Amazing Race: 2/8: TAR finale: Locks, Pizza, Cabs and a TRAIN!

The finale had two parts, and what two parts they were. First of all, hats off to Aaron who provided some of the best melt down moments ever caught on TV! She was done in by those crazy taxi drivers in China--all of whom seem never to know which way to go. The first task was finding the flag hidden in an army of clay Chinese statues. Well, actually, not IN the army...just along the railing. I found myself cheering for Adam and Rebecca which could only mean one thing: I was insane. Here's a team that I loathed and that bugged me to no end the entire race. They really pulled it out in the end though and I was rooting for their underdog butts to beat at least Aaron and Hayden. The next task was a hoot; go up a mountain and try to unlock one of 3,000 old nasty locks put there by lovers over the years. Aaron lost it here too and ended up breaking a key. I thought that was the end of her, but no, you could go down and get another one. So much for suspense. Kris unlocked her's first and gave her team a pretty good lead. Next up was Kendra (Freddie so needed to shut the heck up during this task) and last was Rebecca. Aaron gave up right before Rebecca undid her lock, giving them certain doom because they didn't finish the last task. I cheered when they came in, knowing the 'anxiety attack queen' wouldn't get in the final 3. Hayden actually did something amazing himself--he asked Aaron to marry him right there on the spot. If you didn't see Adam's face during this, you missed a priceless moment. He looked like he was going to throw up. I guess he was thinking of what it would be like to spend hisentire life with Rebecca.

With Hayden and Aaron out of it, I was only hoping that next, the dork and the stork (my "affectionate" names for Freddie and Kendra) would get bumped off. Literally. Like eaten by sharks or trapped in an elevator. Alas, no such luck. Off to Hawaii everyone went--with Freddie and Kendra getting the lucky draw and having a ticket agent that actually knew when the first plane was arriving in Hawaii. (Kendra did try to get an earlier plane by saying "her child was ill" --bad chi, girl!) Once in Hawaii (looking like paradise after all they've been through), Kris and Jon pulled into the lead yet again by finding clothes to match and sprinting off to jump from a plane. Adam and Rebecca never really recovered from their 3rd place plane landing and brought up the rear the entire last leg of the race. Kendra and Freddie yelled "baby" another 900 times before getting on that plane to Chicago and the race was on. Could the annoying Kendra and Freddie beat the sweetheart team of Kris and Jon? I was so hoping that Kharma would win out on this one.

Chicago looked bleak and dark compared to Hawaii, but this was it...they were off and running to eat a deep dish pizza. Now, my husband and I saw the pizza's size and shook our heads. Come on...get them a REAL size pizza. Then, as usual, Kendra had trouble gagging it down and Freddie sat there telling her to CHEW faster. And shove it in. And "Just do it baby" and "there's a million dollars riding on this"--blah, blah blan. I wanted to break his glasses. They finished and left...leaving me to weep in my bed, thinking they were well on their way to a win.

BUT WAIT! They got a cab driver in Chicago that had trouble speaking English! Ha, I thought, what a fitting end for these two! They can't find the FINAL PIT STOP! YES! I'm cheering, thinking that Kris and Jon will get there first...I'm jumping...I'm...Oh NOOOOOOO. Looks like a foot race to the end. Dang. I ran into the closet and yelled to my husband to tell me what was happening. He says: A TRAIN! I'm thinking, "that's it! Kendra and Freddie get run over by a train!"--but NAY, it was Kris and Jon who were stopped in their tracks...well, the train's tracks while Kendra and Freddie sprinted to the winner's circle. Boo Hiss. All the contestants were there, all seemed happy that the models won--but you knew they thought Kris and Jon deserved it. Oh, by the way, Rebecca and Adam whined their way through the pizza by saying things like "I hate tomatoes" and "I hate cheese"--making my hate for them come back again. They finished third.

The worst part of the whole thing? Freddie actually saying he'd "found the perfect Human soul" in Kendra. Now, I'm sorry, but that's worthy of an eyeroll and a smack. Please. Even Phil looked squemish after that one.

My Tuesday nights are FREE AGAIN! No more TAR until the next season starts. I will get a Jonathan fix when he appears on the Dr Phil show Feb 15th. That looks like a great thing to watch. I also see that Survivor is starting up again--never rest for the reality obsessed!