Amazing Race: 5/17/06: Season Finale--and some burning questions...

Ah, Phil..you got me sucked into it again. By the end of last night's episode I didn't know which end was up. Again, a puzzler of a challenge separated the last two teams in victory.

Backing up a bit however, I do have a bone or two to pick with ya'll. How is it that every team always manages to either get on that "only" flight out--or finds a flight that's really, really close in time? I guess it's especially important for the last legs to have everyone close in the mix, right? How Yolanda and Ray made that flight after the ice-drilling competition still has me stumped.

Tokyo was interesting in that the language barrier was so difficult. Well, all except for BJ and Tyler who could speak fairly fluent Japanese. The Frats did a great job as well...whether by luck or sheer will power. I knew they'd pick carrying a "babe" in one of those tea houses over trolling the streets on bikes! Ray and Yolanda had mucho trouble trying to find their way around. It was hysterical to see the business men in a Denny's of all places, give them money because they thought she looked like Janet Jackson! One guy even tried to give them car keys, I think! (or were they to his room?!)

Some other minor things happened; the hippies psyched the frats out about the internet. They told the hotel guys to say there wasn't one (which they did) but it actually backfired in that the frats plane left before theirs to Alaska (It doesn't pay to be mean!) There was also the "sign" situation where Tyler tried to tell Jeremy he saw something when he didn't. Doesn't matter, you could see that sign so easily in the end, even blind people could spot it!

Another question I have is how did Ray and Yolanda get winter gear in Alaska? Seems to me they didn't have ANYTHING but the clothes on their backs. Hmmmmmmm. Did the producers take pity on their potential frost bite? Very interesting.

Alaska was snow covered and looked miserable. The teams had to drill ice-holes because the planes for the detour were grounded due to bad weather. They also had to snow shoe over a long course. BJ and Tyler struggled at this by channeling Fran and Berry and running past the shoes several times. Eric and Jeremy again sailed through this part, looking very good going into the final leg.

Ah, the puzzle. I seem to remember a certain guy and his daughters struggling with this one! All the teams had to find flags of the countries they'd been to and put them in order. Score was kept on your screen buy using boxes with X's inside. It was nerve wracking and for awhile, it seemed the frats would take it. They got hung up however, and BJ and Tyler ran to the mat. Come on, are these two not the greatest advertisement for TAR in history? I can see them now, doing web-casts and blogs for next season.

Eric and Jeremy came in second and said they'd have to go back to their "crappy jobs" now (if those crappy job bosses will let them!). They won about 900 trips though, so they can do doubt tour around picking up babes in multiple countries. Ray and Yolanda brought up the rear and seemed happy just to be done. They won the Mercedes Benz lease for a year. Not too shabby.

'Till next time, Phil!



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