Category Archives: The Amazing Race

April 9, 2007 · 3:40 pm

Cultural Catchup: April 2nd-9th

Okay, so there’s isn’t a whole lot I didn’t get a chance to comment on, but I figure I’ll fill in some gaps here.

24

Ahead of tonight’s episode, I am perhaps the least interested in the season thus far. To be honest, there just isn’t anything really interesting happening at this particular point. Sure, Fahed has been captured and Gredenko is off bleeding into the pacific, and President Palmer has launched a nuclear missile, but I just don’t care at this point. When 24’s president launches a nuclear bomb, I should at least care; in this case, I thought it was ridiculous but didn’t overly care about its intended target (Especially when, although it’s for good reason, it’s known as ‘Fahed’s country in the Middle East’). At this point, something needs to happen which totally changes the way we look at the series, or at least provides an interesting construct. Jack going from torture session to torture session is not, in my view, interesting television, no matter how hard Kiefer Sutherland tries. They need to get back on their feet, ASAP on this one…we’ll see how they manage this evening.

Lost

This week’s episode of Lost, “Left Behind,” was unfortunately recapless here at Cultural Learnings due to the two 3500 word papers due on Thursday. However, I did get a chance to watch the episode live, and I must say it was quite enjoyable. We didn’t get any major revelations (Although the Smoke Monster flashes now), but we did get a great setup for future episodes. Juliet being integrated into the castaways is a fantastic way to move forward, as it makes a romantic square out of Jack/Kate/Sawyer/Juliet that I think works well. Plus, by uniting some characters together for the first time I think there’s a chance for some new dynamics, and some interesting changes heading into the final portion of the show’s season. It’s picking up a whole ton of momentum at this stage, and I’m guessing it will do quite well with it. This week’s episode promises to bring Jack back to the beach for the first time all season, and I’m sure we’ll see some spark fly between he and Sawyer.

American Idol

Gina Glocksen going home was annoying, but none too surprising. The real question right now is whether or not we’re heading for our 2nd all-female final between Lakisha and Melinda. I think that Jordin is the most likely to get Tamyra’d or Hudson’d in this scenario, perhaps exiting before Blake, but those two seem relatively unstoppable. Only time will tell what happens to Sanjaya, but in all honesty I couldn’t really be bothered.

Survivor

While I’m certainly still watching, I’m not too perplexed with this season of Survivor at this stage. I think that the merge upcoming this week will shake things up fairly well, but there’s just nothing to really shock me in the meantime. That said, this past week’s episode featured the awesome archery/spear powers of Yao Man, who basically destroyed everyone else with his unorthodox style. It’s nice to see someone like him sticking around, and perhaps even moving into a position to get into the final four. However, I have to think that the old guy who everyone likes is going to be pretty well doomed in a final three situation. No one will take him into it, and he’s far too weak to last in an endurance challenge of strength. Still, if the challenge is suited to him, he could well end up the Survivor champion. That would be a breath of fresh air, in my book.

Entourage

The episode last night was fantastic, and I am officially already annoyed that I have to wait an entire week after watching the rest back-to-back-to-back-to…you get the idea. The breakup between Ari and Vince being handled like an actual breakup was absolutely fantastic, with Lloyd and Drama on either side to help establish the scenario in their respectively awesome ways. It’s so funny that Vince is finally at the centre of the show’s drama; so often Eric gets placed as the real centre of things, but in this episode he was the money and the occasional mouthpiece. Vince is really running the show right now, and as the end of the episode shows this was a rather terrible idea. One person who certainly thinks so is new agent Amanda, who is played by the ridiculously stunning Carla Gugino. Pitting Ari against a power-female isn’t anything new (They do it with Mrs. Ari all the time), but it works extremely well here, and I think the episode bodes well for the rest of the season.

The Amazing Race

It’s really too bad that last night’s episode was quite so anti-climactic, because it contained some potentially exciting elements. Just one flight can kill a team, and it doesn’t make for great television. It does, however, make picking a winner incredibly hard.However, I’m nonetheless officially going to put on my “Prediction” hat and perhaps jinx a few racers in the process. As a result, here is my predicted finish order for The Amazing Race: All Stars.

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April 8, 2007 · 1:39 am

Easter Sunday: What Would Jesus Watch?

First of all, a big ol’ Happy Easter to everyone. Since a large majority of North Americans are spending time with family today, what better time to sit in front of the television and enjoy hours of your favourite TV shows? There’s plenty of options for those family gatherings, should you be too full from feasting on Ham and such things to do something more active. So, let’s take a look at each hour of television to see what might be your best bet.

But, I figure it’s not really fair to just use my opinion, so considering the spirit of the day and the spirit of good humour (Seriously, this is intended in a light-hearted manner), let’s ask ourselves a rather important question:

What Would Jesus Watch?

