WoF Retro Recap: June 11, 2010 — SEASON 27 FINALE

EPISODE #5265: AMERICA’S GAME V

This episode takes place on the set of “Great Northwest”, and the car up for grabs is the Chevrolet Tahoe.

$1K Toss-Up: THINGS

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

They’re the three colors on our nation’s flag, and Kathy solves RED, WHITE AND BLUE. Here are the final players of Season 27…

Kathy Valeda: defense contractor from Gaithersburg, MD

Jenny Bruns: military wives columnist and bug photographer whose hubby is in the Army from Fayetteville, NC (originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba)

Gavin Greer: chef from Los Angeles, CA

$2K Toss-Up: FICTIONAL CHARACTER

_ E N I E / I N
A / B O _ _ L _

This is also the title of a song by Christina Aguilera, and Kathy is two for two with “GENIE IN A BOTTLE“.

PRIZE ON THE WHEEL: a $5K Homegoods gift certificate

Jackpot Round: PHRASE

This round is all Kathy: a $300 T, four E’s, two N’s for the Homegoods gift certificate, two H’s for another $1,100, buys of three I’s and an A, and a $600 L.

T I _ E / _ L I E _
_ H E N / _ _ _ ‘ _ E
H A _ I N _ / _ _ N

Well, TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN, and Kathy is certainly having fun because she solves this puzzle for $1,250 and the Homegoods gift certificate totaling $6,250 in that PR.

FINAL UNCLAIMED JACKPOT OF THE SEASON: $6,450

Round 2: BEFORE AND AFTER

Jenny’s first w/ three N’s for $1,650, four E’s while on Free Play, three R’s for another $10,500, and the leftover vowels of three I’s and two A’s to quickly clean out the vowels just like that. Next up are a $900 V, but then a possibly fatal dud in W to likely give back $12,550. Gavin is up second w/ two T’s for $600, a $450 S, two P’s for another $600, a $500 L while on FP, but then BANKRUPT near $600 to lose $2,150. Kathy then says a $3,500 H at the beginning…

H A P P I L _ / E V E R
A _ T E R –
_ I N N E R / _ I N T S

…and takes some HAPPILY EVER AFTER-DINNER MINTS for said amount.

SOLE DUD: W (Jenny)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Gavin

Kathy: $12,750 cash & GC/Others: $0 each

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Mystery Round: WHAT ARE YOU DOING? (FINAL PRIZE PUZZLE OF THE SEASON)

Gavin is off and running w/ four N’s for $1,200, buys of O and three I’s, a $450 G, the buying of two E’s, two T’s for another $1,600, and the purchase of two A’s before picking an H on the Mystery Wedge in between FP and Lose a Turn. He takes the $2,250 plunge…and loses. Kathy follows with a $300 D, an unnecessary purchase of the last vowel of U, and a pair of R’s appear to add $1,800. The board now…

_ R I T I N G
O U R / N A _ E _
I N / T H E / _ A N D

…she solves WRITING OUR NAMES IN THE SAND for $1,850 and a trip to The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa in ST. MAARTEN worth $7,865.

SOLE BANKRUPT: Gavin

Kathy: $22,465 cash & prizes/Others: $0 each

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$3K Toss-Up: FOOD AND DRINK

_ _ N K
_ _ _ O N A _ E

There will be NO MAINGAME SWEEP for Kathy tonight, as Jenny finally gets on the board with PINK LEMONADE.

Round 4: SONG TITLE

She leads off with a $300 N, but then LaT just as quick. Second for Gavin are twin R’s for $1,600, the same number of E’s and O’s, a $300 Y, double M’s for an extra $1,600, and an A to clean out the vowels. After a $1,600 pair of T’s…

T _ A N _ _ / _ O R
T _ E / M E M O R Y

Gavin will not be going down as the season’s final gooseegg victim because he solves Bob Hope’s “THANKS FOR THE MEMORY” for $4,350.

SOLE LaT: Jenny

Jenny: $3K/Gavin: $4,350/Kathy: $22,465 cash & prizes

Speed-Up: QUOTATION

The last FS of the season is set at $1,300. End result…

_ L _ I S / H _ S / L _ F T
T H _ / _ _ I L D I N G

Well, “ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING”, and Gavin will be doing the same because he solves this puzzle for another $5,200.

SOLE DUD: R (Gavin)

FINAL SCORES
Jenny: $3K/Gavin: $9,550/Kathy: $22,465 cash & prizes

PRE-BR TOTAL: $35,015
Gavin’s BANKRUPT TRASH (minus MW $): $4,400

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$100K Bonus Round

Can Kathy close out our season with a bang (and possibly make Marisa Theodoratos more upset about her loss on Tuesday)? After we see her twin sister Evy, brother Ed, and Pacific Northwest sister Marilyn, she lands on the 1-star space.

Category: THING
This puzzle w/ a hyphen starts out as…

_ _ R – _ E T _ _ E _
_ _ E _

DPGA gives her…

_ A R – _ E T _ _ E D
_ D E A

The producers would come up w/ a  FAR-FETCHED IDEA of upping the BR cash minimum the next season, but this lady only gets the last word and loses $25K. And it would have been much more painful, because she was ONE SPACE OFF the big one, which was under the G of GAME.

Well, that wraps up another fine season of America’s favorite puzzle-solving show. It was tough to follow up a historical Season 26, but we did the best we could. Here’s the season in review:

• First, themed puzzle category graphics were used during certain weeks such as “Pet Lovers Week”, “Happy Holidays” and “State Fair”.
• Second, the Free Play wedge was introduced at the start of the season in Las Vegas. Early on, players called correct consonants for $500 each. As time went on, they chose vowels for free more often than consonants. We have yet to see anybody solve the puzzle immediately after landing on FP, but maybe that will happen next season.
• With regards to this season’s Bonus Rounds (“Dads and Grads” was the only theme week this season to cause a BR SHUTOUT), 81 of them were successfully conquered! Starting on February 22 of this year, Maxwell House Coffee donated $2,500 to Feeding America each time the Bonus Round was won. And we had 35 wins since said date, so the bank is now at $87,500 (Pat and Vanna mentioned this in the last segment)!
• For some strange reason this season, the Bonus Wheel didn’t want to land on either the $100,000 or $1 million envelopes. The former was finally landed on twice during “California Coast” week. Jaime Smith on the March 15th epsiode lost the big one by two letters (PUNCH BOWL). Three days later, Barry Williams became the first grand prize winner all season long (solving the puzzle SCHOOL OF THOUGHT), and left with $111,250. That was thanks to the two fortune cookies he was holding on. But we crowned our biggest winners of the season (and fifth-highest of all-time) in Mary Anne & Michael Dixon — they won a total of $142,500 on March 23rd during “Beaches Resorts Family Week”.
• Finally, the show aired four weeks from Vegas at both the Venetian and the Palazzo and three from Boston. For next season, the show will film six weeks of episodes at said hotel and casinos in Vegas. Also, for the first time in five years, the gang will head to New Orleans and shoot three weeks of episodes there. As you may recall, Season 23’s “Family Week” was taped in Culver City thanks to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

And then, there were none.

