Amazing Race Canada 3 Episode 4 "We Know Where They Live" OR That Damn Global Warming!!!

This was another one of those episodes that make you want to want to reach into the TV, grab these teams and shake some sense into them, yelling...

Read the frigging clue!!!

For crap sakes, this is THE #1 mistake made by teams in every franchise of this show! And these guys aren't improving that record this season. They may even be making it worse. And then there were those other mistakes in this episode. Bad mistakes.

So much time wasted!!!

The teams set out from Torre Monumental in Buenos Aires...look at these start times...they're so close! Only 1 hour and 16 minutes separate first from last. Five minutes between the first 3 teams. AND you can see how close Nic and Sabrina were to being eliminated by giving up on the soccer challenge and taking that ridiculous penalty. Wow! Do you think they learned their lesson? Meh.

Neil and Kristen   8:41 A.M.
Gino and Jesse   8:45
Nick and Matt   8:46
Dujean and Leilani   9:05
Simi and Ope   9:10
Sean and Brent   9:33
Hamilton and Michaelia   9:33
Nic and Sabrina   9:55
Brian and Cynthia   9:57

They must make their way to Halifax, Nova Scotia - via Santiago and Toronto, and are given $350 on their BMO card. While at the stopover in Toronto, Hamilton and Michaelia are inundated by teams making a play for that Express Pass. Gino and Jesse offer them 50 bucks. But it's Sean and Brent who score it. Hamilton tells the brothers he is transgender male and there are lots of hugs all around.

So that's what 5,000 paintings on one wall looks like.

First stop is at the BMO kiosk at Halifax airport, where they are given the next clue. Which brings up another sore spot about this episode. Product placement. But we'll get to that later. Teams must make their way to the brand spanking new Halifax Central Library. And what a beauty it is! Here they must scan the 5,000 library card-sized pieces of art in a wall installation. They must count the number of smart phone paintings...there are 134 of them, then take the elevator to the 5th floor to hand over their result to the librarian. It's enough to make your eyes go buggy, and just the thought of it gave me a headache. Of course, the way to do this is to divide and conquer, but that's probably easier said than done. Most of the teams get the task done relatively easy. The last four teams (Simi & Ope, Neil & Kristen, Nick and Matt and Sean & Brent) decide to team up and just take pot shots at it until one of them gets it. Hey if it works, who cares?

From here it's on to the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge and a Roadblock called, "Who's got an eagle eye? Oh, oh. I'm thinking BRIDGE + "eagle eye" just can't be a good thing. Not at all. Nope.

Brian. Scoutin' like a champ.

Sure enough, one person from each team must climb up the interior of the bridge's support tower and when they reach the top, climb out, use a pair of binoculars and locate the marker for their next clue. Brian is the first there, and when he finds the flag says, "Fort. On high ground. Two masts. Canadian flag on left." Sure. Even if you didn't read his bio, you sure can tell this dude served in the Armed Forces! For some reason, Nic spots a red and yellow boat in the harbour and thinks it's the marker. Oh, man. On the way back to the bridge, they see the marker at Fort George. Lucky.

While Michaelia is on the bridge, Hamilton suddenly comes to the realization his passport is missing. He searches his bag, then Michaelia's. It's not there and he thinks he left it on the plane. So. Not. Good. All they can do is phone the airport and finish the leg, hoping Air Canada can find it in time. This is sooo bad. All your documentation must be handed over to production at the end of the leg, and passports are absolutely necessary to continue with the race. If it's not found, it means an instant disqualification.

Jesse is still on the bridge looking for the marker when Kristen gets there. She spots it right away. Jesse sees the rough area its in and that there are two "crosses" in a park and rushes back down the ladder. He doesn't notice the imposing fortifications of Fort George on Citadel Hill. Ugh. He tells the cabbie to go to a park with crosses, and of course they end up at the wrong place. Can't blame the cabbie for this one, guys! Like Nic and Sabrina, the brothers see the correct marker on the way back to the bridge.

The next task is in the Halifax Public Gardens. And this is the one I have a problem with.

