WoF Retro Recap: December 3, 1999

EPISODE #3185: WINTER SPORTS

Preview Puzzle: THING

H _ _ / C _ C _ A

Answer: HOT COCOA (Pat jokingly said HOG CACA instead.)

Last players this week…

Jan Mastrocingo: a lady who was back in the job market and cat owner who’s been in several contests in the past from Milford, CT

Sandra Ferguson: a lady who takes care of physically and mentally disabled adults from National City, CA

Erik Peterson: newspaper editor at Hollywood’s number one trade paper and rock music aficionado from Venice, CA

Round 1: CLASSIC TV (PUZZLER)

Jan BANKRUPTed near $600 right out of the gate. Sandra did all the work — a $300 R, a T and five N’s at $500 apiece (she landed on the green first before the orange), three E’s, an $800 L, a $300 S, three O’s, a $300 Y, I, and a $300 M.

M _ _ O R / T O N Y
N E L S O N / &
_ E _ N N I E

She solved MAJOR TONY NELSON & JEANNIE for $4,250. The extra puzzle is a PROPER NAME…

_ A _ _ Y
_ A G _ A _

She didn’t know that Major Tony was played by LARRY HAGMAN.

SOLE BANKRUPT: Jan (someone in the audience yelled “Yeah!” when this happened)

FEATURED PRIZE: Sony Home Entertainment System plus WebTV worth $2,899

Round 2: EVENT

Sandra did a lot of work here — five T’s and two H’s at $300 apiece (she landed on the yellow one first before the pink one), five E’s, a $400 R, three A’s, a $600 N pair, a $1,650 S trio, and three I’s before she landed on that normal BANKRUPT and lost $4K. Erik then picked up the WebTV prize w/ two M’s and lit up six L’s for $1,800. Board…

T H E / L A S T
T _ T A L / S _ L A R
E _ L I _ S E / _ _ / T H E
M I L L L E N N I _ M

He remembered THE LAST TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF THE MILLENNIUM for $4,699 cash & WebTV.

SOLE BANKRUPT: Sandra (looks like we know who that same audience member was cheering on after they yelled “No!” when this happened)

Jan: ZIP/Sandra: $4,250/Erik: $4,699 cash & WebTV

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: Hotel Cabo San Lucas worth $6,459

Jackpot Round: SAME NAME

Erik led the way w/ a $900 S, a $1,200 T pair, A, a $300 N, E, an $1,100 C pair, two I’s, but then D for dud. After Jan LaTed out on the spot, Sandra filled in a $300 B, a $900 L, two O’s, a $350 K, the final vowel of U, and two R’s on Jackpot. Board…

_ R I T E R ‘ S / &
A U C T I O N
B L O C K

Set off the fireworks — she solved WRITER’S & AUCTION BLOCK for $10,250 (including the $9,200 pot).

Jan: ZILCH/Sandra: $14,500/Erik: $4,699 cash & WebTV

---

Round 4: PHRASE

Jan got that same BANKRUPT after starting w/ a $500 N and it’s Speed-Up time…

_ _ _ / _ N _ _
_ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

…w/ the remaining consonants worth $1,450 a pop.

Sandra: T
Erik: R
Jan: two S’s
Sandra: two D’s
Erik: C

_ S _ / _ N _ _
_ S / D _ R _ C T _ D

Many medications have this label on them, and Erik solved USE ONLY AS DIRECTED for $2,900.

SOLE BANKRUPT: Jan

FINAL SCORES
Jan: PARTING GIFTS/Sandra: $14,500/Erik: $7,599

GT: $22,099
BANKRUPT TRASH: $4,500

---

Bonus Round

Up to this point, all bonus rounds on this week have been solved. Trying to make a PERFECTO happen, Sandra chose the second E.

Category: THING

This is what women wear over their shoulders…

S _ _ _ L

HKPO will add one more letter…

S H _ _ L

And the H was all she needed to solve SHAWL for the second PBRW and $25K! After she’s greeted by her best friend, her final all-cash total was $39,500!

