The Finish Line, Episode 9
The Amazing Race: All-Stars – The Finish Line, Episode 9 by Teeuwynn Woodruff -- 04/21/2007 This week, John Vito & Jill finally get their chance to join Peggy Bunker for a chat about their race and what's going on with the remaining four teams. What do they have to say? Read on to find out! Peggy Bunker greets us and reminds us that Eric & Danielle are still in the race, but marked for elimination. She introduces our special surprise guests... John Vito & Jill. Um, if they're a surprise, why did Peggy tell us they were here and then say there was also a surprise guest? Anyway... Peggy starts out by saying that John Vito & Jill had a very short race this time. Jill says they were very excited to be on All-Stars, but it was so upsetting to go home early. John Vito said the race started off great, but completely fell apart at the Detour. John Vito says they were being really aggressive and thought they would do well, but had some bad luck that did them in. Everyone agrees that if you get unlucky at a critical point in the race, it's all over. Peggy notes that they ran their first race back in Season 3. Jill says the anticipation for the start of All-Stars was greater than the first race! With that we go to our first phone call. It's John from California. He says that, in the preview, it said that one team would be ganged up on at the Yield. He wants to know if Charla & Mirna and Eric & Danielle gang up on the Beauty Queens in a juvenile way. Jill says they can't answer that, because they actually know what happened. John Vito says he doesn't know! The caller says that Dustin & Kandice “use their bodies” to do well in the race and he thinks they're immature. He thinks they use their bodies instead of their minds. Jill immediately defends the girls, saying she thinks they use their heads very well in the race and are great racers. Peggy joins her asking if John is bugged that they're competent, but come in “nice packages.” I've got to agree with them. Dustin & Kandice generally race smart and are quick to fix the mistakes they make. The caller has issues. John says that he likes girls flaunting themselves in everyday life – but this is competition. Jill says they use their wits to get farther in the race. John Vito says they're very lighthearted and fun on the race. Peggy says the one time she saw them get really stressed was with Charla & Mirna at the airport this past week. Jill says that the airports can make or break you. She says Ozzy & Danny are great in airports and Mirna is amazing. She'll push and push and push until she gets what she wants. John Vito says that they run the race very differently from Charla & Mirna, but you have to give Mirna credit. She really gets the job done. Peggy says that the aggressiveness rubs some people the wrong way – including her, but it really works on the race. They don't mess around. With that, CBS's sound cuts out for a few minutes of the segment, so I have no idea what goes on. Presumably, John Vito & Jill go wild and decided to tell everyone what happens the rest of the race. Or they reveal an illicit love affair with spider monkeys. Or something like that. Okay, they've obviously got themselves back under control, because the sound is back. Peggy says that Eric & Danielle were saved by a non-elimination round and they must have been so relieved. John Vito & Jill say that happened to them once on their season. Jill says you feel a million different emotions, especially relief. John Vito says that, on their first season, their was no penalty. So, it's harder now. Peggy then asks the duo what they think of how the remaining teams are competing. Jill says they're doing a great job and she's not surprised they're there. Peggy asks if they have any favorites. John Vito says that they're good friends with Oswald & Danny and are rooting for them. Peggy says that they're hysterical and great to watch. She loves the way they banter. Jill says they aren't hamming it up for the camera – that's really how they are all the time. Peggy says that she thinks they have funny facial expressions and that last week's Fast Forward highlighted that. She then goes to a clip of the guys in the stunt car weaving and flipping. They all agree that purposely getting into a car accident must be scary. John Vito says that one of the best things about the race is when you get to do things you'd never do in normal life. He then bitterly says that all they got to do this race was trim a horse's hooves and mane. Peggy laughs. She says that the Fast Forward really shoots you forward. Well, yes, that's what it's for. Jill says on their first race you could only use one Fast Forward, but now you can use as many as you get to (although there are only a couple total). A sweet-sounding lady named JC from