S29.E12: We're Going To Victory Lane

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

The final three teams race to Chicago where they must complete their last challenges within the city's most iconic landmarks, including Wrigley Field, the home of the World Series champion Chicago Cubs, before they dash to the finish line.

[mojoween]

That was hella boring.

[chitowngirl]

That was underwhelming. That being said, it WAS a brutal leg. None of those landmarks are that close to each other. 

Kendra is still the worst winner for me.

Edited June 2, 2017 by chitowngirl

[mtlchick]

The 2010s' version of Flo has been found. 

It was a decent season with another bizarre final  leg.  The final task was pretty subpar.

[LilaFowler]

Scott really deserved to win, IMO, so I'm not upset. Brooke was like a different person when she was doing the scoreboard challenge, very competent and focused. I wonder how long it took airhead London to complete that?

I hope next season is back to the old format -- no more stunt casting, no more social media celebrities, no more strangers/blind dates/whatever.

[Miss Chevious]

Of the three teams left, I didn't care who won, as long as it wasn't Brooke/Scott. Couldn't stand her whiny ass. And wouldn't you know it, they won. Ugh what a letdown.

[endure]

Like Scott I didn't think they could win but thanks to him they did it!  I wasn't really routing for anyone until this final episode but he really pushed through and he dragged Brooke along for the ride.

[CaioF]

Apart from the hot dog ´´challenge`` it was a well designed leg... But yeah, the results and tha lack of pretty much any team changing places and no much suspense at all once it went to the last commercial break made it boring. Scott will get U$999,000 and Brooke U$1,00 right? Results like this makes me almost want the race to be individual, both of course if would miss a good portion on how it works. With the strangers cast tho, they could have done something in the middle so the teams could or should swap partners. That would be a interesting twist and put contestants on test. would have liked it instead of those bad placed U-turns.

Edited June 2, 2017 by CaioF

[basiltherat]

I have watched Race sporadically for the last few years and now I know why:  when a couple who I deem "unworthy" wins, I get very pissed off.  These two (whatever their names are), well, the chick reminds me of the load that Flo was to Zack, way back in the first few years.

[Rachel RSL]

Man, I'm still bitter about Zach having to split the money with Flo...now this? At least Brooke did her share of RBs so there's that.  The way they made such a big deal out of them leaving their backpacks, I was holding out hope for Phil to dramatically reveal they needed them to check-in or something. Alas, no.

Not a thrilling finale but, I have to admit, I didn't mind the strangers concept at all. It added an interesting new dynamic. I'd be happy to see them do it again sometime.

Edited June 2, 2017 by Rachel RSL

[chaifan]

How did Phil describe this leg at the last pit stop?  Killer?  Something like that, right?  um, no.  just no.  This was one of the lamest final challenges ever, right up there with counting poker chips.  Knowing what place you came in on each leg should have been the challenge to let them into first class on the airplane. 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Ok, now I'm even more relieved we get TAR30. This show could not have gone out with Brooke as one of the last two winners ever. That would've been just cruel.

[chaifan]

Do the 2nd and 3rd place teams get any prize money?  I thought that was the case at one point, but not sure if it still is that way.

[kaygeeret]

God how I 'hate' whiney, entitled, screeching dames - and I am a gal.

It just pops my last cork - so to speak - to see that type of behavior rewarded.

She added nothing except "look at me, it hurts, it is HARD"  :(

Just ...

Yuk!

[enlightenedbum]

Bring back the TAR12 final challenge puzzle of death.  Also never do that again, show.

[ByaNose]

Besides changing the tires there was very little hard task to do. It seemed wayyyyy too easy. Brooke & Scott were all by themselves when there was 15 minutes left in the show. 

[Rinaldo]

This was a leg with a lot of potential for placements to change... it just happens that they didn't. Brooke and Scott ruled throughout it, including executing the leg-finish challenge flawlessly, so even though she annoyed the hell out of me on most legs, I don't mind them winning. (And she way outclassed Flo in terms of doing stuff that helped them get there, even though I was yelling rude things at her often.)

The best part of the leg for me was seeing my favorite old spots in Chicago, where I grew up. My family's apartment was a block from Wrigley Field, so that was intense nostalgia. We found ourselves in the Monroe St. Station often (though it seems to have been spruced up recently). And any Chicagoan knows the Water Tower (survived the Great Fire!), Buckingham Fountain, and the bridge at the base of Marina Towers (it wasn't named for "Kup" yet when I lived there). I'll be rewatching the finale just to see all that again.

