The good: MATT LEBLANC!!! He was the saving grace of the new show. His performance on the show did not seem to be following a formula, but create an new character on the show that was all his own. His use of humor and style are a complete departure from what the previous presenters put on screen.
The Bad: Chris Evens. His jumpy, frantic, and shouty persona is like a hyperactive 10 year old doing his best Jeremy Clarkson impersonation. From his expressions to his descriptions, it felt painfully like an imitation of the previous trio. The two sections where this was most painfully apparent was during the lap set by the Viper ACR and during the segment at Top Gun.
Starting with the Top Gun segment, the cringe started with Chris Evans’ yell when he floored the ACR. This shout just made me wish Clarkson or Hammond was behind the wheel. The awkwardness continued with the treatment of Sabine Schmidt. With her history and known skill behind the wheel, it was uncomfortable watching her “struggle” to outdrive Evans. It may have been better and more fitting to see the Stig take the wheel of the ACR, giving the challenge a much less “Produced” feel. This is all excluding the fact that they added fake guns and missiles to the two cars, butchering the aerodynamics and making both look goofy. What a shame.
As for the Top Gear test track lap for the ACR, it cemented the feeling that Evans was just attempting his best Jeremy Clarkson impression. It highlighted the stale feeling of the show and has me pumped for the new format/show from Clarkson, Hammond, and May!
One final issue I had with Evans as host was how he finished segments. He felt like a bad hype man at an 90’s indie rap battle, constantly telling everyone to get excited for what was about to happen or just happened. It gave the whole show a disingenuous feel.
Going forward, I hope to see more of what Matt has to offer and that Chris calms down and takes a more subtle role.
Update: Episode 2 was better; Chris calmed down a bit, but still has a way to go. Also, Matt killed it again and I really want to see more from him on Top Gear! Finally, I am surprised that it was news of lower viewership numbers on episode 2. After a public scandal, viewer numbers always get a bump. Two perfect examples of this are Two and a Half Men after Charlie Sheen’s exit and Fast 7 after the tragic accident involving Paul Walker.