During the first hour of this year’s “Rocking Eve” broadcast, they played a very quick game of WoF. One of three NYC civilians randomly chosen had to win two of the Triple Toss-Ups for a chance to spin the bonus wheel and win a trip to a place that celebrates the New Year such as Chicago, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico. These are the contestants…
Harry: doorman from Queens
Kris (male): proud native New Yorker and a proud member of NYPD
Ketty (female): claims to be the biggest Harry Potter one will ever meet from Brooklyn
Category: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
1.
M A _ I N G
R _ S _ R _ A T I O _ S
Harry scores first w/ MAKING RESERVATIONS.
2.
M _ _ _ _ G
_ _ _ _ T _ N I
Kris, MAKING MARTINI is too short to fit.
M A K _ N G
R I _ A T O N I
Ketty solves MAKING RIGATONI.
3.
M _ K I _ _
R _ _ O _ U _ I O N S
Harry, MAKING RENOVATIONS has no chance of fitting. -__-
M _ K I _ _
R _ _ O _ U T I O N S
Ketty wins the round w/ MAKING RESOLUTIONS.
After she spins the bonus wheel, she lands on the R of AMERICA’S, and is off to LAS VEGAS courtesy of Collette for the next New Year’s Eve party.
In the cold open, Ryan welcomes us to the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, and there’s no better place to celebrate. But right now, it’s time for the last game of 2025, and we get the full opening intro.
$1K Toss-Up: ON MY PLAYLIST
T O D A _ ’ S _ O P / _ I _ S
Jolene just misses it like I did w/ TODAY’S POP HITS.
T O D A _ ’ S T O P / H I _ S
Shakeel has listened to TODAY’S TOP HITS. Here’s the final panel of 2025…
Shakeel Harris: guy who has three resolutions: be more consistent w/ his gym time, put at least one stamp in his passport book, and read at least 50 books for the new year; he recently graduated from LSU w/ his PhD and plans to work w/ a church ministry as well as teach in school from Baltimore
Jami McConnell: lady who likes to go on a retreat of her own to reflect on the past year, and plan and prepare for the upcoming year (on New Year’s Day, she usually gets up to watch the first sunrise of the new year; she feels mornings have become her greater of the two celebrations); she’s also obsessed w/ hot-air balloons (they’re representative of who she is and her faith) from Springfield, MO
Jolene Bajnath: gambler who goes to Vegas all the time w/ her family and boyfriend (she has a slot machine tattoo on her right arm, and the boyfriend’s favorite machine is WoF; Ryan also points out Vanna’s heart tattoo); after fixing marriages, she comes home to her cat named Butters and watch “Gilmore Girls” all night from Palmdale, CA
$2K Toss-Up: LIVING THINGS
_ / _ I T _ _ _ / O F P _ P _ I E _
Jolene’s on the board that time w/ A LITTER OF PUPPIES.
FEATURED TRIP: 6d in CHICAGO from Road Scholar worth $7,098
Tonight in Times Square before the ball drop, Ryan and company will play the fastest version of WoF.
Round 1: BEFORE & AFTER
Jolene: oddly starts w/ M and there’s one for $500, $1,700 T pair, BANKRUPT near $2,500 (lost $2,200)
Shakeel: other normal one
Jami: $5KS pair (close call), triple O’s, $500 F, H for halt
Jolene: $2,800 P quartet, solve for that much $…
P O S T _ _ _ S T _ M P O F / _ P P _ O _ _ _
We give her a POSTAGE STAMP OF APPROVAL for that correct answer.
Mystery Round: PET PEEVE
Shakeel: just misses good part of MDW and gets left side instead
Jami: $2,400 S trio, $10,500N trio, $700 R, four E’s, $650 Y, three O’s, $650 G, $2,700 T trio, two A’s, solve…
T _ E / S A _ E S O N G / O N / E _ E R Y S T A T _ O N
Some people might feel annoyed of hearing THE SAME SONG ON EVERY STATION, but this lady’s scored $16,850!
Jolene: $4,800/Shakeel: $1K/Jami: $16,850
PP/Express Round: FUN & GAMES
Jami: MDW’s right side on the spot
Jolene: $1K R pair, can’t quite escape BANKRUPT near TD
Shakeel: B for bad (why choose that so early?)
Jami: $1,500 S trio, two E’s and three A’s, two T’s for WC, same MDW BANKRUPT she got before (lost WC right back + $2K)
Jolene: $550 M, D for dud
Shakeel: $550 K, $500 P, solve…
P A R T _ / _ A T S / & _ _ _ S E M A K E R S
In addition to $1,050, he’ll get some PARTY HATS & NOISEMAKERS for his trip to the Conrad NEW YORK Downtown + VIP experience at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rocking Eve worth $7K. Enter tonight’s bonus puzzle on the website for your chance to win the NYC trip for next year’s Rocking Eve celebration.