The teams must correctly identify five of ten Orange Julius smoothie flavours. Problem #1: is this really a Race-worthy task? I mean come on. Problem #2: product placement. Okay, I get that we are reminded Air Canada provides all the flights and prize packages. I get that Chevrolet provides cars on self-driving legs and the Grand prize. I even get the BMO card used to pay for flights. Even a Mentos challenge is acceptable. This show wouldn't survive without these major sponsors, so we have learned to accept it. But this Orange Julius thing? So out-of-place. Surely Halifax has some other attractions that could have been highlighted! Or are Orange Julius smoothies a huge thing in Halifax? Oh...maybe I misunderstood. Do mangoes, bananas, pineapple, oranges and coconuts grow in Nova Scotia now? Must be that damn global warming.

The Detour is called, "Bubbles OR Suds". In "Bubbles", teams had to go to Dalhousie University and the Aquatron Laboratories. Here they had to dive into a large tank (and by large tank, I mean 14 feet deep), catch 2 lobsters each, then band the claws and attach tracking transmitters. Pretty cool. But you definitely needed to know how to swim. In "Suds", teams had to go to Garrison Brewery. Here they had to deliver cases of beer to 3 local bars AND PICK UP 2 EMPTY KEGS TO RETURN TO THE BREWERY. Yep, you guessed it. This is where many teams FAILED TO READ THE FRIGGIN CLUE!

Dad. Get a lobster.

Brian and Cynthia decide to do Bubbles. Brian gets his two lobsters, but Cynthia can't. She knows how to swim and snorkel, but just can't dive. Still, I have to wonder why she didn't use the fins. They cut their losses and switch to Suds. Hamilton & Michaelia and Nic & Sabrina also pick Bubbles originally then switch. The best line of the night goes to Kristen. They only need to get one more lobster so she calmly and eloquently says, "Dad. Get a lobster." And he does. I love the interaction between these two. Gino and Jesse show up late but catch their lobsters quickly...two at a time.

Meanwhile over at Suds...

Leilani...carrying kegs like a champ.

Brian & Cynthia, Nick & Matt and Simi & Ope trudge through just fine. They can obviously remain calm and keep focused. Dujean & Leilani, Hamilton & Michaelia, and Nic and Sabrina all make their deliveries BUT didn't notice the rest of the clue that told them they must also pick up 2 kegs from each bar. WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? Of course they all eventually realize their mistakes and go back to get the kegs. But in Hamilton and Michaelia's case, this was just another compounded error.

Hamilton and Michaelia head back out to the airport to retrieve the passport. It is found but not after a long wait.

Dujean and Leilani are the first to the Pitstop, where they are greeted by Jon and an "Oh yay, oh yay, oh yay!" from the Town Crier. Apparently this is the anniversary of Leilani's mother's death and she has not been back to Halifax since her father died just a few months after her mother. That has to be tough. The Exes win two round trip tickets to anywhere in the Caribbean that Air Canada flies, as well as six months of gas free from PetroCanada.

OH YAY, OH, YAY, OH YAY.

Hamilton and Michaelia were unable to recover from the lost passport mishap. Sadly, they come in last and are eliminated from the race. Oh, I know what you're thinking. If they had only kept their Express Pass to use it on this leg, it would have saved them. Nope. It's highly doubtful it would have bought them enough time, even if they did cash it in back at the bridge. The trek back out to the airport, waiting for the passport and then getting back to the Pitstop would have taken a couple of hours. (we can get a rough estimate when we look at the departure times on the next leg)

But Jon said it best when he told Hamilton "Thank you for being brave enough for being yourself."

To see how the other teams placed, you can check out my Team Leg-by-Leg Results HERE

And I just have one more thing to add. When I go to Halifax, I MUST find THIS bar. Because with a name like "Economy Shoe Shop", how can I possibly resist?

Big Brother Canada 4: Here We Go Again!

 Open Casting Calls for Season 4, premièring sometime "Early 2016":

UPDATE August 5: A preliminary schedule for open casting calls was announced on July 25, then taken down. It's back up again! Dates were changed, and Calgary was added! So go! Go now!

DO NOT PANIC. 

I REPEAT, DO NOT PANIC!!!

Stay tuned, these dates may change at any time!!! (they already did from the original posting!)

VANCOUVER:

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH 

MONTREAL:

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH  

EDMONTON:

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26TH

CALGARY:

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH 

HALIFAX: 

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26TH

WINNIPEG: 

SATURDAY OCTOBER 3RD

ST. JOHN'S: 

SATURDAY OCTOBER 3RD 

TORONTO: 

SATURDAY OCTOBER 24TH

For More Information, go to

http://bigbrothercanadacasting.ca/Big-Brother-Canada-Open-Casting-Calls 

And if you can't attend an Open Casting Call, you may apply on-line http://bigbrothercanadacasting.ca/  

Read everything carefully and follow it to the letter!
AND
They mean it when they say to check their site OFTEN as dates may change OR additional cities may be added!
The Deadline is

Monday, October 19, 2015 
Monday, October 26,2015 to apply online!!!

