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Viva Las Vegas!: The Amazing Race Season 15, Episode 11
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It all comes down to this! In the season finale of The Amazing Race Season 15, Episode 11, the final three teams race to their last destination: Las Vegas, Nevada. From high-stakes challenges to meeting Mr. Las Vegas himself, the glitz and glamour of the Strip set the stage for a nail-biting finish. Every second counts as the race for $1 million comes to a dramatic close.
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Transcript
Episode Introduction: Finale of The Amazing Race and Podcast
00:00:07
The Amazing Rewatch
Hello, everybody. This is the finale of season 15 15 of The Amazing Race and The Amazing Raywatch. We finally made it.
Challenges of Podcast Management and Scheduling
00:00:18
The Amazing Rewatch
Sometimes the last few episodes for us really just drag. ah Mostly because we're just trying to fit a bunch in at once. Because we're two... I was going to say compressed-inators. Wow. Wow.
00:00:34
The Amazing Rewatch
I don't even know how happened. We're two procrastinators doing a podcast together. so we But not only that, we're very busy.
00:00:45
The Amazing Rewatch
yeah we have jobs and children and other things to do. And we do like we do make this a priority. it is hard to fit it in sometimes. so But i we're going to get this out on time.
00:01:00
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah.
Excitement for Las Vegas Finale
00:01:02
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. I think we will. were We have to edit and post them all tonight. Yeah. so So that they are in your ears on Wednesday morning. Because this is Tuesday evening. Yes.
00:01:15
The Amazing Rewatch
At 9 p.m. So. Anyway, this was, thought this was a pretty good finale. It was exciting. It was close. Yeah, it was very close. the most part.
00:01:26
The Amazing Rewatch
And it was in Las Vegas, which we are familiar with. li a Las Vegas is only five-hour drive for us. Four and a half hour drive.
Reflections on Past Episodes and Predictions
00:01:36
The Amazing Rewatch
We go there for different events yeah more often than other people probably do.
00:01:42
The Amazing Rewatch
And we guessed, I guess, and I guess Chicago. Yeah. So we were off. And after like watching, we'll talk about it when we get there, but after watching, um the leg, I definitely remembered a few things about this episode.
00:01:59
The Amazing Rewatch
so I've never seen this episode. I feel like I probably did because I've seen other things, but also I don't remember this at all. so Well, the last episode we were in ah Prague and Megan and Shane were the first to arrive. So they are departing at 1110 AM.
00:02:20
The Amazing Rewatch
It says fly 6,000 miles to the final destination city, Las Vegas, Nevada. Once there, travel to the Graceland Wedding Chapel to get your next clue from the king. They get to the airport and find out the flight doesn't depart until 6.40pm.
00:02:36
The Amazing Rewatch
They'll arrive at 2pm the next day, so that means they'll all be on the same flight because Sam and Dan depart at 12.08pm, which is like a whole hour behind, and then Brian and Erica at Yeah, and the thing that they were doing the end of last leg was the telephones and... they did that detour with the beer that they had to deliver all the beer. Oh, that's right.
00:02:56
The Amazing Rewatch
But they departed, and but they had a speed bump and they departed later than the other teams. Mm-hmm. So... At 3.15.
00:03:06
The Amazing Rewatch
buts So they're like three hours behind and four hours behind. so yeah but it doesn't matter because they're on the same flight.
Final Leg in Las Vegas: Challenges and Tasks
00:03:15
The Amazing Rewatch
And it seems like Sam and Dan and Megan and Shane didn't know who the third team was. yeah They got to the airport and they're like, do you know who it is? And they're like, we bet it's the Globetrotters. But Brian and Erica show up and they were surprised.
00:03:28
The Amazing Rewatch
Sam and Dan are like, you probably hate us so much. You probably want to kill us. Yeah. Well, either either team that it would have been have a little bit of beef with Sam and Dan after the last leg. Yeah. Well, the flight lands in Vegas and the teams get in taxis and get to this wedding chapel about the same time. And the clue says, make your way to Mandalay Bay.
00:03:49
The Amazing Rewatch
Yes. It's very simple. They get the clue from Elvis. And Brian and Erica's driver tells him he's taking a shortcut, which sometimes you're always like, is this actually a shortcut? Or is this driver know he's talking about? But this is. This one actually was. They got there first. They got there first.
00:04:08
The Amazing Rewatch
And this clue at Mandalay Bay is a roadblock and says, who's ready to climb down the mountain? don't why it says the mountain. i don't know. Because the this teammate has to complete a face first rappel 600 feet down the side of the building.
00:04:23
The Amazing Rewatch
Mandalay Bay. Mandalay Bay. Does Mandalay... What does Mandalay mean? Does it mean mountain in another language or something? But yeah, i was like, why did I say down a mountain? um Well, Brian is scared of heights, and I think that they know that this is going to be a heights challenge. So Erica does this, and Shane and Megan are not too far behind, and Shane is going to do it, but he's, like, pretty nervous.
00:04:48
The Amazing Rewatch
And then when Sam and Dan arrive, Sam does the roadblock. But I think Erica finishes pretty much before Sam even starts.
00:04:59
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. And she goes pretty slow. I don't think I would love this. That's a pretty tall building. Yeah. And going face first. I think we've talked about this before, but just like going over the edge, I think would be the hardest part. And then once you're over and like going down.
00:05:16
The Amazing Rewatch
But going face first would be way harder than going backwards. Yeah, because you, it's like you're trying to walk down the building, but their feet kept like slipping off. So they were basically just like hanging there. Yeah.
00:05:26
The Amazing Rewatch
And then they had to like put their arms behind them to like lower themselves. I don't know. It looked really awkward. Yeah. Yeah. But, um yeah, Erica was done first um by quite a bit of time. And the clue says, this desert only has one Mirage. Go to it. Right?