We start w/ a cold open from Ryan at Times Square reminding us New Year’s Eve is tomorrow, but we’re playing another game of this show.
$1K Toss-Up: RHYME TIME
_ _ _ _ S / _ O R _ U C C E S S
Cal came to DRESS FOR SUCCESS, and we’ll meet Tuesday’s trio…
Cal Davies: has the resolution of eating as much BBQ he could possibly can (specifically Carolina, Kansas City and Texas; he plans on eating at restaurants, but if anyone’s having a cook-out, he’s there) and is an Arkansas Razorbacks fan (he gives a shout-out to his boss Riley who took him down to Athens, GA when his team played Ryan’s Georgia Bulldogs, but it didn’t go so well) from Charlotte, NC
Samantha Lomen: foodie (she loves finding new food places on TikTok; at one time, she traveled 6 hours round-trip to try macaroni and cheese and edible cookie dough) who’s ran three half-marathons (and she’s planning to run a full marathon next year w/ her father as her running partner) & physical therapy student from Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Yulanda Harris-Hugh: enjoys reading (especially Danielle Steele & Mary Higgins Clark; she hasn’t read “Kaleidoscope” though) and shopping (her favorite stores are TJ Maxx and Marshalls, and she also looks for the right shoe at Walmart) from Frederick, MD
$2K Toss-Up: PET LIFE
B _ _ _ _ _ G / _ T _ H _ / _ _ T
Cal blanks that time.
B _ _ K _ N G / A T T H _ / C _ T
Samantha solves BARKING AT THE CAT.
FEATURED TRIP: Canyon Country & Vegas from COLLETTE worth $10,418
Round 1: BEFORE & AFTER (short puzzle alert)
Samantha: $1,100 T pair, E for end of turn
Yulanda: $600 H, E repeat
Cal: wasted spin w/ BANKRUPT near $650
Samantha: other normal one (lost $850)
Yulanda: two A’s, same BANKRUPT other lady got (lost $100 remainder)
Cal: $2,500 R, bad I buy
Samantha: MDW’s left side
Yulanda: other MDW BANKRUPT
Cal: one O (NMV), $500 S, $1,100 K pair…
S H A R K T A _ K T O _
…but he FLUNKS OUT w/ L (he thought the second word was TALK) to squander $3,600, so Samantha mercifully dons a SHARK TANK TOP for the house minimum.
Mystery Round: THE NEXT 50 YEARS
Not new, since we saw this category introduced during their 50th anniversary week last season.
Yulanda: instant dud of L on MW near $650
Cal: $2,100 N trio, three I’s, two A’s, and O (NMV in one fell swoop), $500 G, $1,300 T pair, two R’s on same MW and DECLINES, $700 S, solve…
_ I N N I N G / A T R I _ / T O / _ A R S
He ain’t gonna be WINNING A TRIP TO MARS, but he does score $5,850.
Yulanda: ZERO/Cal: $6,850/Samantha: $3K
PP/Express Round: EVENT
Cal: BANKRUPT near $3,500 on the spot
Samantha: $600 T, H for halt
Yulanda: $500 R, three A’s, the L fails her again while on EXPRESS
Cal: $1,400 D pair, three E’s and unnecessary U buy, solve…
A / _ _ E – _ _ – A – _ _ _ D A D _ E _ T U R E
He wins the $900 remainder and A ONE-OF-A-KIND ADVENTURE courtesy of thrive TRAVEL to the TRS Coral Hotel on Costa Mujeres in MEXICO worth $11,500.
“Seven” is the key number, and Yulanda’s off the schneid w/ SAIL THE SEVEN SEAS.
2.
I _ / S _ _ E _ _ H _ _ A _ _ N
Yulanda’sIN SEVENTH HEAVEN now.
3.
S E _ _ N – _ _ Y _ R _ _ P
Cal tastes some SEVEN-LAYER DIP to deny the bonus sweep.
Speed-Up: FUN & GAMES
Cal spins the $1,500 minimum.
Cal: N Samantha: T (DUD) Yulanda: R (DUD) Cal: G Samantha: M (DUD) Yulanda: H Cal: S (DUD) Samantha: D (DUD) Yulanda: 2 C’s Cal: L
_ L _ _ _ N G _ C _ / H _ C _ _ _
Cal’s not PLAYING ICE HOCKEY, but rather adding another $4,500.
PENALTY BOX
DUDS
LaTs
BANKRUPTS
DQs
Round 1
E (Samantha) I, L (Cal)
5 (everybody incl. 2 by each lady)
Yulanda’s E repeat
Round 2
L (Yulanda)
Round 3
H (Samantha) & L (Yulanda)
Cal right away
Round 4
T, M, D (Samantha) R (Yulanda) S (Cal)
FINAL SCORES Yulanda: $4K/Cal: $25,750 cash & Mexico/Samantha: $3K
GT: $32,750 BANKRUPT TRASH: just $950
Cal’s picking from…
PHRASE
THING
FOOD & DRINK
Despite his love of BBQ, he goes for PHRASE.
