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Archive through May 11, 2009

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: Amazing Race ARCHIVES: Amazing Race XIV : 5-10-09 SEASON FINALE SPOILING THREAD: Archive through May 11, 2009 users admin

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Kittyab
Member

07-16-2005

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 6:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kittyab a private message Print Post    
Maris, I figured they have had people on the show that spoke spanish and they spent time in south america. So the speaking chinese didnt bother me. I think the events & locations we picked before the contestants were selected.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 7:09 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
The speaking Chinese did not bother me either. It happens. Perhaps it could have seemed unfair in the Chinese waiter challenge, but I read an interview of Jen and Lakeisha who said it only took them fifteen minutes to do that task, so no big deal.

Maris
Member

03-28-2002

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 7:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Maris a private message Print Post    
It seemed though that they spent a long time in china, werent there two weeks of challenges in China? Also, so late in the race, it was pretty critical.

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 7:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
There were also two weeks in Spanish speaking countries at the beginning - so they could have been eliminated then and it would have been critical for them at that point, too.

Tntitanfan
Member

08-03-2001

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 7:39 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tntitanfan a private message Print Post    
I wouldn't invite all of the last six people in the race over for dinner, but they all deserved to be in the final three. This is a RACE - not a popularity contest among the racers OR the viewers. I absolutely like some better than others, but I would have been fine with whoever won out of the final three teams -

Kappy
Member

06-29-2002

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 8:06 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kappy a private message Print Post    
At first I thought it was going to be an unfair advantage in China that T/V spoke Chinese but then they had so many other problems in China that it really didn't help them all that much.

This started out as a great season and overall it ended that way. I really liked the places they went and the challenges they were given. I'm just sorry that L/M had to add the negativity in.

Luke was speaking pretty well there at the end which confirmed my thoughts that he has had speech therapy and most likely has learned how to read lips as well. I don't know why they felt a need to act like they were such underdogs. If nothing else, they proved that Luke is just like everyone else including at times, a poor sport.

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 8:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
When you look back at Victoria and what's his name, or Tara and Will, Luke and Margie seem like angels! It says a lot about the players this season, if Luke and Margie are considered the "worst" attitude-wise.

Merrysea
Moderator

08-13-2004

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 8:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Merrysea a private message Print Post    
I just finished watching this, and I've got to say that I was really impressed with all three of the final teams. I don't remember ever seeing someone help another team like Luke did on that last challenge. The friendship between the final three teams was evident in this leg.

Keldogg
Member

08-12-2005

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 9:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Keldogg a private message Print Post    
I am amazed that people perceived Luke as "pouting". I just watched the show, and I didn't see that at all. I saw someone who was disappointed, yes, and probably felt that he let his Mother down, and that he wished he could have done better. I can't imagine anyone not feeling that way. I was an athlete all through high school and acollege, and any competitive person feels disappointed in themselves and doesn't like to it when they think they didn't perform their best. I certainly did not see pouting. I saw someone who stopped what he was doing to help another team out, with no guarantee that the gesture would be returned. I think when people decide that someone is flawed, they pick apart their behavior to find a negative explanation for it.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 9:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Well, thanks to Raen's excellent spoiling here tonight, I have to admit, much to my chagrin, that I was able to watch the first 75 minutes of Celebrity Apprentice instead of the Amazing Race finale.

Oh, and dang, I never even gave a thought to Desperate Housewives!

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 9:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
05/10/2009 Leg 11 (or 12) Finale: Beijing, China - Maui, HI, USA

team12345678910TBC10B11avgRoad
Blocks
SBUTFF6E
Tammy/Victor02010803020101030203TBC010102.33T 5
V 6
 Used U-Turn on K/J Leg 10 WIN
Jaime/Cara07060705030502020401TBC030203.99J 6
C 5
   PLACE
E10
Margie/Luke01040404010404010302TBC020302.72M 5
L 6
 Used U-Turn
on A/K
Leg 4
 SHOW
E 9
Kisha/Jen08070302060305040104TBC04 04.27K 5
J 5
 U-Turned by T/V Leg 10 E8
Mark/Michael030805070506032P052P/NEL05   05.22Ma 5
Mi 3
Leg
8
  E7
Mel/Mike04020106040206     03.57Me 3
Mi 3
   E6
Christie/Jodi1009060107NEL07      06.67C 2
J 3
Leg 6  E5
Amanda/Kris05030208        04.50A 1
K 3
 U-Turned
by M/L
Leg 4
 E4
Brad/Victoria060509         06.66B 0
V 3
   E3
Steve/Linda0910          09.50S 1
L 1
   E2
Preston/Jennifer11           11.00P 1
J 0
   E1


