Kisha & Jen Take Care of Their Unfinished Business by Winning The Amazing Race

Kisha & Jen winning The Amazing Race makes it two races in a row won by an all girl team.

Sunday's two hour finale was the best Amazing Race finish in a long time.

All the tasks were interesting. Selling bikinis or making 100 drinks at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro was the first detour of the day.

Justin & Zev made the mistake of trying to sell bikinis. Eventually they switched to making drinks.

It was not being a good day for Zev & Justin. Prior to the bikini fiasco there was a Samba dancing Roadblock that did not go well for Zev.

The clue from the Samba dancing told teams to make their way to a 15 minute Brazilian body waxing session. This also did not go well for Zev & Justin due to the pair being covered with so many follicles needing to be painfully removed.

By the time they made it to the Pitstop, Zev & Justin knew they were in last and their race was over.

Then it was Kisha & Jen, the Globetrotters and Gary & Mallory heading to the final destination in Florida.

Arriving in Florida teams had to find a marina and a Roadblock where the participating teammate had to load a boat with a forklift. The clue after completing that task sent the teams to Key Largo to find Jules' Undersea Lodge.

Jules' Undersea Lodge was really bizarre. It was another Roadblock. The person doing the Roadblock had to get in a very Jules Verne-ish wetsuit and then get in a big water tank filled with mermaids and underwater musicians, searching for their next clue in floating treasure chests.

After finding the underwater clue it was on to Big Pine Key to walk across the water to Horseshoe Island to find the tallest tree where the clue directed them to take a fast boat ride to Marathon Marina and walk to Galway Bay Mobile Home, where Miss Rose would judge when the teams had successfully set up camp, matching the camp pictured on a brochure.

That final task proved amusing as the wind came up and caused problems. Soon Gary & Mallory arrived. They had had some bad taxi driver luck.

Eventually Jen & Kisha completed the task to Miss Rose's satisfaction. Opening the clue Jen & Kisha learned they had to travel by taxi to the old Seven Mile Bridge and then pedal tricycles to the Finish Line.

Jen & Kisha got to the bridge and started pedaling. Wind made pedaling difficult. Soon Flight Time & Big Easy showed up. The race was on to the Finish Line.

Eventually the Globetrotters realized they were not going to catch up to Kisha & Jen and conceded the race.

All in all, it was a very satisfying Amazing Race finale. I don't know if Kisha & Jen knew this would air on Mother's Day. But when the race ended Kisha & Jen spoke tearfully about their mom and how hard she worked to raise them. And how some of the million dollars was going to their mom to help her start the business of her dreams.

The Amazing Race Eliminates The Cowboys With Zev & Justin First Again to the Pitstop

I don't like the U-Turn and Double U-Turn on The Amazing Race.

I don't like Detours that involving a difficult eating challenge on The Amazing Race.

I don't like it when someone helps another team by giving them the answer to a difficult challenge on The Amazing Race.

The most recent episode of The Amazing Race had all three elements that I don't like.

The Cowboys, Jet & Cord McCoy, were U-Turned by the Globetrotters, which eliminated the Cowboys by making them do the other half of the Detour, eating a big fondue pot full of cheese. The Cowboys had fallen behind due to Jet having trouble with the Roadblock.

The person doing the Roadblock had to ride a motorized bike called a Solex, using the bike's odometer to measure the length of Liechtenstein. Cord got lost and was way off with his first guess. Justin was the first to find a Liechtensteiner Olympic skier named Marco Buchel and tell him the correct distance of 22 kilometers.

Jen lost her map, then hooked up with Justin, who then told Jen the answer. Jet gave Marco a wrong answer, on his way back to the starting point Jet  passed Flight Time, who then accidented upon Kisha & Jen and Zev & Justin waiting for the bus to take them to the train to take them to Zermatt, Switzerland. The two teams in the lead gave Flight Time the 22 kilometer answer he needed.

Flight Time then ran into Gary and gave Gary the 22 kilometer answer. I don't remember how Vyxsin got the answer. She seemed quite lost.

I think it sort of ruins the whole premise of a challenge like a Roadblock where you are instructed to ride a bike and use the odometer to measure something and then get your answer via other means. Why not just stop locals and ask how long Liechtenstein is?

