# Drive 04/13 - "The Starting Line"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 14, 2007, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070 "2007-04-14T05:33:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2007, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/1 "2007-04-14T05:33:17Z")
So did anyone else catch this tonight?
For those wondering, the premise of the show is a very illegal and hush hush cross-country race starting in Florida, with the winner getting 32 million dollars.
A good number of the people were recruited by coercion it seems. One of the main characters, Alex Tully (played by [Nathan Fillion](http://imdb.com/name/nm0277213/)) was dragged into his race when his wife was kidnapped. When he shows up at the orientation, he learns that if he wins… well, he’ll get his wife back, another character had her newborn baby kidnapped to make her participate, another has cancer and is doing this as the one hurrah of his carefully measured life (though he drives like my Dad when he has a mind to it).
I thought it was interesting. Sort of like Rat Race, but not really because Rat Race was all about the comedic factor. This one is about the tension, of people trying to outwit one another, with the mysterious ‘them’ (who? We don’t know.) throwing curves at them.
I think it’s a not bad show, it struck the right balance between tension and comedic moments with a bit of mystery thrown in. Something I’ll watch for sure. If they can keep up the tension and not let it get over the top in the curves they throw I think it’ll do pretty well.
I don’t know who I’m rooting for to win though. Not quite yet.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2007, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/2 "2007-04-14T05:51:18Z")
We watched it tonight. I thought it was pretty good. It was certainly good enough to make sure we catch the next installment. It’s sort of like a cross between “Lost” and “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”, without the slapstick.
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### Author:  [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2007, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/3 "2007-04-14T05:56:00Z")
Aside from Captain Tightpants, who I would watch mow lawns, none of the characters held my interest. Is this show going to be on opposite \*Heroes \*on Mondays?
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2007, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/4 "2007-04-14T06:20:54Z")
Is this some kind of crazy Canadian TV schedulin’? Because every advertisement I’ve seen shows Drive debuting on Sunday.
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### Author:  [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2007, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/5 "2007-04-14T06:24:02Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey]
Is this some kind of crazy Canadian TV schedulin’? Because every advertisement I’ve seen shows Drive debuting on Sunday.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, Canuckistan got the premiere tonight on CTV and their sched for next week [lists it as on Friday the 20th as well.](http://www.ctv.ca/generic/generated/tvlist/CIVTtvlist2.html) Gay marriage, public health care, new TV shows, we’re always on the cutting edge 🆒
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/6 "2007-04-16T02:58:37Z")
[QUOTE=Annie]
Is this show going to be on opposite \*Heroes \*on Mondays?
[/QUOTE]
It’s taking Prison Break’s spot, which is going on summer hiatus.
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### Author:  [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/7 "2007-04-16T03:26:18Z")
I’m watching it right now, and I hereby dub Mal’s truck “Ol’ Paint” because I know a person who drives a truck very much like that one and that’s what’s written on the side (in rust, scoured out of the paint with a screwdriver). Except… if some shlub in a BMW tried to sideswipe that thing, he’d be picking up pieces of his shiny sports car for the next ten miles while Ol’ Paint kept on hauling ass down the freeway.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/8 "2007-04-16T03:29:26Z")
[QUOTE=BraheSilver]
if some shlub in a BMW tried to sideswipe that thing
[/QUOTE]
:nitpick:
2007 Dodge Charger.
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### Author:  [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/9 "2007-04-16T03:32:07Z")
[QUOTE=Flutterby]
another character had her newborn baby kidnapped to make her participate
[/QUOTE]
Actually, she stowed her child away with some sort of child protective service or abused women shelter, to keep the baby away from her abusive husband. She brought along a doll of the baby so that if her husband or anybody that could speak to him got wind, they’d think at first that the baby was with her.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/10 "2007-04-16T03:51:10Z")
Another thread on the same topic: [Drive -- new Fox show - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=416685)
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### Author:  [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/11 "2007-04-16T04:35:45Z")
[QUOTE=Only Mostly Dead]
Actually, she stowed her child away with some sort of child protective service or abused women shelter, to keep the baby away from her abusive husband. She brought along a doll of the baby so that if her husband or anybody that could speak to him got wind, they’d think at first that the baby was with her.
