[02x15] March 27th, 2012

[02x15] March 27th, 2012


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I don't know why no one has made any mention to the fact that the San Fran bit was a complete rehash of the episode where Hammond and May took to the streets in London in "Road Test Russian Roulette". It bugged me because every single car the american show drove was something that was somewhat rarer that what one would expect in the real world. That makes it seems staged. The UK version took whatever car came and had fun with the passengers more so than trying to "wow" with fancy cars. This rehashing of every Top Gear UK challenge is getting old because it is neither done properly or as well as the original. They would be better off coming up with their own things (The minivan driving through the mountains is a good start).

I make no claims that the beginning was bad, the truck bit was genuinely interesting. The training, the crash .etc. But the interviews continue to be lackluster (I wish they would stick to just one host doing them) and boring and the bit at the end was completely stupid.

"Giving the show to Rutledge" sounded more like: "Tanner was busy" to me anyways.
 
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Yes, it may've been (in essence) the same as Road Test Russian Roulette, but they still put their own spin on it. James and Richard's sole mission was "road test whatever cars we have to drive on the night and don't let on that we're doing so"; Adam and Rutledge's was "try to charm the car owners so we make more money than the other guy".

Also, you're wrong about this...

This rehashing of every Top Gear UK challenge is getting old

I can think of several UK challenges the US version hasn't taken on, and there have been challenges the US version has done that the UK have not (first cars, the moonshine run, using convertibles on a cattle ranch).

Plus, it's only old to you (and to some of us) because you're so familiar with the mothership. To a person whose sole experience of TG is the US version, it's an original idea. You're forgetting that this version, by and large, does not cater to hardcore TG fans; it caters to those who have never seen the UK version. (And even so it's managed to gain some cred among some of the diehards on these boards.)
 
The guy with the Army Beetle final stop was less than a block away from the Hyde Bar which, if you look upward to the right, is right there. He just drove around the area and went back there. Was pretty cool to see them drive around San Francisco, it's pretty awesome to recognize nearly every place they drove.

Noticed that, too! He was dropped off across the street from the former Cala Food's. You even even see the Hyde Out in the background (the bar they left from).
 
I've been very aware my TG tastes have been dulled by some excellent ep's from the UK (and lousy ones from Oz!),

Same situation on my end however the Aussie version (I'm Canadian) held more charm to us foreigners then i think it had for the locals. Yes it was painful at times but for me the locations were something I wouldn't normally see and the cars were often vehicles I would never get to see. Part of the fun of the UK series has been seeing cars that are not available to us in North America, Oz provided me with this and unfortunately the US can't.

I think part of me is falling victim to grass is always greener syndrome. Still that said the American hosts are developing a strong enough chemistry that I keep seeing the potential even with the tight time constraints.
 
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