Top Shot Season 3 finale!

I was busy last night so it was on tape waiting.

THE BEST OF THE THREE!  Season 1 set the bar.  Season 2 finale looked really scripted.  Top gun definitely earned the season 3 title.

The episode fits the well established formula for the finale.  First there is a three heat dueling tree, then call shot and the finale consisting of many challenges throughout the season.  It's a good formula and it works.  Even better with two representatives from each of the original blue ("winner") team and red ("loser") team.

Ok they mixed it up a bit on the dueling tree by making them move.   The movement was slow enough that they might as well have been stationary.  I don't think it was a factor.  Still in each heat, one shooter clearly established an early lead and then merely had to follow behind and flip plates as their competitor flips a plate.  Justin avoided elimination in a decisive 12-0 victory. 

The call shot challenge was again the best ever, made so with the shots called by the competitors.  Dustin established an early lead hitting a golf ball at 100 yards with a Volquartsen 10-22 prone.  You could see it was comfortable for Dustin (deep breath, exhale, hold it, squeeze, break the shot, follow through) and he nailed it.  Nicely done and the competitors couldn't match the call.  That's what this event is all about.

Mike's calls played well to his pistol strengths.  S&W .357 weak hand unsupported was a good call.  Does Mike have a weak hand?  And the AK-47 call strong hand only hand, unsupported was genius.  Great job Gary connecting when the chips were down.  But then he missed his own call and put himself out.

Before we get to the finale, one thing I was happy to see in the final rounds was the level of mutual respect between the competitors.  No braggadocio, no disrespect, just proud to be here and wish my opponent the best of luck.  This is more like the attitudes I've seen in competitive events.  Even the fiercest of competitors wish good luck to their opponents and shake hands when it's over.  Glad to see Jake go, clearly his strategy was pure Machiavelli.  Didn't surprise me when he walked instead of facing the challenge.  Character matters and he has none.  I wonder what lessons he passes along to his football team in search of a win.

It's interesting to see the one "loser" resurrected earn a spot in the finale.  No heartburn for me...  Jake walked off the set and Mike came back and earned his way back in winning sequential challenges, decisively so on the zip line and dueling tree.

Dustin's flawless finish suggests he would have won even if Mike didn't get stuck on the shotgun station.  Mike's weapon is the pistol.  If he didn't get stuck on the shotgun, it would have been the recurve bow.  Dustin's weapons are all of them.  The best shot won season 3.

In Season 3 was the best yet.  It was great to see the gatling guns and cannons come up in the elimination rounds.  I see those and wonder how will they top this next season?  How long before we see competitors trying a ground attack mission from nose of an A-10 Warthog, or some ACM (airborne dogfighting)?

Still it wasn't without disappointments.  I was sad to see the two wimmen competitors sent home first.   Are the challenges set up to put females at a disadvantage?  I don't see it but a good blog-friend suggests there may be a bias and would prefer to see gender specific events.  Guns are a great equalizer which allow a frail 80 YO defend her/himself from an 18YO thug so I would like to think M's & F's compete on an equal playing field.   But is that so?  There is more to the competition than just the shooting.  Is there a bias? I don't see it but that is far from the last word.

As Justin said, these events are things I would pay to do.  I concur and that should be a hint to entrepreneurs out there.  Over dinner a couple years ago the SCQueen blurted out "we should open a range"... In the discussion that followed, I suggested one of the things it should have is an old fashioned shooting gallery.  You know, stuff to make shooting fun!  Shall not be questioned recently posted about a new indoor range at a former big box retailer.  The $5M price tag answers why we have not proceeded with this idea (we are a little short).  Still I'd love to see someone else run with the idea.

Disclaimer:  advocates for the History channel sent me a bit of Top Shot swag:

• A pair of T-shirts.... Size L that would have fit me 30 years ago.  Too bad because I really like the shirt.
• A Top Shot cell phone cover... that doesn't fit my phone.  
• And a Shot Glass that I am proud to put up on the wall.  
• Oh and they sent me some other swag apparently by mistake, all stuff  representing a product I'll never buy and they won't get a free plug here.

