Amazing Race Season Finale

[sk8tngcanuck]

Greetings all,

I know there used to be some faithful AR watchers on this board, and I am not sure if anyone is still a follower, but I wanted to throw this out here for your opinions.

While I think it's great that Uchena and Joyce won, as it was fairly obvious how much the money will change their life as opposed to Rob and Amber who have plenty +, I suspect that the victory is hollow.

Perhaps it was just me, but I felt the producers interfered in Puerto Rico by having them put Uchena and Joyce on that plane to make for exciting TV. I realize that they are all about making an exciting finale, but I just don't buy that it was Uchena and Joyce's charm that got them on that flight. They didn't even have standby tickets, and I didn't think there was any possible way an unticketed individual could get on an airplane, and especially one that had already pulled away from the gate. I personally smell a rat, and feel that Rob and Amber were robbed.

While Rob infuriates me, I feel that they raced the best of all the couples. All of us here are fully aware that the best doesn't always necessarily win on a given night (thank you skating judges :( ) I am not sure that I would want to win a race the way that it happened.

The bottom line is that I think the most needy and nicest people won the money, I don't feel that it was won fair and square.

Just wanted someone else's interpretation of events.

[Aloft04]

I agree. There had to be some intervention at the airline level on that last leg, and it wasn't the divine kind.

I worked for years for an airline, and to inconvenience an entire planeload of passengers by reopening the Jetway is a major decision - usually reserved for medical emergencies and crisises of the non-entertainment, TV ratings type.

That said...I would've been happy with either Uchenna & Joyce or 'Romber' (Rob & Amber) winning. I was so weary of Kelly & Ron (is that his name?) - not just because they are obviously two people ill-suited to be together and sniped at each other around an entire planet, but also because I got tired of Ron comparing everything to being in Iraq. Enough of living in the past!

I confess that I breathed a sigh of relief when Gretchen & Meredith left last week...she was driving me absolutely crazy!!.."We got a baaaaad elephant!".... "We got a baaaad gnome." Her voice and her standing around with her hands on her hips during the detours moaning "This is haaaaard" caused me to talk sternly to my TV.....if I never hear someone yelling "Mer-i-dith!!!" again, it won't be too soon.

I was confused how Rob and Amber got so messed up with the instructions at the 'jump off the pier' detour! It seems like they were all pretty well bunched up at that point - two teams take off in the right direction, toward the pier, and Rob and Amber end up meandering through the bushes away from the water?!?

Anyway, I liked this season very much. It's my 'can't miss' show.

[purplecat]

I don't think the producers interferred. As someone on another board pointed out, if the producers wanted an exciting race to the finish and if they had the clout to make the airlines put Uchenna and Joyce on, then they would've probably had the clout to make the airlines not let Rob and Amber on in the first place which would've allowed Ron and Kelly to catch up too and have a three way race at the end. If anything, the airlines might have acted because of the presence of a TV camera. But who knows? All these reality shows are taking a hit lately. (Is American Idol voting fixed? Did producers talk Janu into quitting on Survivor?) Unfortunately, it's impossible to know just how much of these shows are manipulated or not. But I have always felt that the Amazing Race was pretty fair and on the up and up.

Anyway, I was so happy for Uchenna and Joyce to win and so happy to see Rob lose. I'm so sick of seeing him on my TV and NO I won't be watching his wedding!!! And as far as "the best racers" not winning....happens often on the Amazing Race. If you get into the final three, anyone has a shot to win. Remember Flo and Zach? (Not the best racers) Chip and Kim beat Colin and Christie who were thought of as the best racers as well. Having "the best racers" title does not ensure you the win. The team that crosses the finish line wins it fair and square. Even if one thinks the airline thing was fixed, Rob and Amber had a fair shot from there to still win and they lost it on the King of Havana task, so they only have themselves to blame (and perhaps their cab driver). Those cab drivers have led to many racers getting eliminated!

[merrywidow]

I think there would have been an even bigger outcry if Rob & Amber had won. I was rooting for them all the way but I didn't think they would win, fairly or unfairly. I'm not certain how much the 2nd & 3rd place teams earn but they do not leave empty handed (aside from trips & cash won during the race.) It wouldn't surprise me to learn that Rob & Amber were offered guarenteed $ to enter the race. Where ratings are concerned, it happens! I'd like to see some of the AR racers do Survivor. How about Ethan & Jenna (former Survivor winners who date) running a future AR ? Johnny Fairplay & his "dead" grandmother? LOL! I think having former contestants from other shows helps create interest. How about an AR All Star comp.? (Bring back "The Mole"!!!)

