It’s never been completely clear to me how much of the bunching at businesses is artificial and how much is reasonably naturally occuring. It doesn’t seem unreasonable that someplace like a movie studio or a nature preserve would have regular hours of operation so it’s not impossible that teams could arrive during those hours. Of course if the producers are researching general flight information and determining that there’s no way for a team to get to the business based on existing flights then that’s BS. And if the producers artificially close businesses that would otherwise be open to create bunching (which I’ve heard claimed based on the color of the hours of operation signs, but those could also just be posted for the convenience of the racers or the audience) then that double-sucks.
Reducing the initial payout is fine but I’d be opposed to takign money away from racers in the course of the race. Teams shouldn’t be penalized for good money management.
I agree with that. I was thinking more along the lines of taking away money at the beginning of a certain leg, but returning it at the end. No long-term penalty, but a move that forces teams to live within a small amount of money for at least one leg. Eh. Maybe that’s a dumb idea.
Well this episode sure made it clear why the Bamas were pissed at the Chos. Those women can navigate!
I don’t get all the Bama hate. They are doing remarkably well for two middle age mothers. Quite frankly, I hope they win, because I can’t stand any of the rest of them. I was good with the BQs until they just started getting gratuitously mean. I mean: Why were they not going to tell Rob and Kim that their tire was flat? Why stand behind someone mocking them., like they did at the olive press roadblock? Why yield the last place team?
I hate Yields/NEL. What is the point? Basically it seems like it’s there just to make sure someone is pissed off.
I believe that they plan for the teams to arrive late at night frequently when businesses are going to be closed until the next day. It just happens too often. Of course, if they start in one country, have to get on a plane to another country and they leave in the morning, how often are those businesses going to be open by the time the teams can get there? It may not be purely intentional, just not easily avoidable, if I’m making sense to everyone.
I’ve always wanted to see one team pull several hours ahead just to see what would happen, but I understand why the producers wouldn’t want that either.
Regarding the BQs possible 30 minute penalty if they don’t finish first: It may not be that big of a deal. What if Tyler and James get lost? What if Rob and Kimberly have MORE car trouble? There’s an eating task next week and it seems like it’s giving Bama trouble. What if it takes them 30 minutes more? I cannot count them out yet, they are just too determined, and knowing they are at a disadvantage they will be actively trying to get to the Pit Stop first, no matter what.
I have a feeling next Sunday night’s episode could be the best of the season.
No dumber than having a team eliminated in the middle of the first leg, as part of TAR’s exciting new changes, but having very few other exciting new changes.
I don’t like Lynn and Karlyn, but I was impressed by how they stepped it up last night.
Because if you’re the next-to-last place team, there’s no one else you can yield. And if the yield is there, you should use it to try to gain an advantage.
The real question is why didn’t someone yield the BQs.
No one is upset with them because they are doing fairly well. They are horrible competitors. They are mean and snarky, while accusing other teams of being mean and snarky. They run around screaming how this isn’t fair and that isn’t “right”, while doing the same thing.
How long would you have to drive on a flat tire to know that it was flat? Come on, I think that was a bit exaggerated. Maybe Rob was saying “do you hear that?” at the same time the BQs noticed it and said they weren’t going to tell them. He starts slowing down, they realize he knows. We all know they edit for maximum effect.
Did they mock someone at the olive press? I remember hearing Bama say something about them but not vice versa. I wouldn’t doubt it, I just don’t remember it.
Why yield the last place team?? To make sure they stay last! There are only 4 teams, every minute is crucial. There is no leeway for “Well, they are last already so why should we make them suffer”. What if one of the other teams hadn’t been able to get flags in time (Tyler and James took extra time with that task). If the BQs hadn’t yielded Bama, they probably would have beat the boys.
I’ve never been very fond of the Bama Moms, but I’ll agree they can navigate well, and spending the 3-hour layover reading the map was very smart.
I just hate that attitude they have. Last night they were gleefully crying, “We’re going to Yield the BQs!” Then when they got there, and the BQs had ‘dared’ to yield them, they were just infuriated. At some point I think one of them even claimed it wasn’t fair.
