The Amazing Race's Phil Keoghan Teases Finale's 'Stormy' Finish, Breaks Down Season 37's Final Four Teams
Four teams, two legs, one thrilling finish.
The Amazing Race is barreling toward its big Season 37 finale, and it all kicks off Wednesday in its regular time slot. (Part 2 will follow Thursday at 9/8c on CBS.) But which team has what it takes to come out on top?
Four duos survived the Race thus far, despite the season's vast array of surprises, including Double U-Turns, a Driver's Seat twist, a Fast Forward, a shocking non-elimination leg and more. Despite all the bumps in the road, Han and Holden, Jonathan and Ana, Alyssa and Josiah, and Carson and Jack proved to be the season's best performers, outlasting their competition and keeping their eyes squarely on the prize.
"This particular season was unique," host Phil Keoghan tells TVLine. "We started off with having surprises in every single episode and I think that worked pretty well, [but] it was back to the things that everybody loves. No matter what kind of twists and turns and hiccups we put into the show, at the end of the day, the things [fans] really talk about the most are the simple things: the self-driving, the airport drama and the fundamental elements of The Amazing Race, which is going to new places and doing new things with new people."
Below, Keoghan gives us his take on the Race's remaining teams and explains why each duo still has a fighting chance to win the million dollars.
HAN AND HOLDEN
"I think they surprised a lot of people and they surprised themselves, as far as how strong they are," Keoghan says. "Generally speaking, there is a direct correlation between teams that are younger and how well they do. Older teams who have lived a little bit more tend to do better because they're just a little bit more worldly. And that brother/sister dynamic and being younger, I wasn't sure that they were going to go as far as they have because I just didn't think that they had the worldliness, if you like, to be able to hang in, but they have. I think this is obviously giving them a new boost. Now they realize, 'Wow, hold on a second. We have a chance of going all the way.' So I think they're going into the Final 4 pretty confidently, proving they can get stronger and stronger."
JONATHAN AND ANA
"With Jonathan and Anna, probably the most controversial team that we've had this season, they've obviously been struggling in their relationship," the host says. "They wanted to come onto this show, I think, to test things. Fans have a lot of opinions about this particular team. It's always difficult to judge from afar, and I gave up a long, long time ago trying to figure out why people are together and why some relationships work and don't work. I'm certainly no expert in that department and I think it's unfair to judge from the outside.
"Regardless of whatever is going on in that dynamic, they are a very strong team. I think Jonathan is probably the most competitive. Even when he comes in second, to him it's a loss. One of the things I discussed with him along the way was, 'Hey, you've got to take it easy on yourself, but also take it easy on your partner.' Sometimes when you do your best, you don't necessarily win and that's OK. That's life. Most of the time we lose, right? I get that he puts all that pressure on himself, but it's one thing to put that pressure on yourself. It's another to put it on your partner. They should be incredibly proud of what they've achieved, but you can't just make it like, 'Oh, I've won, I feel good,' and 'I've come in second and I didn't win it, so I feel terrible.' So I hope that if there's any takeaway for him, it's just: 'Take it easy. You've done really well and you can't win every leg. You're up against some really tough competition.'"
JOSIAH AND ALYSSA
"Alyssa and Josiah, quite a different relationship," he notes. "I would say that Alyssa's really taken the lead. I think Josiah would agree with that. She really has been, to me, the driving force in that team, and a big reason why they've done well. But they complement each other well too. They really listen to each other. They've worked off each other's strengths and weaknesses. They have been incredibly encouraging of each other, and I think that's what makes them such a strong team. So, [they're] definitely in for a good shot [at winning]."
CARSON AND JACK
"Just a fun team to watch," the host says. "They're just having a great time. To me, that's the best part. The teams I really love are the ones that are in it to have a lot of fun and who find their flow by having fun. They're one of those teams. They've laughed and they've enjoyed the experience. Like I say to all the teams at the beginning, most of you are going to be eliminated. That is just a fact. Only one of you standing here, one team is going to win this Amazing Race. So, if I can give you any advice, it's stay in it as long as you can, and for goodness' sake, enjoy it. Enjoy it because you get to experience something that money cannot buy. What people get to do on this show is not for sale. It's a totally unique experience. Even the winners of The Amazing Race can't afford to buy what we end up giving the teams when they come on this race. I think [Carson and Jack] have it in in their head that, come what may, they already won just because they got to be in this race, and I really love that attitude from them."
"I gotta tell you," the host says before we sign off. "For our finale, we head back to the United States and we literally got hit with a major weather bomb. It made the finale pretty exciting. It was a stormy finish. A challenging one for us and also for the teams."
So who are you rooting for, Race fans? Vote in our polls below, then hit the comments!