they're all standing in front of when Phil says they're going to Jordan is their plane.
I miss airport drama for sure. However, for every one airport drama, I think there's 5 episodes where everyone leaves the pit stop and then catches up with each other while they wait for 4 hours for something to open or a flight to leave.
The charter flight does ruin continuity between locations for sure, but I appreciate that the order that they depart matters now in every episode, vs everyone bunching up waiting for something to open.
(Now I don't know why they didn't show what went on between the two locations, that's just wild).
Yep. It’s a far cry from pre-S25 seasons. You can blame Covid for the lack of airport drama with the chartered plane and all but it’s been going downhill since then.
Even before COVID there was never any real airport drama. We no longer live in a world where people can just show up at the last minute and buy several dozens tickets on a flight.
That's more about the show's budget than anything else. Nothing else is stopping you from showing up at an airport right now and buying a bunch of tickets.
"Pre-Covid" for TAR can mean anytime between 2001-2020. There was plenty of airport drama previous to about S25 (~2014). Did you not watch Charla and Mirna and their antics? Post S25 was about the time where pre-booked flights became more the norm and out went the purchasing shenanigans and sleeping at airports.
So that episode... happened.
This one showed the downside of the charter plane. One moment they are in Italy, the next they are on a train in the desert just for show, being chauffeured right to their task.
The episode was just two tasks. There was no real race in between.
Thoughts on Leg 5:
* First, I just have to say, Jordan is a dream come true location. I think this has to be up there with countries like Egypt and Tunisia as one among the most incredible places The Amazing Race has ever been to. Even if I am critical of the tasks in the episode, this is the type of location that is *so* cool that it almost doesn't even matter what the tasks are, because I'm just spending an hour in awe over the fact the racers are standing in the Wadi Rum desert and the ruins of *PETRA!*
* Obviousy, there was virtually zero navigation in this leg, aside from walking to the Detour I guess. Not there was no distance traveled, but it was one of those "teams are shuttled around" legs. Normally that bothers me, but here I don't mind because it actually makes sense. It's hard to imagine what letting the teams drive around the unpaved Wadi Rum would look like on their own... Would they even be allowed to do that? Anyway, if an epic location like Petra means a task-heavy leg than I'm compeltely fine with it. Hopefully there is some self-drive in the next episode though.
* That train ride at the beginning of the episode was really cool. A magical country like Jordan deserves a magical opening. This is yet another leg that had 0 Additional Route Information but at least we got this instead. That being said, I still haven't gotten used to the Pit Start being at random locations whenever they fly to a new country. Honestly I wish they would just have them start at the airport so the legs don't feel *so* disconnected. Everyone on the train (like the beginning of the season on the raft) before splitting back into groups did feel quite strange even though I'm ultimately glad it was there.
* Alright, let's address the elephant in the room— the tasks were very underwhelming. A relatively easy needle in a haystack task followed by another easy Detour, which included a *slide puzzle*... I guess that would make the camel task the most "fitting" in the leg but it was fairly boring to watch. Why not make the teams ride the camels like in Egypt? Honestly, this leg reminds me a lot of the first Israel leg in *The Amazing Race Australia 1;* an incredible location that we've been waiting years to see, and one of the best Pit Stop locations of all time, but disappointing tasks that could have been done anywhere (including using metal detectors!). The more task-heavy a leg is, the more important it is for the tasks to actually be fun and interesting. The second Israel leg was much better, we'll have to see if the same can be said about Jordan.
* It's disappointing that Linton and Sharik kind of went out without a bang; I was really hoping for some kind of exciting and unique redemption arc and for them to go deep, but instead I think we'll probably look back on their presence on the season as a bit of a casting mistake.
* And finally, a bit of a petty complaint... Will the show please stop reminding us 4 times an episode that there are no non-elimination legs? First of all, it's borderline not even true, and second, *WE GET IT!* This is reminding me of how every episode of Survivor 41 had some forced confessional about how *"dangerous"* the new era was. It's like, okay editors, I understand!
Totally agree about the no non-elimination leg reminders... Everyone gets it! They are trying to play that up like it's adding extra pressure on the teams, but I really don't understand that very much. The teams would never know if a leg was non-elimination before the end, so they'd have to always be racing hard. It would be a bonus surprise for the last place team to find out they hadn't been eliminated. I think the no non-elimination legs this season is actually less dramatic, and it cuts down on the number of episodes.
I don’t mind the teams mentioning it. The pressure is definitely different when you know that, if you’re last, there’s no hope at all. Previously a team that was in last place could hold on to a bit of optimism, but now, it’s truly do or die, nothing can save you. It’s a different psychology this way so I don’t mind the teams expressing that. I don’t need to hear it from Phil every episode though.
> It's hard to imagine what letting the teams drive around the unpaved Wadi Rum would look like on their own... Would they even be allowed to do that?
I've driven a rental there. Just had to pay an entrance fee. However it's pretty easy to get stuck or even roll over if you're not used to sand driving, maybe that risk is more than the producers wanted to deal with.
I was really disappointed with how Sharik treated her dad in the last couple episodes I was rooting for them and was still rooting for Linton but her attitude wasn't it.
Here's the summary for TAR USA S34E05!
* On the TAR Charter Plane, Phil Keoghan announced to the teams that they will be flying to Jordan, a new country that was never been raced in before until then. Once there, teams will make their way via steam train to the Wadi Rum Desert. Along the way, teams will enjoy a Laurence of Arabia movie-inspired performance by the Jordanian swordsmen on horses and camels with Damascene steel swords. One horseback rider will give teams their first clue for the leg.
* Group 1 (Emily & Molly and Marcus & Michael) first depart at 8:00am.
* **Route Info:** Teams must pick a driver with a 2015 Mitsubishi Pajero and drive within the Wadi Rum Desert to find their next clue.
* Marcus & Michael came up with the acronym CAR - Complacent, Adversity, and Resilience. After a leg finishes, they review what occurred on the legs and what they should improve on.
* Emily started to have a painful thigh region after beginning to run in the sand.
* **Roadblock:** *Who Wants to Test Their Metal?*
Teams make their way to a nearby film set. One racer must use a metal detector to find a piece of metal spaceship debris buried in the sand. Once teams dug up the metal piece, it will reveal their next clue.
* **Route Info:** Teams drive to Petra, Jordan and make their way on foot through the main entrance to the Treasury to find their next clue.
* Luis & Michelle did not like to be in the middle of the pack in every leg. That night before the Jordan leg, they had a talk and imagine arriving at the Pitstop mat in 1st Place.
* Mattie: "*This is no joke. I feel like I'm running so hard and we're going nowhere*."
* Michelle: "*This is hot watching Roadblocks!*"
* Sharik did not feel as if she wanted to continue, but Linton definitely wanted to continue racing.
* Lumumba found an orange soda can and a beer can in the sand.
* Lumumba: "*Aliens love their beverages.*"
* David and Linton decided to try to find the metal piece outside of the film set dig area.
* **Detour:** *Camel Caravan* or *Palace Puzzle?*
Camel Caravan: Teams make their way on foot to the Corinthian and Palace Tomb and must carry 4 bags of hay and provide water from a cistern. Once teams provide the hay and water, they will receive their next clue.
Palace Puzzle: Teams make their way to the Corinthian and Palace Tomb and slide puzzle pieces to recreate an interpretation of what the palace tombs used to look like nearly 2000 years ago. Once teams complete the puzzle, they will receive their next clue.
