Recap: The Amazing Race Canada 7, Episode 1 – “If you fall from this height, do you die?”

Recap: The Amazing Race Canada 7, Episode 1 – Canada Get More Maps

Nine brand new teams arrive at Pecaut Square in Toronto, the home of the 2019 World Champion Toronto Raptors! And Jon announces that the team voted back in as Canada’s Choice is… Jet & Dave.

Jon gives the “Go!” signal and teams run to their backpacks and open the first clue which also has $900 for this Leg of the Race and a heads up that there are two Express Passes available on this Leg.

Teams must make their way to Extreme Reach Recording Studio in Toronto where they find their first Road Block: Who can hear the lion roar?

For this Road Block, teams will dub the trailer for the upcoming Disney live action remake of The Lion King. In theaters July 18.

Irina aces the recording on her first attempt and she and Dave can now make their way to Ontario Food Terminal. Here, teams must search cold storage for two halves of a postcard revealing their next destination: Kamloops, BC.

Jet gets the thumbs up on his 2nd attempt and Aisha on her 7th attempt. The others get it after several attempts as well.

After teams find the postcard, teams must head to Toronto-Pearson where they will sign up for one of two flights to Kamloops, each carrying five teams. They can also pick up some Clif bars.

On the first flight are Jet & Dave, Dave & Irina, Nicki & Aisha, Trish & Amy and Lauren & Joanne.

Upon arrival in Kamloops, teams will choose a brand new 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 which they can drive to the next Route Marker, Ajax Mine. And here, they will find the next Road Block: Who likes mine games?

For this Road Block, teams will fly across the copper mine on a zipline and drop a ball into a target. The team member who did not complete the first Road Block will perform this one.

Irina’s Dave gets the ball into the target on his first attempt. They can now drive to Circle Creek Ranch. Jet’s Dave hits the target next. But Jet & Dave do not have a map.

Already at the ranch, Dave & Irina must search the ear tags of cows for their next destination: Kamloops Bike Ranch, the first Pit Stop of the Race.

Dave & Irina, with their map, arrive at the ranch and step on the Mat officially as Team #1. They win a trip to South Africa AND the two Express Passes.

While Jet & Dave drive around with no idea where to go, the other teams are in and out of the cattle herd. Sarah & Sam, Meaghan & Marie and Lauren & Joanne are Teams 2 through 4, respectively.

Jet & Dave have driven 80 kilometers out of the way. Trish & Amy, Anthony & James, Aarthy & Thinesh and Nicki & Aisha are 5th through 8th. Gilles & Sean, who were far behind at the zipline Road Block in last, are able to step on the Mat as Team #9.

That means Jet & Dave are last and ELIMINATED!

Episode Thoughts

Oh my! So, following the spoilers, I knew Jet & Dave were one of the first teams eliminated. But WOW! I never thought they would be the FIRST team eliminated! I am shocked. I definitely don’t regret voting them in. (And yes, I am not a Canadian or even live in Canada, but I still voted lol) But I feel like the whole Canada’s Choice thing ended up being a waste. Jet & Dave are legit All-Stars and should’ve been saved for a real All-Stars season. (Though I doubt TAR Canada will ever have one.) It’s really too bad.

At the same time, we can kind of blame this strange Leg. I’ve always said if TAR Canada isn’t flying out of the country anyway for the first Leg, they should just have the first Leg in the same city/area as the Starting Line. It helps save that plane money for something else.

So this Leg should’ve been a whole Leg in Toronto or a whole Leg in Kamloops. Not half and half. The plane ride across the country just brings the Race to a halt right in the middle of the Leg and obviously, there’s the possibility that everything before the flight is negated anyway.

Though I guess the whole first half of the Leg and episode was really just for the Lion King commercial. lol

I don’t know if I hate the Lion King product placement, or absolutely love it. Lol On one hand, we all know TAR Canada’s budget somehow continues to keep shrinking despite being the most watched show in the country. So some Disney money will certainly help (maybe) with staging some better tasks and having better (international? lol) destinations. But on the other hand, this had to be the most blatant product placement task on any TAR ever. And for it to be on the FIRST Leg kinda leaves a bad taste. Especially when the rest of the Leg was equally meh.

The Clif bar placement was a little more natural. Especially when TAR China gives teams free McDo all the time hehe And the Expedia-sponsored map is also a nice touch and very seamless.

The second Road Block was fine. Very TAR Philippines 2 and TAR Asia 5. Hehe But for being basically the only task in Kamloops, being a first come, first served task also limits the competition aspect. Without Jet & Dave getting themselves lost, the Leg might have been decided long before even the cows.

Overall, this being an underwhelming premiere is definitely not a surprise. But as has been the case the last few years, the teams will have to carry the series. And I think we might have a good one this time.

My Subjective Team Rankings

Always hard judging brand new teams after the first Leg. But overall, this really could be an interesting and competitive cast.

Definitely sad about Jet & Dave, as I’ve said above. I hate to think it, but it almost felt like they weren’t 100% in the Race this episode. Like they were just here to visit and had no intention to stay longer? I dunno. This is definitely not the Jet & Dave from season 1.

I am drawn to Aarthy & Thinesh for some reason. And I definitely welcome Dave & Irina being uber-competitive. Sarah & Sam also seem like a team who will be very competitive, but still fun. I think Trish & Amy can be great underdogs to root for. And Anthony & James have a lot of potential to be a very fun and competitive team to watch.

Gilles & Sean have a very interesting story and it would be great for a grandfather-grandson team to do well on TAR Canada. I don’t remember if we’ve ever had one on TARC yet?

Unfortunately for me, the sister teams all blended together this first Leg. Like, they’re all very interchangeable. But that should change in the coming Legs of course.

Episode Quotes

Dave: “If you fall from this height, do you die?”

Dave: “I just stepped in poo-poo.”