MY RATING: 8

WoF Retro Recap: November 11, 1999

Hoo boy, this episode’s rather infamous…

EPISODE #3169: NEW YORK WEEK

Preview Puzzle (introduced by the Rockettes): PLACE

_ R _ _ E _ T R _
P _ T

Answer: ORCHESTRA PIT

David Sang: sweater designer married w/ two sons from NYC

Chandra Henderson: fashion model and former substitute teacher who also does community-based literacy tutoring from Manhattan

Joseph “Joe” Cardone: security officer during the day and bartender by night who played in a professional dart league from Ridgefield, NJ

Round 1: BEFORE & AFTER

David kicked off w/ a $1,600 T pair, a $450 H, a $600 N, three E’s, but then D for dud. Second, Chandra also missed w/ S for sorry. Third, Joe tried a $900 G, A and O singles, but then a baddie of Y. On David’s second turn, he filled in an $800 L, the leftover I and U, a $300 B, and a $500 V before he BANKRUPTed near $600 to lose $3,500. Chandra then said a $2K P pair and a $600 R duo to complete the board.

T H E / B I G
A P P L E
T U R N O V E R

She read the answer for $2,600.

DUDS: D (David), S (Chandra), Y (Joe)
SOLE BANKRUPT: David

FEATURED PRIZE: Cellini Jewelry Designs gift certificate worth $3K (JEWELRY)

Round 2: TITLE (PUZZLER)

Chandra’s first w/ a $1,200 N quartet, but the S failed her again. Joe controlled the rest of the round for a $500 C, a $500 B, a $900 L, and a $1,200 T trio.

L _ T _ / N _ _ _ T
_ _ T _ / C _ N _ N
_ ‘ B _ _ _ N

He solved “LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O’BRIEN” (nowadays, it’s Seth Meyers) for $3,100. The extra puzzle is a PEOPLE…

_ E L E _ R _ _ _ E _

He didn’t solve CELEBRITIES (and he exclaimed “Jesus!” when the answer was revealed).

SOLE DUD: S (Chandra)

David: NOTHING/Chandra: $2,600/Joe: $3,100

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: Half Moon Resorts in Jamaica worth $6,144 (JAMAICA)

Jackpot Round: PHRASE

Joe’s off to a quick $14K start w/ four T’s, followed by six E’s, three I’s, triple O’s, but then the BANKRUPT near Jackpot to flush away $13,250 — OUCH. After David said F for flunk, Chandra filled in a $900 Y, an $800 H, and a $600 B before we’ve displayed…

Y O _ / H _ _ E
T O / _ E E / I T
T O / B E _ I E _ E / I T

YOU HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT — she solved for another $2,300.

SOLE DUD: F (David)
PAINFUL BANKRUPT: Joe
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $11,400

David: NADA/Chandra: $4,900/Joe: $3,100

---

Speed-Up: PEOPLE

We just missed the big one, because the consonants were worth $1,600 apiece.

David: N (DUD)
Chandra: 2 R’s
Joe: T (DUD)
David: 2 L’s
Chandra: S
Joe: T (DUPE; NOT acknowledged as a duplication)
David: B (DUD)
Chandra: D (DUD)
Joe: B (DUPE; Joe exclaimed “Jesus!” again)
David: M (DUD)
Chandra: H
Joe: P

_ / _ R _ _ P / _ _
_ _ L L – _ _ S H _ R S

Joe caused the audience to laugh w/ a PATHETIC GUESS of A GROUP OF PILL-PUSHERS…

…

…

…

THIS IS WHEEL OF FORTUNE, JOE!!!

David: F
Chandra: C (DUD)
Joe: G
David: 2 W’s (NMC)

_ / G R _ _ P / _ F
W _ L L – W _ S H _ R S

David flubbed w/ A GROUP OF WILL-WISHES. Chandra then finally solved A GROUP OF WELL-WISHERS for $8K.

