Yeah, we get it, it's the Eiffel Tower. DerAnyway, we start out in Barcelona, Spain, ironically, the same place the finale of America's Next Top Model. I mean, I don't know what that means, but I just thought it was interesting. Rob and Kim who arrived first, left around 11pm. I knew they would bunch up, probably at the airport. Their clue tells them to find a church that's been under construction for over 120 years and look for the clue box. They make their way there and spend a lot of time looking around. Finally they find it and it instructs them to go to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Oh, Paris! Since this is a shorter season finale, only an hour compared to 2, I can't imagine they'll be in Paris that long, which I'm sad about, because I love Paris (in the Springtime).
They head off to the airport just about the time Lyn and Karlyn and Tyler and James head to the church. 'Bama is ahead by a few minutes, but when they get to the church it takes them awhile to get the clue and Tyler and James go ahead of them to the airport.
Once at the airport, Rob and Kimberly learn the ticketing counter doesn't open until 4am, but they see from the board that there's a flight leaving at 6am, which they all obviously want to get on. James suggests to Tyler they find a computer and look it up on the Internet. For whatever reason Tyler is apathetic and says no. And we know he's the one who wears the pants in the family. The two groups go to sleep underneath the ticketing counter, and 'Bama sees them when they come in. They decide to go to another airline's ticketing counter to try and get on that flight.
When the counter opens in the morning, both teams try to get on the flight, but it's Rob and Kimberly that somehow make it on. James of course is pissed, because if they had done what he said the night before, they'd be on the flight with Rob and Kim not getting a seat. Meanwhile, 'Bama gets on a flight that although leaves almost an hour and a half later, comes in at Orly, an airport they believe is closer to the city. Tyler and James end up getting on a 7am flight.
Rob and Kimberly arrive in France and have to take a train into the city. When Tyler and James get there, an hour later, they also take the train, but are stuck in a huge boarding line. When 'Bama gets there, they immediately take a cab, since they're already so close to Paris. They actually end up arriving at the Eiffel Tower before Rob and Kim, who's flight got in and hour and a half before. LOVE IT. Imagine Rob and Kim's surprise when they see 'Bama leaving the Tower with the clue. The clue tells them to take the train to another airport. I see small planes and I'm thinking they'll be skydiving.
Hahahahaha
'Bama gets to the train station and so do Rob and Kim, just about the time Tyler and James show up to the clue box. Miraculously they make it onto the same train and are utterly surprised to learn 'Bama's on it too. They're impressed. T&J are the first ones out of the train and in cab. They make it to the airport and for the final Roadblock learn it's going to be skydiving. The other team member will also be in the plane and the pilot will do a nose dive after their partner jumps out. Yeah, I don't want to do any part of this one. Tyler decides to do it. Karyln does it for 'Bama and as Rob and Kimberly get to the box, Kimberly falls on her ass. It's great.
This is why I don't do small planes, or jumping out of them.
When Kimberly ops to take the challenge, Rob's pissed because he wanted to do skydiving. Normally you don't know what the challenge is, but if you use your skills of deduction, you could figure out what it's going to be. But we're talking about Rob here, he's not really known for his power of deduction. It's probably the lack of protein. Kimberly feels bad for taking it, but truly, they both should have looked at the small planes, realized they were at a small airport and hadn't skydived yet, and oh yeah, there's a jump master standing there. What idiots.
I hate skydiving. Okay, hate isn't the right word. I wouldn't mind skydiving if I knew I wouldn't throw up and die. They all jump out onto Omaha Beach, where America landed and got slaughtered during WWII. Isn't that nice. Tyler made it back to James and their clue told them to go back to Paris and look for the clue box in Place de la Concorde. Once at the train station, all teams ended up bunching up together, waiting for the 5:23 train. Rob and Kim decided to walk over to the post office and exchange some money. While they were gone, a train showed up nearly 15 minutes early to take the other two teams to Paris. Rob and Kim nearly had a heart attack when they returned and didn't see any of the other teams. The 5:23 showed up though and at a depot to change trains to Paris, all three teams caught up.
