Recap, Episode 13: Finale
Final Dash for the Prize The final leg began at a remote cabin in the Alaskan wild. Rob & Brennan started out just a few minutes ahead of Frank & Margarita. Joe & Bill, still a leg behind the leaders, hoped the top Teams would make a fatal mistake, thereby giving them the opportunity to catch up. At 4:17 a.m., Rob & Brennan walked out of their cabin into the dark night and received their race envelope. "Last time we have to do this," Brennan remarked with a mixed sense of relief and anticipation. Their first task involved putting on snowshoes and following flags along a half-mile trail to Takosha Lodge. The next task didn't open for four hours. To make matters worse, their flashlight batteries had drained. "Lovely start to our final leg," Rob groaned sarcastically. "It's on, baby!" Margarita exclaimed as she exited the cabin a little later. "This is it. This is why I left my daughter for six weeks. Because I'm going to win." Frank ripped open the envelope and read the clue. Much to their surprise, the separated couple noticed Rob & Brennan "just standing there." Because they couldn't get their flashlight to work, the lawyers had decided to wait and follow Frank & Margarita to Takosha Lodge. Later, Frank would remark with disdain that Rob & Brennan were too "scared" to continue without them. "They started following us, of course, as they always do," he concluded. With Frank in the lead and a single flashlight as their guide, the two Teams headed out into the darkness. They followed the trail of yellow flags marking the path, which eventually led them to Takosha Lodge. "I'm camping out right here," Margarita said once they arrived. The lodge, however, was open and the Teams were able to wait inside. As the two lead Teams waited, Joe & Bill set out to complete the final tasks of the previous leg. Team Guido left the Bed & Breakfast, where they had spent the night, and walked out to the Native American blanket toss. Bill jumped on the blanket and was tossed up and down. With the locals cheering him on, Bill eventually spotted the flag. The teammates rushed over and received the clue, which sent them to the ice climb. Dog Sled Meanwhile, at Takosha Lodge, the lead Teams readied themselves for their next task. Frank & Margarita, just ahead of Rob & Brennan, grabbed the envelope from a wooden box and discovered it was a Detour. This Detour challenge comprised two different travel options to reach their next clue: riding a snowmobile or leading a dog sled. Teams choosing the dog sled would travel slowly, but would only have to cover 11 miles. Teams choosing the snowmobile would travel much faster, but would have to cover 30 miles. Both choices led to an SUV, which the contestants would then drive to the edge of Fish Lake. Frank & Margarita quickly decided on the dog sled. "Let's do the dogs, dude," Rob said to his teammate. Both teams loaded their packs into the sleds and took off. Using reins, each contestant guided their team of dogs. The sleds raced along a narrow, snow-covered trail, with Frank & Margarita in the lead. At the back of the pack, Rob complained, "I'm getting killed. Frank & Margarita are up there. They either have slow dogs or are doing something wrong. And I've been riding the brake on my team the whole time. It's really like a Chinese fire drill. There's no place to pass. If we'd gotten out in front, we'd be fifteen minutes ahead right now." Margarita explained that because Frank is so big, his dogs were having trouble maintaining speed. Right behind them, Rob & Brennan debated their course of action. Seeing the path widen ahead, they decided to take the opportunity to pass. Shouting out encouragement to their dogs, the lawyers' sleds passed Frank & Margarita. Rob & Brennan raced out ahead and were the first to arrive at the SUVs. They hopped in their vehicles and raced off. "Man, this is the middle of nowhere," Brennan noted at they drove toward Fish Lake in first place. A few minutes later, Frank & Margarita completed their journey on the dog sleds and grabbed their truck. The Final Chilling Roadblock Rob & Brennan arrived at Fish Lake and spotted the route marker in the distance. They parked their truck and headed toward it. Rob took one glance at the icy lake and surmised what the next task involved. "I knew we'd be doing this," he exclaimed. Brennan glanced down at the envelope. "It's a Roadblock… and it's my turn," he noted. This Roadblock task required one team member to strip down and plunge into frigid forty-degree water. The teammate performing the Roadblock would have to completely submerge their head before receiving the next clue. "Here goes nothing," Brennan said, as he dove into the icy water. Frigid and shocked, Brennan rushed out of the water, then realized he had forgotten to retrieve the clue, which was still attached to a wooden pole in the middle of the pond. He dove back in, grabbed the envelope and rushed back to the route marker, where Rob awaited him. As Brennan dressed, Rob read their next set of instructions. The next task involved making their way to New York City and picking up a route marker at Vincent Daniels Square in Queens. At that moment, Frank and Margarita arrived. Rob and Brennan rushed off to their SUV just as Margarita ripped open the Roadblock envelope. Frank dove in