this is the thread where we talk breathlessly about the best TV show on North American television: THE AMAZING RACE!

I would always be asking locals where the record shops are.

"donde los Os Mutantes origanales pressinges por favor?"

Yeah, you should memorize how to say that in every language, just to be on the safe side. You never know where the game will take you!

I totally agree about the yield bit - it's part of the game, so get over it.

Besides, anyone who would actually say "hit them, they don't matter" has no right at all to complain about poor sportsmanship.

Plus, they totally would have used the yield if they had been first. Especially after losing their big lead (another nelson-from-the-simpsons HA HA! moment) at the airport.

I was irrationally happy when they missed their connection. I danced a wierd sexual jig in front of the TV.

were you sporting porky pig style?

No! If I had been, Angry Colin would have caused such severe turlting that I might have ruptured a kidney. As it was I almost had a laughernia; it was like the twins enacted karmic retribution for their elimination by possessing Colin and Christie at the oxplow task.

Woah hey, they haven't been in Canada yet so that deserves a big fat SPOILER WARNING. Maybe.

Ha ha. I looked at it anyway. His earlier articles on other episodes are pretty interesting.

One hour to go. I'm getting nervous!! (first i have to sit thru big brother. maria and i are probably the only losers who actually watched the entire u.s. season.)

Damn! Moms are out! Good on 'em for getting that far...

Yeah, they did a good job. They got a lot further then a lot of those younger speedier teams.

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!! Seeya, Colin! Wouldn't wanna be ya!

America sighs in relief.

Actually, Colin took defeat rather well.

I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!

me too yayyy

it really IS amazing!!

I never expected the nice guys to finish first!

That town car driving on the shoulder had me quakin' in my boots!

I loved the other teams' reactions during the race! "Oooh, Chip lied to us, he's evil!" Bitch, you were riding on his dick and he shook you off; suck it up!

Yeah, really. Get off the damn boat and check for yourself. The moms knew enough not to trust Colin.

YAY!!

For once I appreciate the manipulative editing.

That ending was just so soul-satisfying in a way.

"Chip and Kim got on an earlier flight; we gotta get on their flight! WWhy didn't they share their information?"

It's your own damn fault for not double-checking the flight, dumbasses! Also, WHY THE HELL DID YOU CHECK LUGGAGE????

I'm happy for Chip & Kim, but I'm probably the only person in America who wanted Colin & Christie to win, especially after coming back and beating the moms.

Chip & Kim won basically because of fog, but I haveta fault C&C for not checking in during the night to make sure their flight was still on schedule.

Great show. Looking forward to the new one in...November? December?

Can I just say that the whole clouds=God thing was an inspired touch.

And see that, God didn't want the bible models to win, that's why he made it so foggy! He wanted them to learn the lesson of humility.

Did Nicole's collapse into snivelling while using the bikes remind anyone of that one "Seinfeld" where Jerry was dating that theater actress who cried hysterically over the most mundane of things (e.g. dropping her hotdog into the dirt on the softball diamond)?

"But it was really good!"

The dating models loss was God's way of punishing them for their vanity, since they refused to shave their heads in that holy ceremony to get ahead.

I was proud of the moms. I was so psyched for Chip and Kim. A little surprised that Colin was a gracious loser.

So what ever happened to the teepee thing that the above spoiler link refers to?

I'm actually disappointed that there wasn't a vintage Colin meltdown.

"MY FIANCE IS BROKEN!"

"I'M LUGING IT!"

My wife and I fully expected Christie to cross the finish line with 2 black eyes.

C'mon, didn't you love the way Colin was rubbing it in to Chip & Kim on the way down the mountain, with Colin doing somersaults?

"just imagine jesus at the top of the hill with his arms open welcoming you"

yay.

"DAMMIT! WE NEED A GUIDE BOOK!"

I heard that Colin proposed to Christie this morning on CBS's morning show.