The Detours in Zermatt were the cheese eating or delivering 20 pieces of luggage to 5 different hotels. Only Zev & Justin chose to eat the cheese. Kisha & Jen quickly bailed on the cheese. When the Cowboys got U-Turned and headed back to the cheese, we really did not see them eat all the cheese. I suspect they were told to just go to the Pitstop.

Zermatt is the resort ski town at the base of the Matterhorn. Could they not have thought of something snow/mountain oriented rather than the lame cheese eating and luggage delivery?

That Kent & Vyxsin are still racing, with the Cowboys out, seems all sorts of wrong. The Cowboys always stay good-natured and level-headed no matter what was happening. Kent & Vyxsin crumble over and over again. It was pretty funny when whiney Kent was moving so slow after delivering all the luggage that Vyxsin put the whiner in the delivery cart and hauled him back to the ticket counter clue giver.

It seems that Vyxsin is the man in that strange relationship.

Last week Zev & Justin each got a 2012 Ford Focus for coming in First. This week they got a trip for two from Travelocity to Curacao in the Caribbean. With the Cowboys gone Zev & Justin are my favorite team.

The Amazing Race Unfinished Business Is To Be Continued Again In China

That is Mallory of Gary & Mallory being loud on a Yak in China.

The latest episode of The Amazing Race went from Japan to China and, just like the first episode, when the racers reached the Pit Stop, Phil informed them they were still racing.

Margie & Luke were the first to make it to the Pit Stop, winning a fabulous trip from Travelocity, before Phil sent them off still racing. Which Margie was not happy about.

It has been a long day of flying and struggling at the high elevation of Jade Dragon Mountain.

Leaving the Pit Stop teams were told to drive themselves to Narita Airport to take a provided flight to Kunming, China. This meant no airport drama.

Except Kent and Vyxsin missed the flight. When Kent & Vyxsin opened their first clue of the day they declared their theme for the day was "PMA. Positive Mental Attitude."

The PMA did not last too long. First they had trouble finding their car, then trouble opening the trunk, then trouble finding the airport, heading the wrong direction a long distance before Vyxsin thought to look at her compass.

The other teams were far ahead by the time Kent & Vyxsin landed in China. But, they caught up at Jade Dragon Mountain, making it there while Zev was still trying to figure out the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac.

But, before the Chinese Zodiac task, teams had to ride a yak across an treacherous looking river. Of course, the Cowboys, Cord & Jet, took right to Yak riding. The completed Yak task clue sent teams via gondola up Jade Dragon Mountain.

After completing the Zodiac Roadblock teams had to take a marked bus to Old Town Lijiang to find an ancient prayer wheel for their next clue.

I did not quite understand the prayer wheel. Teams had to write a wish and slip it in a slot that matched their sign, then say what sign they were to get their clue. The Globetrotters had a lot of woe with this, which I was not understanding.

The prayer wheel clue led to a detour involving making candy or carrying a long horn through the streets.

Most teams chose the candy.

The detour clue led to the Pit Stop at something called the Eternal Tower on top of Lion Hill.

Meanwhile, back at the Zodiac Roadblock, Vyxsin finally got it right. Rushing down to the marked bus, heading towards their next destination, Vyxsin realized she'd left her fanny back with all their money and travel documents back in the gondola. Vyxsin screamed at the Chinese driver to turn the bus around, while Kent pointed out that this was not possible.

I forgot to mention this was not Vyxsin's first lost passport incident of the day. An earlier one occurred at the airport where she left it on the ticket desk. Kent threatened to shoot her after that incident.

I also forgot to mention that Ron had a meltdown when he realized they had not gotten on a correctly marked bus. And were going the wrong direction. Much shouting and throwing of rocks ensued, with somehow Ron & Christina managing to get on the Globetrotter's bus.

So, the episode ended with all the teams checking in at the Pit Stop and continuing on, except for Kent & Vyxsin, who had had a real bad day.

The Cowboys came in 2nd, Gary & Mallory 3rd, Ron & Christina 4, Kisha & Jen 5th, Flight Time & Big Easy 6th, Jaime & Cara 7th, with 8th place waiting for Kent & Vyxsin.

