The Amazing Race: All or Nothing
December 20, 2014 12:08 PM - Season 25, Episode 12 - Subscribe
4 teams race from Manila to LA on the last leg of a race around the world. A winner is crowned.
This episode has it all: people crashing through windows, bombast, water rescues, pettiness, different strategies in getting and understanding directions, smoke flares, driving in LA, failure to read the clue, a multi-tier memory challenge, no taxi drivers to blame, a team getting Philiminated mid-leg, a container yard, Bethany tiredly tries not to be rude to a firefighter with a daughter who is a big fan, and a team gloriously wins it all!
This episode has it all: people crashing through windows, bombast, water rescues, pettiness, different strategies in getting and understanding directions, smoke flares, driving in LA, failure to read the clue, a multi-tier memory challenge, no taxi drivers to blame, a team getting Philiminated mid-leg, a container yard, Bethany tiredly tries not to be rude to a firefighter with a daughter who is a big fan, and a team gloriously wins it all!
It was so delicious when Brooke and Robbie were Philiminated, especially after her sniping at Amy and Maya at the airport.
Such whining from Brooke, when they benefited from a non-elimination leg two weeks ago.
Once again, zero strategy when it comes to the roadblocks. Maya, Adam and Jim all do the stunt challenge because it looks neat when I think it was the bad choice for all of them. Amy had the bad foot, Bethany may have not been physically able to do the second, and Misty was fine but you know Jim was kicking himself that the race was out of his hands at that point.
All three of the women did fine (Amy did amazing with the bad foot), but I would like to see a little thought put into it.
posted by Gary at 9:09 PM on December 20, 2014
Such whining from Brooke, when they benefited from a non-elimination leg two weeks ago.
Once again, zero strategy when it comes to the roadblocks. Maya, Adam and Jim all do the stunt challenge because it looks neat when I think it was the bad choice for all of them. Amy had the bad foot, Bethany may have not been physically able to do the second, and Misty was fine but you know Jim was kicking himself that the race was out of his hands at that point.
All three of the women did fine (Amy did amazing with the bad foot), but I would like to see a little thought put into it.
posted by Gary at 9:09 PM on December 20, 2014
I'm not sure exactly what was written on the clue, but when the word "stunt" appears, I would have guessed the challenge will be physical. All three teams probably did make the right decision.
posted by applesurf at 1:33 AM on December 21, 2014
posted by applesurf at 1:33 AM on December 21, 2014
Fair point. We don't know how many details they have. They seemed to make a point of giving them even less information this year (for example, the "this" vs "that" selection) which I don't like.
But I am complaining too much. This season was a big step up from last season and especially last season's finale.
posted by Gary at 2:07 AM on December 21, 2014
But I am complaining too much. This season was a big step up from last season and especially last season's finale.
posted by Gary at 2:07 AM on December 21, 2014
I do think that before deciding the stunt challenge, they should have thought about the inevitable memory challenge and made sure the right folks were in line for that.
That said, we cheered when Phil stepped out from behind the landing crate. And chortled. And then snorked when the Wrestlers crowed that at least we'd remember them. (Mostly because I can't remember their names from episode to episode; there's no chance I'll remember their names in a year, like I do for such immortal Race standouts like Colin (My Ox is Broken!) or Flo (Carrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy meeeeeeee). )
I thought this was a well-constructed last leg. It felt true to the locale (the traffic! the show biz! the container yard!), required the racers to do the work themselves (can't blame a taxi driver for not knowing the way), required the racers to get over a potential fear, to use their brains, and to strategize.
Thrilled that Amy and Maya won. Maya is particularly delightful, but Amy really powered through this, injury and all. In some ways it's an excellent argument for the benefits of being even-tempered, optimistic, and enjoying the ride.
posted by julen at 8:01 AM on December 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
That said, we cheered when Phil stepped out from behind the landing crate. And chortled. And then snorked when the Wrestlers crowed that at least we'd remember them. (Mostly because I can't remember their names from episode to episode; there's no chance I'll remember their names in a year, like I do for such immortal Race standouts like Colin (My Ox is Broken!) or Flo (Carrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy meeeeeeee). )
I thought this was a well-constructed last leg. It felt true to the locale (the traffic! the show biz! the container yard!), required the racers to do the work themselves (can't blame a taxi driver for not knowing the way), required the racers to get over a potential fear, to use their brains, and to strategize.
