The episode starts with Don narrating. "Last time on the race around the states, while some contestants had golf balls thrown at them, others were gambling batteries." "Then we set off for the state of Mississippi, for a race across the river." "Noah then began to question wether or not he was named after the man in the bible of the same name." "Despite his raft being totaled, Brody was still able to hang on for his third win of the season." At the same time, Ennui, Geoff, Tammy, Jen, and Stephanie lost their chance at the the million." "On the other end, Laurie and Leonard managed to lock up spots in the chase, one challenge early." "This is it, the final challenge of the regular season." "After this challenge, the chase will begin, and 12 contestants are going to duke it out over the final 10 challenges of the season, for the prize of one million dollars." "Let's take a look at the point standings, and see what these contestants need to do to get into the chase."

"Starting off with the top four in points." "Chet, Ryan, Laurie, and Leonard are so far up in points, that they have clinched a spot in the top 10, and we already know that those four will be in the chase." "The only thing that they have to gain in today's challenge, is bonus points for the chase."

"Behind them is Crimson who is fifth in points, with two wins." "While not very likely, it is still possible for Crimson to not make it." "She has a pretty comfortable cushion, sitting a whopping 33 points inside the top 10." "The only way she doesn't make it, is if both she and Harold fall outside the top 10." "If that happens, Crimson would lose out on the wild card spot, because Harold and Junior have more wins than her." "A lot would have to happen for her to not make it."

"Right behind her in sixth place, is Sanders, with only one win." "Due to only having one win, she can't rely on a wild card spot." "But it would take a lot for her to fall outside the top 10, as she's currently in by a whopping 29 points."

"Right behind her in seventh place is Kelly, who also only has one win." "She is only one point behind Sanders, making her 28 points inside the top 10." "It may sound like much, but one point could still mean the difference between victory and defeat."

"Behind her in eighth place is an interesting case, the contestant i'm referring to is Harold." "With an incredible 12 wins, he's so many points above the top 20, that we already know he is going to make the chase." "It's simply a factor as to wether or not he will go in courtesy of being in the top 10, or as a wild card." "He's in the top 10, by about 20 points, a little more than half the points awarded in one challenge." "If he can stay in the top 10, he'll have the lead going into the chase, courtesy of having 36 bonus points, an entire challenge worth."

"In ninth place is Emma, who currently sits with only one win." "She's going to have to be a little more careful than some of these other contestants, because she's only in the top 10 by thirteen points."

"Taylor is behind her in tenth place, and she really has to be carefully, because she is only safe by just one measly point."

"Behind her in eleventh is Owen, who is only out by one measly point." "The fight for the final spot in the top 10, could very well be a duel between Taylor and Owen."

"Noah is in twelfth place, and sits as the second wild card, with two wins." "If he stays exactly where he is, with neither Harold or Crimson falling outside the top 10, he's in." "He can also get into the top 10, by making up 8 points, which still might not be enough, depending on where Owen finishes." "Another way he could fall out of the wild card spot, is if he stays where he is, and Jay wins today." "An even more unlikely scenario, is Lorenzo winning, and making up 27 points on him."

"Kitty currently sits in thirteenth, and in her case, it all comes down as to wether or not she can overcome her 14 point deficit." "She could win today's challenge, but still miss the chase." "Even if she makes up that many points, it's still going to depend heavily on where Owen and Noah finish in today's challenge."

"Lorenzo is behind her in fourteenth, and unlike Kitty, he actually has a win." "There is no other way of getting in, Lorenzo is in a must win situation to make the chase." "But even if he does win today's challenge, it won't automatically guarantee him a spot in the chase." "Along with a win, he still has to make up 27 points on Noah, in order to make it into the wild card spot." "As crazy as it sounds, there is still the possibility of making it into the top 10." "He is 35 points behind Taylor, and Taylor is the last contestant in." "What would have to happen is that Lorenzo would have to win the challenge, with Taylor finishing dead last." "Lorenzo would have the tie breaker over Taylor, by having two wins as oppose to Taylor's zero." "That still might not get him into the top 10 if Owen, Noah, and Kitty have good finishes."