Top Shot season 2 debut

Season two kicked off tonight.   It kicks off much harder than season one.  More on shooting and less "getting to know you, getting to know all about you..."   I'm sure we'll get to that later.  Looks like a solid field.

Nice start to see the "best" shooters choose teams grade school kickball style.  Though I wonder if Mr. Lim's shot was luck or skill.  I'm in solid agreement... once is luck, twice is skill.  They started down this path but we didn't see the result which makes me wonder if his second shot wasn't a miss [terminating that story line].

Glad to see more "Tara's" this season.  On average, what the fairer sex seems to lack in aggression, they make up in patience and dexterity (though this field is far above "on average").    Sorry to see the wimmenfolk selected at the bottom of the field.  Just doesn't look good.

While I agree with Mr Reed's "I'll take any 7 of the remaining 14 against the rest.  They all earned their spots here" at a gut level, I'd like to think in their shoes, I'd take after Mr. Lim's methodical attempt to build a balanced team.  

BassProShops is obviously a sponsor.  Welcome!  I hope you find your sponsorship profitable!  What do you have available in magnum calibers? (I'm in the market).

$2k card for each challenge win.  Nice touch.  But I bet Kelly is wondering "WhereTF were you last season?"  He'd have made a nice sideline last season.  How many challenges did he win? At least 4 IIRC.

Mr. Lim so far is listed only as a "golf pro" and future highlights hint at discord within the ranks.  I wonder what kind of "underdog creds" we'll see from him and from Ms. "guess no one wants me" last chosen.

Who doesn't love an underdog story?  Good start to the season!

Top Shot - Finale

Great Episode!

Warning... spoilers below so if you haven't seen the episode... abort this session now!
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Three great challenges to eliminate three of the final four competitors. My money was on JJ and Iain in the final with Peter falling first, then Chris. The final would be decided by the final competition. Who's strength would it play to?

First one was a series of metal plates that when hit flip over to the competitors side. Shot with the Baretta 92F. Forty shots and sixty seconds. Only thing that matters is who hits the most plates last. So winning requires skill and timing. When the music stopped, Peter didn't have a chair. Called it right.

Second challenge was a really good call. "Horse" where each competitor called challenge. What better way to make the competitors "play your game". Unfortunately JJ missed his own call and the others as well. That put him out. Heck, with enough variables you could probably make a series out of this one contest itself. Missed that call which means I missed the final matchup as well.

The final contest was IMHO a great call as it was a nice collection of everything that lead up to this point. Knives, long bows, pistols and rifles. Great call... gotta perform well all around to win. In the end both were firing at the same 300 yard rifle target with the M-14. First one to hit wins. Iain had the slight advantage as he started loading the magazine first and part of the strategy was how many rounds to you load. He loaded enough and made the first hit.

They also brought back the individual competitors back to watch the finale. Nice touch, and somewhat reversed... the past nine episodes sitting on the bench meant safety and standing meant risk of going home. But now it's reversed. The losers are sitting and the finalists are standing. I applaud the turnabout.

The one Uggh moment in the episode came after Iain's winning shot. Time to celebrate the winner and console the loser... when Adam stuck his face in the shot like a fan jumping into the background of a live news shot even before the competitors could shake hands. Only thing missing was a big foam #1 hand and the mouthing "Hi Mom!". And he looked as silly. Watching the rerun it appears the producers tried to edit that out as much as possible (Adam's extremities are visible at the edge of the screen as Iain shook hands with Chris.) Dude it was their moment, not yours. Everyone else seemed to get that.

The high degree of sportsmanship at the end was a credit to the competitors. Once the emoSurvivorcrap was over, every uttered wish was for success, not failure. That well reflects the attitude of shooting sports in general. Competitors are always willing to help others with whatever is needed... Talk through strategy, lend ammo, magazines, even loaning a gun to shoot.

The next season should be interesting to see what they come up with next. Also I hope for more Tara's next year. I know there are skilled women shooters out there, Guns are a great equalizer, lets see the head to head competition. (I also wonder how many skilled shooters both M & F were disqualified because they weren't sufficiently "photogenic".)

PS. Nice getup there Peter!