Also, the other teams said the BQs were sneaking out of the airport upon arriving in Morroco. Uh, no, they were just running out and looking for the marked cars or a taxi. Just because they beat the rest of you out does not mean they were ‘sneaking’ out.
I also thought the Clue Guy in the antique shop was Phil. Something about the eyes. The moustache looked fake.
Exactly. But if you’re the BQs there really is no advantage in yielding the Bamas. Perhaps if they had shown to be super capable who were just tooling up the back because of a single mistake, but in this case it served no purpose. However, the two lead groups, in not yielding the BQs showed how foolish they were.
While I’ll agree that the Bamas over-reacted to being yielded, I think we all have to agree, that the yield has been taken as “cheating” since it’s inception. If it weren’t so personal, it would be so interesting. That is why the BQs weren’t yielded, because everyone is afraid of them.
It was the boys who claimed the BQs “snuck” out of the airport.
There’s an advantage in yielding whomever you can. Generally, yielding the last place team is the “safest” choice, since you are trying to push a team out of the competition. It’s not coming in first yet, it’s not coming in last. If you can delay a team into coming in last, you succeed.
I don’t agree that it’s been taken as cheating exactly. It’s definitely been taken as an act of spite rather than as a strategic choice, but that’s pretty much because every team up until the BQs used it as an act of spite and a number of teams who didn’t use it made a Big Damn Deal out of how not using it made them Good People (I’m looking at you, Chip and Kim). The BQs are the only team in the history of the Yield who’ve used it appropriately and who’ve explained on-camera their appropriate use of the Yield. The the Bitches from Bama don’t like it they can suck it.
I don’t mean taken as cheating by the yielders, but seen as cheating by the yieldees. I think there was one couple who was yielded, and took it gracefully (I can recall who) but every other team yielded has behaved like it was cheating.
All I’m saying is that the Bamas pretty much behaved like nearly every other yielded team in the history of the show.
Disagree. The very best use of the Yield is the second-to-last team Yielding the last team. Each leg of the Race is all about Not Finishing Last, and the best way to Not Finish Last is to make sure someone else Finishes Last.
I’m not a fan of the Yield because of what you and Otto said, and because I prefer the Race to be about each team going as fast as they can and not worrying about other teams. However, if the Yield is part of the Race, the very best strategic use of it is to do exactly what Dustin & Kandice did.
Re “cheating”: I understand teams’ frustration at being Yielded, but just because they choose to act whiny doesn’t make the Yield “cheating,” and the near-universal whininess doesn’t excuse it in any particular case. It’s part of the game, just like double-jumping in checkers or free throws in basketball. The tendency to take it personally is a good argument to eliminate the Yield (IMO, if not in other’s O), but it’s not a reason to not use the Yield.
I suppose I should clarify. I don’t think that the BQ were wrong to yield, I just don’t particularly see the competitive advantage in yielding the last place team. Why give the only team you have to beat, a motivation to beat you, when you only gain a couple of minutes?
I was shocked when the Ambiguously Gay Duo did not yield the BQs. So much so, I said “WHAT?” aloud. And then when team Dysfunctional Relationship, didn’t yield them either, I was befuddled. So when the BQs yielded the 'Bamas it just seemed personal, even though they said it wasn’t, it was hard to think that the three top teams did not have plan to yield the 'Bamas, since is was so incongruous that they not yield each other, the clearly more capable teams.
I watched my first ever episode of the Race last week, then missed this week’s by going to bed early with a cold. That’s neither here nor there, though. Can someone explain. slowly and with short words, what the yield is or does and how it gets played or used. Thanks.
The Yield allows one team to force a delay on another team (indicated by the hourglass). Each team hits the Yield and decides whether or not to Yield any of the teams trailing them (for some reason they have to explicitly state that they choose not to yield someone, rather than just run by the sign). If you get to the sign and see that you’ve been Yielded, you have to stand there until the hourglass runs out.
There are limited Yields throughout the race (this was the first one we’ve seen this season), and there are limits on how many times one team can use the Yield (just once, IIRC).
A yield is posted immediately prior to a road block. You may yield any team behind you. You have to state who you yield, and the yielding can not be anonymous.
A yielded team must flip over an hourglass and wait. It has never been made clear the length of time spent waiting. Usually the team yielded stands and glare holes in the back-side of the yielding team while waiting.