First off, excellent episode. Great drama, great stories from the racers. And beer. I got no whiney, picky complaints about anything so the producers are free to read on without fear (seriously Mark, I mean it). So teams leave Argentina and head off to Halifax. All teams are on the same flight through Santiago with another layover in Toronto. And then various brothers make a play for the Express Pass that Hamilton and Michaelia are holding onto. The Italians Boys offer money ($50) plus help with tasks when needed. Don't think anyone has ever offered cash for an Express Pass before. Simple, but in the end, ineffective. Even they agree. Cause the Hamilton and Michaelia have built a bond with the Sweeney Boys. And why not. Both are from small towns in the Maritimes having to deal with LGBTQ identities. That probably hasn't been easy, even in these modern times. Things have change but in many small towns, things haven't. No doubt it's been tough. So the Sweeney Boys get the Express Pass.
Once teams arrive in Halifax, they have to hit a sponsors booth to get a clue that tells them to find the Central Library Branch. Didn't I say I love libraries before and it's obvious TAR Canada does too cause this is the second library task so far. And it's also another public art task, which is also something I love. Spent three years on the Edmonton Arts Council and after approving grants for artists, approving public arts projects was my fav task. And this piece of public art is awesome, a collection of 5,000 3 x 5 paintings. Interspersed are a bunch black and white iPhone style photos that the teams have to correctly count and report to a librarian before moving on. (There are 134 of them). Tough task, lots of concentration needed although I think Art Guy Gord would be good for this.
Teams struggle but Hamilton and Michaelia are done first followed by Nic and Sabrina. Find the Angus MacDonald Bridge. They are closely followed by The Cops and The Dancers. On a side note, we learn that Leilani is from Halifax and the last time she was home was for her father's funeral. And the day the race is being filmed is the anniversary of her mother's death. Man, that's gotta be tough but wow, that's a heck of story. Glad they aren't just sticking with arguing Exes story. And hope the family background isn't a sign of possible elimination. Or will it be a non-elim? Fourth episode is sometimes the right time, but I'm terrible at predicting those.
Only the Cops had the smarts to ask for the cab to wait. TAR Rule #something: always ask for the cab to wait. But sometimes they can't. So Brian and Cynthia are first to the bridge where it's a Roadblock, Eagle Eye something. Can't recall, didn't take notes, one of those kid interruption times. Gotta climb the bridge and look for a route marker. It's a height thing involving physical activity so it's probably a Wayne task before a Gord one. Brian finds it pretty quick and they are off to the Citadel for the next clue.
The Dancers, the Cute Couple, and Hamilton and Michaelia arrive and do the task. Two of them find the correct route market while Nic finds a boat that has the same colours as the TAR markers. They head to a totally different location. Fortunately for Nic and Sabrina, Hamilton realizes he has lost his passport. That's unfortunate for Hamilton and Michaelia because the rule states you cannot check in without your passport. And it's not a red herring either with Hamilton finding his passport in his back pocket right after the commercial; it is actually gone. He's got to feel bad about that, but you gotta keep a constant eye on your passport during the race. Forget all the other things you have, keep track of your passport, your clues and our TAR credit card. Everything else is secondary. Heck, when I travel, I'm always triple checking to see if I still have my passport. Without it you're stuck. So after a bit of histrionics about the situation, they get themselves together and decide to finish their tasks and then head to the airport to see if they left the passport on the plane from Toronto. Hopefully, they can find it there.
Meanwhile, the teams left at the library turn the task into math one. They all decide to run through bunch of numbers until one of them actually gets the right one. Neat idea but time consuming. Lots of going up and down to and from the 5th floor. But in the end they get it and move to the bridge. Funny how one of the Italian Boys is vainly searching for the flag from the top of the bridge and then up comes Kristine who spots it immediately without needing the binocs. "Oh, there it is," she says as she pops out from the shaft. One of the best moments in a show full of great moments. The Sweeney Boys and the Wrestlers had some funny moments, too.
Okay, where are we now? I had to go play roadie for my kid and came back missing a few moments. PVR pause didn't work long enough. So some teams are doing something with Orange Julius (I'd nail that task thanks to my interrupting kid. We love Orange Julius!) while there's a Detour. Bubbles or Suds. Seeing this is the Halifax/Dartmouth area, I was thinking one of the tasks had to do with the Trailer Park Boys. How awesome would that have been!? But no, something to do with lobsters. Didn't pay much attention cause the other task is a BEER TASK! You have to make three deliveries of beer to three separate pubs and then return some kegs back to the beer truck. Are you allowed to have a pint at each pub? Surely there's time. Of course there is Gord and Wayne, always times for beer; don't call me Shirley.
Anyway, the Dancers get through pretty quick while the Cops head to the lobster task and after a bit switch to beer. Yes in the end, everyone switches to beer. Once done, it's off to the pitstop and the Dancers are first. Leilani is in tears, happy to win but also remembering her parents who recently passed away. Very touching. bittersweet moment, one that wasn't over exploited for tears and drama. Which is why I like TAR Canada better than TAR US; They know how to tell the touching stories with subtlety. Nicely done, nicely done
Various teams do various sides of the Detour with Nic and Sabrina oddly taking the task that involves water when they (especially Nic) are very afraid of water. Didn't they read the clue that describes what has to be done? And various teams come in with Nic and Sabrina struggling and Hamilton and Michaelia at the airport looking for his passport. Air Canada dude is very helpful and after some gripping moments as they wait for news, the passport arrives.
Unfortunately, it's too late and they are the last team to arrive. And even though it's the perfect place for a non-elim, it's not. They are out. Sad to see them go, they were a good team, Hamilton leading the way for transgendered people, which was acknowledged by Jon in a short but quite profound speech. Not sure if that were his own words but you could tell he was sincere regardless. I'm looking forward to talking to Hamilton and Michaelia and having their comments up on in a few days.
Next week, it's the Iles de Madeline, a place I've always wanted to visit. And look, it's the first ever Faceoff, where teams actually compete against each other in a task. Fun. Then it's a Double U-Turn. And I hope that with all those big events in the leg, it better not be a non-elim. Because wants the point of a Face Off and a Double U-Turn if they don't, in the end, mean anything. See ya next week.