$100K Bonus Round
Cal brought along his mom (Beth, who competed over 30 years ago on Nov. 15, 1994) and girlfriend Lauren; he lands on what’s under the S of SPIN. This fairly long one starts as…
_ E / _ _ L L _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _
Unfortunately, he too goes for CDMA…
_ E / _ _ L L _ A C _ / _ _ _ / _ _
…and he’s stuck w/ BE FULL. Sorry man, but WE WILL (NOT) BACK YOU UP w/ the Genesis G70.
After mentioning his Nana’s nine-layer dip, Ryan’s willing to give Vanna the recipe for tomorrow night, and she will send him a picture of the food. And Cal doesn’t even join them on stage.
MY RATING: 4 (way too many penalties including an ugly R1)
We did well BR wise in last season’s edition of Happy New Year going 4-1, but of course, the one loss came from that disastrous New Year’s Eve 2024 episode (it’s reairing this Saturday). Hopefully we don’t see a repeat of that sometime this week.
EPISODE #8286: HAPPY NEW YEAR
$1K Toss-Up: RESOLUTIONS
Not a new category, since we saw this introduced last year.
E _ P _ E _ _ / M _ R E _ R A _ _ T _ D _
Idette and the first panelists this week want to EXPRESS MORE GRATITUDE…
Idette Stokes: rapper (she does a rap on the air) and accountant from Raleigh, NC
Carolynn Brower: girl who likes to listen to songs older than her father (Frank Sinatra is one of her favorites, and being a Texas girl at heart, she enjoys Texas-born artists like Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson) from Austin, TX
Jeff Wallitsch: boxing referee (in amateur boxing, junior Olympics and Golden Gloves) whose dad was a pro boxer in the 50’s and 60’s, and is married to America for 20 years from Henderson, NV
$2K Toss-Up: PLACE (three-liner alert)
_ _ E _ _ _ _ / H _ _ H C _ _ _
Jeff quickly gets the nickname for Denver as THE MILE HIGH CITY.
FEATURED TRIP: PUERTO RICO from EF Go Ahead Tours worth $10,610 (my family and I visited San Juan of that country during our 2-week cruise earlier this month)
Round 1: PET PEEVE
Jeff: instant dud of T
Idette: $1,200 S pair (close call), one E and two I’s, BANKRUPT near $650 (lost $700)
Carolynn: $2,600 N quartet, two O’s, other normal BANKRUPT (lost $2,350)
Jeff: $1,200 M pair, solve…
M I S _ _ O N O _ N _ I N _ N _ M E S
When Pat was host, he periodically makes the mistake of MISPRONOUNCING NAMES, and this man solves for $1,200.
Mystery/Crossword Round: INSECTS
Fair warning: this is about to get ugly.
Idette: instant dud of S
Carolynn: $2,100 T trio (just dodged trouble), five E’s, $1,200 B pair (got out of trouble again), same BANKRUPT she got before (lost $3,050)
Jeff: MDW’s right side
Idette: $850 F, LaT
Carolynn: $1,300 L pair (close call), one Y on MW near $650 and FLIPS…$$$ (she left the flip side facing down on her wedge ledge) but LaT strikes
Jeff: $3,500R, unnecessary U buy, A for awful
Idette: last vowel of O, FLUNKS OUT w/ N — NOTH?! -__-
Carolynn: doesn’t take advantage and LaTs out again (I saw it coming after that weak spin)
Jeff: $900 M, mercifully goes for solve…
M
B
E
E
T
L
E
O
E
B
U
T
T
E
R
F
L
Y
_
MOTH is the last remaining insect for $3,900.
Carolynn: NOTHING/Jeff: $7,100/Idette: $1K
PP/Express Round: FOOD & DRINK
Carolynn: instant dud of N
Jeff: three T’s on EXPRESS but DECLINES (why?!), one E, $650 S, one A, $1,400 R pair, $550 C, $850 L, three O’s, solve…
T R O _ _ C A L _ R _ _ T S _ O O T _ _ E
He wins another $5,700 and will have a TROPICAL FRUIT SMOOTHIE on his thrive TRAVEL trip to SALA Lodges in Siem Reap, CAMBODIA (including a private tour of Angkor Wat) worth $8,600.
All of these fittingly have “midnight”, and Jeff knows we’re soon to be COUNTING DOWN TO MIDNIGHT.
2.
_ / _ I S _ / A T _ _ _ _ _ _ H _
Jeff is right again w/ A KISS AT MIDNIGHT.
3.
_ _ D _ _ _ H T _ _ _ C _
Carolynn is still stuck at zero w/ an incorrect response of MIDNIGHT CLOCK.
