Good series finale. Hope there is an AR5. Just sorry C/R won. Maybe they were good map readers and skilled in other things, but their treatment of locals was definitely atrocious! Hopefully watching the way they acted in the different countries will help to them to reflect and change their interactions with people of other cultures/languages. In comparison the clowns were awesome! Did anyone notice that they never threw anything on the ground?? They always kept their clue litter to throw away later.

Luck....Luck.....and,No Luck! I was disappointed that David and Jeff were out of the entire suspense of who would win.And who would have thought going to Tokyo to get to Hawaii?? I really thought the Chippendales were out of it when thge chose Hilo over Kona simply because it was 'closer"...They lucked out.But then when they worked the gate area in Honolulu to try to get the exact location of the anchor--that was class and forethought,very savvy.Then when they were running to the finish line and jumped on the carpet,I thought they might be disqualified: even tho they did purchase economy tickets from Tokyo to Honolulu,they ened up in BusinessClass...but the rule stated clearly as long as they bought coach tickets....They all looked totally exhausted at the end.

I saw on some message board last night that someone has seen a 'mat' in Vancouver (where they meet Phil at the end of each leg), implying AR5 is being filmed now...

Really looking forward to AR5!!! When will that be?

Having started this thread, I too hope that there will be an AR5. I also heard that the show was coming to Vancouver (I'm Canadian) but I thought that it was all a part of AR4. Sadly, I've heard nothing about AR5 (amidst much speculation) and personally think that due to inconsistent episode ratings, this great show may have to win an Emmy before there's hope for an AR5. I hope I'm wrong and that you are right travelnut.

I have to say that I very much liked that the producers left 4 sets of everything (envelopes, bikes, underwater rocks, etc) during this last round even though there were only 3 teams left. It meant that whoever was in second place thought that they were in first when they reached a clue since there were only 3 sets left by that time, and made for some good footage, while keeping the teams motivated. Of course, this only worked because the teams were out of both sight and contact with each other. It wasn't a mad dash to the mat for all 3 teams like it was in AR2 and AR3.

Congratulations to all the contestants. They played well and got to do some fun stuff while seeing a bit of the world (I wish I was in their shoes.....sometimes !).
May this show live on.

Obviously I'm pleased that the awful engaged couple didn't win, but disappointed the friends were totally out of it. Had hoped they would win after the clowns were no longer in the running. I too have my fingers crossed for a new show. Thursday nights will be empty without my weekly dose of Amazing Race!

I have to say that all the teams really pulled together and behaved positively in the end. Although I had my gripes with Kelly and Jon, I thought Kelly showed a lot of chutzpah and strength in sticking it out til the end. By the time it was over, I liked all 3 teams (and the clowns, of course!). Chip and Reichen were rude in Korea, but other than that I didn't have any complaints about them. I think that Chip is a lucky man to have Reichen for a partner!

Anyone who ate octapus like Chip and Reichen did deserved to win. I was rooting for them after that for sure. Loved the show, did not like Kelly & John and were glad they did not win. Felt sorry for the friends tho .. poor guys made a bad move flying to Sydney. It sure cost them.

I missed the episode where Chip and Reichen were very rude to Korean taxi driver, so I didn't see that negative side to them (though I don't doubt it exists.)

Overall, I thought they were very good competitors -- as were the other two final teams -- and deserved to win.

I thought the place they chose for the finale, that park in Phoenix, was perhaps the least impressive of all four shows.

One of the things I really love about this show is how everyone is on hand to greet the winnners and runner-ups and the end and there, likely, aren't any hard feelings since people don't get voted off, etc.

As a fan since AR1, I am a bit disappointed that C&R won, but not nearly as much as when Flo won! I console myself with the fact that Kelly and John didn't win. Phew. C&R lost any respect I may have had for them with the "Speak English or I won't pay you" comment to the cab driver in Korea. Yikes!

I thought that Chip and Reichen played a great game and worked well as a team. CBS also made it possible in showing that a gay couple can have equal standing in competition with a heterosexual couple... and win. My eyes were opened a bit more about gay men.

