❄️EPISODE #8307: WINTER WONDERLAND❄️
The hosts begin the episode from the Stein Eriksen Lodge & Residences in Park City, UT.
$1K Tossup: FUN & GAMES
_ _ _ D D _ N G / D _ _ N
A / _ T E _ _ / _ I _ L
Jen’s SLEDDING DOWN A STEEP HILL just in time. Hoping to heat this week up are:
Jen Love (Midlothian, TX, but born in L.A. and raised in Louisiana): a lady who hosts family functions with her husband Tramaul and blended family of five kids; she makes them watch Wheel together and claims to be the best puzzle solver of them all; she loves organizing and believes everything must have a home
Mary Ellen Judge (Friday Harbor, WA): a cancer survivor and grandmother of five (two of her grandkids are in the audience; a group of private pilots named the Flying Eagles transported her to and from the mainland for treatment for free
Frank Lugo (Orlando): a married man who’s fully renovating his newly bought house, with his wife making all the decisions (which Ryan describes as the rest of his life); he makes a strong espresso at 5 AM, but his four cats almost spill it before he can drink it
$2K Tossup: TECH TALK
I / _ E E D / _ _ R E
_ A N D _ _ D T _
Depending on how the rest of this season goes, I (may) NEED MORE BANDWIDTH; for now, Frank’s spinning first. (Ryan helps Mary Ellen put her buzzer down.)
FEATURED WW: Snowpine Lodge in Alta, UTAH
Round 1: PET PEEVE
Frank: a $700 R, two E’s, one A, S for sorry on $650
Jen: a $1,400 N pair, a $1,400 G duo, a $600 W, an I, an $850 L, four O’s, LaT ($3,750 at stake)
Mary Ellen: a $500 M, MDW’s right side (Ryan claims her spin was “too strong”)
Frank: house minimum solve (huh?)…
W E A R I N G
_ O O / M _ _ _
_ O L O G N E
Frank’s not guilty of WEARING TOO MUCH COLOGNE unlike Ryan, but he pads his lead (could’ve gone for the C’s).
Prevagen Mystery Round: SAME NAME
Jen: an S for the MDW (she didn’t realize she landed on it), three N’s for $1,950, an E, T for trouble on $650
Mary Ellen: BANKRUPT near TD (Ryan wanted to adjust the wheel for her)
Frank: a $1,300 R couplet, remaining vowels (five A’s and a single O and I), a G for the Year of Fun wedge, a $900 D, solve attempt for $6,450…
A R I A N A / &
N A _ _ O S
G R A N D E
Frank pronounces the first syllable of ARIANA & NACHOS GRANDE as /air/, but the judges accept it. Ryan thinks his tan suit matches the stage.
Mary Ellen: SPINNING NEXT/Frank: $9,450/Jen: $1K
PP/Express Round: WEATHER REPORT
Mary Ellen: a $1,500 N trio, three E’s, an $1,800 T twosome, three I’s, solve for $2,800…
E _ _ E _ _ E N T
_ _ I / _ _ N _ I T I _ N _
Ryan high-fives Mary Ellen after her PR, and she’ll experience the EXCELLENT SKI CONDITIONS of CANADA during her $12,160 stay at the Banff Sunshine Village Ski & Snowboard Resort (including private lessons).
Mary Ellen: $14,960 cash & Canada/Frank: $9,450/Jen: $1K
She also mentions her grandkids call her Gramma.
Triple Tossup: JUST DESSERTS
1.
D _ _ _ _ _ _ T _
_ O _ / _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ T
Frank jumps the gun, but he would’ve been way off the mark with DECADENT HOT CHOCOLATE anyway.
D _ U _ _ _ _ T _
F O _ / B _ E A _ _ A S T
Mary Ellen munches on DOUGHNUTS FOR BREAKFAST.
2.
C _ _ _ I _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _ C H
I eat CHICKEN FOR LUNCH (in my salad bowls), but that doesn’t fit the board or category, Mary Ellen.
C O _ _ I _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _ C H
Turnabout is fair play, as Frank bites some COOKIES FOR LUNCH.
3.
_ _ _ E _ _ _ _ K E
_ _ _ / _ I _ _ _ _
Jen eats a slice of CHEESECAKE FOR DINNER.
Speed-Up: THING
Jen makes it a $1,500 FS (and she inexplicably still has the MDW).
Jen: three T’s
Mary Ellen: two H’s
Frank: L
Jen: R
Mary Ellen: F
Frank: three S’s
_ / S H _ _ _ / T _
T H _ / S _ S T _ _
Frank, I SHOCK TO… doesn’t make grammatical sense. After Jen’s nonexistent N and Mary Ellen’s R repeat, he lights up a C…
_ / S H _ C _ / T _
T H _ / S _ S T _ _
…but blows the game-winning $6K solve with A SHOCK TO THE SISTER and STOMACH. Jen then lights up the M…
_ / S H _ C _ / T _
T H _ / S _ S T _ M
…and avoids A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM for the same amount.
| PENALTY BOX | DUDS | LaTs | BANKRUPTS | DQs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | S (Frank) | Jen | Mary Ellen | |
| Mystery Round | T (Jen) | Mary Ellen | ||
| Speed-Up | L (Frank); R and N (Jen); and F (Mary Ellen) | Frank’s two missolves and Mary Ellen’s N repeat | ||
| 12 TOTAL | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
FINAL SCORES
Mary Ellen: $16,960 cash & Canada/Frank: $11,450/Jen: $9K
GT: $37,410
Mary Ellen’s BANKRUPT TRASH: $500
Mary Ellen already has her category picked out…
- PHRASE
- THINGS
- FUN & GAMES
…PHRASE it is. She doesn’t even let Ryan announce the other two.
$100K Bonus Round
After we meet Mary Ellen’s oldest grandkids, Hannah and Emma (the latter of whom got her here), and they say she’ll win big, she lands on the S in SPIN. I know this already…
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ L T
T _ / _ _ N _ R E
After “complaining” (in Ryan’s words) that she wanted to choose WAYD? as her category, she picks COHD as her combo…
D _ _ _ _ C _ L T
T O / _ _ N O R E
…and this isn’t so DIFFICULT TO IGNORE – Mary Ellen doesn’t need the time to win the $42,585 Ford and a grand total of $59,545. Ryan will submit any remaining complaints she has, and we forgo the closing chat. Therefore, we’ll never know what they would’ve talked about had she not won the car.
MY RATING: 6
WHEEL of FORTUNE with Andy Nguyen 