Good Luck.

Amazing Race Canada 3 Preview of Episode 4 "We know Where They Live"

YES, YES, YES!

There are SPOILERS HERE!

In fact, this leg was the heaviest spoiled of the entire season.

Thank you, Haligonians for being out and about that day, 

and having so much pride of your city!

Amazing Race Canada 3, Episode 3 "I Said Straight, You Gorilla!" ...OR... Hoppy, Hoppy. Joy, Joy!

I can usually tell from the title if I am going to like an episode, so that's why I was particularly excited to watch this one. I kind of had an inkling this would be a Nick and Matt quote, because it reminded me of one of my favourite TAR teams, Kevin and Drew from the very first season. Not that I am comparing these two teams. Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but I think I may end up liking the Wrestlers more than Mickey and Pete, More than Kevin and Drew, and do I dare say...even more than Jet and Dave?

The ten remaining teams have another early morning start from Cerro San Cristobal. They must make their way to Buenos Aires and find the Totem Pole in Plaza Canada. They will get their next clue after reading the plaque and learning the story of the Totem. Here are the start times, which again this week are meaningless because they will all be on the same flight:

Hamilton and Michaelia   3:46 A.M.
Brian and Cynthia   4:37
Nick and Matt   4:38
Nic and Sabrina   5:06
Dujean and Leilani   5:13
Neil and Kristen   5:33
Dana and Amanda   5:34
Brent and Sean   5:37
Simi and Ope   5:51
Gino and Jesse   6:07 A.M.

And of course there is the question of that second Express Pass that Hamilton and Michaelia must hand over to another team before the end of Leg 4. (Hamilton & Michaelia have already used their pass!) Hmmn, who will it be, I wonder? Kristen makes a play for it at the airport, but the couple gives an ITM saying they will give it t a team who helps them out. Talk about fore-shadowing! Something's up with that.

This is obviously the Canadian Embassy in Buenos Aires.

Simi & Ope and Gino & Jesse find trouble right away. They get lost, thanks to their cab drivers [Those damn, pesky cabbies!] and they all wind up at the Canadian Embassy. Meanwhile, everyone else is learning why an Aboriginal Canadian Totem is in the middle of a park in Buenos Aires. Carved by Stan Hunt from a single Red Cedar log, the Totem is a symbol of the rich heritage shared by the Aboriginal peoples of Canada and Argentina.

The clue received here directs them to Barrio La Boca and a Roadblock called, "Who can do things to the letter?" and it's not just any Roadblock.

It's a Mentos Roadblock!!!

Oh no...remember that particularly nasty one in Paris last year? Yep. This one requires one person from each team to find 3 kiosks and buy specially-marked packages of Mentos. They are then given clues and must use the Mentos (each candy is printed with a letter) to spell out the names of four famous Argentinians. Here are the clues:

1. Argentina's most famous First Lady.
2. First Pope from the Americas.
3. La Boca's favourite footballer.
4. The King of Tango.

The answers: Eva Peron; Pope Francis; Diego Maradona; and Carlos Gardel.

Mind your Ps and Ds!!!

Of course, the first two clues are pretty easy and as Sabrina puts it, "If you don't know who Pope Francis is, read a book." But most team members had to run around and ask the locals for the answers to 3 and 4.  Sabrina only had to ask for the last answer. Several people started working in pairs, realizing there are some times when this is necessary. However, when Hamilton shows up, he finds he must work alone. He tries to ask Neil and Cynthia (who have teamed up), but they won't volunteer any information. Can't blame them. They've been there a while working through the task. After all, working together is a lot different than just giving someone an answer. BUT...I guess they kind of forgot Hamilton and Michaelia have that Express Pass burning a hole in their backpacks. Oopsie. I guess we know who's NOT getting it now. Nick and Dana, also working together, have trouble finding the 3 kiosks selling the Mentos they need.

Meanwhile, Sabrina is having a hard time. She can't seem to find 3 "d"s to complete Diego Maradona and Carlos Gardel. The thing is, all the letters are lower case. She eventually figures out the letter she thought was "p", was really a "d". It seems to me this task would have been more appropriate with a vintage printing press involved, instead of Mentos...just like the old saying, "mind your 'p's and 'q's!"