MY EP. RATING: 6

WoF Retro Recap: June 10, 2010

EPISODE #5264: AMERICA’S GAME V

On this episode, we’re on the set of the theme week that caused the only BONUS ROUND SHUTOUT of the season — “Dads and Grads”.

$1K Toss-Up: SHOW BIZ

_ _ / _ L L – _ T _ R
C _ _ _

Ed & Michelle claim that they’re part of AN ALL-STAR CAST to get on the board. Here are the teams…

Ed & Michelle Johnson (father/daughter): Ed is a technology manager while Michelle is a graduate from the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy; they’re from Glendale, AZ

Sara Edwards & Zig Sonnenburg (father/daughter): Sara’s an El Toro High School graduate who is a co-president of its Red Cross Club and a member of video production class while Zig’s a sales representative; they’re from Lake Forest, CA

Daniel & John Kesser (father/son): Daniel is a graduate of the Univ. of Notre Dame with a degree in computer science and a defense contractor in San Diego while John graduated from the same school in 1982; they’re from Poway, CA

$2K Toss-Up: PLACE

_ C _ _ _ L
_ _ _ _ _ E R I A

The Johnsons are two for two with SCHOOL CAFETERIA.

TRIPS ON THE WHEEL: St. James’ Club in Antigua worth $10,900

Jackpot Round: SONG LYRICS (PRIZE PUZZLE)

The Johnsons first call up two T’s for $900, two O’s and four E’s, an H for the Antigua trips, and an $800 N, but they then buy A for awful to leave at least $12,100 in cash and trips sitting there. Secondly, Sara & Zig call up a $300 W, two L’s for another $1K, and we have…

W E L _ O _ E / T O
T H E / _ _ N _ L E

…they solve “WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE” (by Guns N’ Roses) for $1,300 and caravan.com tours of COSTA RICA worth $11K.

SOLE DUD: A (Johnsons)
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $7,050

Round 2: PHRASE

Sara & Zig instantly waste a spin w/ the MDW’s right side. Second, the Kessers take a T for the eBags.com gift tag, a $400 R, five E’s, a $300 S, an A buy, two L’s for another $600, two F’s for another $1,100, the purchase of two I’s, and four N’s for another two grand. The board reads at this point…

A / T R E _ E N _ _ _ S
I N F L _ E N _ E
_ N / _ _ / L I F E

…but they’re off by one letter with A TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE IN MY LIFE, possibly costing them $4,650 cash and gift tag. The Johnsons then light up two M’s for $1,200, the same number of O’s, and a $500 C before trying to solve with the following…

A / T R E M E N _ O _ S
I N F L _ E N C E
O N / M _ / L I F E

…they’re right w/ A TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE ON MY LIFE for the $2,000 house minimum.

SOLE BANKRUPT: Sara & Zig
SOLE DQ: Kessers’ missolve

Johnsons: $5K/S&Z: $12,300 cash & C.R./Kessers: ZIP

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Mystery Round: BEFORE AND AFTER

The Kessers are first with three T’s for $2,400, but the BANKRUPT near $600 takes it all right back. Second, the Johnsons pick two H’s for $1,800, five I’s, a couple S’s for another $1,600, and the same amount of O’s, then they say four N’s for another $3,600, the rest of this puzzle’s vowels (three A’s and an E), and twin R’s for $600 extra. We have…

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

The Johnsons solve IT VANISHED INTO THIN AIR JORDANS for $6,800.

SOLE BANKRUPT: Kessers

Johnsons: $11,800/S&Z: $12,300 cash & C.R./Kessers: NOTHING

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$3K Toss-Up: LANDMARK

_ _ _ / _ H I _ E
_ _ _ _ E

President Obama would love this puzzle (if he was watching this episode), as the Johnsons sweep the Tossups with THE WHITE HOUSE, giving them $14,800 and the lead!

Round 4: TITLE

They get up there a $450 T, two O’s, a $450 R, but they make their second bad purchase of the night w/ the E. Sara & Zig also miss w/ S. The Kessers then choose double K’s for $600, the same number of L’s to double up, a $900 M, and a $300 C…

T O / K _ L L / A
M O C K _ _ _ _ _ R _

…before they solve the Harper Lee novel “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD” for their first $2,400.

DUDS: E (Johnsons), S (Sara & Zig)

Johnsons: $14,800/S&Z: $12,300 cash & C.R./Kessers: $2,400

Speed-Up: THINGS

It’s the $1,300 minimum on this next-to-last episode this season. Late in this round…

_ _ _ T O R _ A _
C A R T O O N S

Sara & Zig are WRONG with PICTORIAL CARTOONS, which could very well cost them $3,900 and the victory. The D is said next…

_ D _ T O R _ A _
C A R T O O N S

The Kessers solve EDITORIAL CARTOONS for $5,200.

SOLE DQ: Sara & Zig’s missolve

FINAL SCORES
Johnsons: $14,800/S&Z: $12,300 cash & C.R./Kessers: $7,600

PRE-BR TOTAL: $34,700
Kessers’ BANKRUPT TRASH: $2,400

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$100K Bonus Round

The Johnsons land on the S in SPIN.

Category: THING
1/3 of this one-word puzzle is given for free…

_ _ _ _ E R _ N _

CPMA gives them…

_ _ _ M E R A N _

This is an Australian-made weapon, and they know it is BOOMERANG for $30K and a final all-$ total of $44,800.

MY EP. RATING: 7

WoF Retro Recap: June 9, 2010

EPISODE #5263: AMERICA’S GAME V

We’re on the set of “State Fair”, and the car waiting to be won is the Mustang GT.

