[03x08] March 1, 2019 - International Buffoons' Vacation

I've watched this episode and I'd rate it a....

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  • Total voters
    54

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Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are told to take an RV holiday across the south western United States but rapidly stage a mutiny before re-grouping in used RVs they have modified themselves, with mixed results.
 
Now this is what I want the Grand Tour to be - a new location they fully immerse themselves in, where the vehicle they choose they really customize, and the jokes are legit funny. They were having proper fun off-roading, which was great to see. Seemed like the entire time they were having a proper laugh, which we don't always get with this trio. I probably could have done without the derby at the end, but oh well. One of my favorite Grand Tour episodes from all the seasons
 
Properly good episodes. Multiple actual laugh out loud moments for me. Very fun adventure. It WOULD be a 10/10, BUT, I need to take a point off for the believably of the roof driving from Jezza's flying bridge. It definitely is doable to extend steering and throttle/brake to the roof, but not the way they did it. Plus in the wide shots, you couldn't see the rod he connected the steering wheel. And the kicker that killed it for me was the fact that when they were doing the pincer move on the dried up lake bed, you could see the "boat's" brake lights come on meaning someone was in the driver's seat. Obviously they were never going to let Jezza drive the RV from the roof without a backup driver in the cab, but some clever editing would've made it a million times more believable.

Also, would've been fun IMO if for the last night after the demo derby, Andy invited them to stay in the RV he was using for the trip, which turned out to be something along the lines of a Marathon Coach, just to annoy them and have them bitch about having been given that ancient run down Winnebago in the beginning.

For reference, this is a Marathon Coach


Average retail price.... over $2,000,000 new.
 
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All in one episode, scary, stupid, extremely funny & the best of all the haunted Mike Skinner, coming in like the wraith just to scare Clarkson ?
 
My first 10/10 episode of the season.

It was funny and original. At first I thought they might try to reheat the old caravan holiday episode in series 8 of Top Gear, but they didn’t and I’d rank this much higher than said Top Gear episode.

Although some of it was obviously scripted, it never felt forced or cringeworthy. Had a couple of good laughs as well. Great fun

THIS is what “The Grand Tour” should be, what it should always have been: finding interesting new places, having fun there and experiencing new adventures. It seems to me the “trauma” of having lost Top Gear, is finally over and they’ve found their mojo again.
 
Awesome episode, shame it's a special but it felt superb, even half as funny as this from the rest of the regular episodes and id be happy
 
A strong 9/10 from me.

I specifically did not watch any trailers or read any comments to see if I would really enjoy the episode without any idea what it was about and it totally worked!

This was probably the best episode of the season so far. It started out a bit slow, but after they got their own vehicles it just got better and better. I like how each host's caravan reflected their likes. May's had a pub (is this some running gag on TGT because James has been shown drinking beer A LOT on the show, especially in the specials), Jeremy's was a boat and Hammond's was a truck with a tent. I know many of the jokes were scripted but they were still enjoyable. I genuinely burst out laughing when May and Clarkson stole Hammond's clothes and at the end they were explaining he'd been gassed and Hammond didn't even notice the bottles were full. The part where James invited locals to his pub and was explaining the drinks to them in his typical "cold" manner was funny! The buggy race was awesome and even the supercar review midway was good. I thought Hammond would take a Charger Hellcat (another long running theme since the old says was that Clarkson always takes a Chevy, May takes a Cadillac and Hammond drives a Dodge). I was expecting a more serious review of the Corvette but the "drifter" running away with May's Cadillac at the end made up for it. Another lol moment was when Clarkson drove into May's caravan destroying his breakfast table totally out of the blue. I think you get the idea, this show was loaded with laughs. And Mike Skinner making a cameo throughout the show was another bonus point from me. I was trying to remember where I'd seem him before but just couldn't figure out, until I read one of the comments above (thanks). My only disappointment was the somewhat rushed ending but still, an extremely enjoyable episode and if this is how the future episodes of Grand Tour are going to be (after this season ends) I'm game!
 
I think with the tent segment gone next year, they'll have a bigger budget to have more of these type of adventures, where they'll have more time to flesh out their ideas for the different places they'll go. If it gives them a better chance of crafting episodes like this one, I'm all for it
 
For me a definite 10 out of 10 the figure that Jeremy kept seeing I thought Mike Skinner quite early on, all in all a great episode with the guys doing what they do best.
 