DUDS: N (David), T (Joe), B (David), D (Chandra), M (David), C (Chandra)
DQs: 4 (David and Joe’s blown solves, Joe’s T and B repeats)

FINAL SCORES
David: PARTING GIFTS/Chandra: $12,900/Joe: $3,100

GT: $16K
BANKRUPT TRASH: $16,750

---

Bonus Round

The remaining prizes were the cash, the Chrysler 300M, and the Lexus RX300 series. Chandra chose the second E from WH-E-.

Category: THING

Two L’s pop up at the end to start…

_ _ _ _ _ L L

BPGA filled in all but two blanks…

G _ _ B A L L

She got the winning GUMBALL for the $31,720 Chrysler 300M, giving her a final total of $44,620 cash & car. She was greeted by her mom.

Meanwhile, that infamous missolve still lives on…

MY RATING: 5

WoF Retro Recap: November 8, 1999 — NYC OPENER

They taped two weeks of shows at Madison Square Garden in NYC.

EPISODE #3166: NEW YORK WEEK

Preview Puzzle (presented by Regis and Kathie Lee): SHOW BIZ

B _ _ A _ W A _

ANSWER: BROADWAY (they used this a bonus puzzle in S32)

Leading off this road trip were…

Romy Maric: graduate student at the College of Insurance who wanted an MBA in risk management and also taught Croatian folklore dancing from Ardsley, NY

Nicole Thurman: counselor for children in an afternoon program w/ a son named Matthew and a big WWF fan (her favorite’s Stone Cold Steve Austin) from NYC

Pedro Delgado: student at Union County College majoring in communications and a music producer from Elizabeth, NJ

Round 1: ON THE MAP

This round’s all Romy — a $600 N, a $300 T, an $1,100 H pair, two E’s, an an $800 R pair.

T H E / H _ _ _ _ N
R _ _ E R

This was the puzzle Brian Schwartz of Philadelphia bombed in S35 on my week (he said THE HORIZON RIVER), but this lady successfully located THE HUDSON RIVER for $2,550.

FEATURED PRIZE: FAO Schwarz gift certificate worth $2,500 (marked TOYS)

Round 2: QUOTATION (PUZZLER)

Nicole’s first w/ a $300 T, three $300 R’s, a $400 S, EIGHT E’s, but then N for negative. Second, Pedro picked up the TOYS prize w/ L, but then said M for mistake. Third, Romy took a $1,050 C trio, A, and NINE P’s for $4,500 before she went for the solve…

P E T E R / P _ P E R
P _ C _ E _ / A / P E C _
_ _ / P _ C _ L E _
P E P P E R S

She said PETER PIPER PICKED A PACK OF PICKLED PEPPERS (replacing the E in PECK w/ A), which was one letter off…but it was accepted anyway for $5,300. The THING puzzle attached to this biggie…

T _ _ _ U _
T _ _ S T _ _

…she didn’t know it was a TONGUE TWISTER.

DUDS: N (Nicole), M (Pedro)

Romy: $7,850/Others: $0 each

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: trip to Foxwoods Resort & Casino in Connecticut worth $5,054 (RESORT)

Jackpot Round: SHOW BIZ

Pedro led off w/ a $300 R but then T for trap. Romy secondly picked a $600 S, but then repeated the T. Nicole thirdly spotted four N’s for $1,200, two E’s, a $600 L, a $1,600 D pair, but nothing more w/ C for crud. Pedro tried again w/ a $300 F, A, but then BANKRUPT near Jackpot to lose $350. Romy next said an $800 P, but she got the other normal BANKRUPT and lost $1,400. Nicole followed suit w/ a $300 Y, I, but then a baddie of K. After Pedro BANKRUPTed in the same spot he got before, Romy said an $800 B…

N Y P D / B L _ E ‘ S
D E N N I S / F R A N _

…she IDed NYPD BLUE’S DENNIS FRANZ.

DUDS: T (Pedro), C (Nicole), K (Nicole)
BANKRUPTS: 3 (Pedro 2x, Romy)
SOLE DQ: Romy’s T repeat

Romy: $8,650/Others: NOTHING a head

---

Speed-Up: PLACE

Look out, Romy — it’s a $6K Final Spin!

