All-Stars Finale – The Last Hurrah
The Amazing Race: All-Stars Finale – The Last Hurrah by Jenn Brasler -- 05/07/2007 It’s the end of the road for the final three teams, and one will walk away with a million dollars. Will Dustin & Kandice be the first all-female team to win the race? Will Eric drag Danielle across the finish line? Or will Charla & Mirna surprise everyone and pull off the win? Previously on A Good Idea on Paper: The whole season. Sorry if you missed it. Hope you enjoyed whatever you were doing instead. There are three teams left to race for the million-dollar prize (incidentally, they’re in the order I hope they finish): Kandice & Dustin - Friends/Awesome Eric & Danielle - Dating/Not so much with the awesome Charla & Mirna (Charm) - Cousins/Un-awesome The racers are in Guam, which is pretty, like most of the locations this season. Dustin & Kandice are leaving first, at 11:53 a.m., and are on their way to Honolulu. Nice. There, they’ll need to sign up for one of three helicopter flights to Lanai. Dustin says that making the final three has given them the confidence that they have the ability to go all the way and win. She promises that we’ll see aggressiveness, passion, and fearlessness we’ve never seen from them before. Eric & Danielle leave at 12:55 p.m. Danielle says they’re nervous because there’s a lot of pressure on them. Eric reminds us that he and Jeremy were five minutes away from the win in their season; it was a bitter experience, but winning the million this time around will redeem things for him. He knows there are a lot of flights from Guam to Hawaii, so Kandice & Dustin could easily get one before them. At the airport, Dustin & Kandice get tickets for a flight that stops in Tokyo. They ask the agents who help them not to tell anyone they saw them. “What color is blond?” one says, practicing what she’ll say if anyone asks. Hee. Charm leave at 1:29 p.m. Mirna says that all their energy, confidence, and enthusiasm has been there for a reason. They knew they could make it this far. However, they need to make up a lot of time to win. Apparently Mirna has never heard of equalizers. Dustin & Kandice hide as Danielle & Eric arrive at the airport and hear that there are only two flights to Honolulu. The first (the one Dustin & Kandice are on) is sold out, but the second leaves half an hour later. Both share a connecting flight in Tokyo, so there’s no advantage to either one. When Charm arrive, they learn about the same second flight, as well as the fact that the two other teams bought tickets for the connecting flight. Dustin & Kandice leave for Tokyo, followed by Danielle & Eric and Charm. Dustin & Kandice land in Tokyo just minutes ahead of the other teams. Charm see that there’s another flight from Tokyo to Honolulu, so they race off to get on it. Danielle & Eric and Kandice & Dustin wonder where they are. Charm learn that the flight they’ve just found out about lands 40 minutes before the one they’ve booked. They run to another counter as Dustin & Kandice and Danielle & Eric board their plane. Charla isn’t sure changing flights is a good idea, but Mirna wants to go for it. Dustin notes that Charm have been known to get great flights no one knows about. This instance is no different, as Charm get on the earlier flight. Danielle & Eric and Dustin & Kandice are oblivious. They actually walk up and down the aisles of their plane looking for them as Charm’s flight takes off. Charm land in Honolulu in the morning and get a taxi. 40 minutes later, the other two teams land. Dustin & Kandice don’t think they have to worry about Charm. They should, though, because Charm are signing up for a 9 a.m. helicopter flight to Lanai. When they arrive, they’ll need to choose a jeep and drive to Kaumalapau Harbor to get the next clue. They note that there are only ten minutes between helicopter flights. Dustin & Kandice and Danielle & Eric’s cabs get separated, and Eric & Danielle arrive second at the airport. Dustin & Kandice are on the third flight and not thrilled. They wonder how Charm got there first. “We were right behind you,” Mirna tells the other teams. At 9 a.m., Charm take their helicopter to Lanai, practicing their hula dancing on board. Mirna says that the earlier flight was the best thing to happen to them. Danielle is happy to at least be ahead of one team. Dustin & Kandice hate playing catch-up and ask their helicopter pilot to hurry. I don’t think he cares. Charm land and grab a jeep. They spot Danielle & Eric’s helicopter landing as they head off. Danielle tells us they’ll be looking for a man in ceremonial Hawaiian dress. Charm admire the view as they arrive to get their clue. It’s a Detour, and the choices are Under and Over. In Under, teams take a boat to an underwater cave and swim to get the clue. In Over, teams take a boat to an inlet