Battle Royale: The Last Generation Of An SNES-CD Saga
- Thread starter RySenkari
- Start date
yeah cool liza koshy SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE DIEDOn a lighter note, how about that new Thrillseekers cast, huh?
AeroTheZealousOne
Monthly Donor
Dammit, we can't have nice things ITTL, either! They should have used Segways or something idk, they are kinds the same thing but with wheels and some semblance of stability, and batteries that don't expl--
I distantly recall this, not catching fire and whatnot. I take my above criticism back, as cool as Segways still are.
Hey, I've seen that time of year before in someone's length of the Presidency! Now who's--
Oh. Right.
Well, we'll see where this goes then. Reminds me of that one cliffhanger with the Olympia Pipeline explosion and Nirvana back in '99, sort of.
Yeah! They seem cool and chill. Nice to see some minority representation across the board and the calmer political atmosphere not making any if it overly and unnecessarily controversial.
The Amazing Race Canada, Season 7
The Amazing Race Canada: Season 7: Back to the start.
The Canadian version of the show had, in spite of its good ratings, always had a bit of struggle with money. It’s something I’ve found with Canadian versions of foreign shows, especially reality shows. Just look at what happened to Canadian Idol to see what I’m talking about. Anyways, this is the first season since season one to stay entirely within Canada. It was disappointing, but somewhat understandable. Also disheartening is that Kenneth of Kenneth and Ryan died in a freak hiking accident just before the season ended.
This season also introduced the One-way, in which one team can choose a Detour option for another team that they have to do. It’s an interesting twist on the U-Turn, I give you that.
Also this season, fans could choose one of the teams. One of three teams from past seasons: Jet and Dave from Season 1; Brent and Sean from Season 3 and Frankie and Amy from Season 4. The winners were voted on and will be revealed below. This season was filmed between April and May 2019.
Lauren and Joanne: Sisters. The first team from Saskatchewan to compete in the race, these two were so much fun, Joanne especially.
Jet and Dave: Friends. Yes, of the teams that were available to vote on these two were the most popular. They bring the same goofy charm to the race that they brought last time.
Aarthy and Thinesh: Dating couple. They are opposites Aarthy is uptight and Thinesh is more relaxed. This comes out, when Aarthy starts to come undone when things don’t go her way.
Meaghan and Marie: Twins. They are fun too. But they are also a bit more reserved than Lauren and Joanne and Jet and Dave.
Dave and Irina: Married couple. These two are the villains of the season. And, according to the other racers, they were toned down from what they were like on the show. One thing I should mention is that they received death threats after the show, for “not displaying Canadian values.” I mean I don’t like them either, but death threats. Really?
Anthony and James: Married couple. These two are great. Anthony is Cree and James is Navajo. They are also Two-spirit. I don’t know the exact definition (I think it’s supposed to be a third gender), but someone can correct me in the comments.
Nicki and Aisha: Friends. These two are great. Though I do wish that they lasted longer.
Trish and Amy: Friends. They were a good team and worked well together.
Sarah and Sam: Track teammates. They were very competitive. In fact, after this they made the 2020 Canadian Olympic Track and Field Team.
Gilles and Sean: Grandfather and Grandson. These two, I feel, would have gone further if they worked together more.
Leg #1: “Fortunately, we got a map.”
Original Air Date: July 2, 2019.
Teams start in David Pecaut Square in Toronto. After getting $200, teams go to Extreme Reach Recording Studio for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to rehearse and record dialogue so that it syncs with the trailer of a then upcoming Disney movie. Then they have to go to the Ontario Food Distribution Terminal and find two halves of a postcard that tells them their next destination: Kamloops B.C. Team then go to Pearson International Airport and sign up for one of two flights that leave 30 minutes apart.
On arrival, teams drive to the Ajax Mine where they find another Roadblock. In this Roadblock, the team member who didn’t do the first Roadblock, has to ride a 1,000ft (300m) zipline 100ft (30m) over an open pit of the mine and successfully toss a yellow ball into a floating target. After this, teams go to Circle Creek Ranch where they have to search through the yearlings for one with an ear tag with the Pit Stop: Kamloops Bike Ranch on it.
1. Dave and Irina 2:03 P.M. Won a trip for two to Cape Town, South Africa and two Express Passes (one of which they give to Anthony and James)
2. Meaghan and Marie 2:07 P.M.
3. Sam and Sarah 2:10 P.M.
4. Lauren and Joanne 3:00 P.M.
5. Anthony and James 3:13 P.M.
6. Trish and Amy 3:45 P.M.
7. Jet and Dave 4:01 P.M.
8. Aarthy and Thinesh 4:25 P.M.
9. Nicki and Aisha 4:34 P.M.
10 Gilles and Sean 5:02 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #2: “Our competition’s not that smart.”
Original Air Date: July 9, 2019.
Getting $300, teams drive to the Last Spike Monument in Craigellachie, B.C. Then teams go to Glacier House Resort in Revelstoke, where they find the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to suit up and ride a dirt bike over a course of hills and turns in 1:50 to get their next clue. Teams then get the Detour: Plant or Paddle. In Plant, teams had to plant 40 conifer tree seedlings in a forest clearing. The seedlings must be straight, planted a specified length apart, and have no air pockets underground. Once all 40 were approved, teams received their next clue. In Paddle, teams had to paddle a pair of kayaks, tied together facing opposite directions, to collect five different colored flags from buoys scattered around the lake. Once they returned to shore with all five flags, they received their next clue.
After this, teams go to the Revelstoke Railway Museum and put together a model railroad using every track and accessory with no dead ends and fitting on the table they chose. Then teams go to Revelstoke Mountain Resort and ride a cable car to the Pit Stop: Mount Mackenzie.
1. Meghan and Marie 1:00 P.M. Won a trip for two to Madrid, Spain and an Express Pass
2. Dave and Irina 1:01 P.M.
3. Nicki and Aisha 1:12 P.M.
4. Lauren and Joanne 2:12 P.M.
5. Sarah and Sam 2:59 P.M.
6. Jet and Dave 3:01 P.M.
7. Trish and Amy 3:20 P.M.
8. Anthony and James 3:21 P.M.
9. Aarthy and Thinesh 4:12 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg#3: “We’ll let the peasants fight for last place.”
Original Air Date: July 16, 2019.
Receiving $350, teams fly to Edmonton, Alberta on one of two flights with the lead two teams 2.5 hours ahead of the six. On arrival, teams go to Southgate Centre and enter The Source where they both get a smart watch that will track the movement for the rest of the leg. The team with the least amount of steps wins a $5,000 gift card to The Source. Then they have to go to the High Level Bridge Street Car where the One-way is along with the Detour: Celebrate or Elevate. Lauren and Joanne One Way Trish and Amy while Sarah and Sam One-way Nicki and Aisha. Both go to Celebrate.
In Celebrate, teams had to learn the lyrics and choreography for a medley of South African songs and then successfully perform with the Kokopelli Youth Choir to be given their next clue by the choir director. In Elevate, teams had to complete two puzzles, one at the top of the funicular and one at the bottom, of the Edmonton skyline to receive their next clue from the city's poet laureate. Teams would discover that some puzzle pieces belonged to the other puzzle and had to transfer one piece at a time via the funicular. Teams then go to Old Strathcona Antique Mall and look for a bobble head of Jon. Then they head to Kurimoto Japanese Garden, Ozawa Pavilion at the University of Alberta for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to watch a silent demonstration of an Ikebana flower arraignment, and then replicate it, making sure that the flowers are the correct height, not touching and that their workspace is clean afterword. After that, teams search the campus for the Pit Stop: The Aga Khan Gardens.
