If both teams caught the same train, it would have been a foot race to the finish. Even assuming that F&M knew exactly where they were going when they got off the train (unlike R&B), Frank couldn't have steered them in the wrong direction without hurting his team as well. While I disagree with Franks's comments about R&B always following them, this would have been the one time where I think they could have done that very strategically. Based on the earlier foot race in the airport, I think R&B would have had an edge if it had indeed come down to a sprint. Of course with adrenaline, who knows?

One thing I found interesting is that both teams assumed they were first when they picked up the last clue. They both also grabbed the next train anxiously hoping that the other team would not. R&B did consider the possibility that F&M had already taken an earlier train, but F&M did not. Based on these facts, I presume that the final clues were set out in such a manner as to keep the teams in the dark. Otherwise R&B would have known they were in the lead, and F&M would have known they were not. I highly doubt that F&M just "didn't notice" that the other team's clue was gone already.

I was also thinking that despite the home turf advantage, R&B had to treat NYC the same as any other city as far as their unfamiliarity. We didn't see F&M doing any preparation, though that could have been edited out. Had the NYC leg been more complicated, the extra preparation by R&B could have helped them in the event that F&M were not as familiar with NYC as they thought. In the end though, it seemed like the easiest leg of all.

Hats off to Frank for giving the taxi driver $100 (or was that the lawyers?). I would have laughed my a** off if Frank had haggled with him over the fare.

• RE: Alternate Possibilities,Cole, 11:29 AM, 12-14-01
  • RE: Alternate Possibilities,sctes, 12:15 PM, 12-14-01
• RE: Alternate Possibilities,smilesforyou, 12:45 PM, 12-14-01
  • RE: Alternate Possibilities,sctes, 01:00 PM, 12-14-01

You're right, last night I was waiting for a comment from either team that "they're ahead" or "we're first". I don't think Margarita would have been so happy on the train if she didn't think they were in first.... the producers must have had to have replaced the envelope in the box, or maybe there were more than three to throw them off.

It was nice to see Frank giving the driver $100, knowing that the race was almost over and money was not a concern. Especially after seeing him haggle over a dollar in China!

LAST EDITED ON 12-14-01 AT 12:15 PM (EST)

>they were in first.... the
>producers must have had to
>have replaced the envelope in
>the box, or maybe there
>were more than three to
>throw them off.

I hadn't though about them having "extra" envelopes. That or replacing the envelope makes the most sense. I found it very interesting that both teams played it the same way, but one looked the fool because they lost. After all of Frank's comments I rather enjoyed watching them gloating. I felt a bit sorry for him though at the moment he looked up in a bit of disbelief at seeing Rob and/or Brennan already at the finish line. I thought for a second he was trying to convince himself that they weren't really there or that there was some other explanation. I'm glad he reached out to Margarita and finished with a bit of style rather than just pouting (which would have been totally understandable).

Seeing as Margarita ran the slowest out of the four of them at the airport, one devious thing they could have done if it came down to a foot race was get in a pretend disagreement about where they were going, and then have Marg head straight to the finish line while Frank leads R&B in the wrong direction. This would have given both Frank and Margarita a head start once Frank made a break. R&B didn't seem to know where they were going when they got off the train. Good thing they had that 15 minute lead and didn't let their assumptions about what place they were in affect their behavior.

I was wondering about the envelope thing. I figured that they were in too much of a hurry to pay attention, but that doesn't make much sense. I mean I think I'd check to make sure how many envelopes were there and get a good idea of where I stood (first, second...)
I figured F&M were just being cocky...
that envelope replacing theory is a good one.

What if R&B had replaced their own envelope? That would have been quite sneaky, but I'm sure it didn't go down that way. R&B were unsure if they were in the lead. Now that I think about it, that might have been an interesting strategy to use at some point in the race, to make a trailing team feel comfortable that they are ahead when they are not.