The next task takes place at Futbol Madero. That's right, it's a soccer challenge and perfect for Nic and Sabrina who are currently in first place. Nic used to be a professional player. So this should be no problem for the couple, right? Nic boasts that they will be out of there in 10 seconds. Well, NOTHING on this show is going to be THAT easy, and in this task, one team member must guide the soccer ball through a pylon course then score on the net...BLINDFOLDED, and guided by instructions from their partner. And to make it even more difficult, they must complete it under one minute.

Nic and Sabrina are at it for two hours, falling prey to the old jinx on tasks based on your profession or talent. Sabrina tells the others that even professionals would find it hard. Of course they would, because it's really not about soccer skills at all. It's about communication. You know, like knowing left from right and letting your partner know where the frigging net is. And then we hear it..."I said straight, you gorilla!" Sure enough, It was the Wrestlers! Neil and Kristen work their directions like a clock, and they are the first to complete the task. Frustrated and now in a state of panic, Nic and Sabrina decide to forfeit this task and take the 2 hour penalty. Wow. All this task needed was a little, good old-fashioned thinking outside of the box and after the couple leave, the other Nick opens that box. He grabs the ball between his feet and hops with it through the course. Soon everyone follows suit. The last teams remaining here are Brent & Sean and Dana & Amanda.

The cluebox for the next task is at the Obelisco de Buenos Aires. This is a Detour called "Dance or Dine". "Dance" is pretty much what it says it is. Teams must learn to do the Tango at the Confiteria Ideal. It seems the random shots of a dancing couple we've been seeing throughout the episode finally have a meaning. In "Dine", one team member must take orders from 3 restaurant patrons while their partner plates the meals. Each order is a combination of 3 items out of a 12 item menu. This would be a simple memorization task if it weren't for the fact that it was all in Spanish. Oh and one more thing. Each side of the Detour is limited stations, meaning there are only six slots available for the teams. Unless you are good at memorization and know Spanish, for the most part you will want to do the Tango.

At Dance: Neil & Kristen; Gino & Jesse; Nick & Matt; Brian & Cynthia; Hamilton & Michaelia; and Dujean & Leilani. The other 4 teams do Dine. At one point, Simi & Ope try to switch from Dine to Dance, only to find out the 6 slots were full. They have to go back and finish. Nic and Sabrina finish it first and head off to the Pitstop at Puerto Madero. Of course there's that 2 hour penalty and they are made to sit there and watch the other teams come in.

It's Neil and Kristen who win this leg. When they hit the mat, Jon tells them they are the second team to arrive, then continues with, "However." Kristen looks scared, as in what-did-we-do-wrong? type of scared. Then he tells them they won. The reaction was great. The father/daughter team win 2 return tickets to Beijing and 6 months of free gas from Petro Canada.

Sadly, Newfoundland's own Dana and Amanda are the last to arrive at the mat and are eliminated. To see how other teams finished, check out my Leg by Leg Results HERE

Next week, the nine remaining teams travel to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and it looks to be another wild ride. I know we are only 3 legs in, but so far I am enjoying this season. The teams are well matched and we've had a different team win each leg.

Amazing Race Canada 3 Preview of Episode 3 "I Said Straight, You Gorilla!"

Don't you love that title? It's pretty close to TAR season 1's Kevin and Drew - remember, "Swing you fat bastard. Swing!"?

Warning: There are spoilers ahead! If you don't want to know, then get outta here right now!!!

Amazing Race Canada 3 Episode 2 "We're Going to Dance!"

Season 3 has jumped right into International travel...as it should. And if you are one of those poor, misguided, casual fans who think the "CANADA" part of the show's title means it should stay in Canada....just turn around and leave this place. I really don't have patience for you. You are nothing more than trolls to me! Trolls, I say!

Okay, so now that those annoying complainers are gone, was that a good episode or what? It was one of those episodes we all love. You know what I mean. The kind of episode filled with people saying ridiculous things, making dumb mistakes and bad choices, and even a few bad cab drivers thrown in just for the heck of it.

AND IT IS EXACTLY THE REASON WHY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL HAS TO BE A PART OF THE SHOW.

It's the uncertainty of foreign travel, new customs and different languages that puts the "Amazing" in the race. It's what makes them do and say the most ridiculous things, things they wouldn't normally do amid the comfort of "home."