1. Dave and Irina 12:01 P.M. Won a trip for two to Casablanca, Morocco.
2. Jet and Dave 12:03 P.M. Won the Source gift card
3. Lauren and Joanne 1:15 P.M.
4. Meaghan and Marie 1:45 P.M.
5. Sarah and Sam 2:12 P.M.
6. Anthony and James 2:18 P.M.
7. Nicki and Aisha 3:19 P.M.
8. Trish and Amy 3:50 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #4: “We love geologists!”
Original Air Date: July 23, 2019.
Getting $190, teams fly to Yellowknife Northwest Territories. Once there, they have to Somba K’e Civic Plaza where they have to look for the United in Celebration statue. Then teams have to head to Rotary Park where they have to drive a snowmobile across Great Slave Lake to a Dene fishing camp. Here teams have to use a hand auger to drill a three foot (0.91m) hole in the ice, clear it of ice chips, and put a Dene fishing line on there.
Teams then go to NWT Diamond Centre for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member had to use a jeweler’s loupe to identify which six out of seven diamonds were marked with a Canadian symbol, a maple leaf. Then, they had to use a Forevermark viewer to find the identification number on each diamond. Finally, they had to sort the diamonds from heaviest to lightest to receive their next clue. From there teams go to Robertson Drive Dock for another Roadblock. In this Roadblock, the team member who didn’t do the first Roadblock has to put on a wetsuit and safety gear and swim under the ice of Great Slave Lake. Teams then go to Air Tindi Float Base where they have to locate ten rescue bases using longitude and latitude (it was around here that Sam and Sarah run into a geologists’ office while lost. They have to come back twice. Once to help with the task and again to pay their cab.) Then teams get flown to the Pit Stop: a Dene village called Dettah.
1. Jet and Dave 2:10 P.M. Won a trip for two to Dublin, Ireland.
2. Megan and Marie 2:33 P.M.
3. Dave and Irina 2:49 P.M. Penalized two hours for quitting the longitude and latitude task
4. Anthony and James 3:15 P.M.
5. Lauren and Joanne 3:33 P.M.
6. Sarah and Sam 3:34 P.M.
7. Nicki and Aisha 4:05 P.M. NOT ELIMINATED/SPEEDBUMPED.
Leg #5: “Clamaggedon continues.”
Original Air Date: July 30, 2019.
Getting $150, teams fly to Vancouver, British Colombia. Once there, teams have to sign up for a sea plane to Nanaimo, British Colombia. Teams then dive themselves to Petroglyph Provincial Park, where they pick up a Dora the Explorer backpack (which ties into the recent movie that came out) and the items that came with it. Then teams go to WildPlay Element Park, where they have to memorize the recipe for Nanaimo Bars in 60 seconds, then one team member bungee jumps while the other did a tandem primal swing off a bridge 150ft (46m) in the air. Then teams had to repeat the Nanaimo Bar recipe.
After that, teams go to Deep Bay Marine Station, where Nicki and Aisha get their Speedbump. In this Speedbump, Nicki and Aisha have to put together a 37 piece orca skeleton, including a piece in their backpack. Then they can join the other teams on the beach to find and identify: thirty manila clams, thirty mahogany clams, thirty Pacific oysters, and five butter clams to receive their next clue. Teams then go to Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to go into the cave and take pictures with a camera they picked up on the way. Then they have to unscramble the letters on a white board: “Goats on Roof.” Which is the next Pit Stop, though if they can figure out what the carrots in their backpack were for they can write down the answer right away.
1. Jet and Dave 1:13 P.M. Won a trip for two to Machu Picchu, Peru.
2. Anthony and James 2:14 P.M.
3. Lauren and Joanne 2:34 P.M.
4. Dave and Irina 3:19 P.M. PENALIZED two hours for not completing the clamming task
5. Nicki and Aisha 3:40 P.M.
6. Megan and Marie 4:01 P.M.
7. Sarah and Sam 4:17 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #6: “This muskrat is bringing you down!”
Original Air Date: August 6, 2019.
Receiving $200, teams fly to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. On arrival, teams go to the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan to get their next clue. Teams then go to the Nutrien Cory Potash Mine, descend into the mine and nail a ventilation curtain up in a straight line with no gaps piling loose potash at the bottom to maintain a seal. After that they go to a nearby Shell gas station to get video message from their loved ones and directions to go to Champêtre County Vacation Ranch. Here they get the Detour: Dance in a Square or Walk in a Circle.
In Dance in a Square, one team member had to memorize a list of nineteen square dance moves and call the dance in time with the music while their partner had to learn and perform the dance alongside the River City Squares to receive their next clue. In Walk in Circles, teams had to search a 7,500 square foot barn board maze for four different types of cobs of corn, which they could exchange for their next clue. Teams then go to Victoria Park in Saskatoon and join a Saskatoon Rush lacrosse team practice. When they hit two targets, they go to the Pit Stop: Remai Modern Art Museum.
1. Anthony and James 11:11 A.M. Won a trip for two to Costa Rica.
2. Dave and Irina 11:29 A.M.
3. Jet and Dave 12:09 P.M.
4. Lauren and Joanne 1:03 P.M.
5. Meghan and Marie 1:28 P.M.
6. Nicki and Aisha 2:10 P.M. NOT ELIMINATED/SPEEDBUMPED.
Leg #7: “That’s a lot of balls.”
Original Air Date: August 13, 2019.
Getting $300, teams fly to Toronto, Ontario, and then take a bus with blacked out windows to Kitchener-Waterloo. On arrival, teams go to The Museum where they go into a ball pit with 30,000 green balls to find one of 12 red or yellow balls (though Nicki and Aisha to the University of Waterloo first to complete their Speedbump: test a self-driving car). Teams then get the Detour: Beer Fest or Robo Quest. In Beer Fest, teams took part in a Kitchener–Waterloo Oktoberfest celebration. They had to choose a table of ten patrons, who each ordered a different variety of beer. While pouring the beers at the taps, the patrons would get up and dance then sit in different seats. Once teams served all ten orders correctly, they received their next clue from Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. In Robot Quest, teams had to use walkie-talkies to navigate a Nao robot through a course. One team member gave directions to their partner in another room, who blindly controlled it entering the commands on a computer screen; partners could not swap roles once the task began. Once Nao completed the course and crossed the finish line, they received their next clue from Callisto, a TALOS humanoid robot.
Teams then go to The Culinary Studio for the Face Off. The team who arrived first had the choice of three dishes to prepare using Race sponsor (yep officially a sponsor) Dempster's wheat tortillas: wraps, rolls or pizza. Both teams were given one minute to observe the completed dish, and then had fifteen minutes to re-create it without the use of a recipe. The team whose dish better resembled the example received their next clue, while the losing team had to wait for another team. The last team remaining at the Face Off had to turn over an hourglass and wait out a time penalty before moving on. After that, teams go to the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics for the final puzzle: They had to drop a tennis ball from a balcony, then use a stopwatch to measure the time it took to reach the ground, represented by the value t. Using this and the value g for gravity, they had to determine on a chalkboard the value of d, representing the distance from the balcony to the ground. If their solution was between 41 feet (12 m) and 49 feet (15 m), they received their next clue. After that it’s off to the Pit Stop: Knight-Newbrough Field at Wilfrid Laurier University.
1. Jet and Dave 11:18 A.M. Won a trip for two to Frankfurt, Germany.
2. Lauren and Joanne 11:46 A.M.
3. Nicki and Aisha 12:14 P.M.
4. Dave and Irina 12:15 P.M.
5. Anthony and James 1:01 P.M.
6. Meghan and Marie 1:28 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #8: “Open your Bouche.”
Original Air Date: August 20, 2019.