That’s right, considering that today celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, I figure that it’s fitting to take a look at what he might view on television this evening. There’s a whole lot of TV, so he’ll have a lot to choose from. As a result, he’s got his TiVo ready to record a 2nd program in every hour. He just couldn’t choose one, clearly. To offer a more diverse view (He is really quite set in his ways), I’ll then offer my pick of what I would watch during that particular hour. So, without further adieu, let’s took a look at what’s new on TV tonight.

8pm EST

What Would Jesus Watch?

7th Heaven (The CW) – While he disapproves of some of the Camden family’s more immoral moments, Jesus enjoys their spirituality and the lessons which the show prescribes to its viewers. He’s very upset that the CW is planning to cancel the show, and has organized a letter campaign.

What Would Jesus Tivo?

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC) – Yes, Jesus has a Tivo for those moments when there are two shows he just can’t miss in an hour. In this case, Jesus can’t help but be moved by the stories of human triumph over adversity, plus that Ty Pennington is a real hoot.

What Would Myles Watch?

Amazing Race: All-Stars (CBS) – I’m going to have to disagree with Jesus on what to watch this hour, although I can’t blame him for not wanting to view The Amazing Race after the amount of annoyance it’s caused God all these years. With the amount of people who ask Him to help them win a reality TV show, I think there’s a heaven-wide ban on the program. And a letter-writing campaign against it.

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Filed under 7th Heaven, Entourage, Reality TV, Television, The Amazing Race, The Apprentice, The Sopranos

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March 26, 2007 · 10:02 pm

Cultural Catchup: March 21st-26th

While I may yet do some CUSID related blogging, I figure that I should at the very least acknowledge that my absence has not coincided with a stoppage of television-related news and events. Considering the fact that I’m currently recovering from some pressure-related troubles from the flight home, as well as a lack of sleep/nutrition resulting in relative illness, I’m not quite in the business of writing up individual posts of great length in regards to some of the week’s events. So, let’s do a little bit of Cultural Catchup.

Wednesday March 21st

Survivor: Fiji

While it was certainly not the show’s most eventful episode, it was at the very least a recognition that things needed to be shaken up a little bit in terms of the show’s dynamics. I think that this shuffling of the teams actually accomplished quite a lot; by shaking up some alliances, some individuals (Like Boo) became far more endearing. His performance in the challenge was a sign of leadership, something which Moto never seemed to worry about before. He showed an ability to step up, perhaps more than any other individual, without seeming like a complete asshole in the process.

Meanwhile, while the episode was redeeming for some, it did little for the men of the new Ravu tribe. And, I think this goes both ways; the manly men for their treatment of Anthony, and Anthony for being so darn self-defeatist and clueless about it. I don’t get his attitude; he’s a nerd, so he just accepts that he can’t do these things? His self esteem may have been challenged in the past, sure, but he seemed more than capable of assisting them in collecting word or starting a fire. His ostracization by the rest of his tribe was unfortunate, but I would place at least a majority of the blame on his own attitude. As much as we nerds have to stick together, I can’t justify his reaction without wondering how he could be so clueless.

Also, small note: the preview for next week is just the first of two “Person falls down and it’s funny” segments on CBS this week. And I found it far too funny, especially since I like Michelle.

Thursday March 22nd

Ugly Betty

The battle between Alexis and Daniel heated up this week, and…well, I felt like the show was reverting back to weeks past without recognizing the tangible change in these characters’ relationship. They haven’t been truly at odds for weeks, and I found it more than a little convenient to just ramp up their actions. If this storyline shall remain central, and it appears it shall, I can only hope that the contents of Daniel’s letter get out into the open. And soon.

That said, the rest of the episode brought some nice moments. Betty posing as Marc’s girlfriend was charming, and the moment with Henry was absolutely heartbreaking. The writing continued to be sharp in terms of dialogue, and it’s good to see a positive side to Marc’s character again. The show is still searching, I feel, for its drive forward to a finale, and I’m hoping that next week could help in this endeavor. Henry + Betty needs to happen, dangit. Also, as some google searches foretold, the episode featured the arrival of Max Greenberg (‘Veronica Mars’, ‘The O.C.’) as Alexis’ new assistant.

Andy Barker P.I. and Scrubs

The 2nd week for Andy Barker P.I. was a fairly good one, and I would consider it to be a success on the whole. Nicole’s transfer into Andy’s office was incredibly well-handled, and it was good to see the comedic and melodramatic detective drama/action meld together so well. The show is forming an identity, which could be bittersweet when the axe likely falls come May.

As for Scrubs, as I noted in a comment to my post regarding its possible cancellation, I think that this week’s episode was good. I was incredibly frustrated by the way Dr. Cox and Laverne had their discussions regarding faith. One of the problems I’ve had with Scrubs lately is that these moral discussions seem very forced. Dr. Cox becomes a complete jerk in these conversations in order for his episodic shift to feel more powerful. It’s rather manipulative, and forgets a lot of character development in past seasons. That said, the episode’s emotional conclusion was quite powerful, which is a feat for the show at this point.

