Christmas special 2014 Part 2 (28th December)

celica00

I found it very good, especially because of the very "real" end. Surprised about the 31-crew though!

Tzar Chasm

reddit wrote:

Heres Hey guys, i just wanted to say a couple of things since i'm an argentinian and i know there are lots of them in r/topgear. First of all, i wanted to say how much i like this community and how much i like top gear, i have been following the show since 2008 and have watched every episode from 2002 and on. The argentina thing was a disaster. As someone who has lived in Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego (and in Ushuaia, also) for a long time i was pretty excited about the guys coming over. I was tracking their progress with local journalism like AutoBlog (the one who spotted the H982 thing) and many others. And i want to tell you guys what happened from the perspective of someone from here.

First: Everyone here was misinformed. When the guys arrived to Ushuaia, the local radio (in Rio Grande at least) started reporting that a program from the BBC had came to the island JUST to provocate us. They told us that a bunch of english guys in some expensive cars had signs in their cars just to make us mad... One friend even called me to tell me that "those car guys you're always watching" had come to the island and had english flags! and that they put **** You! in their cars. Everyone started to talk bull****...Specially in Facebook, and they didn't even know who the hell was coming, or what was the message NOBODY. I heard a lot of versions during that time

That the plates were "**** You", or "1982 Falklands" That they had messages painted all over the cars... That they had english flags...

Then, the Veterans started pressuring the local goverment to expell the TG Crew out of the state, and since the veterans are kind of a powerful influence there (and they were making threats towards both the goverment and the TG team). The goverment decided to make a deal.

The TG Team would leave, and they wouldn't be any violence.

Both the TG Crew and the Veterans agreed and they left.

In fact, i was told by a friend that was working on the security operative (Yes, Tierra del Fuego is that small) for TG that night, that they were so scared and in a hurry to go to Rio Grande's Airport that they forgot things like Notebooks and equipment in the hotel.

When the TG team left Ushuaia, the Veterans left them alone... But the word about the Malvinas/Falklands thing was out and a mob started to form in both Tolhuin and in Rio Grande. Local police tried to contain the mob in Tolhuin but they were overrun (since Tolhuin has like...20 police officers and 4 pickups) but the real problem was in Rio Grande (the biggest city here) since the Mayor (Yes, the ****ing mayor) was the leader of the ****ing mob there. Still, no one knew what the hell was going on... Up to this point, no one even knew what Top Gear was. Some people just said "The BBC" but most of them had no clue.

And that mob, made entirely out of the redneck and stupid part of the population went and did what you saw... And some of them didn't even knew what was all the fuzz about, they just wanted to throw rocks at someone.

They were stupid people wanting to make trouble, and they now had an excuse to do so.

Meanwhile, most of the population in the rest of the country didn't even cared about this, hell...most of the population doesn't even care about the Malvinas/Falklands incident anymore... It's just a political subject to use when elections are coming (which is next year).

Just wanted to tell you this because i have been lurking around here and all i'm seeing is **** towards the "argies" Things like WTF Argentina, or how can you be mad at them! and many other things, and i would hate to see Argentina or Argentinians become the number 1 enemy here.

And believe me when i tell you...

We're not all what you saw. And many of us love Top Gear.

If you have any questions regarding anything of the incident, i'l try to answer them from what i saw from here.

PS: Sorry for the ****ty english.

different perspective
u/w0rtrod is an argentinian redditor from the region, so heres a locals explanation of their side of rhe story.

it puts a very different spin on events, the lads were screwed before they ever set foot on the island.

cdeb

Interesting if true. Seems to be simply inherent racism in certain sections of Argentinian society so. (More or less what I've reckoned all along, though didn't think it'd reach that extent)

Tzar Chasm

Well if ts true that the mayor of Rio grande was grandstanding at the head of a mob that puts an entirely different spin on events.

bear in mind that the lads went to ushaia wit the honest intention of playing car football, i would bet that the original intention was to play the game in front of a bunch of TG fans and end the show with a heartwarming shot of everyone drinking a beer and having a laugh, closing with clarkson and some argentinian veteran sharing a moment and the voice over reminding us that we're not all that different

cdeb

Tzar Chasm wrote: »

bear in mind that the lads went to ushaia wit the honest intention of playing car football

Not only that, but they seemed to have had co-operation in Ushuaia if the shots of the "stadium" being built and the cars decked out in Argentina colours are anything to go by.

callaway92

This being repeated? Part 1 was recorded on my Sky planner so I might as well watch part 2! Thanks

fryup

for me best part of it was the end, the stoning

i'm surprised the Argentinian police gave them an escort home thought they would have sided with the lynch mob

BTW - does anyone know were the TG presenters part of the convoy?? if not where were they??

Dempsey

The best part was Clarkson explaining his faith in the Porsche, by an unreachable mile.

Alot of opinions I couldnt care for in this thread tbh

Clareman

fryup wrote: »

BTW - does anyone know were the TG presenters part of the convoy?? if not where were they??

Nope, they were flown out separately, the crew left with the cars and their convoy, the mob focused on that while the presenters snuck out. They seemed to be doing a lot of drinking in that room.