and stand on a paddleboard to paddle to a buoy to get clue. Charm watch a paddler and decide to do Over. Kandice is sure she and Dustin can catch up as Mirna points out that she and Charla don’t know how to paddle. Danielle & Eric get their clue and see Charm doing Over. Charla says that Over isn’t that hard, but Mirna notes that that’s because she’s short. Mirna has a harder time with it. To her credit, Mirna gives an interview about how great Charla did. Eric & Danielle do Under as Eric mentions that he has a shark phobia. Charm reaches the buoy, and Mirna seems to have gotten the hang of the task. They get their clue, which sends them to Shipwreck Beach. They’ll have to trek a mile up the beach for the next clue. Danielle & Eric get to the cave, but it’s spraying water and gives them a little trouble. Danielle quickly gets the clue and they swim off. Charm get back to dry land and drive off, hoping to stay in first place. Dustin & Kandice get the Detour clue and pick Under. They note that Eric & Danielle are already done. Eric wonders where Charm are. Kandice & Dustin get to the cave, Dustin interviewing that it was a little panic-inducing and intimidating. She has a moment where she has some trouble breathing, but they get through it. They realize they haven’t had the chance to catch up yet. Charm get to the beach and take off on their trek, walking across rocks. Danielle & Eric arrive next, followed by Kandice & Dustin just a minute later. This is Eric & Danielle and Kandice & Dustin’s chance to make up time, since Charla can’t run very quickly. Danielle & Eric easily pass Charm, and Dustin & Kandice are right behind them. Danielle & Eric spot kayaks at the clue box, where the clue tells them to paddle a kayak to a buoy at the shipwreck. Kandice & Dustin are right on their tails, and Charm aren’t too far behind, it appears. The three teams paddle to the shipwreck, though Dustin & Kandice have some trouble and aren’t moving very quickly because of the waves. They bicker a little about the best technique (walking or paddling), and Kandice interviews that Dustin doesn’t always listen. She’s frustrated and that’s not helping. Kandice is worried about cutting her legs on the rocks, but Dustin doesn’t think they can paddle well right now. Danielle & Eric get clue and head back to land. Dustin & Kandice decide to get back in their kayak. Mirna yells at Charla. Everyone’s tipping and getting soaked. Kandice & Dustin get the clue. Danielle & Eric get back to land and read their clue, which tells them to go to San Francisco, their final destination city, and find the Old Mint. They walk back to their jeep, talking about how tiring the task was. Dustin & Kandice make it back to land as Danielle talks about how important it is to get on the first flight to San Francisco. Kandice & Dustin are quiet as they drive to the airport. Kandice interviews that they couldn’t get it together, and they were frustrated and angry. She finally speaks up, telling Dustin that she was thinking about herself on the kayak. Dustin says that they paddled Kandice’s way, but Kandice disagrees. She says she has no patience for Dustin right now. Dustin replies that she did what she thought was best for the team. Kandice can’t believe she thought it was best to ignore her. She says she sucks it up a lot and Dustin can never admit anything. Dustin tells her she’s saying a lot of hurtful things right now. Kandice says they’re true, then adds, “It’s over.” I think she means the fight is over, not their friendship. Dustin is upset that Kandice said she wasn’t a good teammate. Kandice replies that it wasn’t a good idea when she was in there with Dustin. Charm are still paddling and having trouble with the waves. They finally get their clue and head back to land. In their car, Dustin says she’d rather not do the race if she’s going to be fighting with Kandice. Kandice repeats that it’s over, saying they need to just get to California and do this, not drag this out. They decide to focus on the race, noting that it’s tough on a friendship. It looks like they’re going to let this go. And no one yelled! Isn’t it refreshing? Danielle & Eric and Dustin & Kandice take helicopters back to Honolulu, then head to the airport. Eric & Danielle get a direct flight to Oakland. Dustin & Kandice spot them and ask for the same route as Eric & Danielle. Dustin wants to get on a flight that’s closing soon, if possible; she wants them to exhaust all their options. Danielle & Eric get tickets for the one flight they’re told is available. Dustin & Kandice get tickets as well and hope to find something better, since they know Charm will. Charm get to the airport and use the fake emergency excuse. They’re told about the same flight the other teams are on, but they ask an agent to check out other airlines. Dustin & Kandice