_ _ D _ _ _ H T S _ A C _
Jeff loses the bonus sweep for only getting the first word.
_ _ D N _ _ H T S N A C _
Idette has a MIDNIGHT SNACK.
Speed-Up: WAYD?
Idette spins the next best thing of $1,900.
Idette: 3 N’s Carolynn: 2 G’s Jeff: T (DUD) Idette: 2 S’s Carolynn: R Jeff: 2 P’s
S N _ P P _ N G _ _ / _ _ N G _ R S
I’m SNAPPING MY FINGERS for somebody to solve, and Jeff does just that for $3,800.
PENALTY BOX
DUDS
LaTs
BANKRUPTS
DQs
Round 1
T (Jeff)
2 (ladies)
Round 2
S, N (Idette) A (Jeff)
3 (Carolynn 2x, Idette)
2 (Carolynn, Jeff)
Round 3
N (Carolynn)
Round 4
T (Jeff)
FINAL SCORES Carolynn: $1K GOOSEEGG/Jeff: $29,200 cash & Cambodia/Idette: $3K
GT: $33,200 BANKRUPT TRASH: $6,100
Jeff’s category list…
PLACE
EVENT
THING
He goes for PLACE.
$100K Bonus Round
Jeff’s wife and daughter-in-law are in the audience, but they’re not on the floor, because it’s actually his sons Alfonso and Jeffrey Jr; he lands on the R in his wife’s name. This puzzle was last used late in S26 (and wasn’t solved for the minimum)…
_ _ S _ _ _ N _ _ _ T _ _ _ E
MCDA causes me to stick a fork in him…
_ A S _ _ _ N _ _ _ T _ _ _ E
He blanks, and won’t be shopping at a FASHION BOUTIQUE w/ $45K.
We saw a clip from last year’s Happy New Year from the hosts saying they made a resolution to give away the $1M in 2025. They did. Now Vanna thinks they will give away the million twice in 2026. Well, I’m not so sure about that.
Douglas Ross, the very first $100K winner of this show, passed away earlier this year on March 12. He was 71 years old. You can read his obituary HERE.
Last week, Jerry alerted me to the fact that the troll “James” on bobbymgsk had the gall to declare technical wins from last week,as well as revivals, committing sexual harassment by asking others to have an ejaculation with him, and also asking for passwords and credit card numbers. Well, that stupid idiot is none other than Dylan Bennett. Why? The “James” he used is the Jimmy Ruska from the past. Dylan, LISTEN TO US VERY CAREFULLY…
YOU BETTER SHUT THE HELL UP AND LEAVE THIS COMMUNITY FOR GOOD. You are a braindead idiot who has already caused us enough headaches in just over 10 years. I have to expose your IP address you have been using…
You deserve a huge SLAP IN THE FACE for all that harassing you have done. What kind of mom would raise somebody like you to do such horrible acts?! GET THE HELL OFF RIGHT NOW AND DON’T EVER COME BACK!
Folks, please report this jerk to the IC3 at the following link HERE.
This Christmas week could’ve been so much merrier had Cameron from Monday somehow gotten lucky, and had Nathaniel from Thursday didn’t blow his bonus puzzle.
Speaking of those $100K losses, we DO NOT want to hear anybody tell us to change $100K losses into technical wins. A LOSS is a LOSS. If you wanna fight with SONY about it, call 310-244-4000 and DON’T WASTE OUR TIME. EVER!