[PrincessLeppard]

I agree that if the network had the clout to decide who gets on planes, they would've had all three teams on the same flight, not two teams two hours ahead.

That said, I do not want any other reality show famewhores polluting my favorite TV show. Please go extend your 15 minutes elsewhere.

[sk8er1964]

That said, I do not want any other reality show famewhores polluting my favorite TV show. Please go extend your 15 minutes elsewhere.

I have never watched Amazing Race before this year. I hate to admit that I started watching it because Rob and Amber were on it (I watch very few tv shows, but Survivor is annually one of them.) I got hooked, and love the show -- and am very glad that Rob and Amber did not win!

[sk8rmom]

I, too, an very glad that Rob and Amber did not win..if for no other reason than they had, in my opinion, an unfair advantage. In a number of the legs a local would recognize them from their Survivior days, and volunteer to escort them to their locations.

It was aggravating to watch them being led down the garden
path while other teams had to figure it out for themselves.

These two seem to be a most self-serving couple. In my opinion, they deserve each other.

[Jhar55]

I didn't care who won as long as Rob and Amber didn't. I feel like they cheated all the way through the game by getting local people to take them to where all the clues where. It's one thing to ask for directions BUT to have someone walk you around the cities NO... And if they had won I wasn't going to watch another Amazing Race ever, and it's one of my favorites that I've watched from race one.

[Aloft04]

Like I said earlier, I'm glad Uchenna and Joyce won, but I'm puzzled by the vitriole aimed at Rob and Amber and I really don't think they did any more sneaking around and conniving than teams in the past.

We've had the dwarf lady who lied everytime she hit an airport and said she needed to get to her doctor with a medical emergency....we had the blonde, sexy girls who used their physical assets to enlist help and often had young men travelling with them as guides....the list goes on and on.

I think in Africa Rob and Amber even experienced a slowdown because of being recognized. They had a mob of autograph seekers when they stopped for directions.

All in all, I think they added spice to the show!

[PAskate]

I worked for years for an airline, and to inconvenience an entire planeload of passengers by reopening the Jetway is a major decision - usually reserved for medical emergencies and crisises of the non-entertainment, TV ratings type.

Actually I do believe that it is possible. I travel alot on business and actually have had this happen to me. It was like winning my own personal lottery at the time since it meant that I made my connection home after a long business trip. I've also been a passenger on a plane and seen it happen. I would agree that it's a very rare circumstance, but as someone else suggested, maybe the airline did it due to the cameras. With all the bad press they seem to get these days, maybe they thought that some good (and free) press would be a nice change.

[guinevere]

I have been watching TAR since the beginning, and I hate having other reality show has-beens in the race. I hated it when Donny and whatshername (the runner up from Big Brother) were on, but at least they were eliminated quickly. I thought that having Rombuh on this season really brought the show down. All of the other teams were very interesting in their own right, but this season was all about Rombuh. I swear there had to have been a clause in somebody's contract saying that there must be at least 5 mentions of the show 'Survivor' per episode (and I'm a huge Survivor fan!).

I don't think that Rombuh was the best team in the race. I do think that Rob was the most creative racer ever, who figured out how to push the rules as far as they could go, in order to do the least work. But did you notice that, for once, Rombuh did not secure a local to guide them through the last leg of the race? I think Rombuh's reliance on locals to get them through unfamiliar locations came back to bite them on the butt - they certainly made some huge mistakes in that final leg. First was getting lost at the bridge (not sure how they managed that one), second was not being able to find the cigar store. Um....I believe that Rob speaks at least conversational spanish (recalling the first episodes), so I can't believe that he didn't pick up on the name of the cigar store. I think by that point he was so flustered about having to figure out the leg by himself that he wasn't thinking clearly.

Anyway, I would be interested in an "all-star" TAR - not made up of former TAR racers, but made up of celebrities or contestants from other reality shows. I think as a gimmick that would be kind of fun to watch. But for the "real" TAR, I don't want to see any of those famewhores.

I also won't be watching the family version of TAR. That just sounds hokey.

[Jhar55]

An All-star Amazing Race would be great BUT if only it was past racers.(Rob and Amber are not inclued). No one from Big Brother had enough of Alison and Donnie. By putting "real celebrities" in the race would ruin the show IMO that's what happened to the show The Mole. Now that was a really good show. Also they would really need some new rules like once you get your plane ticket you can't change it. You can ask for directions but you can't be lead around like a horse looking for water. I am still not sure about Family Amazing Race, lets just hope there are no winny children, hopefuly the did put an age limit.

[Aloft04]

I'm not enthused about the family version either. It sounds more suited to Nickelodeon than primetime network from what I've read.