the water and quickly grabbed the clue. He dried himself off as Margarita read that they were heading back to New York. The Team excitedly realized they were returning to their own neighborhood of Queens. "We live six blocks from there," Frank noted when they got back into the SUV. "Once we're in New York, it's all over. It's all over." The Team headed to the Anchorage airport, confident their home field advantage would lead them to victory. A few miles ahead of them, Rob & Brennan had the same thought. "We're going to their home town," Brennan noted. "So they already have a big advantage over us." Trying to gain any possible lead over their competitors, Rob decided to use their excess cash to purchase a cell phone. At a gas station, he paid three hundred dollars to use a woman's phone for the day. With a promise to send it back to her, he took it and hopped back in the car. Rob called a series of airlines to get the best possible flight. While the two Teams raced toward the airport, third place Team Guido, still trying to complete the previous leg, had arrived at the ice wall. Bill decided to perform the Roadblock and began his climb up the wall. "We're going to just zoom right past them and not even look back," Bill explained. Bill made it to the top and headed back down. The couple next drove to the snowmobiles, where they were taken to their final Pit Stop at the wilderness cabin, nearly 24 hours behind their competitors. As they settled in for the night, Team Guido still remained confident that they could catch up to the leaders. The Race back to New York Rob & Brennan and Frank & Margarita arrived at the Anchorage airport neck-and-neck. Rob & Brennan had already made reservations via cell phone and got their tickets. Meanwhile, Frank & Margarita scrambled to find the earliest flight into New York City. Like so many times in previous legs, both Teams booked seats on the same flights. This route would take the Teams from Anchorage to Seattle, then on to Newark, where they would arrive at six in the morning. In the Seattle airport, Frank & Margarita seemed relaxed. They felt they were in their "comfort zone" since the finish would occur in their hometown. Rob & Brennan, however, were scrambling for information on New York City. They went to the airport bookstore where they purchased as many books on New York as they could find. The lawyers couldn't find any mention of their ultimate destination, Vincent Daniels Square, however, and worried they'd be "flying blind." "I wanna whip their asses," Margarita declared as the two Teams prepared to board the final flight of the race. Frank noted how much their lives would change if they won the money. "I just want to win," he concluded. The plane took off on its journey across the country as Joe & Bill were just beginning the final leg. "I think we can probably pull it off," Joe commented as Team Guido prepared to trudge their way through the snow. They arrived at Takosha Lodge in the darkness and waited for the Detour to open. 9 Countries, 4 Continents, 35000 Miles Later: Back to the Beginning Meanwhile, Rob & Brennan and Frank & Margarita began their final approach to New York. Brennan was worried, "This is it. I mean, we know New York City is the end. I'm nervous there's no way we are going to take Frank & Margarita in their home borough of Queens." Looking across at the lawyers, Frank noted they seemed scared. "I can see it in their eyes," he commented. The plane landed and the Teams jockeyed for position. Hurrying at breakneck speed down the airport hallway, they repeatedly passed one another as they sprinted through the terminal. Both Teams rushed outside to the taxi stand. Rob & Brennan hopped into the first taxi they found. Frank, with his knowledge of the area, grilled drivers on the best route to the destination. A couple minutes behind Rob and Brennan, he picked a taxi he felt comfortable with and shouted out directions to the driver. "See, New York is a whole different animal. It's about streets, it's not about speed. It's about tactical driving," Frank explained as they headed off. They had a strategy of staying off the side streets and avoiding lights. Making good time, Margarita turned to Frank, "I don't think Rob & Brennan could have gotten here this fast." The Last Push for First Frank's assessment proved wrong as Rob & Brennan, who merely relied on their taxi driver's knowledge of New York, arrived first at Vincent Daniels Square in Queens. They rushed up to the route marker and Brennan opened up the clue. Their instructions were to take a train to Flushing Meadows Park and follow the yellow flags to the finish line. They rushed up to the elevated train station just as Frank & Margarita arrived at the square. The separated couple confidently ran to the route marker, oblivious that Rob & Brennan had already arrived. Rob & Brennan bought tokens and made it up to the platform. They saw the train approaching in the distance and begged it on. Unbeknownst to them, Frank & Margarita were close behind. Rob & Brennan got on the train without any clue that they were first. The train's door closed and they headed on toward their final destination. Meanwhile, Frank & Margarita had purchased tokens and made it to the train platform with no way of realizing that Rob & Brennan had already departed. They