It was one of the most exciting season finales of the Amazing Race that I have ever seen. Not only because of my vested interest in countrymen Geoff and Tisha, but because the lead changed hands several times - a testament to the skill and determination of all three teams and how equally capable they are of winning. Even if you started watching this final episode with a clear prediction of who would win (as I did), that would have been erased as the 3 teams caught up with each other and thereby negated any advantage, or disadvantage, they had. Kudos to Sam and Vince, Geoff and Tisha, and Ida and Tania!

The finale started off at Wadi Tanuf, the previous pit stop and site of the infamous zip line challenge that they did. From there they were instructed to go to the Muscat Governorate for their next clue. Ida and Tania left first, followed by Geoff and Tisha
some 20 (?) minutes later. Sam and Vince, on the other hand, had to wait for four hours before they could leave as they incurred a four hour penalty for not finishing the zip line challenge.

Arriving at the Muscat Governorate, Ida and Tania were greeted with an 'hours of operation' sign. Equalizer number 1. Geoff and Tish were able to catch up and both teams proceeded to the site of their next challenge - Said's Camel Farm in Al-Albayid. They were to herd 10 camels into a pen. Ida and Tania reached the destination first despite stopping for some snacks - these girls are really good with directions. Geoff and Tisha, meanwhile, took a longer time (a longer route?) to get there. It was at about this time that Sam and Vince started their race.

The next challenge was a Roadblock. One member of the team was tasked to find the right metal key buried in sand with the use of a metal detector. Simple enough, eh? But then, when you consider that there were seventy keys buried under the hot sand, with only seven of them correct, the task becomes a little more daunting. Ida and Tania arrived first and finished first. Geoff and Tisha's car, meanwhile, got stuck in the sand and it took them quite a while to reach the site. As Ida and Tania were leaving, Geoff and Tish were arriving for their turn. However, Ida and Taina's car got stuck as well, badly(their luck had finally run out). They were still there even after Geoff and Tish finished the challenge, allowing the Filipino racers to grab first place.

The airport was the next stop, on their way to Phuket. It was here where all three teams caught up with each other, another equalizer (Sam and Vince gained so much ground on the other two teams because of the misfortunes they faced). What's puzzling at this stage was why Ida and Tania took a different flight from the other teams. As a results, the Malaysian girls suffered the misfortune of missing their connecting flight in Dubai (courtesy of an uncooperative flight desk officer) and had no choice but to wait for another one to Phuket via Singapore. The two other teams didn't have such problems as their flight to Phuket via Dubai and Bangkok was hassle-free. From this point onwards, it became a two-team race.

Arriving in Phuket, the Filipino tandem retained their first place with a healthy lead over the Hong Kong boys. However, Lady Luck had other plans. Just when Geoff and Tish were confidently coasting to the next challenges with their lead, they got lost courtesy of their taxi driver! Bam! From then on, they had a hard time catching up as Sam and Vince were making an inspired run to the pit stop. Though Geoff and Tish seemed to catch up during the last challenge (digging for a treasure box on the beach), they still failed to overtake the Hong Kong boys.

It was an inspiring win for Sam and Vince who had to overhaul a four-hour deficit. They were excellent in this leg, making the right choices, never giving up and displaying the consistency they showed all of us throughout the race. Most important of all, they didn't let their failure in the zip line in the last episode top affect their performance here. On the other hand, I think they used that failure to inspire each of them to do much better in the final leg. Moreover, luck was on their side. The misfortunes of the other two teams helped pave the way for their eventual victory. It was, I think, destiny.

Congratulations to Sam and Vince. You were the most consistent among all the teams. With the exception of the first leg, you finished no lower than fourth in the other 10 episodes. To Geoff and Tish, my congratulations as well. Second place is nothing to be ashamed of. You did your best but in the end, luck wasn't on your side. The same goes for Ida and Tania, my most likable and admired team this season. You were fantastic, showing everyone the attitude with which this game should be played.

The first spoiler turned out to be the correct one. Sam and Vince's Sony commercial was the clue, though AXN successfully threw us off by coming out with another Sony commercial featuring Henry and Bernie. Good job guys, and I hope you'll work doubly hard to bring us a much tougher fourth season - hopefully very soon.

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