Sunday 6 July 2014

Preview of Episode 1 "What's it Take to Get a Cup of Tea?"


DANGER, DANGER, DANGER!

Yes, yes, yes...there ARE spoilers here, including my speculation on which team is most likely to be eliminated at the first pit stop. So, If you don't want to know, then I suggest you find another site where they just give their sugar-coated opinions.

So, I am going to ask you one more time...are you sure you want to know? I don't want to be accused of spoiling your viewing enjoyment and the pleasure of discovery, blah, blah, blah.





From what I have seen by the previews and from people who witnessed the filming, this is going to be an incredible 2nd season of Amazing Race Canada. It will be bigger and more challenging, thanks to 2 more teams and 2 more episodes over last year. Don't get me wrong, I loved last year's cast and locations, but the problem was I wanted more. Especially more Jet and Dave. The show's official site has a "Preview for Season 2" (you can see it HERE). Well, if you think it shows glimpses of the whole season, you're wrong. All of it is from the first episode. (Note: this preview is a bit different from the TV commercial,  which has a couple of shots added)

Jon's Intro (CTV Preview of Season 2)
Go Go Go. (CTV Preview of Season 2)
An Amazing Race deserves an amazing opening, don't you think? Well, you are going to get it. Quite frankly, I don't know how they are going to fit it all in - it should be a two hour show. So you can expect a very fast-moving episode...don't blink. Hide your remote so no one channel surfs during the commercials....you know when this happens they never get back to the show on time. Right? The start line is on the Columbia Ice Fields in Alberta. Jon is going to do the intro from Alberta's newest attraction, the Glacier Skywalk. It's an amazing glass-floored walkway perched 280 m (918 ft) above the valley. Okay, sorry about the "amazing" pun. Well, not really. You can see it on the Brewster Travel site HERE. Have a look. What I don't know is if this is just a "money-shot" for Jon's intro, or if the teams will face a challenge or have to recover their first Route Marker here. I hope so, because it really is amazing.

From the icefields, teams travel to Winsport's
Sukhi Atwal (CTV Preview)
Calgary Olympic Park (site of the1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games). The challenge is riding the park's zip-line, which launches off the 90m sky-jump. I don't know if this is a Roadblock (only one team member) or if both team members have to do it as a Route Marker task. CTV posted a Vine video as a special Canada Day preview. Rex Harrington takes this task on, invoking the name of Cher... "Sweet Mother of Cher! I can't see!" Why? Well, this was filmed in late April, and yes that's snow still on the ground, so I don't think the ride was as fun as it would be in summer. Must have stung like a S.O.B. Just saying...in case anyone makes the comment that these people are a bunch of complaining wimps. Although I am sure Jon Montgomery would think it's nothing.

(view on Vine HERE)

Ryan Steele (CTV Preview)
Ummn, no way. (CTV Promo)
The teams flew from Calgary to Vancouver, arriving late at night. Here, they had to sign up for flights for the next morning....a Roadblock. One team member gets to experience sky-diving onto Willows Beach, in Victoria, B.C. The challenge was set up to intentionally thin out the herd. The jumps were made in groups of 3 or 4, each with a cameraman. If you have seen the TV commercials, that's Ryan Steele (pic on left) who's plummeting to earth, totally enjoying the thrill of a potential death. In the pic on the right...see that little strip of land? That's Willows Beach. Incredible.

The Fairmont Empress Hotel (Wikimedia Commons)
The next challenge is the source for the episode title "What's it Take to Get a Cup of Tea?". It's in the Tea Room of the Fairmont Empress Hotel or Downton Abbey - I'm not sure. But it's that ivy-covered jewel on Victoria's inner harbour. The tea room and it's traditional, British Colonial service of High Tea has been a huge draw for tourists to Victoria for, ... well forever. So I am very sure that one team member will have to don waiter's garb. No Earl Grey here, I am certain they will feature the Empress Blend. Perhaps a scone with jam and cream? I could swear I saw Maggie the Dowager Countess of Grantham.

Fisgard Lighthouse (Wikimedia Commons)
From the Empress, they cross the harbour to CFB Esquimalt via Canadian Navy boats. I believe the challenge involves flood rescue/escape from some sort of chamber. The pit stop is at Fisgard Lighthouse and National Historic Site.You can also expect a double Express Pass awarded to the first team to reach the pitstop. That team will be Spooner and Mikkelson. Remember last year - Darren and Kristen won it, and gave the second one to Vanessa and Celina?

So who is most likely to have Jon tell them they have been eliminated?

Well, I can tell you there are three teams "on the bubble". By on the bubble, I mean they are the first 3 teams eliminated. They are: Jen & Shawn; Shahla & Nabeela; and Laura & Jackie. None of these 3 teams were seen by anyone after this leg. Of course, that doesn't mean anything in itself. However, Jen and Shawn weren't seen anywhere, by anyone - which is particularly worrisome. At least Shahla & Nabeela and Laura and Jackie were spotted racing alongside other teams. Whereas Jen and Shawn...not so much. Unless something went terribly wrong for one team in he last challenge at CFB Esquimalt, which is always possible, and bumped Nabeela & Shahla or Laura & Jackie into last place. I keep flip flopping between these 3 teams, but right now I am leaning towards Jen and Shawn. Or maybe Shahla and Nabeela.    

Media Alert: Jon Montgomery will appear The Marilyn Denis Show July 7th at 10 A.M. ET; The Social at 2 P.M.; and on Canada AM on July 8th. In addition, the first team eliminated will appear on July 9th on all 3 of these shows to tell you how and why they were eliminated. (Southern Ontario channel, check your local stations)

I will be doing weekly previews for each episode. If you have changed your mind about wanting to know the spoilers, I will also be doing spoiler free recaps for each episode as well as a Weekly Results and Eliminations chart covering aired shows (i.e. also spoiler free). 

Since we are on the topic of "spoilers", let me tell you how I define a spoiler. It's information for a show that hasn't aired yet. I have clearly labelled posts that contain spoilers. That's because people are very opinionated on whether or not they want to know them or not. Once the show has aired, it's a recap and if someone hasn't seen it yet...well, it's not my problem.


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