Edited June 2, 2017 by Rinaldo

[mishap]

I think Phil said it would be grueling.  Not really, IMO.   Not in comparison to some other legs. 

I don't like it when teams help other teams, especially in specific tasks.  I'm thinking way back to that ladle task and remember how Brooke whined and cried and how 2 or 3 people helped her and actually did some of it for her.  I am hoping that future racers might take note and decide it's best to not help people through the tasks. 

Maybe it would have been the same outcome, but I still like it best when they just race.  No alliances or partnering, or working together. 

[sinycalone]

The only reason Brooke seemed calm and focused at the scoreboard:  she couldn't screech for help because Scott couldn't answer, and no one else was around to beg for assistance.  

I wanted Joey/Tara to win....so I'm just going to pretend that they did.  With LoLo second.  And Brooke/Scott stuck at O'Hare.

I didn't mind the strangers aspect...in fact it was fun once we got to know the teams enough for them have clear cut personalities.  However, this is the second time the finish in Chicago offered some lame final challenges:  Kendra anyone?

[aradia22]

Transferring over some thoughts from the Live thread...

I decided to root for Brooke and Scott a leg or two ago which made this finale easy for me to watch, though still kind of boring. 

All the car racing stuff was incredibly boring for me to watch. Good job, Scott who seemed to be driving well from the beginning. The timing seemed challenging but not impossible like the cup stacking last leg. 

Lolo have zero sense of urgency. This is why I can't root for them even though they're blander and more inoffensive than other teams. You're in a RAAACE. They act like they're just on vacation.

I think Tara/Joey got lost for a bit and they didn't show it. 

I can't help it. I like Brooke/Scott even though I know I shouldn't. Him offering to carry her and bringing up Crossfit. Like, I should dislike them. I don't know why I don't. But they amuse me more than the others. 

Remembering your leg placement is a tough challenge. Maybe it's easier for them because it's happening all at once and it's more significant in their lives (I guess I'd be more likely to remember I finished 7th if I almost got eliminated) but still. Tough one. 

Brooke's voice is actually pleasant over the radio... you know, when she's not whining and screaming. There's the hard accent but she has a pleasantly mellow speaking voice. Anyway, Brooke killed that. 

Brooke looks really thin. I'm not concern trolling. I think she dropped a lot of weight with not eating regularly, running around so much, and not sleeping. I hope she had a nice break and got back to her normal non-race self. 

Damn it, Lolo. Run. At least pretend you're racing. 

I feel like this leg went really quickly but they did a lot of running around. We just didn't see it. 

Eh, I'm not over the moon but I'm pleased with this outcome. 

[Rachel RSL]

4 minutes ago, enlightenedbum said:

Bring back the TAR12 final challenge puzzle of death. 

Literally the best final challenge! I think it spoiled me for all future seasons.

[Lady Calypso]

So, congratulations Scott for being the first ever to complete the Race on your own! 

Ok, I kid. Brooke did some of the work to get them there. Too bad it was only about 15%. And Scott ends on a semi-heights challenge (I'd be terrified of those small, narrow stairs and still being higher up, even though he's still relatively safe).

Brooke losing pretty much soured me on Brooke for these last couple of legs.

Joey was an ass toward Tara, but I really do think that race fatigue is a thing and it probably hit them hard the last few legs. I won't say they're the worst people ever for snapping under pressure and making crude remarks. It's not nice, but it doesn't define their entire personality for me.

I remember when the last leg was a bit more challenging, in order to have all the teams doing the final puzzle together to create suspense. That final puzzle was easy if you just pay attention to the simple things. I thought the riddles could have stumped the teams, but none of them seemed to struggle to figure it out. Besides maybe getting to each location, and T/J going to the wrong place, they all seemed to breeze through the riddles. The racing challenge seemed like something I wouldn't enjoy either.

I wish it wasn't predictable from the moment Brooke and Scott finished the racing challenge first. 

Also, I guess LoLo figured that they wouldn't win, so why not enjoy the last leg of the race while they could? I know they've been really taking their time throughout the season and they have basically been almost last every leg, but at least they're appreciating the scenery. I guess I just hate other types of teams, rather than boring, slow, yet inoffensive teams like LoLo. Plus, they're pretty to look at. 

[sinycalone]

2 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

Literally the best final challenge! I think it spoiled me for all future seasons.

Absolutely....it was multi-faceted, required top notes, and demanded total focus.

[basiltherat]

I am going to reminisce about Team Cha Cha  Cha and try to forget this season.  Good night!