consider eavesdropping to find out what they’re doing. This flight, however, is the best one, so the teams are all on it together. On the plane, Danielle says it’s nerve-wracking knowing that all the teams are even. Eric adds that this is the most nervous you get on the race. Mirna says that she and Charla will always try to use their brains to get ahead. Charla promises that they’ll give every ounce of sweat and energy. Eric says he’s not settling for second place. Dustin notes that someone’s life will change in just a little bit. Kandice doesn’t get to say anything, for some reason. When the flight lands, the teams run off and get cabs. Danielle & Eric are in front with Dustin & Kandice behind and Charm in third. Kandice & Dustin’s cab passes Danielle & Eric, and at an intersection, the two teams’ cabs split up. They arrive at the Mint at almost the same time, but Dustin & Kandice get their clue first. Okay, this task is a little complicated, so bear with me. First, one team member will enter a room and answer questions about other teams. It’s kind of like the challenge they do every season on Survivor where they ask the Survivors to answer questions about their competitors like “who’s the most trustworthy?” then decide how the other Survivors answered the questions. Anyway, each team is listed next to a number, so the answers to the questions will give a four-digit code. The team member will enter this code into a vault and lock the next clue inside. Then the next team member will come into the room and answer the same questions, only giving the answers he or she thinks his or her team member gave. This team member only has ten minutes to find the right code and enter it to open the vault and get the clue. This is dumb, I think - they get the clue no matter what; they just have to wait a little longer. Why not make them keep trying to get the right code? Whatever. Basically, this task -*test*-('")s how well each team member knows his or her partner. Dustin goes in first as Danielle & Eric arrive. Eric goes in as Kandice and Danielle talk about how crazy this is. Dustin & Kandice interview that they think the same way and see eye to eye. Eric says that this task is based on communication, and Danielle gossips a lot about the other teams, so they may have an advantage. Question number 1 is, which team is the least trustworthy? Dustin picks Romber while Eric picks Cha3. Ooh, these grapes are sour! Question number 2: who has the best sense of humor? Dustin picks Uchenna & Joyce; Eric picks Charm. Speaking of Charm, they arrive and Mirna goes in first. She says they’re strong mentally and that will be an advantage. Mirna picks Romber as the least trustworthy team. Shocker! For the third question, Dustin and Eric both think Romber are the most overrated team. Question number 4 asks which team the racers are most likely to keep in touch with. Dustin and Eric both say Uchenna & Joyce. For the team with the best sense of humor, Mirna chooses Kevin & Drew. The fifth question asks which team is the most trustworthy. Dustin says it’s Guido. Eric and Dustin enter their codes and lock their vaults. Next, Danielle and Kandice enter the room while Mirna enters her code and calls for Charla to come in. Dustin thinks she and Kandice are on same page. Danielle picks Dustin & Kandice as the least trustworthy team, and Kandice picks Romber. They’re both wrong, as a buzzer sound effect tells us. Danielle thinks Charm have the best sense of humor, which is correct. Kandice thinks it’s Cha3, which is who I would have picked, but she’s wrong. Danielle and Kandice both think their partners picked Romber as the most overrated team, and they’re both right. Charla chooses Cha3 for one of her answers, and it’s wrong. Danielle and Kandice get their last questions correct, but when they enter their codes, they’re both wrong, so they have to try again. Charla enters her code and it’s wrong as well. Danielle changes her answer about the most overrated team and tries again. Still wrong. She changes her answer about the least trustworthy team, as does Kandice; she picks Kevin & Drew instead. They’re both wrong. Danielle changes her code again and starts getting more numbers right. Kandice tries another code but still has no luck. Same for Charla. Danielle tries her code one more time… and it’s right. She grabs the clue and joins Eric. They run off to answer the clue outside, and see that they need to go to the Botanical Garden, where Phil is waiting on the mat. Oh, this is going to suck. Also, they can take a cab, so… it’s another cab race. Why can’t they make these people run? Kandice has a little over two minutes left. She picks Teri & Ian as the least trustworthy team, but she’s still wrong. Charla tries a new code. Wrong. Danielle & Eric grab a cab and head for the Botanical Garden as Eric