For a Race that was not as exciting as it has been in the past, it sure had a heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat ending last night! It started with the Weavers getting a substantial lead after all the teams flew to Montreal, Canada. While the teams were trying to find the quickest flight to Montreal, the Bransens made the big mistake of taking the first earlier flight they could find (landed 10 minutes before the other flight) and then going on and on about it to the camera. This is a HUGE mistake on this show. So wouldn't you know, the Bransens' flight somehow managed to lose time in the air and land about 25 minutes later than scheduled. Adding insult to injury was the fact that the other two teams had found a flight that got them in an hour earlier than the other flight, unbeknownst to the Bransens. Once the earlier flight landed, the Weavers instantly found a taxi while the Linzes struggled to figure out how they were supposed to travel. They finally realized that the clue said "travel by TAXI," and they were on their way to Montreal's Underground City to receive their next clue. So, it's one misstep so far for the Linzes. At the Underground City, the Weavers almost ran right by the clue box, but Mama Weaver caught it. The Linzes arrived after the Weavers had already left, and they did run right by the clue box. This set up a seemingly never ending montage of the family running around the Underground City looking for the clue box. Linz misstep number 2. They eventually found it and headed off to the Detour - Slide or Roll. In Slide, teams had to make their way to the ice rink and participate in a game of curling. Each team member had to get the rock in the house in order to receive their next clue. In Roll, teams had to travel to the arboretum and roll four logs along a logging track. The Weavers and the Linzes chose Slide. But what about the Bransens? They finally landed and made their way to the Underground City where they, too, missed the clue box. Soon, though, they were headed to the Roll Detour.
The Weavers had the best taxi driver ever (such an exception on this show), so they had plenty of time at the Detour to complete the task and leave before the Linzes arrived. What is it about taxi drivers not knowing where anything is on this show? Isn't it their job as a taxi driver to know where everything in their city is located? This always boggles the mind. Anyway, the Linzes easily completed the Detour, and they decided that curling is their new favorite sport. One brother even remarked that he was going to open an ice rink for curling in Cincinnati. Hey, maybe they'd consider joining the U.S. Olympic team considering curling isn't really one of our strong sports, and the Linzes were pretty good, which is probably good enough to qualify! Anyway, both teams were headed to the American Pavilion, which was built for the 1967 World Expo. Once again the Weaver's taxi driver got them right there, and the team climbed the five flights of stair to the next clue box, which instructed them to travel to an industrial park and search for door J. For those who aren't familiar with the American Pavilion, it's a huge, can't-miss-it Epcot-looking structure in the city. Now, you would think that anyone who lived there would know where it was considering the fact that it's HUGE! But once again, we encounter the taxi driver problem. The Linzes taxi driver had no clue where to go. Luckily, the team found someone who did and they got their next clue. Meanwhile, the Bransens struggled through the Roll Detour and headed to the American Pavilion. At door J, the Weavers found a Roadblock, which required one team member to complete a catch on a trapeze. Rolly easily completed it, and the team was headed to Parque Olympique where they had to ride a golf cart into the stadium to find their next clue, but Phil told us that there was only one entrance to the stadium for golf carts (cue the dum, dum, dum music). The Linzes struggled with the Roadblock, allowing the Bransens to catch up. Both teams eventually finished and headed to the Parque Olympique.
Meanwhile, the Weavers searched and searched the stadium, but couldn't find the correct entrance. The other teams arrived just as the Weavers found the entrance. They quickly found it as well and all three teams were now engaged in the most difficult Amazing Race challenge ever! Teams had to search the entire 62,000-seat stadium for one of three boxes that held a departure time for a flight to a mystery location. The exhausted teams searched and searched, but came up empty. Finally, the Linzes found a 5:50 a.m. departure, and they went to get some rest. The Bransens found a 5:45 a.m. departure. The Weavers gave up, but Rolly got them all moving again and they finally found the 5:55 a.m. departure. The next morning, the teams flew to the mystery location (a.k.a. Toronto), where they had to take the elevator to the highest observation deck of the CN Tower, the world's tallest building. At the top, they had to use binoculars to spot their next clue on the ground. The Bransens and the Linzes spotted it at almost the same time while the Weavers struggled a bit. Eventually, all three teams reached the clue box and encountered another Detour - Ship or Shoe. In Ship, teams had to sail across Toronto Harbor to a ship where one team member had to climb the mast and retrieve the flag. In Shoe, teams had to travel to the Bata Shoe Museum, pick a shoe, and then find the woman whose foot it fit. The Linzes and the Weavers quickly completed Sail, while the Bransens struggled with Shoe, but still managed to snag second place heading into the next challenge waiting at Niagara Gorge.
