New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

I was completely justified in doubting Phil's attempt at persuasion as Cindy sails through the air correctly marking her map like a harpy heading home to Thynias. With the final clue in hand, Phil explains that the finish line is at Swan House and describes it as the most recognizable site in all of Atlanta. In other words, there isn’t a snowball's chance in a Georgia summer that any cabbie will not know this location. He’s basically saying, “Sorry, Jeremy & Sandy, Amani & Marcus and Daron Aldridge (who needs to push out the jive about Cindy and bring in the love), there is no escaping that Ernie & Cindy are the winners.” No, Phil, I will not.

Upon seeing the giant map, Jeremy steps up for the memory task. He’s doing well with the challenge except that he overlooked Indonesia. A simple fix and they are good to go to the finish line.

Well, this show takes one more chance to prove me wrong. With a perpetually "recalculating" GPS, Ernie & Cindy are only in the vicinity of Swan House but can’t quite get to the exact location. Will it be enough for Jeremy & Sandy to catch up? Even without fast forwarding past the commercials, I wager it’s still an engaged couple winning and not a dating couple.

With some of the least spirited and enthusiastic applause and cheering I ever recall at the finish line, Ernie & Cindy are the official winners of the Amazing Race. Phil’s positive energy overcompensates for the apparent disinterest from at least half of the eliminated teams (especially when Cindy claims they really were the best team). I find it humorous that she says this considering earlier she stated that if they win, it’s like the A+ student beating the C student (i.e. Jeremy & Sandy and Amani & Marcus) now that Andy & Tommy are out of the running.

Even with her saying that they are going to do good for others with the money by starting a foundation that can give back to those in need, I can’t get over her belittling of the way the people in Malawi live. That was a turning point for me with her.

Beyond that, Ernie & Cindy were the better racers of those in the final three. So in that regard, they are the most deserving team, which I hate to admit.

Inconsequentially, Jeremy & Sandy cross the finish line in second place. Here is a team that disproved my earlier assumptions. They didn’t bicker as much as I anticipated and now profess that this is just the beginning of their young relationship.

That means Amani & Marcus are number three and Phil playfully throws a little salt in Marcus’ wounds by having him promise that he will never become a pilot. Amani sums up the lesson they wanted to teach their kids, “You’re not going to win at everything but do not quit.”

With those words, I promise that even though as a viewer, I feel like none of us won this season, I will not quit watching The Amazing Race. See y’all in a couple months for the 20th incarnation of The Amazing Race.

Continued:       1       2       3       4       5