Group shot, pull back, and we are out of here.

So, did Tara dog it at the end? I will admit that just as the race ended, I leaned over to whoever it was that was near me at the time and said, with some shock, "She threw it! She threw it, didn't she?" Whoever it was shrugged, as I recall. But when I saw it again, it just didn't look like she could have. She was much too obnoxious to the cabbie. She was much too stressed out when they didn't get where they were going. And there was, of course, that inhaler. For all the crap I've given her this season -- and I think she deserved most of it -- I don't think she let Boston pass her on purpose. Now, having said that, I'll say this as well: she didn't fall back on purpose, but she also didn't have the burst of energy that I think teams can get at critical moments when they can feed off each other in a positive way. Had they been having more fun, had she trusted Wil more, had they had more of a joint sense of purpose, I certainly don't dismiss the possibility that she could have dug a little deeper down the stretch. Did she dog it consciously? No. Did the negativity that hangs around their necks like twenty-pound rocks affect her at the end? Probably.

And one other thing. I've heard a lot (and said more than a little bit) about how certain aspects of this ending resemble last year's. And I can see where all of it comes from, but I have to say this much -- if you think these people are Esquire and Danza redux by any stretch of the imagination? Forget it.

Executive Producer? Jerry Bruckheimer -- and The Amazing Bert.

You know, it's still just a really good show. Sometimes, it's a little maddening, but it's so strong technically that even when things go a little awry (I think the teams weren't as compelling as personalities this go-round), it's great to watch. Thanks again to all involved for a good, good season. And sometime soon, stay tuned for the TARcon recap, where you will hear all about the TARflies making a joyful noise in New York. ["Rumor also has it that there's an interview in the offing with some old friends." -- Sars] So don't go away just yet.