Georgia now calls in and says she hopes John Vito & Jill have gotten back together. She then asks how everyone got along with Rob & Amber on the race and in the house. Peggy asks if they ARE back together. They say no, they're just friends now. They say that it wasn't hard to go on a second race as just friends. It was great. Jill goes on to the next question and says that they loved Rob & Amber. They were a ton of fun. They know what makes good TV and know how to mess with people on the race. They were completely chill at the house once the race was over. John Vito says they loved meeting new teams while at Elimination Station. Vincent now calls from Vancouver. He's happy to be on the air! Vincent asks about safety issues on the race. He wants to know if anyone has ever actually been in danger or have there ever been any really close calls on the race or any significant accidents. Peggy says that the producers really work to make sure everything is safe. Jill says they do a great job, but you do have to sign an agreement saying you could get hurt. John Vito says in Season 7 a cameraman got hurt when a car flipped over. Peggy asks when John Vito & Jill were most terrified on a race. John Vito says it was probably sky diving in Season 3. Peggy says she couldn't sky dive or bungee jump. She'd cry and quit. Jill says they make it as safe as they possibly can. Jared from New York calls in and seems particularly excited today. He gives a shout out to Team Guido! He says that John Vito & Jill did a great job in both of their seasons. He asks about Season 3 in Singapore where no Roadblock was shown. What was the Roadblock? He goes on to say that each race there seems to be an “ugly American.” He hates to say it, but he thinks Mirna is it this season. Peggy says that they may be alienating some people. John Vito says she is being pushy, but that's also why they've made it so far. He thinks she's pushier with the racers than the locals. Jill says Mirna speaks with those funny accents, but she's usually respectful with them. Peggy says the accent drives her nuts! John Vito & Jill think calling her an “ugly American” is definitely overstating it. With that, Peggy takes us to a clip of the Kung Fu Warriors Detour. That was fun to watch! After the clip, they note that the task was physical and that it was impressive seeing Charla do it. John Vito says it would have been so much fun to do that task and some of the others this season. They both say it was great waking up each day not even sure which country you're in or where you're going next. John Vito says it's a bonding experience and a test of character – that some fail. Ken from Rhode Island calls in and wonders “where do you begin” with Charla & Mirna. He compliments Peggy on her appearance and then says Charla & Mirna are really annoying him this season. He says that John Vito & Jill were always respectful, but Mirna just gets in everyone's face. John Vito thanks Ken, but says that she has a different style – that is working. They wouldn't want to race that way, but it works for her. Peggy says it is a competitive race and people are there to win. Peggy now turns to John Vito & Jill's race. She asks if they prepared in any way for All-Stars. Jill says they're both in good shape and really they just tried to prepare mentally. At the start of the race they thought they could beat everybody else nooooo problem. Peggy asks if they were intimidated by Rob & Amber. Jill says not at all. John Vito says you race the course and anything can happen to anybody. After all, Rob & Amber ended up going out pretty early too. Peggy agrees and then shows the clip where John Vito & Jill do their Detour and get Philiminated. They're obviously crushed to find out they've lost. John Vito mutters, “That's impossible.” Their reaction is both sweet and sad. They're such nice, yet competitive, people. I was sorry to see them go. After the clip, everyone is crying. Jill says that they had such high expectations and felt she disappointed everyone. John Vito says it felt like they wasted the opportunity. Oh, that's so sad! But they both say it was an honor to be on All-Stars and that they have the other race to look back on. Jill also thinks that how they handled themselves, as exes, speaks well of them. Peggy asks if they knew they were last to the Pit stop. John Vito says no. They counted the cars in the parking lot and didn't think they were all there yet. Ouch. That has to make it even worse. Peggy asks what went wrong. Jill says the Detour was fine, but they got bad directions on the way there – at a critical time. It all came down to bad directions. Ken now calls in from New Jersey. He asks whether Eric & Danielle's money gets taken away from them since they were last. He also wants to know when the rest of the