Romy: T
Nicole: 3 S’s
Pedro: N
Romy: R
Nicole: M (DUD)
Pedro: C
Romy: L

_ _ S _ _ R
_ _ L _ C _ T _ S S _ N

Romy SWEPT THE MAINGAME w/ KOSHER DELICATESSEN for $18K!

SOLE DUD: M (Nicole)

FINAL SCORES
Romy: $26,650/Others: PARTING GIFTS EACH

BANKRUPT TRASH: $1,750

---

Bonus Round

In addition to the cash, these cars were up for grabs on this first week from NYC…

• Chrysler 300M ($31K+)
• Lexus RX300 series ($38K+)
• Land Rover Discovery 2 ($38K+)
• Audi TT coupe ($33K+)

Romy picked the L.

Category: PEOPLE

Only an L to start this six-letter answer…

_ _ _ _ L _

CMPO added one more…

_ _ M _ L _

Her FAMILY would be so proud of her nailing this one before the timer even started, so she won the $33,925 Audi and left w/ $60,575 cash & car! Speaking about FAMILY, her parents joined her in the celebration.

In the end chat, the hosts showed off the flashing $25K envelope that Vanna now used during the description of the bonus prizes. Pat then threw a jab at rival show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”.

MY RATING: 8

WoF Retro Recap: November 3, 1999

EPISODE #3163: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Preview Puzzle: THINGS

I _ I _ L _ S

Answer: ICICLES

Darlene Mayes: stay-at-home-mom of two boys with one on the way married to a Navy man named David from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Chantal Sheehan: dispatcher and office manager who is married and has an 8 year old daughter from Pisgah Forest, NC

Kent Olson: accountant married for about 10 yrs. (his first date w/ his wife was in Rome) from Wheaton, IL

Round 1: EVENT (PUZZLER)

This round’s all Darlene — three T’s for $1,650, three H’s for the Free SPIN, three E’s, a $400 W, a $300 S, I, three O’s and two U’s, and a $500 R.

_ / T O U R / O _ / T H E
W H I T E / H O U S E

Whether she had A TOUR OF THE WHITE HOUSE or not in her lifetime, she solved for an $1,850 PR. Here’s the PLACE puzzle attached to this one…

W _ S _ / W I _ _

…but she didn’t know the WEST WING (that’s also the name of an old NBC political drama series).

FEATURED PRIZE: Fire Magic BBQ grill from the Robert H. Peterson Co. worth $3,889 (BBQ)

Round 2: BEFORE & AFTER

Chantal started w/ a $1,200 R pair, five S’s for another $4,500, but she and Kent both BANKRUPTed back-to-back on the $10K’s right side, costing her $5,700. Going to Darlene who said a $500 C, two E’s, $300 J, two $300 L’s, two $300 D’s, and an $800 N. Board…

J _ L _ _ S
C _ E S _ R / S _ L _ D
D R E S S _ N _

She had some JULIUS CAESAR SALAD DRESSING for $2,550.

BANKRUPTS: 2 (Darlene’s opposition)

Darlene: $4,400 FS/Everybody else: $0 each

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: 4n trip to Catalina Island from the Catalina Island Visitor Bureau worth $3,501 (CATALINA)

Jackpot Round: PHRASE

An $1,100 R got Kent started, but then L for loss while on Jackpot. Darlene controlled the rest of the round — a $1,600 N pair, a $900 G, I and two A’s, an $800 K, a $600 T pair, three E’s and two O’s, a $300 D, two F’s for the Catalina trip, and a $600 C pair.

_ A K I N G / A
C O N C E R T E D
E F F O R T

She’s MAKING A CONCERTED EFFORT to win $6,701 cash & Catalina.