[Lantern7]

This is the second time I've been somewhere that TAR visited. First, the CN Tower in TAR8, and now Wrigley Field. Great place, BTW. And hey, Brooke & Scott had to work in the final task, as opposed to chowing on deep dish pizza. Yes, I'm still bitter about TAR6.

Speaking of which . . . damn, has Phil been tougher on anybody in the finale opening credits as Brooke. The only person that comes to mind is that wuss Adam. In his defense, his partner was a harpy. (ETA: ". . . while Brooke overcame [failure montage] everything.")

Honestly, I'm not as broken about the finale like TAR3. That was brutal. I mean, Brooke was shrill, but she didn't try to quit hundreds of times like Flo. As much I feel Tara & Joey deserved the win, I'm okay with the results. Once again, the fourth-best team won. It happens. At least LoLo didn't win. They weren't as hapless as the Beekmans or snakebit like the Sweet Scientists, but do you remember anything about them, aside from Logan currently dating Sarah?

Also, congratulations to Ernie & Cindy for -- IIRC -- being the second team to cameo. And their kid is cute as heck.

Here's hoping CBS doesn't jerk us around for the better part of the year.

[ShadowSixx]

I don't think this leg was as grueling as Vietnam, climbing stairs, riding a heavy bike in the grueling sun. This finale was a little underwhelming.

Scott deserves the win, he was motivating and has the patience of a saint. Brooke and her whining over 1 second and how she can't change a tire, Phil should have said she won the tickets but not the money. Brooke's resume would be hilarious if she filled it with what she can't do.

Lolo got their postcards before Joey & Tara. How did they fall back to 3rd? Was it them traveling back to the subway when they didn't have to and didn't hep that London more than likely didn't read the clue in full and that it was a one way radio. It also seems like London is wanting more with Logan but Logan isn't reciprocating.

[dgpolo]

The thing I liked about the final challenge, even if it ended up as being a non issue since the teams were all in the scoreboard alone, is that the answers were different for each team. So if the teams were all there at the same time they couldn't cheat off each other.

[HowdyTV]

Refresh my memory please - what was the final challenge Season 12?

[Wandering Snark]

Well, now I hope that Brooke can give nice gifts to what must be a full team of enablers & motivators for her to survive and not be crippled by every decision that she must make every day, and then fight through the complaining, saying she can't do it and handwringing. She is absolutely impossible. Take some money and get therapy for the myriad issues behind the psychosis you have developed. Seriously.

Thank Phil this isn't the last season as to go out like this would be a real kick in the groin.

Also, has there even be a team simply worse at racing than LoLo? I mean the intro parts to the scoreboard challenge, firsst she wonders if the mic is on and is waiting to hear back from him. Then she hasn't taken off the damned caps to the binoculars!!

So there it is, a season finale in which the last team I wanted to see win won; I was tired of the attitudes of the 2nd team and wanted them to come in last while the last team was nice but incapable or winning to help save a bit of disspointment. Wow.

Not a good season, at all and a worse final three.

[aradia22]

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Joey was an ass toward Tara, but I really do think that race fatigue is a thing and it probably hit them hard the last few legs. I won't say they're the worst people ever for snapping under pressure and making crude remarks. It's not nice, but it doesn't define their entire personality for me.

When did that happen? I do think they managed to regroup at some point so they could finish the race with smiles for the camera. At least they didn't bring up how they deserved to win because they need the money for their families. Everyone needs the money for something. And barring travel issues, you win because you did the best, not because you deserve/need it the most. 

Quote

Also, I guess LoLo figured that they wouldn't win, so why not enjoy the last leg of the race while they could? I know they've been really taking their time throughout the season and they have basically been almost last every leg, but at least they're appreciating the scenery.

I know a lot of racers blather on about how they enjoyed the free vacation and the trip around the world, etc. but that's not how you're supposed to actually race. Still, them being here means no Matt and Redmond so I'm OK with it, even if I would have preferred Team Fun or even Ashton and Vanck. 

[Rachel RSL]

4 minutes ago, HowdyTV said:

Refresh my memory please - what was the final challenge Season 12?

From Wikipedia: 

Quote

In the final Roadblock, one team member had to face a field of things they had encountered along the race course. They had to match 10 of 15 recognizable items to the respective legs of the race, but the combination of items had to meet the following requirements:

Three items could be animals or animal by-products.

One had to be a U-Turn.

Two had to be items either at or brought to the Pit Stop.

Two had to be items of transportation with wheels, one of which was used at a Detour.

One had to be an item of transportation resembling the shape of a stick.

Only one combination of items satisfied the conditions, allowing them to open the clue box and obtain their next clue.