Receiving $200, teams travel by train to La Malbaie, Charlevoix, Quebec. On arrival, teams have to go to Chez Chantal and peel 25 potatoes for poutine, get a sample for the road and their next clue. Teams then go to Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member had to dress in formal attire and take part in a mock press conference of the 44th G7 summit, hosted in La Malbaie in 2018. They had to memorize and correctly deliver a speech in English and French, then answer three questions from reporters, one each in Japanese, German, and Italian, to receive their next clue, with several teams making several tries at it.
Teams then get the Blind Detour: This or That. In This, teams had to recreate two paintings onto emu eggs at Centre de l'Émeu de Charlevoix without removing the examples from the basket. After recreating the paintings, teams had to travel to Baie-Saint-Paul and deliver their eggs to one of the two buildings depicted on their eggs, Boutique Le Pot aux Roses or Bistro La Muse, to receive their next clue. In That, teams had to play a modified version of pick-lit, a local game that involved hitting a wooden peg into the air before smacking it into a marked field to score points. Once teams scored 200 points, they would receive their next clue. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Musée Maritime de Charlevoix where they are told to keep going.
1. Lauren and Joanne 1:13 P.M. Won a trip for two to Santiago, Chile.
2. Jet and Dave 1:20 P.M.
3. Dave and Irina 2:40 P.M.
4. Anthony and James 3:10 P.M.
5. Nicki and Aisha 3:11 P.M.
Leg #9: “That’s Edam Gouda.”
Original Air Date: August 27, 2019.
Getting $300, teams take a train to Toronto, Ontario. On arrival, teams have to get to the Royal Ontario Museum and find ten specific exhibits, pick up one rubber stamp at each one and then go to a common area. There they use the stamps to spell out their next destination: Thunder Bay. To get there, teams go to the Toronto Coach Terminal and sign up for a bus. Teams are then dropped off at the Terry Fox statue in Thunder Bay five minutes apart. Teams then go to a Shell Gas Station and fill up for their next clue.
Teams then go to a local game establishment called Wacky’s for the Face Off. In this Face-Off, the first team to arrive chooses one of three games (air hockey, table hockey or axe throwing) and whoever gets the most points wins. Then they get the Detour: Cutting Edge or Cutting a Wedge. In Cutting Edge, teams had to drive to the Lakehead University Faculty of Natural Resources Management Airfield, where they had to unbox a DJI Mavic 2 Zoom drone kit from The Source. Then, one racer would blindly fly the drone while guided by their partner wearing VR goggles with the drone's video feed to find four plush moose. Once teams marked the four moose locations on a board, they would receive their next clue. In Cutting a Wedge, teams had to drive to Thunder Oak Cheese Farm and locate a specific numbered Gouda cheese wheel that they had to cut into wedges between 230 grams (8.1 oz) and 270 grams (9.5 oz) before properly packaging the wedges. Once teams packaged 32 wedges, they would receive their next clue from a cheesemaker. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Kakabeka Falls.
1. Dave and Irina 12:14 P.M. Won a trip for two to Venice, Italy.
2. Anthony and James 1:09 P.M.
3. Lauren and Joanne 1:34 P.M.
4. Jet and Dave 2:12 P.M.
5. Nicki and Aisha 3:45 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #10: “He’s basically a hound.”
Original Air Date: September 3, 2019.
Receiving $150, teams fly to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Once there, teams have to go to Tangled Garden where the Roadblock is. In this Roadblock, one team member had to search the Tangled Garden for seven herbs: basil, mint, sage, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, and chives. Then, they had to taste and match seven jams and jellies with the herb used to make them to receive their next clue. Next, teams head to Elderkin’s Farm Market for the Detour: Puck or Apples.
In Puck, teams had to travel to Andrew H. McCain Arena, where they had to play sledge hockey with team members passing a puck to each other through a practice course and scoring a goal in under one minute to receive their next clue. In Apples, teams had to travel to Noggin's Corner Farm Market, where they had to sort a bin of apples into twelve varieties: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Empire, Gala, Idared, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Ambrosia, Crispin, McIntosh, Spy, and Cortland. Once all the apples were correctly placed, teams would receive their next clue. Teams then go to Taproot Farms where they use the backup camera on their pick up to find five verses of the folk song Farewell to Nova Scotia and put them in the correct order. Then they have to take a trailer of beer to The Church Brewing Co. and perform the song with the band that’s playing there. After that, they get a picture of Jon next to a red telephone booth. They have to figure out it’s the next Pit Stop: Luckett Vineyards.
1. Jet and Dave 3:15 P.M. Won a trip for two to Singapore.
2. Anthony and James 4:01 P.M.
3. Lauren and Joanne 4:34 P.M.
4. Dave and Irina 5:15 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #11: “Best job I’ve done!”
Original Air Date: September 10, 2019.
Getting $130, teams fly to Toronto, Ontario, where they sign up for one of three floatplanes to Port Carling, Ontario. On arrival, teams have to go to Muskoka Lakes Museum where they have to play a life sized trivia game with Jon, answering questions about the previous legs of the race. Once they answer questions about all the past legs, they get the next clue. After a brief, unaired, stop at the Port Carling Wall, teams go to Clevelands House for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to fly a hydroflying jetpack called a Flyboard at least 15 feet (4.6 m) out of the water before throwing a bean bag into a target to receive their next clue.
Teams then head to Rosseau Lake Cottage and build an 8ft (2.4m) Muskoka chair using only a small model as an example. Then teams go to Santa’s Village in Bracebridge where they find a second Roadblock. In this Roadblock the team member who didn’t do the first Roadblock has to find one of three elves with a red and yellow candy cane that they had to deliver to Santa Claus, who would give them their next clue. After that, teams go to Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh and build an irrigation system for a large section of cranberries with no leaks. Teams then head to the finish line: Camp Mini-Yo-We.
1. Lauren and Joanne WIN
2. Jet and Dave PLACE
3. Anthony and James SHOW
This is an average season, tied for fifth. The course was ok, the racers were, for the most part good, the challenges were hit and miss. The lack of funds explains most, but not all, of this. Still it was ok. Next time, back to basics on the American version.
-Globetrotting: An Amazing Race Blog on the website Reality Rewind by R. C. Anderson, September 14, 2019.
The Canadian version of the show had, in spite of its good ratings, always had a bit of struggle with money. It’s something I’ve found with Canadian versions of foreign shows, especially reality shows. Just look at what happened to Canadian Idol to see what I’m talking about. Anyways, this is the first season since season one to stay entirely within Canada. It was disappointing, but somewhat understandable. Also disheartening is that Kenneth of Kenneth and Ryan died in a freak hiking accident just before the season ended.
This season also introduced the One-way, in which one team can choose a Detour option for another team that they have to do. It’s an interesting twist on the U-Turn, I give you that.
Also this season, fans could choose one of the teams. One of three teams from past seasons: Jet and Dave from Season 1; Brent and Sean from Season 3 and Frankie and Amy from Season 4. The winners were voted on and will be revealed below. This season was filmed between April and May 2019.
The Cast:
Lauren and Joanne: Sisters. The first team from Saskatchewan to compete in the race, these two were so much fun, Joanne especially.
Jet and Dave: Friends. Yes, of the teams that were available to vote on these two were the most popular. They bring the same goofy charm to the race that they brought last time.
Aarthy and Thinesh: Dating couple. They are opposites Aarthy is uptight and Thinesh is more relaxed. This comes out, when Aarthy starts to come undone when things don’t go her way.
Meaghan and Marie: Twins. They are fun too. But they are also a bit more reserved than Lauren and Joanne and Jet and Dave.
Dave and Irina: Married couple. These two are the villains of the season. And, according to the other racers, they were toned down from what they were like on the show. One thing I should mention is that they received death threats after the show, for “not displaying Canadian values.” I mean I don’t like them either, but death threats. Really?
