Recap: The Amazing Race Canada 8, Episode 1 – “I’m past my expiration date.”

Recap: The Amazing Race Canada 8, Episode 1 – Come on Doodlebug

Jon Montgomery welcomes everyone to the 8th season of The Amazing Race Canada. Ten teams are riding bikes on the way to the Starting Line in the middle of Mont-Tremblant.

The teams include Canada’s Queen of R&B Jully Black and friend Kathy, Whistler dating couple Court & Ally, “goofy” brothers Brendan & Connor, Uncle Dennis and nephew Durrell from Nova Scotia, Inuit siblings Olympian Jesse & actor Marika, Broadway besties Catherine (who has terminal brain cancer) & Craig, best friends Beverley & Veronica, Filipino-Canadian sisters Franca & Nella, Big Brother Canada 9 winner Tychon and his father Cedric and engaged couple Cassie & Jahmeek.

At the Starting Line, Jon announces that the teams are Racing for two Chevy Silverado ZR2s, a trip around the world courtesy of Guru and $250,000.

Jon flags them off and the teams open the first clue telling them to search the cobblestone streets for five plaques around town telling the history of Tremblant. They must decipher a code by using a guide pointing to specific letters on the plaque. When teams have collected all the letters, they must unscramble them to spell “Old Montreal,” their next destination.

Various teams agree to work with each other to figure it out. Some even just simply overhear the answer. But it is Beverley & Veronica who get the clue first and can now make their way to the village dock to sign-up for one of two Guru-sponsored charter buses (departing 15 minutes apart) that will take them to Montreal.

On the first bus are Beverley & Veronica, Brendan & Connor, Cassie & Jahmeek, Court & Ali and Catherine & Craig. Signed up for the second bus are Franca & Nella, Jesse & Marika and Jully & Kathy. But Cedric & Tychon and Dennis & Durrell, who teamed up to work together, have not deciphered the code yet. Brendan & Connor look for them and tell them the answer, allowing the two teams to sign-up for the bus.

The teams are off to Montreal and upon arrival must search the area for human billboards promoting Thor: Love and Thunder. They will receive a clue and a piece of Thor’s Mjölnir. Teams must keep it and other pieces they will receive during the Leg to assemble later.

The next clue reveals the Road Block: Who’s feeling well-rounded?

For this Road Block, teams must head to La Grande Roue de Montreal where they must climb 200 feet up ladders mounted to the Ferris Wheel in order to grab the next clue.

Connor decides to do the Road Block with Beverley, Jahmeek and Ali close behind. Craig is afraid, but is able to complete the task.

Connor grabs the clue and reunites with Brendan. The next clue reveals the Detour: Jazz or Pizzazz. In Jazz, teams must head to Upstairs Jazz and listen to a recording of Ranee Lee and perform the song, including the scat portion of the song. In Pizzazz, teams must head to the Wiggle Room and learn a burlesque act, including removing their clothing items in the correct order.

Connor & Brendan and Beverley & Veronica both choose Pizzazz which they easily take care of. Catherine & Craig and Cassie & Jahmeek are next to finish. Franca & Nella, who channel their Filipino karaoke-loving heritage, choose Jazz finish the Detour in 5th.

Jully & Kathy get lost, but they manage to get a police escort to Upstairs Jazz as well and are more than ready for the task with Jully Black on the team.

Court & Ally, Dennis & Durrell get the thumbs up with their burlesque performance. But Jesse & Marika and Cedric & Tychon have to do it again. Jully & Kathy, meanwhile, miss the beat and have to try again also.

After the Detour, teams can now head to the Rialto Theatre where teams will assemble the Mjölnir using all the pieces they’ve collected during this Leg of the Race. They will then head to the stage, bring the hammer to Jon and check-in at the Mat.

Connor & Brendan are officially Team #1 and win a trip to Los Angeles where they will attend the red carpet premiere of Thor Love and Thunder. They also get a $2500 Marshalls Gift Card. AND they also get THREE Express Passes.

Beverley & Veronica are Team #2 followed by Cassie & Jahmeek in 3rd. Nella & Franca, Catherine & Craig, Court & Ally and Dennis & Durrell finish as Teams 4 through 7. Jesse & Marika are 8th. Cedric & Tychon, who were in last, are able to get to the theater in 9th and check-in as Team #9

That means Jully & Kathy are last and eliminated.

Episode Thoughts

Well, that was as Amazing Race Canada as Amazing Race Canada gets.

Of course, we must appreciate the TARCAN team for successfully and safely completing production on this season. But aside from that, most TAR fans will know what to expect from TARCAN. And this Leg and episode was definitely that.

For the first task, it was kind of ewe with the vague shades of TAR32-ish behavior. Lol It’s only the first task of course. So alliances aren’t a thing at all. But really it’s more on the task itself. Allowing teams to just overhear the answer? Come on now. I think if teams are able to complete a task without actually completing it, then there’s something wrong.

TARCAN’s movie promos have always been awkwardly funny. But whatever pays the bills is fine by me. Having to collect things during the Leg to keep until further notices was definitely very TARPHDME lol So I liked that part at least.

For the Road Block, it was a bit of a processional task. Looking back, I think they spent too much time with the code deciphering task, which then took a bit away from the Road Block and Detour. But I dunno.

For the best TAR Ferris Wheel task though, it has to be TAR China’s task at the Ferris Wheel in Georgia. Scarier and more challenging I think.

The Detour was okay too. It’s a typical suburban TARCAN task. The burlesque Detour seemed like the easier task though since they just had to memorize the stripping order. Whereas the Jazz side of the Detour would be a no-go for bad singers lol

It was nice to see teams bunched up together at a pre-Mat task.

But overall, it was a fine episode. Nothing too memorable. But just simple fun to have TARCAN back after such a long time.

My Subjective Team Rankings

Not much yet this week to really judge them. I didn’t really dig into the teams when they were announced. And only knew there was a team of Filipino-Canadian sisters on the cast.

Having Franca & Nella on TAR Canada is definitely wonderful to see. Especially after Tuesday’s #BB24 cast reveal with almost no Asian representation. Ugh.

But so far, the cast is looking solid. Though the early makings of alliances and partnerships will always trigger a cringe-inducing feeling in me while watching TAR. Lol

Jully & Kathy were big personalities. So it’s sad that we won’t be able to see them Race some more.