sat on a bench, waiting for the next train to arrive. Margarita commented, "God, I hope they're stuck in Manhattan. Lost." The lawyers, though, were neither stuck nor lost. They asked commuters on the train how they should proceed once they arrived at the park. Nervous, anxious, they waited as the train made its way through Queens. Finally, they spotted the famous World's Fair globe monument at Flushing Meadows in the distance. The train arrived at the station and Rob & Brennan rushed through the train terminal in search of the finish line. Rob & Brennan raced outside, spotted a flag, and ran down toward the finish line. The lawyers sprinted down the tree-lined park to the Globe. There, cheering wildly, were the previously eliminated Teams and host Phil Keoghan. Rob & Brennan raced through the gauntlet of their former competitors and stepped on the mat first. Minutes later, Frank & Margarita ran down toward the finish line. Mistaking the other teams' cheering for a victory, Margarita exclaimed, "I can't believe we won!" As they approached, though, they spotted Rob & Brennan standing next to host Phil Keoghan, and realized they were too late. Margarita slowed, but with the prodding of the other teams and a hand from Frank, she continued on. They joined Ron & Brennan on the final mat and embraced. Still in Alaska, Joe & Bill were told the race was over. Bill reflected on the race, "It proved to us everything that we knew about each other was true, it enhanced everything about our relationship. We have learned so much on this race; we're changed forever. It's fantastic." At the finish line, Margarita said, "It became so clear to me that it was this trip that was the fresh start for us and that was when we started making the real steps towards building something new and sort of falling in love again." Frank added, "I say that Rob & Brennan may have won the million dollars, but I think we won a whole lot more." The victors also cherished the experience. Rob commented that, "The things that we saw were unreal. And we won a game, and that's fine, but I'll never ever be able to forget the things I saw, and I did it with my best friend. There can't be anything better than that." Brennan looked around at his teammate and fellow competitors and summed up, "The experience that I had, the relationships that I built, I hope will continue on for the rest of my life." In a final sprint at New York City's Flushing Meadows Park, Los Angeles Lawyers Rob & Brennan became the winners of THE AMAZING RACE, narrowly defeating separated parents Frank & Margarita. Joe & Bill, known as Team Guido, finished in third place.http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/show/week13/story01.shtml
Final Dash for the Prize The final leg began at a remote cabin in the Alaskan wild. Rob & Brennan started out just a few minutes ahead of Frank & Margarita. Joe & Bill, still a leg behind the leaders, hoped the top Teams would make a fatal mistake, thereby giving them the opportunity to catch up. At 4:17 a.m., Rob & Brennan walked out of their cabin into the dark night and received their race envelope. "Last time we have to do this," Brennan remarked with a mixed sense of relief and anticipation. Their first task involved putting on snowshoes and following flags along a half-mile trail to Takosha Lodge. The next task didn't open for four hours. To make matters worse, their flashlight batteries had drained. "Lovely start to our final leg," Rob groaned sarcastically. "It's on, baby!" Margarita exclaimed as she exited the cabin a little later. "This is it. This is why I left my daughter for six weeks. Because I'm going to win." Frank ripped open the envelope and read the clue. Much to their surprise, the separated couple noticed Rob & Brennan "just standing there." Because they couldn't get their flashlight to work, the lawyers had decided to wait and follow Frank & Margarita to Takosha Lodge. Later, Frank would remark with disdain that Rob & Brennan were too "scared" to continue without them. "They started following us, of course, as they always do," he concluded. With Frank in the lead and a single flashlight as their guide, the two Teams headed out into the darkness. They followed the trail of yellow flags marking the path, which eventually led them to Takosha Lodge. "I'm camping out right here," Margarita said once they arrived. The lodge, however, was open and the Teams were able to wait inside. As the two lead Teams waited, Joe & Bill set out to complete the final tasks of the previous leg. Team Guido left the Bed & Breakfast, where they had spent the night, and walked out to the Native American blanket toss. Bill jumped on the blanket and was tossed up and down. With the locals cheering him on, Bill eventually spotted the flag. The teammates rushed over and received the clue, which sent them to the ice climb. Dog Sled Meanwhile, at Takosha Lodge, the lead Teams readied themselves for their next task. Frank & Margarita, just ahead of Rob & Brennan, grabbed the envelope from a wooden box and discovered it was a Detour. This Detour challenge comprised two different travel options to reach their next clue: riding a snowmobile or leading a dog sled. Teams choosing the dog sled would travel slowly, but would only have to cover 11 miles. Teams choosing the snowmobile would