"Further down the list, we have Jay in sixteenth place with 2 wins." "He is so many points behind Noah, that he can't overtake him." "There are two ways Jay can make it in as a wild card." "The simplest way is to win today's challenge." "Regardless of where any of the other contestants finish, Jay will automatically take the wild card spot if he wins today." "The other way he could get in, is the unlikely scenario I just mentioned regarding Lorenzo and Taylor." "Technically not in a must win situation, but a lot would have to happen for him to get in without winning."

"And finally, we have Junior who sits twentieth in points, with three wins." "Without the amount of points he has, no matter where he finishes, he will not fall outside the top 20 in points." "The only way he gets knocked out of the wild card spot, is if Noah or Jay end up winning, and Harold falls outside the top 10."

"These are all of the chase clinching scenarios." "Five contestants locked in, leaving seven spots up for grabs." "We are about to find out who will take those seven spots on this episode of, the race around the states."

Intro consists of a shorter version of the final countdown.

Some of the contestants were on edge during that days self defense class with Officer Chambers, and it had heavily to do with the regular season ending, and the chase starting soon. While some were simply just thinking about being able to make the chase, others were thinking about the big picture, the one million dollars for winning the entire competition. As class ended that they, the outcome of the next day's challenge was very much in everyone's thoughts.

(Room 7- the goths)

"I really hope you make the chase" said Ennui emotionlessly." "I don't think you need to worry too much, it would take a lot to knock me out" said Crimson in the same tone.

(Room 10- the surfers)

Brody had just walked into the room, holding a cat. "I decided to give myself an extra reward for winning that river challenge" he said. "What's it's name?" asked Geoff. "I think i'm gonna call him Toby, his name comes from my favorite anthropomorphic vehicle as a little kid" said Brody.

(Room 14- the larpers)

"I don't think anybody is going to doubt our powers again, any time soon" said Tammy. "They can't ignore magic, now that they know it's what got me into the chase" said Leonard.

(Confession cam- Magic, *snort snort*)

Leonard- "Nobody would have expected, that the guy who finished dead last the previous season, would lock up a chase spot one challenge early."

**End confessional**

(Room 1- the fashion bloggers)

Lorenzo, Jen, and Tom, were once again playing poker. This time they convinced Chet to join them. This time, instead of batteries, they were betting with peanuts. "Royal flush, time for you guys to pay up" said Chet. "Wow, I found someone that can actually beat me" said Jen.

(Room 6- the daters)

"Wow, you're not as weak as I thought you were" said Stephanie. "You used to think I was weak?" asked Ryan. "That was before you locked up a chase spot, and I lost my shot at winning" said Stephanie. "I'm not saying anything, I don't want to accidentally piss you off" said Ryan. "Smart move pretty boy" said Stephanie.

(Room 18- the vegans)

"Well done Laurie, I never stopped believing in you, I knew that you could do it" said Miles. "Yeah, it seems as though Artemis has forgiven us for eating all of those animals when we didn't have to" said Laurie. "She hasn't forgiven me, she's punishing me by taking away the love of my life" said Miles. "It's not over yet, Junior is still alive right now" said Laurie. "But he's feeling worse every day, I wish he wouldn't put himself in so much danger" said Miles.

(Confession cam- Oh God)

Miles- "My feelings towards Junior are much more than a crush, I truly love him, and want the very best for him." "I really don't want him to suffer any more than he already has."

Laurie- "Ever since Junior got attacked by a rabbit, i've been way too hard on myself." "I've finally realized that wishing karma on his father, isn't what caused that issue, nor did it cause his current concussion." "Still, i'm really worried that if he keeps pushing himself so far, he is going to die."

**End confessional**

The next morning everyone got on the bus, and they were taken into a massive city. They parked outside of a massive skyscraper. "Everyone, this is Chicago Illinois, one of the largest cities in the country" said Don. "Right in front of you, is the Willis tower, one of the tallest buildings in the entire world." "Before we begin the challenge, there is something that I would like you guys to see." Walking up to them, was a large Bison pulling a wagon. Inside the wagon, was a large brass trophy, about ten feet tall. It was shaped like a medieval goblet, and had a handle on each side. Toward's the top of the trophy in black letters were the words: RACE AROUND THE STATES. On the Base of the trophy was a brass plate. This is what was carved into the plate: 2010 CHAMPION. "One million dollars is not the only thing the winner of this entire competition will get, they will also be taking home this trophy" said Don. "Right above where it says 2010 champion, is where the name of the winner will be carved, first middle and last." "After this challenge, the 12 contestants that will make up the chase, will be in a group photo with the trophy." "Oh, and in case you are wondering why a bison was the thing that brought it in, that's actually mine, I won him in a county fair, by accident."