I guess it never occurred to me that a gay couple would have to prove they were as capable. Someone else's shoes, I suppose.

Still, I admit I was disappointed in their thing in Korea. But when they when Reichen was giving instructions to the cab driver in Phoenix and saying he'd seen traffic from the plane on the I-10, I was impressed. I'd have never thought to take advantage of the viee to scope out traffic - and I know, I just flew into the same airport last week. They weren't bad at planning at all.

I just thought it was a shame that as everyone gathered for pictures, from the winners down to the first out, Jeff and Dave were lost out in the world. They made it to the final episode and weren't there for the reunion or group pictures. Rough finish for them, to find out in the dark and rain, but they didn't think there at the end.

Reichen happens to be a pilot, so he is well trained for that kind of scoping. As a matter of fact, I don't think there was ever a team on this show as well prepared as those two. If you read their bios at the cbs.com site, you would know they almost trained for years for this race! Still, credit to them; they played a great game, never tried to psyche anybody out with mind games (i.e. John & Kelly). The Korean episode, though, made me sick to my stomach. A horrendous display. However, Rip's words at the end line were heartfelt and made me glad for what it meant to them.

Now, let's e-mail CBS and DEMAND AR5!! :-D

AR5 is alive and well...It will air next summer and feature Canada and Phil's native New Zealand

i am so furious at the end of the race. The "girlyboys" cheated so much and did not deserve to win. I would have welcomed either of the other teams at the finish. Two weeks ago, when they drove to the finish and beat the clowns, they should have been disqualified for not following the rules. At the VERY least, they should have been required to return to the last point and make their way on foot as did the others. Also, when they wrecked their car in the off-road race, they sould have been made to return to the start and begin again, NOT had a replacement car conveniently sent out within a moment's notice. I am so disgusted with the way they were baby-sat throughout the race. Is this more of the "Queering of America"? If so, I am about to move abroad. Chip and Reichen suck. In every sense. They are the worst example os sportsmanship I have ever seen.

Cheska.......The Chippendales were punished according to the rules laid out well before the start of the race...the 5 minute penalty was the time it would have taken them to go back and run to where they should have...the 30 minutes was a penalty for not following instructions....If a "vehicle" of any type fails for any reason, they are given a replacement without penalty...but they are not given credit for the time between the failure of the vehicle and the arrival of the replacement...Just FYI, the rules and conditions are well thought out by professionals.....I think you need to chill...Have a nice day....

Re: <i>Is this more of the &quot;Queering of America&quot;?</i>

Cheska, your comments, while sad, are also unfortunately, not surprising. Back when black people finally started being represented on TV, I would bet you were bemoaning the &quot;Negroization of America.&quot;

Not to worry, having gay friends, being around or working with gay people, or merely watching gay people on a reality TV show will not &quot;queer&quot; you, will not make you suddenly want to pounce on someone of the same sex.

capo, I'd have said something to the same effect, but you've voiced my thoughts better than I could have.

Cheska,

Please do move out of the country, but let me know which country you will pick, so that I never visit it! You are such a sad creature!!!! Better be careful, whether you're a man or woman, I've heard the Fab 5 from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy are coming to you...but instead of changing your looks, they're going to convert you to homesexuality!!!!

To every other normal person on this board,

I have to say that the only time Chip &amp; Reichen dissapointed me was the Korea incident. Until that incident, I cheered for them. I would have preferred the best friends to win (forgot their name) but Chip &amp; Reichen did play a good game and they did deserve.

Thanks, Clifton. This fear -- and sometimes loathing -- some people have of other's sexuality is, like I said, very sad, but also not surprising.

When I look at the world -- well, the Western industrialized world anyway -- I'm also heartened however, because I think that prejudice and ignorance <i>incrementally</i> die away with each new generation.

Unfortunately, they will also never completely disappear as prejudices are handed down from generation to generation. There are still people capable of committing the most horrific crimes (e.g. the dragging of a black man, James Byrd, behind a truck in Texas by two white guys) against people merely because they have a different skin color.