The Amazing Race Unfinished Business: Mel & Mike Eliminated With Zev & Justin 1st Again

Japan is not one of my favorite countries that The Amazing Race visits. I really don't know why I don't react to Japan thinking that sure looks like a fun place to visit.

I did like the vending machine rental car dispenser. I'd never seen anything like that before.

Last week ended at the Broken Hill Pit Stop. This week we learned from that Pit Stop the teams boarded a train back to Sydney.

Then it was 5,000 miles to Tokyo. Way too much time spent ticket hunting to find two flights. One of the flights arrived 15 minutes earlier, but involved a stop in Hong Kong. Much foretelling disaster verbiage, as teams assessed the risk of not taking the direct flight option.

The Globetrotters thought they were returning a favor to Zev & Justin when they gave them the last two tickets on the 15 minutes earlier flight that routed through Hong Kong. So, it was the Globetrotters, Gary & Mallory, Kisha & Jen, Jet & Cord and Ron & Christina on the direct flight.

All the others were on the plane to Hong Kong, where upon landing they learned there was an engine problem which would delay them, making them 90 minutes late.

After getting their cars out of the vending machine teams had to drive to the city of Kamakura and find Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and go to the Yabusame Dojo. I'm glad I am fluent in Japanese so I can remember these names.

Ron & Christina were the first team to get to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu where they found a Roadblock. It involved learning some Samurai warrior rituals and then hitting a piece of wood with an arrow, shot from a bow, while spinning on a wooden horse.

This was not a fun Roadblock to watch. Jen was the only one who seemed to have an easy time of it.

The clue from the Roadblock sent them on some more driving drama, looking for something called the Kintaro statue by the Daiyuzan Railway station. The clue at the Kintaro statue was a Detour. Prayer of Purity or Frog of Luck.

Everyone chose the Frog except for the Globetrotters and Ron & Christina.

In Prayer of Purity it was another learn a ritual deal. Then stand under an icy waterfall of snow melt from Mount Fuji for a minute. The most interesting part was the Globetrotters moving Christina's fanny pack, which caused much upset, til Ron found it in the changing room. When Ron & Christina met Phil at the Pit Stop they whined about the Globetrotter Fanny Packing. So, Phil gave the Globetrotters a 30 minute penalty, which moved Ron & Christina from 4th to 3rd and knocked Flight Time & Big Easy from 3rd to 5th.

In Frog of Luck teams had to take off all their clothes and put on what looked like oversized diapers. Then search a big muddy pit for a frog while Japanese pelted them with mud. Apparently this is a fun activity in Japan. It seemed sort of disgusting to me and was not all that fun to watch.

Jaime & Cara had been way behind all day long. At one point they were delayed by a minor accident where someone's rear view mirror was touched. The police were called. When Jamie & Cara finally made it to the mud they thought they were doomed, because no one else was still looking for a muddy frog.

But, they did not know that Mel & Mike had bailed due to Mike getting worried that the freezing temperature was too much for his 70 year old dad. Jaime & Cara quickly found the frog and rushed right by Mel & Mike who were warming up in a van, not seeing them.

So, when Jaime & Cara stepped on the mat they were very surprised to hear Phil tell them they were Team #9.

Soon thereafter Mel & Mike arrived to be told they'd been eliminated from the race.

Next week they race to China. I always enjoy The Amazing Race in China. Always makes me want to visit China. Unlike Japan.

The Amazing Race: Amanda & Kris Eliminated with Zev & Justin First to Pit Stop

Running around the streets of an Australian Outback town called Broken Hill, searching for two items on the Periodic Table, Mercury and Bismuth, while costumed as Kangaroos, was the funniest part of the Second Episode of Season 18 of The Amazing Race.

Jet finally figuring out what the compass was spelling and then managing to make it, with his brother, Cord, 3rd to the Pit Stop was a pretty good turnaround.

Amanda & Kris pretty much got the guarantee of being the first team eliminated way back in Palm Springs when they were last to figure out the Quantas clue, thus giving them the penalty of having to complete both of the first detours on the race. In other words they got U-Turned, just like what happened to them the first time they raced. That gave them Unfinished Business that I guess is still unfinished.

Zev & Justin have not lost their passports again, yet, and made it first to the Pit Stop at a silver mine built in 1884 called Junction Mine. Coming in first got Zev & Justin a trip to Cancun.