$1K Toss-Up: PHRASE

_ ‘ _ / I N
T _ E / L _ A D

Evy gets on the board first with “I’M IN THE LEAD”. Our players this time around…

Evy Kemmerer: married lady to Steve w/ two kids who completed her first marathon from Goleta, CA

Tara Pollman: web design company owner married to Clay for almost seven years who enjoys making her own jewelry and watching the Cleveland Cavaliers from Cape Coral, FL

Patrick Jirka: Marine Corps radio chief for 19 years married to Heather w/ four kids from Oceanside, CA

$2K Toss-Up: SHOW BIZ

_ L _ E G R A S S
_ _ _ _ _

Patrick totally blows this one with BLUEGRASS STAKES, which doesn’t even fit the category.

_ L _ E G R A S S
_ _ _ _ C

Evy is two for two with BLUEGRASS MUSIC.

TRIP ON THE WHEEL: tour of ITALY from Insight Vacations worth $11,850

Jackpot Round: FICTIONAL CHARACTERS

Two $900 R’s get Evy going, but she buys a bad vowel in E. Secondly, Tara spins her way to an M for the Italy trip, two $600 N’s, three A’s, a $900 D, one O, but then the LaT. Third, Patrick puts up a $500 T, but no more from a B call. Following a LaT hit by Evy, Tara gets $1K with a pair of C’s while on Jackpot, but she can’t make the $8,800 solve. Next up are the last vowel of two I’s, two $500 P’s, and an $800 S before she finally goes for the solve…

C A P T A I N / _ I R _
A N D / M R . / S P O C _

…she solves the “Star Trek” characters of CAPTAIN KIRK AND MR. SPOCK for $4,150 and the Italy tour, totaling a sweet $16K that round!

DUDS: E (Evy), B (Patrick)
LaTs: 2 (both ladies)
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $10,100

Round 2: PLACE (PRIZE PUZZLE)

Tara’s off and running w/ two $300 T’s, three $350 H’s, three E’s, a $500 R, two $600 N’s, two I’s, four O’s, two $300 M’s, a $400 F, two A’s, and the last vowel of U, after which she says a $300 C, a $7K P pair, three S’s for the ebags.com gift tag, and an $800 B before she finally goes for the solve…

H O M E / O F / T H E
S U P E R / B O _ _
C H A M P I O N
S A I N T S

.She solve for $12,200 cash and gift tag plus a trip to the HOME OF THE SUPER BOWL CHAMPION SAINTS in NEW ORLEANS at the Hotel Monteleone worth $5,200 — PR!

Patrick: NADA/Evy: $3K/Tara: $33,400 cash & prizes

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Mystery Round: BEFORE AND AFTER

Here goes Patrick w/ an $800 T, three O’s, but then R for rats. Second in Evy’s direction are four N’s for $2,400, two E’s, two $500 G’s, two $800 C’s, and a $500 L before she tries to solve…

_ _ N G E E
_ _ _ _ _ N G / T O
C O N C L _ _ _ O N _

Let’s NOT BUNGEE JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS — she’s won another $5,250.

SOLE DUD: R (Patrick)

Patrick: NADA/Evy: $8,250/Tara: $33,400 cash & prizes

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$3K Toss-Up: QUOTATION

_ E _ _ M B _ _
_ H E / _ _ _ _ O

Evy sweeps ’em with “REMEMBER THE ALAMO”, bringing her to $11,250.

Round 4: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Her next rundown is made up of a $300 N, a FP G, but then S for sorry. Second for Tara are a $900 T, two I’s, two $350 R’s, a couple O’s, but then D for dud…

_ O R _ I N G
O _ _ R T I _ _

…and the four remaining consonants in Speed-Up mode are worth $1,600 each (not quite to TD).

Patrick: H (DUD)
Tara: M

_ O R _ I N G
O _ _ R T I M _

Perhaps Evy should stop WORKING OVERTIME while on the job after she solves this puzzle for $2,400.

DUDS BEFORE S-U: S (Evy), D (Tara)
SOLE DUD IN S-U: H (Patrick)

FINAL SCORES
Patrick: $1K GOOSEEGG/Evy: $13,650/Tara: $33,400 cash & prizes

PRE-BR TOTAL: $48,050
NO BANKRUPTS 

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$100K Bonus Round

The hubby’s here and so is her cousin Tessa; Tara lands on the R in AMERICA’S.

Category: THING
We start her w/…

_ _ N _ _ _
_ _ S _ L _ _

MCPI gives her a little more help…

_ I N _ _ _
_ I S P L _ _

And those choices were enough for her to solve WINDOW DISPLAY! As the 80th Bonus Round winner of the season, she wins $25K more, and leaves with $58,400 cash and prizes — she was a good player, IMO!

MY EP. RATING: 8

WoF Retro Recap: June 8, 2010

EPISODE #5262: AMERICA’S GAME V

Tonight, we’re on the set of “Hideaways”, and the car waiting to be won is the Acura RDX.

$1K Toss-Up: SHOW BIZ

_ _ E N _ _ G
N I G _ _

Colin solves OPENING NIGHT. Tuesday’s players…

Colin Jump: manufacturing facility supervisor married w/ two kids from Zebulon, NC

Marisa Theodoratos: an engaged promotional saleswoman and basketball coach from Studio City, CA

Giovanna Schaefer: retired retail saleswoman who has competed in 17 marathons and has one grandchild from Grover Beach, CA (originally from Glasgow, Scotland)

$2K Toss-Up: ON THE MAP

_ _ _ _ N N _ H
G _ _ R _ _ _

Marisa solves SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

TRIP ON THE WHEEL: Fort Recovery Villas in the British Virgin Islands worth $7,141
Gift Tag: See’s Candies

Jackpot Round: PLACE

She opens w/ a $900 N, two E’s, a $300 T, an A, and an S for the See’s Candies gift tag, then she buys two I’s before landing on Lose a Turn. Secondly, Giovanna calls up two R’s for $1,200, two O’s, a $600 M, and the last vowel of two U’s…

M I N I A T U R E
_ _ L _ / _ O U R S E

…she scores on a MINIATURE GOLF COURSE for $1,300.

SOLE LaT: Marisa
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $7,400

Round 2: BEFORE AND AFTER

Giovanna first chooses a $500 N, a $300 T, but then H for halt. Second, Colin takes two O’s and A’s while on Free Play, two S’s for $600, an $800 R, three C’s for another $1,350, an F for the Wild Card, and two G’s to add $1,400. Board…

_ A G _ C
A C T
O F / C O N G R E S S

…he solves MAGIC ACT OF CONGRESS for $4,150.