seasons are coming out on DVD. They say they don't know about the DVDs. John Vito says that they no longer take money away from teams – it's a time penalty. (Which Ken would know if he really watched the show much.) Jill says she thinks they felt bad about teams standing around with camera crews begging for money. Although, in my interview with producer Bertram Van Munster, he said this wasn't the case and that they just wanted to change it up. Peggy confirms it is now a 30-minute penalty. Peggy shows us a clip from Elimination Station where John Vito & Jill spent quite a while. The teams are hanging out and say that since there isn't a phone call it must be a non-elimination leg. Some of the teams are surprised at who's still in the race. Rob says that he thinks Ozzie & Danny have the best chance, but he's not rooting for anyone. Some of the racers then try to get Mary to learn to swim. After the clip, Peggy asks what it was like to be there so long. They say it was beautiful and wonderful, but they would have rather been racing. Peggy asks if they sit around betting on who's coming next. Jill says you never know, but you talk about it all the time. And then the racers talk about everything that happened on the race and how it wasn't their fault they got eliminated – over and over again. It's time for John Vito & Jill's post-race postcard. Jill thanks her family and friends for supporting her on the race and picking her up when she felt so down afterwards. John Vito thanks the producers, Bertram and Elise, for picking them for All-Stars. He also thanks his family and friends for supporting him in a disappointing loss. Peggy notes that a lot of teams thank Bertram. John Vito & Jill say he's incredible and the race happens because of him. Peggy then goes to a preview of the next episode. Charla goes way up in the air and two teams target another with the Yield. Peggy thanks John Vito & Jill for coming on the show and says it was sad to see them go early. She thanks the viewers and callers and says she'll see us next week. John Vito & Jill are a sweet team. They seem so nice and really race hard, It's a great combination. I was very sorry to see them leave the race early! It'll be interesting to see which teams make the final three. The women are outnumbering the men in the final four, but Ozzie & Danny are really performing well this race, so I think they have a good shot at the title.
The Amazing Race: All-Stars – The Finish Line, Episode 9 by Teeuwynn Woodruff -- 04/21/2007 This week, John Vito & Jill finally get their chance to join Peggy Bunker for a chat about their race and what's going on with the remaining four teams. What do they have to say? Read on to find out! Peggy Bunker greets us and reminds us that Eric & Danielle are still in the race, but marked for elimination. She introduces our special surprise guests... John Vito & Jill. Um, if they're a surprise, why did Peggy tell us they were here and then say there was also a surprise guest? Anyway... Peggy starts out by saying that John Vito & Jill had a very short race this time. Jill says they were very excited to be on All-Stars, but it was so upsetting to go home early. John Vito said the race started off great, but completely fell apart at the Detour. John Vito says they were being really aggressive and thought they would do well, but had some bad luck that did them in. Everyone agrees that if you get unlucky at a critical point in the race, it's all over. Peggy notes that they ran their first race back in Season 3. Jill says the anticipation for the start of All-Stars was greater than the first race! With that we go to our first phone call. It's John from California. He says that, in the preview, it said that one team would be ganged up on at the Yield. He wants to know if Charla & Mirna and Eric & Danielle gang up on the Beauty Queens in a juvenile way. Jill says they can't answer that, because they actually know what happened. John Vito says he doesn't know! The caller says that Dustin & Kandice “use their bodies” to do well in the race and he thinks they're immature. He thinks they use their bodies instead of their minds. Jill immediately defends the girls, saying she thinks they use their heads very well in the race and are great racers. Peggy joins her asking if John is bugged that they're competent, but come in “nice packages.” I've got to agree with them. Dustin & Kandice generally race smart and are quick to fix the mistakes they make. The caller has issues. John says that he likes girls flaunting themselves in everyday life – but this is competition. Jill says they use their wits to get farther in the race. John Vito says they're very lighthearted and fun on the race. Peggy says the one time she saw them get really stressed was with Charla & Mirna at the airport