It’s the end of another season with two’s Two hour finale. It’s been an ok season overall. On one hand the teams have been evenly matched over the race but on the other hand there hasn’t been a great team to cheer for a really good team to cheer against.
The Newlyweds have been playing the role of villains but even they aren’t really that bad and are more playing the role out of default. Any of the four remaining teams could win the race but I am leaning to Team Hockey to pull it out followed by the Newlyweds and Stealing Angels. I think the Derby Moms will be eliminated in tonight’s first leg.
But just to prove that I really have no clue what I am talking about here are my pre-season picks posted in the thread for the Premiere:
11. Chuck McCall and Wynona McCall (The Old Timers)
10. Mona Egender and Beth Bandimere (The Derby Moms)
9. Pamela Chien and Winnie Sung (The Besties)
8. Max Bichler and Katie Bichler (The Newlyweds)
7. Caroline Cutbirth and Jennifer Kuhle (The Stealing Angels)
6. Joey Graceffa and Meghan Camarena (Team YouTube)
5. Jessica Hoel and John Erck (Team Young Love)
4. David O’Leary and Connor O’Leary (Team Kick Ass)
3. Bates Battaglia and Anthony Battaglia (Team Hockey)
2.Idries Abdur-Rahman and Jamil Abdur-Rahman (The Doctors)
1. Matthew Davis and Daniel Moss (Team Firefighters)
At best I had a Team Hockey finishing third and was way off on the other teams. Chuck and Wynona were the biggest surprise with how long they lasted.
As for last week’s results:
- Max Bichler and Katie Bichler (The Newlyweds)
- Bates Battaglia and Anthony Battaglia (Team Hockey)
- Caroline Cutbirth and Jennifer Kuhle (The Stealing Angels)
- Mona Egender and Beth Bandimere (The Derby Moms)
- Joey Graceffa and Meghan Camarena (Team YouTube) Eliminated
Of course in the last legs it doesn’t really matter what places people are in since they will most likely have to wait for a flight at some point allowing all teams to group up together for action.
Hopefully you all enjoy the finale and feel free to discuss below. My recap will be up by the morning!
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We are down to four teams as we start by recapping the season before the second to last leg gets started. We are reminded of how good Team Kickass could have been without that injury. Also we got to see that complete blunder by Team Young Love.
It’s also kind of amazing that two of the teams who took the four hour penalty on the first leg are still racing for the win. I underestimated three of the four final teams.
We open in Scotland with the Newlyweds who are off to Belfast, Northern Ireland by train and ferry before grabbing a Ford Fiesta to drive to the next clue. Team Hockey grabs the same train as them and are off to the ferry. The first ferry is at 7:30am so all the teams will be grouped together.
We are now treated to the newlyweds rubbing it in to the Derby Moms for thinking they were in a three hour lead. The next morning there is a little calm on the ferry but when it arrives the teams are off and running. The Derby Moms are out first but it is close knit. They again show they aren’t great drivers as they get lost and are past by the other teams.
Team Newlyweds and the Hockey Players head in one direction while Stealing Angels and the Derby Moms head in the other. The first group went the correct way as they arrive and get a clue for the first Roadblock. In the other direction the Derby Moms stop to ask and are turned back the way the others went but it doesn’t seem like Stealing Angels have turned around with them.
Roadblock: Teams must ride a train out to a Bog and snokel 100 yard lap in under 4 minutes. They must also cannonball into the bog. Anthony and Katie are first to try. Anthony gets it done in 2:18 and they have to drive back to Belfast and find the Thing with the Ring. Katie also finishes in one try just over 3 minutes.
Mona has to do the roadblock since Beth has done six. She does it in under 3 minutes and now it is Jennifer’s turn as the hockey players are driving. She for some reason jumps into some mud and has trouble getting out and fails the first try. She is instructed not to go in the mud. Jennifer tries again but seems to give up half way through the lap.
Max and Katie stop to ask for directions and the Derby Moms copy them and follow pissing off Max. The newlyweds get to the next clue first and it is now time for the Detour.
- Tray It: Teams must serve five courses in the correct order to first class passangers at the ship yard where the Titanic was built.
- Spray It: Teams must complete half a graffiti sign to the satisfaction of a tagger.
Newlyweds, Derby Moms, and Hockey Players all do tray it while Stealing Angels are still having problems at the Roadblock. The Newlyweds get started first and as they deliver the first course I get to hear some marvelous instrumental music that makes me want to watch Titanic.
Back at the Roadblock Jennifer is trying again and coming close as she does it in 3:43. The detour is a little confusing since the seat chart lists two courses but there is a sign that lists all of the courses. Max and Katie figure it out quickly and breeze through two courses. Bates and Anthony don’t figure it out right away and deliver the wrong first course and it appears that the Derby Moms will make the same mistake. Stealing Angels stop for directing and get a drawn map from a store owner.
Max and Katie deliver four courses while the Hockey players are done two. The Derby Moms have delivered two with that are rejected. Max is rejected on the last course as the Hockey Players finish the third course.