Anthony and James: Married couple. These two are great. Anthony is Cree and James is Navajo. They are also Two-spirit. I don’t know the exact definition (I think it’s supposed to be a third gender), but someone can correct me in the comments.
Nicki and Aisha: Friends. These two are great. Though I do wish that they lasted longer.
Trish and Amy: Friends. They were a good team and worked well together.
Sarah and Sam: Track teammates. They were very competitive. In fact, after this they made the 2020 Canadian Olympic Track and Field Team.
Gilles and Sean: Grandfather and Grandson. These two, I feel, would have gone further if they worked together more.
The Race
Leg #1: “Fortunately, we got a map.”
Original Air Date: July 2, 2019.
Teams start in David Pecaut Square in Toronto. After getting $200, teams go to Extreme Reach Recording Studio for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to rehearse and record dialogue so that it syncs with the trailer of a then upcoming Disney movie. Then they have to go to the Ontario Food Distribution Terminal and find two halves of a postcard that tells them their next destination: Kamloops B.C. Team then go to Pearson International Airport and sign up for one of two flights that leave 30 minutes apart.
On arrival, teams drive to the Ajax Mine where they find another Roadblock. In this Roadblock, the team member who didn’t do the first Roadblock, has to ride a 1,000ft (300m) zipline 100ft (30m) over an open pit of the mine and successfully toss a yellow ball into a floating target. After this, teams go to Circle Creek Ranch where they have to search through the yearlings for one with an ear tag with the Pit Stop: Kamloops Bike Ranch on it.
1. Dave and Irina 2:03 P.M. Won a trip for two to Cape Town, South Africa and two Express Passes (one of which they give to Anthony and James)
2. Meaghan and Marie 2:07 P.M.
3. Sam and Sarah 2:10 P.M.
4. Lauren and Joanne 3:00 P.M.
5. Anthony and James 3:13 P.M.
6. Trish and Amy 3:45 P.M.
7. Jet and Dave 4:01 P.M.
8. Aarthy and Thinesh 4:25 P.M.
9. Nicki and Aisha 4:34 P.M.
10 Gilles and Sean 5:02 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #2: “Our competition’s not that smart.”
Original Air Date: July 9, 2019.
Getting $300, teams drive to the Last Spike Monument in Craigellachie, B.C. Then teams go to Glacier House Resort in Revelstoke, where they find the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to suit up and ride a dirt bike over a course of hills and turns in 1:50 to get their next clue. Teams then get the Detour: Plant or Paddle. In Plant, teams had to plant 40 conifer tree seedlings in a forest clearing. The seedlings must be straight, planted a specified length apart, and have no air pockets underground. Once all 40 were approved, teams received their next clue. In Paddle, teams had to paddle a pair of kayaks, tied together facing opposite directions, to collect five different colored flags from buoys scattered around the lake. Once they returned to shore with all five flags, they received their next clue.
After this, teams go to the Revelstoke Railway Museum and put together a model railroad using every track and accessory with no dead ends and fitting on the table they chose. Then teams go to Revelstoke Mountain Resort and ride a cable car to the Pit Stop: Mount Mackenzie.
1. Meghan and Marie 1:00 P.M. Won a trip for two to Madrid, Spain and an Express Pass
2. Dave and Irina 1:01 P.M.
3. Nicki and Aisha 1:12 P.M.
4. Lauren and Joanne 2:12 P.M.
5. Sarah and Sam 2:59 P.M.
6. Jet and Dave 3:01 P.M.
7. Trish and Amy 3:20 P.M.
8. Anthony and James 3:21 P.M.
9. Aarthy and Thinesh 4:12 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg#3: “We’ll let the peasants fight for last place.”
Original Air Date: July 16, 2019.
Receiving $350, teams fly to Edmonton, Alberta on one of two flights with the lead two teams 2.5 hours ahead of the six. On arrival, teams go to Southgate Centre and enter The Source where they both get a smart watch that will track the movement for the rest of the leg. The team with the least amount of steps wins a $5,000 gift card to The Source. Then they have to go to the High Level Bridge Street Car where the One-way is along with the Detour: Celebrate or Elevate. Lauren and Joanne One Way Trish and Amy while Sarah and Sam One-way Nicki and Aisha. Both go to Celebrate.
In Celebrate, teams had to learn the lyrics and choreography for a medley of South African songs and then successfully perform with the Kokopelli Youth Choir to be given their next clue by the choir director. In Elevate, teams had to complete two puzzles, one at the top of the funicular and one at the bottom, of the Edmonton skyline to receive their next clue from the city's poet laureate. Teams would discover that some puzzle pieces belonged to the other puzzle and had to transfer one piece at a time via the funicular. Teams then go to Old Strathcona Antique Mall and look for a bobble head of Jon. Then they head to Kurimoto Japanese Garden, Ozawa Pavilion at the University of Alberta for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to watch a silent demonstration of an Ikebana flower arraignment, and then replicate it, making sure that the flowers are the correct height, not touching and that their workspace is clean afterword. After that, teams search the campus for the Pit Stop: The Aga Khan Gardens.
1. Dave and Irina 12:01 P.M. Won a trip for two to Casablanca, Morocco.
2. Jet and Dave 12:03 P.M. Won the Source gift card
3. Lauren and Joanne 1:15 P.M.
4. Meaghan and Marie 1:45 P.M.
5. Sarah and Sam 2:12 P.M.
6. Anthony and James 2:18 P.M.
7. Nicki and Aisha 3:19 P.M.
8. Trish and Amy 3:50 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #4: “We love geologists!”
Original Air Date: July 23, 2019.
Getting $190, teams fly to Yellowknife Northwest Territories. Once there, they have to Somba K’e Civic Plaza where they have to look for the United in Celebration statue. Then teams have to head to Rotary Park where they have to drive a snowmobile across Great Slave Lake to a Dene fishing camp. Here teams have to use a hand auger to drill a three foot (0.91m) hole in the ice, clear it of ice chips, and put a Dene fishing line on there.
Teams then go to NWT Diamond Centre for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member had to use a jeweler’s loupe to identify which six out of seven diamonds were marked with a Canadian symbol, a maple leaf. Then, they had to use a Forevermark viewer to find the identification number on each diamond. Finally, they had to sort the diamonds from heaviest to lightest to receive their next clue. From there teams go to Robertson Drive Dock for another Roadblock. In this Roadblock, the team member who didn’t do the first Roadblock has to put on a wetsuit and safety gear and swim under the ice of Great Slave Lake. Teams then go to Air Tindi Float Base where they have to locate ten rescue bases using longitude and latitude (it was around here that Sam and Sarah run into a geologists’ office while lost. They have to come back twice. Once to help with the task and again to pay their cab.) Then teams get flown to the Pit Stop: a Dene village called Dettah.
1. Jet and Dave 2:10 P.M. Won a trip for two to Dublin, Ireland.
2. Megan and Marie 2:33 P.M.
3. Dave and Irina 2:49 P.M. Penalized two hours for quitting the longitude and latitude task
4. Anthony and James 3:15 P.M.
5. Lauren and Joanne 3:33 P.M.
6. Sarah and Sam 3:34 P.M.
7. Nicki and Aisha 4:05 P.M. NOT ELIMINATED/SPEEDBUMPED.
Leg #5: “Clamaggedon continues.”
Original Air Date: July 30, 2019.