this past week. Jill says that the airports can make or break you. She says Ozzy & Danny are great in airports and Mirna is amazing. She'll push and push and push until she gets what she wants. John Vito says that they run the race very differently from Charla & Mirna, but you have to give Mirna credit. She really gets the job done. Peggy says that the aggressiveness rubs some people the wrong way – including her, but it really works on the race. They don't mess around. With that, CBS's sound cuts out for a few minutes of the segment, so I have no idea what goes on. Presumably, John Vito & Jill go wild and decided to tell everyone what happens the rest of the race. Or they reveal an illicit love affair with spider monkeys. Or something like that. Okay, they've obviously got themselves back under control, because the sound is back. Peggy says that Eric & Danielle were saved by a non-elimination round and they must have been so relieved. John Vito & Jill say that happened to them once on their season. Jill says you feel a million different emotions, especially relief. John Vito says that, on their first season, their was no penalty. So, it's harder now. Peggy then asks the duo what they think of how the remaining teams are competing. Jill says they're doing a great job and she's not surprised they're there. Peggy asks if they have any favorites. John Vito says that they're good friends with Oswald & Danny and are rooting for them. Peggy says that they're hysterical and great to watch. She loves the way they banter. Jill says they aren't hamming it up for the camera – that's really how they are all the time. Peggy says that she thinks they have funny facial expressions and that last week's Fast Forward highlighted that. She then goes to a clip of the guys in the stunt car weaving and flipping. They all agree that purposely getting into a car accident must be scary. John Vito says that one of the best things about the race is when you get to do things you'd never do in normal life. He then bitterly says that all they got to do this race was trim a horse's hooves and mane. Peggy laughs. She says that the Fast Forward really shoots you forward. Well, yes, that's what it's for. Jill says on their first race you could only use one Fast Forward, but now you can use as many as you get to (although there are only a couple total). A sweet-sounding lady named JC from Georgia now calls in and says she hopes John Vito & Jill have gotten back together. She then asks how everyone got along with Rob & Amber on the race and in the house. Peggy asks if they ARE back together. They say no, they're just friends now. They say that it wasn't hard to go on a second race as just friends. It was great. Jill goes on to the next question and says that they loved Rob & Amber. They were a ton of fun. They know what makes good TV and know how to mess with people on the race. They were completely chill at the house once the race was over. John Vito says they loved meeting new teams while at Elimination Station. Vincent now calls from Vancouver. He's happy to be on the air! Vincent asks about safety issues on the race. He wants to know if anyone has ever actually been in danger or have there ever been any really close calls on the race or any significant accidents. Peggy says that the producers really work to make sure everything is safe. Jill says they do a great job, but you do have to sign an agreement saying you could get hurt. John Vito says in Season 7 a cameraman got hurt when a car flipped over. Peggy asks when John Vito & Jill were most terrified on a race. John Vito says it was probably sky diving in Season 3. Peggy says she couldn't sky dive or bungee jump. She'd cry and quit. Jill says they make it as safe as they possibly can. Jared from New York calls in and seems particularly excited today. He gives a shout out to Team Guido! He says that John Vito & Jill did a great job in both of their seasons. He asks about Season 3 in Singapore where no Roadblock was shown. What was the Roadblock? He goes on to say that each race there seems to be an “ugly American.” He hates to say it, but he thinks Mirna is it this season. Peggy says that they may be alienating some people. John Vito says she is being pushy, but that's also why they've made it so far. He thinks she's pushier with the racers than the locals. Jill says Mirna speaks with those funny accents, but she's usually respectful with them. Peggy says the accent drives her nuts! John Vito & Jill think calling her an “ugly American” is definitely overstating it. With that, Peggy takes us to a clip of the Kung Fu Warriors Detour. That was fun to watch! After the clip, they note that the task was physical and that it was impressive seeing Charla do it. John Vito says it would have been so much fun to do that task