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Some Important Words from Friendship Feed

andynwof3 Comments

Friendship Feed, our frequent commenter of my site, sent me and my fellow admins of a document about certain episodes that traumatized me in the past and also a forced the departure of a former admin. They also included a disclaimer that neither them nor us do endorse on mental advice and readers should exercise caution and liabilities itself. The timing couldn’t be more perfect because today marks the rerun of that HORRIBLE Apr. 26, 2024 episode. There is a crisis that readers and long-time viewers of the show are aware of, but in the interest of the online community, you need to spread the word around. The Friendship Feed (a group from Singapore) also have experiences in working and helping those (myself included) w/ special needs and disabilities like autism. Please note that even the most simple incidents can cause the most devastating effects in people’s mental health, which can affect well-being and emotion. It will take time to heal those wounds. And it all happened on these fateful days I’m about to talk about. 

The Friendship Feed has invented a new term called Hawaii28-gate (it’s read as Hawaii-two-eight). This is basically a portmanteau of two WoF episodes back over one calendar year in February, and it’s acting like a domino effect. During the week of Feb. 7, 2022, we had the triple $100K wins during B & B, but the week that taped after that was that HORRIBLE Hawaii week that really broke me. 😣 So much terrible gameplay combined with unfortunate predicaments (that’s also the reason why game show fans call it “budget mode”), forcing me to take time off for two weeks (the next week that @nickskapower did in its entirety unfortunately had a $100K loss). We fast forward to that fateful Feb. 8, 2023 episode. There were EPIC FAILS a plenty including a man who got an unnecessary BANKRUPT costing him a lot and also BOMBED OUT w/ one-letter remaining while on EXPRESS, which was enough to get a DESERVING GOOSEEGG. If they weren’t bad enough, the winning female contestant in the middle CHOKED BAD in her Bonus Round, and all of this took a huge toll on a long-time game show fanatic by the name of Skipps Largo, who would sadly announce his departure in April that year, citing mental health. As a result, this led to the formation known as Hawaii28-gate.

Since these two major incidents, there have been a number of episodes that haven’t matched the atrocities of those episodes until Apr. 26, 2024. A lady who still managed to win despite having a MASSIVE BANKRUPT in the front game, which really made viewers frustrated. That woman went on to lose the $100K. Of course, the FF quickly responded with this reminder and comments to prevent another of these chaotic episodes from happening (but also to safely give myself time to prepare my family’s European vacation beginning in May). Back on Jan. 14, 2019, I posted this sticky note on WordPress Warning on comments in a future recaps (the same goes for BAV) that such offending and uncivil remarks can really hurt the readers and can cause distress to incoming readers. Three days prior to this post, we had a major heartbreaker, but I think we all know what that was, and that sticky note is meant to protect you all. We know we are definitely long-time fans of the show over its 40+ year legacy, and we do have hearts, but if we do not have something nice to say, we mustn’t saying anything at all. Millions of viewers tune into (inter)national television to watch this show every day, so they know how they can react, including the Internet.

Grand prize losses are always heartbreaking (that goes for TPiR’s Double Overbid), but you know that’s life in the game show world. Unfortunately, I’ve enforced a certain rule since the very beginning, and it always been intact ever since and that is the “no technical win” trolling policy. As per the rules on the internet, declaring a technical win is strictly forbidden and is punishable by admins. What this really means that contestants are willing to cheat and not show off sportsmanship and integrity in game shows and entertainment. If anyone dares try to fight, better call SONY or ABC and don’t waste our time. For the record, we have punished those offending IP addresses in the past and present day. A certain troll also committed the act of sockpuppeting (it means masquerading) by abusing the VPN networks.

So, in response to these circumstances, we’ll try not to speak out on any of these past incidents, because they can bring back painful memories. Anniversaries of such have to be carefully dealt- anything such as wedding anniversaries, birthdays, or show appearances (such as my appearance on April 11, 2018) are fine and acceptable as it shows the brand in the team itself. But any memorable highlights in any episode that happened a long time ago are best to be refrained from being mentioned directly. For example, an anniversary since the $1M loss or the big win (unless they’re featured in a retro clip montage); this is to keep the recaps evergreen and fresh for new readers, and not to relapse any memories otherwise that were once forgotten. As we all know, there were many things that were memorable (but also the dubious ones), but remember, nothing lasts forever and people would eventually quickly move on w/ their lives. 

So, let’s end that whatever is in the past is already history, and we need to prepare for the unexpected. As the last line says in my sticky post, we must choose our words carefully. We need to keep cool and calm, and protect our own mental health. They are times we can get frustrated, but we need to keep our cool and find our own space.

Let us move on with a brand new era when Ryan takes over in the fall.

Thanks for your understanding and thank you Friendship Feed for bringing this up. I just don’t want to see another total throwaway episodes like those I mentioned ever again.

