And, so it's over. The next season will be the All Stars season and should air in the spring. It's currently filming.Tonight's finale took a look back at all of the teams. While it seems not much time has gone by, some of the teams seemed to be such distant past. Duke and Lauren? Tom and Terry? Yikes! I forgot I had hoped they'd make it near the end! Now they're such history that they seem like they're from a previous season.
Three teams remain. In tonight's season finale, one team will win a million dollars and The Amazing Race.
After the brief memory jog through the teams and some of the countries, the show opened where we last left the remaining three teams - Barcelona, Spain. Rob and Kimberly, who had been the first to arrive, were the first to leave at 11:09 p.m. Lyn/Karlyn ('Bama Moms) had to wait until 11:44 while the BoyToys (Tyler and James) left last at 11:53.
The teams had to find a church in Barcelona that's been under construction for 124 years, the Sagrada Familia. It was actually a fairly easy place to find as it's quite famous. However, the kicker was they had to search a park behind the church for their next clue. The 'Bama Moms were still searching as the other teams hit the airport looking for flights to Paris.
In what looks like a purely typical touristy move, teams had to go to the third floor of the Eiffel Tower for their next clue. Why? I can only think it was so that the Eiffel Tower would be included in the show. When all three teams gathered at the airport, Rob and Kimberly snagged the only available seats on the quickest flight to Paris landing at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport. Tyler and James, much to the disgust of Rob/Kimberly, managed to get on the fight last minute. But the 'Bama's couldn't get aboard. However, they ended up with a flight which landed at Orly, which happens to be much closer to the Eiffel Tower than de Gaulle is.
All teams ended up on the same train to Caen where they hit a Roadblock - a task only one member of the team can complete. In this one, "Who's ready to storm the beach," both team members played a bit of a role. The main task was a tandem skydive with a guide which had to be completed by the one. But the other team member also went up in the plane which nosedived along with the skydiver for a while.
The Roadblock gave Rob something new to fuss at Kimberly about - he wanted to skydive and it was her task. Wah, wah, fuss, bicker. I can't help but wonder how the ChoBros would have done with this Roadblock as they had such a fear of heights.
Despite what seemed to be a jump on Rob and Kimberly by the BoyToys and 'Bama Moms, all three teams were once again on the same train back to Paris and a Detour. The Detour, a choice between two tasks to be completed by both team members, was Art or Fashion. In Art, teams had to pick up then walk a painting to get their next clue. In Fashion, teams had to create a jacket using a mannequin, then get approval from a designer.
All three teams chose Fashion for some reason. I personally would have thought that to be the harder task. The BoyToys did great. 'Bama Moms thought the fashion designer was the Fashion Gestapo and could only say "no." Rob was all frustrated as Kimberly took over the task and didn't let him do anything. So, he fussed more about not getting to skydive.
Whne the clue received instructed them to fly to New York City, 'Bama Moms made an error which cost them the race. They went back to the Orly Airport while the other teams went to the Charles de Gaulle. Orly has no flights to NYC, so they had to double back and ended up not making the same flight as Rob/Kimberly and the BoyToys. We never saw the 'Bama Moms again until the Finish Line.
The teams were instructed to get their next clue at the "News building with the big globe." Here's the part of the Race I loved because it's my territory. That's the The News Building on East 42nd Street - the model for the Daily Planet building of Superman fame and the original home of the New York Daily News. From there they had to walk (yikes) about two miles down to the East Village armed with a photo of a sculpture. Hey, I know that spinning sculpture! I never knew its name before tonight, but it's the Alamo. It's on Astor Place and Lafayette not far from where the Blue Man Group plays.From there, it was a race between the BoyToys and Rob/Kimberly to taxicab on up to Garrison, a town in Putnam county about 40 miles north of NYC. I'm familiar with where the town is as I lived about 10 miles north of there a few decades ago. But I didn't know the Pit Stop location - St. Basil's Academy.
The BoyToys, James and Tyler, hit the Pit Stop first. Not long after came Rob and Kimberly. It's unknown how much later the 'Bama Moms arrived, but they made it.
Okay. I wasn't too thrilled with any of the final three teams. I guess the BoyToys were the most deserving of the three as they consistently raced the best race of the three. They didn't fight as much as Rob and Kimberly, and weren't as nasty as Karlyn from 'Bama Moms was at times.
The season brought about a first - the first all-female team to make the final three. I bet Lyn and Karlyn's children are beaming. It also brought about a second - the second year in a row that a guy named Tyler won. I liked the other Tyler better. Overall? I was entertained. I'll be watching and writing about the next season, for sure.
Oh. And Phil Keoghan (the host) is still adorable with great eyes.
I'm allowed to be shallow, aren't I? After all, I write about television shows. I'm not trying for a Pulitzer.