Teams had to ride in a jet boat up the gorge to a whirlpool where they would find there next clue. The Linzes grabbed the first boat and completed the task, where they learned they would have to travel in their jet boat to the American side of the gorge. With the Bransens right on their tail, the Linzes reached the docks and learned that they would need to complete a jigsaw puzzle of the states and countries that make up North and Central America (it was a subtle reminder to the viewers that the teams never left this hemisphere). Both teams raced to finish the puzzle in a nail-biting, heart-pounding finish. The Linzes finished just ahead of the Bransens and they raced down the footpath to find Phil and all the eliminated teams waiting at the million dollar mat. The overwhelmed Linzes were speechless to learn that they had won the Race. The Bransens came in second and the Weavers in third. And why does this dang show always make me cry? Between Megan's tears of joy, Wally's choked up speech about how proud he is of his daughters, and the Weaver daughters crying about their father, I was a mess. I'm getting choked up again just writing about it. Damn this show! Moving on, for those who have not seen the mini-race between the Bransens and the Weavers, you can click here. If you don't want to know the results, STOP READING NOW! The teams had to use shapes that symbolized the different challenges on the race and place them on the correct location on that map jigsaw they completed. The Bransens finished first and they had all of the shapes in their correct locations, so they won the new GMC Yukon XL, much to my delight as I was pulling for this team since the beginning of the race.
About Last Night... CBS started the night on top with NCIS, followed by ABC comedies According to Jim and a special showing of Hope & Faith and the first hour of Fox's Fear Factor. At 9, Fox took the lead with House, followed by the first hour of The Amazing Race on CBS and two repeats of According to Jim on ABC. The final hour of the night went to NBC's Law & Order: SVU (r), followed by the final hour of CBS's The Amazing Race and ABC's Boston Legal. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.
~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Randy seeks revenge on a grumpy restaurant owner by stealing the eatery's mascot on Fox's That 70s Show.
@9 p.m. - Hotchner and his team work to get inside the mind of a man whose delusions lead him to murder on CBS's Criminal Minds. As I promised last week, here's your weekly reminder to catch up on reruns of UPN's Veronica Mars. Veronica investigates whether or not the driver from the bus accident committed suicide and caused the accident.
@10 p.m. - Syd is kidnapped and reunited with Vaughn on ABC's Alias, but things may not be as they seem. This is the last new episode until spring. Over on CBS, Danny gets trapped in a panic room with the body of an eccentric millionaire on CSI: NY.
George Lopez - George gets out of visiting Angie's family for the holidays, but winds up alone on Christmas. He soon finds that he appreciates his family more than he realizes. 8 p.m. ABC
Freddie - Freddie holds a holiday party for his complex, but a jealous neighbor reports him to the board when he realizes that there are too many people living in the apartment. 8:30 p.m. ABC
One Magic Christmas - Mary Steenburgen stars in this family movie about a mother struggling to find the true meaning of Christmas. 9 p.m. Hallmark Channel
QUICK CUTS
*There might be new hope for fans of Fox's Arrested Development. Trade papers are reporting that pay-cable channel Showtime and fellow broadcast network ABC are both considering picking up the ratings-plagued series. Fox cut the show's 22-episode order to 13 last month, but it has not officially canceled the series, which precludes either network from picking it up yet. The cost of the show could also put a snag in the possible plans.
*And finally, it's Nielsen Wednesday! CBS kept its winning streak alive last week as the network took its 12th win in a row. Leading the eye network was CSI(#1), Without A Trace (#2), Survivor (finale) (#3), Survivor(#4), 60 Minutes (#5), and CSI: Miami (tie #8). ABC landed in second with Grey's Anatomy(#7) and A Charlie Brown Christmas (tie #8). NBC's Law & Order: SVU (#6) and ER (tie #8) rounded out the top ten. To see the complete Nielsen Top 20, click on over to USA Today.
That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on Alias (who thinks this "Vaughn's back" thing is all just a big, nasty trick? Yeah, me too). Plus, all the latest television news!
1 comment:
Things worked out just the way I wanted them to on the Amazing Race last night. It certainly was a nail-biting and exciting finish! I can't wait 'til February!I too will miss these families.
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