Total for this Week: $269,434 -Maingame: $179,434 -BR Wins: $90K
Total for the Season: $5,695,631 -Maingame: $3,137,815 -BR Wins: $2,557,816
Prize Wedge Wins: 13 Year of Fun Prize Wins: 8
MW was Flipped-Declined: 26-10 MW Flip was $10K–BANKRUPT: 9-17 $10KMW was Next to LaT–$650: 14-12 MW Wins: 4
EXPRESS was Played-Passed: 15-9 –Successes: 8 –Crashes: 7 (Wipeouts: 0)
WC Usages: 7 -Maingame: 1 (on $2,500) -BR: 6
5-Round Games: 3
Triple $10K+ Finishes: 4
Perfect Rounds: 28
Gooseegg Victims: 15
Toss-Up Triple Stumpers: 4 (on Oct. 1, Oct. 22, Nov. 4, and Nov. 17)
Average Maingame Winning Score this Week: $25,257 (+$3,609) Average Maingame Winning Score this Season: $24,400 (+$57)
Median Maingame Winning Score this Week: $26,190 (+$5,091) Median Maingame Winning Score this Season: $22,007 (+$657)
This Week’s BANKRUPT Trash: $19,350 Total BANKRUPT Trash for the Season: $323,500 + 3 trips of unknown value Biggest Known BANKRUPT: $12,750 (Nov. 7) Biggest Known BANKRUPT Trash in a Game: $21,350 (Nov. 25)
Lowest Known Weekly BANKRUPT Trash: $6,500 (WTF (What the Fun)) Highest Known Weekly BANKRUPT Trash: $38,750 (Live More Floridays)
AROUND THE HOUSE: 4/5; 1-3 EVENT: 3/4; 1-2 FOOD & DRINK: 7/9; 3-4 FUN & GAMES: 1/1; 0-1 IN THE KITCHEN: LIVING THING(S): 3/7; 3-0 PERSON/PEOPLE: 7/15; 2-5 PHRASE: 23/75; 7-16 PLACE(S): 7/16; 0-7 SHOW BIZ: 0/2 THING(S): 3/78; 2-1 WHAT ARE YOU DOING?: 20/26; 12-8 WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?: 2/2; 2-0
Extra BR Prize Wins: $120K from Toss-Up BR on Nov. 28
Car Wins
1 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring
2 Ford Bronco Sports
1 Toyota Tacoma SR5 Double Cab
1 Cadillac CT4 Premium Luxury
1 Audi A3 Premium Plus Quattro
1 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
1 Toyota GR86 Premium
MDBR Result Landed on $1M: 1 1 Space Away: 2-3 Spaces Away: 4-5 Spaces Away: 6 Spaces Away: 2 7-8 Spaces Away: 1 9-11 Spaces Away: 1 12 Spaces Away:
BR Wins Despite Losing WC to BANKRUPT: 3 BR Losses Despite Having WC: 2 Non-$100K Wins After Losing MDW to BANKRUPT: 1
Toughest BR Puzzle this Week: WALKING ON A FOOTBRIDGE (how Nathaniel didn’t get that one after some good help is beyond me, and it really costed him big time) Easiest BR Puzzle this Week: MAIN BOULEVARD (Caleb could’ve frontloaded the alphabet or chosen CDMA to have solved that)
For the third season in a row, the second compilation week ends w/ the first of six episodes of “Happy New Year”.
$1K Toss-Up: MOST LIKELY TO…
_ R _ _ _ _ _ H _ / W _ _ _ D
Andrew or these ladies would love to TRAVEL THE WORLD…
Andrew Johnson: guy originally from a small farm town called Washburn, TN (there’s no red lights, but there’s three gas stations in the entire city) who went through a K-12 school and graduated w/ only 39 people (the upside to that is one can be prom king and class president quite easily); he now lives in Raleigh, NC
Lindsay Shelton: her favorite hobby is to go offshore fishing for big fish (one of her favorite fishing memories was from years ago when she and her son double-hooked marlin while on the boat) from Richmond, TX
Natasha Bevans: worldwide travel adventurer like her hubby (they do things like zip lining and trekking in the jungle w/ wild animals; the last time they went, they got chased by an orangutan) from Chicago
$2K Toss-Up: EVENT
_ _ X _ N G / _ A Y
Lindsay realizes the day after Christmas is BOXING DAY.
FEATURED TRIP: NAPA from thrive TRAVEL
Unfortunately, there’s no Year of Fun wedge on this set — dang it. -___-
Round 1: SHAKESPEARE SAID (NEW CATEGORY ALERT)
Lindsay: $600 N, $1K T pair, two I’s and two O’s, $2,600 S quartet (just short of NAPA), $650 G, two E’s, $1,200 W pair (just got out of trouble), one U, $1,500 R trio, unnecessary purchase of last vowel of A, solve…
_ A R T I N G / I S S U _ _ / S W E E T S O R R O W
She recites the “Romeo and Juliet” line “PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW” for $6,300 — PR.
Mystery Round: BEFORE & AFTER
Natasha: $500 N, $600 T, one O, $1,800 R trio (just dodged trouble), two E’s, $850 D, one B on MW near LaT and DECLINES, one A, solve…
_ A _ N T R O _ _ E R D E R B _
Could’ve gone on for the L’s, but she imagines an event called PAINT ROLLER DERBY for $4K — PR #2.
Lindsay: $8,300/Natasha: $4K/Andrew: $1K
Before the next round started, we got a Y2K retro scene where the graphics are replaced w/ color bars, Ryan wearing a wig w/ frosted tips, and Vanna wearing scrunchies in her hair.
PP/Express Round: SONG LYRICS
Andrew: one S on EXPRESS but DECLINES (huh?!), $10,500 T trio, $1,200 R pair, four A’s, three E’s and I, $600 K, $1,200 H pair, other two vowels of O and U, $500 G, solve…
T H A T / _ A K E S _ O U / _ A R G E R T H A _ / _ I _ E
He recites “THAT MAKES YOU LARGER THAN LIFE” by the Backstreet Boys for $13,750 plus a VIP trip to see said boy band at the Sphere in LAS VEGAS (includes a 5n stay at the Venetian, priority entry, food and beverage credit, and a gondola ride) worth $10K — PR #3.