SOLE DUD: H (Giovanna)

Giovanna: $1,300/Colin: $5,150/Marisa: $2K WC

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Mystery Round: PHRASE (PRIZE PUZZLE)

Colin leads off  w/ three T’s for $1,500, two R’s for another $600, five E’s, calls a $550 S, four N’s for another $1,200, and A at the very start of this puzzle, but the BANKRUPT near $600 takes away $3,350 and the WC. Marisa’s up second w/ a trio of F’s for $10,500, four O’s and two I’s to clean out the vowels, a pair of L’s for another grand, the same number of D’s for an additional $600, double M’s for $1,800 more, and a G for the BVI trip before we see all of this…

A N D / N O _ / F O R
S O M E T _ I N G
_ O M _ L E T E L _
D I F F E R E N T

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT — Marisa solves this puzzle for $13,400, the BVI trip, and a second trip to the China World Hotel in BEIJING worth $9,600! Altogether that round, she has racked up $30,141 in cash and trips!!

SOLE BANKRUPT: Colin

Giovanna: $1,300/Colin: $5,150/Marisa: $32,141 cash & trips

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$3K Toss-Up: AROUND THE HOUSE

_ O W E R
_ _ O L _

Marisa has no guess.

_ O W E R
T _ O L S

Colin solves POWER TOOLS to move up to $8,150.

Speed-Up: FICTIONAL PLACE

Watch out Marisa — it’s $6K per consonant!

K _ N _ / _ R T _ _ R ‘ S
_ _ _ _ _ _ T

Colin blows it with KING ARTHUR’S COURT, which is two letters short. Marisa next uncovers the H…

K _ N _ / _ R T H _ R ‘ S
_ _ _ _ _ _ T

…but she also gives a throwaway guess with KING ARTHUR’S BANQUET at the buzzer. Giovanna’s next w/ a C…

K _ N _ / _ R T H _ R ‘ S
C _ _ _ _ _ T

…but she too blows the solve with KING ARTHUR’S CHALET. Colin next put up the G…

K _ N G / _ R T H _ R ‘ S
C _ _ _ _ _ T

…but he BLANKS on the last word. Here comes an M…

K _ N G / _ R T H _ R ‘ S
C _ M _ _ _ T

Marisa then BEATS THE BUZZER with her solve of KING ARTHUR’S CAMELOT for $30K!!! Giovanna and Colin gave back a total of $36,000 (they each had $18,000 in their banks) as a result of their blunders.

DUDS: D (Colin), B (Giovanna)
DQs: 4 (blown solves by all three players, Colin’s last word blanking)

FINAL SCORES
Giovanna: $1,300/Colin: $8,150/Marisa: $62,141 cash & trips (NEW S-H!)

PRE-BR TOTAL: $71,591!!!
Colin’s BANKRUPT TRASH (minus WC): $3,350

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$100K Bonus Round
What can Marisa add to her already impressive total? She lands on the I in WIN.

Category: THINGS
She’ll need some good help for the first word once Vanna shows us…

_ _ N _ _
S T R _ N _ S

CDPI doesn’t do much…

_ _ N _ _
S T R I N _ S

…and she only gets the second word of BANJO STRINGS. Did she miss out on becoming the second-highest winner ever on this show at that time…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…well, she would have just gotten over the $100K mark, because her envelope had the $45K. But she still leaves with $62,141 in cash and trips!

MY EP. RATING: despite the blown solves in R4, I’m giving this a 9

WoF Retro Recap: June 7, 2010

EPISODE #5261: AMERICA’S GAME V

The action starts off on the set of “Beaches Resorts Family Week”.

$1K Toss-Up: THING

N _ _ I _ _ _ L
_ A S _ _ _ E

Playing this game can be a NATIONAL PASTIME, and Paolo & Catherine solve this puzzle to get on the board. Here are the teams…

Paolo & Catherine De Guzman (brother/sister): both high school biology teachers

Cory & Kyle Miholich (twin brothers): Kyle is a UC-San Diego graduate with a business degree and an owner of a self-serve frozen yogurt shop while Cory is a UC-Irvine graduate with a civil engineering degree and a vintage car restorer; they’re from Carlsbad, CA

Laurisa Quella & Janet Woessner (mother/daughter): Laurisa works for a property management company in South Orange County while Janet’s a stay-at-home mom

$2K Toss-Up: LIVING THING

_ _ L D
_ _ S T A _ G

Laurisa & Janet solve WILD MUSTANG (it’s the horse, not the car from Ford).

TRIP ON THE WHEEL: The Breakers of Fort Walton Beach, FL worth $11,000
Gift Tag: eBags.com

Jackpot Round: BEFORE AND AFTER

L & J start us off with a $900 N, four I’s, a $600 G, two R’s for another $1,600, and buys of A and two E’s before they BANKRUPT on the MDW’s left side to lose $2,350. Secondly, the De Guzmans call up a $550 T, but then D for dud while on the Jackpot Wedge. Third, the Miholiches light up two M’s for $600, a $300 C, but they then BANKRUPT near TD to lose $900. L & J then put up a $400 P and a $900 S…

M _ I S T _ R I _ I N G
C R E A M
P I E

…they solve MOISTURIZING CREAM PIE for the $2K house minimum.

SOLE DUD: D (Catherine/Paolo)
BANKRUPTS: 2 (twin boys, L & J)
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $10,250

Round 2: RHYME TIME (PRIZE PUZZLE)

The De Guzmans immediately pick up the ebags.com gift tag with five T’s, then they pick two H’s for $1K, five E’s, but then R for rats. Second, the Miholiches take three N’s for $1,650, an A, but then L for loss of turn. Third, L & J choose a $300 D, an M for the Wild Card, three I’s, a $300 S, but then G for goof. On the De Guzmans’ second turn, they make a $500 Y and the final vowel of two O’s appear, but they LaT out. The Miholiches then go for the solve…

T H E / T O _ N
S O / N I _ E
T H E Y / N A M E D
I T / T _ I _ E

…but they blow it by a letter with “THE TOON SO NICE, THEY NAMED IT TWICE”. The ladies then solve “THE TOWN SO NICE, THEY NAMED IT TWICE” for $350, the Wild Card,and a trip to NEW YORK CITY at The Westin Hotel (tickets to “Fela!” included) worth $10,488, giving them $10,838 that round. The twin brothers’ late error costs them $11,888 cash and trip that round.