(Confession cam- By accident?)

Harold- "Holy crap, that's gotta be the tallest trophy I have ever seen." "Wow, and I thought the Stanley cup was massive."

Taylor- "Nothing is getting in my way, I am so winning that trophy."

**End confessional**

"For the regular season finale, we will be paying homage to the first challenge to ever be done on the show, running up an absurd flight of stairs" said Don. "So obviously, the ones who took the elevator last time, have got their work cut out for them." "The first one to reach the top, will win the challenge."

Soon, everyone was lined up in front of the entrance to the building. "This is it guys, the final challenge of the regular season" said Don. "THREE, TWO, ONE, GOOO!" Everyone then ran into the building. Due to the staircases being narrow, and having a whopping 36 people on them, there were some jams. Chris was playing dirty as per usual, and kept attempting to shove other contestants out of the way. Junior saw that Chris was about to slam into him, and with how much his head was already damaged, falling would end it for him. He decided to slow down and let Chris have the position. "Wise decision brat" said Chris. "Don't talk about my son like that" demanded Dwayne. "Don't worry Junior, if you fall i'll catch you" said Sanders. "Wait a minute, excluding myself I see 34 people" said MacArthur. "Where the hell is Jay?"

While everyone else was pacing themselves with how large of a climb they had to make, Jay wasn't holding back in the slightest, and was running at his full speed. He was not feeling tired in the slightest, and when he reached the halfway point, he began running even faster. Nothing seemed to be troubling Jay, he felt like he was on top of the world. It wasn't long before he was just one flight away from the top, nobody else had even reached the halfway point. "Okay, time to finish this" he said. He then ran up the final flight of stairs, faster than he had ever ran in his life. "YES!" he shouted as he crossed the finish line. He then began jumping up and down in excitement. "OH MY GOD, I DID IT, I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY DID IT!"

(Confession cam- someone is Excited)

Jay- "OH MY GOD, I DID IT, I'M IN THE CHASE!" "I NEVER THOUGHT I'D ACTUALLY MAKE IT THIS FAR, I DIDN'T THINK I'D COME ANYWHERE CLOSE, BUT I DID IT!" "OH MY GOD, THIS ONE IS FOR YOU MICKEY, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!"

**End confessional**

Jay was feeling nothing but happiness at the moment. He had accomplished much more than he thought he could. It took awhile, but the other contestants eventually joined him at the top. Kitty got to the top in second, Taylor in third, Lorenzo fourth, Owen fifth, Chris sixth, Geoff seventh, Tammy eighth, Sanders ninth, Junior tenth, Carrie eleventh, Stephanie twelfth, MacArthur thirteenth, Rock fourteenth, Miles fifteenth, Emma sixteenth, Pete seventeenth, Harold eighteenth, Ryan nineteenth, Crimson twentieth, Spud twenty first, Leonard twenty second, Ellody twenty third, Tom twenty fourth, Gerry twenty fifth, Dwayne twenty sixth, Jen twenty seventh, Mary twenty eighth, Ennui twenty ninth, Laurie thirtieth, Kelly thirty first, Chet thirty second, Josee thirty third, Jacques thirty fourth, and Noah thirty fifth." As he was coming up the last flight of stairs, Brody tripped, fell backwards, and landed hard on his left leg.

Just like he did the last time Brody was injured, Harold rushed towards him to make sure he was okay. "Yeah, there's no point beating around the bush, my leg is definitely broken" said Brody. He then called up to everyone on the floor above. "The worst I have is a broken bone, and maybe a torn muscle." "There is no reason to panic, I am not going to die." "The episode doesn't have to end the way it usually does when someone get's injured, we can still have the normal ending." "As soon as we go off the air, I am heading straight to the hospital." "Okay, we know he's going to be alright, that's good" said Don.

(Confession cam- Pretty tame compared to most of the injuries we've seen so far)

Noah- "I'm not that upset about missing the chase, because what i'm getting once this show is over, is far better than the grand prize."

Lorenzo- "Damnit, Chet will never let me live this down."