Edited June 2, 2017 by Rachel RSL

[Rinaldo]

Second-place finishers shouldn't ask rhetorical questions on camera which have blindingly obvious answers. "I raced around the world with an awesome partner and saw all kinds of amazing things, what more could you ask?" Um, a million dollars?

Edited June 2, 2017 by Rinaldo

[ShadowSixx]

Did y'all see at the end when all teams were jumping up and down and celebrating and smiling. Shamir was jumping but he wasn't smiling lol. He wasn't feeling it.

[aradia22]

LOL at London interviewing to camera in her TH about this lifelong friendship and then Logan talking to Phil about what an honor it was to race with London... without ever looking at her, and then being comparatively much more bland in his TH. Maybe he's not an expressive guy, but I maintain that for some reason these two remained strangers more than the others even though they stayed in the race until the end. 

Well, at least Logan got a girlfriend out of the race. 

[sinycalone]

8 minutes ago, HowdyTV said:

Refresh my memory please - what was the final challenge Season 12?

The final challenge involved remembering various objects from every leg -- a goat, a vaulting pole, bicycle, etc. -- and placing them on a stage in a complicated order.  Rachel (of TJ/Rachel) had taken copious notes throughout....and basically won the race because she remembered every detail.

Edited June 2, 2017 by sinycalone

[Wouldofshouldof]

Loved seeing all the Chicago landmarks - my hometown.  I would have crushed it, lol.  I just wish I had known they were here, I totally would have stalked them all.

[Shadow Wave]

7 minutes ago, ShadowSixx said:

 

Lolo got their postcards before Joey & Tara. How did they fall back to 3rd? Was it them traveling back to the subway when they didn't have to and didn't hep that London more than likely didn't read the clue in full and that it was a one way radio. It also seems like London is wanting more with Logan but Logan isn't reciprocating.

That's what I was wondering. Literally the only position change during this episode, and the editing didn't make it clear what happened. It seemed Joey and Tara were far behind LoLo getting the third postcard, then they just appear at the beekeepers' roof. 

[LilaFowler]

Brooke and Scott were the only ones who checked their bags. This show has been on for a hundred years, so that blows my mind. Always check your bags before the final leg. Probably a lot easier to run around collecting clues if you don't have to drag heavy backpacks with you.

Tara and Joey picked the wrong landmark in the postcard task and were in third afterwards. Where did LoLo lose time? They were just getting to Wrigley when Mom&Dad had figured out their equation to get the final clue. That was at least 15-20 minutes. Of course, they probably stopped and drank a few beers or something before continuing on. RME.

Edited June 2, 2017 by LilaFowler

[QuantumMechanic]

8 minutes ago, HowdyTV said:

Refresh my memory please - what was the final challenge Season 12?

"The final Detour was a choice of Cut the Cod or Grab the Crab. In Cut the Cod, teams had to cut through several 50-pound (23 kg) Ling Cod and search for a miniature clue hidden in one of the fish. In Grab the Crab, teams had to jump into the hold of a boat swarming with over 500 live crabs. Then, they had to search through the nipping crustaceans for a crab marked with Race colors to receive their next clue.

In the final Roadblock, one team member had to face a field of things they had encountered along the race course. They had to match 10 of 15 recognizable items to the respective legs of the race, but the combination of items had to meet the following requirements:

Three items could be animals or animal by-products.

One had to be a U-Turn.

Two had to be items either at or brought to the Pit Stop.

Two had to be items of transportation with wheels, one of which was used at a Detour.

One had to be an item of transportation resembling the shape of a stick.

Only one combination of items satisfied the conditions, allowing them to open the clue box and obtain their next clue."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Race_12#Leg_11_.28Taiwan_.E2.86.92_United_States.29

[HowdyTV]

Oh, yes! That was difficult. Now, everyone takes notes on everything, so it boils down to who has the best memory. Thanks for the reminder on the Season 12 challenge.

[sinycalone]

I think LolLo made some bad transportation decisions (subway, taxi, etc) -- but I'm not quite sure it f that was the cause of their losing so much time getting to Wrigley.

[ByaNose]

I liked LoLo but they never seemed to show any urgency. They just took their time. It got them to the Final 3 but then when they were in the Final 3 they never kicked it into high gear. That said, Brooke & Scott were way ahead of everyone and made it look easy. BTW! I hate Brooke.

[Lady Calypso]

4 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

When did that happen?