DUDS: R (Catherine/Paolo), L (twin brothers), G (L&J)
SOLE LaT: Catherine/Paolo
SOLE DQ: Cory & Kyle’s blown solve

Miholiches: ZERO/L&J: $14,838 cash & NYC WC/De Guzmans: $1K

---

Mystery Round: FOOD AND DRINK

The twin boys begin their road to redemption w/ three R’s for $1,200, three E’s and two A’s, four T’s for another $1,800, the buying of three I’s, a $300 S, a $3,500 D, two H’s for $7K more, and the final vowels of O and U on the top (not that helpful elsewhere). They next land on the MW twice in a row and call a C and N before they obviously take the money for those letters (wise call; that’s the BANKRUPT one). Afterwards, they say a pair of W’s for the MDW, a $300 K, a $550 F and a $600 Y pair before they…

C O U N T R Y –
F R I E D / S T E A K
W I T H / W H I T E
_ R A _ Y

…solve COUNTRY-FRIED STEAK WITH WHITE GRAVY for $15,700 — PR.

Miholiches: $15,700 MDW/L&J: $14,838 cash & NYC WC/De Guzmans: $1K

---

$3K Toss-Up: SONG TITLE

S _ S _ _ C I O U S
_ _ _ D _

Laurisa & Janet regain the lead with their solve of “SUSPICIOUS MINDS” (by Elvis Presley).

Speed-Up: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Consonants are worth $1,500 each. End board…

_ X _ _ R _ _ _ N T _ N G
_ N / T H _ / _ _ T C H _ N

Laurisa & Janet solve EXPERIMENTING IN THE KITCHEN for $12,000!

(NOTE: After the R was uncovered by the twin brothers, Vanna stood there for a few seconds before touching it!)

FINAL SCORES
Miholiches: $15,700/L&J: $29,838 cash & NYC WC/De Guzmans: $2K

PRE-BR TOTAL: $47,538
BANKRUPT TRASH: $3,250

---

$100K Bonus Round

Laurisa & Janet land on the C in AMERICA’S.

Category: PHRASE
The ending letters of the first word are…

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

DHMI and C add…

D _ _ _ L E
_ H _ M M _

Because they successfully dodged the DOUBLE WHAMMY, they win another $45K! They leave with $74,838 cash and trip!

MY EP. RATING: 8 out of 10 (the twins’ blown solve in R2 brought it down for me)

WoF Retro Recap: June 4, 2010

EPISODE #5260: HIDEAWAYS

$1K Toss-Up: EVENT

_ _ R E _ – _ _ Y
_ E _ _ _ N D

We just had this not too long ago, and Sammie knows that’s a THREE-DAY WEEKEND. Our final panel of the week…

Sammie Olson: a married stay-at-home mom w/ a 4-month-old baby from Hilo, HI

Jill Beauman: recent graduate of Oklahoma State University who’s about to start her teaching career this Fall from Stillwater, OK

Adam Malanga: bartender, golfer and waiter from Tucson, AZ

$2K Toss-Up: THING

B U R S _ / O F
_ N _ R _ _

Sammie’s got the BURST OF ENERGY to solve this one, so she’s two for two so far this game.

FEATURED HIDEAWAY: from bedandbreakfast.com, a trip to the Blisswood Bed, Breakfast & Spa (this is in Cat Spring, TX thanks to a Google search) worth $6,485

Jackpot Round: PHRASE

She starts with five T’s for $2K, two E’s, but then LaT. Secondly, Jill calls up two H’s for a grand and two R’s for $1,800 more…

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

Jill’s able to DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, and she’s on the board with $2,800.

SOLE LaT: Sammie
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $6,800

Round 2: BEFORE AND AFTER

Jill’s first choices here are a $400 T, an E buy, a $600 S, buys of A and two I’s, but then R for rats while on the WC. Adam also misses w/ L for loss of turn. Third, Sammie picks a $400 N, but LaTs out for the second time this game. Back to Jill who picks an O, a $500 D, the last vowel of U (not that helpful, IMO), three H’s for the Wenger luggage gift tag, but the LaT gets her too. Adam then says two M’s for $1,600 and two G’s for another $900…

H I G H – A N D –
M I G H T _
M O U S E

…he solves HIGH-AND-MIGHTY MOUSE for $2,500.

DUDS: R (Jill), L (Adam)
LaTs: 2 (both ladies)

Sammie: $3K/Jill: $2,800/Adam: $2,500

---

Mystery Round: SONG LYRICS (PRIZE PUZZLE)

Adam immediately BANKRUPTs near $3,500 on the spot. Second, Sammie finds herself in MW territory near the MDW and picks two L’s before taking the money for those (bad move; that was the $$$). Next up are four E’s, three A’s on FP, two H’s for another $600, two O’s, a $600 S, but then the sole dud vowel of I. Jill couldn’t capitalize on $3,500 w/ F for flunk. Adam finds two R’s for $600, but the MDW’s left side strikes. After Sammie lands on the other normal BANKRUPT to pay up $2,450, Jill then says three D’s for $900…

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

…she solves “UNDER THE BOARDWALK, DOWN BY THE SEA” (orig. done by The Drifters) for $900 and a trip to the Royal Hotel & Casino in ST. KITTS worth $8K.

DUDS: I (Sammie), F (Jill)
BANKRUPTS: 3 (Adam 2x, Sammie)

Sammie: $3K/Jill: $11,700/Adam: $2,500

---

$3K Toss-Up: ON THE MAP

_ _ _ / _ _ _ Z O N
R _ _ _ _

Adam solves THE AMAZON RIVER fairly quickly, bringing him up to $5,500.

Round 4: AROUND THE HOUSE

First up for this guy are a $5K R, but T stands for turnover. Sammie secondly spins her way to two D’s for $600, two L’s for $700 more, and four S’s to add $2,200. Board…

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

Sammie solves SLIDING GLASS DOORS for $3,500. She’s now in second place with $6,500.

SOLE DUD: T (Adam)

Sammie: $6,500/Jill: $11,700/Adam: $5,500

Speed-Up:WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Consonants are worth the next best thing at $1,900 a pop. First solve attempt…

_ A K _ N G / A
T R _ _ _ _ / _ _ A _

Jill goofs with MAKING A TRAVEL PLAN. Later…

_ A K _ N G / A
T R _ P L _ / P L A _

Sammie solves the baseball feat MAKING A TRIPLE PLAY for $7,600.

DUDS (both by Adam): B, S
SOLE DQ: Jill’s missolve

FINAL SCORES
Sammie: $14,100/Jill: $11,700 cash & trip/Adam: $5,500

PRE-BR TOTAL: $31,300
BANKRUPT TRASH: $3,050

---

$100K Bonus Round

Sammie lands on the second A in AMERICA’S.