Jon does the intro from The Toronto Railway Museum (but we knew that already) but the teams actually read their first clues from Canoe Landing Park (we knew that too). They must make their way to Santiago, Chile. Here are the departing times of each team:

Gino and Jesse   1:32 PM
Nic and Sabrina   2:51
Brent and Sean   3:34
Hamilton and Michaelia 3:40
Simi and Ope 3:54
Nick and Matt   4:05
Dana and Amanda   4:11
Dujean and Leilani   4:20
Brian an Cynthia   4:22
Neil and Kristen   4:27
Susan and Sharnjit   4:41

Usually those departing times are important. But with only one possible flight to Santiago, everyone is starting off on an equal footing. At the very least, they tell us how far the teams placed behind the winner. Once in Santiago, teams must make their way to Geoaventura Park. There are two Express Passes up for grabs at some point during the leg. No time is wasted, as the episode immediately jumps into a few "stupid moments".

Stupid Moment #1:
Teams were given $275 on their BMO card for this leg of the race. Okay...now for the ridiculous part. The Air Canada agent at Pearson asks them how they will be paying. Susan and Sharn use the card. I just want to know one thing...was there some kind of Super Seat Sale going on at Air Canada? Because if so, sign me up!

Stupid Moment #2:
In the cab on the way to the airport, Jesse asks Gino, "Is Chile in Europe?" Gino doesn't know. DING, DING, DING! We have a winner! I think this may just be the best line in the whole episode. But don't worry, the cabbie tells them it's in South America. Still...something tells me these two won't fair well on international legs. Just saying.

No wonder they thought it was in Europe.

Stupid Moment #3:
How do you spell "Santiago"?
S-A-N-T-I-G-A-G-O
Ooopsie. I think it's safe to say this production error may be a bad omen of more stupid things to come.

The task at Geoaventura is a Roadblock called, "Who wants a better view?" One person from each team must paraglide in tandem with a guide, taking a running jump off a very tall cliff. Okay, so the teams find themselves at a place with "aventura" within it's name, and they are given THAT clue. I think it's a pretty safe bet there is going to be some altitude involved in the task. Which leads us to...

Oh...wait! It's paragliding? What?

Stupid Moment # 4:
Sean volunteers to do this, without noticing all the paragliders circling like vultures overhead. It was at that moment he decides to panic. Sean, you need to understand the show you are on. Geesh.

From here the teams must make their way to the San Miguel district and search for their next clue at a mural called "Sanacion Equilibrio". This is a two part challenge. First, they must locate 5 murals and take selfies in front of each. When they have completed this, they are given a wooden case (it's full of art supplies) and told to volunteer helping kids paint murals at Centro Cultural Angela Davis, Recoleta. A little backstory. The San Miguel district has dozens upon dozens of murals. This outdoor art exhibit began as a means to revitalize the neighbourhood. So locating 5 specific murals is no easy task. Something else that some teams found difficult? Apparently, selfies. Nick & Matt, Brian & Cynthia and Susan & Sharnjit have no experience taking pics of themselves.

Stupid Moment #5
Nick says, "I'm 35. I don't think I've ever selfied before." Well, thanks Nick for putting it that way. And thank you also for that image I now have thoroughly engraved in my mind.

However, they were given cameras - not cellphones, and these things don't even have a preview screen. No wonder some teams found this part of the task difficult - it was pretty much hit or miss. And if it wasn't a proper "selfie" they had to go back and take the picture again. Hamilton and Michaelia are the first to finish, while Susan and Sharnjit's inexperience with selfies drop them to last place. The best part of this task goes to...Dujean and Leilani.

While frantically searching for the 5 murals, Dujean complains that he is doing all the work. Bam. There it is. We knew this was coming. We knew these two were going to get into it sooner or later - that's probably why they were cast, but the second episode? Anyway, Leilani begins a rant that culminates in a good old "Shut up!" Oh yeah, we are SOOO going to see more of this in the next few episodes.

The second part of this challenge was so heart-warming. When each team finishes the mural with the child they were assigned, they give them the case of art supplies. Lots of hugs all around. And a few tears too.

