Amazing Race season finale (and casting spoilers for next season)

[arduinna]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAYY!!

I would genuinely have been happy for either Nat & Kat or Brook & Claire to win; I like both teams tons, and they both earned the win. The only team I didn't want to win was Jill & Thomas; nothing against them, but a) I really wanted an all-female team to win, and b) I don't even know who they are. They're complete non-entities to me; toward the end of the race I could recognize them as being "not Chad and Stefanie, and also not Nick and Vicky, so they must be Jill and Thomas", but that's it. I still couldn't pick them out of a lineup.

I had high hopes when this season started that at least one all-female team would make it to the final three; I was boggled at how many strong all-female teams there were, so it seemed like good odds. I'd've put early money on the beach volleyball players (and wow, how awesome would it have been if they'd been the third team, for an all-female final three?), but Nat & Kat won me over completely when they did that pig-head-eating challenge and got it all down by chanting "tastes like money" (and when Kat matter of factly said she'd deal with vomiting later, after they got to the pit stop - no time for such things right then, they had a race to run!). And Brook & Claire (especially Claire!) won me over when they kept going after Claire got beaned in the face by that ricocheting watermelon.

And both teams just kept chugging along, staying consistent and strong, with almost no fighting and with a whole lot of support. <3

Three weeks ago, I was convinced that the race would shake out as usual, with maybe one all-female team in the final three, but that they wouldn't win. I was just glad I could honestly root for whichever one it was that made it that far. And also hugely relieved when Chad and Stefanie were eliminated - couldn't stand them, and had been getting more convinced they'd wind up in the final three just to thwart me.

Last week, I started to get really excited about Nat & Kat and Brook & Claire's chances -- except Jill & Thomas had managed to pull it out so often I was still mostly convinced they'd find a way to sail into first, and crush me.

When I saw them reach the cranes second, I figured that was it; they'd recover from the jump faster than Nat & Kat because of the heights thing, or they'd be able to race faster for a cab, or something. But N&K held it together, woooo, even with Nat screwing up at the Rose Bowl a little (tangentially, I would not have recognized that from the air, other than as "oh, looks like a football stadium") (I'd've recognized it from the ground, 'cause it had a big sign saying what it was. *g*).

And then the next clue, omg. I spent that entire segment just dying a little inside, as not one person recognized Sancho Panza's name, or could figure out who his master was. I know, I know, people have different interests and different knowledge; I mean, look at me and the Rose Bowl, right? But. No one. Not anyone on the phone, or anyone in the hotel, or anything! *cries*

The only saving grace there is that Jill & Thomas didn't know, and managed to offend their driver to the point that he had no interest in helping them, and for whatever reason never thought to ask to be brought to a hotel or an internet cafe. I mean, seriously, wtf, repeatedly yelling at your driver to "bring us to the internet" - what on earth was the poor man supposed to do? And then to hate your driver and feel like he's causing you to lose, only to turn around and get back in his cab... wow, killer fatigue really dumped all over them. (yaaaaaayyy)

So I was very tense all the way through to the gameshow roadblock; by the time Nat & Kat made it out of there without any other teams even showing up, I had a good feeling about them (then the editing managed to get me tense again about them being stuck in traffic; well played, TAR editors!). When Brook & Claire made it to the Roadblock and back out again before Jill and Thomas even figured out the clue, I was cheering.

Yay yay yay! A one-two finish for two all-female teams who both rock. This is awesome.


I'd heard that next season was going to be an All-Stars season, but hadn't heard anything about the teams. I had to look some of these up, as names and faces go right out of my head, and some I just failed on, but this is who I saw in the preview:

• Jet & Cord (the cowboys)
  - Yay! I love them
  
• Cara & Jaime (former NFL cheerleaders)
  - Man, I only got this one because I had to look up the correct spelling of LaKisha's name, below - I have zero memory of these two.
  
• Flight Time & Big Easy (the Globetrotters)
  - Yay! I really like them; they're a blast, and while it's a little odd to see people who are so consciously aware of being "on" all the time, it's also sort of nice to see people so prepared to stay reasonable and also get into the spirit of things to entertain the locals.
  
• Gary and Mallory (father & daughter team from this season)
  - I like them, but dear god I don't know if I can put up with her shrieking for another season.
  
