The Amazing Race 1 & 2

[Zaius]

Hey all. I finally finished watching TAR 1 and 2.

***Spoiler for someone who doesn't know the outcome of TAR 1 and 2 (that was me not long ago)***

I hadn't known (purposely) who won either one so it was a surprise and I had a lot of fun. I am very glad that Rob and Brennan won. however I wish Blake and Paige had won the second one. But I am glad that Will and Tara didn't win it because I just plain didn't like them. I thought TAR2 had slightly bit too much drama (i would have liked more focus on the race and less on interpersonal conflicts) but don't get me wrong, it was absolutely terrific.

I absolutely loved Kevin and Drew from TAR1. Those guys were hilarious. So was Gary and Dave.

I saw TAR3 on TV when it came out so I'm caught up now.

Just wondering if you guys have any thoughts on TAR1 or 2 that you'd like to share. I'd be interested to know what you guys thought of the races now that I've just finished watching them both. Favorite moments/teams etc..

[CantGetNuf]

That is so cool!! I wish I could watch TAR for the first time again too. My favorite teams were Keven and Drew from season 1 and Cha Cha Cha from season 2. My favorite scene from season 1 was when Kevin and Drew tricked Team Guido at the walkie talkie challenge by comeing in a different direction and team Guido fell for it. My favorite scene from season 2 that I can remember was when all the teams slept in a ratty hotel except Cha Chas they slept in the lobby of a really nice hotel and when they get to the challenge the next morning I think it was Tara that said You slept in that hotel? and they said yes. Actually anything the Cha Chas did ended up being my favorite scene. LOL I'm glad you got to see them. BTW how are you just now watching them? Did you find someone who had them on tape?

[Zaius]

I downloaded the episodes off the internet and I have TV out on my video card. The quality is actually really good.

I liked all the TAR1 teams. I really liked Paul and Amy. Amy wanted to keep going so much and Paul was so annoyed at the heartache she was giving herself and obviously wanted to pull out of the race rather than cause her any more harm.

I think TAR1 is my favorite TAR so far. However this current one is up there with it. I'd say my order for favorites is 1,4,3,2. I love them all though.

[raindance]

Zaius, I liked Blake and Paige too. Really wanted them to win the whole thing. They did very well for a team that has never travelled out of the US before.

[Zaius]

Yeah Blake and Paige and John Vito and Jill are two teams that showed a tremendous amount of respect to each other. It really is nice to see that.

[CantGetNuf]

Hey Zaius. I hate to keep harping on this but what site did you download them from? We use BearShare but they didn't have any of the TAR episodes on it.
Your take on Paul and Amy is interesting. The bb I used to post at hated Paul. We didn't see his attitude as protecting Amy more like being a Flo. We all thought he just wanted to quit to easily. I was mixed on the Eiffel Tower challenge. Part of me felt bad he had to climb it so many times and the other part of me was getting ticked that he was so incompetent. When he kicked it I hated seeing the "ugly American" side of him.
We all thought Blake and Paige were a little to close. We got tired of them constantly talking about how great they were. Or actually how great they thought the other one was. Paige was awesome on that four wheeler though.
I think my favorite episode of all TARs was episode 1 season 1. I laughed so hard at Frank and Margarite when Frank kept dragging Margarite and everywhere they went there were the Guidos already there acting so refreshed. It reminded me of Heart to Heart episodes where bombs are explodeing around them but they're sitting in the hot tub sipping champange. The Frat boys won my heart in that first episode too. I thought I was going to die laughing when one yelled at the other "Swing you fat bastard!!" I think theirs was one of the best relationships one TAR too. They could get agrivated and cuss at each other but neither took the other seriously. It's a great relationship between friends.

[CantGetEnufTAR]

Having recently watched some prior TAR episodes I would say its hard to distinguish who (or if either) of Paul & Amie really wanted to quit. While Flo several times made it very clear and really seemed like she meant it, it seemed more like frustration from Paul over Amies handling of the stress and getting ill.

Actually Paul wasn't the one that had to climb the Eiffel Tower three times, that was Lenny. But, Paul was the one who kicked the railing a la Ugly American style.

That was also when the self-admitted-stupid-Teacher team Kim & Leslie first rode the elevator together clear to the tip-top of the Tower before going back down and finally finding the clue. And, it was learned the next episode that the Grandparents team David & Margaretta actually both climbed it together, then later found the clue, but did not follow the RoadBlock rules by then sending one of them back up, so they were penalized. That turned out to be a difficult RoadBlock for quite a few teams. Then, how funny was it when Lenny & Karyn ended up back at Notre Dame the next day after having gone there by mistake during the Eiffel Tower RoadBlock.

While I too enjoyed Frank's frustration with being perpetually behind Guidos, I also enjoyed how Guido kept being surprised by their placing in the first few episodes. In Ep1 I don't think they knew for sure that Rob & Brennan had done FF, and they looked a little surprised that they were only in 2nd place. Then same thing happened in Ep2 when Pat & Brenda used FF. One of the Guidos fell on his butt on the slippery mat by the Arc de Triomphe PitStop, then they looked surprised they were again only in 2nd. Then when they got to the South of France PitStop, they actually walked up to the mat and announced they were 3rd, only to be told they were 4th. Their look was priceless.

And if you watch the older TARs, you will notice that the mats they step on at the PitStops seem to have been 'upgraded' as the seasons go by.

And the Frat Bros in TAR1. When one of them buys the book and proclaims something like "at least it's got a map in it, see Zambia, that's where we are" then he hands it to the other who says "Zambia? Thats Namibia jackass". Now here is what I noticed. First they are actually in Zambia like the first one says. And when I watched it again it does look like the map is of Zambia, so I think that makes it even funnier, because the first one is right all along. Those two are definitely one of the all-time great teams.

[CantGetNuf]

Thanks CantGetEnufTAR. I haven't seen the first TAR since it aired. I remember now it was Lenny who was so incompetent. I never saw TAR 3 so I only compared Paul to Flo from what I've read about Flo. I know she was the complainer and always wanted to quit.

[John]

Dave & Margaretta were the best couple-team ever. It's too bad that they just didn't have enough gas in the tank.

[Wizard]

I watched TAR 1 and TAR 2 with much enthusiasm, never missing an episode. My favorite moment of both seasons was when the underserving obnoxious teams got screwed on the final leg and lost, particularly after boasting about how much of an advantage they had on their 'home ground.' It was particularly amusing at the end TAR 2 - a real deja vu moment.

Too bad about Flo winning on TAR 3, though! Would have gladly kicked her whiny butt off a cliff or something.

Teams in TAR 1 and 2 were much more interesting than those in TAR 4. None except the clown team seem really likeable to me.

Sure wouldn't mind seeing Paige one more time...