SOLE DUD: L (Kent)
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $8,950

Darlene: $11,701 cash & Catalina FS/Others: ZERO a head

---

Round 4: RHYME TIME

Darlene quickly used her Free SPIN after hitting BANKRUPT near green $500. She lit up twin N’s and K’s ($900 and $500, respectively)…

_ _ N K _ –
_ _ N K _

…and quickly solved HANKY-PANKY for $2,800 and now had $14,501.

INSTA-BANKRUPT: Darlene

Round 5: THING (one-wordy)

Chantal BANKRUPTed near $600 on the spot. Kent had the exact same fate after filling in a $600 R. Darlene next uncovered an $800 T pair, A, and a $600 S, but it’s Final Spin time…

S _ _ _ T T A _ _

…and the remaining consonants were worth $1,300 (not quite to the big one).

Darlene: K (HUH?!)
Chantal: L
Kent: H (the NMC beeps didn’t sound)

S H _ R T T A _ L

Kent solved SHIRTTAIL to deny Darlene a sweep for his only $1,300 on the night.

SOLE DUD: K (Darlene)
BANKRUPTS: 2 (opposition)

FINAL SCORES
Darlene: $14,501 cash & trip/Chantal: PARTING GIFTS/Kent: $1,300

GT: $15,801
BANKRUPT TRASH: $6,300

---

Bonus Round

The remaining prizes in Bonusland besides $25K were…

• trip to Beverly Hills plus Ford Explorer ($28K+)
• trip to Mission Bay plus Hunter sailboat ($26K+)
• trip to Laguna Beach plus 10th anniversary maZDa Miata ($35K+)

From WHE-L, Darlene picked the H.

Category: THING

Interesting RSTLNE setup…

_ _ _
T R E E

KMDA was totally useless…but she still solved FIG TREE for a trip to the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills and a Ford Explorer Sport totaling $28,210, giving her $42,711 cash & prizes!

MY RATING: 7

WoF Retro Recap: October 20, 1999

EPISODE #3153: ORIENT ESCAPE WEEK

Preview Puzzle: THING

_ I L _ _ _ E T T E

Answer: SILHOUETTE

The Thursday trio…

Kimberley Field: telecommunication sales worker married four yrs. to Bill and expecting her first child at the time from Fishers, IN

David Sadia: flight attendant married for 14 yrs. to Nancy w/ two kids who once caught a 130 pound halibut (whoa!) in Alaska from San Gabriel, CA

Joe Cabral: program administrator for the federal government married to Michelle for 4 yrs. from Streetsville, Ontario, Canada

Round 1: FICTIONAL CHARACTERS (PUZZLER)

After a null cycle to start (Kimberly was about to hit BANKRUPT), Kimberly’s first picks were a $1,600 L pair, but then C for crud. Second, David also missed w/ H. Third, Joe called up a $600 T pair, but then repeated the H. On Kimberly’s second turn, she got a $600 M, but then bought a dud vowel of A for awful. After David said another dud of P for phooey, Joe lit up an $1,100 W pair, and four D’s for the Free SPIN to leave only vowels remaining….

T W _ _ D L _ D _ M / &
T W _ _ D L _ D _ _

He started to say TWEEDLEDEE, but he caught himself and IDed TWEEDLEDUM & TWEEDLEDEE (from “Alice in Wonderland”) for $1,700. Now for a PHRASE puzzle for him to solve…

_ W _ / _ F / A
_ _ N D

Joe realized they are TWO OF A KIND, so his total for this round is $4,700.

DUDS: C (Kimberly), J (David), A (Kimberly), P (David)
SOLE DQ: Joe’s H repeat

FEATURED PRIZE: Nikon F100 + 2 Quantaray lenses, flash, film, and bag worth $2,500 (CAMERA)

Round 2: FILL IN THE BLANK

David started w/ four R’s for $1,200, but then S for sorry. Joe secondly spun his way to an $800 N pair, E, but then BANKRUPT near $600 to lose $550 and he used the FS…only to LaT out. Kimberly thirdly picked a $300 C, but then T for trouble. Speaking of trouble, David BANKRUPTed the same way the other man did and lost $1,200. Joe missed w/ L, so we’re right back to Kimberly. She lit up a $300 D, SEVEN A’s, but then nothing else w/ Y. After David LaTed out, Joe said a $1,200 G pair…

? / R A N G E
? / A / C A R
? / A / _ A R D
_ A R _ A _ N

He solved ? RANGE ? A CAR ? A HARD BARGAIN and got the $3K bonus w/ Driving, so he won another $4,200.