00:05:44
The Amazing Rewatch
Is that all? Okay. Which is the Mirage Hotel. is that the one that... Does the Mirage exist anymore? I feel like there's one hotel in ah Vegas that they're, like, shutting down soon.
00:05:58
The Amazing Rewatch
Um...
00:05:59
The Amazing Rewatch
and might Maybe it's Mandalay Bay. I don't think it's Mandalay Bay. um Well, while you look that up, so Shane is like halfway down.
00:06:08
The Amazing Rewatch
And Sam gets over the edge of the building and he's going fast. Shane's got his eyes closed like the whole time and he's going super slow. Shane is like running.
00:06:19
The Amazing Rewatch
He's like trying to run down the building, but you have like the person at the bottom that's like kind of controlling. What is it? The belay guy. and he's like, I want to go faster. I want to go faster. And he can't go as fast as he wants to, but he's definitely going faster than Shane. So I think they made up a lot of time, but Shane did finish, uh,
00:06:36
The Amazing Rewatch
Before Sam. Did you find something? Yeah. The Mirage closed on July 17th, 2024 sold to Hard Rock International.
00:06:49
The Amazing Rewatch
So it will be the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
00:06:54
The Amazing Rewatch
You'll have a significant renovation. I'm surprised that there's Hard Hotel Vegas already. There's a restaurant. but
00:06:59
The Amazing Rewatch
I've been to a couple of Hard Rocks. We went to one in Iceland and we went to one in Copenhagen. It's sometimes nice just to have like, you know that you can get some good American food yeah in a place that is not known for their good food. Yeah. I went to one in Costa Rica.
00:07:17
The Amazing Rewatch
Oh, really? Yeah. That's the only time I've been to one. I went on my birthday. Did we talk about this already on the podcast? I went on my birthday and they were like, um you can go pick out a birthday gift, you know, and I thought it would be, i don't know.
00:07:31
The Amazing Rewatch
Nothing or like the free ice cream or whatever. But it was like I had the choice of a hat or a tote bag or a T-shirt. And these these things cost like $40. In Iceland?
00:07:41
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. In the gift shop. So I have a Hard Rock Reykjavik shirt that I got for free for my birthday in Iceland. Yeah. Yeah, I didn't know that. um well the reason sam and dan arrived last is they said their taxi driver sucked yeah and that was pretty that was like a lot slower than the other two because they all left the chapel at the same time but yeah so you said that shane finished and sam made up a lot of time by going really quickly um brian and erica arrive at the mirage and it says join the cast of love
00:08:16
The Amazing Rewatch
which is the Cirque du Soleil Beatles show. Using bungee cords, one team member must launch their teammate high enough into the air to retrieve the bouquet of flowers, then handed hand it to the flower child to receive your next clue.
00:08:29
The Amazing Rewatch
And have to grab the entire bouquet. Yeah. So Erica gets strapped into the harnesses and Brian will launch her. So it's like, kind of what you think you know he yeah just pulls her legs and lets go and she the bungees like fling her ah megan and shane arrive and megan does it and then the brothers like arrive and and dan gets in the bungee he says he's taller so he's gonna get in but he is he's like bigger but he's taller and they think the height will help them yeah and it takes all of them several like a lot of tries
00:09:05
The Amazing Rewatch
it's It takes a while for them to like kind of get the feel of what the speed or like. Yeah, like the angle because the person that's pulling the bungee down, they kind of just have to like hold on to the angles of their team member. Yeah.
00:09:18
The Amazing Rewatch
And pull at a downward angle. Mm-hmm. and let go and then the team the teammate that's flying goes up and then they kind of come down straight and then go straight up and that's when they reach for the flower.
00:09:34
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. So yeah, it takes a minute to kind of get the hang of the motion. Erica really is mad about it.
00:09:45
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. and she wants to switch with Brian because she says he's taller and he can get it because she can't. She's only a few inches away. Megan ends up getting the flowers first. it The first time she grabs them, she only gets like a few flowers. handful. But then she gets the whole bouquet, turns it in, and it says, what's the most famous casino in the country of Monaco?
00:10:06
The Amazing Rewatch
Teams must now figure out that the casino they're looking for is a Monte Carlo where they'll get their next clue. Yes. And this is the part that i remember, but for some reason in my mind, I was thinking that it was the season.
00:10:20
The Amazing Rewatch
um
00:10:22
The Amazing Rewatch
It's like the season 24 all-star season, I think, um with Brendan and Rachel. Because i they go to Vegas for that one. And I thought for sure that was where They struggled.
00:10:34
The Amazing Rewatch
With the Monte Carlo? Monte Carlo. Because i i know immediately. yeah And I'm like, how do all these taxi drivers, they're like the Venetian?
00:10:44
The Amazing Rewatch
And then they like yell out the window and people are like, I think it's in Spain. Is it the Bellagio? And I'm like, you guys. Yeah. Yeah. So when they get to their taxi driver the taxi driver, their taxi driver doesn't know. Yeah. He says the Venetian. But the...
00:11:01
The Amazing Rewatch
It was Sam and Dan's taxi driver that said the Venetian to them. Oh, was it? Yeah. and but then they, like, ask people in the street and one of them's, like you said, they said, like, the Bellagio or whatever.
00:11:14
The Amazing Rewatch
So Sam and Dan, they finish next. And Brian and Erica are frustrated. Erica's really, really mad now. She's just, like, she gets so upset and they switch again. Yeah.
00:11:26
The Amazing Rewatch
Because she's not strong enough to, like, pull him hard enough. Yeah. She's losing it. Yeah. At this point. Because they did have a pretty good lead. After leaving leaving the purple. She's like, I can't stand to lose this lead and it's gone. Yeah. she's like kicking her legs and screaming and Yeah. She's like crying like a toddler. Sobbing.
