TAR15, Recap Leg 12, 12/6/09

Welcome to Leg 12! Last time, on Turn Your Head and Kafka For Me, teams raced around Prague only to find themselves answering telephones, hanging out in -180°C temperatures, and hauling clay figures and beer around in the night. The Globetrotters made a fatal error and quit a roadblock after all other teams had left it, faced a four hour penalty and couldn’t make it up. So they were the last team eliminated before the final leg. So, the question is: Who will win The Amazing Race 15? (click for more)

Arrival at the pit stop last episode:
1st – Meghan/Cheyne, Malibu Ken & Barbie
2nd – Sam/Dan, The Hot Boys – (Toyouke: “"Bold game-changing moves"? Or "Bitchery which they are unwilling to own"? Because you should at least own that you are willing to play dirty. I mean, if I was going to steal cabs and reninge on alliances, I would at least explain myself by reminding everyone that RACE. Instead of pretending to be sorry.”)
3rd – Brian/Ericka, Team Yin-Yang – (Toyouke: “Has there ever been a team that never came in first but won in the end? Because I'm pretty sure that's a no.” Kmanpat: “Actually, there was one. Eric and Danielle from TAR11.” Toyouke: “No, I meant a real team. They weren’t All-Stars.”)

Strelecky Ostrov, Prague, Czech Republic

11:10 AM Meghan/Cheyne (1st)
Clue: Fly 6000 miles to your FINAL DESTINATION CITY: Las Vegas, NV, USA! Once there, take taxi to the Graceland Wedding Chapel and find Elvis to get your next clue.

Meghan and Cheyne go to a travel agent first and find a 6:40 Pm flight on British Airways, which means everyone should be on the same flight.

12:08 PM Sam/Dan (2nd) – Dan: “This is Operation Beat Meghan and Cheyne. It’s also Operation Don’t Yell at Each Other.”
3:15 PM Brian/Ericka (3rd) – and Ericka talks about her mother’s non-acceptance of Brian again.

Teams arrive at the Airport, except they don’t seem to know who is going to be there. (Toyouke: “Why don't they know the other team? What happened to eat sleep and mingle? WTF?”) They arrive in the following order:

1- Sam/Dan
2- Meghan/Cheyne
3- Brian/Ericka

The Amazing Red Line takes us back to the states, directly to Las Vegas, Nevada. (Toyouke: “London-Vegas is one damn long flight.”) Teams get their taxis out of the airport in the following order:

1- Brian/Ericka
2- Meghan/Cheyne
3- Sam/Dan

Teams race to the Graceland Wedding Chapel. When all three teams arrive, they interrupt a wedding. Elvis is singing “Amazing Grace,” which is appropriate, since it sounds like Amazing Race. (Toyouke: “Oh, everyone looks all happy and singing, but they really are DYING to get their clue.”)

Teams get their clues in the following order:

1- Sam/Dan
2- Meghan/Cheyne
3- Brian/Ericka

Teams are now instructed to travel to Mandalay Bay to get their next clue. Teams arrive in the following order:

1- Brian/Ericka – (Toyouke: “I know I claimed to be indifferent, but when Brian and Ericka showed up way before everyone to Mandalay Bay I cheered.”)
2- Meghan/Cheyne
3- Sam/Dan

And teams come to the final roadblock.

ROADBLOCK:
Who’s ready to climb down the mountain
In this roadblock, one team member must go to the top of the Mandalay Bay hotel and perform a face first rappel down the side of the building. If they do, the supervisor gives you your next clue.


The following team members complete the Roadblock.

1- Ericka – who disapproves of the Miss America stereotype. (Toyouke: “Girl, those weren't stereotypes about Miss America, I got those opinions from your previous uselessness that you overcame in later legs.” Auburnium0513: “I just thought of something...has Ericka done more Roadblocks than Brian? We keep saying that she's useless, but did she really do more Roadblocks or am I just crazy with a bad memory?” Kmanpat: “They were tied, 6 and 6.”)
2- Cheyne – who is horribly afraid of heights. Cheyne: “This is gnarly!” “I hear Meghan; I must be getting closer. But I’m not looking!” (Toyouke: “What is this, 1987? Is Cheyne rappelling with his eyes closed? Huh?”)
3- Sam – “Step aside, Tom Cruise!”