Dravokivich

Clareman wrote: »

Nope, they were flown out separately, the crew left with the cars and their convoy, the mob focused on that while the presenters snuck out. They seemed to be doing a lot of drinking in that room.

They drank everywhere they stopped for their overnight stays, so I'm not too sure why that's surprising. Its very likely that the full extent of what was going to transpire wasn't foreseeable and they thought they'd only be breaking for the day. That bottle of wine they started in the hotel room didn't appear to go down much with more of their commentary in the hotel room.

fryup

Clareman wrote: »

Nope, they were flown out separately, the crew left with the cars and their convoy, the mob focused on that while the presenters snuck out. They seemed to be doing a lot of drinking in that room.

So much for them sticking it out and showing comradeship with their colleagues, pathetic really

thelad95

fryup wrote: »

for me best part of it was the end, the stoning

i'm surprised the Argentinian police gave them an escort home thought they would have sided with the lynch mob

fryup wrote: »

So much for them sticking it out and showing comradeship with their colleagues, pathetic really

Are you actually being serious or just ironic for the sake of it?

fryup

i'm being serious....yes i know they're the "stars" but wouldn't you think they'd join their workmates as a team, and show some solidarity

i'd be rightly p!ssed off if i was a member of the production staff, having to face the flak while others get off lightly

thelad95

fryup wrote: »

i'm being serious....yes i know they're the "stars" but wouldn't you think they'd join their workmates as a team, and show some solidarity

i'd be rightly p!ssed off if i was a member of the production staff, having to face the flak while others get off the hook

I agree with you to a certain extent on this but your point about enjoying the stoning and wishing the police would join in is pretty nonsensical to be honest.

Dempsey

fryup wrote: »

i'm being serious....yes i know they're the "stars" but wouldn't you think they'd join their workmates as a team, and show some solidarity

i'd be rightly p!ssed off if i was a member of the production staff, having to face the flak while others get off lightly

Would you want to stand beside a person(s) that a lynch mob want to tear to pieces?

fryup

thelad95 wrote: »

I agree with you to a certain extent on this but your point about enjoying the stoning and wishing the police would join in is pretty nonsensical to be honest.

no i didn't

---

although i didn't agree with it, yes i enjoyed the stoning.. it was for me the only compelling thing about this xmas special, i regret to say

thelad95

fryup wrote: »

i'm surprised the Argentinian police gave them an escort home thought they would have sided with the lynch mob

.

fryup

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

yes i said i'm surprised i didn't say i wished now did i ????????????

i said i'm surprised because south american police have got a reputation for being corrupt

thelad95

fryup wrote: »

i said i'm surprised because south american police have got a reputation for being corrupt

I'd imagine with an international spotlight on them, they probably thought it best not to join in with a partisan, racist, ignorant mob of rioters.

xtradel

fryup wrote: »

So much for them sticking it out and showing comradeship with their colleagues, pathetic really

Andy wilman explained that as they were the main target it made sense to get them out first. Could you imagine what would have happened if that mob got a glimpse of Clarkson and co?

fryup

Dempsey wrote: »

Would you want to stand beside a person(s) that a lynch mob want to tear to pieces?

ideally no,

but they were in vehicles with a police escort wasn't like they were exposed to a baying mob...i still think if they had any backbone they would have stayed with their colleagues no matter what they were advised

Clareman

fryup wrote: »

ideally no,

but they were in vehicles with a police escort wasn't like they were exposed to a baying mob...i still think if they had any backbone they would have stayed with their colleagues no matter what they were advised

I don't know about that, if I was in the crew and thought the 3 lads were the target I'd much prefer them to head off on their own, it's not as if they were going to battle or anything, they were just trying to get out of the country, judging by the poor quality footage of the "escape" I'd say most of the expensive equipment was already gone and it was just the convoy to get out.

cdeb

Exactly. Basic common sense. It'd only put the crew in more danger to have been travelling with Clarkson et al. Would have been quite stupid to do that

philstar

i reckon the Argentinians wouldn't recognise Clarkson & co anyway .. is it shown over there on TV??

Dempsey

philstar wrote: »

i reckon the Argentinians wouldn't recognise Clarkson & co anyway .. is it shown over there on TV??

It is broadcasted in Argentina with Spanish subtitles. Top Gear is broadcasted in 60+ countries

philstar

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

the bbc version??? or their own??

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Dempsey

philstar wrote: »

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

the bbc version??? or their own??

If it was their own, why would they need spanish subtitles?

philstar

i'm surprised they show it

them being anti british and that

More Music

celica00 wrote: »

I found it very good, especially because of the very "real" end. Surprised about the 31-crew though!

They have a convoy of around 13 vehicles for most of these specials. Camera cars (3 or 4 Range Rovers usually), camper vans, porta-loos, equipment/props truck, baggage/food truck, mechanics van with spare parts/tyres for "star cars" and convoy vehicles, trailer for the "joke car" and security.

It's a big operation, more like an expedition.

The mob contained the usual number of scumbags out to cause trouble and just looking for a reason. Happens everywhere. Think the London Riots a few years ago. Valid reason to protest, but look at what it turned into.

Clarksons front number plate was off and then back on at various points thoughout the programme. They may have removed it completely and might be just be the way it ended up on the edit.

The ending was a bit crap though, think they maybe should have followed their evacuation to the end.