The Amazing Race Season 31 Recap: Finale Live Blog

The final four teams race through London, where they take a helicopter ride to Dover Castle, and through Detroit.

The episode begins with teams learning their next destination: London, England. Colin & Christie and Tyler & Korey are hoping all the former The Amazing Race teams will be in the Final 3. Leo & Jamal were previously eliminated in England, so they are hoping for redemption this time. They’ve also been eliminated on the eleventh leg in prior seasons too. Nicole & Victor are the only non-Amazing Race team remaining. Victor is still mad at Leo & Jamal for U-Turning them and chooses to ignore them at the airport. He hopes Leo & Jamal will once again get eliminated in the eleventh leg of the race.

The teams arrive in London and scramble to get taxis to take them to Gatwick Aviation Museum. Leo & Jamal are the first to book a taxi, and they arrive at the museum first. They learn they must take a helicopter ride to Dover Castle. All the other teams are in taxis as Leo & Jamal board their helicopter. They make their way to Dover Castle as the other teams arrive at the museum too. They don’t seem to be too far behind Leo & Jamal as they get on their helicopters too.

Leo & Jamal are the first to land at Dover Castle. They learn they have a Roadblock to complete. One team member must solve a secret code after listening to a speech by Chamberlain. Afterwards, the team member must use specified words to crack the code and type the answer on a typewriter. Leo chooses to do the Roadblock. The other teams arrive at Dover Castle, and Victor, Christie, and Korey choose to do the Roadblock. As they get started, Leo has already solved the code: “The Dunkirk evacuation has begun. We will never surrender.” Nicole also notices Colin helping out Tyler & Korey by telling them what the Roadblock entails before Tyler & Korey decided who should do the Roadblock. Inside, Christie and Korey help each other solve the code. They don’t help out Victor, which Victor is aware of. However, Victor manages to solve the code before either of them. Korey solves the puzzle before Christie, leaving Christie behind to finish solving the puzzle herself. He tries to offer some help before he leaves to deliver his typed message. He is correct, and he and Tyler can depart to their next location. Christie delivers her typed message, but she is incorrect. She must try again. She and Colin are currently in last place as all the other teams are on helicopters to their next destination.

Leo & Jamal are the first to land at a pier and they run to the clue box. They read their clue and learn they must proceed to Piccadilly Circus by speedboat and find a woman painted in gold to receive their next clue. Right behind them are Nicole & Victor and Tyler & Korey. Leo & Jamal find the gold woman and receive their clue. They learn they have a Detour to complete: Know or Row. Know requires teams to memorize a very detailed cab route. Row requires teams to row a 200 meter course in under a minute. They choose to do the Row Detour. Meanwhile, Christie finally completes the Roadblock at Dover Castle. Knowing they are currently in last place, Christie breaks down in tears on the helicopter. Colin consoles her and says that anything can happen.

Leo & Jamal attempt the Row Detour, but they immediately decide to switch Detours after seeing how unbalanced the racing shell is. At the Know Detour, they ride in a taxi as the driver tells them the details of the route they must memorize. Afterwards, they must recite the route with all 22 directions. They fail to recite the route, so they must try again. Meanwhile, Nicole & Victor and Tyler & Korey begin to attempt the Row Detour. They are struggling with how unbalanced the racing shell is, capsizing and splashing into the water. Tyler & Korey are the first to attempt the course, but they fall into the water. As they are struggling, Colin & Christie arrive in Piccadilly Circus and receive their next clue. They choose to do the Row Detour. Leo & Jamal are also still struggling with the Know Detour.

Colin & Christie arrive at the Row Detour, and they are relieved to see Tyler & Korey and Nicole & Victor still there. Nicole & Victor attempt the task again. Their rowing has improved, but they don’t manage to complete the course in under a minute. Tyler & Korey, however, are still struggling to row. They decide to switch Detours since they are convinced Nicole & Victor and Colin & Christie will not switch to the other Detour. After Tyler & Korey leave, Nicole & Victor decide to switch Detours too.