makes a phone call. Kandice’s ten minutes run out, but she gets her clue anyway. See why this is dumb? She and Dustin grab a cab, noting that they’re just a couple of minutes behind Eric & Danielle and could catch up. Charla’s ten minutes run out and she gets her clue. She and Mirna get a cab, too. Eric finds out that they need to go to Golden Gate Park and gives the cab driver the location. Dustin & Kandice ask their driver if he knows any shortcuts. Charm have a wild cab ride. Yep, I’ve been on a wild San Francisco cab ride. I think my driver was sadistic. Danielle & Eric are worried about losing their lead. Dustin & Kandice are happy to hit all green lights. Of course, they’re jinxing themselves. They take off their jackets so they can run faster, I guess. Cab montage. Eric & Danielle’s driver says they’ll make it. Yeah, but in first place? More tenseness. A cab pulls up to the Botanical Garden, where the eliminated teams are all waiting. And it’s Danielle & Eric who appear first, because there has to be an unsatisfying ending to an unsatisfying season. They run up and get their “28 days, blah blah” spiel. I really don’t care. They hug.,/p> Phil notes that Eric is the first racer to ever get to the final three twice. He’s also standing with someone he met on the race and is the official winner of the All-Stars season. Eric says he’s happy be there with Danielle, and it’s unbelievable to come in first. Phil says that Danielle wasn’t sure at first if she could keep up with him. Danielle says she got into great shape for the race; Eric and the race both kicked her butt. Eric says she’s a fighter like her dad. If he ran, he knew she would keep up. He adds that he would never slow down for her. He’s proud, and Danielle says it feels like a dream. Dustin & Kandice arrive second and can hear the teams cheering. They’re disappointed that they didn’t win, but at least this time around they made it all the way to second place. They’re tearful but happy they did this together. The other teams applaud, even though half of them hate Kandice & Dustin. Dustin says she’s honored to be here. Everyone there knows anything can happen on the race, and didn’t it happen for them today, but she’s happy for Danielle & Eric. Plus, she and Kandice got some great prizes and have great memories of the race. Charm run up and check in third. They’re just tired. Charla says they had a great time and are happy they did this. Phil gets the others to applaud for them because they’re tough. Charla says they knew their abilities. She’s proud of what they did together. Mirna has to get in one last hurrah for Charla, so she says that Charla has overcome obstacles on the race. They persevered to the last leg. Mirna thinks it’s wonderful that they broke stereotypes of what people thought of them. Funny, the stereotype I had of Mirna was that she’s really annoying, and… oh, look, she proved it! Mirna adds that in the end, she thinks people got to know the real Mirna & Charla. Yeah, I’d say so. Dustin is proud of the experiences she’s had; they mean a lot to her and she’ll take them with her wherever she goes. Kandice says her grandmother always told her to reach for the moon because at the very least she’d reach the stars. She’s grateful for all of this, especially Dustin. Phil gives Eric & Danielle a phone so they can call their families and say that they won. Eric calls Jeremy, who’s shaved his head and gives an annoying cheer. Shut up, Jeremy. He offers up spankings. If Danielle calls anyone, we don’t get to see it. Eric says he’s proud of Danielle. We know! She knew the role she had to play on the race. Punching bag? Danielle says that now she knows she can do whatever she wants to do. Eric thinks they appreciate each other more now. He definitely sees things progressing. Danielle notes that opposites attract, and in this case, being opposites got them through the race. Eric repeats that it’s unbelievable to win. And that’s it! I wish a lot of things had gone differently this season - the producers had a great opportunity to bring back some terrific past racers, and instead they brought back the ones who would create drama or grab ratings. I liked the idea of an all-star race in theory, but in practice, it left a lot to be desired. I have to confess, I knew the outcome from about the third week of the race, when the results were leaked on the Internet. And yet that didn’t change anything for me. I was no more or less disappointed knowing that Danielle & Eric were going to win. The whole season was a letdown. I hope that next season, the producers go back and see how great the early seasons were, then try to return the show to that glory. There’s a reason this show used to work so well, and it’s not working anymore. The producers need to figure out what to change and what to keep the same before they do this again.