Category: PERSON
RSTLNE gives her…

S _ _ _ _
S _ _ _ _ E R

CPHI pretty much gives her the second word…

S _ _ _ _
S H _ P P E R

Can she get the right kind of SHOPPER…YES with SAVVY SHOPPER! She wins another $35K, giving her an all-cash total of $49,100.

MY EP. RATING: 7

WoF Retro Recap: June 3, 2010

EPISODE #5259: HIDEAWAYS

$1K Toss-Up: SHOW BIZ

_ _ I T Z / &
G _ A M _ U R

Gertrude knows that this show has lots of GLITZ & GLAMOUR. Let’s meet the Thursday panel…

Gertrude Scocozza: engaged office manager from Linden, NJ

David Barlow: engaged owner of a small pest control company in San Diego from Vista, CA

Dannette McCalmon: nursing student from Raleigh, NC (originally from NYC)

$2K Toss-Up: PEOPLE

_ H _ / _ _ O D
_ U _ S

David proves to be one of THE GOOD GUYS.

FEATURED HIDEAWAY: the Maruba Resort Jungle Spa in Belize worth $7,620

Jackpot Round: BEFORE AND AFTER

He first chooses a $450 R, but then the sole dud vowel of E. Secondly, Danette calls up a T for the Bed & Breakfast.com gift tag , but LaTs out just as quick. Third, Gertrude takes a $300 S, an A, a $400 M, but she repeats the E. Back to David who picks a $300 D, buys the U and the O to be out of cash, and lose his turn w/ the MDW’s right side. Danette next lights up an $800 P, buys the last vowel of I, but then says a CRITICAL DUD of H on the Belize trip. After Gertrude BANKRUPTs near $2,500 to hand over $200, David completes the board w/ a $550 F and $500 Y on FP.

F A I R Y
D U S T
M O P

He reads FAIRY DUST MOP for $1,050.

DUDS: E (David), H (Danette)
SOLE LaT: Danette
BANKRUPTS: 2 (David, Gertrude)
SOLE DQ: Gertrude’s E duplication
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $8,250

Round 2: EVENT (PRIZE PUZZLE)

Danette fills in most of this puzzle: four R’s for $1,200, the purchases of five A’s and two E’s, three I’s while on FP, two S’s for another $600, the final vowel of O, a $550 T, a $600 M, two N’s for the Wild Card, two F’s for another grand, two H’s for an extra $1,800, a $450 W, but then the same MDW BANKRUPT to give up $5,450 and the WC. Gertrude then puts up a $300 D, two C’s for an additional $1,600, and a $300 L before we see…

R I D I N _ / A
C A _ L E / C A R / T O
F I S H E R M A N ‘ S
W H A R F

After solving this puzzle for $2,200, Gertrude will be RIDING A CABLE CAR TO FISHERMAN’S WHARF while at the Palace Hotel in SAN FRANCISCO (tickets to “Beach Blanket Babylon” included) worth $5,360.

SOLE BANKRUPT: Danette

Gertrude: $8,560 cash & S.F./David: $3,050/Danette: BAD LUCK

---

Mystery Round: PLACE

Gertrude immediately BANKRUPTs on the same side of the MDW like everybody else did earlier (that’s her second one of the game). David’s second in line w/ three T’s to finally get the MDW, an $800 H, buys of three E’s and A, but then BANKRUPT near TD to hand over $300 and the MDW; he too has two BANKRUPTs to his credit. Third, Danette tacks on two R’s for $1,100, a $600 N, two I’s, but then M for mistake. Gertrude follows suit w/ a trio of C’s for $1,800, the same number of P’s for another $1,500, and the leftover vowels of two O’s. The board…

T H E / P E R _ E C T
_ P O T / _ O R
A / P I C N I C

…she finds THE PERFECT SPOT FOR A PICNIC for another $3,050.

SOLE DUD: M (Danette)
BANKRUPTS: 2 (Gertrude, Dave)

Gertrude: $11,610 cash & S.F./David: $3,050/Danette: BUPKIS

---

$3K Toss-Up: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

G _ _ N G / T O
T _ _ / _ Y M

David solves GOING TO THE GYM, giving him $6,050.

Speed-Up: QUOTATION

$6K per consonant here! Who got a big payoff w/ this layout?

_ _ R _ ‘ S / L _ _ _ _ N _
_ T / _ _ _ / _ _ D

Gertrude solves “HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU KID” (from “Casablanca”) for $12,000!

FINAL SCORES
Gertrude: $23,610 & S.F./David: $6,050/Danette: $1K GOOSEEGG

PRE-BR TOTAL: $30,660
BANKRUPT TRASH (minus WC and MDW): $5,950

---

$100K Bonus Round

Gertrude lands on the E in GAME.

Category: THING
RSTLNE reveals…

_ _ N _ T _ _ T _ _ N
_ _ R _

I like her chances after she calls CDPO…

P _ N C T _ _ T _ O N
_ _ R _

And we’re putting an exclamation point to end this episode, because she solves PUNCTUATION MARK for another $25K and a final total of $48,610 cash and trip.

MY EP. RATING: 7

WoF Retro Recap: June 2, 2010

EPISODE #5258: HIDEAWAYS

$1K Toss-Up: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

B E A _ I _ G
T H E / _ D _ S

Eric’s BEATING THE ODDS to get on the board. Now playing on this Wednesday are…

Eric Sanford: outside sales manager w/ two kids from Midwest City, OK

Kimberly Juarez: an art teacher for an after-school program who watched the Italian version of this show (“La Routa Della Fortuna”) during her three-month trip to Italy from Livingston, MT

Meiju Hong: supervising investigator for the federal government who dreams of being the banker at her own cupcake shop (and the bird she had while she was growing up was named Vanna!) from Seattle

$2K Toss-Up: ON THE MAP

_ _ E
H _ _ _ _ _ Y _ S

Meiju solves THE HIMALAYAS.

FEATURED HIDEAWAY: the Portofino Island Resort & Spa in Pensacola Beach, FL worth $6,001

Jackpot Round: RHYME TIME (PRIZE PUZZLE)

Meiju starts w/ two I’s while on FP, a $500 M while on JACKPOT, three E’s, a $300 N, a $500 G, two A’s and five O’s, but she LaTs out. Secondly, Eric calls up three L’s for $1,650, a K for the Wild Card, and the last remaining vowel of U before we see this…

I ‘ M / L O O K I N G
O _ E _
A / _ O U _ – L E A _
_ L O _ E _

…he says “I’M LOOKING OVER A FOUR-LEAF CLOVER” for $1,400 and a $5,500 Aer Lingus trip to IRELAND.

