Meghan & Cheyne Are Winners of The Amazing Race!!

Prauge, Czech Republic is the starting point for this, the last leg of the Amazing Race. The teams must fly to Las Vegas and go to the Graceland Wedding Chapel to get their clue from “the King.” Meghan & Cheyne go to a travel agent and find out there is one flight leaving at 6:40 p.m. and landing in Vegas the next day around 2 p.m. Sam & Dan decide that all they have to do is “beat Meghan & Cheyne (really, guys?) and not yell at each other” and they’ll win the Race. Brian & Ericka are ticked at the brothers for stealing their cab “and we’re comin’ for ‘em.” Ericka says she hopes the show will show her Mom, who doesn’t like Brian, that they are a couple “no matter what the color.” They figure everyone will be surprised when they walk in the airport. Sam & Dan are freaked out, and start apologizing to Brian & Ericka, saying “you should blame your taxi driver.” Brian said “I’ll forgive, but I’m not gonna forget.”

It’s a mad dash out of the Vegas airport and a scramble for taxis. Brian & Ericka get out first and the brothers are last, but everyone pretty much makes it to the Chapel at the same time. They’re forced to stand and sing with Elvis until he finishes “Amazing Grace” (which, if you change the syntax a little, is "Amazing Race." Cute, huh?)next to an alleged-getting-married-couple. Reading their clues outside, the teams find out they have to go to the Mandalay Bay Casino. Brian & Ericka’s driver takes them a different way than the other teams “and we’ll just have to trust him” (which can be the best thing on earth or the kiss of death). Sam (or Dan - terrible that I don’t know which is which at this point of the Race!) are complaining that Ericka tried to grab the clue right out of his hand. (They owe you one, bro!) Brian & Ericka get to the hotel first and their clue is a Roadblock. “Who’s ready to climb down the mountain?” One team member must rappel 600 feet, face first, down the side of the building to get their next clue. Ericka will do it because Brian is severely afraid of heights. Ericka says “today I’m fearless.”

Meghan & Cheyne show up and Cheyne will attempt the task, as we see Sam & Dan stuck in traffic. Brian looks like he’s about to puke just watching Ericka go over the side of the building and start her way down. Cheyne is a little afraid of heights but wants to conquer that fear, and Meghan goes back downstairs to stand by Brian, saying “Cheyne is freaking out.” He’s going down with his eyes closed! Ericka tells Brian “I feel like Spider Woman!” She gets down and their clue says “This desert has only one Mirage. Go to it.” Sam does the task and begins as we see Cheyne about halfway, saying he can hear Meghan so “I must be getting close” because he’s still not looking. Sam is kicking butt climbing down the building, saying “Tom Cruise, step aside.” Once at the bottom and in last place, they tell the cabbie he’ll get a big tip if he hurries.

Brian & Ericka get to the Mirage and find out they have to join the cast of Circque du Soleil’s “Love.” They’ll use bungee cords and one team member will launch the other to jump in the air and grab a bouquet of flowers to get their next clue. Ericka gets strapped in and gets peeved seeing Meghan & Cheyne there already. It takes a few tries to even get close and Sam & Dan show up and get strapped in. Ericka wants to trade spots with Brian because he’s taller and starts barking and pointing her finger, saying “get me down, I want to switch! Don’t get me pissed off!” Brian wants her keep trying but she’s insistent. In the meantime, Meghan & Cheyne have all three flowers and get their next clue, “What’s the most famous casino in the country of Monaco?” They have to find the Monte Carlo Casino to get their next clue. Meghan asks another cab driver, who tells her “the Venetian.” Their cab driver says he’s not sure.

Ericka snarls at Brian that the brothers “cannot get out ahead.” She just doesn’t have the strength to bounce Brian high enough to get the flowers, and he tells her she needs to get back on the bungee cords. She freaks out “I can’t take this” but they decide to switch again as Sam & Dan finish and take off. Ericka keeps missing the flowers and screams in frustration and cries. “I can’t stand losing the lead, Brian!”