The Amazing Race: All-Stars Finale – The Last Hurrah by Jenn Brasler -- 05/07/2007 It’s the end of the road for the final three teams, and one will walk away with a million dollars. Will Dustin & Kandice be the first all-female team to win the race? Will Eric drag Danielle across the finish line? Or will Charla & Mirna surprise everyone and pull off the win? Previously on A Good Idea on Paper: The whole season. Sorry if you missed it. Hope you enjoyed whatever you were doing instead. There are three teams left to race for the million-dollar prize (incidentally, they’re in the order I hope they finish): Kandice & Dustin - Friends/Awesome Eric & Danielle - Dating/Not so much with the awesome Charla & Mirna (Charm) - Cousins/Un-awesome The racers are in Guam, which is pretty, like most of the locations this season. Dustin & Kandice are leaving first, at 11:53 a.m., and are on their way to Honolulu. Nice. There, they’ll need to sign up for one of three helicopter flights to Lanai. Dustin says that making the final three has given them the confidence that they have the ability to go all the way and win. She promises that we’ll see aggressiveness, passion, and fearlessness we’ve never seen from them before. Eric & Danielle leave at 12:55 p.m. Danielle says they’re nervous because there’s a lot of pressure on them. Eric reminds us that he and Jeremy were five minutes away from the win in their season; it was a bitter experience, but winning the million this time around will redeem things for him. He knows there are a lot of flights from Guam to Hawaii, so Kandice & Dustin could easily get one before them. At the airport, Dustin & Kandice get tickets for a flight that stops in Tokyo. They ask the agents who help them not to tell anyone they saw them. “What color is blond?” one says, practicing what she’ll say if anyone asks. Hee. Charm leave at 1:29 p.m. Mirna says that all their energy, confidence, and enthusiasm has been there for a reason. They knew they could make it this far. However, they need to make up a lot of time to win. Apparently Mirna has never heard of equalizers. Dustin & Kandice hide as Danielle & Eric arrive at the airport and hear that there are only two flights to Honolulu. The first (the one Dustin & Kandice are on) is sold out, but the second leaves half an hour later. Both share a connecting flight in Tokyo, so there’s no advantage to either one. When Charm arrive, they learn about the same second flight, as well as the fact that the two other teams bought tickets for the connecting flight. Dustin & Kandice leave for Tokyo, followed by Danielle & Eric and Charm. Dustin & Kandice land in Tokyo just minutes ahead of the other teams. Charm see that there’s another flight from Tokyo to Honolulu, so they race off to get on it. Danielle & Eric and Kandice & Dustin wonder where they are. Charm learn that the flight they’ve just found out about lands 40 minutes before the one they’ve booked. They run to another counter as Dustin & Kandice and Danielle & Eric board their plane. Charla isn’t sure changing flights is a good idea, but Mirna wants to go for it. Dustin notes that Charm have been known to get great flights no one knows about. This instance is no different, as Charm get on the earlier flight. Danielle & Eric and Dustin & Kandice are oblivious. They actually walk up and down the aisles of their plane looking for them as Charm’s flight takes off. Charm land in Honolulu in the morning and get a taxi. 40 minutes later, the other two teams land. Dustin & Kandice don’t think they have to worry about Charm. They should, though, because Charm are signing up for a 9 a.m. helicopter flight to Lanai. When they arrive, they’ll need to choose a jeep and drive to Kaumalapau Harbor to get the next clue. They note that there are only ten minutes between helicopter flights. Dustin & Kandice and Danielle & Eric’s cabs get separated, and Eric & Danielle arrive second at the airport. Dustin & Kandice are on the third flight and not thrilled. They wonder how Charm got there first. “We were right behind you,” Mirna tells the other teams. At 9 a.m., Charm take their helicopter to Lanai, practicing their hula dancing on board. Mirna says that the earlier flight was the best thing to happen to them. Danielle is happy to at least be ahead of one team. Dustin & Kandice hate playing catch-up and ask their helicopter pilot to hurry. I don’t think he cares. Charm land and grab a jeep. They spot Danielle & Eric’s helicopter landing as they head off. Danielle tells us they’ll be looking for a man in ceremonial Hawaiian dress. Charm admire the view as they arrive to get their clue. It’s a Detour, and the choices are Under and Over. In Under, teams take a boat to an underwater cave and swim to get the clue. In Over, teams take a boat to an inlet and stand on a