Well how about that. We've arrived at the big Final Three on this Amazing Race of ours. And does the group of six look like you thought it would a few weeks ago? No, me neither.
I mean, the Globetrotters are gone??? How in Sam Hill did that happen? Those dudes were total front-runners and then they just... crumbled. And that they lost to Brian & Ericka, one of our bumblingest couples, is an extra special surprise. Last night's leg was entirely B & E's to lose, what with their late start and Speed Bump and all, and yet they showed that with perseverance, sticktoitiveness and, well, a whole heaping plate of luck, you can emerge victorious against adversity. That last factor was certainly the most important, as their rescue from elimination was entirely made possible by a single bad decision.
That one was made by Big Easy, our big chuckling genial Globetrotter, who decided to sit out on a challenge and take the penalty rather than try to finish it. Look, I know that the kids didn't know that the word in their Kafkaesque letter scramble was a name (Franz, duh), but c'mon. Given the letters R F N A Z, I think FRANZ is a pretty easy answer. I mean, it phonetically spells something. Meghan got it on her second try, so why did it take Dan and BE several hours? These guys need to play more Text Twist. And, actually, BE didn't even finish! He made a really dumb executive decision to, after two and a half hours, forfeit the challenge and take the time penalty, which was a whopping four hours. So he and Flight Time had to just sit there with their thumbs up their rears while everyone else raced on and completed the challenges. Four hours! Why did they consider that a remotely good idea? It really felt like they were tired and were just ready to give up. Which was surprising for them.
What wasn't surprising was that, once again, our golden gods of racing Meghan & Cheyne came in first. They're just coasting at this point, just sailin' on through. If they don't manage to pull it out in the finale and take their much-deserved million dollars, I will throw a fit. Especially because their main competition is the awful, horrible, no good team of Sam & Dan. Srsly, guys, is there a more annoying pair on reality television right now? Well, obviously there are some annoying people on The Hills and anything on VH1, but I mean on like real "quality" reality TV. There is no one worse in that realm. They are a) Dumb as rocks b) Shrill yellers who yell all the time and c) Did I mention dumb as rocks? Their continued success on the show seems to owe itself more to the other teams' mistakes than it does to any sort of self-possessed skill or savvy. Two shrieking, whining idiots really should not be doing this well at this game. I just hope hope hope and pray pray pray that they'll make some fantastical blunder in the finale and will be forced to watch their million dollar dreams fade like distance screams into the night.
I don't know, I guess I don't have much else to say about this episode. The Globetrotters made a defeatist mistake early in the leg, Brian & Ericka plodded steadily along and reaped the benefits. Sam & Dan came in second by virtue of an early start time and big foul ups behind them, and Meghan & Cheyne won because they are far and away the best team, all whirring with eerie Aryan efficiency, and should win the crown next week. Seriously guys, if they don't? Well, let's just say it'd better be Brian & Ericka who beat them. (Brian & Ericka who are so square that they kept saying one shot of absinthe was making them drunk. Well, Brian the Goober was saying that anyway.) I just profoundly dislike Sam & Dan (the Golem challenge last night led to more shrieking and carrying on and utterances of "dude"). Profoundly. I don't think Phil likes them either. Just a guess.
Anyway, fare thee well old Globetrotters. They were formidable opponents, ultimately undone by understandable exhaustion. It's been a long haul, and now it's almost done. Shame they couldn't have found one last reserve of energy. Couldn't they have stolen it from Sam & Dan, like those wretches steal taxis?
Sigh.
Oh also! Um, wasn't Sam & Dan's golem broken in the arm? Why was that satisfactory enough to earn a pass? I smell a rat.
Comments (17)
Just finished watching the final too. Thinking back to last week. Does anyone think the Globetrotters threw the game by taking the penalty? They only needed less than an hour to go through all the 4 letter combinations left after BE got the "f" from Dan.
Hi. Just watched the final amazing race episode. I am glad MEGHAN & CHEYNE won.but wanted to add my comment that Ericka was a disgrace to the miss America title. a total cry baby when things don't go here way, i am glad they lost.
Hi! I just watched the Amazing Race from Sunday that I had taped. I thought I saw something interesting.
Right after the telephone challenge when Ericka's husband comes running out of the bldg, Ericka appears to be leaning into Mr. smaller Globetrotter, then pulling away from the dude where he is leaning against the wall. Then I slowed down the video, it looks like Ericka's arm was above the Globetrotters head and when the husband comes out the Globetrotter's arm pushes her away. It really appears that they might have been caught in an romantic situation.
