‘Top Gear’ Recap: ‘Season 26, Episode 1’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

So, full admission before we get into the meat and potatoes of this recap, I am a newbie when it comes to Top Gear. It’s a show I’ve known of for some time, and one that I know plenty of people watch and enjoy, it’s just one that I’ve never settled in to properly watch since my viewing habits have been focused in the past on a world of superheroes and other various fare. But, this past year, I’ve come to realize that I really need to broaden my television watching horizons, and check out shows that I’ve never seen before or normally don’t watch, simply because, I feel as though I’m missing out when it comes to T.V. and my newfound quest to fill my mind with new and exciting shows, prompted me to finally give this series a shot, and boy, am I glad I did.
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Because it turns out that Top Gear is just downright fun, and stunningly educational, especially for a guy like me who knows how to dismantle a MacBook Pro but is clueless when it comes to how to change my oil, and my lack of knowledge when it comes to cars, helped to suck me into this particular episode, especially the opening segment. Because I was fully unaware of the fact that Ferrari and Porsche actually produced station wagons (or family estate cars, as they’re known overseas) and seeing a family ‘truckster’ haul it over 100 m.p.h. is something you simply cannot turn away from, and the same goes for a friendly competition to see which driver can handle their car better and thanks to Chris, I learned plenty during this segment and definitely enjoyed some chuckles as well, thanks to Matt’s delightfully smarmy commentary.

I also have to say I was quite impressed with Ryan’s segment in this tale, because I have seen subcompact cars on the road and thought little of them when it comes to what they could accomplish outside of city driving, but this part of the show turned my assumptions upside down since the Suzuki Ignis he was driving in this tale, could basically do it all. I mean this little car went everywhere and anywhere, and I was also stunned over the fact that this little car could essentially haul itself up a mountain and the competition here, wherein Ryan squared off against Sabine and her Fiat Panda, only reinforced the versatility of this style of vehicle and this sequence convinced me that maybe, just maybe, if I ever want a vehicle that can handle just about anything thrown its way, and save some bread while buying one, a subcompact might be the way to go.

Plus, I thoroughly enjoyed the celebrity segment with James Marsters just because of the fact that his interview ending up being surprisingly intimate. Because here, I actually learned about James’ love affair with cars, and received some lovely insight on his youth and his experiences with vehicles, instead of hearing him plug some new project, as is usually the case with these kinds of interviews, and it was equally as cool to see him get behind the wheel and let loose. However, the true highlight of the night, was Matt and Chris’ final showdown, because this featured an epic race to the top of a mountain with base jumpers (who planned to get back down the mountain via ‘airdrop’) as their cargo, and this allowed for us to see what these cars could really do, and we also learned at the end of this race that Chris is pretty brave because I’m with Matt, no thanks to flying off of a cliff.

In the end, I’m quite intrigued by what this show has to offer, and I honestly feel a little ashamed that I didn’t dive into it sooner. Because it’s pure entertainment, and pure fun and I really did enjoy every single minute of this wild ride (sorry, couldn’t resist) and well, I am definitely ready to learn more about cars, and travel to more exotic locations with these guys, to see what these babies can do, and also learn more about celebrities that dig an awesome ride, and the funny thing is, since I’m new to this series, I may be one-hundred percent wrong about how the format for this season is going to go and therein lies the magic. Because for the first time in a long time, I can sit back, and see where the show takes me, and I cannot wait to be surprised come next week. Until then.  

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