paddleboard to paddle to a buoy to get clue. Charm watch a paddler and decide to do Over. Kandice is sure she and Dustin can catch up as Mirna points out that she and Charla don’t know how to paddle. Danielle & Eric get their clue and see Charm doing Over. Charla says that Over isn’t that hard, but Mirna notes that that’s because she’s short. Mirna has a harder time with it. To her credit, Mirna gives an interview about how great Charla did. Eric & Danielle do Under as Eric mentions that he has a shark phobia. Charm reaches the buoy, and Mirna seems to have gotten the hang of the task. They get their clue, which sends them to Shipwreck Beach. They’ll have to trek a mile up the beach for the next clue. Danielle & Eric get to the cave, but it’s spraying water and gives them a little trouble. Danielle quickly gets the clue and they swim off. Charm get back to dry land and drive off, hoping to stay in first place. Dustin & Kandice get the Detour clue and pick Under. They note that Eric & Danielle are already done. Eric wonders where Charm are. Kandice & Dustin get to the cave, Dustin interviewing that it was a little panic-inducing and intimidating. She has a moment where she has some trouble breathing, but they get through it. They realize they haven’t had the chance to catch up yet. Charm get to the beach and take off on their trek, walking across rocks. Danielle & Eric arrive next, followed by Kandice & Dustin just a minute later. This is Eric & Danielle and Kandice & Dustin’s chance to make up time, since Charla can’t run very quickly. Danielle & Eric easily pass Charm, and Dustin & Kandice are right behind them. Danielle & Eric spot kayaks at the clue box, where the clue tells them to paddle a kayak to a buoy at the shipwreck. Kandice & Dustin are right on their tails, and Charm aren’t too far behind, it appears. The three teams paddle to the shipwreck, though Dustin & Kandice have some trouble and aren’t moving very quickly because of the waves. They bicker a little about the best technique (walking or paddling), and Kandice interviews that Dustin doesn’t always listen. She’s frustrated and that’s not helping. Kandice is worried about cutting her legs on the rocks, but Dustin doesn’t think they can paddle well right now. Danielle & Eric get clue and head back to land. Dustin & Kandice decide to get back in their kayak. Mirna yells at Charla. Everyone’s tipping and getting soaked. Kandice & Dustin get the clue. Danielle & Eric get back to land and read their clue, which tells them to go to San Francisco, their final destination city, and find the Old Mint. They walk back to their jeep, talking about how tiring the task was. Dustin & Kandice make it back to land as Danielle talks about how important it is to get on the first flight to San Francisco. Kandice & Dustin are quiet as they drive to the airport. Kandice interviews that they couldn’t get it together, and they were frustrated and angry. She finally speaks up, telling Dustin that she was thinking about herself on the kayak. Dustin says that they paddled Kandice’s way, but Kandice disagrees. She says she has no patience for Dustin right now. Dustin replies that she did what she thought was best for the team. Kandice can’t believe she thought it was best to ignore her. She says she sucks it up a lot and Dustin can never admit anything. Dustin tells her she’s saying a lot of hurtful things right now. Kandice says they’re true, then adds, “It’s over.” I think she means the fight is over, not their friendship. Dustin is upset that Kandice said she wasn’t a good teammate. Kandice replies that it wasn’t a good idea when she was in there with Dustin. Charm are still paddling and having trouble with the waves. They finally get their clue and head back to land. In their car, Dustin says she’d rather not do the race if she’s going to be fighting with Kandice. Kandice repeats that it’s over, saying they need to just get to California and do this, not drag this out. They decide to focus on the race, noting that it’s tough on a friendship. It looks like they’re going to let this go. And no one yelled! Isn’t it refreshing? Danielle & Eric and Dustin & Kandice take helicopters back to Honolulu, then head to the airport. Eric & Danielle get a direct flight to Oakland. Dustin & Kandice spot them and ask for the same route as Eric & Danielle. Dustin wants to get on a flight that’s closing soon, if possible; she wants them to exhaust all their options. Danielle & Eric get tickets for the one flight they’re told is available. Dustin & Kandice get tickets as well and hope to find something better, since they know Charm will. Charm get to the airport and use the fake emergency excuse. They’re told about the same flight the other teams are on, but they ask an agent to check out other airlines. Dustin & Kandice consider eavesdropping