Amazing Race: How would you change it?

[lazarus]

This is a great show. Lots of fun, not much backstabbing, fantastic production values, great host, shows the world in a neat way. However...

Next season, I hope they make four changes:

1. Make the clues more like clues. Apparently, this was the setup in the early seasons, which I missed. Instead of just, "Go here, do this," they were more like, "Go to the place where X happened," leaving it up to you to figure that out. We had one of those this season, that I can recall. But quit calling them Clues if they're just directions.

2. Increase the number of Yields and Fast Forwards. Have one of each on each leg. You can still only do it once, but having more would make the use more strategic. As it is, if you get a Fast Forward, you HAVE to use it, because the odds are you won't get another one. (Only two this season, I believe.) And Yields are fun, but have only been used strategically once (last season). This season, the first time a Yield was used it was foolish, the second time it was revenge.

3. Ease up on the bunching. The worst case was Lori and Bolo's salvation a few episodes back. They were hours and hours behind, and ended up in first. We should only have one bunching up like that per leg, preferably fairly early, otherwise you penalise teams who play smart and reward teams who don't, leaving it all up to reflexes and, in no small part, luck.

4. Get rid of random Road Blocks. The most egregious case of this was the Needle in a Haystack Road Block. I don't mind randomness in detours (pick between fishing and stacking, for instance), because you have some control over it. But to lose the game because of pure luck is just wrong. At the least, move it to early in the leg, so you can compensate.

[Phentex]

1. Well, my husband argues that it was not just bad luck that cost...

the haystack girls. I really liked them and felt they stood a good chance of winning. But could it really have been pure bad luck to go through 100s of hay bales? How could the others have found a clue so easily?

I remember when clues were really clues, and that made for some interesting play...having to figure something out rather than just be told where to find the next clue. That could give an edge to a team who was brainy but not brawny.

The tasks on the last episode just didn't seem that interesting to me. I like it better when there's some strategy involved.

[qanda]

2. I think the excessive bunching is unfair

And only benefits those who play poorly.

[Patiod]

4. True, but "unbunching" shouldn't be won by strongest & fittest

This season, Bolo knocked a bunch of people over to get to the clue first, and even knocked over the clue stand. What about a closely staggered start (15 seconds) in order of arrival?

I agree 100% about the clues. The games has become one that is only going to be won by the young and ultra-fit. Boring boring boring. There should be tasks and clues that could be short-cut somewhat if you're sharp. Plus, "mystery" clues let the viewers at home participate more - they can say "oh, I knew that - I would've beat them out" rather than knowing that they could never outrun Mr. Ironman or Ms. Pro Wrestler

[Ravenseye]

11. I Disagree

Don't get me wrong, it SEEMS unfair. At first it really pissed me off. Someone would work their ass off and get hours ahead, only to arrive someplace that doesn't open for another 12 hours, and everyone catches up.

The thing is that I think they HAVE to do this for logistical reasons. You can't have the teams too far apart. Someone misses a flight and they're a day behind. The next leg, people are 3 places apart. One team in Hong Kong, one in India, one in Africa. Logistical nightmare, and wouldn't make much sense or a good story on television.

You have to look at the race as each leg separate from the next. If teams are 12 hours apart leaving, they need to bunch them up somewhere before they head to the new location. I don't mind early episode bunching. I don't like late episode bunching, which is rare.

Basically if you just look at the start order times as nearly irrelvant you're ok. The start times are not to give someone a 4 hour head start, but really just the chance to get the first seats in the charter flight, or the first to be able to find a good fast airline ticket. It's not really the time separation they list.

[Tracer]

3. If there wasn't any bunching ...

... chances are one team would get so far out in front that the outcome of the race would be apparent.

[lazarus]

5. I know

That's why I said to "ease up" on it, not eliminate it. The show actually needs bunching, but at times it got ridiculous this year.

Oh, did you notice that a "luck" roadblock once again eliminated someone?

[Orangepeel]

6. I agree with all of this

Especially with the "clues" not being clues. I vaguely remember the very first episode. I think they dropped people blindfolded in Mongolia with some spare change and a compass. Maybe it wasn't THAT hard, but it was close. I know that they didn't know what country they were in and were begging Bedouins for rides to civilization.

Tangentially, I don't think that the lock roadblock from last night was pure luck. Rebecca, Hayden and Kendra all thought that they went through all of the locks at least once without finding the right one. So they must not have been careful.

[lazarus]

7. That was a different show

called "Lost". It didn't work out because they didn't plan it well. No bunch-ups. One team got waaay out ahead of the other teams, and it was obvious they'd win.

[Orangepeel]

9. really? huh!

I guess that proves the necessity of moderate bunching. But you're right -- TAR does need to cool it a bit. This season, whole legs were completely irrelevant and big mistakes in the beginning made no difference and minor things near the end determined it all.

[Phentex]

8. A pizza eating task?

That had to be one of the most lame tasks they've ever had to do. WTF?

[Qanisqineq]

10. I vaguely remember when the clues were "clues"

(I've been watching since season one). However, I do remember that there were fast forwards available on every leg of the race. I agree that all the bunching up is unfair but the teams I usually strongly dislike end up being the ones doing well early in the race, so... I like the bunching so teams I like can catch up. :) I say either increase the yields or get rid of them altogether. They didn't exist until last season.