00:11:46
The Amazing Rewatch
and Brian stays very calm. Yeah. If that was my fiance or wife or whatever up there doing that, I'd be like, Oh my gosh. Yeah.
00:11:58
The Amazing Rewatch
Sam and Dan get in their taxi and Megan and Shane are heading out and they tell their taxi driver to follow them. Yeah. So, but they don't really know where they're going.
00:12:08
The Amazing Rewatch
But Sam uses the taxi driver's
Chip Counting Task at Monte Carlo
00:12:10
The Amazing Rewatch
phone to call Mandalay Bay concierge and asks them what's the most famous casino in Monaco and they're told the Monte Carlo.
00:12:21
The Amazing Rewatch
So they tell their driver to sneakily go there and don't let the other car see them. This is when they're told again that it's like the Bellagio and um Megan and Shane are dropped off at The valet at the Venetian, they ask like a valet person what's – he says Monte Carlo. And then they go inside and ask the concierge. And the concierge says Monte Carlo. Like they waste a lot of time. Yeah.
00:12:48
The Amazing Rewatch
Asking all these people. And like these hotels look close together yeah when you're just looking at the Vegas Strip. But to get anywhere in Vegas takes a long time. And like – um pulling into valets and valet and like yeah the hotel doors and everything it just it it's not as easy as it looks yeah it's not like just a regular hotel going from like to all these different places probably took a long time yeah like these properties are huge well erica finally gets the flowers and
00:13:23
The Amazing Rewatch
And they know immediately that it's the Monte Carlo. Yeah, but this part annoys me. She grabs them and they're like, they have, she's in the harness and she grabs them and they're done. And Brian's like screaming and excited. Like, yes, finally, yes.
00:13:36
The Amazing Rewatch
And she's like, well, come on, stop cheering. Get me down. Like she's just really mad at him right now. And they get in their taxi. They know it's Monte Carlo. And he like tries to talk to her and she completely just Yeah, she's just like looking out at the window. Doesn't even acknowledge that he tried to talk to her. Yeah.
00:13:50
The Amazing Rewatch
I did not like this at all. So last episode when I said... No, he was doing his very best. Last episode when I said I wanted them to win. At this point in this episode, I'm like, I don't want them to win. I want him to win, but i don't want her to win. She's not very nice to him.
00:14:06
The Amazing Rewatch
And they talk throughout the the last few episodes and this one as well that like... ah Erica's mom has a hard time with their relationship because of their racial differences and stuff. And so she's like, I hope this race can show my mom and my family that like, there's more to us than color. Yeah, well, I hope her family looks at this and is like, oh my gosh, he's a saint.
00:14:28
The Amazing Rewatch
Yes. He's so patient with you.
00:14:32
The Amazing Rewatch
So, ah Brian and Erica get to the Monte Carlo first. No, they don't. No, no, no. Sorry. Sam and Dan. Sam and Dan get there first. And it says, um count a million dollars worth of poker chips.
00:14:47
The Amazing Rewatch
So each poker table is covered with poker chips in various denominations. From the sea of 8,400 chips, they must count out exactly $1 million. dollars Once the dealer verifies, they'll get a special poker chip and the next clue.
00:15:01
The Amazing Rewatch
So this kind of crazy, but not... ah craziest thing we've seen no and this is basically the final task yeah there's no so we don't have a task of this one it's like matching up countries with tasks and orders and anything like that that we've had the last few seasons which it is very Vegas-y but this could have been like a detour or a roadblock yeah I like it when they have more of like a memory challenge yeah and reflect on the season
00:15:34
The Amazing Rewatch
but they don't have that this one which is not my favorite um so brian and eric get to the monte carlos second yes they do beat megan and shane yeah um and shane aren't like that far behind so they're all there counting at the same time yeah once they do arrive And Sam and Dan have had communication issues this whole season. at this point, it's better than it's been in the past.
00:16:00
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah, but you can tell that they are, like, on the verge of getting really yelly. Yeah. And Dan is, like, yeah starting to get there, and Sam just kind of, like, doesn't engage. Yeah. And he's like, come you know.
00:16:13
The Amazing Rewatch
because So they have to make all these stacks of the chips, and then they give it to the... ah what it called? The dealer. The dealer to count them. And it's not like they have to do it all like at once. They can like start handing piles over. yeah So Sam has like a bunch of piles in front of him and he slides it over. He's like, you can take that. And Dan's like, no, no, no, you can't. He's like, stop.
00:16:37
The Amazing Rewatch
Sam's like, stop. And he turns to him, ma'am, yes, you can take that. Thank you. And Dan's like, it's just, he really is, holding a lot back at this point yeah that's like the worst thing that he did but uh i think they just realized how important the yeah you gotta keep your cool or else it's gonna fall apart yeah so there's like the red chips are 5 000 they're 1 000 sorry yeah that's what meant sorry 1 000 so they have to have 10 in stack make 10 000
00:17:08
The Amazing Rewatch
ten and a stack to make ten thousand and you need 10 of those to make 100,000. And you would need 10 of that to make a million. But there's not enough red chips to make a million. So they have to start doing black chips. So then they have to start doing 500s and 100s and 25s and stuff like that.
00:17:29
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. so all... Megan and Shane do make up a lot of time here too because all three teams pretty much finish at the same time. Yeah.
Race Conclusion: Megan and Shane's Victory
00:17:39
The Amazing Rewatch
And...
00:17:40
The Amazing Rewatch
They're like waiting to be verified. And Brian and Erica and Sam and Dan are incorrect, but Megan and Shane are correct. Yeah. And they get the chip or the clue that says race to the MGM Grand and find the high roller suite where Mr. Las Vegas will tell you where the next location is.