Getting $150, teams fly to Vancouver, British Colombia. Once there, teams have to sign up for a sea plane to Nanaimo, British Colombia. Teams then dive themselves to Petroglyph Provincial Park, where they pick up a Dora the Explorer backpack (which ties into the recent movie that came out) and the items that came with it. Then teams go to WildPlay Element Park, where they have to memorize the recipe for Nanaimo Bars in 60 seconds, then one team member bungee jumps while the other did a tandem primal swing off a bridge 150ft (46m) in the air. Then teams had to repeat the Nanaimo Bar recipe.
After that, teams go to Deep Bay Marine Station, where Nicki and Aisha get their Speedbump. In this Speedbump, Nicki and Aisha have to put together a 37 piece orca skeleton, including a piece in their backpack. Then they can join the other teams on the beach to find and identify: thirty manila clams, thirty mahogany clams, thirty Pacific oysters, and five butter clams to receive their next clue. Teams then go to Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to go into the cave and take pictures with a camera they picked up on the way. Then they have to unscramble the letters on a white board: “Goats on Roof.” Which is the next Pit Stop, though if they can figure out what the carrots in their backpack were for they can write down the answer right away.
1. Jet and Dave 1:13 P.M. Won a trip for two to Machu Picchu, Peru.
2. Anthony and James 2:14 P.M.
3. Lauren and Joanne 2:34 P.M.
4. Dave and Irina 3:19 P.M. PENALIZED two hours for not completing the clamming task
5. Nicki and Aisha 3:40 P.M.
6. Megan and Marie 4:01 P.M.
7. Sarah and Sam 4:17 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #6: “This muskrat is bringing you down!”
Original Air Date: August 6, 2019.
Receiving $200, teams fly to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. On arrival, teams go to the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan to get their next clue. Teams then go to the Nutrien Cory Potash Mine, descend into the mine and nail a ventilation curtain up in a straight line with no gaps piling loose potash at the bottom to maintain a seal. After that they go to a nearby Shell gas station to get video message from their loved ones and directions to go to Champêtre County Vacation Ranch. Here they get the Detour: Dance in a Square or Walk in a Circle.
In Dance in a Square, one team member had to memorize a list of nineteen square dance moves and call the dance in time with the music while their partner had to learn and perform the dance alongside the River City Squares to receive their next clue. In Walk in Circles, teams had to search a 7,500 square foot barn board maze for four different types of cobs of corn, which they could exchange for their next clue. Teams then go to Victoria Park in Saskatoon and join a Saskatoon Rush lacrosse team practice. When they hit two targets, they go to the Pit Stop: Remai Modern Art Museum.
1. Anthony and James 11:11 A.M. Won a trip for two to Costa Rica.
2. Dave and Irina 11:29 A.M.
3. Jet and Dave 12:09 P.M.
4. Lauren and Joanne 1:03 P.M.
5. Meghan and Marie 1:28 P.M.
6. Nicki and Aisha 2:10 P.M. NOT ELIMINATED/SPEEDBUMPED.
Leg #7: “That’s a lot of balls.”
Original Air Date: August 13, 2019.
Getting $300, teams fly to Toronto, Ontario, and then take a bus with blacked out windows to Kitchener-Waterloo. On arrival, teams go to The Museum where they go into a ball pit with 30,000 green balls to find one of 12 red or yellow balls (though Nicki and Aisha to the University of Waterloo first to complete their Speedbump: test a self-driving car). Teams then get the Detour: Beer Fest or Robo Quest. In Beer Fest, teams took part in a Kitchener–Waterloo Oktoberfest celebration. They had to choose a table of ten patrons, who each ordered a different variety of beer. While pouring the beers at the taps, the patrons would get up and dance then sit in different seats. Once teams served all ten orders correctly, they received their next clue from Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. In Robot Quest, teams had to use walkie-talkies to navigate a Nao robot through a course. One team member gave directions to their partner in another room, who blindly controlled it entering the commands on a computer screen; partners could not swap roles once the task began. Once Nao completed the course and crossed the finish line, they received their next clue from Callisto, a TALOS humanoid robot.
Teams then go to The Culinary Studio for the Face Off. The team who arrived first had the choice of three dishes to prepare using Race sponsor (yep officially a sponsor) Dempster's wheat tortillas: wraps, rolls or pizza. Both teams were given one minute to observe the completed dish, and then had fifteen minutes to re-create it without the use of a recipe. The team whose dish better resembled the example received their next clue, while the losing team had to wait for another team. The last team remaining at the Face Off had to turn over an hourglass and wait out a time penalty before moving on. After that, teams go to the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics for the final puzzle: They had to drop a tennis ball from a balcony, then use a stopwatch to measure the time it took to reach the ground, represented by the value t. Using this and the value g for gravity, they had to determine on a chalkboard the value of d, representing the distance from the balcony to the ground. If their solution was between 41 feet (12 m) and 49 feet (15 m), they received their next clue. After that it’s off to the Pit Stop: Knight-Newbrough Field at Wilfrid Laurier University.
1. Jet and Dave 11:18 A.M. Won a trip for two to Frankfurt, Germany.
2. Lauren and Joanne 11:46 A.M.
3. Nicki and Aisha 12:14 P.M.
4. Dave and Irina 12:15 P.M.
5. Anthony and James 1:01 P.M.
6. Meghan and Marie 1:28 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #8: “Open your Bouche.”
Original Air Date: August 20, 2019.
Receiving $200, teams travel by train to La Malbaie, Charlevoix, Quebec. On arrival, teams have to go to Chez Chantal and peel 25 potatoes for poutine, get a sample for the road and their next clue. Teams then go to Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member had to dress in formal attire and take part in a mock press conference of the 44th G7 summit, hosted in La Malbaie in 2018. They had to memorize and correctly deliver a speech in English and French, then answer three questions from reporters, one each in Japanese, German, and Italian, to receive their next clue, with several teams making several tries at it.
Teams then get the Blind Detour: This or That. In This, teams had to recreate two paintings onto emu eggs at Centre de l'Émeu de Charlevoix without removing the examples from the basket. After recreating the paintings, teams had to travel to Baie-Saint-Paul and deliver their eggs to one of the two buildings depicted on their eggs, Boutique Le Pot aux Roses or Bistro La Muse, to receive their next clue. In That, teams had to play a modified version of pick-lit, a local game that involved hitting a wooden peg into the air before smacking it into a marked field to score points. Once teams scored 200 points, they would receive their next clue. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Musée Maritime de Charlevoix where they are told to keep going.
1. Lauren and Joanne 1:13 P.M. Won a trip for two to Santiago, Chile.
2. Jet and Dave 1:20 P.M.
3. Dave and Irina 2:40 P.M.
4. Anthony and James 3:10 P.M.
5. Nicki and Aisha 3:11 P.M.
Leg #9: “That’s Edam Gouda.”
Original Air Date: August 27, 2019.
Getting $300, teams take a train to Toronto, Ontario. On arrival, teams have to get to the Royal Ontario Museum and find ten specific exhibits, pick up one rubber stamp at each one and then go to a common area. There they use the stamps to spell out their next destination: Thunder Bay. To get there, teams go to the Toronto Coach Terminal and sign up for a bus. Teams are then dropped off at the Terry Fox statue in Thunder Bay five minutes apart. Teams then go to a Shell Gas Station and fill up for their next clue.
Teams then go to a local game establishment called Wacky’s for the Face Off. In this Face-Off, the first team to arrive chooses one of three games (air hockey, table hockey or axe throwing) and whoever gets the most points wins. Then they get the Detour: Cutting Edge or Cutting a Wedge. In Cutting Edge, teams had to drive to the Lakehead University Faculty of Natural Resources Management Airfield, where they had to unbox a DJI Mavic 2 Zoom drone kit from The Source. Then, one racer would blindly fly the drone while guided by their partner wearing VR goggles with the drone's video feed to find four plush moose. Once teams marked the four moose locations on a board, they would receive their next clue. In Cutting a Wedge, teams had to drive to Thunder Oak Cheese Farm and locate a specific numbered Gouda cheese wheel that they had to cut into wedges between 230 grams (8.1 oz) and 270 grams (9.5 oz) before properly packaging the wedges. Once teams packaged 32 wedges, they would receive their next clue from a cheesemaker. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Kakabeka Falls.