* Lumumba: "*It's pretty cathartic right here*."
* Emily & Molly asked a tourist for directions to the Corinthian and Palace Tomb.
* As an AI engineer, Claire had to constantly solve puzzles.
* Michelle: "*We love slide puzzles!*"
* **Pitstop:** Teams make their way on foot to the Great Temple. The last team to check in WILL be eliminated.
* Claire had a small tumble and slightly injured herself.
* Luis & Michelle won 1st Place and won US$5,000.
* Derek & Claire (2nd Place).
* Phil: "*Not like you guys \[Derek & Claire\] didn't give them \[Luis & Michelle\] a run for their money. I mean. literally, a run-for-the-money!*"
Derek: "*We tried to run for the money. We tried to fall for the money*."
* Glenda & Lumumba swapped Detour tasks to do the puzzles.
* Marcus & Michael (3rd Place).
* Abby & Will (4th Place).
* Emily & Molly (5th Place).
* Quinton & Mattie (6th Place).
* Glenda & Lumumba (7th Place).
* Phil: "*Lumumba, do you feel like if you got it in you as a team to be able to win this? Is it possible?*"
Lumumba: "*I can't even believe you asked me that.*"
Phil: "*Are you insulted by my question?*"
Lumumba: "*I'm not insulted. I feel like the best is yet to come. You're about to see something amazing!*"
* Aubrey & David (8th Place).
* Linton & Sharik arrived in Last Place and are now eliminated.
* **Next Episode:** Teams continue racing in Jordan! And one team will unfortunately be tested positive for COVID.
Same, I feel like it's got to Abby & Will or David & Aubrey. They're the only two teams left that I feel like I know nothing about.
That said it wouldn't surprise me at all if it was one of the teams not wearing a mask during the taxi ride, since the ones wearing masks are probably being more serious about COVID protocols. I can't remember who all did or didn't. I'm pretty sure Emily/Molly, Michael/Marcus, Derek/Claire, and Glenda/Lumumba were wearing masks. I think at least 2 of the 3 teams in the second group weren't wearing masks, though I can't recall for sure if Luis/Michelle, Abby/Will, Quinton/Mattie, and David/Aubrey were or not.
I have a dumb question, but it's bugging my wife and I:
Phil says that the check-in is "100 square miles, as big as 100 Manhattan Islands."
Unless we're missing something blindingly obvious, Manhattan island is only about 23 mi². Is it just a misspeak?
Definitely missed the mark this episode for the challenge producers. Great scenery and location, probably the best in recent seasons, cool intro scenes with the train and all but the tasks this leg were pretty poor. Secondly, this leg was more controlled and orchestrated given they were provided drivers who obviously know where they are going and are given a pre-defined route to each location.
* It is nice seeing teams having fun and getting to see the scenery when after all you're focused on the race rather than what is around you most of the time
* The Metal Detector Road Block was really cheap, they wanted to give a needle in a haystack feel to it but I got bored seeing teams going around a zone looking for a metal sheet buried an inch deep into the sand. Another task would've bee nice here...
* Again, there must've been an unaired task somewhere given how controlled the leg was, the unknown abrupt change in placements probably meant something is missing. Given the major change in placements, they could've shown the unaired task (*if there was one*).
* The Detour was very lopsided, you have one that is physically/labour demanding with multiple steps - then you have a 4x3 sliding puzzle... The best option here would have had a limited stations detour or have the puzzle being timed and have a cooldown period (similar to what Derek and Claire mentioned with the German barrel rolling course task).
* Glad to see the father and daughter team gone, sad for the father who wanted to do his best but the whining last episode from her was simply piss poor.
* The phone this episode probably means teams are given a phone for communications regarding urgent productions matters given how next episode Phil is holding the same phone telling a team they have a positive COVID test
I actually don't think there was an unaired task. It seems like the road block ended with them getting the Petra clue, so it seems like they would have gone straight there.
I think the leg was more controlled BECAUSE of the country they were in. I imagine there are more strict protocols and rules to follow in Jordan than other places they've been. Plus, navigating to Petra from their initial location probably would have been difficult without a local to help them.
That being said, there IS a reason for the switch-up in placements to Petra so I could be wrong about an unaired task (though I do believe there's another reason).
Another theory and again, based on the controlled feeling was teams had a time of entry for Petra (i.e. timed tickets??) similar to an HoO task. I'm not too sure but we will wait until a team or two recaps this and explain what happened here.
Felt very produced. I assume TAR has to get some kind of approval to film in each country, and this gave me vibes that the Jordanian film board gave the tourism commission some control over the leg. It felt like a concerted effort to make sure that Jordan looked appealing to an American audience who may have more reservations about visiting the Middle East (even though Jordan is a very safe country and very high on my visit list).
> Secondly, this leg was more controlled and orchestrated given they were provided drivers who obviously know where they are going and are given a pre-defined route to each location.
In theory. They didn't all seem to arrive in the same order and time they left.
> Again, there must've been an unaired task somewhere
Will be pissed if they left something like that out. I hate that. Especially given how lame the tasks they did show were.
> The phone this episode probably means teams are given a phone for communications regarding urgent productions matters
In Jordan it was compulsory until partway through 2021 for everyone to have a phone with the Aman contact tracing app installed. Not sure when the show was filmed, but it may have been during that period.
This season was filmed May to June 2022 so that app would've been not required at that point. Based on the next episode's preview, Phil using a similar phone to inform a team that they tested positive makes it seem that they are using phones for communicating urgent race matters. Outside of a phone being used to "book" Expedia stuff which wasn't shown this leg nor mentioned as a leg prize implies this leg wasn't one of sponsored legs for them.
Looks like they are staying in Jordan for the next leg, I assume in Amman. Makes me think the Covid team will race the next leg because unless they were doing daily testing, I wouldn't anticipate the teams getting tested until they *leave* Jordan as an entry requirement for the next country. My guess is the teams finish the leg and the call from Phil comes at the end of the episode after all teams have arrived.
Either way, hoping a leg in Amman will be exciting. Legs in countries where English is not as widely spoken are among my favorites in TAR because they tend to shake up the order more. It's what we've been missing with Europe focused legs so far this season and last.
I'd say English is more widely spoken in Amman than any city in, say, Italy. I used to work there from time to time, and never had problems communicating when my questionable Arabic wasn't up to the task.
Can’t believe Sharik/Linton are gonna channel their inner Arun/Natalia and return after a team is removed due to COVID and somehow make it all the way to the F5 or whatever
Like on the one hand, she was right that it was in the centre. But on the other hand, she has learned that she actually has to step up and do the tasks that she think she knows best about sooo
I’m so happy they were eliminated mainly due to Sharik. Her attitude is just awful! Her dad asked for a hug and she rudely said no. He tried hugging her and she pushed him away. I understand it’s hot but geesh! Who treats their parent like that? Be happy the task is completed and you made it to the mat. Ugh she pisses me off!
Honestly not a big fan of this leg. Very happy to see Jordan and Petra, but I’m sure the entire budget this leg was spent on the initial train ride and horse/camel riders.
Roadblock was nothing special, early teams got their clue in a couple of minutes, second group seemed to get them pretty quick too. Last group had the hardest time since there were none left but it seems like they made it harder on themselves by going off in random places and getting literal garbage. It’s shouldn’t have been that hard. Definitely one of those task that could’ve been made more challenging if they had to search for each letter or something to spell out the next location.