00:17:59
The Amazing Rewatch
The location of the finish line. It says the finish line. We'll tell you the location of the finish line. And as they're running out, they ask some people in the casino, who's Mr. Las Vegas? It's Wayne Newton. And they get in their taxi and they're like, we'll pay you hundreds of dollars if you go as fast as you can. Yeah.
00:18:16
The Amazing Rewatch
So I wonder how much they've saved at this point from all their yeah cash. Yeah. Like we said a couple episodes ago, there hasn't been any talk of money or anybody being short on money. So yeah they probably have kind of stockpiled as much as they can and um Why is Wayne Newton called Mr. Las Vegas?
00:18:35
The Amazing Rewatch
I don't know. He's still alive. Yeah. He's 83. he's eighty three Yeah. I was going to say he's old. he He's definitely had a lot of work done. Oh, yeah. He was on Dancing with the Stars, I think, back like one of the very first seasons.
00:18:49
The Amazing Rewatch
Oh, really? he I think he was maybe one of the first ones eliminated. Let's Let's see. Why? he still perform? Yeah.
00:18:57
The Amazing Rewatch
He was nicknamed Mr. Las Vegas because of his long and prolific career performing on the Vegas Strip. Starting at a young age and continuing for decades, he's known for his charm, engaging personality, and extensive performance history, which includes over 30,000 solo shows.
00:19:13
The Amazing Rewatch
Jeez. Yeah, he looks
00:19:16
The Amazing Rewatch
like a mannequin. Mm-hmm.
00:19:19
The Amazing Rewatch
Where did you... Carson Wayne Newman.
00:19:22
The Amazing Rewatch
Vegas is weird. Yeah. We need to talk about it and yeah give the history of it and stuff. but like The history is pretty interesting. It's it's like this a world of its own. is so... If nobody's been to Las Vegas, like it is very, very unique and just so... it's it's it's There's no way like it nowhere where It's just like this sea of lights and...
00:19:49
The Amazing Rewatch
weird buildings and people the weird people yeah but also you can just you can have a really good time there and not even if you're not even a partier like yeah like I don't drink or I mean i will I'll gamble $50 yeah like I'm not willing to lose any more than that yeah so it usually you know I'm done in 10 minutes but yeah it's like the heat and yeah it can get all the things to do and see and everything like people performers always go there hotel has its own show yeah it's such a weird place have you been to a Cirque du Soleil show ah I've been to Kaa at MGM Grand and it was really cool I did like that one and I would love to go see some others but they're kind of expensive yeah and
00:20:35
The Amazing Rewatch
I saw Shania Twain in Vegas and I saw Celine Dion in Vegas. Yeah. That was the best the best concert I've ever been to. I saw Lion King there and I've been to like a bunch of country concerts there.
00:20:51
The Amazing Rewatch
and don't think they do that anymore. The ACM. The ACM country. I don't know. it went like four years in a row, like me and my college roommates. Because we I went to college just like two hours away. Yeah, both went to college in southern Utah. So Vegas was easy And yeah, we would go to these country concerts that lasted for like three days. And like we're outdoors and we're so much fun.
00:21:13
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. But anyways, if you have a chance to go to Vegas, you should. no matter what, i mean, you could take your kids there. Like there's just so much to do. Yeah. It is.
00:21:24
The Amazing Rewatch
I mean, there's a lot of like risque pictures and billboards and stuff. So sometimes you have to cover their eyes, but there's still fun things for them to do. My kids, my kids asked me the other day, like two days ago, they're like, when are we going to go to the M&M world again? Yeah.
00:21:39
The Amazing Rewatch
Like, I don't know. It's definitely a tourist destination. There's not, we kind of said this about Dubai. There's not a lot of like, authentic anything really there. no um it It's made for tourists and it's all relatively new. Like this city was not, it's not very old. Yeah, like 1900s kind of was like the boom.
00:21:58
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. Because it's, what it it they people started going there for like silver mining, right? um It was mostly just like an oasis for like um animals. Like there was actual like a spring there.
00:22:11
The Amazing Rewatch
It started out basically like for ranchers i'll just tell you about it right now i guess before we get to the end Yeah. um So it's the most populous city in Nevada. and It's the county seat of Clark County.
00:22:28
The Amazing Rewatch
There are like a little less than two and half million people in the metropolitan area. It's It's the 24th most populous city in the in the country. um It's known for its resorts, gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife.
00:22:44
The Amazing Rewatch
Most of the venues are located on the Las Vegas Strip. Which actually is not in Las Vegas. It's in Paradise. Yeah. yeah So the Las Vegas Strip is not even in the city of Las Vegas. But it is basically. But it's not.
00:22:59
The Amazing Rewatch
um It was settled in 1905 1905 and incorporated in 1911. It accelerated its growth in the sixty s and between the 1990 and 2000, the population increased by 85%. Jeez.
00:23:13
The Amazing Rewatch
gee um It's billed as the entertainment capital of the world and is famous for its luxurious and large casino hotels. As of 2023, Las Vegas attracted over 40 million visitors annually.
00:23:28
The Amazing Rewatch
making one of the most visited cities in the U.S. and consistently ranking among the top um tourist destinations in the world. It's the third most popular U.S. destination for business conventions.
00:23:41
The Amazing Rewatch
There's like a lot of convention centers and ben to one the hotels. Every hotel has a convention center. um It's a huge hospitality industry. It's known as Sin City because of the adult entertainment.
00:23:52
The Amazing Rewatch
um It's popular for films, literature, television, commercials, music videos, things like that. Las Vegas means the meadows um because...
00:24:05
The Amazing Rewatch
It was basically founded on like a green oasis because there were some springs there. But the underground waters have been run dry.
00:24:17
The Amazing Rewatch
So the city, like 90% of the water in Las Vegas comes from Lake Mead instead of underground like it used to. Yeah.
