Race Across the World

[Liquorandvinegar]

New series starting next week - really looking forward to it. The teams are travelling in Asia, but I can't find information about the couples yet. Wednesday nights sorted!

I don't think that a team being eliminated adds anything at all and I've moaned about it in previous series. And "but it's how they've always done it" is no kind of argument at all.

Exasperating gap example: the young Welsh couple were having a terrible time trying to get to their next destination - late at night, arguing, tears, wanting to go home. Next scene we see they are on the beach, all loved up, gorgeous sunny day. Whatever happened in between and how they got there was not shown at all.

I don't blame the sisters for going out of their way to see those rice fields, but I felt a bit sorry for them with the weather. The sunny day arial shots that we got as viewers were stunning!

(Btw the tourist village that was the starting point on this episode looked like hell on earth by day didn't it? Such a shame).

The back story chat with the sisters seemed to go on forever! We saw more of them talking about their relationship than we did of them actually travelling.

I’ve enjoyed seeing China but I expect they were restricted on what they were allowed to film. There’s been little footage of chatting to locals on trains or buses lots of dramatic scenery shots. I wonder how staged the authorities made it? I too hope they don’t get penalised for being stuck on the boat as I like Gaz & yin

I look absolutely nothing like my sister. Nobody would even think were even related.

I can't seem to get into this series- maybe it's because I have zero interest in China whereas India and Nepal have always been interesting to me.

I agree that we’re seeing lots of getting stuck in bus or train stations and there are lots of gaps. Every time they got stranded at a terminal I was asking, “but where will they sleep tonight??” and all we saw was them the next morning 100km away.

Does anyone have a list of where they’ve been so far, and where’s next?

We also want more travel details but we say this most series. I’m sure an iPlayer extra details programme would be very popular.

I like all the contestants (usually do) and wish we kept them all. I wonder how much the producers thought knowing Mandarin would help, as the trial runs they do would have made that clear if any of them are able to use it. Especially being able to read it - which I notice Yin can do a little too. It’s been so obvious what a difference accessing the language has made to the sisters.

Re Caroline and Tom, I can’t relate to being a SAHM, but I do remember during my mat leaves that much as I loved being at home with my babies I also started to feel my self esteem eroding, as so much of my identity in the world felt bound up in my job. Caroline has clearly led a life of enviable financial ease but she sees herself as having wasted her potential under the weight of what her husband expected of her. And Tom sees her as someone who loves cleaning and is fulfilled by that. I hope by the end of this he and she both see more of who she is.

I agree with other posters who havent got as engaged with this series as previous ones. RATW is one of my favourite programmes but this series has been flat compared to the other ones, even the Canada series which I thought was boring in places. I agree the elimination aspect doesn't add anything to the series. I hope it improves over the next few episodes.

I’m enjoying this one more than the past couple of series! But agree too much backstory chat, not enough logistics. I like all of them and I don’t want anyone to be eliminated at this stage – I’d like to see the relationship between Caroline and Tom, and Yin and Gaz develop

I think this is far better than Canada. That felt very much like the best they could do given Corona limitations, but it was so samey.

I'm getting bored of it already. The concept works better when it's different countries per episode.

i agree. My favourite series was the celeb one in Europe where they went to lots of different countries.

I think I enjoyed the first one most because they started in London and went through places that I’d been to so I could recognise parts.

I loved the first one as it went to some great places. I can remember being amazed at how beautiful Georgia was for example.
I didn't watch the 2nd or 4th series and found Canada quite boring and some of the contestants annoying.

We're simultaneously watching this series and the first, as DS watched episode 1 with us and was desperate to see more. I'd say there is a welcome lack of back story in the first series in comparison, but many of the same things like lack of clarity on some of the journeys! I know very little about China so am finding this series fascinating on its own terms, but very conscious that this is propaganda on one level, unlike the European journey.

Series 2 in South America was by far the best one. I agree that seeing the same country for even two consecutive episodes is getting boring. Does anyone know where the next checkpoint is?

Caroline has clearly led a life of enviable financial ease but she sees herself as having wasted her potential under the weight of what her husband expected of her. And Tom sees her as someone who loves cleaning and is fulfilled by that. I hope by the end of this he and she both see more of who she is
Yes I thought that was quite sad in a way. They were going through China on their own, his mum seemed slightly more capable than him but he only saw how quickly she got the broom out, and thought she was happiest doing that. I'm finding them the least interesting couple, and they are last, but I still don't think it's right that the last couple gets eliminated. I think if they run out of money fair enough. I've only watched the last celeb one and this one so not sure if this is always done. I'm loving seeing China though and am looking forward to the India leg. It's one of the few programmes we all sit and watch together as a family, and this is DS2's dream trip.

From to guide:
In the third leg, the five pairs are challenged to race from the island checkpoint of Sanya to the mysterious Shangri-La – a city sitting on the edge of the Tibetan plateau towards the foothills of the Himalayas.

I guess the other thing with eliminating the pair in last place is to get them putting more effort into racing. Otherwise you just think sod the race and enjoy the experience. Although £20,000 isn’t not to be sniffed at its not a life changing amount of money.

She is a very sad character. It's a shame she has taken on this role but she must have had a choice. It's not about being a SAHM instead of working, if the family's financial position allowed this there are many things she could have done to express her own personality- charity volunteering, creative activities, sports or fitness, continuing education (not for the qualifications but for the pleasure of it). The things I do now I am retired but didn't have time for when I was working.

Yes, she hasn’t mentioned doing any of that and it does seem odd if she didn’t. My MiL has never worked all her life, and does pretty much none of that, but is totally happy with her lot. I’d have thought Caroline would have been a charity organiser person in a heartbeat but her confidence seems so low.

I'm thinking Caroline and Tom will be eliminated as they've seemed to have less screen time than the other pairs.

I've noticed when rewatching earlier series that the pairs who leave aren't covered so much.

It's also about the editing. C&T haven't been shown to be having much fun like the brothers etc.

I'd be gutted if the brothers left or if the young couple left. But, I don't think they will as the editing shows them having fun / greater screentime.

That true C and T haven't had much screen time I dont think we have got to know them at all.

Does anyone else think the sisters look nothing alike?
I was thinking that. Maybe half sisters really? They're also six or seven years apart in age and have both lived abroad so it's a chance for them to get to know one another better as adults.
Mind you, the brothers aren't that similar apart from baldness!

Sometimes people don't look alike!

I wouldn't be surprised if it's revealed that the sisters are half sisters or step sisters or something. And if that is the case, it will be the BBC equivalent of the naughty MN drip-feed and just plain annoying!