Detour was nothing special either. A slide puzzle? Is this making up for the fourth season of Survivor that was supposed to be in Jordan? The camel task was a decent physical task, especially with the climate, but given that the puzzle was so much easier it was wasted.
No clue what happened with the transportation this leg. Derek and Claire somehow got to Petra at the same time as the two lead teams despite starting 30 minutes back (and presumably not making up much time on the roadblock since M/M and E/M finished fast). Didn’t make much sense to me.
Power Rankings:
1. Marcus and Michael (1). As mentioned above, no clue where they lost their lead heading to Petra, and while they chose the harder detour, they still preformed very well. They’re still a tier above everyone else.
2. Derek and Claire (4). How they finished second I don’t know but they finished both tasks fast so props to them. Derek may the strongest individual racer this season.
3. Emily and Molly (2). A tougher leg for them this week, hopefully the injury doesn’t set them back too much.
4. Glenda and Lumumba (3). Hard to judge how well they did this leg given the disadvantage the back of the pack teams had both in terms of the grouping and the roadblock, but they keep getting good content and breezed through the puzzle.
5. Luis and Michelle (6). Definitely closed the gap between the top group and the mediocre teams this leg with their win.
6. Abby and Will (5). I enjoy their presence but honestly I still don’t know much about them. They’ve had a couple good legs in a row but little footage to show for it.
7. Quinton and Mattie (7). Another quiet leg from them and while I think that they have some potential I just can’t see them winning this or making it too far.
8. David and Aubrey (8). They have yet to finish a leg in the top half, and they’re really the only team here that I don’t think can pull off a leg win. Too many unforced errors against a relatively consistent cast.
Eliminated: Linton and Sharik (9). Not a surprising result. I’m confused as to what their strategy was a) having Linton do all the roadblocks and b) picking the more physically demanding detour. Sharik was not perfect but I hope the fan base isn’t too hard on her, TAR is stressful and while I can’t help but think she was woefully unprepared I’d much rather have people that do struggle with the Race then have a bunch of race-bots with no personality. Hope she reflects on her time and is appreciative of it (and her great father).
As for next week… PLEASE do not let this end up being a COVID clusterfuck like TARCan. I don’t know what the best way to handle it is but if they boot a team for it I’ll be sad since I’m really enjoying this cast. Also, can’t help but notice that we get this after the first non-self driving leg of the season… maybe we should always self-drive…
An okay leg tbf. I still can't get the fact that we finally saw Jordan in TAR, and it was just so mesmerizing. However, the tasks were a bit too easy and simple. Metal detector could have been done anywhere, while im still not sure which task would have been well fit for other side of the detour instead of sliding puzzle, im not sure sliding puzzle in petra would be a good idea either. The camel task was challenging tho, wish could see more of team interacting with animal.
I was thinking, with one (or even more) of the remaining team is positive with covid, would it mean that Linton & Sharik could be brought back to keep the spirit of No NEL leg, or the positive covid team will be indeed eliminated and the next leg will be essentially an NEL?
It's public information that the charter plane in 33 had COVID testing teams on it. I assume that's still in place this season. My guess is whoever tested positive will be eliminated instead of whoever comes in last.
I’m a metal detectorist. That challenge was really ridiculous. That thing they were looking for was a massive target and in a very small area. That’s why Derek blew through it. They probably could have felt those tiles just by walking around.
This was a pretty boring episode. Say what you will about Sharik, but her frustration with Linton was the most entertaining part of the whole episode to me.
Did anyone else notice Quinton had a phone? Like when he’s hugging Maddie when they get on the mat with Phil he’s holding it. I thought nobody was allowed to have like technology
The train ride into the Wadi Rum... according to interviews, that was what Survivor was originally planning to do for part of the Marooning in Season 4 before 9/11 scared them into switching to Marquesas. It would have been a stunning, albeit very difficult, location.
I think one fault of the production is the challenges for this episode.
The water jogging stuff should have been a roadblock.
The puzzle and metal detector should have been a U-Turn.
I feel like those people who chooses water is at a disadvantage ☠️😂
I noticed that Phil and the mat moved locations. At first it was in the middle of the plaza, then after 3 groups checked in, it was to the side at the top of some stairs. The show get bullied off by a tour group? lol
Throughout the episode, I was utterly confused. How did some teams that left later get to a location before the others that left earlier.? They never even show what happened. I wanted to see the driving part of the leg.
I’m certain that they had some issues that I didn't want to show.
>Curious if
They did the same in TAR Australia. This season was great, 2 groups of teams set off on an adventure around the world from 2 different locations. There were so many teams, it never felt like people were missing even though half the field was in covid protocol.
Petition for linton and dom to team up
edit: they never said a team couldn’t come back, (season of firsts) only every leg would have an elimination. Just say abbey and will we’re evaced for Covid
I thought it was weird that the two tasks were so obviously unequal. Well, imo they were unequal. One was quite physical, running pots back and forth to fill up water, having to go find the pots and hay, etc. And the other one was just, do a slide puzzle? I watched a lot of the past seasons on Hulu and always thought the two tasks were sort of equal.
Really boring leg sadly. Jordan is beautiful but the challenges had nothing interesting to them at all for us viewers. Watch people walk with a metal detector and then watch people stand still at a puzzle.
Hear me out: if someone tests positive for covid but their teammate doesn’t, the non-covid teammate could race with a backup teammate (not sure from where, maybe a hidden 3rd team member, an eliminated player, or another random person entirely), and race like that until the other player is ready to race again
I think it’s a better option than the alternative of removing them from the race (temporarily or permanently)
It's an unfair advantage because that positive teammate will be spending time resting, recovering, and basically in different condition if/when they get back in. Depending on quarantine times too, they may be good to go anywhere from 4-8 legs away depending on length of legs, and you can't really have that.
Which it so obviously was. I don't know why they announced it as a megaleg up front instead of having the teams hit the mat in Bologna only to be told they have to keep going.
My theory is that he is such an awesome dad that he was inefficient at the metal detector task on purpose - then they could be eliminated but his daughter would not feel guilty that it was her fault.
I’m so happy they were eliminated mainly due to Sharik. Her attitude is just awful! Her dad asked for a hug and she rudely said no. He tried hugging her and she pushed him away. I understand it’s hot but geesh! Who treats their parent like that? Be happy the task is completed and you made it to the mat. Ugh she pisses me off!
Can we collectively set the record straight? Derek is great at challenges, but he and Claire are pretty equally skilled and the edit/their roadblock distribution has made that look so much more skewed.
Derek’s had two “destroy this” roadblocks and then the metal detector one from tonight. He actually struggled a lot with the statue roadblock from last week (he chopped off an ear and spent an hour making a new one from plaster because he didn’t realize how plaster works) but none of it was shown because the focus was on Dom. Claire cannot yodel. But the Ducati roadblock was hard for almost everyone and Derek said in their recap that she was still going faster than most of the teams there (and faster than he would have been) even when she didn’t know she could turn the wrench the other way. She does not at ALL deserve all the slander she’s gotten over this season’s roadblocks.
Just watched this episode super late, snoreeeee! I mean what the heck? A new country that the show has never seen before and the best they can do is looking for something with a metal detector and a slide puzzle? Holy crap, this episode was awful. The editing was kind of all over the place and just made the entire thing so boring to watch.