travel much faster, but would have to cover 30 miles. Both choices led to an SUV, which the contestants would then drive to the edge of Fish Lake. Frank & Margarita quickly decided on the dog sled. "Let's do the dogs, dude," Rob said to his teammate. Both teams loaded their packs into the sleds and took off. Using reins, each contestant guided their team of dogs. The sleds raced along a narrow, snow-covered trail, with Frank & Margarita in the lead. At the back of the pack, Rob complained, "I'm getting killed. Frank & Margarita are up there. They either have slow dogs or are doing something wrong. And I've been riding the brake on my team the whole time. It's really like a Chinese fire drill. There's no place to pass. If we'd gotten out in front, we'd be fifteen minutes ahead right now." Margarita explained that because Frank is so big, his dogs were having trouble maintaining speed. Right behind them, Rob & Brennan debated their course of action. Seeing the path widen ahead, they decided to take the opportunity to pass. Shouting out encouragement to their dogs, the lawyers' sleds passed Frank & Margarita. Rob & Brennan raced out ahead and were the first to arrive at the SUVs. They hopped in their vehicles and raced off. "Man, this is the middle of nowhere," Brennan noted at they drove toward Fish Lake in first place. A few minutes later, Frank & Margarita completed their journey on the dog sleds and grabbed their truck. The Final Chilling Roadblock Rob & Brennan arrived at Fish Lake and spotted the route marker in the distance. They parked their truck and headed toward it. Rob took one glance at the icy lake and surmised what the next task involved. "I knew we'd be doing this," he exclaimed. Brennan glanced down at the envelope. "It's a Roadblock… and it's my turn," he noted. This Roadblock task required one team member to strip down and plunge into frigid forty-degree water. The teammate performing the Roadblock would have to completely submerge their head before receiving the next clue. "Here goes nothing," Brennan said, as he dove into the icy water. Frigid and shocked, Brennan rushed out of the water, then realized he had forgotten to retrieve the clue, which was still attached to a wooden pole in the middle of the pond. He dove back in, grabbed the envelope and rushed back to the route marker, where Rob awaited him. As Brennan dressed, Rob read their next set of instructions. The next task involved making their way to New York City and picking up a route marker at Vincent Daniels Square in Queens. At that moment, Frank and Margarita arrived. Rob and Brennan rushed off to their SUV just as Margarita ripped open the Roadblock envelope. Frank dove in the water and quickly grabbed the clue. He dried himself off as Margarita read that they were heading back to New York. The Team excitedly realized they were returning to their own neighborhood of Queens. "We live six blocks from there," Frank noted when they got back into the SUV. "Once we're in New York, it's all over. It's all over." The Team headed to the Anchorage airport, confident their home field advantage would lead them to victory. A few miles ahead of them, Rob & Brennan had the same thought. "We're going to their home town," Brennan noted. "So they already have a big advantage over us." Trying to gain any possible lead over their competitors, Rob decided to use their excess cash to purchase a cell phone. At a gas station, he paid three hundred dollars to use a woman's phone for the day. With a promise to send it back to her, he took it and hopped back in the car. Rob called a series of airlines to get the best possible flight. While the two Teams raced toward the airport, third place Team Guido, still trying to complete the previous leg, had arrived at the ice wall. Bill decided to perform the Roadblock and began his climb up the wall. "We're going to just zoom right past them and not even look back," Bill explained. Bill made it to the top and headed back down. The couple next drove to the snowmobiles, where they were taken to their final Pit Stop at the wilderness cabin, nearly 24 hours behind their competitors. As they settled in for the night, Team Guido still remained confident that they could catch up to the leaders. The Race back to New York Rob & Brennan and Frank & Margarita arrived at the Anchorage airport neck-and-neck. Rob & Brennan had already made reservations via cell phone and got their tickets. Meanwhile, Frank & Margarita scrambled to find the earliest flight into New York City. Like so many times in previous legs, both Teams booked seats on the same flights. This route would take the Teams from Anchorage to Seattle, then on to Newark, where they would arrive at six in the morning. In the Seattle airport, Frank & Margarita seemed relaxed. They felt they were in their "comfort zone" since the finish would occur in their hometown. Rob & Brennan, however, were scrambling for information on New York City. They went to the airport bookstore where they purchased as many books on New York as they could find. The lawyers couldn't find any mention of their ultimate destination, Vincent Daniels Square, however, and worried they'd be "flying blind." "I wanna whip their asses," Margarita declared as the two Teams prepared to board the final flight of the race. Frank noted how much