The 9th edition of the Amazing Race had a finale episode a couple weeks back and I eventually watched it! The season recap featured John and Scott still being referred to as merely "lifelong friends," the heartwarming "Nerds rule!" battle cry, and the charming tantrums of Raindrop.

The Racers had to get an early clue from a Thai elephant carrying a T-Mobile Sidekick. Even Asian pachyderms have better gadgets than me.

The Hippies were feeling very groovy when the next stop was Japan as Tyler used to live there and he speaks the language.

The first Detour was carrying a maiden in a box or riding on a folding mini-bike. The Frat Boys chose the "naughty fantasy come true" and finished first. The Hippies peddled like the wind to stay in second place.

All the teams had to spend the night at the Capsule Hotel where you sleep in-that's right-capsules. If I could even fall asleep inside those filing cabinets, I know I'd forget where I was, sit up too fast and ram my head into the ceiling.

The Black team lost their toll road ticket and started fighting again. Ray and Yolanda weren't a factor in this final episode at all. Every time the game let them catch up they immediately fell back into third place. At least Ray never lost his cool hats.

The Japanese leg finished with a sprint to the finish in duck-shaped paddleboats and the Hips quacked out a victory over the Frats.

The next day they had to take a 9,000-mile flight to Alaska. Holy frequent flier points, Batman.

The Hippies pulled off a sneaky trick by getting the guy at a hotel desk to lie to the Frat Boys about the hotel not having Internet access. What does it get them? Absolutely nothing as all three teams ended up on the same flight.

The final Detour was a straight line as weather made a flying task too dangerous. The other challenge was drilling fishing holes and pushing a shack over the holes. The Fratties took a lead after finishing the Detour first.

B.J. and Tyler pulled an Old Couple and walked right by the needed snowshoes a couple times. Then they got lost on the trail. But everyone made it onto the final flight-back to Denver where the Race began-and we had our mad dash to the finish.

The final Roadblock was running out and retrieving the flags from the 9 countries they had visited and then putting them in order. It came down to the Frat Boys against the Hippies, which was only right.

Neither team knows the Russian flag, since the Soviet Union is no more. Blasted democracy.

The Hippies realize their mistake while the Frat Boys switch out the wrong flag. Tyler and B.J. run to the finish, neither of them attempts a shortcut, and they win the million dollars! Take that, MoJo!

I thought I would be happier if the Hippies won, but part of me thinks they don't deserve it since they finished last twice. Maybe TTOW means Terrific Timing Orchestrates Wins.

Eric and Jeremy (yes, I had to look up their names just now) came in second. Tough loss for them, since they were easily the most consistent team from start to finish. They say they don't know where the Frat Boy nickname came from, since both of them are college dropouts.

One of the not-really-Frat Boys comments that it's back to waiting tables for them. And isn't crushing the dreams of horny young white guys what life's all about?

[And so we fall into the abyss that is summer. I'll be keeping the site alive with the occasional baby article and I hope to expand into other non-TV writing. Then I'll be back with more Amazing Race goodness in the fall.

I won't be bothering you with emails during the summer, so if you want to see what's going on, swing by the site from time to time.

Thanks again for reading! You make it all worthwhile!]

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