The Amazing Race Canada RECAP of Episode 1

Ogopogo or butterflies. Which is scarier? You decide.

Holy crap, was that one fast moving episode or what? I had to watch it a second time just to get everything down. It was pretty crazy for me. Trying to take notes while watching it was pretty much impossible. Paper was flying and I had to keep asking my husband stuff like "What was that?" His reply was usually something like "I don't know". Great. Thanks for the help. On top of that, I was trying to live tweet one liners under the Twitter name @montysbeer. Got a couple in. Next week I think I will just try to watch and tweet, then leave the notes for a second viewing.

"THIS....is Niagara Falls, Ontario. One of the most beautiful places in the world". Oh I think a little shiver just went up my spine, Monty. Then, blah, blah, blah, Horseshoe Falls and useless facts about water volume. I agree though. It truly is one of the most beautiful places around...I've spent some of the best moments in my life there. And it really made for a great start line. Cut to the whirlpool jet boats and the team introductions. Nothing new there. Monty explains the rules, the grand prize and that the winner of the first leg will also get 2 Express Passes. These  allow the holders to skip a challenge. They must be used before the 7th leg, and the winner must give the second pass to any other team, if they choose to that is, before the third leg.

Monty yells "GO!". The first Route Marker is at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory. Nine plexiglass containers hold TWO clues (one for each team member). The containers' inhabitants range in danger from pretty butterflies to snakes, rats and scorpions, oh my. The higher the danger, the better flight they will get on. The clue at the Route Marker outside specifically says they must both take a clue from inside the box. Apparently Holly doesn't like butterflies. Perhaps it's all that fluttering. Eeeek. She probably doesn't like bunnies, kittens or puppies either. This makes me wonder what murals she has on her Paediatrician office walls. 

Butterflies from first Route Marker. Way scarier than rats or scorpions.

Meanwhile, Jet and Dave realize they just made their first mistake by getting the envelopes from the buttterfly container..."We screwed up. Probably if we'd reached into a den of lions, we'd have got a better flight". Love these guys already. I must have blinked and missed the plexiglass container of lions. Of course, the inevitable happens - two teams, Tim & Tim, and Treena & Tennille DON'T retrieve both envelopes. This despite the twins reading that portion of the clue out loud and looking back at the container and seeing that there are two clues. Will wonders never cease?

The teams must make their way to Kelowna, British Columbia and find a "yellow bus" (aka the Interac Flash bus from the commercial) under the Blue Bear near city hall. They all meet up at Pearson and are able to introduce themselves to each other for the first time. Jet and Dave are completely star-struck over Hal and Joanne. Jet says his cousin has "been you" (Hal, or maybe he means Joanne, I'm not sure) for Halloween year after year. He also says "I would probably be...malnourished,...hippy,...closer to Darren [they show a shot of Darren], had I not had their (BodyBreak) guidance for last 25 years". I think this may be the start of a beautiful friendship. Or at least a temporary alliance. Hal seems a bit weird with Jet's gushing, and Joanne believes their fame is a target on their back.

Kristen & Darren, Hal & Joanne, Vanessa & Celina, and Holly & Brett are on the first flight to Vancouver. The rest are on the next flight, 90 minutes later. This pretty much places their standing for the rest of the race. The Route Marker at the Blue Bear directs them to the Waterfront Sports Kiosk on Lake Okanagan. Here they must take a number to get a jet ski. It's night, the Kiosk is closed, and they spend the night in houseboats. The four teams who were on the first flight make a pact that if one of them finish first and get the Express Pass, they will give the 2nd pass to the team who finishes 2nd among them. Kristen wholeheartedly agrees. I'm getting the distinct impression we need to remember this for next week. They rarely show conversations like this outside of the race. Just wondering if this pact is going to get broken.

Obviously the cute Ogopogo. Who's be afraid of this?

The next day, they get their jet skis, a rudimentary map with an "X marks the spot" and a Roadblock clue: "Who's not afraid of the deep?" The "X" is a dive platform where one team member must put on a diving helmet, be lowered by a dive cage and search for their next clue at a sunken Ogopogo statue.   Everyone that is, except for Treena & Tennille and Jamie & Pierre who don't understand the clue and just start traversing Lake Okanagan looking for Ogopogo. They even stop and ask a cottage-owner. Meanwhile, friction develops between Vanessa and Tim Jr. Vanessa panics underwater: "My air is going crazy". Yeah Vanessa, the air is crazy. Crazy air. I hate when that happens. This allows Tim Jr to slip past her and get the clue, leaving an over-acting Vanessa to contemplate giving up the challenge. Oh well. I guess that's what happens when you decide to showcase your acting abilities in the middle of a Roadblock.

