WoF Recap: September 3, 2020

EPISODE #7229: CARNIVAL WEEK OF FUN!

Before we get started, we get a shot of Jim in the audience.

$1K Tossup: THING

A / G R E A _ / _ _ N S E
O F / H _ M _ R

We’re about to find out whether Celeste or her opposition has A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR…

Celeste Wells: married to Bill for 62 yrs. w/ 2 kids and 3 grandkids from Stony Brook, NY

Ginell Walkes: school social worker for three public schools married to Brittany with a dog named Ayla from Richmond, VA

Christiaan (yep, with two A’s) Felix: union glazer and construction worker from Pico Rivera, CA

$2K Tossup: FUN & GAMES

_ H A _ _ W
_ _ P _ E _ S

Ginell plays with SHADOW PUPPETS to spin first. But before that, she mentions she’s originally from New York.

Round 1: FOOD & DRINK

It’s all Ginell this round – a TD R, an $1,800 S pair, a single E, an O trio, an $1,800 T triplet, a $700 P, the remaining vowels (an A quartet and an I duo), an $1,100 H pair, and an $1,800 D trio (she just dodged BANKRUPT there)…

P O T A T O / S _ I _ S
_ I T H / _ A _ O _
A _ D / _ H E D D A R

…and POTATO SKINS WITH BACON AND CHEDDAR worth $8,700 and a new total of $10,700 – PR.

Blue Buffalo Mystery Round: BEFORE & AFTER

Christiaan kicks things off with a TD T, an E, and two A’s, but a D for dud on the WC stops him in his tracks. Celeste does most of the work: she spots two R’s for $1,300, I and O singles, a $600 S, a U to clean out the vowels, a $1,300 L pair, two F’s for $1K, a $650 B, and a W for the GT (which she had trouble picking up)…but then she BANKRUPTS near TD to lose $4,600 cash and sunglasses…

S _ A R _ L I _ _
W A T E R
B U F F A L O

…and Ginell imagines a SPARKLING WATER BUFFALO for the house minimum.

SOLE DUD: D (Christiaan)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Celeste

Ginell: $11,700/Christiaan: ZERO/Celeste: $1K

---

PP/Express Round: PHRASE

Once again, Celeste does the heavy lifting – two T’s for a grand, four E’s, a single A, a K for $500, the remaining vowels (three O’s, an I, and a U), two R’s for $1,200, and two F’s for $1,300 – before going for the cruise…

T A K E / _ O _ E / T I _ E
F O R / _ O U R _ E _ F

…but you can’t TAKE MORE TIME FOR YOURSELF, ma’am, because you didn’t count your R’s correctly; that’ll cost her at least $2,750. After Ginell hits LaT, Christiaan lights up a $1,300 M pair…

T A K E / _ O M E / T I M E
F O R / _ O U R _ E _ F

…and TAKE SOME TIME FOR YOURSELF, sir, because you’re hopping aboard the Carnival Vista.

SOLE LaT: Ginell
SOLE DQ: Celeste’s missolve

Ginell: $11,700/Christiaan: $11,163 cash & cruise/Celeste: $1K

Don’t worry, Celeste. You can still catch up.

---

Triple Toss-Up: WAYW?

1.

_ _ N _ A S
T E _ N _ S / _ H O E S

We’re talking about footwear here, and Celeste starts her road to redemption with a pair of CANVAS TENNIS SHOES.

2.

_ _ N N Y
_ O A _ _ R S

Said blue player also wears some PENNY LOAFERS.

3.

_ _ _ Y
_ _ _ _ P E _ S

Ginell admits she doesn’t know it.

_ U B Y
_ L I _ P E R S

Celeste sweeps ‘em with Dorothy’s RUBY SLIPPERS.

Speed-Up: WAYD?

It’s a $1,700 Final Spin.

Celeste: one N
Ginell: one S
Christiaan: D
Celeste: one R
Ginell: one T
Christiaan: one G
Celeste: two L’s
Ginell: one P
Christiaan: two Y’s
Celeste: one H

P L _ Y _ N G / _ Y
T H _ / R _ L _ S

Celeste’s PLAYING BY THE RULES to go from worst to first with $8,500! Her opponents left behind $5,100 each.

SOLE DUD: D (Christiaan)

FINAL SCORES
Ginell: $11,700/Christiaan: $11,163 cash & cruise/Celeste: $15,500

See, Celeste? Like you said, “it’s not over ‘til it’s over.”

GT: $38,363
BANKRUPT TRASH: $5,600 cash & sunglasses

Celeste can complete her comeback with yesterday’s category lists…

-PHRASE
-THING
-LIVING THINGS

She wisely chooses LIVING THINGS. (I would’ve picked a different category.)

---

$100K Bonus Round

After she introduces us to her husband Bill and friends Terry and Dennis, Celeste’s strong spin (much stronger than those at the big wheel) lands on the G in GAME. These animals are part of the pig family…

_ R _ _ _ / _ _
_ _ L _ / _ _ _ R S

DFCA doesn’t help that much…

_ R _ _ _ / _ F
_ _ L D / _ _ A R S

…or does it?! After falling for the BEARS trap, she pinpoints a GROUP OF WILD BOARS for $37K and a final all-cash sum of $52,500! Great work, Celeste.

MY RATING: 7 (thanks to her comeback)

(NOTE: By the way, PHRASE was my first category choice.)

