# Amazing Race, 4/15 (Spoilers as always) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 16, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912 "2012-04-16T01:55:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/41 "2012-04-17T17:40:42Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I was confused by the editing. When the federal teachers got to the bike challenge, Vanessa and Ralph were finding out they got U-Turned. That means V&R had to hump it back a mile to the water challenge, wait in that line, hump it back, wait for the cab to change a flat tire, and in all that time the teachers only barely managed to catch up even with them. > > Also with the teachers, after they finished the bike challenge they ran across Big Brother on foot. Rachel directed them to walk a kilometer, then Rachel and Brendon hopped in a cab. I can’t figure out any way that makes sense unless Rachel was sending the teachers two kilometers (when you factor in round trip) out of their way on foot on a wild goose chase. If that is what happened, that would explain the missing time from my first paragraph. > > Anyone have a firmer grasp on this sequence? We were confused too. It looked like it took the “teachers” an hour to do the bike task. ---
**Author:** ![Southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@Southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southpaw)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/42 "2012-04-17T22:03:48Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I was confused by the editing. When the federal teachers got to the bike challenge, Vanessa and Ralph were finding out they got U-Turned. That means V&R had to hump it back a mile to the water challenge, wait in that line, hump it back, wait for the cab to change a flat tire, and in all that time the teachers only barely managed to catch up even with them. Federal Teachers did the Speed Bump after the Detour and before the Roadblock. > [@](#): > > Also with the teachers, after they finished the bike challenge they ran across Big Brother on foot. Rachel directed them to walk a kilometer, then Rachel and Brendon hopped in a cab. I can’t figure out any way that makes sense unless Rachel was sending the teachers two kilometers (when you factor in round trip) out of their way on foot on a wild goose chase. If that is what happened, that would explain the missing time from my first paragraph. Rachel was directing them to the bar where they had to pick up the speed bump clue. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/43 "2012-04-17T22:05:50Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Hadn’t Big Brother finished the “walk on foot” thing (it was just to the tavern or pub or whatever where the U-Turn was set up) and were heading for the honey task? I do remember seeing that at the time and hoping they were going to get a penalty for taking the cab but when they didn’t, I remembered that everyone else had taken a cab to the Gem whatever and the honey task. Exactly my point. Brendan and Rachel were getting in the cab, meaning they were at the tavern or pub or whatever where the U-Turn was set up, having finished the second leg of their U-Turn and the walking part involved after the detour legs. We know that’s where and when they were because they then hopped in a cab. We saw the teachers finish the bike challenge, so we know that the very next thing they had to do was walk on foot to the U-Turn tavern/pub/whatever place to get their next clue, when they too could then hop in a cab after reading the next clue. That means they had to have run into Brendan and Rachel at the U-Turn place, and Rachel then tells them to walk a kilometer “that way.” I can’t see any way that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![slitterst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@slitterst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slitterst)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/44 "2012-04-18T14:11:11Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I was confused by the editing. When the federal teachers got to the bike challenge, Vanessa and Ralph were finding out they got U-Turned. That means V&R had to hump it back a mile to the water challenge, wait in that line, hump it back, wait for the cab to change a flat tire, and in all that time the teachers only barely managed to catch up even with them. > > Anyone have a firmer grasp on this sequence? I was confused, but in retrospect, I think the Amazing Editors were showing us some clips out of sequence. I think the real-time version was that Big Brother finished the second leg of the Detour, and headed to pick up their next clue. They ran into the Federal Teachers, who had just gotten the Detour clue and were looking for the bike repair shop. The teachers headed to the bike repair while Vanessa and Ralph (we don’t have a decent nickname for them yet?) finished standing in line for water. Showing it out-of-order was mildly confusing, but created a little more dramatic tension, since we thought the teachers were closer to the pack than they really were. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/45 "2012-04-18T14:19:02Z")
> [@slitterst](#): > > Showing it out-of-order was mildly confusing, but created a little more dramatic tension, since we thought the teachers were closer to the pack than they really were. I dislike editing designed to make us think that teams are a lot closer than they are. Trying to make it look like it could be a foot race to the Amazing Phil when it’s obvious that there was probably a couple hours between the second to last and last team. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/46 "2012-04-18T14:55:38Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > I dislike editing designed to make us think that teams are a lot closer than they are. Trying to make it look like it could be a foot race to the Amazing Phil when it’s obvious that there was probably a couple hours between the second to last and last team. This is my main gripe with the show too. It is silly sometimes but as I mentioned above, the weird thing is they didn’t even bother in this episode. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/47 "2012-04-18T16:30:24Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > This is my main gripe with the show too. It is silly sometimes but as I mentioned above, the weird thing is they didn’t even bother in this episode. That and bunching bother me. I recall a very early season (1 maybe) where at the end there was some team still in Alaska when the winners finished in NYC. I grow annoyed when the teams arrive at some task at different times only to find the place closed until eight in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/48 "2012-04-18T21:57:46Z")
I understand the bunching from a logistical point of view (with tight timelines on the production side and limited bodies it will suck hard if the teams end out spread between two or three legs of the race or having to pass up doing cool things at some cool location because you can only have access for 9 hours and need to make sure everybody is there in that window). But from a viewers point of view it does kind of suck. When they go through period of a ton of bunching I’d prefer they just get rid of the staggered starts on each leg and just reset it with a group start every leg. And if travel between legs is necessary and everybody has to be on the same flight/boat/train/etc., just do that in the gap between legs and restart in the new location. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/49 "2012-04-18T22:52:48Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > And if travel between legs is necessary and everybody has to be on the same flight/boat/train/etc., just do that in the gap between legs and restart in the new location. I like this idea! They would do the staggered start after they arrive in the new town. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/50 "2012-04-18T23:46:25Z")
Yeah, I think the clips being out of order is the best explanation. When Rachel directed the teachers a kilometer “that way,” she was in all likelihood directing them to the bike challenge. We had already seen the teachers finish the bike challenge at that point, but at least it makes sense if it was simply shown out of order. > [@EllisDee](#): > > I was confused by the editing. When the federal teachers got to the bike challenge, Vanessa and Ralph were finding out they got U-Turned. That means V&R had to hump it back a mile to the water challenge, wait in that line, hump it back, wait for the cab to change a flat tire, and in all that time the teachers only barely managed to catch up even with them. > [@Southpaw](#): > > Federal Teachers did the Speed Bump after the Detour and before the Roadblock. The speed bump was after the teachers caught up. More specifically, the teachers caught up in the location where V&R got their next clue and were leaving as the teachers pulled in and then had to do the speed bump. > [@Laggard](#): > > I dislike editing designed to make us think that teams are a lot closer than they are. Trying to make it look like it could be a foot race to the Amazing Phil when it’s obvious that there was probably a couple hours between the second to last and last team. The teachers did actually catch up to V&R if it weren’t for the speed bump. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/51 "2012-04-19T17:07:51Z")
Why don’t they show the time that each team makes it to the pit stop? It would be interesting to see what the time gaps are. Or do they feel it would ruin the suspense? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/52 "2012-04-19T17:29:44Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > Why don’t they show the time that each team makes it to the pit stop? It would be interesting to see what the time gaps are. Or do they feel it would ruin the suspense? They show the departure times, so I can think of two reasons not to. First is that not showing arrival times gives them flexibility to manipulate the departure times instead of being locked into leaving with the same deficit as they arrived. Second, and probably the more likely reason, is that showing the arrival times would completely undercut the manufactured drama when they show two teams racing to the finish only to discover one showed up over an hour before the other. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/53 "2012-04-19T17:33:36Z")
Part of the reason they don’t show arrival and departure times regularly is that there are sometimes adjustments made due to technical or shooting issues and they don’t want to have to explain them all. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/54 "2012-04-19T18:14:43Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > “I’m like Winnie-the-Pooh!” > > Except not cute, not endearing and not funny. But she’s a bear to be around. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/55 "2012-04-19T18:20:38Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > Part of the reason they don’t show arrival and departure times regularly is that there are sometimes adjustments made due to technical or shooting issues and they don’t want to have to explain them all. But they used to with one quick sentence from Phil: “Due to technical issues that caused a delay, so-and-so has been credited time and will be departing 12 minutes early.” or similar. No muss, no fuss. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912/56 "2012-04-19T18:35:38Z")
Midget twin porn stars. THAT’S what they need. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-15-spoilers-as-always/618912.md?page=2)