Episode 1

[carsonvega]

Lots of good comments from everyone in here.

*Agree that a full intro would be great. I really like the early Survivor-season style (through season 20 or so) where everyone gets their name and picture on the screen for a few seconds, although if that's not possible, I'd definitely still take Endurance-style with 30 seconds or so of theme music and shots from various events/missions throughout the game. With Karma being a streamed show and the episodes already being of somewhat varying lengths, I feel like it wouldn't be that much work to get an intro?

*I don't blame Aaron for being nervous about the age gap; 13 vs. 14 or 15 can make a big difference. I've never been a great runner, but I remember being able to run a mile about 2 minutes faster when I was 14 vs. when I was 13.

*I liked the bit where everyone sat in a circle and said their names and an interesting fact about themselves. Major credit to Presley and Andrea for having the most interesting facts.

*I'm not a big fan of letting people skip the RTS (I wasn't a fan of it in E3 or E5 either). I just feel like everyone should have to prove themselves. That said, the free pass makes more sense in Karma than it did in Endurance.

*From a strategic point of view, for a player who's not physically strong, if that player cannot secure the free pass for themselves, they should try to get the free pass given to who they feel is the strongest player (so probably Huck for the boys and Andrea for the girls in this case, based on what everyone knew going into the challenge). The idea is that the strongest player is likely to make it through the challenge anyway, and you want to have as many weaker players in the challenge as possible so hopefully you can beat at least one of them.

*I don't really mind players getting to help each other in the RTS...another thing that works a lot better in Karma than it did in Endurance.

*I don't like not having everyone compete in the partner selection mission. It feels like a major missed opportunity in terms of having a possibly unexpected result, as well as not allowing everyone the same chance to prove themselves.

*I agree with those who say that a different partner selection method (E3/Hawaii, E5/High Sierras, or E6/Fiji) would have been better.

[multiyapples]

I am currently watching Episode 1 for the first time and want Avon to win.

[multiyapples]

Jul 10, 2020 18:14:01 GMT -5 multiyapples said:

I am currently watching Episode 1 for the first time and want Avon to win.

I just finished the part of both right to stay challenges. I feel sorry for Cierra and Jack.

[Mister Ham]

Jul 10, 2020 18:14:01 GMT -5 multiyapples said:

I am currently watching Episode 1 for the first time and want Avon to win.

Avon queen

[fanofe2]

The one dude (I forget his name...eek!) reminds me sooo much of Scooter.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Endurance.

I know who wins (I won't say!), but I'm also pulling for Presley. She sort of reminds me a bit of Cinnamon from Endurance Fiji.

I thought it was totally unfair how much the cameras focused on Jack.

I thought they'd do one of those "You're the first official team" like they did at Tehachapi with (I think) Shea and Amelia.

[amplify26]

Two years later, I finally decide to watch this show. Here we go!

--I miss the intros from the beginning of the season (e.g. "I'm Amanda, 14, Sacramento California")--the hand-held video cameras aren't doing it for me.
--I don't buy that you can't do something because of your religion. Let's go Illya!
--There were two twelve-year olds on endurance, so Aaron being 13 isn't that spectacular.
--Skyla: "Doesn't happen really often [going without a phone], because I'm like 'I'm really sorry...'" Hehe.
--"Survivor villa"? I don't think even the contestants of "Survivor" get that.
--I like the bonding in the first few minutes of this show.
--Jack: "My fun fact is that I'm going to win $50,000!" That sounds a bit offputting...
--Presley: "I'm so excited--I like twists!"
--"In what we're calling the Right to Stay challenge". Sounds familiar.
--Both sides are really thinking on strategy on whom they should save.
--Shouldn't the crew check that the contestants know how to swim before casting them? I'm afraid someone might drown.
--It's painful to see Jack struggle in the back lack that.
--Andrea bulldozed through this RTS like Lilly on e5.
--Plank Walk is harder than most of the RTSs on endurance. Wow.
--Yeah, Pei Pei's music works so much better.
--Oh dear, not that twist from e4 again! Though it worked there, e5 and e6's twist on picking the first team just rubbed me off.
--"Getting the right teammate will be worth $50,000!"
--I don't understand not competing in this challenge--sure, I might not do well in it, but at least I'll fight for some form of control. Whereas if I don't, I'm at the mercy of my fellow contestants.
--"Illya lasted longer than Huckleberry!"
--Fit to Pick is basically an extreme version of Tilt. I really like this!
--"I got you bro; we've got the same name!"
==I wonder if Eli eventually found his shoe...
--Woah, Mack!
--Is there a reason why the crew had the partner selection first, and having the contestants talk it out before the final selection?
--Aaron: "I'm connected to our connection."
--Justin: "I think Pink looks good on me."
--It's a good thing that they're choosing medallions vs. colors--who would choose Gray?
----Gray = humility, because you'll have go be humbled quite a bit. haha.
--Mack: "I tried not to!" Basically, what Chris wanted to do on e4.
--I feel a bit sentimental watching this--seeing some form of endurance back just warms me up, but interesting to see the different dynamics that emerge.
----Also, is it just me, or do these teenagers look more like kids than the ones on endurance?

[carsonvega]

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

--I miss the intros from the beginning of the season (e.g. "I'm Amanda, 14, Sacramento California")--the hand-held video cameras aren't doing it for me.