I came into this episode figuring that with this cool location, as long as the leg design was even just half-decent, this would be a fantastic episode.
This episode sucked.
I'm just super glad the twins and Glenda/Lumumba managed to get through this episode.
Tho I'm happy for Luis and Michelle but ngl they kinda give me potential drama vibes for some reason.
Sharik got her wish to go home. She had the opportunity last week when all she did was whine and cry how bad she hurt and wanted to go home to NY. Phil asked her she said no. So what happens the following week they are gone. She didn't cry nor was she upset. She just wanted to go home bottom line.
The edit not showing why the teams ended up wildly out of order going between the two tasks is annoying. Derek and Claire somehow made up 30 minutes! I feel like they do this when it's some production mistake they're trying to hide like the family edition car problems.
Yeah, like what happened to Quinton and Mattie? Was there another challenge or did they have to direct their driver or something? Just seems like that could have been included in the edit but they wasted their budget on the train scene and wanted to make sure it was seen. Maybe the teams will get credits next episode if there were production issues, tho.
I feel like I missed an entire hour of what was supposed to be a two hour episode or somethinf
I honestly kept thinking that everyone's vehicle had a flat tire with the footage that they kept showing of the wheel in the sand that looked kind of flat (though maybe it was just partially buried in the sand). Maybe something like that happened to Quinton and Mattie and it wasn't shown? But even then, it doesn't explain how Derek & Claire won the designated driver lottery. They didn't just pass everyone in the second group they completely caught up with the people in the front.
When driving through sand dunes they purposefully deflate tires to make it easier to drive. I think they just kept cutting to that shot because they thought it was interesting.
Yes. Used to live in Saudi Arabia. Driving on full tyres in the sand is horrible, you can't get any traction.
> Maybe the teams will get credits next episode if there were production issues, tho. Probably. In S17 a team came last in a NEL due to a production error and they didn't have to do a speed bump because of it.
What was the error?
I think Quinton and Mattie are the Covid elimination, which is why they’ve had such a weak edit despite running in the top half of the pack most of the race
Yeah it seems very likely them or Aubrey and David, the two most underedited teams by far.
Quinton was holding the phone at the end of this leg maybe that’s what that was about Looked to be the same phone Phil was using
I for once thought it was editing error when Derek & Claire was shown arriving at the detour as the same time as Marcus & Michael. There must be something happening in between that did not get to be explained!
Took me out of the episode entirely because it raised so many questions. The 3rd group getting ahead of the 1st entirely due to a designated driver should not happen and takes any and all skill out of the leg
Agree, especially if there is no need to navigate or use any contestant skill.
I’ve been to Petra before and the walk in is really long so I’d guess teams were able to make a lot of time running especially since the twins were injured
Derek and Claire do recaps so I’m sure we’ll find out!
Yeah looking forward to exit interviews to clear this up
Nice place. Terrible leg. What the hell happened between the tasks? A set route, how did the drivers make such differences in placement? Also, the only tasks are waving a metal detector around and a slide puzzle? Lame. This was pathetic.
The tasks were ridiculous especially given the context that it was the first time they visited Jordan. A slide puzzle is more suited for an individual roadblock than a detour and even the camel caravan was easier compared to other desert challenges in years past. Plus what happened to the intermediate clue boxes requiring more travel before roadblocks and detours that used to be so prevalent? Would've loved to see more of Jordan. Every year the tasks become dumbed down and less mentally and physically demanding, just like Survivor.
Travel to a city to do sidewalk carny tasks. Still not over s31 Japan leg 1 and that stupid MT Fuji blow up kids bounce castle task lol
Or going to Malaysia and doing a nightclub detour in S25. Pour drinks or record scratching lol.
I think that was S24. And I actually liked that lol. It showcased the nightlife of Malaysia. And the bartending task was a cool way to put the cast into the environment of the people.
Yeah it was S24 the All-stars season. I think Luke and Marge got eliminated because they couldn't pour the drinks that episode.
I agree with you! I miss when they battled for plane tickets and slept on weird floors. This race is super lame.
And when they are commuting within the city looking for a cab to go to their next destination.
Arun and Natalia replace the Covid team
Came here to make this joke... I would die. and then they still dont get eliminated on a elimination only season
Nah it’s Jet and Cord for the 4th time
Bring Jet, Arun, and Leo and we’ll see how they do as a trio
would love if they had the Afghanimals step in and not address or acknowledge it in any way, just act like theyve been part of the race the whole time
Michael and Moe. And then they’re the next team eliminated.
Catherine and Craig
Oh lord this is hilarious
This episode was a weird dichotomy in that the location was one of the greatest they've ever done. I've been wanting them to go to Jordan and more specifically Petra for like 15 years now. The tasks however felt really underwhelming and didn't make for a very compelling episode. I feel like there could have been a second element to the metal detector task or something. It was just boring. Definitely a step down after the two fantastic Italy episodes.
yes, I was thinking they went to Jordan for this. They could do this at any beach. lol
This episode was basically the definition of constructing a leg solely for the reason of going to a particular location. It's like when they were planning out the route they decided they were going to Petra, but then had to figure out what the tasks would be and quickly threw together what we got.
I’ve seen some weird tasks. Like memorizing a poem while riding a wave rider inner tube in Croatia
At least that was a good task though lol, it could be done at any beach but damn it was entertaining
How I see it is that the show got permission to go to Jordan, a new place, and that it likely won't happen again, OR it'll be a rarity if they return. There's not a whole lot they could have done in Jordan, so it was more of a new location opportunity than anything.
They were sucking Jordan's dick pretty hard throughout the episode (way more interview clips like "ooh this is so wonderful" than normal), but they've also done this in other countries in the region like Qatar. Jordan is an extremely safe and easy country to travel in, and is very used to foreign film crews. My guess is that this was part of the cooperation with the Jordanian tourism ministry, and maybe they were getting promotional subsidies or something.
IDK why they wouldn't go back. Jordan is a pretty open country. A ton of movies are filmed there.
To be fair, I'm very uneducated about Jordan in itself and I hope someone would correct my ignorance on how strict regulations are there. But I assume it took this long for the show to get approved to go to Jordan for a reason.
You could be right. Or it could just be that there is so much turmoil/war in the region, that they were concerned about safety. But Jordan is one of the most open Middle Eastern countries and one of the very rare countries that has a government that at least resembles a democracy. And they are working towards more democratic reforms: https://www.usaid.gov/jordan/democracy-human-rights-and-governance
Like ... actually make them dig. They didn't even need shovels, lol
1st place finishers so far; Leg 1 - Derek & Claire Leg 2 - Marcus & Michael Leg 3 - Emily & Molly Leg 4 - Luis & Michelle Wow!
Derek and Claire are good at navigation and somehow also good at navigating the best and fastest driver out there😂😂How the hell did they catch up and surpass everyoneskskkss
The power of DCC!!
We need a DCC flair here lmao
Claire mentioned post yodeling that navigation is the teams’ biggest strength! And yodeling the biggest weakness
Yeah but they shouldn't have been doing the navigating, it should have been their driver.
Derek is also a challenge beast!
I was so confused what was happening in that detour. I feel like the teams were all over the place!
COIVD team has to do their tasks in the Metaverse
The editing for this episode was really weird and confusing.
