The Grand Tour

"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012) 02/16/2018 at 07:39 • Filed to: None

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Last night’s episode was by far the best. No yapping about. No racing on eboladrome. no celebrity (none of whom I know) face offs... just shenanigans with British accents. While it was entertaining watching some old clunkers and new bike do their thing, I would be ok if they picked some new cars/SUVs/trucks to do same route.

Just saying they don’t need any of the other fluff. I don’t care what celebrity grew up driving ferrari around the back yard. Not applicable. Not relateable

Arrivederci > PartyPooper2012 02/16/2018 at 08:09

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I actually disagree - I thought it was tedious and mostly unfunny. My favorite episode of the season was when they went through the history of the Audi vs Lancia rally teams.

PartyPooper2012 > Arrivederci 02/16/2018 at 08:19

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Sure. I’ll take that too. I just don’t need celebrity face off or the ebola drome. simply dont care

Arrivederci > PartyPooper2012 02/16/2018 at 08:28

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I actually don’t mind the power laps, but could take or leave the celebrity part. Sometimes that works, but other times it’s horrible, like with Paris Hilton.

PartyPooper2012 > Arrivederci 02/16/2018 at 08:36

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At least Paris Hilton is someone I knew of. Most of the time, they are British celebrities. I had no idea who they are or why they mattered.

WRXforScience > Arrivederci 02/16/2018 at 09:49

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^This.

I almost couldn’t watch the episode. The entire premise and the utter lack or reason or stakes for the trip really put me off. I’m not sure if they meant to be a trio of bigots belittling at least an entire country and maybe even an entire continent, or if they were trying for satire.

The first time James got soaked with water was funny, Hammond falling over was funny, Clarkson wasn’t funny and the majority of the episode was spent with him.

Celebrity face off is awful, I’ve never been a big fan of the celebrity parts of either Top Gear or The Grand Tour. I wish they’d get rid of it entirely.

I would have greatly preferred if they just went with the cheap vehicle challenge scenario and left the fish out entirely. I’ve been watching the trio for over a decade, and this episode might have been the very worst.

I’m at the point where I’d rather watch the new Top Gear with Chris Harris than watch the Grand Tour. I don’t think I would be too upset if there isn’t a third season.

StudyStudyStudy > PartyPooper2012 02/16/2018 at 14:36

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I agree the format is better, I’ve always loved their adventures, and fast forward through most of conversation street, the lap time, and the guest, but I thought the content was pretty bad.

Their false assurance of their noble deed stopped being funny pretty quickly. I imagine that fresh fish would have indeed been a nice treat for a remote village, but instead they made a joke of the whole thing, made it a punch line. I know that is what they do, and not everything has to have a happy ending, but even a small gesture of having a mutually hated car like a beetle with something reasonable like a cooler with ice that made it to the end would have made it a bit less painful.

I kind of miss their pre-blowing up adventures. Seems now they seem to “know funny” and can’t be convinced otherwise. Combined with that big middle finger of an episode on scripting is just, ugh. Can’t believe I was waiting in anticipation all year for this really.

PartyPooper2012 > StudyStudyStudy 02/16/2018 at 14:50

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Dangling a fish you ruined in front of a hungry person sure is mean...

but at least, them being british was sort of a consolation prize. Their predecessors colonized most of Africa. Enslaved them. Now, they are three bozos stuck in a puddle of sewage of those they colonized and enslaved

philaDLJ > StudyStudyStudy 02/16/2018 at 15:25

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The hungry inland village was little more than a prop. Unlike Hammond’s interaction with the Vietnamese vet, or the soldiers who helped them out while trying to locate the source of the Nile, or trying to get the hang of the singularly amazing phenomenon that is dabbawalling in India, there wasn’t even a token attempt at cultural exchange, or any interaction with the locals whatsoever. That’s where it failed the most.

That, and Clarkson thinking diesel kippers would a) work and b) be edible, or that May wouldn’t know what a large open tank of water would do when he braked suddenly. The exaggerated cartoonish buffoonery, often so effective particularly in other specials, too often strayed on the wrong side of suspended disbelief. But it was an entertaining enough dawdle, I suppose.

StudyStudyStudy > philaDLJ 02/16/2018 at 19:08

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In fairness, I’m not so naive to believe that this wouldn’t have been checked or passed through some sort of filter whether that was arranging things ahead of time, or even inventing this fictional village really, but it still would have been a nice gesture, not that they pass themselves off as nice in any means. I guess I shouldn’t have expected much there.

I agree, I like to imagine there are interesting cultural interaction that can be found while traveling, their little piece on Afghanistan had an interesting message in parts of it, that the people were hospitable, that it is another normal location until something not normal happens, home to some gorgeous scenery etc. Not sure what the point of this one was really.

I do wonder if they exaggerate such buffoonery (great word BTW :D) because of their age. They aren’t as young as they used to be, and maybe some over the top acing is easier than running long and trying to pick some of the best parts.

I will agree, there aren’t that many non “reality TV” style shows with an automotive focus, so I’m thankful that the entertainment is there.

StudyStudyStudy > PartyPooper2012 02/16/2018 at 19:11

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I suppose they are the anti-thesis of the proper British or civilzed appearance people try to convey while abroad. Maybe there is a point there that people should stop trying to think they can solve the worlds problems while they are out on holiday.

I guess if we were really going to count it up, they probably did buy the fish from a market, made a couple people profitable for a day or so, so picking out all the bad may not be fair.

Pistol Whipped Cream > PartyPooper2012 02/19/2018 at 13:20

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I really liked this special. My whole family watched it together and laughed throughout.