Sam & Dan are trying to figure out what casino they need to find, and tell their driver to follow Meghan & Cheyne’s cab. Meghan & Cheyne tell their driver to lose Sam & Dan. Sam borrows a phone and calls the Mandalay Bay and finds out that they’re looking for the Monte Carlo Casino. Meghan & Cheyne are telling to people in the street, asking what the casino is. As Brian & Ericka get their clue, they know right away that they need to look for the Monte Carlo. Sam & Dan get there and tell their cabbie to wait, and run inside for their clue. They have to count out $1 million in poker chips. There are 8400 chips on a table in varying amounts, and they must get enough chips to add to $1 million. Once the dealer counts the chips and they are correct, they will get a special poker chip and their next clue. Sam & Dan both start digging for the red $1000 chips.

Meghan & Cheyne get to the Venetian and ask some guy standing outside, who tell them they need the Monte Carlo, but he doesn’t sound sure. Cheyne goes in to ask the concierge, and they go to the desk and ask a group of people, who agree it’s the Monte Carlo and they take off again.

Sam & Dan are bickering again as they grab chips. Brian & Ericka show up and say “it’s an awesome feeling” that they got there before Meghan & Cheyne - who show up shortly after. Each team is muttering under their breath to each other (although Sam & Dan are doing their usual bickering), mostly “as fast as you can.” Meghan & Cheyne are more supportive as Cheyne tells Meghan “don’t worry about them.” Brian & Ericka are quietly grabbing chips and Ericka tells Brian “I love you.” All the teams get done at pretty much the same time and have to wait for their dealers to count the chips. Meghan & Cheyne are correct, but the other two teams have incorrect amounts of chips.

The clue tells Meghan & Cheyne to find their way to the MGM Grand and find the High Roller Suite, where “Mr. Las Vegas” (who is Wayne Newton) will tell them the location of the finish line. Meghan & Cheyne ctually stop and ask some folks in the casino who Mr. Las Vegas is - and Cheyne asks “is it Frank Sinatra?” (Hoo boy, I’m rolling my eyes big time at that one. If it were, how would Frank tell them where the finish line was? He’s probably pretty decomposed and smelly by now too!)

Sam & Dan get the correct amount of chips on the next try but Brian & Ericka find out they are incorrect yet again. Meghan & Cheyne get to the proper room and get hugs from Wayne Newton, telling him they’d “love to stay and chat but we’re in a hurry, what do you got?” He tells them “my house.” And that’s it. (Time to get one of those Maps to the Stars’ Homes!) Sam & Dan show up and walk in, saying that they don’t know who Wayne Newton is (and Newton thankfully tells them, or they could be there half the night).

Meghan & Cheyne’s driver knows where the house is, but when they get there they can’t find the entrance. Sam & Dan get there and it’s a good edit by the producers, making it look close and not knowing who will get there first. Meghan & Cheyne come running around the corner and high-five the other teams as they get to Phil and find out they are the winners of the Amazing Race. Meghan is stuttering that “I don’t know what to say, I can’t even feel my body right now.” Cheyne says she’s a “strong and intelligent woman and I’m glad she’s mine.”

Sam & Dan come running around the corner and Phil tells them they are in second place. They admit that they bicker, but in the end they love and respect each other. Brian & Ericka finally come running down the path (I wonder if they finished the challenge). As Phil tells them they’re in third place they laugh and say “what?!” as if they’re surprised. Phil asks Ericka about her family’s impression of Brian now, and she looks at Brian, who is tearing up and tells him “oh, not now!” She says people should evaluate the character of a person instead of face value, and she’s glad he’s in her life. Cheyne thoughtfully says “the money isn’t even as important as what we got to do together.” Awwwww!

So if you ask me, I think Meghan & Cheyne really deserved the win. They were 99% together, supportive, and it was a total team effort. The annoying, arguing brothers Sam & Dan proved that you can fight and still be friends and Brian & Ericka did too, kind of - her family will see the abuse she gave out and realize that if Brian puts up with that, he really does love her!

So until the spring and the next Amazing Race, have a great holiday season!