Amazing Race 10 finale – Tyler & James win the Amazing Race

For the first time since I-don’t-know-when, the Amazing Race finale is only one hour tonight instead of the usual two-hour extravaganza. In previous seasons, they went to the final leg with four teams and one was eliminated halfway through. Tonight, we’re starting with just three teams: Team Rehab, Team Alabama, and Team Bicker. I’m going to have to grudgingly root for Tyler & James of Team Rehab because I just can’t stand the other two.

The final three teams start out from Barcelona, Spain late at night to find a church and the next clue which is simply a picture of the Eiffel Tower. It’s after midnight, so everybody is bunched up waiting for the Barcelona airport to open up at 4am in the morning. Team Bicker gets tickets on the first flight to Paris and the other teams need to scramble for the next flights, over an hour later. Once in Paris, teams need to make their way to the third floor of the Eiffel Tower. Team Alabama arrives first, followed quickly by Team Bicker. This clue directs teams to take a train to the Caen airport; everybody’s on the same train, bunched up again.

At Caen airport, it’s the standard TAR tandem sky dive Roadblock. One team member is going to parachute behind Omaha Beach just like a WWII paratrooper; after this is done, the teams meet up again at the train station. It’s back to Paris to find the Place de le Concorde and the next clue. Everybody’s on the same train into Paris, so this is not exactly the Amazing Race but the Amazing Hurry-up-and-Wait. What’s the point of rushing around if all teams need to hold up for the next plane, bus, or train? Ugh.

At the Place de la Concorde, it’s the Detour: Art or Fashion. Teams may either carry a painting to an artist or make a jacket by cutting and pinning some fabric. The Art seems more straightforward, but everybody picks the Fashion task. Former models Tyler & James know their Project Runway and finish first: teams now need to head to New York City and find the news building with the giant globe.

Team Alabama goes to Orly Airport but (as my Francophile wife notes) you cannot take a direct flight to New York from Orly, only via Charles de Gaulle. Team Rehab gets a morning flight to Newark since they cannot get on the first direct flight to NY. Meanwhile, Rob & Kimberly totally beg their way onto the first flight to the States. I’m not fond of Team Bicker but they went the extra mile to get on that flight and (going to commercial) they look like the prohibitive favorite to win tonight.

But then! The wait-listed Tyler & James get on the 8:25am flight with Rob & Kimberly while Team Alabama is left behind – they’re done. Two teams are now racing for the Daily News building; Team Rehab knows where to go while Team Bicker just says “follow that taxi.” But at the toll, Team Rehab’s taxi driver has EZ Pass (to travel quickly through toll booths) while Team Bicker’s driver has to pay cash. Tyler & James arrive first and find the next clue: run two miles on foot to the East Village and find a sculpture known as “The Alamo.”

Once at the sculpture, a woman in a yellow cap hands the next clue: drive to Garrison, New York, some 56 miles away and find St. Basil’s Academy. So now it’s a long taxi drive up into New York state and the Finish. Who has the better driver? It’s Team Rehab, Tyler & James who arrive on a rainy patch of grass to win the Race and the $1,000,000 first prize. Yay!

Final standings:

#1 – Team Rehab – Tyler & James – Winners of the Amazing Race
#2 – Team Bicker – Rob & Kimberly
#3 – Team Alabama – Lyn & Karlyn

Next season – Starting in February, it looks like Amazing Race All-Stars. Previous teams get a second chance to win the Race. I condemn this stunt in advance.

Extra – This space reserved for recaps from Pat & Kris.