The Amazing Race, Season 8, Episode 1 (And Yes, I'm Back!)
Hello to you all, my dear LJ friends!
Yes, I know, I disappeared for the last *checks last journal entry* three months. Wow, has it been that long, really? I was keeping up with my flist for a while, but I just didn't have the time to update my journal. (Yes, yes, I should make time, I know.) However, for the last month, I have been unable to even do that. Therefore, I am woefully uninformed as to what is going on in your lives. I will make an effort to read back on your journals to see what's been happening, but forgive me please if I make a comment on an entry five weeks old!
I just bade farewell to the sister just younger than me, her husband, and their adorable little boy. They are traveling to the UK even as I type this. They will spend the next ten months at Cambridge in an exchange program for my brother-in-law's law school. I need to save my pennies so I can visit them while they are there. They've been staying with another sister and my parents on and off over the past month, so a lot of my time has been spent on family things.
Anyway, you knew I'd be back for The Amazing Race, didn't you? The season premiere aired just two days ago, and it's looking like it will be another great season. I haven't read anyone's reactions to the episode, so forgive me if I am a bit redundant of others' observations.
The two-hour premiere was concerned primarily with introducing the families. Here are my initial impressions:
The Gaghan Family (mom, dad, and two young kids, all blondish): I was unimpressed with the show's introduction of them before the Race began, but as soon as the race started, I could see this family could well be in the running for the grand prize. They're cheerful, they work well together, the kids actually contribute to the racing effort, and the parents have good attitudes. A definite family to watch.
The Weaver Family (widowed mom with three kids, two of which have noticeably dyed hair): I have to admit, the hair color of the oldest daughter and the son is a bit off-putting. This family is also LOUD. They're enthusiastic, at least, but they screamed everywhere they went. This may be attributable to the excitement of the beginning of the race. I hope so, because the constant screaming is going to get old. This family is also our token Christian/religious family this season, as we saw them praying at least twice.
The Paolo Family (New Yorker family, all with dark hair): The Paolo family argues. A lot. Frankly, it was quite tiring seeing them yelling at each other constantly. It's not fun to watch. The two boys berate their mother, while the father remains silent. I don't know about anyone else, but if I had spoken to my mother like that, I'd soon find myself in deep trouble with Dad. No one talks to Mom like that while my father is around. This family will be eliminated soon if they don't get their act together.
The Linz Family (three brothers and a sister): This team is all brawn with not enough brains, unfortunately. They were in first place leaving the camping store, but they fell to second to last by the end. This was a combination of choosing the wrong Detour option and getting lost. Without map skills, they don't have a chance. They improved at the end by choosing to go a different route than the Black family, so I have some hope for them. We shall see.
The Black Family (mom, dad, and two sons): This family was adorable, but the kids slowed the parents down even though they were trying their hardest. They all had good attitudes, they worked well together, and the kids were real troopers. I was sad to see them go so early, but it would've happened very soon anyway.
The Aiello Family (father-in-law and his three sons-in-law): I like this team. They kind of remind me of my Dad and my three brothers-in-law. 'Course, my Dad has five daughters, but only three are married, so the comparison is still apt. I laughed when one of the sons-in-law asked his father-in-law, "You've never been camping?" Another son-in-law piped up, "He has three daughters." Hee. (I must say, my father took his daughters camping all the time.) Incidentally, only one person on this team actually has the last name Aiello. This team could be a contender, if their map skills improve.
The Bransen Family (father and three daughters): This is another team for which I did not have high expectations, but I was again pleasantly surprised. The girls do not act like stereotypical blondes, and they all work well together. They have definite potential.
The Schroder Family (dad, step-mom, and two adolescent kids): The kids and the step-mom I like, but the dad might well be the team member who drags them down to elimination. He got frustrated far too easily on the Build It Detour task. Most teams are at their best on the first leg. Killer Fatigue is far off yet, and everyone is fresh and energetic. If he loses his cool so easily on the first leg, what will he do on the tenth leg when everyone else is also at the end of their tethers?
The Godlewski Family (four sisters, all blonde): Another team that pleasantly surprised me. They were loud--but not nearly as loud as the Weavers--and a little excitable, and they did tend to snipe at each other as sisters do, but they worked well together and finished first. An auspicious beginning. I hope they can keep it up.
