Thread by @thatchamdad

With just next week’s finale of #raceacrosstheworld to go, a few reflections on the current series …

Firstly, I think the right 3 teams are there at the end. I have a slight preference for Zainib/Mobeen but I’ll be delighted for Ladi/Monique or Cathie/Tricia if they win too. I just want all of them to get to the end #raceacrosstheworld

I struggled with Kevin/Claudia from the start, and while they deserve praise just for doing the race, I never warmed to them. Kevin always had to do it his way and Claudia (at least, what we’ve been shown of her) spent 50% of her time complaining

Kevin’s solution to everything was a taxi, and they budgeted/planned poorly. (Note they always seemed to be drinking shop-bought coffee.) I get their narrative centred on rebuilding their relationship, but I didn’t care enough about either to root for them #raceacrosstheworld

And while I can believe Amber the cannabis shop owner was kind enough to drive them, buying their room felt like a producers’ fix to eke out one more day and give them a chance to close their race properly. I’m OK with that, as it didn’t affect the race itself #raceacrosstheworld

As for the 3 remaining pairs, they’ve each had their own journeys. Cathie/Tricia have had a huge adventure way out of their comfort zone as the matter’s eyesight fades #raceacrosstheworld

Ladi/Monique have shown us Monique’s growth and placed Ladi as the kind, role model dad. Their open comments about the challenges of being black in a predominantly white country were heartbreaking to watch but I’m glad the producers kept this in the edit #raceacrosstheworld

And it made the little ‘kindness of strangers’ moment - a staple trope of #raceacrosstheworld - with the strawberries at the end a sweet counterpoint. Guess what, people? Some people in the world are bad, but don’t forget there is good in many others too 👍

But Zainib/Mobeen have been the stars of this series for me. By fully engaging with people they come into contact with, they’ve connected us as an audience with the people & culture of Canada, and they’ve been prepared to discuss issues of religion etc openly #raceacrosstheworld

And that brings me to my thoughts on #raceacrosstheworld as a whole. This series hasn’t been as good as the previous 2 - too many legs with a ‘one road in, one road out’ scenario, teams building significant leads only to have them randomly wiped out, fewer language challenges etc

But it has showcased the diversity of Canada as a whole beautifully. The country itself has been a wonderful supporting character throughout that has papered over many of the cracks in this year’s format #raceacrosstheworld

Above all, though, #raceacrosstheworld is a winner with TV audiences because it’s so much more than a race - it’s a journey, both physically & narratively, that shows us ordinary people having an adventure of a lifetime that most of us would never dare undertake ourselves 👍

A footnote. I’ve wondered why the producers chose Canada - with its more restrictive transport options - rather than the US. Having seen Ladi/Monique raise the racism issue maybe gives us part of the answer: from a safeguarding perspective, would it be considered too dangerous?

@threadreaderapp unroll, please