This clue sends them to a second roadblock at the Bellevue Trestle in Myra Canyon. Teams must climb over the side of the trestle, down a ladder, walk out to the end of a 12 inch wide platform/beam, retrieve a clue then "jump" down to the canyon floor. They are attached to some kind of safety rigging...don't worry. Of course, when it's Joanne's turn, she sits down at the end of the beam and says.....oh you know...that line they said at the end of each episode of BodyBreak. Wait. What was it? Um. Oh yeah. "Until next time, keep fit and have fun". I knew they had to work that in there somewhere. When it's Celina's turn, there's more panic attacks. She yells down to a cheering Vanessa, "You gotta stop. I need to focus". Actually, it's more of this whiny, complaining thing. then she sits down at the end of the beam and starts to do another whiny complaining thing. This wasn't pretty. Then she jumps and does the whiny, complaining thing all the way down. E gads. Let's just say this is not may favorite team.

This clue directs them to the pit stop at Quail's Gate Winery. Meanwhile, Treena, Tennille, Jamie and Pierre are still looking for Ogopogo.

Here's how the teams finish:

First: Darren and Kristen are the first to jump on the mat at the pit stop. They win the two Express Passes and a trip for two to Sydney, Australia. Jon serves them a glass of wine. Not beer. I am only forgiving him because they are at a winery and not a brewery.
Second: Holly and Brett
Third: Hal and Joanne
Fourth: Jet and Dave
Fifth: Vanessa and Celina. Tim and Tim beat them to the mat but are penalized 30 minutes for not retrieving both clues way back at the Niagara Butterfly conservatory. The girls are ecstatic and call Tim and Tim "suckers". They seem to like that phrase. Tim Jr says "Time will tell, baby" under his breath. Hmnnn. Drama.
Sixth: Tim and Tim
Seventh: Jody and Cory

Treena, Tennille, Jamie and Pierre eventually get the last roadblock done, and it's a footrace to the finish. Treena and Tennille get there first. Just when the cowboys think they're going to be eliminated, Jon announces that the girls have a 30 minute penalty.

Eighth: Jamie and Pierre
Ninth: Treena and Tennille. They are eliminated.

Love Jon Montgomery as host.
My three favorite teams are Jet and Dave; Tim and Tim; and Jody and Cory.
My least favorite team: Do you have to ask? Vanessa and Celina. And it's not just because I'm jealous they are so pretty or some crap like that.

Next week: You're not going to believe who gets eliminated. I am hoping it will be a bit slower-paced. A preview with spoilers will come later in the week.

 

UPDATE for The Amazing Race Canada Preview of Episode 1 "Where in the World is Ogopogo?"

Jon Montgomery was making the rounds today on CTV's Canada AM and The Marilyn Dennis Show. Lots of new info!

There is an "Ogopogo" roadblock. Teams ride jet skis on Lake Okanagan to what looks like some sort of floating barge. There, they must do some deep diving in waters with low visibility...to find some sort of Ogopogo statue-thing down there? Cool. Hope it's not this dude:

Nah. But it is a sunken statue that divers frequent. The clue gained from this Roadblock will send them to the Bellevue Trestle (which I reported earlier), where the team member who didn't do the Ogopogo Roadblock must climb out onto rigging, retrieve their next clue and make a "leap of faith" down to the bottom.

On Canada AM, Monty explained how there will lots of "drama" throughout the season. He said The U.S. TAR considers themselves lucky to have just one "dramatic" event develop per season. But during the Canadian filming, drama happened on each leg of the race. The U.S. show production consultants were on hand to aid Insight Productions, and at one point they had to call L.A. to ask what to do. Apparently whatever it was, it was "unprecedented". Interesting. Now, I hope this isn't just the usual hype. Nope, can't be. MONTY DOESN'T LIE.

Tomorrow morning on The Marilyn Dennis Show...the first eliminated team. I wouldn't doubt it if they also make an appearance on Canada AM, and perhaps later on eTalk.

SPOILER ALERT...SPOILER ALERT...SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHO THE FIRST ELIMINATED TEAM IS.