their lives would change if they won the money. "I just want to win," he concluded. The plane took off on its journey across the country as Joe & Bill were just beginning the final leg. "I think we can probably pull it off," Joe commented as Team Guido prepared to trudge their way through the snow. They arrived at Takosha Lodge in the darkness and waited for the Detour to open. 9 Countries, 4 Continents, 35000 Miles Later: Back to the Beginning Meanwhile, Rob & Brennan and Frank & Margarita began their final approach to New York. Brennan was worried, "This is it. I mean, we know New York City is the end. I'm nervous there's no way we are going to take Frank & Margarita in their home borough of Queens." Looking across at the lawyers, Frank noted they seemed scared. "I can see it in their eyes," he commented. The plane landed and the Teams jockeyed for position. Hurrying at breakneck speed down the airport hallway, they repeatedly passed one another as they sprinted through the terminal. Both Teams rushed outside to the taxi stand. Rob & Brennan hopped into the first taxi they found. Frank, with his knowledge of the area, grilled drivers on the best route to the destination. A couple minutes behind Rob and Brennan, he picked a taxi he felt comfortable with and shouted out directions to the driver. "See, New York is a whole different animal. It's about streets, it's not about speed. It's about tactical driving," Frank explained as they headed off. They had a strategy of staying off the side streets and avoiding lights. Making good time, Margarita turned to Frank, "I don't think Rob & Brennan could have gotten here this fast." The Last Push for First Frank's assessment proved wrong as Rob & Brennan, who merely relied on their taxi driver's knowledge of New York, arrived first at Vincent Daniels Square in Queens. They rushed up to the route marker and Brennan opened up the clue. Their instructions were to take a train to Flushing Meadows Park and follow the yellow flags to the finish line. They rushed up to the elevated train station just as Frank & Margarita arrived at the square. The separated couple confidently ran to the route marker, oblivious that Rob & Brennan had already arrived. Rob & Brennan bought tokens and made it up to the platform. They saw the train approaching in the distance and begged it on. Unbeknownst to them, Frank & Margarita were close behind. Rob & Brennan got on the train without any clue that they were first. The train's door closed and they headed on toward their final destination. Meanwhile, Frank & Margarita had purchased tokens and made it to the train platform with no way of realizing that Rob & Brennan had already departed. They sat on a bench, waiting for the next train to arrive. Margarita commented, "God, I hope they're stuck in Manhattan. Lost." The lawyers, though, were neither stuck nor lost. They asked commuters on the train how they should proceed once they arrived at the park. Nervous, anxious, they waited as the train made its way through Queens. Finally, they spotted the famous World's Fair globe monument at Flushing Meadows in the distance. The train arrived at the station and Rob & Brennan rushed through the train terminal in search of the finish line. Rob & Brennan raced outside, spotted a flag, and ran down toward the finish line. The lawyers sprinted down the tree-lined park to the Globe. There, cheering wildly, were the previously eliminated Teams and host Phil Keoghan. Rob & Brennan raced through the gauntlet of their former competitors and stepped on the mat first. Minutes later, Frank & Margarita ran down toward the finish line. Mistaking the other teams' cheering for a victory, Margarita exclaimed, "I can't believe we won!" As they approached, though, they spotted Rob & Brennan standing next to host Phil Keoghan, and realized they were too late. Margarita slowed, but with the prodding of the other teams and a hand from Frank, she continued on. They joined Ron & Brennan on the final mat and embraced. Still in Alaska, Joe & Bill were told the race was over. Bill reflected on the race, "It proved to us everything that we knew about each other was true, it enhanced everything about our relationship. We have learned so much on this race; we're changed forever. It's fantastic." At the finish line, Margarita said, "It became so clear to me that it was this trip that was the fresh start for us and that was when we started making the real steps towards building something new and sort of falling in love again." Frank added, "I say that Rob & Brennan may have won the million dollars, but I think we won a whole lot more." The victors also cherished the experience. Rob commented that, "The things that we saw were unreal. And we won a game, and that's fine, but I'll never ever be able to forget the things I saw, and I did it with my best friend. There can't be anything better than that." Brennan looked around at his teammate and fellow competitors and summed up, "The experience that I had, the relationships that I built, I hope will continue on for the rest of my life." In a final sprint at New York City's Flushing Meadows Park, Los Angeles Lawyers Rob & Brennan became the winners of THE AMAZING RACE, narrowly defeating separated parents Frank & Margarita. Joe & Bill, known as Team Guido, finished in third place.