NEL Leg 5 = Non-Elimination Leg; SB next leg (Christie/Jodi)

NEL Leg 8 = Non-Elimination Leg; SB next leg (Mark/Michael)

2P Leg 7 Mark/Michael came in 1st but incurred 2 30 min penalties and dropped to 3rd place

2P Leg 8 Mark/Michael came in 4th but incurred 2 120 min penalties and dropped to 5th place with some penalty time delaying departure from pit stop

TBC Leg 10 ends with to be continued, no pitstop

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 9:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
The spoilers got to me for Wilson's game, but I decided that way, if T/V won I'd be happy even if I totally blew the game and if J/C won I would do ok on the game.. but be less happy. And if M/L won, I'd be hosed.

========

I liked the sweetness of this leg between the three teams and was happy that Jaime paid Luke back with that last surfboard.. I'm thinking since he wasn't the one to eat the scorpions and I sort of think had less empathy for Margie while she did that, as opposed to Jaime being right there with Cara and Victor, of course having to EAT the critters.. that one just slipped his mind. Don't think the surfboard clues were all that simple because of the stylized images.

I wondered how Victor might have helped to put the pole up on Tammy's shoulder in some way if that might have speeded them with the pig, but really just seemed it was very difficult for J/C and T and M WAS bionic.

Was proud of V/T not freaking out about the water (T)

And Victor did a great job with the surfboards.

The time hog Celebrity Apprentice is recording upstairs, but not sure I even care to watch that.

Well another season of TAR is over :-(

Lycanthrope
Member

09-19-2002

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 10:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lycanthrope a private message Print Post    
This was a good season with some interesting teams. Not the best, but very good. In the end, I think Luke was a normal guy who experienced some setbacks as well as triumphs. The fact that he is deaf played into the race very seldom. He reacted like any of us would.

Jaime and Cara were the strongest all women team to ever run the race. Jaime was a bit short tempered, but not nearly as bad as some previous players. AND she was an athletic horse, carrying her team to the finish.

Tammy and Victor were easily the best team. Once they worked out their problems, they were unstoppable. Good victory.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 11:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
They were in China basically three days and whatever advantage T/V might have had didn't help much since they had such trouble with the swimming/diving/cramping and the day of the mat meltdown, M/L and K/J just drafted on V/T from station to station and K/J sprinted ahead to win that leg. And as Juju pointed out, K/J made it clear that the waiter task wasn't that hard for a non-Chinese speaker.

Actually, had T/V U-Turned another team and kept J/K it could have helped them even more, since I don't think K/J would have been real happy about the surfrider task.

Victor was definitely awesome with the surfboards, sisn't let it psych him out that Luke was so far along.

I didn't see Luke as pouting AFTER that task, but DURING the task.

And yep.. being deaf was almost never a factor, but they kept mentioning it in every interview (I'm sure egged on by the producers to some extent).

Interesting that the fact that V/T were on a different flight to Tokyo, that they all changed planes IN Tokyo, was edited out.. but they all arrived in Maui together, I guess.

Spear
Member

08-06-2001

Monday, May 11, 2009 - 1:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Spear a private message Print Post    
I'd say Tammy/Victor's knowledge of Chinese helped them a lot in the previous leg. I was a little surprised at how big a lead they had at the start of the final leg. Basically, in about one morning (after the swimming/diving Detour), they finished the leg about 2 hours ahead of Margie/Luke and almost 5 hours ahead of Jaime/Cara.

I don't have a problem with that, though. I think a previous season had an Indian couple that was eliminated well before they reached India, and Tammy and Victor could have easily been eliminated in Romania. I think it would be boring if they only selected teams that only spoke English.

Roxip
Member

01-29-2004

Monday, May 11, 2009 - 7:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Roxip a private message Print Post    
V/T could have been eliminated at any point along the race - they were just lucky enough to make it to China. And even with that they were behind by the time they got to the second task in Hawaii.

I think Luke is immature and doesn't deal with frustration well. I think he needs to get away from his mother and learn to deal with life as a young man...yes, he's deaf and yes, that causes some major issues in his life...but once he gets frustrated it is like he totally loses his ability to think clearly. That cost him this race and it cost him on at least one other task. Having said that though, I give him great respect for being in the final 3 on the race. I give them all great respect. I was amazed at how quickly Jaime and Cara got through the surfboard task. Yes, Luke helped them but they also helped him. I think it finally came down to neither of the last two teams wanting to embarrass themselves by not showing up at the finish line...LOL!

Once again, we are cheated by this short finale though. I wish they gave TAR half the respect they give Survivor for their finale...which usually is three hours.