and some of the others this season. They both say it was great waking up each day not even sure which country you're in or where you're going next. John Vito says it's a bonding experience and a test of character – that some fail. Ken from Rhode Island calls in and wonders “where do you begin” with Charla & Mirna. He compliments Peggy on her appearance and then says Charla & Mirna are really annoying him this season. He says that John Vito & Jill were always respectful, but Mirna just gets in everyone's face. John Vito thanks Ken, but says that she has a different style – that is working. They wouldn't want to race that way, but it works for her. Peggy says it is a competitive race and people are there to win. Peggy now turns to John Vito & Jill's race. She asks if they prepared in any way for All-Stars. Jill says they're both in good shape and really they just tried to prepare mentally. At the start of the race they thought they could beat everybody else nooooo problem. Peggy asks if they were intimidated by Rob & Amber. Jill says not at all. John Vito says you race the course and anything can happen to anybody. After all, Rob & Amber ended up going out pretty early too. Peggy agrees and then shows the clip where John Vito & Jill do their Detour and get Philiminated. They're obviously crushed to find out they've lost. John Vito mutters, “That's impossible.” Their reaction is both sweet and sad. They're such nice, yet competitive, people. I was sorry to see them go. After the clip, everyone is crying. Jill says that they had such high expectations and felt she disappointed everyone. John Vito says it felt like they wasted the opportunity. Oh, that's so sad! But they both say it was an honor to be on All-Stars and that they have the other race to look back on. Jill also thinks that how they handled themselves, as exes, speaks well of them. Peggy asks if they knew they were last to the Pit stop. John Vito says no. They counted the cars in the parking lot and didn't think they were all there yet. Ouch. That has to make it even worse. Peggy asks what went wrong. Jill says the Detour was fine, but they got bad directions on the way there – at a critical time. It all came down to bad directions. Ken now calls in from New Jersey. He asks whether Eric & Danielle's money gets taken away from them since they were last. He also wants to know when the rest of the seasons are coming out on DVD. They say they don't know about the DVDs. John Vito says that they no longer take money away from teams – it's a time penalty. (Which Ken would know if he really watched the show much.) Jill says she thinks they felt bad about teams standing around with camera crews begging for money. Although, in my interview with producer Bertram Van Munster, he said this wasn't the case and that they just wanted to change it up. Peggy confirms it is now a 30-minute penalty. Peggy shows us a clip from Elimination Station where John Vito & Jill spent quite a while. The teams are hanging out and say that since there isn't a phone call it must be a non-elimination leg. Some of the teams are surprised at who's still in the race. Rob says that he thinks Ozzie & Danny have the best chance, but he's not rooting for anyone. Some of the racers then try to get Mary to learn to swim. After the clip, Peggy asks what it was like to be there so long. They say it was beautiful and wonderful, but they would have rather been racing. Peggy asks if they sit around betting on who's coming next. Jill says you never know, but you talk about it all the time. And then the racers talk about everything that happened on the race and how it wasn't their fault they got eliminated – over and over again. It's time for John Vito & Jill's post-race postcard. Jill thanks her family and friends for supporting her on the race and picking her up when she felt so down afterwards. John Vito thanks the producers, Bertram and Elise, for picking them for All-Stars. He also thanks his family and friends for supporting him in a disappointing loss. Peggy notes that a lot of teams thank Bertram. John Vito & Jill say he's incredible and the race happens because of him. Peggy then goes to a preview of the next episode. Charla goes way up in the air and two teams target another with the Yield. Peggy thanks John Vito & Jill for coming on the show and says it was sad to see them go early. She thanks the viewers and callers and says she'll see us next week. John Vito & Jill are a sweet team. They seem so nice and really race hard, It's a great combination. I was very sorry to see them leave the race early! It'll be interesting to see which teams make the final three. The women are outnumbering the men in the final four, but Ozzie & Danny are really performing well this race, so I think they have a good shot at the title.