America's Toughest Jobs, the Finale: Take These Jobs and Shove Them

Here we are at the end of America's Toughest Jobs! I'm a little surprised we have a final four – two or three sounds about right – but as we recall, we started out with 13, and a recap at the beginning of the show takes us back to the start – crab fishing in Alaska – all the way to now, as Sandy, Ben, Michaela, and Steven stand ready to compete for the combined first-year salaries of all the jobs they've tried.

They'll be revisiting three challenges from earlier this season – with "no rest, no training, and no turning back," according to our narrator. Not exactly, "outwit, outplay, outlast," but we'll take it. At the end of each job, one person will be eliminated until there is a winner.

We're reminded that Ben is a carpenter; he thinks he's earned the top prize. Sandy is a schoolteacher (God bless those students of hers); she believes she's been without competition from day one. She's modest, too. Michaela is a recruiter, who says it's been such a long, hard journey to get here (and to quote Michael Scott, that's what she said). Steven is a college graduate (hey, me too!); he admits no one thought he'd be here, but he thinks he can win this.

Got it? Good. Let's get to the important stuff.

The trekking back and forth from the Great Northwest to Texas continues, as the four remaining jobsters head from Alaska to San Angelo, where they'll be bullfighting. Let's see if we can avoid the injury bug this time, huh? And just because they're here, each of them is getting a 2009 truck (I won't bother to plug the brand), announces host Josh Temple. (Actually, Josh calls it a "brand new" 2009 truck, but I think that's kind of self-explanatory). Hugs are shared, people are excited, and Yau-Man makes a really bad deal with Dreamz. Wait, wrong show.

Boss Rob Smets explains that this time, the jobsters won't be bullfighting to protect a rider; it will just be man against beast. Mano-a-Bullo. They have to get as close as possible, then grab a really ridiculous-looking red ribbon off the bull's head. They have 90 seconds to complete the task, and the clock stops when the ribbon is in their hand or on the ground. If more than one person is unable to complete the task, whoever lasts the least amount of time in the ring will go home.

Sandy says the strategy is a big different this time; before, it was about dodging the bull, getting its attention, and then getting rid of it. Now, they have to straight-up confront it. Sandy points out that the jobsters are dealing with "an animal that has a mind of its own." As opposed to what, a chair? What animal has Sandy ever encountered that didn't have a mind of its own? (Insert Chris joke here.)

A better quote: Michaela says she's really nervous and it's probably because she's "damn afraid of those bulls." Heh.

The jobsters suit up. During their runs, they'll be isolated from each other. Steven is first up. He likes that the competition isn't up to the boss, it's a straight-up time trial. He has a good point – being a veteran of the bottom four/two, Steven doesn't impress his superiors very well, but he has a knack for surviving these types of challenges. We're reminded that last time, he was in the bottom two in the bullfighting ring, but came back to beat Rie head-on. He also reminds us that he really wants the money to help his mom battle her cancer and pay her medical bills.

Rob tells Steven it's like he's playing quarterback and it's a fourth-and-80 situation. Detroit Lions fans should be familiar with this situation. Steven needs to rely on the fundamentals he was taught, and is told not to cut out and run after he gets the ribbon because the bull doesn't realize the game is over. Silly bull.

Steven says he came into the competition not knowing who he was, but now … if he's going to lose, he's going to die trying.

And … the bull is out! Steven tries to grab the bull by the neck. It's not a good idea, and the bull just throws him off. The bull gets Steven up against a wall and literally tosses him into the air. A couple of professionals actually step in to get the bull off of Steven, who isn't giving up yet. He staggers back over to the bull (which, it should be noted, doesn't have horns), and finally rips the ribbon to the floor. He looks like he just got flattened by a semi, however. His time: One minute, 11 seconds.

Ben is next. Last time, he did great in this challenge. He's anxious to do this again, but isn't scared. He thinks that after this, he'll be able to grab the bull by the horns – metaphorically speaking – and live his life any way he wants.

Ben's bull is out, and Ben grabs the ribbon quickly but it doesn't come all the way off. Ben takes another swipe – there goes the ribbon to the ground. That's an exceptional 12 seconds it took Ben to complete this task, and it means he's definitely moving on. Perhaps Ben has found his calling in life – the dreadlocked matador.

Sandy talks about what she'd do with the prize money, and nothing ever crosses her mind about spending it on herself. She wants to give back to others, the same way other people helped take care of her. Awww. So is the real Sandy the cocky blowhard, or the budding philanthropist? The traits don't seem very compatible to me, but what do I know?

Last time Sandy was out here, she injured her ankle, and she has just barely recovered. Nevertheless, she's facing down the bull once again. She says if she has to take one in the chest, she will, and that's exactly what happens, as the bull plows right into her several times. Sandy tries barking at it – I think – and gets knocked down again. She makes another run at it, but gets thrown to the ground and trampled.

Rob comes over to check on her with the bull still running loose. They stop the clock for safety reasons, ending her run. She's hurting pretty badly and is screaming. The clock stopped at 36 seconds, so if Michaela can hang in just 37 seconds, she'll be golden. This is assuming Sandy's healthy enough to move on in the first place, of course.

Rob tries to tell Sandy to sit down but she's shouting and punching things in frustration, causing Rob to have to yell at her. She says the bull just knocked the wind out of her. Yeah, that's what a hoof to the head will do to you.

She tells us the bull hit her hard in the face, but she kept going – until her forced finish, that is. She just wanted one more shot at the bull, and she got it, but the bull got her, she says. She apologizes to Rob and they share a hug. She says she knows she's done.