Merrysea
Moderator

08-13-2004

Monday, May 11, 2009 - 8:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Merrysea a private message Print Post    
I think he needs to get away from his mother

Luke and his mom were in a race where they had to be together 24 hours a day the whole time, just like every other team who has ever run the race, regardless of their relationship. Margie was not hovering over Luke any more than Victor or Kisha were hovering over their little sisters, or Mel was hovering over Mike, etc.

Yes, Margie got upset when she felt her son was being unfairly attacked. Any mother would. Add to that the stress of the race, with the lack of sleep and not eating properly, and she probably reacted more strongly than she would have in real life.

As far as Luke being upset during that final challenge, there have been many other racers through the years who have acted much worse than that with much less reason. Why was his frustration any worse than Jen's was during the swimming competition? Her pouting was much more extreme than Luke's.

Alisons
Member

01-10-2003

Monday, May 11, 2009 - 8:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Alisons a private message Print Post    
The reason that the Chinese language knowledge bothered me more this race than Spanish/German/French knowledge may have helped others in the past is that most people in the US, even if they have not specifically studied the language, have some knowledge of Spanish. I had four years of German in high school and two in college with NO Spanish, but even I know basic words like "house", "man", "woman", the colors and numbers, "cat", etc. But in China, even the alphabet is different, so if you do not know the language you are TOTALLY buffaloed on everything. I think things "came together" for V/T in the end because they had that added confidence from their advantage - until they got there, Victor at least was still panicking over every obstacle. So in this case, I think that the fact that they were in China gave them the race. Not that they weren't good - but the other teams were very close, so I would say that that is why they won.

Holly
Member

07-22-2001

Monday, May 11, 2009 - 8:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Holly a private message Print Post    
Does anyone know how much the 2nd team to finish wins, if anything?

Hypermom
Member

08-13-2001

Monday, May 11, 2009 - 8:58 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hypermom a private message Print Post    
Luke had been away at college for 5 years, and Margie felt this would give them a chance to spend time together:

http://www.ntid.rit.edu/media/full_text.php?article_id=861

This was the pay scale from 2005:

Winner, $1,000,000
Runner-up, $25,000
3rd $10,000
4th $7,000
5th $6,000
6th $5,000
7th $4,000
8th $3,500
9th $3,000
10th $2,500
11th $1,500

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10298817/

Kitt
Member

09-06-2000

Monday, May 11, 2009 - 9:01 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kitt a private message Print Post    
Alisons, take a look at Sea's statistics thread, Tammy and Victor have been higher rated than Margie and Luke, and much higher then the cheerleaders, all through the race. Although they had an advantage in China, I think it's unfair to discount the fact that they have consistently been in the top three all race.

With all the bunching, all you need to do to be in the final is not get eliminated. I don't think it likely that had T&V not spoken Chinese they would have been eliminated in any of the China legs. The fact that they were first in the penultimate leg means little, as all teams arrived in Maui on the same plane.

Holly, I didn't think team 2 got anything.

Calamity
Member

10-18-2001

Monday, May 11, 2009 - 9:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Calamity a private message Print Post    
I liked all three teams and so would have been happy with any of them winning. I thought there were reasons to cheer for each of them and while M&L and J&C may have had some personality flare-ups, T&V had a kinda unfair advantage with the language so it all evened out in my view.

Absolutely hated the dead pig task - so disrespectful to the animals who gave their lives. I was impressed at how good the teams were at the surfboard Roadblock.

Congratulations to them all, especially Tammy & Victor for a great come-from-behind win. Had to laugh at Tammy's comment on the mat. And despite their personal disappointment, I thought J&C and M&L were fair & gracious in the end.

Why are there so many crummy cab drivers in the world?

Looking forward to next season!

Carmenv
Member

04-14-2006

Monday, May 11, 2009 - 10:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Carmenv a private message Print Post    
Luke has been on my last nerve for the last several weeks, but...last night I actually ended up feeling a little sorry for him. I felt like he had that task nailed, but he got flustered when Victor showed up and it all fell to pieces. It was such a shame, because they had such a big lead.

That said, I am happy that Tammy and Victor one. I think they grew alot during the race.

Vsmart
Member

02-10-2003

Monday, May 11, 2009 - 10:39 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vsmart a private message Print Post    
This show is seen abroad. The "Ugly American" image of not understanding other cultures, angry that they don't speak English, & comments about the poverty were annoying. Glad that T&V won.

Hypermom
Member

08-13-2001

Monday, May 11, 2009 - 10:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hypermom a private message Print Post    
Interviews from the watching party last night:

http://blogs.nypost.com/popwrap/archives/2009/05/amazing_race_finale.html