Amazing Race Finale
We watched the The Amazing Race finale last night.
This has been a really good season of the race, but I was a little disappointed with the final episode, or at least with team's performances or lack thereof. I will say that I did NOT want the models to win. The cowboys were my favorite team from the start, my gravy, yes. I thought they played well, recovered from errors with grace and refrained from being overly snarky or outright mean, which almost every other team succumbed to. In this final episode the cowboys lost because they were either too polite (Jet, I'm looking square at you) or not aggressive enough.
The twins (Dan & Jordan are twins, aren't they?) made 2 very savvy moves. The first was getting their seats moved up to first class (apparently while the other teams were asleep). The second was keeping a list of when each of the previous teams got eliminated (and probably what every task, roadblock, and detour was along the way, as well as who did them.) Once on the ground in SF, the twins had good taxi karma, the cowboys had planned (with a guide book that they actually *read*), and the models melted down with bad taxi karma.
My favorite task ever, was the being a character in a virtual reality world and being directed around by your partner. ILM made virtual characters of the final 3 teams, and possibly all of the racers. (I'd want video of mine). I loved that Jet's was in a stormtrooper outfit with a black cowboy hat! Anyway this is where the cowboy's lost the race. The twins had a few minutes lead on the cowboys, which was quickly erased as Jordan's avatar spun around so that Dan could read the final clue. What killed the cowboys was Jet just standing there, waiting for Jordan to finish twirling and get out of his way. Jet only had to take 3 steps forward to get inside the final target circle. Jordan was 2 steps in front of him. Possible solution? Walk AROUND Jordan! Secondary possibility, say excuse me and kind of push past him. The virtual circle was large enough for both guys to stand in it on the mat. The second time-wasting mistake was made by both Jet & Cord. Even after Jordan left, Jet just stood there while Cord complained of the words going by too fast. They both knew that Jordan had been spinning for a reason. Why didn't either Jet just start spinning or Cord ask him to spin, too? That cost them several more minutes. I believe that those two mistakes cost them the million.
Thank heavens that the models didn't win. How many times in just this episode did Caite threaten to hit/punch Brent in the face? Only slightly fewer then the "shut-ups" they were constantly throwing at each other. We thought their cabby would have been completely justified in abandoning them when they leaped out to look at a map or ask directions, or at any of the stops, they heaped so much verbal abuse on him. Probably the cameraman staying in the car was the only thing that kept the cabby there. Ugly, ugly, ugly. And then Caite had the hutzpah to tell Phil she was proud of the way they ran the race? (Or she had proved herself, or some other self-delusional line. And who initiated the "conversation" between Caite & Brandy? That was not pretty to watch either. Brandy needs to just let it go. I wonder how the player's perceptions/relationships have changed after watching the show? Caite kept going on and on and on about how mean Brandy & Carol had been to her that very first day with the tiara comment. When, in reality that particular bit of snarkiness was initiated by Jordan (as we saw over & over in that clip). Will she even notice that it was actually "peach's" buddy, Jordan who started those remarks?
This has been a really good season of the race, but I was a little disappointed with the final episode, or at least with team's performances or lack thereof. I will say that I did NOT want the models to win. The cowboys were my favorite team from the start, my gravy, yes. I thought they played well, recovered from errors with grace and refrained from being overly snarky or outright mean, which almost every other team succumbed to. In this final episode the cowboys lost because they were either too polite (Jet, I'm looking square at you) or not aggressive enough.
The twins (Dan & Jordan are twins, aren't they?) made 2 very savvy moves. The first was getting their seats moved up to first class (apparently while the other teams were asleep). The second was keeping a list of when each of the previous teams got eliminated (and probably what every task, roadblock, and detour was along the way, as well as who did them.) Once on the ground in SF, the twins had good taxi karma, the cowboys had planned (with a guide book that they actually *read*), and the models melted down with bad taxi karma.
My favorite task ever, was the being a character in a virtual reality world and being directed around by your partner. ILM made virtual characters of the final 3 teams, and possibly all of the racers. (I'd want video of mine). I loved that Jet's was in a stormtrooper outfit with a black cowboy hat! Anyway this is where the cowboy's lost the race. The twins had a few minutes lead on the cowboys, which was quickly erased as Jordan's avatar spun around so that Dan could read the final clue. What killed the cowboys was Jet just standing there, waiting for Jordan to finish twirling and get out of his way. Jet only had to take 3 steps forward to get inside the final target circle. Jordan was 2 steps in front of him. Possible solution? Walk AROUND Jordan! Secondary possibility, say excuse me and kind of push past him. The virtual circle was large enough for both guys to stand in it on the mat. The second time-wasting mistake was made by both Jet & Cord. Even after Jordan left, Jet just stood there while Cord complained of the words going by too fast. They both knew that Jordan had been spinning for a reason. Why didn't either Jet just start spinning or Cord ask him to spin, too? That cost them several more minutes. I believe that those two mistakes cost them the million.
Thank heavens that the models didn't win. How many times in just this episode did Caite threaten to hit/punch Brent in the face? Only slightly fewer then the "shut-ups" they were constantly throwing at each other. We thought their cabby would have been completely justified in abandoning them when they leaped out to look at a map or ask directions, or at any of the stops, they heaped so much verbal abuse on him. Probably the cameraman staying in the car was the only thing that kept the cabby there. Ugly, ugly, ugly. And then Caite had the hutzpah to tell Phil she was proud of the way they ran the race? (Or she had proved herself, or some other self-delusional line. And who initiated the "conversation" between Caite & Brandy? That was not pretty to watch either. Brandy needs to just let it go. I wonder how the player's perceptions/relationships have changed after watching the show? Caite kept going on and on and on about how mean Brandy & Carol had been to her that very first day with the tiara comment. When, in reality that particular bit of snarkiness was initiated by Jordan (as we saw over & over in that clip). Will she even notice that it was actually "peach's" buddy, Jordan who started those remarks?