The Amazing Race 8/3

Cafe Society
81

Lemme try again! I’m not being real clear :slight_smile:

I don’t think I’ve ever seen two teams compete for the FF—thus I speculate that only one team is even allowed to make the attempt at an FF.

I know that once FF is completed, there’s a “Sorry suckers” note attached…but it may (or may not) be attached sooner–as soon as one team even makes the attempt.)

And in any case, yeah…I’m fairly certain that C&C completed the FF loooong before any of the other teams even got close to the box. I mean, assuming that the FF took an hour, C&C picked up the FF at 10:00 or so (allowing for drive time to the Pit Stop where they arrived at 11:27). I don’t think the first flight afterwards even arrived until 3:30 or so.

82

I posted this on another thread without much response. I wonder if I could try again.
I have come to be a fan of “The Amazing Race” fairly recently, and I have wondered about some aspects of the game that veteran viewers may already know:

1/ Are the actual rules for the race contestants published anywhere? I have read, for example, that players are required to be within a certain distance of the producer and photographer at all times. There is always speculation, but do we actually know what else is required/permitted/forbidden?

2/ Contestants are clearly limited to spending only the money that they are given at the beginning of each leg. Can they save the excess and carry it over from leg to leg, or do they have to start each leg from scratch? Can two or more teams pool some of their money to share a pizza, buy a guide book etc.?

3/ This is an especially important question now for the Moms. Contestants can’t use their own money or credit cards, but can they barter their stuff? Could they trade a wristwatch or a sweater, say, for a meal or a ride? Or just sell it? If that’s permitted, is there a rule that says they can’t bring, say, a dozen watches with them? For that matter, are they told what they may and may not bring? I understand that money and cell phones are no-nos. What else?

4/ Is there any rule that says they can’t ask for favors? Could they approach a driver and say something like “We can’t pay you, but if you drive us to Mount Fuji you’ll be on international TV”? Could they go into a restaurant and say “We don’t have any money, but if you feed us travelers around the world will know about your fine dining establishment”? “Amazing Race” has been on for several seasons. If people haven’t actually seen it they’ve probably heard about it. Can contestants mention the show to get that kind of informal benefit?

5/ Apparently they can’t make collect phone calls. But many businesses have international toll-free numbers. Is there any rule which would prevent a team from calling a travel agency back home to set up their flights as long as the call was free? For that matter, what are the rules about using pay phones? I have been astonished sometimes to see teams racing to the airport or waiting for sales counters to open when, at least in some countries, everything could be handled by phone. On the other hand, sometimes some teams go to phones while others stand in line. Why wouldn’t everybody try to call 1-800-AIR-LINE?

6/ What happens if a team faces a roadblock or detour that neither member is capable of accomplishing? Suppose a task requires, say, swimming, and neither member can swim? Can they be assessed a time penalty and move on, or are they just stuck while everyone else passes them? Or are teams required to have certain skills as part of the selection process? I am a tremendous admirer of Charla, but there are some things that she just couldn’t do. Suppose a task required the teams to, say, ride standard-sized bicycles up a mountain, or climb over a six-foot wall without help? Would she be eliminated automatically, or just lose some time?

83

Two teams most certainly can try for the FF, check out Momily and the Guidos in Season 1. But that is when two of them compete at the exact same time. There is also the case when two ar going for it,one somewhat behind the other and get there late and when they get there there is a note usually saying (I paraphrase), “Sorry, Charlie”. What I am not clear on is if it is known that the FF is taken before teams even get to the route marker containing the original, if that route marker says it is gone.

I don’t think so, I think that one of the points of the FF is that it is a risk because you don’t know if it has been taken. Clearly, in this episode there were green FF markers at the the route marker on top of the tower and I assume they had the clue. Because otherwise they would’ve just removed’em completely.

I think the teams just did not go for the FF because quite frankly it is far to risky in that situation. The last teams were all on the same flight, fairly close together. Go for the FF and it is gone and you are more less going into sequesterville in that situation. Also, it woudl not have surprised me if during the Pit stops there were discussions indicating that folks pretty much realized that the first team to see a FF would almost certainly decide to take it.

84

I know that in season 2, something similar happened with the FF. Danny/Oswald chose to go for it. Mary/Peach also did, and the editing made it appear that they grabbed the FF clue just prior to it being taken. It definitely proves that if you are already going for it, the show won’t stop you and tell you to go back.

No definite answer regarding whether the show replaces the FF clue with a “Sorry” note, but my memory tells me that they don’t do that. They let teams stumble and find out on their own.

But, as I said, that is not a definite thing. Maybe it will come to me.

85

I have not seen anything online.

They can accumulate their money that they don’t use in each leg and use it in later legs of the race. The teams I think are pretty much alloed to do with the money whatever they please that is legal.

I think think for this incarnation of the race they were not allowed to bring guidebooks, other thatn that I am not sure. Of course anything you bring you will vcarry around with you for the enitre race. I have never sen anybody try to sell something or barter, so I have no idea. There was a team in season 2 (I think ) who did lose their money and had to essentially beg for money.

Contestants ask for favors all the time, locals are always helping them, taking htem places, etc. The ferry company this year held up the ferry for Charma and Mirla. One thing is I believe they are not allowed to say they are on a TV show or on the Amazing Race. They may not een be allowed to say we are in a race, although they can see “We are in a hurry” and “we need to beat those guys”.