What can I say...
This episode looked promising in the beginning but, despite having some few good parts such as the Demolition race (reminded me of the Extreme Motorhome Racing) and the Dune racing and other small segments... it was mostly boring and cringy as hell.
The Mike Skinner reappearances ... c'mon, really?
Gave it a well deserved 4/10.
 
Genuine laughs, but I was a bit annoyed at the American gags. Solid 8/10 for me on humor.
 
I always skip the preview so I can go in fresh and I'm glad I did. First we had the tuk-tuk tour on Top Gear, now an RV tour. Two unique ideas in a row. Pretty refreshing!

Love James' pub! Genuinely cool. Of course, they'll ruin it somehow. Always funny when they make homey area in small places, like when Jeremy put the hardwood flooring and stove in a car. Jeremy's boat one was...interesting. Richard's feels scripted, for lack of a better term.

  • Right after I thought of the movie "Duel", Jeremy mentioned madmen following you in black lorries! HA!
  • I'm guessing the Evel Knievel looking guy is The American, disgruntled after having been fired from The Grand Tour. They're pulling a bit of a WCW 'Warrior in the mirror' thing there, where in that case, only Hulk Hogan could see him...except everyone in TV land could too. (I've looked at the other comments now and see my assumption was correct)
  • James and Jeremy are the last two people on Earth still doing the L on the forehead sign, right?
  • The ricochet thing was interesting. I know they lingered on the gun club hills a few times, but come on.
  • They should've stopped by Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.
  • The hearse and casket was a nice touch after the party.
-Oh man, I laughed when James' windscreen broke!
- Hmm, Richard doesn't look stuck at all, actually.

Nice one overall. One of those ones where you take one of the vehicles and put it in the studio. Alas... Anyway, I'll give it a 9!
 
I think with the tent segment gone next year, they'll have a bigger budget to have more of these type of adventures
I somehow missed this news, but am reading more about it now. I'll definitely miss Conversation Street! Hope the news won't be gone entirely. So basically, the show is going to become the same as Top Gear US became, where all Rut, Adam and Tanner did eventually was nothing but adventures. Hmm...
 
I somewhat enjoyed this episode - There was quite a lot of forced comdey still, and again the best bits were when stuff unexpected happened!

I rated this 7/10 - It feels like they are back on form for this episode!
 
Fuck me, absolutely fantastic.

Really funny and not much shite.
 
About the worst thing was the part with James talking to the people. That kind of thing with “haha, see how badly James can make small talk” is painful, whether that’s real or not.

Otherwise, the rest was good. The bits with Jeremy claiming to see the American when the others didn’t was funny and done well despite absolutely being scripted.

Jeremy’s backfiring motorhome was impressively hilarious.

The motorhome race at the end was really good and felt like an imitation of the original one Richard did back in the day of top gear. Only thing missing was Tom Chilton and his hair and the rest of the touring car guys.

Oooooh, that’s what’s needed, another weird vehicle race with the touring car guys. ♥️

With Jeremy driving from up above, while the start didn’t feel like it was staged in that Jeremy wasn’t driving, the stopping by wedging the motor home in between felt like it. The worst was, how would you get throttle and brake to work off one throttle handle?
 
Actually, on the staging bit, when he hits the bump that allegedly disconnected the throttle and braking, you can see the hatch door jumping up and down, a simple sheet of metal as a trap door with a fake wheel handle bolted to it. Props, how easy it is to reveal the trick.

Anyway, funny episode, not among my favourites, but good; and I laughed more than once. I really hope they get better though, particularly if this is going to become the main format.
 
I'm really enjoying this season. I've gotten over the "scripted" annoyance and now embrace it. It's a pleasure to watch this show and Top Gear I'm sure will be fun too whenever it comes back.

All the crap out there, it's nice to just watch a "car show" haha, and just enjoy it you know? Loved seeing James May click with those dune buggies. You know he's not the way they make him out to be though. Hammond is an animal and it's becoming evident why he's come so close to death so many times :D Anyway, love these guys and their schtick, so much better than other stuff we all watch.

Also glad to see these forums still going. So what's going on with Top Gear?
 
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