The Derby Moms are rejected again as the Hockey Players finish the fourth course. Stealing Angels finally find the Beacon of Hope and choose Spray It. The Newlyweds get it on the second try and are off.
Bates is rejected again and he is getting pissed. The Newlyweds are now off to Ulster Hall for the Pit Stop. First three teams to check in are off to the final leg and the last team to arrive will be eliminated.
Max and Katie stop for directions and are off as Bates and Anthony finish off to the Pit Stop. Bates tries to tell the Derby Moms that they need to follow the list rather than the seating chart but it doesn’t seem to sink in for them.
At the Pit Stop the Newlyweds arrive in first followed by Team Hockey only minutes behind in second. Max and Katie win a trip for two to the Dominican Republic.
Stealing Angels are still looking for the skate park. Back at the Detour the waiter is giving poor Beth some attitude as she is doing whatever she can do to get the first course correct. With Anthony’s clue Mona finally finds the list to get going on the first course.
Stealing Angels finally find the skate park and are getting started tagging. As Beth finishes the first course they get some clapping. Best part about the skate park is watching people wipe out on flips. Stealing Angels need to sharpen the art as Derby Moms are shown finishing the Detour. Stealing Angels are then shown finishing and we get some editing to make us wonder who is in third. It is the Derby Moms who are in third.
Stealing Angels finish in fourth and are eliminated. The Roadblock did them in as I think if they were at the Detour with the other teams I think Bates and Anthony would have helped them a lot faster than they helped the Derby Moms.
It’s now time for the 12th and final leg. Teams must travel to London by Ferry and make their way to a pub to drink a pint and get their next clue. What really surprises me is that there was only 42 minutes between Team Hockey and the Derby Moms. The ferry is at 10:30am so all teams will board together. Bates and Anthony are disappointed it wasn’t the country girls in third.
The Derby Moms and Newlyweds get their next clue and are off to Washington, DC. Once landing they must figure out that the next clue is on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It is where MLK gave his I Have a Dream speech. As the Hockey Players leave the pun Bates says he likes it because he lived in Washington, DC for a while so that could be a good advantage.
At the airport the first two teams discover that the ticket counter doesn’t open until 5:15am so again all three teams will be together on a flight. Teams are figure out that they are off to the Lincoln Memorial. Max and Katie arrive first followed by the Derby Moms and Team Hockey.
Teams are now off to 1100 Penn Ave where they will be guided by a Secret Service agent to take a picture with the President. There is no way it will really be Obama. Teams are excited about meeting the president. The Derby Moms go to 1600 Penn and are told they need to walk to 1100. Bates and Anthony are driven right up and are in second.
The Newlyweds are walked up to a shop that photo shops you into a picture with the Obama. Max is actually happy not to meet the President since he is an unapologetic Republican although he does respect the office of the President.
Teams must now find a marked car at the Tidal Basin. They must knock three times on the window to get the next clue. The Derby Moms have trouble finding it and finally grab a cab to 1100 Penn. Bates and Anthony get their picture taken and are off.
The Newlyweds arrive at the marked car and get their briefcase. It is not a Roadblock.It is a Switchback for Spy Games. They must race around to 50 agents and find their next clue when they swap briefcases.
Max and Bates are off to the races. Bates swaps first and needs to remember how they finished in New Zealand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Luckily they kept track of everything written down. They are off as the Derby Moms arrive. They must go to the homes of the Nats which they figure out that are the homes of the Nationals Baseball team. Max makes a complete trip around the basin and didn’t find his guy. I have a feeling he is reading the quote wrong.
The Hockey Players get to the stadium. One player will zip line across the park and drop a ball to their partner in a baseball costume. Their next clue will be on the ball when they catch it. Beth gets her briefcase and Max is behind them. Both get their clue and are on their way to the home of the Nats.
Back at the stadium Bates and Anthony finish off and must go to Hains Point. They have a good Cabbie who knows exactly where to go.
The Newlyweds get started as the Derby Moms can’t find the clue box. They walk around the back and finally find the clue.
Bates and Anthony make it to Hains Point for the final country. One moment must dig through globes to find the globes with the ten locations they have visited. The other member will need to place the balls in order of when they visited there to get the last clue.
Back at the stadium the Newlyweds are having issues as the Derby Moms are starting. Back at the final country Anthony is digging through the globes as Max and Katie are on their way. They are finding the countries now as Mona is dropping bombs that Beth can’t catch.
The Derby Moms finish and at Hains Point the Hockey Players find the last country they need to get the last clue. The must now race to the Finish Line at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. They are off before Max and Katie arrive followed by the Derby Moms.
Bates and Anthony have nervous energy as they drive to what they think is the finish line. While they drive Max and Katie finish off.
Bates and Anthony made the right choice as they arrive in first place and win The Amazing Race. I am happy with this result. They were the strongest team for the majority of the legs and made smart choices on the legs.
Max and Katie arrive in second place followed by Mona and Beth in third place.
Like I’ve said it was a good season. There wasn’t any great heroes or villains like in past seasons but enough of the teams were likable and the winning team really deserved to win. I’ll be back in the fall for Season 23. Enjoy the Summer!