Pat Sajak Now Consulting Producer

While you’re all waiting for the Thursday recap (written by @jpgenius) to pop up (since he lives in the west coast), Pat Sajak has now been confirmed to be the consulting host for the show’s 38th season! Congratulations, man!

Also, on a side note, Ken Jennings also has that position for the sister show. Congrats to him as well.

WoF Recap: September 2, 2020

EPISODE #7228: CARNIVAL WEEK OF FUN!

$1K Tossup: WAYD?

B _ A _ I N G / _ I T H
H A P P _ _ _ _ _

Jessica’s BEAMING WITH HAPPINESS, as are her opponents…

Jessica Swinton: accountant at a construction finance company married to Joshua from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Alison Rose: occupational therapist, certified hand therapist (who works with people’s arms), and former jump rope coach who has a 94-year-old grandma named Ma-mom from Baltimore

Job Toussaint: administrative assistant, grad student at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, aspiring epidemiologist, and mountain climber engaged to Caitlyn from Little Rock

$2K Tossup: PERSON

W O R _ D
T _ _ _ _ L _ R

Alison might become a WORLD TRAVELER if she wins one of the cruises offered.

Speaking of cruises, the weeklong PP trip is a Caribbean cruise worth $9,863, but aboard different ships.

Round 1: SHOW BIZ

Alison starts off on a sour note with a T dud. Job lights up a few pairs – $1,200 R’s, E’s, $1,200 N’s, and I’s – and a $550 G before picking the sole dud vowel of A. Jessica spots an $800 D, the remaining vowels (O and U singles) before going for the house minimum solve (huh?)..

E _ _ _ – _ I N N I N G
_ R O D U _ E R

…and while we’ll see more than one EMMY-WINNING PRODUCER in September, Jessica could’ve gone for the M’s (but she wanted a puzzle under her belt).

DUDS: T (Alison), A (Job)

Mystery/Crossword Round: GRAPE ______

Here goes Job with a $900 L, three E’s, and a C on the MW near $650 that he flips…but he regrets it (he even said “womp, womp” – LOL!). But he gets his turn right back after Jessica BANKRUPTS near $650 and Alison LOSES A TURN. He spots an $800 J as well as pairs of U’s and I’s but then gets hit by the evil white wedge. After that, Jessica picks an $1,800 S duo, an A to clean out the vowels, a $600 V, and an N for $800 (she barely hung onto that space)…

•   L E A V E S
•             I
•             N U _ S
• J U I C E

…and eats a bowl of Grape NUTS for $2,950.

BANKRUPTS: Job, Jessica
LaTs: Alison, Job

Alison: $2K/Job: ZERO/Jessica: $4,950

---

PP/Express Round: EVENT

Jessica starts this crucial round with a $550 T and the LaT, while Alison BANKRUPTS near TD. Next, Job asks for a $900 L an S for sorry on TD (no reaction). Third, Jessica spots a $500 R but quickly discovers there’s no A. Then, Alison picks off five E’s on FP and two N’s for $1,800, but another dud vowel (O) stops her in her tracks. After that, Job lands on the EXPRESS, spots a C, and reluctantly hops aboard…

Picks: one X, one P, one Y…M for MISTAKE (he loses $4K)

Following that blunder, Jessica FPs the last consonant of Q…

T R _ L Y / _ N _ Q _ E
E X P E R I E N C E

…and with another $1,800, she’ll have a TRULY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE on her cruise of Cozumel, Montego Bay, and Grand Cayman aboard the Carnival Vista.

DUDS: S (Job), O (Alison), M (Job)
REGULAR BANKRUPT: Alison
LaT: Jessica

Alison: $2K/Job: BAD LUCK/Jessica: $16,613 cash & cruise

---

Triple Tossup: FUN & GAMES

1.

K _ _ _ _ – _ N _ C K
_ _ K _

Job plays a KNOCK-KNOCK JOKE to get on the board.

2.

T E _ _ _ N _ / _
_ _ L L _ / S _ _ _ Y

Job can’t get the second line…

T E _ _ _ N _ / _
S _ L L _ / S _ O _ Y

…but mumbles it after the buzzer, while Jessica’s TELLING A SILLY STORY.

3.

_ A U _ _ _ N G
O U T / _ _ U _

Jessica’s LAUGHING OUT LOUD after breaking the $20K mark.

Speed-Up: PHRASE (one-liner alert)

It’s $1,500 per consonant.

Jessica: S
Alison: L
Job: one T
Jessica: R
Alison: one M
Job: J (wha?)
Jessica: three A’s

_ _ A T / A / _ A M _ !

In terms of her dominance, Jessica rightfully says, “WHAT A GAME!” Nevertheless, she seals her win with another minimum solve.

AIRED DUDS: S (Jessica), L (Alison), R (Jessica), J (Job)

FINAL SCORES
Jessica: $21,613 cash & cruise/Others: $2K

GT: $25,613
BANKRUPT TRASH: $4,650

What category will Jessica choose for the next round?

–THING
–PHRASE
–LIVING THINGS

She’s going for a THING. Hmm, OK…

---

$100K Bonus Round

Before introducing us to her husband, parents Angela and David, and sister Jennifer, Jessica tells Pat she hasn’t been on a honeymoon. Well, that might have changed with the PP. Anyway, after she lands on the single star, RSTLNE gives us…

_ _ L _ _ _ L E
_ _ _ _ _ E

DMPO won’t do much…

_ _ L _ _ _ L E
_ D _ _ _ E

…and too bad I can’t give her VALUABLE ADVICE on the solution, because she loses $50K. Ouch.

MY RATING: 6