Once in Paris again, it was Rob and Kimberly who found the clue box first. It was a Detour. The two tasks are about two things that Paris is famous for, Art or Fashion. In Art the teams had to pick up a piece of art work from an artist and walk it about a mile to get their next clue. In Fashion they had to make a jacket on a mannequin, pinning and cutting it. All things I wouldn't want to do. I'd rather walk a mile through the Paris streets with a big ass piece of art. Surprisingly, all three teams decided to do Fashion. I think this does make sense though because I would try and choose the same as everyone so we can be on a level playing field.
Tyler and James think they have this in the bag, seeing they've been fitted hundreds of time because they're models. In their defense, they are real models, not the stupid kind they put on shows that have never actually worked. Anyway, they finish the task quickly, followed by 'Bama and then a bitching Rob and Kimberly. They find out they're supposed to fly to New York, which we know is their final destination. Unfortunately, 'Bama decides to go back to Orly Airport, which paid off before, being closer to the city. I looked at my roommate at this point and said, "Is Orly even international?".
Rob and Kimberly and Tyler and James get to the airport and the flight they want to take out is closed. It leaves the next morning. Rob and Kimberly manage to talk their way onto the flight, happy, since it seems they'll be the only ones heading to New York and have a huge lead on the other teams. 'Bama gets to Orly and realize their mistake, heading, finally to the international airport. They also realize the flight they want is closed.
Did you ever seen Scanners?
Luckily, the next morning, before the flight, Tyler and James realize this is going to decide the game for them and beg and beg to get on the flight, finally talking to a manager. He agrees to let them on the flight. Imagine Rob and Kim's surprise when they see the guys on their flight. 'Bama ends up making it on a flight that takes off close to that time, but it flies into Newark. I've lost all hope 'Bama's gonna win, or even get to the mat before sundown, but who knows, right? This is The Amazing Race.
Once in New York, James and Tyler had a lucky break getting a decent taxi driver who knew exactly where he was going, to the News Building. Rob and Kimberly's driver wasn't so sure and had to call around for guidance. Their driver pulled some sweet maneuvers and tried to lose R&K's driver, but the moment of truth came when they got to a toll. Tyler and James driver had an E-Z pass, which allowed him to breeze through. Rob and Kimberly had to go through the 'cash' line which obviously took a lot longer. I tell ya, it always comes down to the cab rides.
Just in case you think I was lying
Tyler and James made it to the clue and it had them jogging over a mile into the Village to a sculpture where they'd find another clue. On the way they ask someone about the sculpture and they tell them where they think it is and they head there, but one of the guys, probably Tyler because James is just about worthless, except when it comes to eating cow lips, interesting, realizes the mistake and leads them right to the clue. It tells them to find a cabbie who's willing to take them out of the city and make their way to the Finish Line! Eek!
Is he sitting in his lap?!?
This was so exciting. Rob and Kimberly found a cab shortly thereafter and they were all on their way to the Finish Line. Tyler and James cabbie didn't seem confident he knew where he was going, and since the cab fiasco in the last cab, I was holding my breath. I mean, not really, a girl's gotta breathe, but you know what I mean. Anyway, the cars pulled up to the Finish Line and we saw Phil at the Finish Line with all of the teams that didn't make it this far. There to see what it'd be like if they had actually won.
And around the corner first, comes... Tyler and James! Yay. They must have eaten their protein. It was quite exciting. Rob and Kim then came around the corner, probably ten or so minutes later and they were wondering if they were first. One of them asked, "Is it us?" and the other one said, "No, the guys are there." Ha! Ha! They seemed fine with second place, who still wins a chunk of change.
Later, 'Bama showed up, knowing they were last and everyone talked about their partner and how much they learned, blah blah. It's over, and now I'm ready for the first ever Amazing Race: All Stars! That'll be in late February or March I think. Oh, and Rob and Ambah will be in it. Yay! I love those two.