00:24:28
The Amazing Rewatch
That's kind of a cool place to go. Like the Hoover Dam. It's pretty interesting. Yeah. um There are over 300 weddings that happen every day in Las Vegas. Wow. A lot of people get married there. In fact, there are dozens of walk-in wedding venues that let you tie the knot at the drop of a hat. You can get married by Elvis and become spouses in less than 10 minutes.
00:24:50
The Amazing Rewatch
Wow. Las Vegas is known for as seafood buffets. And people in Vegas eat more shellfish per day than the entire country collectively eats in an entire year.
00:25:04
The Amazing Rewatch
What? I don't eat seafood, so that's not a thing that... I don't really like buffets. Yeah. I'm actually reading a book right now about, ah but like, a buffet mishap.
00:25:18
The Amazing Rewatch
It's like... don't know if anybody knows Christina Lauren books. It's called The Unhoneymooners. It starts out with like a wedding and there's a seafood buffet that they got for their wedding for free and the whole wedding party gets sick.
00:25:30
The Amazing Rewatch
Oh, no. So then the brother and the like the might maid of honor and the best man have to go on the honeymoon because the bride and groom are sick. Oh, and it's actually a really cue cute. Yeah.
00:25:43
The Amazing Rewatch
um uh the most famous chapel is the graceland wedding chapel which we went to already it's been in business for over 80 years and it was the first wedding chapel on earth to host an elvis themed ceremony the ngn grand is the world's largest hotel it has over 6 800 rooms ah across 30 floors it has four pools three world pools a spa luxury sports bar and the biggest casino in las vegas it has 170 000 square feet it was founded in 1975 um
00:26:16
The Amazing Rewatch
an estimated 70 000 people moved through move through this hotel every day and 12 000 guests stay there on any given night um And they're like almost always full. Yeah.
00:26:29
The Amazing Rewatch
There are more than 150,000 hotel rooms in the city. I think it's the second most. I think there's Orlando has the most hotel rooms in the U.S. and Vegas is second. Yeah.
00:26:39
The Amazing Rewatch
So 40 40 million people come to Vegas and fill over 150,000 rooms every single night. And yeah.
00:26:51
The Amazing Rewatch
So i was going to say something else. Vegas used to be like a cheap place to go. Like you could get like a room at the Excalibur for like 30 bucks a night and it was free parking and you can just like walk the strip and not spend any money. And there used to be cheap food. But in the last few years, all the restaurants are expensive.
00:27:12
The Amazing Rewatch
Hotels have started to charge for parking. All the hotels have resort fees now. So the room may still be like $40, but there's a $50 resort fee on top of it. Mm-hmm. Yeah, and now the entertainment is expensive too. Like, the Sphere is the brand new thing that's big. And a ticket to the Sphere, it's like a movie or whatever. Yeah. It's $100. Backstreet
00:27:33
The Amazing Rewatch
concert there but yeah the tickets are really expensive that would be cool so that but i just like i think it's like a 30 minute movie or something like that it's 90 and then like the ferris wheel is expensive they have f1 there now but they did f1 brings a high like high roller high end clients yeah yeah and yeah so things are getting more expensive but that's how it is everywhere in the world with everything um but yeah it's a very interesting place fascinating unique one of a kind and lots of five-star dining and like michelin restaurants and yeah yeah
00:28:16
The Amazing Rewatch
I eat at Cheesecake Factory pretty much any time I go to Vegas. Yeah. It's so weird because seriously, every hotel is like a city. and It's like there restaurants that I wouldn't even know where they were or that they existed because there's like so many parts of the hotel that you don't even see. you have to like walk. And the casinos are like very hard to navigate on purpose because they want you to get stuck there and just be like, oh, I don't know where i'm going. So I'm going sit and gamble.
00:28:46
The Amazing Rewatch
And they're shopping in every single hotel and like just so much to do. Yeah. Anyways, so that's about Las Vegas. We obviously like it there, but it's just weird place.
00:28:58
The Amazing Rewatch
It's fun place to go. Everybody should go once in their life at least. yeah so um So we have Megan and Shane heading to the MGM to get to the high roller room to ask Mr. Las Vegas where the finish line is.
00:29:13
The Amazing Rewatch
And um now Brian and Erica and Sam and Dan get their chips counted again. Sam and Dan's are correct. And Brian and Erica's are not correct again. Mm-hmm.
00:29:25
The Amazing Rewatch
So... Erica is like super upset. She's like, why does this happen to us every time? Why does this keep happening to us? It's like, because you get things wrong.
00:29:35
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. it's like people aren't doing it to you. or're not. You're getting it wrong. oh and Megan and Shane. said she wants to start over. She's like, I'd rather just start over. yeah And Brian's like, no, let me just do it one more time. She's like, but just start over. He's like, no. Like she's very quick to just like.
00:29:50
The Amazing Rewatch
Kind of give up. Give up. She's trying to do that on so many detours and be like, let's just do the other one. I'm not going to do it. I'm not even going to do it. I'm not even going to try. Let's just do the other one. But then he has to like keep her going and like things like this. And yeah.
00:30:07
The Amazing Rewatch
But, um, They get on the elevator. They go up to. Main chain. Yeah. business yeah They go up to suite 88 and ah Wayne Newton is there and they said where's the finish line? He says at my house.
00:30:22
The Amazing Rewatch
Well first they're like Wayne Newton like it's really him standing there and I wouldn't I wouldn't think I would remember his name like on the spot in the moment. I wouldn't be able to be like Wayne Newton. Well Sam and Dan don't.
00:30:34
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. They're like they get there. They're like what's your name. What's your name again. i'm so embarrassed. That's so embarrassing. But Shane and Megan do know his name. Anyways he says at my house. Yeah.
00:30:45
The Amazing Rewatch
So. But the taxi driver seems to know where it is because that's what they get. They don't have any. Yeah. Address anything like that. And Sam and Dan don't seem to be very far behind because they get their As well. And. Ask him.
