WoF Retro Recap: May 29, 1996

(I originally published this two years ago, but I’m bumping it to today.)

EPISODE #2523: SALUTE TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Melanie Denstaedt: full-time student at Alverno College and a mother of three with twins on the way married to Don from Racine, WI (the audio was too low from the video source, but I made out the name)

Andrew Bennett: junior at Sac State studying political science and a part-time waiter from Elk Grove, CA

David Boucher: cardiovascular and pulmonary research scientist at the Univ. of Colorado married to a Kentucky belle named Rebecca w/ two boys from Denver, CO

Round 1: PLACE

Melanie kicked off w/ three T’s and H at $750 apiece, two E’s, but then N for negative. Second, Andrew spun up the $200 right past $1K three times in a row, calling S, two R’s, but then C for crud. Third, David called up a $750 G, a single A, but then L for loss. Melanie then lit up a $400 D to clean out the consonants…

T H E / G R E A T
_ _ T D _ _ R S

Take away the first word and you get one of their past theme weeks — she solved THE GREAT OUTDOORS for $3,150.

DUDS: N (Melanie), C (Andrew), L (David)

FEATURED PRIZE: trip to a B & B in Kona, HI plus an Atlantis submarine expedition worth $4,200 (HAWAII B&B)

Round 2: $1K SLOGAN (R3 layout used)

Andrew started w/ a $1,600 N pair, but then T for trouble. David secondly spun his way to two G’s for the Hawaii trip, a $250 L, a single I, an $1,800 R pair, and five O’s before he took a stab at this..

_ _ ‘ R _
L O O _ I N G
_ O R / _ / _ _ _
G O O _ / _ _ N

He solved “WE’RE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN” for $1,550 plus the Hawaii trip. He then got the bonus answer of the U.S. Marine Corps, so he’s in the lead w/ $6,750 cash & trip.

SOLE DUD: T (Andrew)

Melanie: $3,150/Andrew: NOTHING/David: $6,750 cash & HI

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Round 3: PHRASE (R4 layout used)

First from David were a $1K N pair, but then R for rats. Second for Melanie were a $300 T, two S’s for $700, two A’s, but then the BANKRUPT next to $1,500 to lose $750. Andrew lost his turn w/ a non-existing G call. David next lit up two L’s for $1,600, a $900 Y, two I’s and E’s, a $1,500 B, and a $700 P pair. The layout…

A N
I N E _ _ A _ S T I B L E
S _ P P L Y

He solved AN INEXHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY for $5,200.

DUDS: R (David), G (Andrew)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Melanie

Melanie: $3,150/Andrew: NADA/David: $11,950 cash & HI

Round 4: BEFORE & AFTER

The T failed Melanie right from the get-go. Second in line, Andrew picked a $3K pair of N’s, bought two E’s, but BANKRUPTed the same way the lady did in the last round to lose the $2,750 remainder. Third, David filled in a $700 S pair, a single I, an $1,100 R pair, a single A, and three D’s for the SURPRISE. Here’s the board…

D _ D E
R A N _ _
D R E S S I N _

Not sure if there’s something in the grocery store called a DUDE RANCH DRESSING, but he solved for $1,300 and the SURPRISE, which was a trip to the Salmon Falls Resort in Ketchikan, Alaska worth $7,588.

INSTA-DUD: T (Melanie)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Andrew

Melanie: $3,150/Andrew: NADA/David: $20,838 cash & trips

Speed-Up: PLACE

Consonants were worth $5K apiece!

Andrew: S (DUD)
David: T (DUD)
Melanie: R
Andrew: L (DUD)
David: C (DUD)
Melanie: D

_ _ R _
_ _ D _ _ _ _

It’s the hometown of the late Michael Jackson, as Melanie NAILED GARY, INDIANA for $10K.

DUDS: S (Andrew), T (David), L (Andrew), C (David)

FINAL SCORES
Melanie: $13,150/Andrew: PARTING GIFTS/David: $20,838 cash & trips

GT: $33,988
BANKRUPT TRASH: $3,500

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Bonus Round

The non-$25K cash prizes on this week were…

• trip to Paris
• trip to Montreal plus a Jeep Grand Cherokee
• trip to Tokyo plus an Acura sedan
• trip to Stockholm plus a SAAB convertible

David picked the L from W-EEL.

Category: THING

This four-letter answer started as…

_ _ N _

GCMI filled in all but one blank…

_ I N C

He got the metal of ZINC for the trip to Montreal (site of the 1976 Summer Games) plus Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited worth a combined $40,854, giving him $61,692 and a guaranteed spot in the Friday Finals!

MY RATING: 8