Dunno. I would assume they can use whatever phone numbers they wanted, but I don’t htink they can use any pre-arranged connections. So I think it would be illegal for them to call a travel agencies back home, unless they got the number somehow during the race. There isa also a rule against getting help from frineds and relatives in whatever city you happen to be in, if you have any.

I thnk you are SOL in that case.

86

They are allowed to say they’re in a race – that may be new, but this season they’ve been saying it a lot. They just can’t give any more details than that.

87

I’ve reviewed my tapes of the last three episodes. Trion is essentially correct regarding the wording elimination vs non-elimination clues. They will show the first team reading “Drive yourselves (or make your way) to the next Pit Stop”. The camera then cuts to Phil at the Pit Stop. He describes the Pit Stop, then says “The last team to check in will be eliminated.” Subsequent teams may be shown reading the clue, but not all teams will be shown. They will show them either reading the first part, “Go to the next pit stop…,” or the last part, “Warning, the last team to arrive may be eliminated.” In all cases, the wording of the clue is “may”.

The last episode was unusual in that C&C took the Fast Forward, so they showed Phil at the Pit Stop twice. The first time, he explained the concept of the Fast Forward: “Having won the Fast Forward, Colin and Christie may skip all tasks and go directly to the next pit stop: the Sphinx.” The second time, Phil said “Teams must now make their way across the Giza plateau to the Sphinx, the pit stop for this leg of the race.” Note the omission of “The last team to check in will be eliminated.” The clue as read by the contestants still said “Warning, the last team to arrive may be eliminated.”

There was exactly one time where a contestant said “will be eliminated.” This was said by Mirna (natch!) as she was getting into a car. She was, however, not reading the clue.

In summary, the clues as read by the contestants always say “Warning, the last team to arrive may be eliminated.” Phil at elimination Pit Stops says “The last team to check in will be eliminated.” At the single non-elimination Pit Stop we have seen so far, Phil said nothing regarding elimination.

All of the above only applies to the current season. My memory of previous seasons tells me that the clues used to be more explicit. They would actually say “will be eliminated,” as would Phil. During non-elimination rounds, nothing was said regarding elimination.

88

I’m sure the teams arriving before them, all with cameramen in tow, give people a hint that there’s something going on here.

89

Ah. That’s right. I forgot they made it to the pit stop even before the plane with the other teams landed. Thanks for jogging my memory on this point.

I think until someone provides firm evidence to the contrary, I’m going to conclude that the “sorry sucker” message doesn’t appear until a team completes the Fast Forward.

That explains this most recent episode, yet allows for my memory of multiple teams attempting the Fast Forward.

90

Sure, but I’m not sure they were allowed to say they were in a race before now. It would be obvious that something is going on no matter what.

91

Nationally it’s been in the Top Ten shows each week! This is FABULOUS, but remember, it’s summer and original programming tends to attract a good audience amidst re-runs. In the fall, AR6 will air Saturdays at 8pm (central time). That’s pretty much a dead zone for tv viewing. Lots of taping, TIVO-ing, might be in order.

92

Last season the gay married couple only learned the FF was completed when they arrived at the FF-- although they had been carrying the clue around for quite some time, and decided to go for the FF when they realized they had been driving in the wrong direction for nearly an hour.

I think Fenris is wrong about when teams find out-- 'cos it’s way more demoralizing to only find out you’re screwed when you arrive at the FF (and because every team knew they were bunched up, and that there were multiple legs to go…)

93

Actually, according to her official bio, Mirna speaks five languages fluently or semi-fluently. Russian, however, is not on the list.

In the preview of next week’s episode, Bowling Moms are seen trying to sell apples that they’ve got to tourists who looked to be American or English. Blonde Bowling Mom (I haven’t learned their names, I’m so sad) was giving this guy a real sob story to try to get him to give her 10 whatevers (local currency?) for a single red delicious, and he may have actually bitten.

If the Moms go next week and the Twinkies stay, I’m going to be entirely demoralized.

94

The multiple teams doing the FF may have been a first and second season phenomenon–I haven’t seen them. But in a later season, I thought I recalled a couple of teams racing for the clue box with the clear implication that the first team to the box got the FF and the other team had to do the task.

Fenris

95

Hmmm…Barbarian made a good point. I retract my comment. :slight_smile:

96

If multiple teams reach the FF clue at the same time, then more than one team can try the FF. As per my earlier quote:

Emphasis mine. The trick is completing the FF tasks before the other team(s), not just finding the clue. Remember, C&C were actually looking for the sarcophagus in the wrong place, so who knows how long they actually spent diddling around? Another team could have arrived 15 minutes later, gone right to the correct place, and finished the FF task before C&C – so C&C would have had to go back and do all the other tasks. In this case it was moot, though, because they were so far ahead of everyone else.

97

The rather wide discrepency between what Mirna’s profile says she speaks and her demonstration of language skills on the show have been quite the discussion point before. The only way she can claim she knows those languages is if her teacher was Peggy Hill…

98

Yes, my hazy memories of previous seasons tells me there was some sort of tennis-related FF that two teams once competed for, the last one done feeling very sad.

Or is that the hangover talking?

99

That sounds familiar. My own hazy memory remembers it as some kick volleyball game in Brazil (and yup, this pretty much describes it). I was so hoping the grandmothers would kick the young team’s behind but alas, all we got was the funny line from the comedians.

100

Thaaaaaat was the one. Thanks