The clue received here offers the teams a choice. They can either go directly to the Detour or try for the two Express passes first. To claim the passes, they must find two dancers performing the national dance "La Cueca" at Patio Bellavista. And yes, that's all they had to do...just find them. There was no task given to earn the passes, so we were denied the drama of teams battling it out. Nick & Matt and Brian & Cynthia race to get the Express Passes, but are beaten there by Hamilton & Michaelia.

The Detour was called "Motion or Emotion". In Motion, teams had to go to Plaza de Armas where they had to learn and perform a traditional Rapa Nui (Easter Island) dance...in full costume. Perhaps I should say in LESS costume, because there was a lot of exposure. For Emotion, teams had to make their way to the Chilean National Library where they were given the poem, "Valle du Chile" by Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Mistral. They must memorize and recite this poem, and of course it is in Spanish. So this one would be easy for a team like Nic and Sabrina, who just happen to speak the language. And all of this leads to...

Stupid Moment #6:
Hamilton and Michaelia decide to dance, but when Hamilton sees the skimpy outfits he (understandably) says there is no way he can do it. BUT instead of attempting the other side of the Detour, they cash in that Express Pass they just earned. I think they may have panicked. You may disagree with me, but it was a stupid move. They were in first place!!!

Stupid Moment #7:
Gino and Jesse decide to memorize the poem, but after going over it a couple of times decide to switch to the dance. They head back out to the cab that they asked to wait there while they went inside, but lo and behold...he's gone. Cabbies. The scourge of the Race! Yes, the stupid moment was depending on the cabbie, but then Gino and Jesse decide to run to the Rapa Nui dance. Wow!

Hamilton and Michaelia head to the Pitstop at Jardin Botanico Mapulemo atop San Cristobal Hill. They win two Premium Economy tickets to Delhi, India and 6 months of free gas from Petro Canada.

Nick & Matt and Brian & Cynthia are the first ones to successfully perform the dance, while Nic & Sabrina correctly recite the poem. Now everyone else is scrambling to do the dance, except Susan and Sharnjit who are still at the Cultural Centre painting with the kids. Oh, oh.

Brent and Sean's ITM comments on seeing the scantily clad Gino and Jesse, "Abs are not going to win you this clue!" rang true for this task. But those marvellous, beautiful abs sure will come in handy in a strength challenge somewhere down the line, won't they?

Stupid Moment #8:
Dana and Amanda leave the dance Detour and head off to the Pitstop firmly in 4th place, but encounter some cabbie troubles of their own. He drops them off at the bottom of the hill...far, far, far from where they need to go. So I have to ask why they didn't direct the driver to the botanical gardens - not just the hill, and why they didn't question him about their whereabouts before leaving the frigging cab?

Bad Idea: Running 2 km to the Pitstop when you're tied for last place.

In the end it turns into a showdown between Gino & Jesse and Susan & Sharnjit and it's starting to get dark. The boys finish first but can't hail a cab. They decide to run the 2 km then notice it's on top of a hill. They change their minds and get a cab. Maybe there's hope for them yet.

Yes, Susan and Sharnjit are the last to arrive at the Pitstop and they are eliminated from the race. They later said they couldn't get the knack of taking those selfies, but it also could have been their warm hearts that kept them from rushing through their time with the kids.

Check out my Leg by Leg Results to see the complete team placements by CLICKING HERE

Next week the ten remaining teams head to Buenos Aires, Argentina where I am sure these guys will run into more troubles.

Amazing Race Canada 3 Preview of Episode 2 "We're Going To Dance!" in Santiago, Chile.

Yes, they are leaving the country early this season, but don't worry all you pro-stay-in-Canada fans out there! This season is not going to see Amazing Race Canada circumnavigating the globe. It didn't happen last year and it's not happening this year. It will still follow the same format we saw last season - that is, the in/out/in/out/in route.

To that I say BAH. After all, it's Amazing Race Canada as in Canadian version of an amazing race around the world...NOT Amazing Race CANADA as in stay in Canada.

Don't get me started! Oh well, maybe next year? I guess I just have to deal with it, but mark my words people...its GOT TO HAPPEN before the show resorts to a pitstop at the Tim Hortons in the Ingersoll Rest Stop on the 401.

Amazing Race Canada 3, Episode 1 "Who's Feeling Sporty Now?" OR Jon Tries This Chris-Pratting Thing.

NO SPOILERS HERE! Unless of course you believe if YOU haven't seen an aired show, it's a spoiler! If that's the case, I really can't help ya.