Fanday Funday Word of the Day (Ryan announces this instead of Maggie): TOTES (this is what you need to enter to see the boys)
The word “bug” appears in all of this set, but we have our first mistake all show long due to Lindsay’s blanking.
P U _ / _ / _ _ G / _ N H _ S / E A R
NatashaPUT A BUG IN HIS EAR.
2.
S _ _ _ / B _ G _ I _ G _ _
Natasha, please STOP BUGGING ME, because you’re right again.
3.
_ _ _ _ / _ S / _ / _ U G _ _ / _ / _ _ _
Lindsay feels SNUG AS A BUG IN A RUG to deny the bonus sweep.
Speed-Up: WAYW?
Lindsay makes it a $1,700 Final Spin.
Lindsay: S Natasha: N Andrew: T (DUD) Lindsay: 4 R’s Natasha: G (DUD) Andrew: N repeat Lindsay: L Natasha: Y (HUH?!) Andrew: M (DUD) Lindsay: C (DUD) Natasha: P (FOURTH DUD IN A ROW) Andrew: D Lindsay: 2 B’s Natasha: V Andrew: J (SERIOUSLY?!) Lindsay: K Natasha: W (NMC)
R _ V _ R S _ B L _ W _ N D B R _ _ K _ R
Unfortunately, Lindsay misses out on $15,300 and a big comeback victory, because Natasha solves REVERSIBLE WINDBREAKER for $5,100, and everybody finishes in five figures.
PENALTY BOX
DUDS
LaTs
BANKRUPTS
DQs
Round 1
PERFECT ROUND
Round 2
PERFECT ROUND #2
Round 3
PERFECT ROUND #3
Round 4
T, M, J (Andrew) C (Lindsay) G, Y, P (Natasha)
Andrew’s N repeat
FINAL SCORES Lindsay: $10,300/Natasha: $13,100/Andrew: $24,750 cash & Vegas
GT: $48,150 NO PENALTY SPINS!
What will Andrew pick from the following?
PLACE
FOOD & DRINK
THINGS
He’ll do F & D.
$100K Bonus Round
The car for tonight and all of next week will be a Genesis G70 (first time on the show they’ve offered this luxury car brand). Andrew brought along male fiancé Roman (LGBT ALERT) and mom Rhonda; he lands on the I of WIN. Two E’s to start this puzzle that was last used early in S35 during Girlfriend Getaways (and not solved for $45K)…
_ _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ E
FHGO is a very good combo…
G O O E _ F _ _ G E
He eats up some GOOEY FUDGE for $50K and a final total of $74,750 cash & Vegas!
Back in Y2K, Vanna was listening to Kool & the Gang live. As for Ryan, it was the last New Year’s Eve before he started working on New Year’s Eve, and his family thought it was the end of civilization like I thought it would be.
We didn’t get to see this set on the first compilation week, but we finally are for tonight — it’s WTF (What the Fun).
$1K Toss-Up: SONG LYRICS (three-liner alert)
W _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ U _ / M E _ R _ C _ _ _ _ T _ _ _
Nathaniel flubs w/ “WE HAVE…”
W _ / _ _ _ _ / Y _ U _ / M E _ R _ C _ _ _ _ T _ _ _
Staci recites “WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS”. Playing on this festive holiday are…
Staci Chastain: has turned 40 at the time of this taping (and her second-best thing is going to Las Vegas) from Visalia, CA
Debra Gorham: a near empty nester married to her forever boyfriend for 36 years w/ three adult children (she met her hubby when he was a basketball player and she was the scorekeeper); she’s also a foodie like Ryan (and her hubby is a self-proclaimed chef) from Royal Palm Beach, FL
Nathaniel Bush: poet (he’s published two books of his original poetry) who does a poem on the air of being on this show and also loves yoga (he recently got certified to teach yoga and tries to do it daily, and misses class every now and then, but it’s all about getting back on the bike) from Greenville, SC
$2K Toss-Up: THING
_ I _ P _ E E F F E _ T
Nathaniel feels the RIPPLE EFFECT to score that time.
FEATURED TRIP: Chateau Elan Winery & Resort (GEORGIA)
The Year of Fun wedge (for $5K) is finally back in play after a long absence (and it’s adorned w/ a red bow and ribbons).
Round 1: ACT YOUR AGE
Nathaniel: $1,800 T trio, two E’s, $1,200 H pair, three O’s, BANKRUPT near $650 (lost $2,500)
Staci: $3,500 L quintet, same BANKRUPT
Debra: ditto for her
Nathaniel: $2,500 R (close call), two I’s, one V for YoF, last vowel of U, LaT
Staci: $1,300 S pair, solve for that much money…
O V E R / T H E H I L L _ U T / L O T S O _ / S _ I L L
This would fit more under RHYME TIME, but she solves OVER THE HILL BUT LOTS OF SKILL.