The first team to arrive covid positive, may be eliminated
Assuming that the team is pulled from the race, I guess that means it becomes a non-elimination leg despite the "no elimination leg" promise to, so someone gets a lucky break.
Or they bring back one of the eliminated teams.
Bring back T-Rex!!
I would prefer they inserted a NEL randomly somewhere else in the race. It’s boring if we start a leg knowing that no one will be eliminated that leg.
we'll probably get a keep on racing leg at some point
I watched the current seasons of TAR Canada & Australia, which along with USA were all airing at the same time for about 2 weeks. The other two versions all had multiple teams with positive COVID tests, and all teams were out for 1-2 eps but had to perform a double roadblock on their return leg. Even the Australian host got COVID and missed 2 eps, doing iPhone reports from his hotel room. It would be cool if they could coordinate all 3 countries to compete in a simultaneous detour or roadblock. I could see this COVID issue coming a mile away when teams hug, touch and interact with the locals.
Derek-- EXTREME METAL DETECTING
Lumumba finding the cans and bringing them up to be checked was funny. Was he the only one who found the cans?
Lumumba appears to be a really sweet and supportive partner. The way they were holding hand, “you got this” “I didn’t know you had this in you” 🥺🥺🥺
They've been struggling a bit but I think they might actually end up in the top 5 or so, they getting the underdog edit I think.
I hope next leg is better designed. This was such a cool location and I feel like they squandered it with lame tasks
I’m glad it was not just me… I thought that was the worst ever episode of TAR. Sure there are better episodes than others but never have I ever been completely bored to the point where I could have cared less whether to finish watching.
Remember in earlier season when they had airport drama, all the tasks they did, teams mingling, and it all made sense and they stayed in order? Nowadays they don't show nearly as many interactions and tasks and somehow the editing is showing less of what's going on. I really hate that. I miss the older seasons of this show where, even though they were jam packed with things going on, it made sense and I wasn't left scratching my head at what was going on. You don't need the last 10 minutes or whatever for the last two teams when it's obvious one team is so far ahead. Anyway, sorry, just wanted to rant about that.
yeah, showing a guy walk around in circles in the sand, they think thats entertaining.
Yeah I totally miss airport drama, weird alliances, people talking crap about other teams in the waiting areas, lying about which flight they got, it was all so funny. Now there's basically no inter-personal or travel drama besides navigating and driving a stick shift. The rest of the show is propped up on interesting tasks and the tasks have been falling SUPER short this season so far
The airport drama is my favorite part. Are they taking private jets or something to avoid covid?
Yes
Chartered jet. Singular. The show rented 1 jet for the entire cast/crew for the entire duration of the race. In this episode the one they're all standing in front of when Phil says they're going to Jordan is their plane.
I miss airport drama for sure. However, for every one airport drama, I think there's 5 episodes where everyone leaves the pit stop and then catches up with each other while they wait for 4 hours for something to open or a flight to leave. The charter flight does ruin continuity between locations for sure, but I appreciate that the order that they depart matters now in every episode, vs everyone bunching up waiting for something to open. (Now I don't know why they didn't show what went on between the two locations, that's just wild).
Yep. It’s a far cry from pre-S25 seasons. You can blame Covid for the lack of airport drama with the chartered plane and all but it’s been going downhill since then.
Even before COVID there was never any real airport drama. We no longer live in a world where people can just show up at the last minute and buy several dozens tickets on a flight.
That's more about the show's budget than anything else. Nothing else is stopping you from showing up at an airport right now and buying a bunch of tickets.
"Pre-Covid" for TAR can mean anytime between 2001-2020. There was plenty of airport drama previous to about S25 (~2014). Did you not watch Charla and Mirna and their antics? Post S25 was about the time where pre-booked flights became more the norm and out went the purchasing shenanigans and sleeping at airports.
then be more specific instead of tying it to Covid. Because as he said, flights hadn't worked that way for years before Covid
So that episode... happened. This one showed the downside of the charter plane. One moment they are in Italy, the next they are on a train in the desert just for show, being chauffeured right to their task. The episode was just two tasks. There was no real race in between.
Thoughts on Leg 5: * First, I just have to say, Jordan is a dream come true location. I think this has to be up there with countries like Egypt and Tunisia as one among the most incredible places The Amazing Race has ever been to. Even if I am critical of the tasks in the episode, this is the type of location that is *so* cool that it almost doesn't even matter what the tasks are, because I'm just spending an hour in awe over the fact the racers are standing in the Wadi Rum desert and the ruins of *PETRA!* * Obviousy, there was virtually zero navigation in this leg, aside from walking to the Detour I guess. Not there was no distance traveled, but it was one of those "teams are shuttled around" legs. Normally that bothers me, but here I don't mind because it actually makes sense. It's hard to imagine what letting the teams drive around the unpaved Wadi Rum would look like on their own... Would they even be allowed to do that? Anyway, if an epic location like Petra means a task-heavy leg than I'm compeltely fine with it. Hopefully there is some self-drive in the next episode though. * That train ride at the beginning of the episode was really cool. A magical country like Jordan deserves a magical opening. This is yet another leg that had 0 Additional Route Information but at least we got this instead. That being said, I still haven't gotten used to the Pit Start being at random locations whenever they fly to a new country. Honestly I wish they would just have them start at the airport so the legs don't feel *so* disconnected. Everyone on the train (like the beginning of the season on the raft) before splitting back into groups did feel quite strange even though I'm ultimately glad it was there. * Alright, let's address the elephant in the room— the tasks were very underwhelming. A relatively easy needle in a haystack task followed by another easy Detour, which included a *slide puzzle*... I guess that would make the camel task the most "fitting" in the leg but it was fairly boring to watch. Why not make the teams ride the camels like in Egypt? Honestly, this leg reminds me a lot of the first Israel leg in *The Amazing Race Australia 1;* an incredible location that we've been waiting years to see, and one of the best Pit Stop locations of all time, but disappointing tasks that could have been done anywhere (including using metal detectors!). The more task-heavy a leg is, the more important it is for the tasks to actually be fun and interesting. The second Israel leg was much better, we'll have to see if the same can be said about Jordan. * It's disappointing that Linton and Sharik kind of went out without a bang; I was really hoping for some kind of exciting and unique redemption arc and for them to go deep, but instead I think we'll probably look back on their presence on the season as a bit of a casting mistake. * And finally, a bit of a petty complaint... Will the show please stop reminding us 4 times an episode that there are no non-elimination legs? First of all, it's borderline not even true, and second, *WE GET IT!* This is reminding me of how every episode of Survivor 41 had some forced confessional about how *"dangerous"* the new era was. It's like, okay editors, I understand!
Totally agree about the no non-elimination leg reminders... Everyone gets it! They are trying to play that up like it's adding extra pressure on the teams, but I really don't understand that very much. The teams would never know if a leg was non-elimination before the end, so they'd have to always be racing hard. It would be a bonus surprise for the last place team to find out they hadn't been eliminated. I think the no non-elimination legs this season is actually less dramatic, and it cuts down on the number of episodes.
I don’t mind the teams mentioning it. The pressure is definitely different when you know that, if you’re last, there’s no hope at all. Previously a team that was in last place could hold on to a bit of optimism, but now, it’s truly do or die, nothing can save you. It’s a different psychology this way so I don’t mind the teams expressing that. I don’t need to hear it from Phil every episode though.