00:31:00
The Amazing Rewatch
And. ah Also ask him what his name is. Because they forgot. And. um Brian and Erica are still counting. So. Like we said. Megan and Shane's taxi driver. Pretty much knows where it is. it says like. Casa de Shenandoah. On the.
00:31:16
The Amazing Rewatch
Like gate or something like that. Yeah. But they're trying to figure out what gate. They're looking for the main entrance and they, there's like, it's a big property. So they try a couple of different gates and stuff. So they're kind of losing time doing this and it kind of looks like it might be close.
00:31:32
The Amazing Rewatch
And then we see like a shot of the, all the eliminated teams but lined up the path and clapping you're wondering who it's going to be that's running around the corner and like the taxi kind of pulls right up into that spot yeah like they don't have to run very far no but it is well you can tell it's Megan and Shane because they're like in a van taxi oh and Sam and Dan were in a regular taxi I didn't even clock that but but we knew it was going to be Megan and Shane anyway yeah um but yeah so Megan and Shane run around the corner and all the teams are clapping for them
00:32:10
The Amazing Rewatch
And they get up to the mat and they can see that they're the only teams there, but they still don't seem to. Yeah. They're like waiting for Phil to tell them. Yeah. Cause that would be embarrassing to celebrate.
00:32:22
The Amazing Rewatch
And not, but also it'd be hard not to celebrate if you don't see anybody there. Yeah. And they've never like hid. The winner. The winner. So the other team, anyways, he says eight countries, 21 days, more than 25,000 miles racing around the world. Megan and Shane, you are the official winners the amazing race and have won the $1 million dollars prize.
00:32:40
The Amazing Rewatch
Yes. And then they finally start freaking out and they are very excited. Megan says, I don't even feel like this is real. Yeah. That would be a very surreal feeling. Mm-hmm.
00:32:52
The Amazing Rewatch
So that means Sam and Dan are team number two. Well, Megan and shane they have great things to say about each other. They've done really well on this race and they've gotten along. They're consistent. Yeah, they've got a lot of first places, especially the last half of the season.
00:33:08
The Amazing Rewatch
um They've been a very strong team, very smart, very, yeah, they've done a really good job. So I think they deserved it. um Sam and Dan are number two. And they were like, and Phil was like, there's been a lot of bickering between you guys but how do you feel now and they're like well we're brothers and we still love each other this hasn't affected our relationship it's only made us grow stronger and sam says it's just nice when you're able to look up to your younger brother and still like admire him and we have a great relationship we'll always love each other yeah it didn't affect the relationship however however much they thought yeah
00:33:45
The Amazing Rewatch
And then Brian and Erica show up eventually and Phil says, you're the third team to arrive. And Brian's like, what? Yeah. Like funny. And Erica's like, yeah. and there And he says, how's your relationship now? Like, what does your what do you think about your family?
00:34:01
The Amazing Rewatch
Like, what would they think about this relationship? And Brian starts to cry. Erica's like, don't do this now. Yeah. And she says that, like, I think this could show my family that they should fully accept him because he's such a good guy. And, yeah.
00:34:17
The Amazing Rewatch
I think he portrayed himself very well oh on this season. Like, he was kind to everyone. He worked really hard. He was so nice and respectful to Erica. He was very supportive, even when she wasn't. And he stayed strong and happy and positive. And he's a really good guy. Yeah. Yeah.
00:34:35
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah, I like him and I hope Erica's family saw that in him. Yeah. Well,
00:34:44
The Amazing Rewatch
ah what let's talk about... Wait, first, can you say what eight countries we went to? Okay. Oh, gosh, we got to go back to the beginning.
00:34:55
The Amazing Rewatch
We went east first, so Japan. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Then Vietnam. Mm-hmm. Then Cambodia.
00:35:05
The Amazing Rewatch
Yes. Then ah Dubai. yeah Well, UAE. Mm-hmm. Sweden.
00:35:15
The Amazing Rewatch
Mm-hmm. Estonia. Wait, you missed one between ue and Sweden. Oh.
00:35:20
The Amazing Rewatch
Let's see. Oh, Netherlands. Mm-hmm. Sweden, Estonia, Czech Republic, U.S. Yeah. So last two seasons we haven't been to Africa or South America.
00:35:32
The Amazing Rewatch
Or Australia. Oceania. Yeah. So that's yeah interesting. Very Asia, Europe heavy season. huh It'll be interesting to see what the route is next time. I always love.
00:35:45
The Amazing Rewatch
I always like when watching the episodes new or like anytime a new season comes, I never watch the after the credits when it's like stay tuned for scenes from our next episode i'm always like no i don't want to know i want to be surprised at where they go next time yeah yeah and then it is our one two three four fifth team in a row of a boy girl but the last two were it was like
00:36:16
The Amazing Rewatch
Boyfriend, girlfriend, boyfriend, girlfriend, brother, sister, brother, sister, boyfriend, girlfriend.
00:36:22
The Amazing Rewatch
We need a little shakeup, I guess. Still no girl winner. All girl team winners. Yeah. But okay. Tell us about Brian and Erica. Brian and
Post-Race Activities and Personal Lives of Contestants
00:36:31
The Amazing Rewatch
Erica.
00:36:32
The Amazing Rewatch
Their race average was 4.25.
00:36:36
The Amazing Rewatch
So they took six in the first leg, 10th out of 11 in the second leg, and then did much better after that. They were saved by the non-elimination in leg 10.
00:36:49
The Amazing Rewatch
um
00:36:50
The Amazing Rewatch
And they seemed pretty, i mean, obviously at the end, they're even on roadblocks. Brian, Erica, Brian, Erica, Brian, Brian, Erica, Erica, like something. Yeah.