From all indications, and keep in mind that this is just my guess (and I am new at this spoiling stuff), it would look like we can expect to see Team Treena and Tennille (aka the Sargeant and Tennille), the twin sisters from Hamilton, to be the first team eliminated. Gee, we hardly knew ya!

Talk to you tomorrow with my recap. As well, I will post a preview of Episode 2 sometime during the week. 

The Amazing Race Canada: Preview of Episode 1 "Where in the World is Ogopogo?"

The Real Ogopogo

No, I'm the Real Ogopogo!

Everyone knows Ogopogo is in Kelowna, British Columbia. But the problem is, there are several of them. And did you notice "Ogopogo" is a palindrome? It's spelled the same way backwards. Cool, but totally besides the point.

I know everyone is thinking that Canada's version of the Amazing Race is going to turn out to be a terrible reproduction of it's original, richer American cousin. Well I disagree. This past year we have seen two Canadian versions of major U.S. reality shows start up: The Bachelor Canada; and Big Brother Canada. Both of these shows were huge successes and have each been renewed for second seasons. Oh yes. I honestly believe that TARC will have the same outcome. Why you ask? I am a bit of a creeper. I scoured the internet, especially Twitter and I saw some amazing places that TARC is going. Oh sure, we won't be seeing Americans struggling with language barriers and behaving, well, like the proverbial "ugly Americans". I'm sorry, (how Canadian of me) but nothing is funnier than taking an American, plunking them down somewhere in Asia and making them eat a big bowl of crunchy grasshoppers. But that doesn't mean we won't be entertained watching Canadians say and do things they may later regret. Besides, we have our own language barriers here. I am sure we will be thoroughly entertained when the teams land in Nunavut and have to negotiate the Inuit language. I am sure that they will be dropped into some kind of situation in Quebec City. Not to mention the uniqueness of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. It's part of the game. Anyways, let's get on with the preview of some of the stuff we'll be seeing Monday.

The start line is in front of the pergola in Oakes Garden Theatre in Niagara Falls. They probably thought it was a fitting place for a start because the U.S. is a stone's throw away, or some such rot as that. I am sure that they will mention that within the first minute of the show. Can't wait to see Jon Montgomery sans his pitcher of beer. I was kind of hoping he would greet the first team to arrive at the pit stop with a complimentary beer. And I keep wondering if Monty will have his own equivalent to the "Keoghan Arch"....that, for all you noobs out there, is that little raised eyebrow that Phil Keoghan gives just before the start of the race.

One of the first challenges, if not the first, involves the whirlpool jet boats on the Niagara River rapids. That must have been exhilarating because if I remember correctly, we had quite a cold spell back on May 3rd when they started filming. Cold + Wet = sucks to be you.

The teams then made their way to Pearson where they probably had to wait for a delayed Air Canada flight to Vancouver, British Columbia where they probably had to wait again for another delayed flight to Kelowna. Oh, did you know that Air Canada is the #1sponsor? Of course, I guess they pretty much had to be, because without them, there wouldn't be a show.

In Kelowna, it looks like the teams will face challenges at Quails Gate Winery and out on the lake at the Delta Grand Okanagan Hotel. In a preview clip that CTV released last week, Team Vanessa and Celina are attempting a Roadblock in some secluded spot. That is the Bellevue Trestle along the Kettle Valley Railroad trail, and if I had to guess, they may have had to get there by bicycle - just because that would be a nice touch.

Now what does Ogopogo have to do with it? Well it could have been their first stop. Maybe their first clue, back in Niagara Falls, was to find Ogopogo.  I just hope they don't have to find this Ogopogo:

Bad Ogopogo

He doesn't look nearly as friendly as those other two, that's for sure.

Maybe Ogopogo is going to be the actual pit stop for the first leg of the race. Now how cool would that be to be the first team to get there, and find Monty sharing a pitcher with Ogopogo? The thing is, there are not one, but two statues of Ogopogo. Hell, there could be more for all I know, but these were the two main ones I found in Google images. (It also looks like other pretenders pop up now and again). And here's the potential problem....they are on opposite sides of Lake Okanagan. Oh joy! Is someone going to get eliminated because of this?

If for some reason you miss Monday's premiere, check back here for my recap on Tuesday morning. This first episode looks like it's going to be one heck of a jam-packed, fast moving hour. Can't wait.