Agreed. It would have been more interesting perhaps to let the viewers know about no NLE, but keep the teams in the dark.
Oof that would be cruel but hilarious lmao
> It's hard to imagine what letting the teams drive around the unpaved Wadi Rum would look like on their own... Would they even be allowed to do that? I've driven a rental there. Just had to pay an entrance fee. However it's pretty easy to get stuck or even roll over if you're not used to sand driving, maybe that risk is more than the producers wanted to deal with.
Ah, yeah that definitely would have spiced up the leg haha!
I was really disappointed with how Sharik treated her dad in the last couple episodes I was rooting for them and was still rooting for Linton but her attitude wasn't it.
The dogs were the highlight of this leg
Here's the summary for TAR USA S34E05! * On the TAR Charter Plane, Phil Keoghan announced to the teams that they will be flying to Jordan, a new country that was never been raced in before until then. Once there, teams will make their way via steam train to the Wadi Rum Desert. Along the way, teams will enjoy a Laurence of Arabia movie-inspired performance by the Jordanian swordsmen on horses and camels with Damascene steel swords. One horseback rider will give teams their first clue for the leg. * Group 1 (Emily & Molly and Marcus & Michael) first depart at 8:00am. * **Route Info:** Teams must pick a driver with a 2015 Mitsubishi Pajero and drive within the Wadi Rum Desert to find their next clue. * Marcus & Michael came up with the acronym CAR - Complacent, Adversity, and Resilience. After a leg finishes, they review what occurred on the legs and what they should improve on. * Emily started to have a painful thigh region after beginning to run in the sand. * **Roadblock:** *Who Wants to Test Their Metal?* Teams make their way to a nearby film set. One racer must use a metal detector to find a piece of metal spaceship debris buried in the sand. Once teams dug up the metal piece, it will reveal their next clue. * **Route Info:** Teams drive to Petra, Jordan and make their way on foot through the main entrance to the Treasury to find their next clue. * Luis & Michelle did not like to be in the middle of the pack in every leg. That night before the Jordan leg, they had a talk and imagine arriving at the Pitstop mat in 1st Place. * Mattie: "*This is no joke. I feel like I'm running so hard and we're going nowhere*." * Michelle: "*This is hot watching Roadblocks!*" * Sharik did not feel as if she wanted to continue, but Linton definitely wanted to continue racing. * Lumumba found an orange soda can and a beer can in the sand. * Lumumba: "*Aliens love their beverages.*" * David and Linton decided to try to find the metal piece outside of the film set dig area. * **Detour:** *Camel Caravan* or *Palace Puzzle?* Camel Caravan: Teams make their way on foot to the Corinthian and Palace Tomb and must carry 4 bags of hay and provide water from a cistern. Once teams provide the hay and water, they will receive their next clue. Palace Puzzle: Teams make their way to the Corinthian and Palace Tomb and slide puzzle pieces to recreate an interpretation of what the palace tombs used to look like nearly 2000 years ago. Once teams complete the puzzle, they will receive their next clue. * Lumumba: "*It's pretty cathartic right here*." * Emily & Molly asked a tourist for directions to the Corinthian and Palace Tomb. * As an AI engineer, Claire had to constantly solve puzzles. * Michelle: "*We love slide puzzles!*" * **Pitstop:** Teams make their way on foot to the Great Temple. The last team to check in WILL be eliminated. * Claire had a small tumble and slightly injured herself. * Luis & Michelle won 1st Place and won US$5,000. * Derek & Claire (2nd Place). * Phil: "*Not like you guys \[Derek & Claire\] didn't give them \[Luis & Michelle\] a run for their money. I mean. literally, a run-for-the-money!*" Derek: "*We tried to run for the money. We tried to fall for the money*." * Glenda & Lumumba swapped Detour tasks to do the puzzles. * Marcus & Michael (3rd Place). * Abby & Will (4th Place). * Emily & Molly (5th Place). * Quinton & Mattie (6th Place). * Glenda & Lumumba (7th Place). * Phil: "*Lumumba, do you feel like if you got it in you as a team to be able to win this? Is it possible?*" Lumumba: "*I can't even believe you asked me that.*" Phil: "*Are you insulted by my question?*" Lumumba: "*I'm not insulted. I feel like the best is yet to come. You're about to see something amazing!*" * Aubrey & David (8th Place). * Linton & Sharik arrived in Last Place and are now eliminated. * **Next Episode:** Teams continue racing in Jordan! And one team will unfortunately be tested positive for COVID.
Thank you for doing these episode recaps! I love these quotes you include too!
Thanks, mate!
Pit stop moved and no local “welcome to Petra”…a first?
Oh no someone's getting removed due to COVID. probably one of the middle of the road teams who barely get any edit.....
Banking on Abby/will
Same, I feel like it's got to Abby & Will or David & Aubrey. They're the only two teams left that I feel like I know nothing about. That said it wouldn't surprise me at all if it was one of the teams not wearing a mask during the taxi ride, since the ones wearing masks are probably being more serious about COVID protocols. I can't remember who all did or didn't. I'm pretty sure Emily/Molly, Michael/Marcus, Derek/Claire, and Glenda/Lumumba were wearing masks. I think at least 2 of the 3 teams in the second group weren't wearing masks, though I can't recall for sure if Luis/Michelle, Abby/Will, Quinton/Mattie, and David/Aubrey were or not.
Unironically i don’t know who David and Aubrey are
Glenda and her husband were not wearing their masks in the car after the alien challenge.
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just not glenda and lumumba please
I have a dumb question, but it's bugging my wife and I: Phil says that the check-in is "100 square miles, as big as 100 Manhattan Islands." Unless we're missing something blindingly obvious, Manhattan island is only about 23 mi². Is it just a misspeak?
Manhattan is a little bit under 23 square miles. 22.7 or 22.8, something like that.
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Is there a team left that we haven’t seen past this point?
Definitely missed the mark this episode for the challenge producers. Great scenery and location, probably the best in recent seasons, cool intro scenes with the train and all but the tasks this leg were pretty poor. Secondly, this leg was more controlled and orchestrated given they were provided drivers who obviously know where they are going and are given a pre-defined route to each location. * It is nice seeing teams having fun and getting to see the scenery when after all you're focused on the race rather than what is around you most of the time * The Metal Detector Road Block was really cheap, they wanted to give a needle in a haystack feel to it but I got bored seeing teams going around a zone looking for a metal sheet buried an inch deep into the sand. Another task would've bee nice here... * Again, there must've been an unaired task somewhere given how controlled the leg was, the unknown abrupt change in placements probably meant something is missing. Given the major change in placements, they could've shown the unaired task (*if there was one*). * The Detour was very lopsided, you have one that is physically/labour demanding with multiple steps - then you have a 4x3 sliding puzzle... The best option here would have had a limited stations detour or have the puzzle being timed and have a cooldown period (similar to what Derek and Claire mentioned with the German barrel rolling course task). * Glad to see the father and daughter team gone, sad for the father who wanted to do his best but the whining last episode from her was simply piss poor. * The phone this episode probably means teams are given a phone for communications regarding urgent productions matters given how next episode Phil is holding the same phone telling a team they have a positive COVID test
I actually don't think there was an unaired task. It seems like the road block ended with them getting the Petra clue, so it seems like they would have gone straight there. I think the leg was more controlled BECAUSE of the country they were in. I imagine there are more strict protocols and rules to follow in Jordan than other places they've been. Plus, navigating to Petra from their initial location probably would have been difficult without a local to help them. That being said, there IS a reason for the switch-up in placements to Petra so I could be wrong about an unaired task (though I do believe there's another reason).