00:37:00
The Amazing Rewatch
What is, oh, let's see. They were the first interracial married couple. They're the youngest married couple ever, even still. Their average age was 27. To be a married couple? To a married couple, yeah.
00:37:15
The Amazing Rewatch
There hasn't been a younger married couple than 27? guess not. That's really weird. That doesn't seem. I mean, because we live in Utah and everybody gets married when they're 21. Yeah. But.
00:37:26
The Amazing Rewatch
I think a lot of the couples that are like the younger couples are just dating or engaged. Yeah. So, yeah. And they're also the first co-ed team to finish the race without winning a leg. So they never did win a leg.
00:37:41
The Amazing Rewatch
but And then, unfortunately, split up in 2010 but up in two thousand ten or eleven
00:37:52
The Amazing Rewatch
So they are no longer married. um But before they got divorced, ah Brian and Erica and Megan and Shane started a company together called Custom Quest, which is a company that produces amazing race-like events to help fill facilitate team building and leadership for organizations and corporations.
00:38:13
The Amazing Rewatch
I don't think it's still in business because I've tried to like Google it and look it up, but I couldn't find anything about it. So... Um, Erica now,
00:38:24
The Amazing Rewatch
I, I believe she lives in Orlando and she does like speaking engagements. And i think she ran for office and like for like Orlando city commissioner, stuff like that. I do not like her hair right now. It was looking makes her look old.
00:38:42
The Amazing Rewatch
I don't know. It's like, Oh, like a bright, gold blonde yeah at the end of black roots. And I, yeah, I just don't think it looks good her, but she's so pretty. It's not the hair for her.
00:38:57
The Amazing Rewatch
No. um Brian married a lady named Micah spelled the same way as the other Micah on this season. It's not her.
00:39:10
The Amazing Rewatch
It was his high school sweetheart, I guess. And They, let's see, in 2015, he had a commercial for Doritos that was a finalist for the Super Bowl contest.
00:39:22
The Amazing Rewatch
Also in 2015, he appeared on Shark Tank asking for an investment in his company, Easy Peas. um It's up like a potty training company, making potty training easier for parents.
00:39:35
The Amazing Rewatch
He received no offers and was advised to shut down the product before putting more money into the company. Those are the worst ones. yeah and then 2020, him and his new wife, Micah, began HGTV series that I think is still going. It's a 100-day dream home.
00:39:53
The Amazing Rewatch
So he's still doing stuff.
00:39:57
The Amazing Rewatch
um So if they got divorced in 2010 or 11, that was only like two years after the race. That wasn't very long after. Yeah. Because I think that it aired in 2009. Yeah. So it was a year or less. Less than two years, yeah. Yeah.
00:40:11
The Amazing Rewatch
So maybe Erica's family liked what they saw, but Erica did not. Or I don't know. I don't know. Maybe he didn't like what he saw. Yeah. Because I didn't the last episode at least.
00:40:22
The Amazing Rewatch
So I wonder what happened with them, but. seems like they've moved on and everything's, everybody's good now. So, yeah. yeah. close all of those.
00:40:34
The Amazing Rewatch
Sam and Dan.
00:40:37
The Amazing Rewatch
Their race average was 3.17. three point one seven They took first two times in leg four and leg seven. That was weird how I said that.
00:40:47
The Amazing Rewatch
League seven. um They did pretty well. They were pretty consistently in the top half of teams.
00:40:56
The Amazing Rewatch
Sam apparently is a friend of Star from season 13. They are the youngest team ever to finish in second place. Average age of 22.
00:41:07
The Amazing Rewatch
They seem way older than that. Yeah, but Dan was talking about like he just turned 21 or something like that. Yeah. But he seems older than that. And Dan seems older than Sam. But he's not.
00:41:18
The Amazing Rewatch
But he's not. He acted younger. Yeah. He acted like the little brother for sure. But he just looks older. um
00:41:27
The Amazing Rewatch
They both um have Facebook. Facebook.
00:41:32
The Amazing Rewatch
I think they both still live in Kansas City, where they're from. Sam's most recent post on Instagram, like three weeks ago, is a picture of him and Dan and I think another brother that plays baseball.
00:41:47
The Amazing Rewatch
So no falling out. There's a lot of pictures of them together, actually, of Sam and Dan. so Good. Yeah. um Dan graduated...
00:41:58
The Amazing Rewatch
Oh, 265 weeks ago. oh but How do you know that? Because like Instagram says how long ago the post was. Oh.
00:42:08
The Amazing Rewatch
265 weeks ago. That's like four years ago. Yeah, that's a long time ago. Dan's Instagram is private. but Does it say what his job is?
00:42:19
The Amazing Rewatch
He's the director of hr at the Raphael Hotel Autograph Collection by Marriott.
00:42:24
The Amazing Rewatch
Um,
00:42:25
The Amazing Rewatch
That's pretty much it about them. Megan and Shane. Can you remember how many times they took first place? ah lot. Probably like six. Um, including the finale, seven, seven legs.
00:42:39
The Amazing Rewatch
First, sixth, second, fifth, first, first, second, second, first, first, first, first. So they had four first places in a row. So their average was two. 2.0. 2.0. They had previously applied applied for season 13 and 14, but were not chosen.
00:42:55
The Amazing Rewatch
They broke BJ and Tyler's record for the most consecutive legs won by winning the final four legs. And then this record has now been tied by two other teams.
00:43:07
The Amazing Rewatch
But I won't tell you which ones yet. I think I know lot of them. um So in February of 2010, they got engaged. And they started that company with Brian and Erica. They got married in May of 2011. And there of teams from...
00:43:25
The Amazing Rewatch
there were lots of ah teams from their season there. Brian and Erica were there. Maria and Tiffany were there. Sam and Dan were there. They had their first child in May 2016.