Mystery/Crossword Round: _______ BREAK
Staci: $650 R, two E’s, BANKRUPT near $3,500 (lost $400)
Debra: $650 N (just short of GEORGIA), same BANKRUPT
Nathaniel: two F’s on MW near $650 but DECLINES (huh?), one O and A, $700 C, two I’s (NMV), $600 S (got out of trouble), $800 G (close call), solve…
C
O
F
F
E
E
_
A
I
S
_
R
I
N
G
_
FAST, SPRING, BIG are the other words associated w/ break for $3,350.
Debra: ZIP/Nathaniel: $5,350/Staci: $2,300
PP/Express Round: TRAVEL TIPS
Debra: two N’s on POLAR EXPRESS and GOES ABOARD
Next Picks: 3 E’s…H…T…O…R…CRASH WITH S ($4,500 turned into coal)
Nathaniel: $1,800 L trio, three A’s (NMV), $1,800 C pair, solve…
L E A R N / T H E L O C A L / _ A N C E
In addition to $3,350, he’ll LEARN THE LOCAL DANCE called the Haka on his trip to the InterContinental Wellington in NEW ZEALAND (includes a guided tour of the “Lord of the Rings” shooting locations around Wellington) worth $13,318.
“Coach” is the key word of this set, and Nathaniel solves ASSISTANT COACH.
2.
C A R E _ R C O _ _ _
Staci solves CAREER COACH.
3.
F _ Y I _ G _ _ A _ H
Debra realizes she was FLYING COACH to SPS and is off the zero mark.
Speed-Up: SHOW BIZ
Debra spins the $1,500 minimum.
Debra: N Nathaniel: G Staci: 3 S’s Debra: T (DUD) Nathaniel: I Staci: C (DUD) Debra: R (DUD) Nathaniel: 2 F’s Staci: M (DUD) Debra: 2 A’s (she flubs w/ FLASHING FLASHLIGHTS when there’s just one I and G in the first word) Nathaniel: 3 L’s
F L A S _ I N G F L A S _ _ _ L _ S
Nathaniel spots the FLASHING FLASHBULBS in the studio for $9K, though he didn’t sound sure.
PENALTY BOX
DUDS
LaTs
BANKRUPTS
DQs
Round 1
Nathaniel
3 (everybody)
Round 2
2 (ladies)
Round 3
S (Debra)
Debra
Round 4
T, R (Debra) C, M (Staci)
Debra’s missolve
FINAL SCORES Debra: $2K/Nathaniel: $33,018 cash & NZ/Staci: $4,300
And Ryan gives Staci a long beaded pearl necklace for her 40th birthday gift.
GT: $39,318 BANKRUPT TRASH: $11,550
Nathaniel’s unfortunately getting that HO-HO-HORRIBLElist…
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
THINGS
PHRASE
…and he’s going for WAYD?.
$100K Bonus Round
After we see one of Nathaniel’s friends named Shay Leah, he lands on the S of AMERICA’S. This big one starts as…
_ _ L _ _ N _ / _ N / _ _ _ _ T _ R _ _ _ E
HGMO gives him some good help…
_ _ L _ _ N G / O N / _ _ O O T _ R _ _ G E
He BLOWS IT w/ WALKING ON A FOOTTRAIL when he should’ve been WALKING ON A FOOTBRIDGE, and this festive day is about to get worse…
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…WE HAVE A $100K LUMP OF COAL FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS WEEK (AND THIRD OVERALL THIS SEASON); IT’S ALSO THE NINTH TIME IN SHOW HISTORY WE HAVE TWO SUCH LOSSES IN A SINGLE WEEK. UNBELIEVABLE. -___-
Well, if there’s anything positive about this loss, at least we get to enjoy this, because we likely would not have been able to do so had the grand prize been won…
Vanna gave Ryan a present to open for Christmas…only for him to learn it’s one small box after another.
We’re on the “Holiday” set, and let’s hope we have much better showing on Ryan’s 51st birthday this year than last year.
$1K Toss-Up: PHRASE
_ _ A C _ _ _ / E A _ T H
We all want PEACE ON EARTH, and Troy’s the first to score among this Christmas Eve panel (including one other man)…
Troy Phillipy: was talked into drag racing by a buddy of his (this contestant said from the first time the nitro methane hits you, it goes through your body, you shimmy, and you’re hooked; he states that the funny cars go up to 300 mph and are faster than the drag ones that go up to 222 mph) and is a Chicago Cubs fan (he has memorabilia of said team from the 70’s and onward) from Kokomo, IN
Damon Carson: Marine Corps vet (he’s been to quite a few different countries and continents, though he hasn’t been to Japan; he’s walked the Harbour Bridge in Sydney and skydived in Auckland, NZ) who loves watching “LAW & ORDER: SVU” (it decompresses him and he can fall asleep after watching) from Palm Springs, CA
Erica Sciuto: loves the Christmas Carol “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” (when she was a kid, her dad wanted to roast chestnuts, but it was in the oven; Ryan was also inspired that song, and we see a picture of him on the puzzleboard doing that last holiday season); she and her friends also like throwing pasta parties from Tarpon Springs, FL
$2K Toss-Up: ON MY PLAYLIST
B _ O _ D W _ Y _ _ _ S _ I C _
Troy doesn’t know it.
