The Grand Tour S2 E1 Made Me Forget About The Disappointing First Series
Just over a year ago, I made the Internet quite angry by voicing my disappointment about the first ever episode of The Grand Tour. It seemed popular opinion was well and truly against my view, but here’s the thing: pretty soon, that started to flip the other way.
People found ‘The American’ annoying. The Celebrity Braincrash ‘deaths’ got old by episode two. Some of the segments - like the one at the military training camp in Jordan - could only be described as ‘puerile’.
Having now watched the first episode of the Amazon Prime vehicle’s second series though, all is forgiven. What hasn’t worked has clearly been taken on board: the jokes don’t seem as forced, there wasn’t anything childish going on, and they even admitted that Celebrity Braincrash hadn’t really worked out. As Richard Hammond bluntly put it “you all hated it.” Kudos has to be given for them being so honest.
The final 10-15 minutes of the show leading up the huge accident we’ve all been expecting to see from Hammond were genuinely gripping. Particularly with the presenter uttering foreboding phrases like “this could go so wrong.”
Sure, a proper conclusion to the argument of past, present and future that brought together a Lamborghini Aventador S, Honda NSX and Rimac Concept One in the first place might have been nice. But as it’s always been with these three, it’s about the journey they take you on, not the destination. And the journey was pretty awesome. I even - for the first time in a while watching TGT - actually laughed out loud. More than once.
The new celebrity segment is good fun to watch, and I like the concept of putting two famous people from the same field against each other. It’ll be entertaining to see that inline-four F-Type - TGT’s own version of their old ‘Reasonably Priced Car - being thrashed around over the next few weeks, too.
You know what the feeling I had watching The Grand Tour S2 Ep1 reminded me of? The first time I saw the second revamp of post-2001 Top Gear, after Chris Evans had left. Just like TGT it was coming back from a shonky season. Just like TGT it had shed itself of the parts that didn’t work, and refined what did. And just like TGT, it wasn’t perfect.
As good as this latest episode is, it’s still not Top Gear glory days good. It’s possible Clarkson, Hammond and May will never get back there. But it was in another league to what we saw in that debut season, and it fills me with hope for the next few episodes.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
You mean S02E01
I strongly agree. I renewed my Amazon Prime subscription solely for this, never looked back at season 1.
I agree. While there was some scripting, I could forgive them and watch the three middle age men making sexual and racist jokes just like old times. Feels like I’m actually watching Top Gear again… but with a different name. 😃
I hate it when people say scripting. Of course there’s a script, and in the credits there’s even a script editor!
What you mean is how natural the performances of the cast are and how well the script ideas are implemented.
Richard Porter always said that the script was never on rails like a movie, more like an plan with some jokes they had all written
Except captain slow is replace with dingleberry handpump
If I’m being honest, I absolutely loved the first season. I don’t see why some found it disappointing.
Because they just wanted a carbon copy of Top Gear and not something new , original, and possibly better than Top Gear
I thought the first season started brilliantly. But it seemed to be on a steady decline from there to be honest
I know it was part of the joke but the concept of celebrity section is soooo stretched around the Top Gear one. Like at least CBC was somewhat original
Otherwise, fantastic
Aventador blast in tunnel was epic! Was expecting more information about the accident tho.
great engine in the lambo
The first episode was great, I love that they replaced the Celebrity Braincrash with the new Celebrity F-off
Already can’t wait for the next episode lol
Well, all of its disappointing when you don’t have Amazon Prime Video
good show this one hearing the Lambo in the tunnel, it sound like the devil chariot coming to collect lost souls with that V10 engine.
my attempt at hyperbole and it was rubbish, overall it seems they will get it right more often than not.
V10? :P
I think you meam V12..