The latest season of Race Across the World is well underway, with our couplesbooking it across Europe and Asia, and discovering new things about themselves along the way.
As with every season, each pair has its own endearing dynamic and heartfelt backstory that makes viewers root for them even more as they trek through lands unknown.
This time around, the cast features: in-laws Mark and Margo; siblings Katie and Harrison; father and daughter Andrew and Molly; friends Kush and Jo; and the recently-eliminated Puja and Roshni.
Quintessential to the BBC series is the emotional back stories many of these couples are bringing to the table – whether they are dealing with grief, processing a troubled childhood, or working through life’s challenges in one way or another.
Often, their tales of hardship (or sob stories as the internet has dubbed them) feature prominently throughout the episodes, but it has previously rubbed fans the wrong way.
Many have shared their frustration at the sometimes hammed-up stories and their prominence – sometimes at the expense of the actual task at hand.
At one point, it was even renamed ‘sob story across the world’ by some.
Although this has been a longstanding complaint, the tide seems to have turned in the new episodes, with fans acknowledging that producers may have taken their criticism on board by weaving it in more naturally.
This season has included some heartwrenching moments in its own right. In one episode, Puja was visibly emotional as she shared the story of her dad’s death four years ago and the guilt she still feels around it.
One Reddit user, Look_Alive, shared the noticeable shift in how these moments are explored. For example, in episode four, Molly’s anguish at not being heard and her historic frustration with it worked well with the episode’s plot.
They wrote: ‘This is when Race Across the World does the “sob-story” aspect correctly – Molly not being listened to at the start of the episode, flashback interview of her explaining her frustrations, and then being able to take the lead at the end of the episode with her dad admitting how hard it can be to take a step back.
‘Much better than when they spend episodes just talking sadly about different aspects of life that have nothing to do with the race.’
Offering another example, rdu3y6 shared that Harrison and Katie’s tale about ‘caring for their mum worked well too’.
‘It felt like we were ready to learn about their background rather than it being forced on us,’ they added.
However, while Race Across the World is back in fans’ good books when it comes to emotional backstories, viewers still have some bones to pick.
Most recently, several people shared their dismay at the decision to eliminate a pair during the course of the race, believing it unnecessary cruel when it doesn’t add much to the thrust of the show or take away from the high stakes.
As for the remaining couples, they are still making their way to Mongolia in this 12,000km adventure, with it all still to play for.
Race Across the World continues on Thursday at 8pm on BBC One.
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