Race Across The World Series 5 Thread 2

[TwentyKittens]

With only five posts left on the old thread, thought I'd start this so we can link between the two.

This thread carries on from the first:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/5314933-race-across-the-world?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

i hope she doesnt suffer from this exposure

I think the people who suffer from the exposure are those who actively seek it and I don’t think ratw contestants tend to

the only one that pops up now and then is Alfie and I think he is trying to make a career from it

I think we can expect more of the same next series :(

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/race-across-the-world-ratings-confirmed-finale-breaks-record-newsupdate/

But Caroline, you can change the way you speak, to an extent, but colour and height can't be changed.

Having said that, I really enjoyed watching the final.

But Caroline, you can change the way you speak

Why should she have to?

She doesn't have to.

But was that travel before or after RATW, which was filmed last year?

I've just watched the final.- been reading comments since the start but not commented to prevent the thread showing up to me as i was always behind in watching.

Anyway I'm another who' was disappointment it was Caroline and Tom who won. Would have preferred any of the other couples - but it's not fiction so won't be the ones I like the most or feel most worthy of winning who win!!

I say it's not fiction but I think the heavy focus on their lives and trying to make it into a sob story does make the whole thing fictional - in the sense the producers control the narrative of how people come across.

The problem with Caroline "sob story" being that she is a housewife and that meant she has no identity, is that it's an extremely boring story without much to sob about. (Especially where the truth appears to be she was a SAHM out of choice and one with lots of privilege and wealth (so no seemily no struggle there at all)). It's certainly not a story worth repeating again and again without expansion. Mentioning the horse training and eventing would have made it far more interesting!

I like the sisters at the start but started finding their parts a bit tiresome after a while but took to them again the last few episodes. Which were there was less talk about their sob story of losing their childhood home.

The Welsh couple's "i want to get married and have babies and work in a leisure centre" was irritating too. (And not just to the viewer I felt in the last episide. Finn seemed irked with it.)

I've no issue with the couples' talking to camera but would like more about their thoughts on where they were and the experiences on the race and way less on repeat about whatever the producer wanted as their sob story.

Most of the couples' stories would make you feel sorry for them but the ones which were them saying same thing it just became like dripping water to the viewer.

i only found the brother's story parts did irritate at any point, because there was different things mention and wasn't just them saying 'we had a terrible childhood and grew apart" on repeat.

But contestants shouldn't need a sob story!! Just talk about how the travel has broaden their mind would do - a recognition from Caroline that her life was actually one of privilege after seeing the woman who had to pick through discarded flowers for money would have stood to her, rather than making it a of they are so lucky my life as a housewife was harder" (OK I'm paraphrasing!!), would have made her more likeable.

Apologies for the essay - you can tell it's my first post about it 😂

I hope they improve their repetitive editing in the next series and focus on the experience. I would much prefer to be rooting for someone because of their race strategy. I'm still puzzling over whatever possessed the brothers to head off an a detour to wine country and destroy their lead.

@scribblingpixie I reckon it was "suggested" to them (although I bet even the production team didn't realise it would set them back so far!)

According to previous contestants the routes are "managed" behind the scenes, e.g. only 2 teams can take the coastal route on a particular leg etc. just to make the show more interesting.

I also get the impression that Fin didn't want to play the producers game. I can imagine he just got annoyed at the questions being asked to Sioned (I would).

It also struck me that we saw less of the sisters when it felt like their "story" had been milked dry, which was a shame as their routes looked pretty interesting and I wanted to see it.

Before. It may have been a standard package holiday, but it’s still going abroad.

Why did the brothers go to the wine growing area, at a guess they wanted to experience the country as much as wanting to win, I’d imagine that’s a big part of why people enter, let’s be totally honest, while I wouldn’t turn it down,it’s not as if the prize money is massive

I think they have to take one of two routes and they picked the wrong one

I also wondered why the brothers spent so long af the winery.
I know it's a race but some people seemed totally obsessed with winning- others not so.

I don’t think they did - I think they are given routes and things to see and they all have to pick one and can’t repeat one already picked. They picked the wine and it was a nightmare to get to and from.

so it’s quite contrived in terms of their strategy as they have limited choices

@MsFelicityLemonGreat post and I agree with all you’ve said

@BruisernameOoh interesting!

In earlier series there was footage of a booklet where they could pick the work opportunities/homestays. Sometimes you were aware that they'd created their own opportunity to boost their budget and make the most out of hanging around for a connection.

It's interesting seeing the logistics of how they got around, and it's the point of the show- to travel through the places and experience them and not just turn up in a place (by plane).

Yes I remember the booklet!

But there hasn't been a booklet for years I'm sure

But if they don’t have a booklet, how do
they know about the working opportunities, as they don’t have electronic devices etc?

They've got a booklet. You saw a glimpse at least once in this series, can't remember exactly when.

My perception this series was that none of them needed to work much to boost their finances, especially once they got to India.

You very often see the booklet, not so much in this series.

Another thing- it was very rare to see where they slept unless it was a homestay

eg that night fin and signed couldn’t get to the bus station on time and we left them sitting on a kerb.

So where to next?

I would like to see Lapland in Finland to Cappadocia Turkey with the winner going up in a hot air balloon.

If you have never heard of Cappadocia, google an image. It is a real bucket list place.

Or Cape Town to Mount Kenya. Transport might be an issue

I think the problem with Cape Town to mount kenya is optionality of routes

but it would be amazing

(Cape Town to swakopmund to Botswana to vic falls to Zambia to Malawi to Tanzania and then end on the Kenyan coast maybe)