I hated the Globetrotters, I am glad they're gone. I don't really like Meghan and Cheyne much but don't hate them. Brian and Ericka are a bit too square for my tastes but as such I can't help but thinking about them like a lost puppy and kinda hoping they win. I actually like Sam and Dan despite what popular opinion seems to be. Yes, the broken arm was dubious, but if you noticed it wasn't really noticeable when standing up, only while being carried, so it's possible that since the judges did not physically check the golems and only looked at them, that he didn't notice (I think his main concern was that they be properly covered in clay). The taxi stealing was a bit low but it's not the first time it's happened on the show and is nowhere near as low as some other stuff (like when a team hid the pumps that teams were to use to fix the tires before taking on a challenge). Big Easy's decision was dumb as rocks. Like really, how can you complain about Sam and Dan being dumb and root for the Globetrotters? That's like saying the heat in LA is unbearable but you LOVE the Sahara. And before you call anyone dumb Richard, make sure your piece is devoid of any mistakes. I'd prefer if Sam and Dan win, then possibly Brian and Ericka. But I won't throw a fit if it is any of the current teams, that's for sure.moreless
I liked the Globetrotters too, but they really don't need the money. They gave their shot away taking the penalty. I will root for Brian and Ericka.
I really was rooting for the Globetrotters. They were fun to watch and much nicer than many of the other teams. I can't stand S & D! If Meghan could win it without Cheyne that would be my vote...he needs to lose the elitist attitude!
I just couldn't stand the extreme dumbness of Big Easy... they are better off the race now. I hope Brian and Ericka win the last leg, they are the most excited team when they arrive at the pit stops.
I don't think Meghan and Cheyne should still be in the race. They both did a challenge a few weeks ago where they had to go in a tower and count bells. Only one team member was supposed to do it. I think at the very least they should have been penalized. Granted, they have come in first a lot, but is this really fair? Sam and Dan deserve to have their cab stolen from them. They represent a very poor example as brothers.
I'm glad the globetrotters are out, Big Easy don't think so. Big Dumb Arse if you ask me. Oh we're globetrotters we travel the world blah blah blah....maybe if he read a book he would learn something.......idiot....4 hours bloody idiot
Sam & Dan are so classless, if they win, this will be worse than Freddy & Kendra, Tyler & James, Tammy & Victor or any of those other horrible winning teams. The Globetrotters were a joy to watch and cheer for. I LOVE both Meghan & Cheyne and Brian & Ericka, so I don't care whichever one wins, as long as it is not the gay brothers. (by the way, to answer the question of a previous poster, it is NOT a two-hour episode, sadly...)
True about Sam and Dan. I was hoping that would come up and then the Globetrotters would catch up and bump them out. At the very least, Brian and Ericka would have come in second. I want them to win (B&E) for no other reason than I positively hate the brothers and Meghan and Cheyne (although not as bad as some teams in the past) fit the stereotypical athletic, pretty team that usually wins. So my preference would be: Brian and Ericka winning, Meghan and Cheyne coming in second, and the brothers getting lost somewhere in Las Vegas and shot to death by a mob boss for trying to cheat again. Hey, a guy can dream, right? :)
gay magic"? LOL...If I remember the rules correctly, it said that if the golem was NOT perfect or right as compared to the one the rabii's had, they would had to do OVER. So yeah, I smell a rat too.
Atticus, are you kidding? The Amazing Race is one of the biggest shows on Canadian TV. Catch it Sunday night on CTV. Usually it's on at 9, but if it's a two hour episode (Does anyone know?) it might start at 8.
Help!! I am going to be in Ontario, Canada (Kitchener, which is about 60 miles west of Toronto) on next Sunday and am afraid I may miss the finale. Can anyone out there tell me if the show is broadcast on Canadian TV??? Thanks!!!
I hope Sam and Dan lose horribly. It would be awesome if they had some sort of epic fail.
Didn't Big Easy even tell Dan, when asked, that the letters he had gotten were 'F' 'R' 'A' 'N' 'Z'... in that order! Of course this is the same guy that took hours to open the combination to the briefcase early on in the race that took every one else only about 30 seconds to open. Clearly thinking is not his strong suit.
Mr Richard, I think you are on to something regarding Sam and Dan. They probably used gay magic to cheat. What happened to the olden days when us friends of Dorothy only used our abilities to serve and protect the innocent?