SOLE LaT: Meiju
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $7,350

Round 2: SAME NAME

But Eric strikes out on the spot w/ S. Second, Kimberly finds a $3,500 R, but then E for end of turn. Third, Meiju takes two N’s for $600, but she’s DQed for re-buying the E. Eric gets up there two T’s for the Wenger luggage gift tag, a $500 B, four O’s, two D’s for another $900, an A buy, and a $1,200 L pair. We have…

B _ T T O N – D O _ N
& / D O _
_ O L L A R

Eric solves BUTTON-DOWN & DOG COLLAR for $2,100 plus the luggage

DUDS: S (Eric), E (Kimberly)
SOLE DQ: Meiju’s E repeat

Eric: $11K cash & Ireland WC/Kimberly: ZERO/Meiju: $2K

---

Mystery Round: FICTIONAL PLACE

Kimberly’s first moves are a $550 S, three A’s, but then BANKRUPT near $600 to lose the $300 leftover. Meiju controls the rest of the round for a $550 N, an E buy, two T’s for another $1,400, three C’s for another $2,700, four O’s, and a $1,500 L trio. Board…

_ _ L L _
_ O N _ A ‘ S
C _ O C O L A T E
_ A C T O _ _

Meiju solves WILLY WONKA’S CHOCOLATE FACTORY for $5,650 (could’ve gone for the W’s and Y’s).

SOLE BANKRUPT: Kimberly

Eric: $11K cash & Ireland WC/Kimberly: NO LUCK/Meiju: $7,650

---

$3K Toss-Up: AROUND THE HOUSE

S _ _ _ _ G
K I _

Meiju is now $350 off the lead ($10,650 overall) with her solve of SEWING KIT.

Round 4: PHRASE

She puts up an N via FP, but no more w/ T. Eric gets up there a trio of R’s for $2,400, one A and two O’s, and a W on FP. Board…

A / W O R _
_ N / _ R O _ R _ _ _

Eric’s game is still A WORK IN PROGRESS, but he wins $2,400 more this round.

SOLE DUD: T (Meiju)

Speed-Up: LIVING THINGS

This is a $1,350 Final Spin.

Eric: S
Kimberly: N
Meiju: 2 P’s

_ / P _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ P _ _ N S

Meiju solves A POD OF DOLPHINS for $2,700 a little too quickly, because she still loses by just $50.

FINAL SCORES
Eric: $13,400 cash & Ireland WC/Kimberly: $1K GOOSEEGG/Meiju: $13,350

PRE-BR TOTAL: $27,750
Kimberly’s BANKRUPT TRASH: just $300

---

$100K Bonus Round

Eric lands on the M in AMERICA’S.

Category: PHRASE
Beginning w/…

_ / S _ _ _
_ _ / _ _ N _ S

DKPO and F give him…

_ / S _ O _
O F / _ _ N D S

Teachers often ask their students for this…and he BLOWS IT saying A SHOT OF. It was A SHOW OF HANDS, and he loses $30K.

MY EP. RATING: 5 (orig. a 6)

WoF Retro Recap: June 1, 2010

EPISODE #5257: HIDEAWAYS

$1K Toss-Up: THING

B E L L Y
_ A _ _ _

Danette misses with BELLY DANCE.

B E L L Y
L A U _ _

Jessica does a BELLY LAUGH to get on the board. Info on the Tuesday trio…

Jessica Packer: stay-at-home mom of a 2-yr.-old daughter and a Georgia Bulldog fan from Myrtle Beach, SC

Payman Bassirat: fabric salesman and father of three daughters from Los Angeles

Danette Alvarez: independent event coordinator who enjoys eating specialty cupcakes from Chula Vista, CA

$2K Toss-Up: PLACE

F R U I T
_ T _ _ _

Danette’s right this time with FRUIT STAND.

FEATURED HIDEAWAY: an $8K Cuan Law cruise of the British Virgin Islands
Tues./Thurs. Gift Tag: bedandbreakfast.com

Jackpot Round: PHRASE

Danette kicks off w/ two R’s for $1K, a $500 N, five E’s, an H for the gift tag, two T’s for another $1,200, and the buys of three A’s and I. But after an L for the cruise, she says a possibly fatal dud of G while on $2,500 to leave $10,950 cash & prizes on the table. Jessica next chooses two S’s for $1,800, a W as in Wild Card, a $400 Y, but then a baffling dud of V. Payman then picks a $350 C and a $600 P…

T H E R E / A R E
A L W A Y S
E _ C E P T I _ N S

…he says “THERE ARE ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS” for the house minimum.

DUDS: G (Danette), V (Jessica)
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $11,650

Round 2: BEFORE AND AFTER

Jessica leads the way w/ three T’s for $2,700, the purchase of SEVEN E’s, two H’s for another $1,800, and three O’s, followed by an $1,800 pair of B’s, but then LaT. Second, Payman wastes a turn w/ the BANKRUPT near $3,500. Third, Danette takes two F’s for $600, the same number of N’s to triple up, but her $1,800 has been wiped out by the MDW’s left side. Jessica next says a dud vowel of A on FP, a $300 K, a P for that MDW…

K E E P / B O T H
F E E T / O N / T H E
_ _ O _ N _
B E E _

…but then the other dud vowel of I, so Payman solves KEEP BOTH FEET ON THE GROUND BEEF for the house minimum again.

DUDS (both by Jessica): A, I
SOLE LaT: Jessica
BANKRUPTS: 2 (Payman, Danette)

Dannette: $2K/Jessica: $1K WC/Payman: $2K

This doesn’t look good… -__-

---

Mystery Round: WHAT ARE YOU DOING? (PRIZE PUZZLE)

This round’s all Payman: a $900 N, two G’s for another $1,200, three I’s, an $800 S, two A’s, two C’s for another $600, the same number of E’s, and four K’s for $2K.

K I C K I N G / _ A C K
A _ / _ _ E
S K I / _ _ _ G E

He solves for $4,750, and he’ll be KICKING BACK AT THE SKI LODGE, which happens to be the Northstar in LAKE TAHOE worth $5,030 — PR.

Dannette: $2K/Jessica: $1K WC/Payman: $11,780 cash & ski trip

---

$3K Toss-Up: FICTIONAL CHARACTERS

B _ _ T / &
E _ _ I E

Danette solves the “Sesame Street” duo of BERT & ERNIE, bringing her to $5,000.

