The last episode of The Grand Tour is upon us, and it looks like it’ll be quite the ride.
I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that Top Gear played a huge role in my formative years as a car enthusiast, and a lot of that comes down to the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. The rise and evolution of the show over the years — the hijinks and the drama — kept me and millions of others coming back for more, even when they guys left the show in 2015 to form the Grand Tour on Amazon the next year. Now, though, it’s nearly all over, as the final episode of The Grand Tour will debut on Amazon Prime Video September 13.
The trailer for ‘One For The Road’ brings us back to Africa (after ‘The Sand Job’ saw the trio head across the sun-blasted Sahara Desert in Mauritania): This time, Zimbabwe. Each of the guys brings a classic ’70s sports car, with the Lancia Montecarlo, the Triumph Stag and the original Ford Capri.
“So, for the last time, here we go…” is all the dialogue we get in the trailer, with a lot of short cuts of what we’ve come to expect from the show: laughs all around, arguments and James appearing to get into a spot of bother, again. Funnily enough, the journey (and especially the three-wide run across some salt flats shown above) is an homage to one of my favorite TG specials in Botswana. In that episode, James almost immediately took off in the wrong direction toward Zimbabwe, a country where the show wasn’t allowed, which always, always made me laugh right off the bat. That episode had a Lancia Beta in it too, come to think of it — some nice circularity there.
Of course, we knew this day was coming, as the guys actually wrapped up filming for this episode nearly a year ago. Nevertheless, seeing it actually around the corner hits differently. I’m not sure I’m ready for it, but here’s your warning that you have a few weeks to brace yourself for the last Grand Tour adventure with Clarkson, Hammond and May.
Normally, I’d say something along the lines of, “oh, if you’re interested, check it out on Amazon Prime on September 13…”, but no. You have to watch it. We’ve all been along for the ride for 22 years, a lot of us have grown up with these three guys, and this last episode is going to be an emotional roller coaster, and not just another car show. You have to watch it. Even if you just pick up a trial to watch it — and you can watch the trios’ other shows on the platform as well — go do it.
I’ll see you there.