I didn't much care for the detours. Before the teams found their way to the Outback and the detours they had to find "To Sail to Stop" in Sydney. This is where the clue sent them when Phil told them they were still racing at the Pit Stop on the first episode. The first 6 teams to figure out the clue signed up for the first flight to Broken Hill, 684 miles from Sydney.

Kisha & Jen, Zev & Justin, Margie & Luke, Jaime & Cara, Mel & Mike and Kent & Vyxsin were first to sign up.

Gary & Mallory made it first to the first Pit Stop, but along with Amanda & Kris, they had trouble finding the next clue til they paired up with Ron & Christina.

That left the Cowboys the last to sign up for the flight to Broken Hill.

Once they got to Broken Hill, then the Living Desert had to be found. When the teams found the Living Desert they found the detours, Spirit World or Natural World. Make a mosaic and then dance on it in Spirit World. Or spit four Aboriginal territory markers with paint in the Natural World.

It was a bit of a confusing mess with all the teams taking the mosaic option. Upon successful completion the next clue sent them back to Broken Hill to find the Central Football Club. It was the clue at the Football Club that put them in Kangaroo suits.

Zev & Justin made it first to the Kangaroos. Margie & Luke teamed up with Zev & Justin. A local let them use a smart phone to figure out what the element symbols meant. I guess it pays to know how to use a smart phone on The Amazing Race. Margie lost part of her Kangaroo which sent her & Luke back with the rest of the pack of Kangaroos running for the clue.

Eventually all the Kangaroos figured out the clue and got in their cars to race to Junction Mine to the Pit Stop.

Amanda & Kris nearly made it past Ron & Christina for the 10th spot, but in the end, they came in last.

Flight Time & Big Easy came in 2nd, followed by the Cowboys, then Kisha & Jen, Margie & Luke, Mel & Mike, Kent & Vyxsin, Jaimie & Cara, Gary & Mallory and I already told you the next two places.

Mel is seeming a bit out of shape for all this heavy duty racing. It's nice how Mike is always so concerned for his dad. But 70 years old and doing this? How did Mel pass the physical?

I did not watch the previews so I have no idea where they go next week.

The Amazing Race Unfinished Business Starts With The Cowboys Not Making It To The Pitstop

That is not the Cowboys, Jet & Cord McCoy running to the Pitstop on Sunday night's premiere of The Amazing Race Unfinished Business.

Jet & Cord were the only team that did not make it to the Pitstop.

The episode ended with "To Be Continued" with Jet being befuddled by a row of flags and a compass puzzle.

All the other teams made it to the Pitstop to be told by Phil that they were still racing.

Gary & Mallory came in first and got no cool prize. Just that Express Pass supposed advantage, that really had no effect on the last Amazing Race.

The race started at a Windmill Farm by Palm Springs. It was there I learned something new. I did not know that Quantas stood for "Queensland and Northern Territories Aerial Services." I like it when I learn something from one of my Reality TV Shows.

The first 8 teams to figure out Quantas got on the first flight out of LAX to Sydney, Australia, leaving 3 teams on the second flight, 90 minutes later. And with the last team to figure out Quantas, Amanda & Kris, having to do both detours at the first detour of the race.

I found it interesting the teams had to drive themselves from Palm Springs to LAX. Having done that drive I know it is a fairly long distance. But we saw no directional drama getting to the airport. Instead we were quickly in the air, with the plane in the lead, soon behind, due to an emergency stop in Honolulu.

So, the last plane to fly out of LAX was the first to land in Sydney, which had Kisha & Jen, Gary & Mallory and Amanda & Kris hurrying to find the Roadblock, where one team member had to don a wetsuit and swim with the sharks to find a compass.

Then the Roadblocker had to take the compass to a spot where there were 3 rows of flags and somehow use those flags and the compass to decipher "I am between the devil and the deep blue sea."

I was with Jet on this one. I could not figure it out. I told myself if I was actually there, in person, it may have made sense to me. Likely not though. Like Jet, I can be real dense at times.

I did not like it that very few of the teams actually figured out the clue, instead there was a lot of help given. Zev & Justin gave it to the Globetrotters, who, you know, would never have figured it out. Then Ron & Christina and Mel & Mike gave the clue to Luke & Margie and Jaime & Cara. Leaving Jet and Vyxsin clueless for awhile.