I heard that as well. I can only imagine how it went:

COLIN: I'M KNEELING!
CHRISTIE: Kneel faster!
COLIN: I'M PROPOSING TO YOU! GOD!
CHRISTIE: The others didn't have this much trouble.
COLIN: God, I hate you so much.
CHRISTIE: You are so important to me. Now give me that ring.
COLIN: I'M PUTTING IT ON YOUR FINGER!
CHRISTIE: It's very important that you put that ring on my finger right now.
COLIN: I LOVE YOU, BITCH!
CHRISTIE: I love this ring.

Apparently Brandon panicked, turned to Nicole and said, "Um, I don't have a ring or anything..." like all of the couples were now OBLIGATED to get engaged on national TV (the elusive leg 14!).

You are a genius, Mr. Perry.

TORONTO (CP) — The province of Alberta was ready for its TV close-up and while it was only minutes of airtime on the hit reality show The Amazing Race, those involved are pleased with the results of their behind-the-scenes efforts.
Tuesday night’s finale of the fifth instalment of the Emmy-winning series — which aired on CBS and CTV — saw the three remaining teams of globe-trotting contestants land in Calgary to dash through two days of gruelling contests on mountains and snow runs before flying out again and off to Dallas for the $1-million finish.
The Canadian leg of the reality adventure was contracted to Alberta-based The Producers, Ltd., a company that has experience dealing with celebrities who like to sneak out the back door. But helping to arrange the hectic 48 hours in Calgary was their most ambitious assignment yet.
Producer Nives Lever says the Amazing Race officials laid the groundwork for the Canadian leg in November and December. Then the contestants arrived in Canada one morning last February with about 50 crew members who then joined 100 crew hired locally. And somehow, in collaboration with Canada Customs, tourism officials and broadcast unions like ACTRA and IATSE, they managed to ensure not only a smooth operation but kept the whole thing secret via scores of non-disclosure agreements.
“We’re certainly used to productions of a large size,” says Lever. “I think what made this so different or unique for us was that it was live.”
For two days, cameras rolled live on tape with no chance for retakes and no backup as the teams followed their clues and jumped through the appropriate hoops.
“After watching the program and seeing what happened at the airport in Calgary and how the flights were delayed and how fog changed the whole thing, we couldn’t have scripted it better for the dramatic,” says Lever. “It was amazing.”
In a world sensitized to security issues in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, extra precautions had to be taken with contestants speeding through airport terminals. Co-producer Eda Lischman says one person spent three months just handling immigration issues.
“And we couldn’t tell them what we were doing. . .we certainly couldn’t tell them that we were having Amazing Race contestants and crews coming across the border.”
Lever says that because of their considerable advance work, there were no foul-ups and in fact Producers, Ltd. was told by the Amazing Race people that Canada proved to be one of the best experiences they had had, bar none.
“They felt it was handled well, organized. We had to do a lot of diplomatic work. I did nothing but diplomacy between Tourism Canada, Travel Alberta, Parks Canada, U.S. Customs.”
Lever says similar companies are hired locally in each country seen on The Amazing Race and that means some 2,000 people around the world contribute to the show.
“The most important thing for us is that we could show off a corner of Alberta,” says Lever. “That we could somehow tell millions of people around the world through the vehicle of this show, what a fabulous location we live and thrive in.”

It was reported on another site that C&C's shoulder-riding cab got a flat and another car had to be sent.

Finally got to watch this last night, and even though I accidently found out ahead of time who won (DAMN YOU CHICAGO SUN-TIMES AND YOUR HUGE SPOILER HEADLINES!) it was still very satisfying. Chip & Kim seem like genuinely nice people, they were the only team who actually appreciated all that they were getting to see, and I was so proud of Chip when he finally was slightly conniving by telling the Bible models that it wasn't the right card by the flag. Yeah, sure, they basically only won through sheer luck, but it was still awesome.

I still think that Brandon and Nichole were the most compelling team, because of the contrast between the two. Colin and Christie are both assholes and deserve each other, but while Nichole seems shallow, bitchy, motivated solely by money, and made Brandon do every single roadblock by himself, Brandon actually seems like a really nice, caring guy (despite his dimness). I felt really bad for him a number of times, but especially when Nichole broke down over the lame bike thing and he was trying so hard not to get mad.