1. Dave and Irina 12:14 P.M. Won a trip for two to Venice, Italy.
2. Anthony and James 1:09 P.M.
3. Lauren and Joanne 1:34 P.M.
4. Jet and Dave 2:12 P.M.
5. Nicki and Aisha 3:45 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #10: “He’s basically a hound.”
Original Air Date: September 3, 2019.
Receiving $150, teams fly to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Once there, teams have to go to Tangled Garden where the Roadblock is. In this Roadblock, one team member had to search the Tangled Garden for seven herbs: basil, mint, sage, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, and chives. Then, they had to taste and match seven jams and jellies with the herb used to make them to receive their next clue. Next, teams head to Elderkin’s Farm Market for the Detour: Puck or Apples.
In Puck, teams had to travel to Andrew H. McCain Arena, where they had to play sledge hockey with team members passing a puck to each other through a practice course and scoring a goal in under one minute to receive their next clue. In Apples, teams had to travel to Noggin's Corner Farm Market, where they had to sort a bin of apples into twelve varieties: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Empire, Gala, Idared, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Ambrosia, Crispin, McIntosh, Spy, and Cortland. Once all the apples were correctly placed, teams would receive their next clue. Teams then go to Taproot Farms where they use the backup camera on their pick up to find five verses of the folk song Farewell to Nova Scotia and put them in the correct order. Then they have to take a trailer of beer to The Church Brewing Co. and perform the song with the band that’s playing there. After that, they get a picture of Jon next to a red telephone booth. They have to figure out it’s the next Pit Stop: Luckett Vineyards.
1. Jet and Dave 3:15 P.M. Won a trip for two to Singapore.
2. Anthony and James 4:01 P.M.
3. Lauren and Joanne 4:34 P.M.
4. Dave and Irina 5:15 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #11: “Best job I’ve done!”
Original Air Date: September 10, 2019.
Getting $130, teams fly to Toronto, Ontario, where they sign up for one of three floatplanes to Port Carling, Ontario. On arrival, teams have to go to Muskoka Lakes Museum where they have to play a life sized trivia game with Jon, answering questions about the previous legs of the race. Once they answer questions about all the past legs, they get the next clue. After a brief, unaired, stop at the Port Carling Wall, teams go to Clevelands House for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to fly a hydroflying jetpack called a Flyboard at least 15 feet (4.6 m) out of the water before throwing a bean bag into a target to receive their next clue.
Teams then head to Rosseau Lake Cottage and build an 8ft (2.4m) Muskoka chair using only a small model as an example. Then teams go to Santa’s Village in Bracebridge where they find a second Roadblock. In this Roadblock the team member who didn’t do the first Roadblock has to find one of three elves with a red and yellow candy cane that they had to deliver to Santa Claus, who would give them their next clue. After that, teams go to Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh and build an irrigation system for a large section of cranberries with no leaks. Teams then head to the finish line: Camp Mini-Yo-We.
1. Lauren and Joanne WIN
2. Jet and Dave PLACE
3. Anthony and James SHOW
Review:
This is an average season, tied for fifth. The course was ok, the racers were, for the most part good, the challenges were hit and miss. The lack of funds explains most, but not all, of this. Still it was ok. Next time, back to basics on the American version.
-Globetrotting: An Amazing Race Blog on the website Reality Rewind by R. C. Anderson, September 14, 2019.
That's not a hoverboard.
It doesn't hover, it has wheels, the name is a lie and I will never accept them being called that.
I will die on this hill.
Also not even really "extreme" in the loosest sense of the term...an actual hoverboard would be, but the scooterboards not so much.
The what now?
Fuck.
Last thing we need is another Kennedy assassination....
Presidents get Secret Service callsigns, so I'm guessing......
Twice ninja'd
I like them!On a lighter note, how about that new Thrillseekers cast, huh?
Will this be the only novmber 2019 update. I hope not beccause thrill seekers generation z was the only game covered in this update. I feel that november being close chrisma many big games will be releasedGame Spotlight: Thrillseekers: Generation Z
Thrillseekers: Generation Z is an extreme sports video game and the fourth mainline game in the Thrillseekers franchise. Taking place ten years after Thrillseekers: All-Stars, it introduces a new generation of characters to the series, serving as a "soft reboot" while continuing the story of the original six characters as they serve as adult mentors to these new young women. Like most of the previous games in the series, Thrillseekers: Generation Z combines extreme sports gameplay with a lengthy campaign mode that tells the stories of these brand new characters as they come together and embark on their first adventure as friends. Generation Z's gameplay is fully revamped, updated for a new generation of consoles, as the gameplay engine that was used previously has been in use since Thrillseekers 2, with some slight modifications for 2013's Thrillseekers: Thin Air, and had been getting somewhat dated. This new engine adds more realistic physics while also subtly improving the controls to make gameplay more intuitive than ever. This does serve to create an "easier" experience for newer players, and some longtime veterans complain that it's too easy to pull off impressive tricks, but there's still plenty of things for experts to learn and do, and truly impressive tricks still take a great deal of skill to pull off, with a smooth learning curve for players. Generation Z, like Thrillseekers 3, streamlines the lineup of extreme sports down to ten: the five "classic" extreme sports that have been a staple of the series (skateboarding, surfing, BMX biking, wingsuiting, and snowboarding), brings back three favorites (kitesurfing, parkour, and paragliding), and introduces two new extreme sports: hoverboarding (not Back To The Future, this, and if you'll recall from an earlier update, they're much safer and more fun ITTL) and powerbocking. The sports have been differentiated from each other more than in any other game in the series thus far, with parkour and powerbocking focusing more on obstacles and timing than on individual tricks, BMX biking and hoverboarding focusing heavily on terrain to score points, and paragliding and wingsuiting aiming for glide time moreso than trick performance, though trick performance still plays heavily into both sports. In contrast with previous games in the series, the characters of Thrillseekers: Generation Z don't specialize so much in individual sports, but are instead rated on other physical and emotional characteristics, making the player's skill more important than which character is selected.
As mentioned before, Thrillseekers: Generation Z introduces six new characters into the series, meant to reflect the personalities and sensibilities of modern day people, and standing somewhat in contrast to their millennial counterparts. Less adventurers/athletes and more like influencers (though still with considerable athletic talent, especially Izzy, Destiny, and Julia, who have all competed in and won events before), these new characters are trendy and dynamic, easier for the game's intended younger demographic to identify with while being some of the series' most complex characters to date, written to be as beloved by this generation as the original six were to their own. The new protagonists of this generation of Thrillseekers are:
Isabella “Izzy” Vasquez: Izzy Vasquez is a massive fan of the original Thrillseekers girls, particularly Alex, who she considers her idol. She's an accomplished extreme sports athlete, focusing on skateboarding but she competes in many other sports and she only uses Thrillseekers-branded gear. Energetic and rebellious, she's excited to become a member of the new group but is a bit naïve about what that all entails. Izzy can best be compared to Alex amongst the original six, though with a quite a bit less angst. Izzy is voiced by Inez Delgado.
Zoe Siedel: Zoe is an extreme sports athlete with her own webshow. She's relatively famous already but is fairly new to organized competition. She's a bit quiet, but also somewhat snarky, and is also a bit cynical due to some obsessive fans she's had trouble with in the past. She and Izzy click immediately despite their clashing personalities, and they soon come to trust each other. Zoe can best be compared to Kirsten of the original group, though she trades the practical jokes for witty barbs. Zoe is voiced by Nicki Burke.