00:43:38
The Amazing Rewatch
No, wait. Sorry. September 2016, a daughter, and then their second child, a son, April of 2019. They're sort that they're like almost the same age as my kids.
00:43:50
The Amazing Rewatch
Just like six months younger, both. Yeah. um And they, let's see, megan Megan has an Instagram and a Facebook. What do they look like now?
00:44:00
The Amazing Rewatch
The same. Shane's hair the same. It's it still goes up in the front, but he kind of combs it back. It's still dumb. His hair is awful. Yeah, his hair. And he kind of like shaves it on the side.
00:44:15
The Amazing Rewatch
And he has a creepy mustache. That's worse. I know. But Megan looks exactly the same. Yeah. Huh.
00:44:23
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah, I don't love it. um But their kids are adorable. They were actually in Utah 24 weeks ago on a little trip, it looks like. um
00:44:37
The Amazing Rewatch
They still live in San Diego. And,
00:44:41
The Amazing Rewatch
They're still married and they're doing well and they have cute family. Oh, good. Yeah. Yeah. And Bill is a mutual friend as usual.
00:44:52
The Amazing Rewatch
Trying to see if it says like, well, they, oh, Megan's Instagram thing says interior designer, athletic supporter, wife to Shane, mama to Rumi and Mace ran around the world on amazing race 15.
00:45:05
The Amazing Rewatch
And she's followed by James, James Wallington. Yeah.
00:45:10
The Amazing Rewatch
Nice. Yeah. Happy for them. ah Yeah. Like you said, I think they definitely deserved it this season. They were clearly the best team. They did it without like tearing each other down.
00:45:22
The Amazing Rewatch
They were very supportive of each other.
00:45:24
The Amazing Rewatch
Pretty nice to all the other teams, like kind of, kind of kept to themselves, but yeah, didn't do anything like outright shady or anything. So, yeah, it was a good season. i I wish we did more than just Asia and Europe.
00:45:40
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah.
Season Reflections and Geography Coverage
00:45:40
The Amazing Rewatch
But we did eight countries, which is pretty normal. Yeah. Yeah. So, but we went to two new places that we haven't been to before, which is good. um Yeah.
00:45:54
The Amazing Rewatch
A couple of very memorable teams, very memorable moments. It was good season. I was going to say, that I was looking through Megan's Instagram and Maria and Tiffany comment a lot on her stuff. So it looks like they also still keep in touch.
00:46:09
The Amazing Rewatch
Nice. Let's see if there's anything interesting about this episode.
00:46:14
The Amazing Rewatch
Oh, this was the last episode of the Oh. Because the next season will be in the Yeah. yeah Which was only five years ago. Yeah.
00:46:26
The Amazing Rewatch
But that's it.
00:46:27
The Amazing Rewatch
The episode title was said by Elvis Presley impersonator. What? It was Amazing Grace. Oh. Well, the episode title, yeah. Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound.
00:46:40
The Amazing Rewatch
That's funny. um
00:46:42
The Amazing Rewatch
i I want to look at season 16 really quick because I don't think I watched that one. I think that was one that I actually have not seen.
00:46:52
The Amazing Rewatch
Well, then how are you going to look at it? don't. Well, I still know like teams. Teams.
00:46:59
The Amazing Rewatch
Any memorable teams?
00:47:02
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. I... I don't remember any of these people. I'm pretty sure I have not seen this season. Are they in order of when they're... Yeah, so now I know who wins. But it's kind of inevitable.
00:47:14
The Amazing Rewatch
I have to see it. But the Cowboys are in this season. Oh, I was just going to say, like, no Cowboys or anything. I literally was just going say that. That's the only team I recognize, but only because I saw them on a later season. Yeah.
00:47:26
The Amazing Rewatch
Okay. So, I'm excited. Because this will be the first one that I have not seen. And so, it'll be... It'll be new for me. Yeah.
00:47:36
The Amazing Rewatch
We. Yeah. We'll. ah Come back for season 16. Oh. But not in August. Oh yeah. We.
00:47:46
The Amazing Rewatch
So we usually do every other month. A full season. Every first and third Wednesday. so that means we have to record like. The month in between. and July. That would be July.
00:47:59
The Amazing Rewatch
And July is just too crazy for us. We have way too much going on. Yeah. And so we're going to We are going to have lots of other content,
Future Podcast Plans and Content
00:48:09
The Amazing Rewatch
though. We have um an interview with a book author that we need to post. So that's going to be a bonus episode. We have an interview with a team from season 37 that we're going to do in a couple of days. And we're reaching out to other teams from that season as well. So we will have.
00:48:26
The Amazing Rewatch
And I think we should also do. We had an idea of just doing like. monthly end of month just like recaps of like our personal lives and like what's going on like in the world or just like talking episodes. Just a little chit chat. We'll do those too.
00:48:44
The Amazing Rewatch
So there will still be content but we won't be back in August. Yeah so so season 16 will be October. First Wednesday of October. Which sounds far away but it's not going to be that It's almost July already so that sounds crazy but It's only four months. Because that July is just, I think like every single day has something happening in July for us.
00:49:06
The Amazing Rewatch
Yeah. And then school starts in August and so September is crazy too. Yeah. So just it's going to literally be here before we know it. Yeah. So we will miss everybody, but we will still be here.
00:49:18
The Amazing Rewatch
Keep an eye out for all of our exciting interviews and everything. And we'll see you in October for season 16. And ah as always, we love hearing from people. So reach out to us, send us emails, send us messages on Instagram. Yeah.
00:49:35
The Amazing Rewatch
We don't do a whole lot in the Facebook group, which is my fault. Cause I'm supposed to be in charge of Facebook. yeah I was like, I don't even know how to do that. So, just so Instagram is probably the place. So yeah, i would love to hear from you guys and we'll talk to you guys later.
00:49:49
The Amazing Rewatch
Bye. Thanks for listening.