Kitty- "Well, at least Emma made it."

Owen- "If only I had just three more points, oh well."

Emma- "Well, I made it by about two points, but my sister unfortunately can't join me."

Kelly- "Well, looks me and Taylor both made it." "We are both in this together, as a family."

Taylor- "I'm not surprised that I made it, not in the slightest, I saw it coming since the season started." "Mom better watch her back, I am not losing to her."

Harold- "After all the hell I have gone through, I'm leading this thing by 27 points." "If I win this whole thing, I will no longer be remembered as the weird kid that constantly gets hurt." "And then, all of the people that tried to ruin my life, will be forced to address me as Sir Harold."

Crimson- "I had a huge points cushion going in to begin with, i'm not surprised."

Sanders- "Heck yeah, both me and Junior made it."

Junior- "My concussion is still giving me a ton of pain, but I was able to fight through it, i'm in the chase." "Oh my God, I really need to lie down."

**End confessional**

The podium ceremony was now happening, right outside the building. Taylor was on the third place pedestal, Kitty was on the second place pedestal, and Jay was on the winner's pedestal. Hazel was currently sitting on Jay's shoulder. "Jay, if you weren't standing on the winner's pedestal right now, you wouldn't be in the chase" said Don. "Your clutch win just got you a model train set." "It's the Lionel 1-700E New York Central Hudson & Rail Chief Passenger Train."

Jay and Taylor were quickly asked to step down from the podium, and join the other 10 chase contestants to gather around the championship trophy. Once the photo was taken, Don turned to the camera. "This is it, the chase is now on, the points will now reset." "12 contestants, 10 challenges, and only one winner." "The chase will begin very shortly on, the race around the states."

Point standings

First place: Harold, 2,036 points, 12 wins

Second place: Ryan, 2,009 points, 3 wins

Third place: Laurie, 2,006 points, 2 wins

Fourth place: Crimson, 2,006 points, 2 wins

Fifth place: Sanders, 2,003 points, 1 win

Sixth place: Kelly, 2,003 points, 1 win

Seventh place: Emma, 2,003 points, 1 win

Eighth place: Chet, 2,000 points

Ninth place: Leonard, 2,000 points

Tenth place: Taylor, 2,000 points

Eleventh place: Jay, 2,000 points, 3 wins

Twelfth place, Junior, 2,000 points, 3 wins

Thirteenth place: Owen, 912 points

Fourteenth place: Kitty, 902 points

Fifteenth place: Lorenzo, 879 points, 1 win

Sixteenth place: Noah, 875 points, 2 wins

Seventeenth place: Ennui, 848 points

Eighteenth place: Geoff, 823 points

Nineteenth place: Tammy, 816 points

Twentieth place: Jen, 774 points

Twenty first place: Stephanie, 745 points

Twenty second place: MacArthur, 711 points

Twenty third place: Mary, 661 points

Twenty fourth place: Miles, 625 points

Twenty fifth place: Jacques, 624 points, 1 win

Twenty sixth place: Brody, 601 points, 4 wins

Twenty seventh place: Chris, 578 points, 1 win

Twenty eighth place: Rock, 550 points

Twenty ninth place: Pete, 540 points

Thirtieth place: Spud, 479 points

Thirty first place: Ellody, 366 points

Thirty second place: Tom, 336 points

Thirty third place: Gerry, 305 points

Thirty fourth place: Dwayne, 276 points

Thirty fifth place: Izzy, 272 points, 1 win

Thirty sixth place: Josee, 271 points, 2 wins

Thirty seventh place: Carrie, 266 points

Thirty eighth place: Leshawna, 171 points

Thirty ninth place: Mickey, 139 points

Fortieth place: Devin, 114 points

Forty first place, Dawn, 81 points

Forty second place, Duncan, 35 points

Forty third place, Lindsay, 18 points

Authors note: Well, we finally made it. After over a year, we have finally gotten to the chase. We're heading into the home stretch people.

The idea for all of the contestants being in a picture with the championship trophy, is based on what happens before the playoffs in NASCAR. After the final race of the regular season, all of the playoff drivers get together for a group photo, with the championship trophy.

As always, if you have an idea for a challenge in an upcoming state or a prize for a future challenge winner, feel free to let me know in a review.

Thank you for reading and please have a great day.