Speed-Up: AROUND THE HOUSE

The consonants are worth the $1,300 minimum. At round’s end…

C R _ S T _ L
S T _ M _ _ R _

Jessica solves CRYSTAL STEMWARE for $6,500.

DUDS: N (Jessica), H (Danette)

FINAL SCORES
Dannette: $5K/Jessica: $7,500/Payman: $11,780 cash & ski trip

PRE-BR TOTAL: $24,280
Dannette’s BANKRUPT TRASH: $1,800

---

$100K Bonus Round

Payman lands on the E in GAME.

Category: PERSON
Only two letters at the bottom to start…

_ _ _ _
_ _ S _ _ _ _ N

CKMI pretty much gives him the second word…

_ _ _ _
M _ S I C I _ N

Can he come up with the right kind of MUSICIAN…NOT with GOOD, BEST and FINE. It was JAZZ MUSICIAN, and he’s the fourth straight $25K loser.

MY EP. RATING: 5 (orig. a 6; bad first half)

WoF Retro Recap: May 31, 2010

Just 10 more episodes left in S27. This week is simply titled “Hideaways”.

EPISODE #5256: HIDEAWAYS

$1K Toss-Up: THING

T R E A _ U _ E
_ A _

Rashna only gets the first word of TREASURE.

T R E A _ U R E
_ A _

Same thing for Glynis.

T R E A S U R E
_ A _

Mike…goofs with TREASURE BAY, so we have our second Triple Stumper of the season. It was TREASURE MAP. Anyway, let’s meet ’em in order…

Glynis Tatum: real estate broker who’s going to therapy school from Springfield, MO

Mike Waite: marketer and hip-hop musician from Los Angeles (orig. from New York)

Rashna Charania: assistant manager at a university club from Victoria, BC

Remember Zareen Charania from earlier this year (January 25th episode)? That was Ryan Hinton’s (Season 26 contestant) sister-in-law. Rashna is Ryan’s mother-in-law.

$2K Toss-Up: SHOW BIZ

_ _ _ T – S E E
_ _ _ I E

Glynis solves MUST-SEE MOVIE.

FEATURED HIDEAWAY: from South Pacific Custom Travel, a trip to the Taveuni Island Resort & Spa in Fiji worth $9,835
Mon./Wed./Fri. Gift Tag: Wegner luggage

Jackpot Round: RHYME TIME

Glynis starts the search with two N’s for $800, an A while on Free Play, but then BANKRUPT near $2,500 to lose $800. Second, Mike calls up two S’s for $5K, two E’s, but L stands for loss. Third, Rashna takes two T’s for $1,800, two H’s for another $900, but then a bad O buy. After Glynis and Mike both strike out with the M and the I respectively, Rashna buys the last vowel of three U’s…

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

THE FUN HAS JUST BEGUN for her, as she solves this one for $2,200.

DUDS: L (Mike), O (Rashna), M (Glynis), I (Mike)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Glynis
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $10,950

Round 2: PLACE (PRIZE PUZZLE)

Mike instantly BANKRUPTs near TD. Rashna secondly spins her way to four T’s for $2K, five E’s, two H’s for the trip, two N’s for another $600, and three O’s, followed by a $900 F, but then A for awful to leave at least $12,835 in cash and Fiji on the table. Glynis next picks three I’s while on FP to clean out the vowels, but BANKRUPTs near TD. As for Mike…

O N E / O F / T H E
_ E _ T / _ I T I E _
I N / T H E / _ O _ _ _

…he’ll be visiting ONE OF THE BEST CITIES IN THE WORLD…it’s NEW YORK CITY at the Kimberly Hotel (includes tickets to “Perfect Crime”) worth $8,090.

SOLE DUD: A (Rashna)
BANKRUPTS: 2 (Mike, Glynis)

Glynis: $2K/Mike: $8,090 trip/Rashna: $2,200

---

Mystery Round: BEFORE AND AFTER

Rashna’s off and running w/ three T’s for $2,700, four N’s for the Wild Card, four E’s and an A, but strikes out w/ the first letter of her name. Second in line, Glynis picks two D’s for a grand, a $350 B, three O’s, but H stands for halt. Mike next lights up five G’s on the MW near the MDW and takes the money for them (good call, that’s the BANKRUPT one) before going for the solve…

_ N _ D E N T _ F _ E D
F _ _ _ N _
O B _ E _ T / O F
_ _ / A F F E _ T _ O N

…he blows the solve with UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT OF AN AFFECTION. Rashna next lands on the other MW. She puts up the C’s…but DOESN’T take a $2,200 risk. Here’s what we have now…

_ N _ D E N T _ F _ E D
F _ _ _ N _
O B _ E C T / O F
_ _ / A F F E C T _ O N

She solves UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION for $4,200.

DUDS: R (Rashna), H (Glynis)
SOLE DQ: Mike’s blown solve

Glynis: $2K/Mike: $8,090 trip/Rashna: $6,400 WC

Not that great of a game thus far…

---

$3K Toss-Up: PERSON

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

Glynis proves to be a MASTER OF DISGUISE.

Round 4: PHRASE

She rattles off five T’s for $2,750, an O, an I while on FP, but then BANKRUPT near TD to fork over $2,500; that’s her third one of the game. Mike has the exact same fate for his second time. Rashna next picks a $500 H, two A’s, but then B for bad. Glynis gets up there a $300 S, the last vowel of three E’s, and an $800 R before we hear the Speed-Up bell…

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

The remaining three consonants are each worth $1,900. Glynis fills in the N’s…

N O _ / T H A T ‘ S
E N T E R T A I N _ E N T

…and solves NOW THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT for $8,450.

SOLE DUD (before speed-up): B (Rashna)
BANKRUPTS: 2 (Glynis, Mike)

FINAL SCORES
Glynis: $13,450/Mike: $8,090 NYC trip/Rashna: $6,400 WC

PRE-BR TOTAL: $27,940
BANKRUPT TRASH: $3,300

---

$100K Bonus Round

This week’s vehicle is an Acura RDX. Glynis lands on the N in WIN.

Category: THING
The first word should be a gimme once Vanna lights up…

_ R _ E N _ L _
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BDHI doesn’t do much…

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We made a FRIENDLY WAGER that she would win in this segment…but she goofs with FRIENDLY FLYER and FRIENDLY BUYER, so she loses $25K.

MY EP. RATING: 5