to find out what they’re doing. This flight, however, is the best one, so the teams are all on it together. On the plane, Danielle says it’s nerve-wracking knowing that all the teams are even. Eric adds that this is the most nervous you get on the race. Mirna says that she and Charla will always try to use their brains to get ahead. Charla promises that they’ll give every ounce of sweat and energy. Eric says he’s not settling for second place. Dustin notes that someone’s life will change in just a little bit. Kandice doesn’t get to say anything, for some reason. When the flight lands, the teams run off and get cabs. Danielle & Eric are in front with Dustin & Kandice behind and Charm in third. Kandice & Dustin’s cab passes Danielle & Eric, and at an intersection, the two teams’ cabs split up. They arrive at the Mint at almost the same time, but Dustin & Kandice get their clue first. Okay, this task is a little complicated, so bear with me. First, one team member will enter a room and answer questions about other teams. It’s kind of like the challenge they do every season on Survivor where they ask the Survivors to answer questions about their competitors like “who’s the most trustworthy?” then decide how the other Survivors answered the questions. Anyway, each team is listed next to a number, so the answers to the questions will give a four-digit code. The team member will enter this code into a vault and lock the next clue inside. Then the next team member will come into the room and answer the same questions, only giving the answers he or she thinks his or her team member gave. This team member only has ten minutes to find the right code and enter it to open the vault and get the clue. This is dumb, I think - they get the clue no matter what; they just have to wait a little longer. Why not make them keep trying to get the right code? Whatever. Basically, this task -*test*-('")s how well each team member knows his or her partner. Dustin goes in first as Danielle & Eric arrive. Eric goes in as Kandice and Danielle talk about how crazy this is. Dustin & Kandice interview that they think the same way and see eye to eye. Eric says that this task is based on communication, and Danielle gossips a lot about the other teams, so they may have an advantage. Question number 1 is, which team is the least trustworthy? Dustin picks Romber while Eric picks Cha3. Ooh, these grapes are sour! Question number 2: who has the best sense of humor? Dustin picks Uchenna & Joyce; Eric picks Charm. Speaking of Charm, they arrive and Mirna goes in first. She says they’re strong mentally and that will be an advantage. Mirna picks Romber as the least trustworthy team. Shocker! For the third question, Dustin and Eric both think Romber are the most overrated team. Question number 4 asks which team the racers are most likely to keep in touch with. Dustin and Eric both say Uchenna & Joyce. For the team with the best sense of humor, Mirna chooses Kevin & Drew. The fifth question asks which team is the most trustworthy. Dustin says it’s Guido. Eric and Dustin enter their codes and lock their vaults. Next, Danielle and Kandice enter the room while Mirna enters her code and calls for Charla to come in. Dustin thinks she and Kandice are on same page. Danielle picks Dustin & Kandice as the least trustworthy team, and Kandice picks Romber. They’re both wrong, as a buzzer sound effect tells us. Danielle thinks Charm have the best sense of humor, which is correct. Kandice thinks it’s Cha3, which is who I would have picked, but she’s wrong. Danielle and Kandice both think their partners picked Romber as the most overrated team, and they’re both right. Charla chooses Cha3 for one of her answers, and it’s wrong. Danielle and Kandice get their last questions correct, but when they enter their codes, they’re both wrong, so they have to try again. Charla enters her code and it’s wrong as well. Danielle changes her answer about the most overrated team and tries again. Still wrong. She changes her answer about the least trustworthy team, as does Kandice; she picks Kevin & Drew instead. They’re both wrong. Danielle changes her code again and starts getting more numbers right. Kandice tries another code but still has no luck. Same for Charla. Danielle tries her code one more time… and it’s right. She grabs the clue and joins Eric. They run off to answer the clue outside, and see that they need to go to the Botanical Garden, where Phil is waiting on the mat. Oh, this is going to suck. Also, they can take a cab, so… it’s another cab race. Why can’t they make these people run? Kandice has a little over two minutes left. She picks Teri & Ian as the least trustworthy team, but she’s still wrong. Charla tries a new code. Wrong. Danielle & Eric grab a cab and head for the Botanical Garden as Eric makes a phone