Amazing Race Season 31

[smurfy]

Yes it was a very satisfying ending. I was rooting for an all racer final - and they were all good teams.
Victor is very good, liked him on BB, except he is friends with Paul (awful person on BB for nonwatchers)
- but Nicole just got so annoying - moreso than when on BB. Her 'I don't know' whining. I think Victor is a good complement for her.
I enjoy the Afghanimals - they really enjoy doing this and are good racers.
Happy for Colin & Christie - I was rooting for them - as he does not seem like his first season - may rewatch as recommended. Should also rewatch season with Flo.
Tyler & Korey are good racers, seems nice, but I am neutral on them.
And the taxi challenge in London - that was hard.
I really enjoyed this season, minus the Reilly sisters and Eliza & Corinne.
Overall it did feel more like older seasons.
So glad to hear about casting calls.

 

[jamesy]

I got a tiny bit of Flo vibes when Colin was singlehandedly rowing their boat, but as least Christie wasn’t complaining about having to hold up her oars.

 

[MacMadame]

I guess I'm in the minority. I thought most of the challenges were both lame and repetitive. Way too many memory challenges and a lot of the rest were "assemble this contraption exactly like the model".

 

[tony]

I guess I'm in the minority. I thought most of the challenges were both lame and repetitive. Way too many memory challenges and a lot of the rest were "assemble this contraption exactly like the model".

I thought the (long) memory challenges were interesting and comical but I wish they would've done something else. I remember we have discussed this before, probably in the thread from last season, but didn't the budget for the show go way down in recent years?

I suppose it's also a combination of not wanting to take the teams to huge attractions, where thousands of people potentially will record things on their phones and then spoil the season. You see how Phil whispered to the teams getting into the final 3 when they did go to a busy tourist area?

 

[MacMadame]

I guess watching people recite things from memory over and over isn't my thing.

A few of those challenges would be good. Like the Karaoke and dance ones. But the taxi one was not filmed in a very interesting way and many of them we couldn't figure out what exactly they were doing from the screen IME.

 

[Lilia A]

Well it only took 20 minutes to realize that the ENTIRE finale (okay, except the final check in the tasks between the Guardian Building and the drum challenge) had been documented very precisely on Twitter.

So, there's conflicting information but Tyler and Korey were very far behind Colin and Christie heading to the pit stop. Some said an hour, others said 40 minutes. Either way, that's a long time. I looked up the places on Google and it was a 15 minute car ride.
Also, all the people who posted on Twitter said that the Afghanimals never got there. They (the Twitter people) allegedly left once the band left, so it could be that they filmed those small scenes after they checked in or something like that. That's not unusual. Even in regular episodes, I noticed that recently they've showed small clips of teams who were obviously already out doing tasks as opposed to the old "go straight to the pit stop" clues.

Also, the drum challenge apparently took a long time. Some said an hour for Colin and Christie and close to two for Tyler and Korey.

Wow, I'm just glad I didn't search "#TAR31" at all before or during the leg/race. It would have ruined everything for me (I recall it was a quick "#TAR30" search that spoiled the final three for me the day of the finale or the episode prior to that last season, so I learned my lesson)

If they want the final leg to be a secret they could go to a secluded location. For example, remember the season the hippies won over the frat boys (thank you!)? They were in the middle of nowhere and the final task, a memory roadblock, was also in the middle of nowhere in a snowy area. They then ran to the finish line. That would be hard, or at least harder, to document on social media. Just saying, that could work.

 

[Garden Kitty]

I haven't watched the last few seasons because they kept switching times, and too many of the couples were "alpha/model" teams and not more of the quirky teams of the early season. But I read an article about the finale and couldn't believe that Collin "MY Ox is Broken" was back and that he apparently was fairly calm. I think I'm sorry I missed this season.

 

[BaileyCatts]

I haven't watched the last few seasons because they kept switching times, and too many of the couples were "alpha/model" teams and not more of the quirky teams of the early season. But I read an article about the finale and couldn't believe that Collin "MY Ox is Broken" was back and that he apparently was fairly calm. I think I'm sorry I missed this season.

Not only was Colin 'fairly calm', he was like the zen master keeping others calm at times as well! Seriously, I want the name of his therapist or whatever kinda self-help stuff he has been doing cause that dude was a changed man!

If all the episodes are online, you should try to watch it. This was a pretty good season.

 

[sk8pics]

Agree that Colin and Christie really held it together. But she told him, during the drum task, that he had to be calm or something so they could talk to him telepathically. Cue twilight zone music...

 

[annie720]

Congrats to the winners! Well- run race. Would have been happy if 2nd and 1st were reversed as well.

 

[Fridge_Break]

I just want Colin & Christie to move in next door to me. My heart exploded for them when they won What a satisfying season from start to finish, I’m really glad that I watched after sitting the last few out.