Teams complete the Roadblock in the following order:

1- Brian/Ericka
2- Meghan/Cheyne
3- Sam/Dan

Teams are then instructed to go to the Mirage and find Stage Door 2. They arrive in the following order:

1- Brian/Ericka
2- Meghan/Cheyne
3- Sam/Dan

Teams are then instructed to join the Cirque Du Soleil. (Toyouke: “OMG, you would pee your pants with excitement if you could be in a Cirque show.” Kmanpat: “You bet your sweet bippy. That would be gnarly.”) One team member gets suited up to be launched into the air by bungee cord to grab a bouquet of flowers. Once they get the whole bouquet, they give it to the Flower Child to get their next clue. Teams complete the task in the following order:

1- Meghan/Cheyne
2- Sam/Dan
3- Brian/Ericka - who switch back and forth on who is doing the task which slows them down. (Toyouke: “Both Meghan and Dan were launched, and then they bounced a second time to get higher and get the flowers. I don't think Ericka was doing that. Not as well as those two, anyway, and especially not after she totally freaked out.”)

Teams are now instructed to take a taxi to the most famous casino in the country of Monoco and find their next clue. (Auburnium0513: “It's not in Spain! It's a country, the clue tells you so! Well, actually it's technically a principality, but a very lovely one at that.”) So, teams must first figure out that they are going to the Monte Carlo. Teams arrive in the following order:

1- Sam/Dan
2- Brian/Ericka
3- Meghan/Cheyne –who somehow end up at the Venetian first. (Toyouke: “Ha, Venetian. Somehow, the fact that Meghan and Cheyne may lose this show because they don't know their geography is very satisfying in a karmic sort of way.” Auburnium0513: “The Venetian? Really? Between that misinformation and Sam and Dan following them, Brian and Ericka might have a prayer.”)

Teams are told to go to the High Roller Room and count poker chips until they have $1000000 in chips. When they think they have enough, they ask their dealer to count them. If they are correct, they get a special Million Dollar Poker Chip and their next clue. (Auburnium0513: “It's like the gold task all over again, but this time there's no hookah option.”)

Teams complete the task in the following order:

1- Meghan/Cheyne – (Toyouke: “And there's Meghan and Cheyne not freaking out and heading out first.”)
2- Sam/Dan – who had to recount once. (Toyouke: “And there's Sam and Dan's meltdown. Well, Dan's anyway.”)
3- Brian/Ericka – who had to recount more than once.

Teams are now told to go to the MGM Grand and make their way to the High Rollers Suite to get their next clue from Mr. Las Vegas, aka Wayne Newton. He will tell them where the finish line is.

Teams find Wayne Newton in the following order.

1- Meghan/Cheyne
2- Sam/Dan
3- Brian/Ericka

Teams get their clue from Wayne Newton and find that they must now take a taxi to Wayne Newton’s ranch, Casa De Shenandoah, the FINISH LINE of this racearoundtheworld. (Toyouke: “Ha, "my house".”) The first team to arrive will win The Amazing Race!

1- Meghan/Cheyne – (Toyouke: “Interesting. I don't think they knew they were first. Watch Meghan, she looks shocked when Phil says they're first.”)
2- Sam/Dan – Dan: “I’m never going into a casino again!”
3- Brian/Ericka

8 countries, 21 days, 25000 miles, Meghan and Cheyne, you are the Winners of The Amazing Race 15! And that ties them with Nick and Starr for most first place finishes in a race (7) as well as the team with the highest finish average ever. Eh, anticlimactic.

ORDER NOW:
1st – Meghan/Cheyne
2nd – Sam/Dan
3rd – Brian/Ericka
4th – Flight Time/Big Easy
5th – Gary/Matt
6th – Maria/Tiffany
7th – Mika/Canaan
8th – Lance/Keri
9th – Zev/Justin
10th – Marcy/Ron
11th – Garrett/Jessica
12th – Eric/Lisa

Next season: I hear we’re leaving from Los Angeles again. Not like that’s a surprise or anything. I also hear that we’re getting another team of Big Brother contestants. Last time they did that, Alison and Donny in TAR4 lasted two episodes. Oh, and like, such as, Caitlin Upton, the Iraq, the Amazing Race 16!!! Until next time!