call. Kandice’s ten minutes run out, but she gets her clue anyway. See why this is dumb? She and Dustin grab a cab, noting that they’re just a couple of minutes behind Eric & Danielle and could catch up. Charla’s ten minutes run out and she gets her clue. She and Mirna get a cab, too. Eric finds out that they need to go to Golden Gate Park and gives the cab driver the location. Dustin & Kandice ask their driver if he knows any shortcuts. Charm have a wild cab ride. Yep, I’ve been on a wild San Francisco cab ride. I think my driver was sadistic. Danielle & Eric are worried about losing their lead. Dustin & Kandice are happy to hit all green lights. Of course, they’re jinxing themselves. They take off their jackets so they can run faster, I guess. Cab montage. Eric & Danielle’s driver says they’ll make it. Yeah, but in first place? More tenseness. A cab pulls up to the Botanical Garden, where the eliminated teams are all waiting. And it’s Danielle & Eric who appear first, because there has to be an unsatisfying ending to an unsatisfying season. They run up and get their “28 days, blah blah” spiel. I really don’t care. They hug.,/p> Phil notes that Eric is the first racer to ever get to the final three twice. He’s also standing with someone he met on the race and is the official winner of the All-Stars season. Eric says he’s happy be there with Danielle, and it’s unbelievable to come in first. Phil says that Danielle wasn’t sure at first if she could keep up with him. Danielle says she got into great shape for the race; Eric and the race both kicked her butt. Eric says she’s a fighter like her dad. If he ran, he knew she would keep up. He adds that he would never slow down for her. He’s proud, and Danielle says it feels like a dream. Dustin & Kandice arrive second and can hear the teams cheering. They’re disappointed that they didn’t win, but at least this time around they made it all the way to second place. They’re tearful but happy they did this together. The other teams applaud, even though half of them hate Kandice & Dustin. Dustin says she’s honored to be here. Everyone there knows anything can happen on the race, and didn’t it happen for them today, but she’s happy for Danielle & Eric. Plus, she and Kandice got some great prizes and have great memories of the race. Charm run up and check in third. They’re just tired. Charla says they had a great time and are happy they did this. Phil gets the others to applaud for them because they’re tough. Charla says they knew their abilities. She’s proud of what they did together. Mirna has to get in one last hurrah for Charla, so she says that Charla has overcome obstacles on the race. They persevered to the last leg. Mirna thinks it’s wonderful that they broke stereotypes of what people thought of them. Funny, the stereotype I had of Mirna was that she’s really annoying, and… oh, look, she proved it! Mirna adds that in the end, she thinks people got to know the real Mirna & Charla. Yeah, I’d say so. Dustin is proud of the experiences she’s had; they mean a lot to her and she’ll take them with her wherever she goes. Kandice says her grandmother always told her to reach for the moon because at the very least she’d reach the stars. She’s grateful for all of this, especially Dustin. Phil gives Eric & Danielle a phone so they can call their families and say that they won. Eric calls Jeremy, who’s shaved his head and gives an annoying cheer. Shut up, Jeremy. He offers up spankings. If Danielle calls anyone, we don’t get to see it. Eric says he’s proud of Danielle. We know! She knew the role she had to play on the race. Punching bag? Danielle says that now she knows she can do whatever she wants to do. Eric thinks they appreciate each other more now. He definitely sees things progressing. Danielle notes that opposites attract, and in this case, being opposites got them through the race. Eric repeats that it’s unbelievable to win. And that’s it! I wish a lot of things had gone differently this season - the producers had a great opportunity to bring back some terrific past racers, and instead they brought back the ones who would create drama or grab ratings. I liked the idea of an all-star race in theory, but in practice, it left a lot to be desired. I have to confess, I knew the outcome from about the third week of the race, when the results were leaked on the Internet. And yet that didn’t change anything for me. I was no more or less disappointed knowing that Danielle & Eric were going to win. The whole season was a letdown. I hope that next season, the producers go back and see how great the early seasons were, then try to return the show to that glory. There’s a reason this show used to work so well, and it’s not working anymore. The producers need to figure out what to change and what to keep the same before they do this again.