The third season premiere of Amazing Race Canada won the night with 2.03 million viewers and quickly began trending on Twitter. One thing is for sure, Canada loves its very own version of the franchise.

The start line for the twelve teams - up one from last year, was the Dufferin Terrace beside one of the most beautiful hotels in the world, The Chateau Frontenac. And they arrived in the only way anyone has ever visited Quebec City knows...by caleche of course. The twelve teams are:

Neil & Kristen, father and daughter from Burlington, Ontario. Neil is a former CFL player and a Hall of Famer.
Dujean & Leilani, dating-exes from Toronto, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Gino and Jesse, brothers from Hamilton, Ontario.  
Max & Elias, dating couple from Toronto, Ontario. Elias is a UFC fighter. 
Dana & Amanda, friends & co-workers with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary from St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador. 
Ope & Simi, father & daughter from Burnaby, British Columbia, originally from Lagos, Nigeria. 
Susan & Sharnjit, friends and co-workers with Federal Corrections, Vancouver, British Columbia.  
Brent & Sean, brothers originally from Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia, now living in Toronto, Ontario.
Nic & Sabrina, dating couple from Montreal, Quebec. 
Nick & Matt, friends and pro-wrestling partners from Newmarket and Stouffville, Ontario.  
Brian & Cynthia, married couple from Winnipeg, Manitoba - they both work for the Winnipeg Police.
Hamilton & Michaelia, engaged couple from Centreville, Nova Scotia. Hamilton is a transgender male.

Just one question. How may bikes WERE there?

Jon advises the teams to READ THE CLUE CAREFULLY or they could be left behind. Always good advise. It's probably the number one mistake made by teams on this show. When Jon gives his GO, they race to their backpacks located in front of the Samuel du Champlain statue. The clue tells them to make their way to Quay 22 (below Cap Diamant) to find their next clue. That clue tells them to find the pair of bicycles that the enclosed 4-digit code will unlock. Not an easy task because there are hundreds upon hundreds of bicycles awaiting them there.  Once unlocked, the teams must ride their bikes to the ferry to Levis. across the St. Lawrence. Here, they must find one of twelve numbered cars. The lower the number on the car, the earlier their flight to their next destination - Toronto and the St. Lawrence Market.

The First Leg Barf. Is this a thing?

Gino & Jesse, Hamilton & Michaelia, Dana & Amanda, Simi & Ope, Max & Elias, and Brent & Sean all make the first flight to Toronto, working their way through these directions without incident. Well, except Sean whose excitement overtakes him on the ferry and has to make an unscheduled stop in the bathroom to vomit. He didn't even have to skydive like Nat Spooner last year. Geesh. Calm down. Breathe deeply. It's only the Amazing Race for crying out loud. Meanwhile, Nic and Sabrina get themselves lost right off the bat, unable to find their way down to the lower town and the quay. Why they didn't just follow everyone else is beyond me. But at least they are holding hands. That's sweet. Firmly in last place, they eventually catch up with the remaining teams and all are on the second flight to Toronto.

The St. Lawrence Market task turns out to be an equalizer - that is, it doesn't open until 8 A.M. the next morning, allowing all the teams a chance to catch up. This is a Route Marker task. The market aisles are laid out in "streets", with road signs marking the intersections. They are given an anagram of "Market Street" and "Centre Street" which they must unscramble to find the location of their next clue (as well as their BMO Mastercard). Brent and Sean give up figuring out the anagram and decide to just go inside looking for the streets that match. Susan & Sharnjit and Max & Elias follow suit. Max seems to think she sees the word "dessert" in the anagram, even though there is no letter D. Maybe it's just the power of persuasion. All the yummies in the market working their charm on her weak will. You know, like some kind of carbohydrate Jedi mind trick.

The clue directs them to the TSN studios way out in Agincourt. Brent and Sean don't know what TSN is...and guess it to be the Toronto Stock...?...whatever. They are at the mercy of their taxi driver and find it hard to believe the race would direct them all the way out to the boondocks.

Oh, dear! OR Oh...deer! 

The task at TSN - which for you non-Canadians stands for "The Sports Network", is a Roadblock. "Who's Feeling Sporty?" One team member must co-anchor with James Duthie and deliver the sports news and scores, properly reading from the teleprompter and making the transition between cameras. Proper pronunciation counts and they must nail some difficult names that were deliberately thrown in to give them a hard time. 