Yeah, I'm kind of two minds about this.  On one hand, it would have been nice to have everyone introduce themselves at the same time like Endurance.  On the other hand, the first episode does do really well at labeling the contestants during confessionals and challenges, and I can see the point of view of wanting Karma to be its own thing, not exactly the same as Endurance.  Also, poor Amelia in E4 not getting to introduce herself.

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

--I don't buy that you can't do something because of your religion. Let's go Illya!

The world of sports, in some ways, has been very slow to adapt to Muslim women and girls who wear a hijab.  The governing body for soccer/association football has updated its rules in the last 10 years, and swimming rules are still being contested in a lot of places.

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

--There were two twelve-year olds on endurance, so Aaron being 13 isn't that spectacular.

Yes, looked at next to Endurance, being 13 isn't that crazy.  But for Aaron, being the only 13-year-old in the cast, I could see how it would be a big deal.

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

--"Survivor villa"? I don't think even the contestants of "Survivor" get that.

Nope - only for about a day after winning a reward challenge (in a few select episodes), or after they get voted out (Ponderosa).  There was also one season (Fiji) where one tribe got to have a really nice shelter - but they still had to built it themselves and it was not a villa, and the producers took it away about halfway through the game anyway.

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

--Jack: "My fun fact is that I'm going to win $50,000!" That sounds a bit offputting...

Yeah, I wouldn't have said that at 13-15, and still wouldn't now (I'd probably have talked about the 70-mile backpacking trek I took).  I think, in some ways, the show tried to show that Jack's Karma for that statement was not getting selected by the other guys to skip the Right to Stay and then ultimately finishing last in that challenge.

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

--Shouldn't the crew check that the contestants know how to swim before casting them? I'm afraid someone might drown.

I would imagine that the contestants had to say something about their swimming experience during the casting process (maybe only on a form).  Several of the contestants posted on this forum before so they might be able to give more detail.

In one of the promos for the show, they showed the final 3 teams jumping into the water as part of the challenge at that stage.  But at the actual final 3 challenge, no one was shown jumping into the water or swimming.  If I remember correctly (after 2 years), one of the contestants went into shock (or something similar to that) after jumping in the water, and so they changed the challenge so that no one had to get wet at that stage.

Even if they actually made the contestants take a physical swimming test before starting the show, it probably wouldn't be foolproof.  Swimming near sea level (which would be the case at most casting studios in Los Angeles and elsewhere) is easier than swimming at high elevation.

I wasn't worried about anyone drowning - I would bet they have lots of crew just off camera ready to swim over and start helping if necessary (Survivor has rescue crew available).  Another thing the contestants could potentially answer if they would ever come back to this forum.

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

--Plank Walk is harder than most of the RTSs on endurance. Wow.

Yeah, trying to cross a beam that gets wet (even just moving it between platforms would make it wet) and isn't secured on either end is tough.  It was a smaller distance overall than E5 Balance is the Key's laps, but the added difficulty of balancing when the beam itself could slip/move made up for that.  I would definitely say Karma's Right to Stay was harder than E2's RTS and E6's RTS, and probably E1's RTS too.  The rain in E3 and the unforgiving nature of the handholds in E4 (so small and tipped easily to one side or the other) are closer in toughness to Karma's RTS.  I don't think the amount of time each RTS took to complete is a good comparison standard, because the consequences for making a mistake/losing concentration for a second were different.

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

--I don't understand not competing in this challenge--sure, I might not do well in it, but at least I'll fight for some form of control. Whereas if I don't, I'm at the mercy of my fellow contestants.

I definitely wish all contestants could have competed.  But I don't fault those who didn't want to compete when it was revealed that there were only 8 slots.  Picking all of the teams is a lot of responsibility, and could easily lead to making a lot of enemies.  Unless there was someone who I just absolutely could not ever get along with, I would consider trying to make it work with any given partner part of the experience.

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

--Fit to Pick is basically an extreme version of Tilt. I really like this!

Yeah, I'd say it's better than E5 Hanging Around and E4 Power Play for sure.  I'd take it over E3's Pick Your Partner, too - watching a few balls get fought for was interesting, but by the 13th one it was definitely old.

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

==I wonder if Eli eventually found his shoe...

It looked like it was floating for most if not all of the time after he dropped it.

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

----Also, is it just me, or do these teenagers look more like kids than the ones on endurance?

So you mean that these teenagers look younger overall?  To me they seemed pretty close to the same.  On the one hand, in some ways it did feel like the physical differences between the contestants (particularly their heights) were quite amplified in Karma compared to most seasons of Endurance - that is, there were some contestants who were very tall and others who were not (and so may have seemed younger because they were shorter).  On the other hand, I feel like a lot more of the Karma players were wearing jewelry they brought from home (compared to most Endurance players), which somehow made them seem older to me.

[carsonvega]

Aug 6, 2022 21:15:30 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

--Is there a reason why the crew had the partner selection first, and having the contestants talk it out before the final selection?

Outside of the main episodes of Karma (I can't remember if it was in the video on Michelle's YouTube channel or if it was maybe mentioned by JD in the reunion podcast), they talked about how they were trying to give the contestants a lot of time with each other - pretty much making them "bored" in some sense, so that they would develop relationships that would ultimately impact the competition and be easy to show to the audience.  Since Michelle didn't explain that the winner was going to pick all the teams until they arrived at the spot for Fit to Pick, I thought it made sense to give them time to talk about it after Mack won.