[/QUOTE]
Oh, I somehow missed that.
And Aes, I know. Mine was started before that one, on the 13th.
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### Author:  [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/12 "2007-04-16T05:10:38Z")
[QUOTE=Only Mostly Dead]
Actually, she stowed her child away with some sort of child protective service or abused women shelter, to keep the baby away from her abusive husband. She brought along a doll of the baby so that if her husband or anybody that could speak to him got wind, they’d think at first that the baby was with her.
[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure about that…when she called, she said something like “I’m calling on the phone you gave me” which I presume is the race instruction phone. All this implies I paid close enough to hear them!
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### Author:  [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/13 "2007-04-16T08:40:06Z")
[QUOTE=Annie]
I’m not sure about that…when she called, she said something like “I’m calling on the phone you gave me” which I presume is the race instruction phone. All this implies I paid close enough to hear them!
[/QUOTE]
Yes, but that was a different phone than the “clue phone.” She’s in charge of Sam’s location, not them. (She even told the race guy that bailed her out “Sam was safe.”) they neither knew nor cared. I liked it. I’ll watch again…
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/14 "2007-04-16T12:55:28Z")
[QUOTE=amarinth]
Yes, but that was a different phone than the “clue phone.” She’s in charge of Sam’s location, not them. (She even told the race guy that bailed her out “Sam was safe.”) they neither knew nor cared. I liked it. I’ll watch again…
[/QUOTE]
God damned Fox brand crack cocaine TV! It’s not like a mad mad mad mad world, it’s another version of 24, only 10 times as addictive. I don’t want to watch this ridiculous show, but I must find out what happens next.
It’s a show that was made for DVD. Far to many commercials, each one preceded by a 24-style clifhanger.
There’s a reason Melanie “Mommy” Lynskey looks like Jam’s girlfriend from Detroit Rock City. Same actress.
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### Author:  [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/15 "2007-04-16T12:57:59Z")
Do we know for sure that Mrs. Greeksomething has her baby threatened by “them”?
Did I miss any indicators as to why she was afraid to see her husband?
-Joe
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/16 "2007-04-16T13:00:05Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek]
Did I miss any indicators as to why she was afraid to see her husband?
[/QUOTE]
Domestic abuse.
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### Author:  [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/17 "2007-04-16T13:04:58Z")
[QUOTE=tdn]
Domestic abuse.
[/QUOTE]
So, it was the obvious. The discussion above about her son being hostage to The Them had made me wonder if I missed something.
Unfortunately, Ms. Jeek has a problem where her mouth won’t actually, you know, STOP TALKING WHEN I’M WATCHING A SHOW.
So, I thought I’d missed something.
-Joe
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### Author:  [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/18 "2007-04-16T13:14:48Z")
I was hooked when I saw Nathon Fillon (can’t remember his story name) talking to the Cop in the beginning, and that cop was the same bounty hunter that hunted him in the last “Firefly” ep!
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/19 "2007-04-16T13:20:14Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek]
So, it was the obvious. The discussion above about her son being hostage to The Them had made me wonder if I missed something.
[/QUOTE]
As far as I can tell, abusive hubby got her pregnant. When she gave birth, she was confronted about her bruises by the social worker, who, as it turns out, is one of “them.” She was given the cell phone as a way of contacting the social worker, who is taking care of the baby. Abusive hubby apparently cares enough to wonder why she’s not in Minnesota, but not enough to see his own son being born.
And apparently every single person in the universe not actually in the race is one of “them.” Abusive hubby and newborn son are probably in on it.
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### Author:  [@running\_piglet\_cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_piglet_cheese)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-04-13-the-starting-line/400070/20 "2007-04-16T13:50:52Z")
Looks entertaining and fun, nice summer pablum to counter all the reality shows that pack the summer schedule. Summers can be so BORING so I am pleased to see a show that shows a little promise.
Is it just me, or does the teen daughter look an awfully lot like Lindsey Lohan? I like the two brothers and the crazy hydraulics in the car.
Do you think they’ll keep the wrecked, falling apart pick-up during the whole race as a running joke? It was cute when the scheme to steal bad guy’s cool car went literally nowhere.
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