The Rogers Family (Southern mom, dad, and two grown children): This family really did not make much of an impression on me. I think they got the least amount of screen time of all the families in the first episode. They may just be quieter than some of the other (much louder) families. The show kind of tried to portray the father as a bit of a chauvinist, but I don't necessarily think he is. They arrived late to the Detour, but finished fourth, so they can navigate and work well together at the very least.
Other thoughts:
- TAR just in the United States? Hmm. Interesting.
- According to my interpretation of the Leaderboard on the CBS website, it looks like there will only be two teams at the end instead of the usual three. I could be wrong, however.
- TAR has lots of family combinations, but everyone is pretty closely related. No cousins, uncles, aunts, or grandparents. Mostly parent(s), children, and siblings. The furthest relationship is that of the dad and his three sons-in-law.
- I predict lots of driving on this season of TAR. Phil included gas as an expense that the teams would not have to pay for, which is new. Of course, with gas prices as up and (rarely) down as they are, the producers couldn't really plan on how much to give the teams to get them from Point A to Point B in gas money.
- Yay for Kevin and Drew! Is this a hint that we'll be getting a TAR All-Stars soon? Also, yay for TAR season 1 on DVD!
- Enough with the following! Don't follow each other, or you'll end up lost just like them!
- It was interesting to note which teams showed more respect for the flag and which ones less. Almost everyone was respectful at the flag-folding ceremony, so that was good.
- It was nice to see the families helping each other set up tents. Those that were helping had already secured their departure times, so it couldn't hurt them any, but it did establish a good tone for the season.
- According to the CBS website, the Paolo family did go back for the dropped clue.
- Despite initial appearances, Build It was the better Detour option than Buggy It. Only the Gaghan family had an advantage with Buggy It (two small kids, parents who regularly run marathons, etc.), and even they finished their task after the Weaver family completed Build It. Remember that the Weavers started Build It well after the Gaghans started Buggy It because they abandoned their initial Buggy decision after the crash.
- The singing Gaghan kids were awfully cute as they passed the Aiello family. Only children could sing a song like "She Was Coming 'Round the Mountain" so enthusiastically and without embarrassment.
- As we saw, map reading and the ability to ask for and get good directions are essential skills that can determine who wins. Just look at the Linz family.
Well, that's all that I can think of off the top of my head. All in all, it was a great episode that bodes well for another great season. So, how many Emmys has TAR won now? Three, right? *g*
Yes, I know, I disappeared for the last *checks last journal entry* three months. Wow, has it been that long, really? I was keeping up with my flist for a while, but I just didn't have the time to update my journal. (Yes, yes, I should make time, I know.) However, for the last month, I have been unable to even do that. Therefore, I am woefully uninformed as to what is going on in your lives. I will make an effort to read back on your journals to see what's been happening, but forgive me please if I make a comment on an entry five weeks old!
I just bade farewell to the sister just younger than me, her husband, and their adorable little boy. They are traveling to the UK even as I type this. They will spend the next ten months at Cambridge in an exchange program for my brother-in-law's law school. I need to save my pennies so I can visit them while they are there. They've been staying with another sister and my parents on and off over the past month, so a lot of my time has been spent on family things.
Anyway, you knew I'd be back for The Amazing Race, didn't you? The season premiere aired just two days ago, and it's looking like it will be another great season. I haven't read anyone's reactions to the episode, so forgive me if I am a bit redundant of others' observations.
The two-hour premiere was concerned primarily with introducing the families. Here are my initial impressions:
The Gaghan Family (mom, dad, and two young kids, all blondish): I was unimpressed with the show's introduction of them before the Race began, but as soon as the race started, I could see this family could well be in the running for the grand prize. They're cheerful, they work well together, the kids actually contribute to the racing effort, and the parents have good attitudes. A definite family to watch.
The Weaver Family (widowed mom with three kids, two of which have noticeably dyed hair): I have to admit, the hair color of the oldest daughter and the son is a bit off-putting. This family is also LOUD. They're enthusiastic, at least, but they screamed everywhere they went. This may be attributable to the excitement of the beginning of the race. I hope so, because the constant screaming is going to get old. This family is also our token Christian/religious family this season, as we saw them praying at least twice.
The Paolo Family (New Yorker family, all with dark hair): The Paolo family argues. A lot. Frankly, it was quite tiring seeing them yelling at each other constantly. It's not fun to watch. The two boys berate their mother, while the father remains silent. I don't know about anyone else, but if I had spoken to my mother like that, I'd soon find myself in deep trouble with Dad. No one talks to Mom like that while my father is around. This family will be eliminated soon if they don't get their act together.