Grey’s Anatomy

I hereby refuse to discuss this show until George and Izzie somehow go back in time and not have sex. Continue reading →

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Filed under 24, Grey's Anatomy, Reality TV, Scrubs, Survivor, Television, The Amazing Race, Ugly Betty

March 18, 2007 · 11:13 pm

TARNalysis Power Rankings: Week Five

While I unfortunately wasn’t quick enough to do this for the first four weeks, here’s a new feature here at Cultural Learnings. While you can catch full race recaps over at McNutt Against the Music, I’ll be doing Power Rankings; based on their position at the beginning of the race (Green), their Detour stats (Both Start/End), their Roadblock Stats (Both Start/End) and then their position at the end of the leg, these stats will also include past performance and general thoughts and notes regarding the team. So, without further adieu, here are this week’s TARNalysis Power Rankings.

1. Danny and Oswald
These two may have ended up 4th, but it was simply a problem of picking the wrong detour option. They struggled with the first task, having trouble working with one another, but bounced back extremely quickly and worked well together for the remainder of the leg. Despite their low finish in this particular episode, I think they’re still in the most powerful position in the race.

2. Teri and Ian
These two have been under the radar for quite some time, and one could assume that they lucked their way into their 3rd place finish by stumbling upon the easier detour option. But, in the end these two remain competent racers with strong performances both behind them and ahead of them.

3. Charla and Mirna
They likely won’t be here for long, but a 1st place finish can’t be ignored. They used strong skills navigating to the detour to work their way into position, and then picked the right detour to waltz into 1st place. Still, they’re weak, and will fall back again. Continue reading →

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March 11, 2007 · 10:10 pm

TARnalysis: Why Rob and Amber Lost the Amazing Race

Coming into this year’s All-Star edition of The Amazing Race, there was little question that Rob and Amber were the closest thing that the genre had to “superstars”. Twice competitors on Survivor, and now on their 2nd trip on The Amazing Race, these two were unquestionable favourites heading into things. And, after winning the first three legs, things looked to be on track.

Of course, things had to fall apart at some point, and fall apart they did: Rob and Amber ended up in last place tonight, ending their attempt to win The Amazing Race.Rob and Amber were good racers, perhaps even great ones, but they were not infallible. Their success was not due to speed, or intelligence (Phillipeans? Oh Rob.), but rather due to their ability to appear fast, to appear intelligent, and to appear as a threat. Other teams become preoccupied with them, distracted to a rather alarming degree, and they’re able to use their admittedly strong racing skills to jump to the top of the pack. For three legs, this worked very well. However, what went wrong in this leg that changed everything?

1. The Detour
This is where Rob and Amber made their first mistake, and it’s really an understandable one. When you’re confronted with a detour where there’s navigation and physical activity, it sometimes might seem smarter to go with the physical task. This was Rob’s logic: “I’m better at buildings things.” Detour choices are always hard, and boiling them down to their most important aspect is important.

The problem? The task wasn’t about building, it was about paying attention to details. In this case, Rob was smart enough to pick up the starting point of Seville, but he was not quite smart enough to realize that the Philippines was spelt incorrectly. And, when he knew that something was wrong, his first assumption was a large mistake, and not a small one. It was a small detail which cost them, and that has never been Rob and Amber’s specialty. Teams which took their time and went to the board for the proper spellings would have succeeded here…Rob and Amber did not. This put them on the 2nd flight, which would put them in a position to lose the leg.

2. The Leg Itself
However, at this point, it was the organization of the leg itself which took over in terms of leading to Rob and Amber’s downfall. It started when they arrived at the airport in a group of 5 where there were not enough taxis for each team; an unfortunate occurance, and one which cost teams in the last leg of Season 4 as well. In fact, in a lot of ways, the leg was designed much like a final leg where there was very little opportunity for movement in the final part of the race. Also, Rob and Amber are much better at navigating themselves than other teams, but the leg revolved entirely around taxi rides; this was yet another reason for their downfall, as it took away one of their key advantages.

After a short clue pickup, it became a game of picking numbers and twenty minute intervals, which kept them ahead of Mirna and Charla…until they got to the “End of the World” and found a roadblock that was both all about details, and entirely random. In the end, it was Mirna who found the letter first, and the trip to the pit stop was clearly exaggerated to seem longer than it was (I’m guessing even Charla would only need a few minutes lead to make it up). Rob was rushed, frantic, and eventually found his letter only to head to the pit stop to be eliminated by Phil.

Based on the end portion of this leg, it was an issue of happening to catch a cab at the airport that defined your position, and then happening to find a letter in the bag of mail. Their first mistake at the detour kicked their ass, and then the second part of the leg just wasn’t designed to allow them to use their usual strengths to their advantage.

But, as we say goodbye to Rob and Amber, let’s remember the rest of the teams who remain. Because, with Rob and Amber gone, I actually quite like how the field has opened up greatly. Continue reading →

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