Tyler & Korey are at the other Detour and begin learning their taxi route. Leo & Jamal have yet to complete the Detour, but they are getting better after each attempt. Nicole & Victor also get into a taxi and learn the route, but they are quickly overwhelmed with how difficult the task is. Meanwhile, Leo & Jamal finally correctly recite the route and complete the Detour. They can proceed to the Pit Stop: Camden Market.

Tyler & Korey complete the Detour on their next attempt. They can proceed to the Pit Stop too. Meanwhile, Nicole & Victor are struggling remembering the route and have to try again. Leo & Jamal greet Phil at the Pit Stop. However, before Phil can check them in, he hands them a clue. They must pick up some items at the market first and bring them back to Phil before completing this leg of the race. They must find a trunk, a lamp, a drum, a corset, a rug, a camera, boots, and a tea kettle. Leo & Jamal get to work on the task. While trying to find the items, Tyler & Korey arrive at the Pit Stop and are assigned the same task. Meanwhile, Colin & Christie manage to complete the Row Detour in exactly 59 seconds. As they proceed to the Pit Stop, Nicole & Victor manage to finally complete the Know Detour as well. They, too, can proceed to the Pit Stop.

Colin & Christie greet Phil and are handed their next clue. They begin searching the market for the items. Nicole & Victor arrive last and begin on the task too. All four teams are scrambling around the market for the required items at the same time, but Leo & Jamal get their items first. They take them back to Phil, and he gives them the good news. Leo & Jamal are Team #1! Tyler & Korey also offer some help to Colin & Christie after they find all their items. Tyler & Korey are officially Team #2! It’s now down between Colin & Christie and Nicole & Victor for the last spot in the Final 3, but Colin & Christie get all their items before Nicole & Victor. Colin & Christie are Team #3! Nicole & Victor are already near the Pit Stop and see Colin & Christie check-in. After Colin & Christie leave, Phil gives Nicole & Victor the bad news: Nicole & Victor are eliminated from the race. They are disappointed, but they believe they are stronger together now than they were before. Victor calls Nicole his soulmate. Nicole says it was a challenging competition, and she says she cried more during the race than she did in two seasons of Big Brother.

The Final 3 learn their final destination: Detroit, Michigan. Tyler & Korey are from Michigan, so they are hoping that will give them an advantage. Colin & Christie are proud to have made it to the Final 3 again. Colin says they had youth on their side last time, but they have wisdom this time. Leo & Jamal like Colin & Christie and Tyler & Korey, but they are prepared to beat them to win the million dollars.

The teams land in Detroit and get into taxis to the Guardian Building. Leo & Jamal get there first, and they learn there is a Roadblock to complete. They must rappel face forward 500 feet down the side of the building. They must also spot numbers on their way down and use the numbers to unlock a combination to open a vault. Leo chooses to do the Roadblock. Tyler & Korey and Colin & Christie arrive soon afterwards, with Tyler and Colin doing the Roadblock for their respective teams. Leo is the first to rappel down the side of the building, but Tyler and Colin are not too far behind. Tyler gets a bit nervous with the height, allowing Colin to pass him as they go down the building. Leo is the first to land on the ground. He recites the numbers out loud and runs to the vault to unlock it. However, Leo is unable to unlock the vault.

Colin and Tyler land on the ground too and get to work opening their vaults. Colin is the first to unlock his vault. He grabs the clue from the vault and runs back to Christie. They read the clue and learn they must proceed to Fowling Warehouse. They must play a game of fowling, which is a combination of football and bowling. They must knock down all their pins with a football before they get their next clue. Meanwhile, Leo and Tyler are still struggling unlocking the vault. They have the correct numbers, but the vault can only open with a very specific way of turning the dial clockwise and counterclockwise for various numbers. Tyler, however, finally manages to unlock his vault. Colin & Christie’s taxi driver is nowhere to be found, and they are running around looking for him. This allows Tyler & Korey to pass them as they get into their taxi and make their way to Fowling Warehouse. Colin & Christie do manage to find their driver, but they lost ten minutes. Christie tells their driver that he cannot leave them like that, but Colin tells her to calm down to not freak him out. Christie says it’ll freak him out if he keeps talking over her.