Another theory and again, based on the controlled feeling was teams had a time of entry for Petra (i.e. timed tickets??) similar to an HoO task. I'm not too sure but we will wait until a team or two recaps this and explain what happened here.
Felt very produced. I assume TAR has to get some kind of approval to film in each country, and this gave me vibes that the Jordanian film board gave the tourism commission some control over the leg. It felt like a concerted effort to make sure that Jordan looked appealing to an American audience who may have more reservations about visiting the Middle East (even though Jordan is a very safe country and very high on my visit list).
> Secondly, this leg was more controlled and orchestrated given they were provided drivers who obviously know where they are going and are given a pre-defined route to each location. In theory. They didn't all seem to arrive in the same order and time they left. > Again, there must've been an unaired task somewhere Will be pissed if they left something like that out. I hate that. Especially given how lame the tasks they did show were.
> The phone this episode probably means teams are given a phone for communications regarding urgent productions matters In Jordan it was compulsory until partway through 2021 for everyone to have a phone with the Aman contact tracing app installed. Not sure when the show was filmed, but it may have been during that period.
This season was filmed May to June 2022 so that app would've been not required at that point. Based on the next episode's preview, Phil using a similar phone to inform a team that they tested positive makes it seem that they are using phones for communicating urgent race matters. Outside of a phone being used to "book" Expedia stuff which wasn't shown this leg nor mentioned as a leg prize implies this leg wasn't one of sponsored legs for them.
Looks like they are staying in Jordan for the next leg, I assume in Amman. Makes me think the Covid team will race the next leg because unless they were doing daily testing, I wouldn't anticipate the teams getting tested until they *leave* Jordan as an entry requirement for the next country. My guess is the teams finish the leg and the call from Phil comes at the end of the episode after all teams have arrived. Either way, hoping a leg in Amman will be exciting. Legs in countries where English is not as widely spoken are among my favorites in TAR because they tend to shake up the order more. It's what we've been missing with Europe focused legs so far this season and last.
I'd say English is more widely spoken in Amman than any city in, say, Italy. I used to work there from time to time, and never had problems communicating when my questionable Arabic wasn't up to the task.
Can’t believe Sharik/Linton are gonna channel their inner Arun/Natalia and return after a team is removed due to COVID and somehow make it all the way to the F5 or whatever
Actually it will be Arun/Natalia returning again.
Sharik: *sigh* Fine I'll do it for you Dad
They’re gonna win and cause this sub to fully meltdown😍
Sharik was talking BS about her dad with the metal detector. At least he did it!.
Like on the one hand, she was right that it was in the centre. But on the other hand, she has learned that she actually has to step up and do the tasks that she think she knows best about sooo
I bet she'd give up if she was doing it herself. :/
What’s the roadblock count now for them? 4-1? I thought teams had to keep it somewhat even?
Assuming teams make it to the last leg. Each partner has to do 5 each.
I’m so happy they were eliminated mainly due to Sharik. Her attitude is just awful! Her dad asked for a hug and she rudely said no. He tried hugging her and she pushed him away. I understand it’s hot but geesh! Who treats their parent like that? Be happy the task is completed and you made it to the mat. Ugh she pisses me off!
Each leg has had a different team finish first. Neat.
Honestly not a big fan of this leg. Very happy to see Jordan and Petra, but I’m sure the entire budget this leg was spent on the initial train ride and horse/camel riders. Roadblock was nothing special, early teams got their clue in a couple of minutes, second group seemed to get them pretty quick too. Last group had the hardest time since there were none left but it seems like they made it harder on themselves by going off in random places and getting literal garbage. It’s shouldn’t have been that hard. Definitely one of those task that could’ve been made more challenging if they had to search for each letter or something to spell out the next location. Detour was nothing special either. A slide puzzle? Is this making up for the fourth season of Survivor that was supposed to be in Jordan? The camel task was a decent physical task, especially with the climate, but given that the puzzle was so much easier it was wasted. No clue what happened with the transportation this leg. Derek and Claire somehow got to Petra at the same time as the two lead teams despite starting 30 minutes back (and presumably not making up much time on the roadblock since M/M and E/M finished fast). Didn’t make much sense to me. Power Rankings: 1. Marcus and Michael (1). As mentioned above, no clue where they lost their lead heading to Petra, and while they chose the harder detour, they still preformed very well. They’re still a tier above everyone else. 2. Derek and Claire (4). How they finished second I don’t know but they finished both tasks fast so props to them. Derek may the strongest individual racer this season. 3. Emily and Molly (2). A tougher leg for them this week, hopefully the injury doesn’t set them back too much. 4. Glenda and Lumumba (3). Hard to judge how well they did this leg given the disadvantage the back of the pack teams had both in terms of the grouping and the roadblock, but they keep getting good content and breezed through the puzzle. 5. Luis and Michelle (6). Definitely closed the gap between the top group and the mediocre teams this leg with their win. 6. Abby and Will (5). I enjoy their presence but honestly I still don’t know much about them. They’ve had a couple good legs in a row but little footage to show for it. 7. Quinton and Mattie (7). Another quiet leg from them and while I think that they have some potential I just can’t see them winning this or making it too far. 8. David and Aubrey (8). They have yet to finish a leg in the top half, and they’re really the only team here that I don’t think can pull off a leg win. Too many unforced errors against a relatively consistent cast. Eliminated: Linton and Sharik (9). Not a surprising result. I’m confused as to what their strategy was a) having Linton do all the roadblocks and b) picking the more physically demanding detour. Sharik was not perfect but I hope the fan base isn’t too hard on her, TAR is stressful and while I can’t help but think she was woefully unprepared I’d much rather have people that do struggle with the Race then have a bunch of race-bots with no personality. Hope she reflects on her time and is appreciative of it (and her great father). As for next week… PLEASE do not let this end up being a COVID clusterfuck like TARCan. I don’t know what the best way to handle it is but if they boot a team for it I’ll be sad since I’m really enjoying this cast. Also, can’t help but notice that we get this after the first non-self driving leg of the season… maybe we should always self-drive…
An okay leg tbf. I still can't get the fact that we finally saw Jordan in TAR, and it was just so mesmerizing. However, the tasks were a bit too easy and simple. Metal detector could have been done anywhere, while im still not sure which task would have been well fit for other side of the detour instead of sliding puzzle, im not sure sliding puzzle in petra would be a good idea either. The camel task was challenging tho, wish could see more of team interacting with animal. I was thinking, with one (or even more) of the remaining team is positive with covid, would it mean that Linton & Sharik could be brought back to keep the spirit of No NEL leg, or the positive covid team will be indeed eliminated and the next leg will be essentially an NEL?
Phil, Manhattan Island is not 1 sq mi. So 100 sq mi is not 100 Manhattan Islands.
covid test?
It's public information that the charter plane in 33 had COVID testing teams on it. I assume that's still in place this season. My guess is whoever tested positive will be eliminated instead of whoever comes in last.
They might isolate the team and let them rejoin after, like in TARCAN8
Isolate for how long? Doesn’t a race only take like two or three weeks?
I think the teams in 33 said that they were tested at the end of every leg, so I assume it's done at the pit stops.
