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First off let me say that you're probably right, its just easier to distrust CBS, as I hate them already. But here are some thoughts anyway.

a. That U&J’s cameraman called a producer, who called his boss, who got some head honchos at CBS together to determine the best option for the show.

There could be "leg" or "location" producers able to make that call, on the spot. They could leapfrog each other the entire race, all involved know in advance what the final run consists of. Knowing that, it makes sense to force two teams on the same flight.

b. The head honchos agreed that they should intervene and, then called together their legal team to see if they agreed they could interfere without consequence.

Knowing that the race will suck huge if one team runs off. I'm sure this has and was discussed in advance. As for a legal team conference, well it's CBS remember.

c. Then the legal team put all this in writing.

Nothing in writing, some weird memo might show up someday

d. Then the producers met to finalize the interference plan, agreed to interfere, called a head honcho at AA, pulled him out of whatever meeting he was in, and got him/her to waive a general security policy for better ratings and a PC ending.

After 6 plus times at this, the producers had to have talked this over , at lenght, and in advance. As AA is a paid advertiser on the show, it stands to reason an AA decision maker would be on hand, at least in locations where the soonest flights available after the forced bunch ups would be AA. As an aside, Think maybe AA likes seeing itself in so kind a position, that they hold a flight for a penniless black couple, in urgent need of help, maybe.

e. All the while, waiting on the phone while AA checked with their legal team to ensure that they were’t breaking FAA regulations.

Had to be considered in advance. Here is where the benefit of NOT being in America come to help the producers. An AA rep, and a handful of $100.00 bills could go along way.

f. Then after AA agrees to the deal, they place a call and explained the “special deal” to the local Puerto Rico representative, who runs to the woman at the gate, who explains the special deal to the pilot and who has a change of heart and reopens the plane.

I really believe that AA would have been warned in advance that this requirement might arise. And knowing that in advance, would have made it easy and subtle to pull off.

Those are my quick thoughts, thanks for yours, that is what makes this show, and Freerepublic, so much fun. As I consider more loopholes in that final leg I'll try to post them.

Very excellent, and I think right on the money. A race this complicated and involved does take a lot of pre-planning. And I will bet that some of that pre-planning considered possible scenarios such as the one that happened last night.

I strongly suspect that a cBS producer, with the authority to make whatever decisions necessary, (such as simply getting the gate agent to let him talk to the pilot), was with all the three teams at this point in the race.

Nice work.

Yep! This is why FReepers have so much fun!

Now, since we are coming up with ways to beat the TAR out of SeeBS (pun intended!), try this on for size:

Since Romber won all those trips and prizes for coming in first in so many legs . . . AND
Since Romber's wedding will be a big to-do TV wise with SeeBS footing the bill and all . . .

(How’s this for a stretch of the imagination!) It was never intended for Romber to win!
Yep! It was all a big publicity stunt to boost ratings.

SeeBS had it all arranged with Romber ahead of time that for "considerations" (like those mentioned above and a bundle of cash that the TV viewers will never know about), they would give the impression of running a tight race but would not actually win.

In fact, this could explain Romber's unexpected "error" at the road block "bridge jump". Why would they pick that moment to make such a huge blunder, if not to give the other teams a big lead? They had no way of knowing that R&K would get lost on the way to the airport. Or that they would in fact beat U&J to the airport after placing themselves “so far behind.”

So to keep up the illusion of “running a tight race”, SeeBS has to pull all the strings to get U&J on that flight as well! (They couldn’t do anything about R&K’s ineptness in reading directions.)

Not only that, but SeeBS made sure that U&J got a taxi driver who could read and understand Spanish while Romber got one that couldn’t read Spanish.

How’s that for beating up on SeeBS?