Joey being an ass to Tara? Particularly, during the final challenge, when Tara's talking to him through the radio, and he's muttering for her to shut the eff up. Sorry, I should have said he was being an ass ABOUT Tara. I guess he was really just muttering it to himself, so it's not as bad, but I know people have complained about Joey and Tara being cruel people. 

6 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

I know a lot of racers blather on about how they enjoyed the free vacation and the trip around the world, etc. but that's not how you're supposed to actually race. Still, them being here means no Matt and Redmond so I'm OK with it, even if I would have preferred Team Fun or even Ashton and Vanck. 

Here's the thing for me; if you know you're not getting first, then usually it doesn't matter when you finish, as long as it's not last. I mean, unless you're super slow and literally not doing a single thing, most of the beginnings of the next leg will have teams bunched up with transportation. So, if a team wants to not feel rushed and maybe take a moment to enjoy and appreciate what they're doing and where they are, then I won't fault them for that. But the problem is that the show found them too boring without drama, so they got pretty much no focus since T/J and B/S provided plenty of the drama. I'm definitely not saying that LoLo needed to keep being slow at tasks and overall racing, but they were never going to be that front of the pack team. So in this finale, them jogging their way to the end is totally fine because they knew they lost. 

The issue this season is that I found myself preferring certain members of each team (Liz but not Michael, Matt but not Redmond, Vanck but not Ashton, Floyd but not Becca, Scott but not Brooke, etc) so I don't think it was a win-win situation for me. 

[alecbaldwin]

If Brooke get a penny every times someone insult her online, she will be rich without her share of a million dollars.

Edited June 2, 2017 by alecbaldwin

[KenyaJ]

That was a killer last leg. All that running and stair climbing would have had me down for the count, but I love Chicago, so it was great to see so many familiar landmarks, even though it reminded me of the travesty that was the S6 finale (Kris and Jon, I still love you soooo much!). 

I've liked Scott since the beginning of the race, so I'm really happy for him. Can't say the same for Brooke; I can't believe she refused to hop on Scott's back when she was struggling, because she "didn't want to look like an invalid." Girl, please! A million dollar was on the line and you're bitching at your partner when he's trying to be supportive.

Ugh. She deserves $5 and Scott deserves the remaining $999,995.

[ShadowSixx]

2 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

The issue this season is that I found myself preferring certain members of each team (Liz but not Michael, Matt but not Redmond, Vanck but not Ashton, Floyd but not Becca, Scott but not Brooke, etc) so I don't think it was a win-win situation for me. 

That's true for this season, like the only whole team I liked was Seth & Olive. Lolo is ok too and wanted them to win the whole thing but they raced like they really didn't care.

[absolutelyido]

34 minutes ago, mishap said:

I don't like it when teams help other teams, especially in specific tasks.  I'm thinking way back to that ladle task and remember how Brooke whined and cried and how 2 or 3 people helped her and actually did some of it for her.  I am hoping that future racers might take note and decide it's best to not help people through the tasks. 

Maybe it would have been the same outcome, but I still like it best when they just race.  No alliances or partnering, or working together. 

This X 1,000. Multiple teams handed Brooke and Scott $1M by helping her with that ladle. 

It seems like quite often on the last leg the order in which the teams leave the airport is the order in which they finish. Makes for a boring finale. 

I thought the pairing with strangers worked out really well. I liked the format and would like to see it again. I also think it would be interesting to cast teams of 2, but then at the starting line they randomly switch teams up. I also think it would have been interesting if in the pairing with strangers concept, they had to randomly switch partners mid-race.

Edited June 2, 2017 by absolutelyido

[TheFinalRose]

Scott earned the money by outlasting Brooke. As a lifelong Chicago -area resident I was so excited they were ending here, but then so meh about the episode. Chicago Speedway? That's in Joliet, which is about an hour and a half outside Chicago. I was hoping they would have made them drive themselves from there to the Monroe street el stop, now that would have been a challenge. 

I do think running back and forth between those sights was hard .... it's a hike from the Water Tower to Buckingham Fountain. Anyway, Congrats Scott. You deserve the win just for doing that bungee jump. Brooke has had to watch herself all season, I'm sure that was humiliating. 

[Artsda]

I guess Scott earned that by putting up with her all season.

[NeverLate]

Very dissapointing, very! 

 

. I was spoilt last week ,( complete accident by another poster )and oh how I hoped it wasn't true.
I also read Brooke was on instagram ,eating at fancy restaurants and showing off new clothes. She was told to take then down. I'm happy for Scott, if she had another partner, I'm really not sure they could have put up with her, or pushed her so hard.

I loved the race car challenge, Tara did well.


Roll on next season, because this was very dissapointing.:(