by Gina Scarpa

 

Every since last week, I've been dying to know which team arrives at the mat in first place, for the million dollars, and gets turned around by Phil because they didn't complete one of the tasks?! It might take two hours, but we'll find out what happened soon enough on the season finale of The Amazing Race.

 

Dave and Rachel are the first team to leave from Cochin, India for Hiroshima, Japan but of course, all of the teams catch up to one another at the airport. Once they arrive, Brendon and Rachel miss the bus to the train station and she pitches an absolute fit about it, even though they catch up and are the first to buy tickets. Dave and Rachel then miss the train, and the ferry - and another one doesn't run until the following morning! One ray of hope for them is that the clue on the island won't be available until the sun rises.

 

Back together in a pack, the clue takes teams to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park for a little reflection. From there, everyone travels by bullet train to Osaka to compete on a Japanese game show. This Road Block has one team member running on a treadmill, grabbing rubber chickens, and trying to avoid falling into what looks like a giant pit of balloons. I wish it was Human Tetris, but I'll take it! Art finishes first, followed by Brendon and then Rachel, leaving Vanessa and her injured ankle to fall over and over. Ralph screams at her to abandon the task and just take the penalty but she refuses, toughens up, and completes it.

 

Next up is a Detour and the choices are Bingo Shout Out or Photo Cut Out. In Bingo, teams have to correctly identify sushi and place it on a bingo board, then eat the 5 pieces in order to move on. In Photo, teams have to convince people to take a picture with a cardboard cutout of a sumo wrestler. Dave and Rachel finish Photo first, and take off for the pit stop at Osaka Castle. Of course, they check in first, tie the record for the most number of wins, and receive a trip to New Zealand. If that doesn't start the final leg of the race off right, I don't know what does. Brendon and Rachel chase Art and JJ aimlessly around the castle for a while, but they both end up checking in, which means that we say goodbye to Vanessa and Ralph.

 

The final three are off to Honolulu, Hawaii to find the Waterfront Towers and ascend and rappel to the top and then go back down FACE FORWARD once they locate their clue. That's 400 feet! After driving around lost and confused, Art and JJ find themselves in last place and need to make up a lot of ground.

 

In the next Road Block, one team member has to use a samurai sword and shave enough ice to fill a bucket. Once they finish, Hawaiian actor Taylor Wily (Kamekona on Hawaii Five-0) will hand them their next clue. Dave and Rachel finish first and run to a helicopter to take a breathtaking ride. Art and JJ do the same, but Brendon and Rachel make the catastrophic mistake of not properly reading their clue and head to the next location, Aloha Stadium, via cab. When they realize their mistake, Brendon yells at Rachel since she read the clue. She gets defensive and yells back but imagine if this was his fault. We are in full Rachel meltdown mode right now.

 

For their next task, teams have to rescue a swimmer in the ocean using a wave runner. Don't be shocked by this but Dave and Rachel finish first. They head to Coral Kingdom Gate for the final Road Block of the season, where one team member has to ride down a hill on a wooden sled, then roll a rock into a target. However, somehow Dave and Rachel completely miss the Road Block and head across the pond towards the pit stop. After they celebrate (early) and arrive at the mat, Phil turns them back to complete the task.  Back at the Road Block, Art struggles repeatedly while Rachel makes quick work of the sled and the target.

 

It's absolutely amazing that Dave and Rachel were turned back, were able to complete the Road Block, and make it back in time to check in first - this time, for real.  Not only do they win the million, but they're the winningest team in Amazing Race history.  Not that Dave wasn't impressive this season, but you really do have to give it up to Rachel.

 

It's unfortunate but Art really did lose this for JJ.  They arrive second, with Brendon and a very teary Rachel checking in third.  Are you happy with the outcome of the race?

 

(Image courtesy of CBS)

 

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