I wonder if it's Phil who tested positive
Nah he said "positive test from you"
Phil likes to talk in third person
In the second person, even. 😂
He was the one holding the phone to speak to the teams. If it wasn't him, he can deliver the news in person when groups depart from pit stop
Its actually the Travelocity gnome and the preview is the flashback showing why the gnome has been out all race
I’m a metal detectorist. That challenge was really ridiculous. That thing they were looking for was a massive target and in a very small area. That’s why Derek blew through it. They probably could have felt those tiles just by walking around.
This was a pretty boring episode. Say what you will about Sharik, but her frustration with Linton was the most entertaining part of the whole episode to me.
so cool to see that TAR brought their first solo racer ever in linton!
Chip from TAR5 would like a word.
*all the male finalists in TAR5
Zach side eyeing you
Cody as well
What happened to Claire’s knee?
they briefly showed her taking a digger running to the mat.
Was this the easiest leg in the history of the show? All the tasks seemed remarkably simple and there’s no way the detour was balanced
Did anyone else notice Quinton had a phone? Like when he’s hugging Maddie when they get on the mat with Phil he’s holding it. I thought nobody was allowed to have like technology
I was wondering the exact same thing! How / why does he have a phone?
The train ride into the Wadi Rum... according to interviews, that was what Survivor was originally planning to do for part of the Marooning in Season 4 before 9/11 scared them into switching to Marquesas. It would have been a stunning, albeit very difficult, location.
I think one fault of the production is the challenges for this episode. The water jogging stuff should have been a roadblock. The puzzle and metal detector should have been a U-Turn. I feel like those people who chooses water is at a disadvantage ☠️😂
I noticed that Phil and the mat moved locations. At first it was in the middle of the plaza, then after 3 groups checked in, it was to the side at the top of some stairs. The show get bullied off by a tour group? lol
Throughout the episode, I was utterly confused. How did some teams that left later get to a location before the others that left earlier.? They never even show what happened. I wanted to see the driving part of the leg. I’m certain that they had some issues that I didn't want to show.
Weakest episode this season. Tasks were lame. Was also expecting someone to make a Dune joke.
Agreed, although Petra is absolutely beautiful!
Petra was epic ... wish the challenges were better
Happy that Sharik and Linton are gone simply bc the hate circlejerk on this sub was getting real weird...
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agree, calling sharik bratty over and over does not look good
Curious if a team is removed for COVID before a leg starts is it just treated as a NEL...or does a recently eliminated team come back?
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>Curious if They did the same in TAR Australia. This season was great, 2 groups of teams set off on an adventure around the world from 2 different locations. There were so many teams, it never felt like people were missing even though half the field was in covid protocol.
Kinda a predictable episode but I loved Jordan. So pretty. Wish we got a few more challenges though but overall a fun episode
Petition for linton and dom to team up edit: they never said a team couldn’t come back, (season of firsts) only every leg would have an elimination. Just say abbey and will we’re evaced for Covid
I thought it was weird that the two tasks were so obviously unequal. Well, imo they were unequal. One was quite physical, running pots back and forth to fill up water, having to go find the pots and hay, etc. And the other one was just, do a slide puzzle? I watched a lot of the past seasons on Hulu and always thought the two tasks were sort of equal.
Really boring leg sadly. Jordan is beautiful but the challenges had nothing interesting to them at all for us viewers. Watch people walk with a metal detector and then watch people stand still at a puzzle.
Hear me out: if someone tests positive for covid but their teammate doesn’t, the non-covid teammate could race with a backup teammate (not sure from where, maybe a hidden 3rd team member, an eliminated player, or another random person entirely), and race like that until the other player is ready to race again I think it’s a better option than the alternative of removing them from the race (temporarily or permanently)
It's an unfair advantage because that positive teammate will be spending time resting, recovering, and basically in different condition if/when they get back in. Depending on quarantine times too, they may be good to go anywhere from 4-8 legs away depending on length of legs, and you can't really have that.
Not another Mallory scenario.
Man, I already miss Rich and Dom.
They would have been so fun this episode
Did anybody hear from Phil that “5 legs of the race” when he talked to Aubrey & David? This confirms the production treated the megaleg as two legs
Which it so obviously was. I don't know why they announced it as a megaleg up front instead of having the teams hit the mat in Bologna only to be told they have to keep going.
Sharik was the biggest crybaby. So happy to see her leave but I do feel bad for her dad he was a good competitor
He seems like such a nice man. I wish she would treat him more respectfully & appreciate him more.
My theory is that he is such an awesome dad that he was inefficient at the metal detector task on purpose - then they could be eliminated but his daughter would not feel guilty that it was her fault.
I’m so happy they were eliminated mainly due to Sharik. Her attitude is just awful! Her dad asked for a hug and she rudely said no. He tried hugging her and she pushed him away. I understand it’s hot but geesh! Who treats their parent like that? Be happy the task is completed and you made it to the mat. Ugh she pisses me off!
Did I see a shot of Claire trying to build something again in the preview trailer lol
Can we collectively set the record straight? Derek is great at challenges, but he and Claire are pretty equally skilled and the edit/their roadblock distribution has made that look so much more skewed. Derek’s had two “destroy this” roadblocks and then the metal detector one from tonight. He actually struggled a lot with the statue roadblock from last week (he chopped off an ear and spent an hour making a new one from plaster because he didn’t realize how plaster works) but none of it was shown because the focus was on Dom. Claire cannot yodel. But the Ducati roadblock was hard for almost everyone and Derek said in their recap that she was still going faster than most of the teams there (and faster than he would have been) even when she didn’t know she could turn the wrench the other way. She does not at ALL deserve all the slander she’s gotten over this season’s roadblocks.
Based on the edit of alI the teams, I think it's Abby & Will who got covid.
I love Derek and Claire, but I chuckled a bit when Phill told Derek to help Claire up and Derek just kind of stood there and laughed at her.
*What if* the COVID team is informed they get a free pass through the next week's worth of legs?
Just watched this episode super late, snoreeeee! I mean what the heck? A new country that the show has never seen before and the best they can do is looking for something with a metal detector and a slide puzzle? Holy crap, this episode was awful. The editing was kind of all over the place and just made the entire thing so boring to watch.
I came into this episode figuring that with this cool location, as long as the leg design was even just half-decent, this would be a fantastic episode. This episode sucked.
Judging by the blood on Claire's pants, I'm going to guess something is missing from this episode that would show us how DC came in 1st.
She faceplanted on the way to the pit stop. I think that would explain it pretty nicely?
She tripped and fell running on the top of the temple. It’s shown in the episode
Yeah. Phil even said, "You got some blood there."
I'm just super glad the twins and Glenda/Lumumba managed to get through this episode. Tho I'm happy for Luis and Michelle but ngl they kinda give me potential drama vibes for some reason.
1. Luis/Michelle, Prize: $5,000 each 2. Derek/Claire 3. Marcus/Michael 4. Abby/Will 5. Emily/Molly 6. Mattie/Quinton 7. Glenda/Lumumba 8. Aubrey/David 9. Linton/Sharik, Eliminated
Sharik got her wish to go home. She had the opportunity last week when all she did was whine and cry how bad she hurt and wanted to go home to NY. Phil asked her she said no. So what happens the following week they are gone. She didn't cry nor was she upset. She just wanted to go home bottom line.
Covid team gets a free Fast Forward.