Gino & Jesse arrive in first place. Jessie takes this one. Apparently several teams didn't quite put two and two together when they read the clue and thought the task was going to involve playing some sort of sport, not anchoring the news. So some of them picked the wrong teammate to do the task. For instance, Susan, who is afraid of public speaking and tells us she would rather take a puck in the face than speak in front of people. At one point, the poor girl looked like a deer stunned by a car's headlights. My sympathy. Really, I've been there and it's a terrible feeling. Max and Elias made the same mistake when Elias (who suffers from dyslexia) volunteers. Meanwhile, Neil believes he was made for this Roadblock, but soon learns the jinx put on racers who "choose their own profession." And I really must say, these guys were not given any favours by the TSN Directors. They were practically thrown right in the mix with little or no explanation or stage direction. Yikes. Kudos to Nic who was the first to figure out he could read from the paper copy rather than the teleprompter when he was doing the voice-over. Then there was poor Brian, who was dressed in a shirt clearly 4 sizes too big, with the collar making him appear a little too Don-Cherry-ish. Jesse is the first done, while Elias and Susan are battling it out for last place. 

Gee. Ummn. That's a hard one. Ummn.

The next task is another Roadblock at Ontario Place, but this must be done by the teammate who did not do the TSN task. It's an obstacle course consisting of: crossing a rope web between the Atlantis Pavilions; a jump from a platform into the lagoon; and then cross a deliberately wobbly log. This task is called "Now Who's Feeling Sporty?" and it's a deliberate switch-up of the previous task. Those production types are pretty tricksey. They figured the more sporty team members would jump on the TSN task, leaving their not-so-athletic team-mates to do the one that actually required physical talent. Sabrina has a hard time because of her fear of water. She complains that she is so out of her element...she just stays at home and bakes cookies. When she finally finishes, Nic tells her she didn't even get wet. These two are great! Ope has never swam without a life-jacket and hesitates taking the jump into the lagoon. But the Timex Award goes to Cynthia who took a beating but kept on ticking. I really think she bruised every part of her body when she repeatedly slipped and fell on the log.

Jon doesn't even have to face the dinosaurs. Now that's talent.

From here it was GO GO GO to the Pitstop at centre court at the Air Canada Centre, where Jon waited along with the Toronto Raptors mascot...you know who I mean. That Barney wannabe. That Jurassic World reject. 

Gino and Jesse pretty much dominated this leg, coming in first and winning two round-trip tickets to Rio de Janeiro along with 2.5 million Petro-Canada points redeemable for 6 months of gas. I have a feeling this won't be their first win either.

Max and Elias were the first team eliminated in season 3. They just couldn't make up the time after that TSN task. The problem was Elias' dyslexia, and although I am sympathetic with his condition, I really have to say I am relieved. First of all, they broke the two season record of all-female first-outs. But also because of the stunt-casting of which I am usually not a fan. And this team really was the worst yet.

To see how the other teams finished, check out by Leg-by-Leg Results HERE 

Next week the teams travel to Santiago, Chile. If you care to get a heads up on the spoilery stuff, I will be posting my preview on the weekend.

So what did you think of the first leg? Did it live up to the Season 2 start? Are you liking the teams this year?

Amazing Race Canada 3: Preview of Episode 1, "Who's Feeling Sporty Now?"

There are BIG SPOILERS AHEAD. Please proceed with CAUTION!

Bam! Hold onto your Muskoka chairs people. Here we go again. Another exciting season of Amazing Race Canada will start on Wednesday, and it looks like it will be just as action-packed as the Season 2 premiere.

Amazing Race Canada 3 Leg by Leg Spoilers

I just want to know one thing, Jon. Where can I get that T-Shirt?

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

There are SPOILERS ahead.

If you don't want to know the locations in Season 3 of The Amazing Race Canada, then turn around and leave the way you got here. 
Oh, and stop searching for "Amazing Race Canada 3." It will only cause you great sadness.

You see, if you're like me and enjoy spoilers for your favourite shows, you realize they don't deter you from watching the show you love. I can read an entire plot synopsis for an episode of The Big Bang Theory OR The Walking Dead, know exactly what will happen and still can't wait to watch. That's because the spoilers are no substitute for the actual show. The only time I ever regretted reading a spoiler was for that preposterous LOST series finale. I mean really! They were all dead? Come on.

This is your last warning!

Are you absolutely sure???
But before you go... 
Just one wee little tease:
Will we see Jon recreating his famous
beer walk this season?