DUDS: S (David), T (Kimberly), L (Joe), Y (Kimberly)
LaTs: 2 (Joe, David)
BANKRUPTS: 2 (men)

Joe: $8,900/Others: $0 each

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: New Year’s trip to Pasadena, CA (incl. first-class hotel accommodations p, tickets to the Rose Bowl, and grandstand seating at the Tournament of Roses parade) worth $7K (PASADENA)

Jackpot Round: PHRASE

This round’s all Joe — a $400 S, a $1,500 T trio, A, a $600 H, two I’s, an $800 R, a $300 L, two E’s, a $300 K, and the final vowel of two O’s.

_ O _ / T H A T ‘ S
_ O R E / L I K E / I T

NOW THAT’S MORE LIKE IT — him scoring a $2,900 PR.

UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $7,900

Joe: $11,800/Others: ZERO a head

---

Round 4: THING

A $500 R got Kimberly started, but BANKRUPT near $600 got her. David struck out w/ S while Joe BANKRUPTed near $500, so we’re right back to Kimberly. She got a $1,600 N pair, four A’s, but then the same BANKRUPT she got before. David missed w/ B while Joe BANKRUPTed near $500 again, so we’re quickly back to Kimberly again. She tried an $800 T pair, a $600 M duo, a $10K H pair, E, but then a costly purchase of I to leave $10,900 sitting there. After David said yet another baddie of G, Joe lit up a $300 D and a W for the Pasadena trip…

M A N H A T T A N
_ _ A M / _ H _ W _ E R

…he ate some MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER for $7,300 cash & Pasadena. And the game ended right there, so he swept the maingame!

DUDS: S (David), B (David), I (Kimberly), G (David)
BANKRUPTS: 4 (two each by Kimberly and Joe)

FINAL SCORES
Joe: $19,100 cash & Pasadena/Others: PARTING GIFTS EACH

BANKRUPT TRASH: $3,600

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Bonus Round

The non-cash prizes this week were…

• trip to China and a 1999 Acura 3.0 CL w/ Bose CD stereo ($30K+)
• trip to Bali ($16K+)
• trip to Hong Kong and a Honda Prelude ($31K+)
• Oriental cruise (nearly $18K)

Joe picked the first E.

Category: EVENT

Opening layout…

_ / _ R _ S _
_ _ L _

CHGA only added two of the vowel…

A / _ R _ S _
_ A L _

After saying A BRUSH, he took A BRISK WALK to victory for the trip to Hong Kong (Regal Hong Kong in Causeway Bay) and the Honda Prelude (from Kramer Motors) worth $31,056! After we see his wife Michelle, his final cash/prizes total is $50,156.

MY RATING: 8

WoF Retro Recap: February 3, 2006

Filing this one under S23…

EPISODE #4395: VIVA LAS VEGAS

$1K Toss-Up: PHRASE

I ‘ _ L / T _ _ _ / _ Y
_ _ _ N C _ _

Natalie rightfully responds “I’LL TAKE MY CHANCES”. And this end-of-week panel would take their chances…

Natalie Fursetzer: worker for AIDSWalk who recently moved from L.A. to NYC (orig. from Minnesota)

Laura Schneider: married to Tim for almost 9 years w/ a 2-yr.-old son who wanted to see every island in the Caribbean from Rochester Hills, MI

Tom Cocchi: bus driver married to Janet for 21 years w/ two kids who participated in bus rodeos from Pittsburgh

We have a little bad news for you, Laura — the Prize Puzzle WON’T be a trip to the Caribbean. So sorry.