Tyler & Korey are the first to arrive at Fowling Warehouse. They get to work on playing fowling as Leo is still struggling with his vault. Colin & Christie arrive at Fowling Warehouse, and both teams of Tyler & Korey and Colin & Christie are trying to knock down all their pins. It’s a close contest, but Tyler & Korey manage to knock down their pins first. Tyler & Korey must now proceed to Third Man Records. They must produce five records in perfect condition before they get their next clue. Tyler & Korey leave, but Colin & Christie are close behind as they knock down all their pins too. Leo is still struggling with his vault. He says he’s giving up as he takes a break from turning the dial.

Tyler & Korey arrive at Third Man Records to make vinyl records. They learn the process before Colin & Christie arrive. They get to work making their first record, but Colin & Christie arrive before their first record is done. Both teams are working on the task as Leo finally opens his vault. He and Jamal can proceed to the Fowling Warehouse.

After their first attempt, Tyler & Korey only have two records done correctly. They need to redo three of their records. Colin & Christie, however, get their first five done correctly. They are now in the lead and get their next clue. They must proceed to Hart Plaza. Tyler & Korey are right behind them as they manage to get three more records completed. They can proceed to Hart Plaza too.

At Hart Plaza, Colin & Christie learn their next task. They must correctly assemble a five piece drum set. While they are working, a large group of people standing around them are singing “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes. Colin & Christie are still working on their drum kit by the time Tyler & Korey arrive. Tyler & Korey get to work on their drum set too, realizing it’s going to be between them and Colin & Christie for the win as Leo & Jamal are still way behind them. Colin & Christie and Tyler & Korey have their drum kits completed, but various details are incorrect. Colin & Christie have one lever facing the wrong direction and Tyler & Korey have a small piece lying forgotten on the ground. The first team to realize their mistake will likely be the team to win the million dollars.

Korey finds the missing piece, but their drum kit is still incorrect after placing it where they think it should be. Colin & Christie manage to fix their mistake, and they get it right! Colin & Christie can now proceed to the Finish Line at Fort Wayne. However, Tyler & Korey solve their drum kit soon afterwards. They are apparently only minutes behind Colin & Christie. We see both taxis making their way to Fort Wayne, but which team will reach the Finish Line first?

COLIN & CHRISTIE WIN THE AMAZING RACE!

Colin & Christie run to the Finish Line where the eliminated teams and Phil await. The eliminated teams clap for them as Colin & Christie land on the mat. Phil officially declares them the winners of The Amazing Race! Phil gives them kudos for being strong and levelheaded competitors throughout the race, and Colin thanks Christie for winning the race for them at the drum kit task. Later, Tyler & Korey arrive as Team #2. Korey says it’s a bittersweet feeling to have come up short again, but he’s grateful to have run the race again with Tyler. We next see a montage of Leo & Jamal completing the rest of their tasks before making their way to the Finish Line. Leo & Jamal arrive later as Team #3. They say they are still in the record books as “Amazing Race Kings” for running 34 legs of the race. Colin & Christie say the race was the perfect way to implement the practices they live by every day in their normal lives of remaining positive and calm under pressure. Both Colin and Christie say they are proud of one another.

Season Summary:

Winners: Colin & Christie

2nd place: Tyler & Korey

3rd place: Leo & Jamal

4th place: Nicole & Victor

5th place: Becca & Floyd

6th place: Chris & Bret

7th place: Rachel & Elissa

8th place: Janelle & Britney

9th place: Corinne & Eliza

10th place: Rupert & Laura

11th place: Art & JJ

And that wraps up this season of The Amazing Race! Thanks for reading and post your thoughts in the comment section below. Come back for the next season of The Amazing Race, likely to air sometime in 2020.