Then Jet thought he had it and took off to tell the Commodore some gibberish that was not even close. Even though Vyxsin had only partially solved the puzzle, she took off after Jet. The Cowboys returned to the flags, while Margie & Luke gave Vyxsin the clue.

I really think there should be a no helping rule in a challenge like this one. It sort of ruined it.

I was not being all that enamored, anyway, seeing all those recycled racers. The "Unfinished Business" intros at the start of the episode were quite lame.

I'll probably keep watching.

The Amazing Race Unfinished Business Season 18 Premieres Tonight With Recycled Racers

At the end of the last Amazing Race we learned that Season 18 was going to be a recycling of racers who have already raced, who supposed are back racing because they have unfinished business. Whatever that is supposed to mean in this context.

The preview that aired at the end of the last Amazing Race was a bit misleading as to who would be racing again. It was more a hint of who might be racing. That hint showed several teams from the race that had just ended as being in the race for Unfinished Business.

But in reality, only Gary & Mallory from Season 17 are back racing.

I really don't understand why this Unfinished Business idea was thought to be a good one. Several of the returning racers I do not remember. And some of those I do remember I really don't want to see racing again. Like that weird Goth pair Kent & Vyxsin.

I did not much like the Harlem Globetrotters, Flight Time & Big Easy.

The returning racers who I sort of recognize, by their faces, but don't really remember are Amanda & Kris, Jaime & Cara, Mel & Mike and Ron & Christina.

I remember Zev & Justin as being annoying. And not in a good way.

I do not remember LaKisha & Jennifer.

The only teams who I clearly remember and actually liked and don't mind seeing again are the McCoy brothers, the cowboys known as Jet & Cord. Equally memorable are Margie & Luke.

I set the DVR to record The Amazing Race. But I'm not all that excited to be watching it.

I still have not gotten around to watching the first episode of the latest Survivor. I'm a little turned off by Russell Hantz and Rob Mariano being on Survivor yet one more time. With so many people trying to get on The Amazing Race and Survivor, it just seems wrong giving people second, third and fourth chances.

I have enjoyed Top Chef All-Stars though.

The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business with Some Surprising Returning Racers

At the end of last week's Amazing Race Phil told viewers to remain watching after tonight's finale for a special announcement.

I did as I was instructed.

It is what I feared. Another Amazing Race All Stars, only called The Amazing Race Unfinished Business.

We were shown a preview which showed us the returnees, several of whom were teams who were on the race that finished tonight.

Such as Brook & Claire, plus Greg & Mallory. And Kevin & Michael who have Unfinished Business due to suffering a big penalty and getting eliminated.

Plus a couple real surprising ones, like Chad & Stephanie, who supposedly are now married and expecting a baby, and Nick & Vicki.

Nick basically quit The Amazing Race we just watched. And now he's back on it?

From seasons previous to the one just completed, the Poker Pros are returning, as are the Harlem Globetrotters.

I like the girl Poker Pros, but the Globetrotters wore on my nerves after awhile.

Which reminds me, I forgot to mention Connor & Jonathan, from the just completed race, this pair being the annoying a cappella singers from Princeton, are returning with Unfinished Business.

Dallas & his mom, Toni, are back. Dallas had a romance with someone who's name I also forget. I do not know if she is back for Unfinished Business. Starr. Just remembered. Dallas & Starr had The Amazing Race's most torrid romance ever.

The Cowboys, Jet & Cord, are back. I liked them.

One of the sets of gay brothers is back, I can't remember which, if it is the team with both brothers gay or the team with one not gay.

Deaf Luke & Margie are back. Some viewers did not like this team. I did not mind them.

A Goth team from awhile back is back with Unfinished Business. Kynt & Vyxsin. They are from somewhere in the Midwest that did not yet get the memo that that whole Goth thing is a bit out-dated.

The Amazing Race Unfinished Business stars up Sunday, February 20. In High Definition for the first time.

If the way Phil looked tonight in the preview for Unfinished Business is indicative of what Hi-Def is going to do to the look of The Amazing Race. Well. Not good. Maybe I need to adjust my set.