B _ O _ D W _ Y _ _ A S S I C _
Damon, BROADWAY MUSICALS has no chance of fitting. -__-
B R O _ D W A Y C _ A S S I C _
Erica finally gets BROADWAY CLASSICS.
FEATURED TRIP: Snowpine Lodge in Alta, UTAH
Round 1: QUOTATION
Erica: $1,800 T trio, LaT
Troy: H for halt
Damon: $2,400 R quartet, $1K S pair, three A’s, $700 C, P for phooey (he may have been thinking PUT for the first word)
Erica: $1,200 N pair, solve…
N _ T / A / C R _ A T _ R _ _ A S / S T _ R R _ N _
She recites “NOT A CREATURE WAS STIRRING” (from “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”) for three grand.
Mystery Round: BEFORE & AFTER
Troy: $700 T, unfortunate dud of R on$3,500 (his pulse is a lot slower, according to him after this miss)
Damon: $1,200 N pair, $1,400 W pair, three O’s, D for dud
Erica: $650 P (close call), $500 C, $500 H, solve…
O N _ – T W O P _ N C H _ O W _
The “After” part triggered a $100K loss twice in S20 and S27, and Erica scores the ONE-TWO PUNCH BOWL for $1,650.
Damon: NOTHING/Erica: $6,650/Troy: $1K
PP/Express Round: PLACE
Damon: instant BANKRUPT near $650
Erica: unfortunate dud of T on $3,500
Troy: two S’s on POLAREXPRESS and GOES ABOARD
Next Picks: 2 E’s…L…4 A’s…CRASH WITH H (lost $2,500)
Damon: B for bad
Erica: just solves for trip…
A / _ _ L _ _ E S _ A _ _ A _ A _ _ S E
She’s off to A POLYNESIAN PARADISE, and that’s the Rumours Luxury Villas & Spa in the COOK ISLANDS courtesy of thrive TRAVEL worth $10,740.
We’re “trimming” things, and Troy’sTRIMMING THE TREE.
2.
_ R _ _ M _ N G _ Y / _ E _ _ D
Erica ain’t TRIMMING MY BEARD, but is correct.
3.
_ R _ M M I _ G _ _ _ / F A T
Troy whiffs w/ TRIMMING OUR FAT.
_ R _ M M I _ G T _ _ / F A T
Erica’s TRIMMING THE FAT.
Round 4: JUST DESSERTS
After Erica starts w/ two S’s for $1,400, it’s SPEED-UP time…
_ _ _ _ / S _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S
…and she makes the leftover consonants worth $1,700 each.
Erica: T (DUD) Troy: L (DUD) Damon: C Erica: G Troy: 2 R’s Damon: unhelpful U Erica: M
_ _ R M / S U G _ R C _ _ _ _ _ S
Erica bakes a batch of WARM SUGAR COOKIES for $4,800.
PENALTY BOX
DUDS
LaTs
BANKRUPTS
DQs
Round 1
H (Troy), P (Damon)
Erica
Round 2
R (Troy), D (Damon)
Round 3
T (Erica), H (Troy), B (Damon)
2 (men)
Round 4
T (Erica), L (Troy)
FINAL SCORES Damon: $1K LUMP OF COAL/Erica: $26,190 cash & Cook Islands/Troy: $3K
GT: $30,190 Troy’s BANKRUPT TRASH: $2,500
Erica’s given the same category list from last night….
THING
PLACE
PHRASE
She goes for PHRASE.
$100K Bonus Round
Erica’s supporters are boyfriend Kennis and female friend Jenny (only she makes the pasta); she lands on the same E from last night (from GAME). This is a reused puzzle from early S31 (solved for the minimum)…
_ _ T / _ _ _ _ _ _ E T
CMPO’s a very good combo…
O _ T / O _ P O C _ E T
This is going OUT OF (Bellamie’s) POCKET and into Erica’s account — $40K for a final total of $66,190 cash & trip.
Ryan’s family celebrates every Christmas Eve by having fondue, and so Vanna shares w/ him some fondue as part of the WoF family. Erica joins the hosts, and Vanna realizes it’s Ryan’s birthday as the credits roll.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
I have to expose your IP address you have been using…
🎊SIXTH EPISODE WEEK II🎊
SIXTH EPISODE WEEK II
WHEEL of FORTUNE with Andy Nguyen 