Anaya Sharma: Anaya is extremely energetic, even moreso than Izzy. She loves extreme sports and risk taking, and is a very positive person, a lot like Elissa without the dark past, though she doesn't focus on aerial sports. Her parents are quite strict and tried to discourage her hobby, but they couldn't keep her contained and she frequently defied them regardless. Now that she's 18, she can do whatever she wants and she's loving it. Anaya is Indian-American, and is voiced by Liza Koshy (in fact, Liza had somewhat of an influence on the character's personality, before she was cast, Anaya was meant to be a bit more of a nerd and Libby was somewhat more energetic).
Destiny Williams: Destiny is the series' first transgender character. She's African-American, and is somewhat of a stoic character, even moreso than Zoe. She focuses on aquatic sports but, like the others, is skilled at all of them, and uses extreme sports as a way to defy expectations and be herself. She's comparable to Vivian of the original six, the most mature and responsible of the group, who tries her best to mediate conflicts between them. Destiny is voiced by trans actress/activist Jessica Zyrie.
Libby Crane: Libby is the “nerdiest” of the six new Thrillseekers, though she isn't nerdy to the same degree as Stacy was in the original games. She uses her knowledge of physics to help herself learn extreme sports quickly, but is a bit of a coward compared to the others (again, not like Stacy who takes to extreme sports a lot quicker). She can be compared to Stacy but with a more analytical and timid personality. Libby is British, and came to America during her high school years. She's voiced by Kathryn Prescott.
Julia Esfahani: Julia is a girl of Iranian descent who has a sort of “cool” demeanor, more calm and less melancholy than Zoe. Amongst the six main characters, she's the one who was most popular at her school, but has sort of shied away from it, cutting her hair short from what it was in high school and trying to pave her own way. Her parents are quite lenient, and at first, Julia is seen as sort of standoffish (her new friends are worried that because she was so popular she might be mean), but once her friends get to know her, they realize how nice she is, if they can keep up with her. She can be compared to Marina, but with somewhat less “preppy”-ness and a bit more mystery, keeping quiet at first and letting her extreme sports skills do the talking. She's voiced by Zehra Fazal.
The game introduces several more minor characters, while also bringing back many of the old ones, including the original six protagonists, and the game's "free play" mode ultimately features 55 playable characters in the base game, with several dozen more eventually added through DLC, and the option to create your own character as well. Though Izzy is considered the "main" protagonist, the game doesn't center around her like the original game did with Alex and Stacy, and instead, gives all six main characters an equal chance to shine, with the player able to utilize any of them during many of the campaign mode's challenges. The game features a full contingent of free play modes, including online team matches and leaderboards, and an extensive camera mode as well (and, like in Thrillseekers 3, the game uses the character of Amberlin Parker, who's now all grown up and an award-winning sports photojournalist, as the "host" of the game's camera mode, with optional tutorials and evaluations of your shots). It's the most visually beautiful Thrillseekers game yet, pushing the Reality and Virtua close to their limits with full 4K visuals on the new versions of the systems, while on the Stadia, the visuals and animations pop to an almost lifelike degree, with full ray tracing and realistic shadows. It's loaded with popular music as well, from the hottest artists of the time (there's a few classic songs, but most of the songs are new). In addition to the new voice actors, all the old voice actors, including Avril Lavigne as Alex, return to reprise their roles. In addition, Thrillseekers: Generation Z brings motion capture to the series for the first time, with fully mocapped cutscenes. Stunt actors performed most of the extreme sports tricks, though some of the voice actors were taught some basic stunts to film, but all the basic dialogue scenes were mocapped, giving the animations an even more lifelike feel.
The game's storyline centers around Thrillseekers, Inc., the company started by the original six girls after the events of Thrillseekers 2. It's grown to become the world's leading manufacturer of extreme sports gear, while sponsoring many events around the world. However, the company has been having trouble keeping up in the age of online influencers, with some of the extreme sports world's brightest young stars signing to other companies or striking out on their own. Alex and Stacy, along with the company's CEO, Marina, get the idea to recruit six teenage girls to serve as the "next generation" brand ambassadors for the company. After a year-long search, which is depicted briefly in a montage cutscene, six young women are chosen: Izzy Vasquez, Destiny Williams, Libby Crane, Julia Esfahani, Zoe Seidel, and Anaya Sharma. Izzy is chosen for her enthuasiasm and tournament wins, Destiny is chosen for her activism and courage, Libby is chosen for her prodigious physics research, Julia is chosen for her skill and style, Zoe is chosen because of her internet popularity, and Anaya is chosen because of her sense of adventure. We first see Izzy in the game's opening credits sequence, which is set to "Feel It Still" by Portugal ft. The Man, in which we get a glimpse at Izzy's love for the Thrillseekers company and her skateboarding skills. We also get glimpses at Zoe's web series and a look at each of the other characters before they're all brought together at Thrillseekers, Inc. and told of their role as brand ambassadors, which consists of competing in tournaments, appearing at events, and serving as extreme sports role models, while also hopefully bonding as friends (Alex is inspired by how she and her friends bonded, and a big theme of the game is Alex hoping to recreate this experience with these six new girls). The six girls initially seem to gel as they get to know each other, though personality clashes do happen. Izzy and Zoe bond somewhat quickly, as do Destiny and Julia and Anaya and Libby, though even then, there are conflicts, with Zoe's internet popularity causing problems for her (she still has a creepy stalker, who serves as one of the closest things the game has to an antagonist, while the others somewhat resent her influencer career), Julia coming off as aloof and stuck-up to the others, Libby being a klutz, Izzy being somewhat arrogant, and Anaya annoying everyone with her loudmouth antics. Destiny's trans identity also comes up, and while all of the other girls are extremely accepting, not everyone else is, and some bigotry does occur, leading to tension.
As all of this plays out, each of the original Thrillseekers has their own role to play.
Alex serves as a mentor and idol to everyone, with Izzy practically hero worshipping her. She's still a bit foolhardy and reckless, though she's mellowed out a bit over the years thanks to her wife Stacy. Stacy is the lead engineer at the company, designing and testing all of the extreme sports equipment, and her role in Thrillseekers: Generation Z is somewhat like how Q is to the James Bond franchise: she explains the tech and how to use the tech, and even in her mid-30s, is an adorable science geek. Marina is the CEO and is the new girls' employer, and though she can be a bit stern at times, she has a big heart and doesn't hesitate to talk the girls through their troubles or stand up for them when they need it (despite being a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, she's ready to throw hands in front of cameras with a transphobe who misgenders Destiny about halfway through the game). Vivian, now an attorney, serves as legal counsel for Thrillseekers, Inc., and talks through them about various legal matters, though she's also somewhat of a "mom" to the group and also has kids of her own (she, Elissa, and Kirsten are the three members of the group who have children, while Marina is the only one who's single). Elissa, who holds a job as a high school guidance counselor, shows up at various times to comfort and counsel the members of the group, and later on she also helps Zoe fend off her stalker. Kirsten, who in addition to raising a young son with her husband also travels around the world as a geologist, scouting extreme sports locations, helps to promote the six girls through her web series, and also serves as a location scouter for their events. Other characters from the original series, including Rachel, Emma, Marie, and Marceline, also make cameo appearances at various times, letting players know exactly what they've been up to and just what an impact the original heroes had on them.