$2K Toss-Up: PLACE

_ _ R D _ N
_ H E _

Laura got the money from a GARDEN SHED.

FEATURED VEGAS TRIP: Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson worth $4K (we presume the famous Las Vegas sign is shown on the wedge for all of this week)
Gift Tags: vegas.com and RICARDO Luggage

Round 1: EVENT (PRIZE PUZZLE)

She opened w/ a $600 T pair, three A’s, but then the sole dud vowel of E. Tom did the rest of the work for an $1,100 R pair, L for the Vegas trip, U, four N’s for $1,600, three I’s, a $900 G pair, a $2,700 S trio, and a $300 K.

S _ A K I N G / I N
N A T U R A L
_ _ T / S _ R I N G S

He won $6,100 and the Vegas trip, but he’ll also be SOAKING IN NATURAL HOT SPRINGS near the Nordica Hotel & Spa in ICELAND w/ ICELANDAIR airfare worth $8,700; that was an $18,800 round for him.

SOLE DUD: E (Laura)

Jackpot Round: ON THE MAP

Tom started w/ three T’s for the RICARDO luggage, then after a null cycle, he gave it right back to the BANKRUPT near $600. Natalie repeated the S (so we know that WAS part of the null cycle) while Laura said R for rats, so we’re right back to Tom. He lit up two M’s on Jackpot ($6,150 at the time), a $900 L pair, two E’s and I, and two G’s for the Free SPIN. Board…

G _ _ T E M _ L _ / _ I T _
G _ _ T E M _ L _

Tom located GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA for the house minimum.

SOLE AIRED DUD: R (Laura)
SOLE AIRED BANKRUPT: Tom
SOLE AIRED DQ: Natalie’s S repeat
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $6,600

Tom: $19,800 cash & trips/Natalie: $1K/Laura: $2K

---

Mystery Round: BEFORE & AFTER

Both ladies struck out right away w/ S and N, respectively (and Natalie tried to say G after her dud letter). Going to Tom already who lit up three T’s for $1,350, two E’s, a $900 L trio, I and A, a $600 C, a $1,600 B pair, and a $600 K duo before she said D for dud on the MW near $800 and turned in his FS. After the buying of three O’s and a $600 R pair…

L I T T L E / B L A C K
B O O K
R E _ O R T

…he turned in his LITTLE BLACK BOOK REPORT to be paid $4,650.

DUDS: S (Natalie), N (Laura), D (Tom)

Tom: $24,450 cash & trips/Natalie: $1K/Laura: $2K

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$3K Toss-Up: AROUND THE HOUSE

D _ S T
_ U F _ L E

Natalie found a DUST RUFFLE to x4 up.

Round 4: SHOW BIZ

First up are a $600 T, but the S failed her again (and she tried to pick G again after that call). Laura secondly picked off three N’s for $1,200, two A’s, $550 C and G singles, but it’s S-U time…

_ _ A _ _ _ N _ _ / &
_ _ _ N _ N G / A C T

…and the consonants were worth $1,550 apiece.

Laura: P
Tom: D
Natalie: R
Laura: H

H _ A D _ _ N _ R / &
_ P _ N _ N G / A C T

Tom’s the HEADLINER & OPENING ACT of this episode, but it’s Laura who solved for $5,150.

SOLE DUD: S (Natalie)

FINAL SCORES
Tom: $24,450 cash & trips/Natalie: $4K/Laura: $7,150

GT: $35,600
BANKRUPT TRASH: RICARDO Luggage

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Bonus Round

The cars on this week were an Audi A4 convertible and a Jeep Commander. After he introduced his wife, he landed on the O of BONUS.

Category: PHRASE

Pretty good RSTLNE setup…

_ / _ R _ _ _ T
_ _ T _ R E

MDPO meant a GAME OVER…or is it? After saying NATURE and FUTURE, he got the right answer much to the host’s surprise and would have A BRIGHT FUTURE w/ $40K, giving him $64,450 cash & trips!

MY RATING: 8