Thrilled that Amy and Maya won. Maya is particularly delightful, but Amy really powered through this, injury and all. In some ways it's an excellent argument for the benefits of being even-tempered, optimistic, and enjoying the ride.
posted by julen at 8:01 AM on December 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
I doubt the teams expected a second Roadblock on the same leg with the "other team member must do the second one" restriction. It's been done before on TAR, but pretty rarely, so I don't think it's too unreasonable for the teams not to have thought about what the other team member might have to do when picking who did the first one.
I just now got around to watching this but had been spoiled as to the outcome, so I was enjoying with relish the scene in the airport where the wrestlers and dentists were talking about Amy and Maya being "low-hanging fruit."
Just before the Coast Guard challenge, one of the food scientists (don't remember which one) mentioned that she had been a triathlete — had that been mentioned on the show before? I wonder how much the producers were downplaying the physical abilities of the scientists all along to portray them as underdogs and/or merely the "brainy" team.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:09 PM on December 21, 2014
I just now got around to watching this but had been spoiled as to the outcome, so I was enjoying with relish the scene in the airport where the wrestlers and dentists were talking about Amy and Maya being "low-hanging fruit."
Just before the Coast Guard challenge, one of the food scientists (don't remember which one) mentioned that she had been a triathlete — had that been mentioned on the show before? I wonder how much the producers were downplaying the physical abilities of the scientists all along to portray them as underdogs and/or merely the "brainy" team.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:09 PM on December 21, 2014
I'm so pleased with the outcome. Yay nerd-chicks!
I did like the final challenge, and all the hubris-emphasizing editing was sort of snarkily delightful. ("We're the only ones who know where we're going!" "Amy and Maya are low-hanging fruit!") I'm so used to the snarky editing that whenever someone makes a strong statement like that I assume they're about to be shown to be fools.
posted by rmd1023 at 9:40 AM on December 22, 2014
I did like the final challenge, and all the hubris-emphasizing editing was sort of snarkily delightful. ("We're the only ones who know where we're going!" "Amy and Maya are low-hanging fruit!") I'm so used to the snarky editing that whenever someone makes a strong statement like that I assume they're about to be shown to be fools.
posted by rmd1023 at 9:40 AM on December 22, 2014
Oh, and holy crap, the next season looks like such a trainwreck and all I've seen so far is the teaser promo.
posted by rmd1023 at 9:40 AM on December 22, 2014
posted by rmd1023 at 9:40 AM on December 22, 2014
On reddit (don't judge) there is speculation that TAR may get cancelled.
Noooooooooooooooo!
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 11:42 PM on December 24, 2014
Noooooooooooooooo!
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 11:42 PM on December 24, 2014
The ratings are down after the move to Friday. Hopefully this means they move it back to a better night, but this is a TV network we're talking about.
It does seem like an expensive show to produce. Survivor has cut costs by rotating between 3 countries for the last 10 seasons (Philippines, Samoa and Nicaragua). Amazing Race Canada is still young and can get away with spending most of their time in Canada. They tried that in Amazing Race 8 sticking to North America, but the family edition was so terrible it's hard to know how much of that was the fault of boring locations. I think they'd at least have to go around the world, even if they stuck to fewer or cheaper countries.
posted by Gary at 2:22 AM on December 25, 2014
It does seem like an expensive show to produce. Survivor has cut costs by rotating between 3 countries for the last 10 seasons (Philippines, Samoa and Nicaragua). Amazing Race Canada is still young and can get away with spending most of their time in Canada. They tried that in Amazing Race 8 sticking to North America, but the family edition was so terrible it's hard to know how much of that was the fault of boring locations. I think they'd at least have to go around the world, even if they stuck to fewer or cheaper countries.
posted by Gary at 2:22 AM on December 25, 2014
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posted by SisterHavana at 1:31 PM on December 20, 2014 [1 favorite]