Amazing Race Canada 4
starry
Posts: 12,434 Forum Member
✭✭
First episode just aired.
Happy enough with the final result. Happy the first team that took the penalty survived, though that was a huge risk and they were lucky another team took the penalty. The closing of the first road block due to weather was another factor that played into things. Jillian was hilarious, even at this early stage she seemed very on edge, even with them being at the front of the pack. What will happen when it gets harder for them....
It was a good start and it looks like they will make it tough as they say with various challenges and navigation. So it will be good and more like the AU one was rather than like the US version is now.
Happy enough with the final result. Happy the first team that took the penalty survived, though that was a huge risk and they were lucky another team took the penalty. The closing of the first road block due to weather was another factor that played into things. Jillian was hilarious, even at this early stage she seemed very on edge, even with them being at the front of the pack. What will happen when it gets harder for them....
It was a good start and it looks like they will make it tough as they say with various challenges and navigation. So it will be good and more like the AU one was rather than like the US version is now.
0
Comments
I hope they will go to another country, however nice the scenery is in Canada, it can get boring, which is how I found season 1. Seems like TAR Canada makes more of a point of having all kinds of minority or ethnic or special groups represented (French speakers, aboriginal, Chinese, visually impaired, lesbians, gay son, Italian single mums, etc.) which is fine but it does begin look like they have a diversity quota they needed to fill. They also do it to a large extent in the American one but it feels a lot more forced in the Canadian version.
Indeed an enjoyable first episode. I like the teams, although once again they have done their utmost to tick all the boxes. But they're changing the English lyrics to the national anthem to be more inclusive, so this comes a no surprise.
It was all a bit hectic and at times hard to follow, but it's been that way since the first episode of the first season. It calms down as the season progresses.
Like Alex_B1 I hope they visit some other countries. Canada is vast and there's loads of adventurous things to do, but it would be nice to see them cope with different and different languages. It all feels a bit safe in a country full of friendly people and Beamo cash points aplenty.
At least they should go to Breda (Netherlands) and visit the headquarters of one of their main sponsors, Mentos. And then in an echo from TAR, play some farmer's golf in stormy weather.
I kind of like the diversity overall in the Canadian one. I can't say I would be aware of some of the diversity casting had I not been told, for instance the 'Italians' just seem Canadian to me and tick other boxes anyway. Casting two black teams was kind of strange as neither seems great characters, but one is gone now anyway. Casting a French speaking team is a pretty obvious thing to do in Canada in all honesty, and if they go to a French speaking place it plays a role in the storyline. One reason I think the race likes ready made storylines like the the blind guy is it's easier for people to remember more teams early on.
Overall people seem happy with the cast on the internet, there seems more character than the US ones gives now. It may be closer to how the AU one was, also in the number of tasks and potential difficulty level too.
The only thing that annoys me tends to be the 'patriotic' aspect, only seen so far in the opening where the presenter said 'make Canada proud'. And of course there's the product placement, but that's the necessary evil I suppose. I just switch off mentality when that's on, and then resume the second it's over.
In that respect nothing will top the leg where they ended up on Juno Beach in Normandy with a D-Day veteran on the mat. Some say it was the most patriotic moment on Canadian Reality TV of all time.
I agree with you, it all seems a bit too much.
I've read somewhere that the producers have to walk a very thin line when it comes to casting. Diversity is one important aspect, but teams from as many provinces/territories as possible is another one. Not an easy task.
Very vocal complaining about the casting has quickly become a strong tradition.
Rapelling is just tedious now, I've seen it too many times on this show. I thought the tower looked quite ugly too.
I like the way they do it here, because if they spend too much time looking for the express pass, they might be in danger of getting eliminated, so may have to use it straight away.
They did something similar with the herding ducks in Vietname, although a bit differently, some years back in TAR if I remember it correctly,
The patriotic bit was saying that Canada welcomes everyone from anywhere and that anybody can all go there, which I don't believe. Maybe they could help with millions of arab refugees then.
Still, it was fun seeing a dejected Emmett sitting there waiting for the penalty time to be over.
Probably a problem with the selection of the racers that I still can't quite distinguish which team is which for a few of them.
The last two eliminations have been bad for the race I feel. In the latest episode a really obvious break till morning because of the lack of trains. I like the searching for clues, but putting it in open view in the middle of the floor of the prison cells didn't make it so interesting.
Anyway, I really don't like it when they keep going back to Canada, surely just a short hop to the States would have been better? The last one in Canada is really a bit dull.