The Linz Family (three brothers and a sister): This team is all brawn with not enough brains, unfortunately. They were in first place leaving the camping store, but they fell to second to last by the end. This was a combination of choosing the wrong Detour option and getting lost. Without map skills, they don't have a chance. They improved at the end by choosing to go a different route than the Black family, so I have some hope for them. We shall see.
The Black Family (mom, dad, and two sons): This family was adorable, but the kids slowed the parents down even though they were trying their hardest. They all had good attitudes, they worked well together, and the kids were real troopers. I was sad to see them go so early, but it would've happened very soon anyway.
The Aiello Family (father-in-law and his three sons-in-law): I like this team. They kind of remind me of my Dad and my three brothers-in-law. 'Course, my Dad has five daughters, but only three are married, so the comparison is still apt. I laughed when one of the sons-in-law asked his father-in-law, "You've never been camping?" Another son-in-law piped up, "He has three daughters." Hee. (I must say, my father took his daughters camping all the time.) Incidentally, only one person on this team actually has the last name Aiello. This team could be a contender, if their map skills improve.
The Bransen Family (father and three daughters): This is another team for which I did not have high expectations, but I was again pleasantly surprised. The girls do not act like stereotypical blondes, and they all work well together. They have definite potential.
The Schroder Family (dad, step-mom, and two adolescent kids): The kids and the step-mom I like, but the dad might well be the team member who drags them down to elimination. He got frustrated far too easily on the Build It Detour task. Most teams are at their best on the first leg. Killer Fatigue is far off yet, and everyone is fresh and energetic. If he loses his cool so easily on the first leg, what will he do on the tenth leg when everyone else is also at the end of their tethers?
The Godlewski Family (four sisters, all blonde): Another team that pleasantly surprised me. They were loud--but not nearly as loud as the Weavers--and a little excitable, and they did tend to snipe at each other as sisters do, but they worked well together and finished first. An auspicious beginning. I hope they can keep it up.
The Rogers Family (Southern mom, dad, and two grown children): This family really did not make much of an impression on me. I think they got the least amount of screen time of all the families in the first episode. They may just be quieter than some of the other (much louder) families. The show kind of tried to portray the father as a bit of a chauvinist, but I don't necessarily think he is. They arrived late to the Detour, but finished fourth, so they can navigate and work well together at the very least.
Other thoughts:
- TAR just in the United States? Hmm. Interesting.
- According to my interpretation of the Leaderboard on the CBS website, it looks like there will only be two teams at the end instead of the usual three. I could be wrong, however.
- TAR has lots of family combinations, but everyone is pretty closely related. No cousins, uncles, aunts, or grandparents. Mostly parent(s), children, and siblings. The furthest relationship is that of the dad and his three sons-in-law.
- I predict lots of driving on this season of TAR. Phil included gas as an expense that the teams would not have to pay for, which is new. Of course, with gas prices as up and (rarely) down as they are, the producers couldn't really plan on how much to give the teams to get them from Point A to Point B in gas money.
- Yay for Kevin and Drew! Is this a hint that we'll be getting a TAR All-Stars soon? Also, yay for TAR season 1 on DVD!
- Enough with the following! Don't follow each other, or you'll end up lost just like them!
- It was interesting to note which teams showed more respect for the flag and which ones less. Almost everyone was respectful at the flag-folding ceremony, so that was good.
- It was nice to see the families helping each other set up tents. Those that were helping had already secured their departure times, so it couldn't hurt them any, but it did establish a good tone for the season.
- According to the CBS website, the Paolo family did go back for the dropped clue.
- Despite initial appearances, Build It was the better Detour option than Buggy It. Only the Gaghan family had an advantage with Buggy It (two small kids, parents who regularly run marathons, etc.), and even they finished their task after the Weaver family completed Build It. Remember that the Weavers started Build It well after the Gaghans started Buggy It because they abandoned their initial Buggy decision after the crash.
- The singing Gaghan kids were awfully cute as they passed the Aiello family. Only children could sing a song like "She Was Coming 'Round the Mountain" so enthusiastically and without embarrassment.
- As we saw, map reading and the ability to ask for and get good directions are essential skills that can determine who wins. Just look at the Linz family.
Well, that's all that I can think of off the top of my head. All in all, it was a great episode that bodes well for another great season. So, how many Emmys has TAR won now? Three, right? *g*