The storyline builds up to two major events: a world tournament in which various teams of six will be competing, and which serves as a major opportunity for Thrillseekers, Inc. to introduce the new girls to the world, and a fashion show in which extreme sportswear will be shown off, and which will serve as a make-or-break chance for the company to introduce its new line. The world tournament, which comes about 60 percent of the way through the main storyline, is the focus of intense training for the six, who, despite their differences, are able to bond as friends, and who start out in the lead as the competition plays out. However, tension ultimately leads to disaster, with the team finishing outside the top three (despite how well the player performs beforehand, as the last event will be shown as a cutscene and that's where the team ultimately loses). This leads to a major fracturing of the team, with each of the girls threatening to go their own separate ways, and the player having a chance to play with each and every one of them in their own individual segments which show each girl's reason for wanting to be an extreme sports star, and also illustrating the contrasts between the characters. Tension also brews between the original six, with Alex and Marina clashing about whether or not to let the girls out of their contracts (surprisingly enough, it's Marina who is willing to take the financial hit and let the girls go, while Alex, for more emotional reasons, wants to try and force them to get along). Alex remembers how miserable her life was before she met Stacy, and wants that for all the girls, but ultimately it's Izzy who reminds her that the six new girls aren't Alex and her friends, and that you can't just throw six people together and make them friends for life. What Alex and her friends have is special, and that can't ever be replicated, no matter how much Alex wants it. Alex is finally willing to let the six girls go, though she still wants to sign Izzy to the company. Izzy accepts, but feels bad about the other five even if they weren't really meant to be friends. However, we see that the other five, though all individuals with their own unique lives and experiences, do want to try and make things work together, and after helping each other through various trials and tribulations, culminating in the girls teaming up to help Anaya with her parents, disrupt a transphobic protest against Destiny, and finally, getting Zoe's stalker arrested, they decide that even though they're not as close friends as Alex and the other Thrillseekers were, they still like each other and like working together, they reunite just in time for the fashion show, where they work together to promote Thrillseekers, Inc.'s newest line and put the company back on top to stay. However, they also end up picking a fight with a rival company, leading to the game's last chapter, an extreme sports battle to the finish between the next-generation Thrillseekers and the rival company's six stars. After the rival company is defeated, the six girls are signed to their own individual promotional deals with the company. They won't be appearing in ads together, but they remain good friends and we see them hanging out naturally from time to time, charting their own individual paths and championing the future of extreme sports for the girls of a new generation. We then get a lengthy end-credits/cutscene sequence set to a remixed version of G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha's "Me, Myself, and I", with rap verses performed by Inez, Liza, and Zehra (in character as Izzy, Anaya, and Julia respectively).
Thrillseekers: Generation Z is released on November 15, 2019, for the Reality, Virtua, Stadia, and Steam platforms, while also coming to Game Boy Zero and iPhone G in 2020. Reviews are mostly positive, averaging in the mid 8s, praising the game for its graphics and gameplay, with most of the criticism leveled around the extensive use of DLC and the game's storyline (which, while well-acted and compelling, isn't quite as compelling as the storylines of the original two games or even Thrillseekers 3). The new characters, for the most part, are received quite well, especially Destiny and Julia, though all six main characters have plenty of fans even if they never become QUITE as popular as the original group. The game does receive some controversy for the character of Destiny: while transphobia isn't quite as prevalent as it is IOTL due to a lesser-charged political environment, it's still sadly all too prevalent regardless, and though many people love Destiny, a lot of people hate her as well, making her the year's most polarizing video game character, with transphobic comments leveled at both the character and the actress portraying her from numerous people in the gaming community. The game also gets controversy from a segment of the original Thrillseekers fanbase, who hate the new characters and want to see the old characters return, though most people are quite accepting and enthusiastic about the new cast. Sales are extremely good: it's the best selling game in the series since Thrillseekers 2, and would rank as one of the top 20 best selling titles of 2019, while selling even more copies once it's released for the handhelds and for the new Nintendo and Apple consoles that would eventually be released. It would of course become the subject of a merchandising bonanza, launching a new line of apparel and extreme sports gear, along with books, comics, and a brand new animated series that would launch on the Blockbuster streaming service in the fall of 2020. While the second generation Thrillseekers would never be quite as popular as the original six, the game and the new cast would indeed be successful in bringing the series to a whole new generation, having a positive impact in the gaming industry and beyond. There wouldn't be as many games featuring the new cast as the old cast, as, with this new generation, the series would no longer be annualized, but would receive major titles every 2-3 years or so, but it would remain one of Activision's most important franchises, with a legacy surpassing that of the original game that spawned it.
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November 22, 2019
Inez Delgado had been having the best year of her life. She was the star of a massively successful new video game, something she never imagined she'd accomplish, especially before turning 20. She was the star of two enormously acclaimed animated shows, one of which, Lyte and Darke, was generating more buzz than any cartoon in recent memory thanks to its shocking and tragic third season twist ending back in July. Life was good, and as she stood in a crowd in Miami, Florida, texting her friend Regan about what she was doing, she knew things might just get even better.
Regan: did you get to meet the president?
Inez: I'm not sure he's coming over here.
Inez was at a rally for the president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, Jr., having been invited by one of his staffers to attend a speech he was giving in the city. He was hoping to gin up support in Florida amongst Latino voters, a demographic he'd been stumbling with as of late. Many Cuban-Americans had expressed increased frustration with the president's increased social spending, and rhetoric had grown especially harsh with Republican front-runner Marco Rubio stoking the fires of the conservative opposition. Many young Latinos had also turned increasingly against the president during his term, and though Kennedy was still ahead with a majority of Latino-Americans, his numbers were shrinking, especially when he was placed in a hypothetical race with Rubio in the general election. The speech was intended to promote a new, more open immigration policy that would take effect next year. Kennedy had been quite conservative on immigration during his term, reversing some of his predecessor's policies allowing for more immigrants from Latin America, while also quietly increasing enforcement of immigration laws and the number of deportations. This new policy was aimed at reversing some of those reversals and allowing for more immigrants, both skilled and unskilled, to enter the country, with Kennedy ultimately hoping to counter Rubio's push to allow for less strict immigration standards, which had served him extremely well in those recent polls. Inez herself was in Miami for an anime convention being held that weekend, and was invited to attend Kennedy's speech by the staffer after he learned she'd be in the city. It would be an exciting experience, as she'd never seen a president speak in person before, and had only gotten the opportunity to meet one once before, when her father had brought her along to a private dinner for Jon Huntsman several years back.
Regan: you're so lucky, JFK Jr. is hot for an old dude
Inez: Oh my god Regan shut up
Inez giggled, then put her phone away as she watched the president through the crowd. He was coming her way, though his path was obviously slowed by all the people in attendance and all the Secret Service agents around to keep them under control. She didn't know if he was going to walk past her, but he was quite happily shaking hands with everyone nearby, and her heart beat faster and faster as he got close.
This is so cool, thought Inez, her palms starting to sweat. Wish mom could've come to this, she's got such a huge crush-
Inez's thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang that erupted no less than twenty feet where she was standing. She jumped, her ears ringing, and looked back to where the president was, only to see a mass of Secret Service agents swarming him.
"Oh, my God!" Inez screamed, her screams drowned out by hundreds of simultaneous shouts and screams all around her.
Another shot rang out, and she hit the floor, hands clasped around the back of her head.
No, no, no! thought Inez, instinctively checking herself for any injuries. I'm fine, but.... oh, no, no!
"Shooter!"
"Get him!" came a loud, booming voice from the direction where Inez had heard the bangs. "Grab him, grab him!"
Another booming voice, from where the president had been standing.
"Get Jetplane out of here!"
Inez could feel people swarming around her as she knelt on the ground, hands clasped protectively around her head. Someone helped her up. She didn't see who. She didn't care who.
"Has he been hit? Has Jetplane been hit?"