Maybe they could combine the Supernanny or Nanny 911 with it to make it really interesting, "That was very naughty to push your brother before the bungee was tied on. You're going to the naughty corner."

[heyang]

UGH! My original post got lost; so, I'll keep it brief.

Don't understand the vitriol against Rob & Amber. They really made the race more watchable to newbies IMO during the 1st legs of the race. They played the game well and smartly. They really worked well together. Rob had the lead role, but I think Amber handled the details that are so important. Their celebrity helped and hindered them at different points.

Sure, people helped them. There was nothing to stop the other teams from asking for help, too - many of them did. The camera can be enough of an incentive for someone to help a team get around town.

I was happy Uchenna & Joyce won, but also disappointed that Rob and AMber did not. U & J really mended their relationship on this trip. I loved that they are now open to adoption after visiting the orphanage. I love how brave Joyce was getting her head shaved and how Uchenna was willing to not have her head shaved. She looked beautiful without her hair - not very many people can carry that look. They definitely are people deserving of good things. On the Early Show, Joyce said that their doctors offered them a free round of invitro - if that doesn't work, they are going to adopt. After all the financial problems they'ved had, they realized that they need to set up a nest egg and that it's not a good point to only used it for iterative invirtro that might leave them with no college fund for the kids.

I'm so glad I don't have to listen to Kelly and Gretchen anymore. Kelly's piety was getting on my nerves. Gretchen and Meredith were great - they really overcame a lot to get as far as they did; Gretchen just whines too much when under stress - I still don't understand why she stayed up on the elephant when she didn't need to.

BTW, the story is that Rob & Amber saw Phil somewhere and begged to be on the show - he had no idea who they were when they approached him since he travels so much he didn't hear about them on Survivor. IMO, any reasonable celebrity stunt that may increase AR's ratings is a good thing. AR was almost discontinued, but then it won the 1st Emmy for reality shows. Donny/Allison brought Big Brother viewers and Rob/Amber brought Survivor viewers. AR is probably the most costly reality show to produce and the ratings need to stay up in order for it to continue in production.

[JonnyCoop]

I'm weighing in a bit late, but it's been a hectic week....

That was the most NAIL BITING final episode of TAR I've ever seen, but I, too, wondered if some strings were pulled to get Uchenna & Joyce on that flight -- it seems very odd to me, IN THIS DAY AND AGE ON ANY PLANE GOING TO THE UNITED STATES (and since Peurto Rico is US jurisdiction, even odder) that they would allow that. But I'm glad they won; as with Chip & Reichen and with Chip & Kim, whenever my favorites win, I end up with tears streaming down my face and I certainly had them this time.

As for Rob & Amber -- I initially had a huge problem with them being on, and I would have had a huge problem with them winning (bear in mind, I think the reason they inspired such antagonistic feelings has less to do with the fact that they were ON Survivor, but more to do with the fact that between them they WON Survivor All Stars to the tune of 1.5 million, and I think if any other team that knowingly wealthy was on they wouldn't exactly inspire a huge fan base either) -- but they did run an excellent race. I just had a problem with those moments when Rob was being a jackass simply for the sake of being a jackass, and I think one of the most priceless events in TAR history was when he pulled that "Oh, are you taking the earlier flight?" routine on Gretchen and it turned out there WAS an earlier flight and other teams got the drop on them by 2 hours while they're sitting there going "Oh, they didn't get on this flight, they're so stupid, ha ha ha"... And I think that having a team on that everyone else in the race was so TOTALLY AGAINST added an interesting dimension to the race that we hadn't seen before. I will say, it would have been interesting to see them win -- just from the standpoint of having to see the most insincere reaction in the history of television when the other teams were cheering them on at the finish line.

I wouldn't have minded seeing Ron & Kelly win, either, just from the standpoint of yeah, Kelly does get half, but Ron should get some sort of compensation for travelling around the world with that obnoxious -- whatever. I was cracking up in the last couple of episodes when he just gave up on even remotely TRYING to be a gentleman and he was just like "Yeah, whatever, SHUT UP." She was truly getting to a point where she could have inspired Gandhi to go on a gun spree.

I had actually been brainstorming about a Celebrity TAR myself -- only I was thinking you could get classic TV duos to do it -- David Duchovny & Gillian Anderson from X-Files, Matt LeBlanc & Matthew Perry from Friends, Luke & Laura from General Hospital, something like that.... Just as long as they didn't DUMB IT ALL DOWN like they did with Celebrity Mole, which I have a nasty suspicion they'll do with the Families of 4 edition; why do I get the feeling we're going to end up with challenges that are going to involve at least half the family covered in spaghetti, pudding, or who knows what else???