• LaKisha & Jennifer (sisters)
  - I like them, but I hope they've learned to swim in the meantime, it's just painful watching them suffer in the water
  
• ? & ? (two random muscular young men running, no idea)
  
• Connor & Jonathan (singing Princeton students.)
  - Oh no. I thought I would be okay with the singing this season, but I really was not, and am not looking forward to this. Eep.
  
• Kynt & Vyxsin (the "goths".)
  - Eh. Too twee for me.
  
• ? & ? (two random young women in tank tops)
  
• Nick and Vicky (the "punks", although they're less punk and more just tattooed)
  - Dumb as rocks, but generally sweet until Nick's temper got the better of him, and I like Vicky a lot after how she held it together this season. And man, they made it way, way farther than I would have figured them for.
  
• Gary & Matt (father & son)
  - I liked these two a lot.
  
• Chad & Stefanie (dating-turned-engaged from this season)
  - Ugh. DNW. He skeeves me out, and anyone who thinks the middle of a reality game show is a spiffy time to propose to your gf, on camera, shouldn't be allowed anywhere near reality game shows.
  
• Margie & Luke (mother & son)
  - Yay! I love them.
  
• Mel & Mike (father & son)
  - I barely remember these two at all, huh.
  
• Toni & Dallas (mother & son)
  - I have no idea; I spotted them in a cast list, or I would have listed them as "? & ?" I don't recognize them at all.
  
• Brook & Claire (home shopping network tv hosts)
  - YAY! Seriously, love these two.
  
• Louie & Michael (undercover cops, whose cover is waaaaay blown now)
  - They got on my nerves a little, but mostly I like these guys. I think.
  
• Zev & Justin (friends)
  - Oh, I'm glad to see them here; they got eliminated for losing their passports, which is just a crappy way to go out. I'd love to see how far they can get on actual racing skills.
  
• Michael & Kevin (father & son team from this season) - Wow, I'm surprised Michael agreed to do this, considering how physically overwhelming the race was for him. I like them, but man, I don't want to watch him collapse again. :(
  
• ? & ? (two random men, maybe a father & son team? too fast to see for sure)
  
• Ron & Tony (friends, from this season)
  - Aw, I'm glad to see them again, I liked them. For the one episode we had them. *g*
  
• Maria & Tiffany (poker players)
  - Meh. Didn't like them.
  
• Andrew & Dan (fraternity brothers)
  - I don't remember these two at all.
  
• Mark & Michael (brothers, stuntmen)
  - I liked them, but my memory of them has faded a lot. Huh.
  
• ? & ? (one pony-tailed woman talking to someone I can't see)
  - For all I know this is a team I already listed, I can't get a good enough look to tell.
  
• At least two more teams who go by too fast to see

*counts up*

Wow, is that right? 27 teams? That can't be right, they must be choosing a smaller field out of that total, to keep the mystery. If not, that's an insanely huge field to be running.

Okay, no, they also showed the field of contestants, and it's a normal spread, looks like. But presumably the teams in there will be from the list above.

So there are some teams I don't particularly like, but mostly I'm good with them, and really pleased at the thought that some of them will be racing again. Looks like I'm watching the season...

Comments

[ithildin]

Nin and were floored no one knew the answer to the Sancho Panza clue NO ONE! Yeesh! Same feeling as you about how it all played out. Was rooting for either of the all girl teams and I liked them. Was it just me, or did there seem to be way more jerky SOs this time?

[arduinna]

I seriously still can't believe that no one knew that. *flail* It's like not knowing who Little John is, or something!

Honestly, I find that I dislike (or at least am annoyed by) most of the dating couples most years; the race seems to be hell on that particular kind of relationship, and any jackass tendencies come right to the fore. Give me family or friends to watch any day!

[sakana17]

not one person recognized Sancho Panza's name

Oh, ouch.

In one of the blogs I read the comments section frequently devolves into a discussion about how stupid and uneducated Americans are, and I always feel a slight desire to step in and say, hey, we're not that bad, but then... oh.

[eviltammy]

into a discussion about how stupid and uneducated Americans are,

I always look at it this way - the really intelligent of us would never go on a reality show :)

Though AR is one of the very few I'd consider :)

[arduinna]

The truly horrifying thing? The dumb team got eliminated the previous week. And the winning team was made up of two MDs.

There's just not enough facepalm in the world.