 

[Impromptu]

Not only was Colin 'fairly calm', he was like the zen master keeping others calm at times as well! Seriously, I want the name of his therapist or whatever kinda self-help stuff he has been doing cause that dude was a changed man!

If all the episodes are online, you should try to watch it. This was a pretty good season.

Season 5 was the first season I ever watched TAR, so I remember the Broken Ox quite vividly - and if I hadn't watched this current season, no one would have been able to convince me that Colin could be redeemed. But yeah... the zen stuff seemed a little hokey at times, but he and Christie were quite pleasant, not just to each other, but to everyone.

Favorite line... when they had a task that involved cows, C/C's talking head interview, "We've historically had problems with bovines."

 

[shan]

If they want the final leg to be a secret they could go to a secluded location. For example, remember the season the hippies won over the frat boys (thank you!)? They were in the middle of nowhere and the final task, a memory roadblock, was also in the middle of nowhere in a snowy area. They then ran to the finish line. That would be hard, or at least harder, to document on social media. Just saying, that could work.

Wasn't that the time they had to get flags from each country they visited and put them in order? That task looked exhausting!!

 

[tony]

The best final task is still the one where they had to strategically place items that they encountered from each country onto a platform, but there were many rules about which items could/could not be included in order to fulfill all requirements of the task. It was very The Mole-type of challenge in nature, and it made for really good TV. Some of the early-on final challenges were so lame or non-existent other than just driving to a location and picking up a clue.

That said, I still have hope that The Mole comes back someday. For a third time.

 

[Habs]

That said, I still have hope that The Mole comes back someday. For a third time.

I LOVED The Mole. Somehow, my brother ended up with a DVD copy of the first season. I watched it not long ago and it was still fantastic.

 

[tony]

I LOVED The Mole. Somehow, my brother ended up with a DVD copy of the first season. I watched it not long ago and it was still fantastic.

The first season and the first all-stars season were released to DVD. Pretty sure you can watch all of the US versions in full on YouTube now.

I don’t know why the concept didn’t work here. It’s still going strong in The Netherlands.

 

[Josh78]

I LOVED The Mole. Somehow, my brother ended up with a DVD copy of the first season. I watched it not long ago and it was still fantastic.

Literally the ONLY "reality" show I've EVER DIE-HARD wanted to be a part of...

 

[shan]

I loved The Mole!!! I still remember that guy stuck in a room listening to this over and over.

Don Ho - Tiny Bubbles Original.wmv

I went looking for Don Ho's classic 60's lounge tune, and only came up with poor quality live versions and horrible covers. For all you lounge lizards out t...

www.youtube.com

 

[Lilia A]

Wasn't that the time they had to get flags from each country they visited and put them in order? That task looked exhausting!!

Yep, that's the one. Personally, I loved that task. One of the first memory challenges that I remember (and probably the only one I would have been able to complete lol).

 

[merrywidow]

I'm another Mole fan. Reading all these comments make me think I should dig out my old DVD
s.

 

[shan]

I'm another Mole fan. Reading all these comments make me think I should dig out my old DVD
s.

I think I'll rewatch on youtube!!

 

[shan]

Interesting exit interview with Colin and Christie about their experiences with TAR.

Colin and Christie (‘Amazing Race’ exit interview) on their ‘surreal’ win and their surprising 15-year transformation

Colin Guinn and Christie Woods were one of the best teams to never win “The Amazing Race.” They were also one of the most, uh, intense teams ever back in Season 5, where they ultimately…

www.goldderby.com

I'm on episode 2 of the first season of the The Mole and it's still great! I love Anderson Cooper as the host!! I had forgotten these contestants, but some of them are pretty entertaining.

 

[tony]

I'm on episode 2 of the first season of the The Mole and it's still great! I love Anderson Cooper as the host!! I had forgotten these contestants, but some of them are pretty entertaining.

The first season was great and it had pretty much all of America on the wrong track-- I know I was, but I think the second season was really the amazing one. IIRC, it was started right before 9/11 and then there was a hiatus for a while, and when it came back no one really seemed to care anymore and that's what led to the silly celebrity editions rather than normal game play.

 

[shan]

The first season was great and it had pretty much all of America on the wrong track-- I know I was, but I think the second season was really the amazing one. IIRC, it was started right before 9/11 and then there was a hiatus for a while, and when it came back no one really seemed to care anymore and that's what led to the silly celebrity editions rather than normal game play.

Oh I forgot that there was a regular people season 2. That's the season where that guy had to listen to Tiny Bubbles. I think I melded it all into 1 season. Yay, more to rewatch!

 

[tony]

Oh I forgot that there was a regular people season 2. That's the season where that guy had to listen to Tiny Bubbles. I think I melded it all into 1 season. Yay, more to rewatch!

Yes, that incident is late in season two right before the final players are decided.

 

[shan]

Yes, that incident is late in season two right before the final players are decided.

I'm impressed with your knowledge of The Mole!