Every S30 Episode in 10 Words or Less (and some Concluding Words)

andynwof5 Comments

Remember my personal Most/Least Favorite Episodes posts over the years of my 10+ years of blogging this show? Well, inspired by @adamrocks05259, @nickskapower, and @jliu23232, it’s time to start my very first Every S# in ten words or less and this is in regards to the pearl season, the first season I totally documented myself when I launched my site. I really like the style of @jliu23232, and so I will be using this and color each episode based on a rating of ABYSMAL, TERRIBLE, BAD, AVERAGE, GOOD, GREAT, or AMAZING. Finally, I will give an overall seasonal rating at the end. As many of you know, this is going to be a looooooooooooong post, so grab an iced tea or some Starbucks Coffee and enjoy!

Time to begin our journey down memory lane w/…

Every S30 Episode in 10 Words or Less

SPA GETAWAY

Sept. 17: That BR win was certainly WORTH THE WAIT.
Sept. 18: Oh, THAT BR puzzle from S29…
Sept. 19: Ouch, just two spaces away from $1M…
Sept. 20: What a comeback for Ginny!
Sept. 21: Great game by George!

WHEEL AROUND THE WORLD 

Sept. 24: What a DISASTER.
Sept. 25: John B. did very well for himself!
Sept. 26: Lackluster game all around.
Sept. 27: Almost another disaster until that BR win.
Sept. 28: Hey, Sanam, we found a WISHING BOWL for you!

FUN & FIT

Oct. 1: Pat: “Seacrest is on speed dial.”
Oct. 2: Painful one-letter miss, painful $50K loss.
Oct. 3: Dorene lucked out w/ that PP round.
Oct. 4: Ugly game until Stephan’s BR win.
Oct. 5: Why offer a cheap FIAT for this week?

HOME SWEET HOME

Oct. 8: Phew, close one for Tala.
Oct. 9: Not much to say…
Oct. 10: Great double-car win for this Jerry!
Oct. 11: Pro Tip: Don’t waste BR letters on the obvious.
Oct. 12: Nice haul by Lisa even w/ the BR WIPEOUT.

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY 

Oct. 15: Great start to this week!
Oct. 16: That BR playing was literally QUITE AN EVENT.
Oct. 17: All hail Kimberly on her confetti! 🎉
Oct. 18: Tight match between Roxana and Rick.
Oct. 19: Even tighter match between Amy and Dave.

TEACHERS WEEK

Oct. 22: Definition of LACKLUSTER.
Oct. 23: Debbie was NOT that great of a player.
Oct. 24: Oh, Daydra, don’t pick up that FP wedge!
Oct. 25: That BR was just too open.
Oct. 26: And unfortunately we got 🦨.

HALLOWEEN WEEK

Oct. 29: Thank you Sarah for snapping this losing streak!
Oct. 30: Ugh, WIPEOUT for Ginny.
Oct. 31: Jonathan did a fine job.
Nov. 1: Weak game, but we had a MDBR playing.
Nov. 2: That Triple Stumper was a bad sign.

AMERICA’S GAME I/MILITARY FAMILIES

Nov. 5: You don’t see THAT happen often in the BR.
Nov. 6: Kate’s $50K win was the highlight.
Nov. 7: Another case of knowing the BR w/ RSTLNE.
Nov. 8: Yeah, four-episode BR sweep!
Nov. 9: Ugh, WORST way to lose the BR perfecto.

MILITARY FAMILIES

Nov. 12: That Speed-Up was just bizarre…
Nov. 13: The same goes for this episode.
Nov. 14: BRANSON, MISSISSIPPI?!
Nov. 15: This marked the day I started launching my site.
Nov. 16: That BR win was the HIGH POINT. Period.

SECRET SANTA SWEEPSTAKES I

Nov. 19: Phew, close one for Mike.
Nov. 20: Dominant performance by Tim even without a BR win.
Nov. 21: Way to break the show’s COIN BANK, Cat!
Nov. 22: What a TERRIBLE turn of events…
Nov. 23: That BR result made me BITE my TONGUE literally.

SECRET SANTA SWEEPSTAKES II

Nov. 26: Nothing too special.
Nov. 27: Not much better.
Nov. 28: That’s more like it.
Nov. 29: Whoa, a close win by $107!
Nov. 30: Pretty good job by Kathy.

BED & BREAKFAST

Dec. 3: Not a pretty start to this week.
Dec. 4: This Jaclyn was quite dominant!
Dec. 5: Another messy Speed-Up…
Dec. 6: TOUGH PUZZLE. Literally.
Dec. 7: Tight five-figure match between the ladies.

AMERICAN HERITAGE

Dec. 10: Ericka’s -ICAL omission costed her the game.
Dec. 11: Terrific job by Laura!
Dec. 12: Decent match between the ladies.
Dec. 13: Talk about a MAJOR PR for Stacey!
Dec. 14: QUOTATION in the BR?! 🤯

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS 

Dec. 17: PROBLEM SOLVED for Fredrecia. Literally.
Dec. 18: So close for Amanda in the BR…
Dec. 19: That R4 mispronunciation was something…
Dec. 20: That was just unmerry…
Dec. 21: INCREDIBLE run for Leanne!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Dec. 24: Slow game to start this week.
Dec. 25: QU- reared its ugly head.
Dec. 26: Joe really lucked out w/ that PP.
Dec. 27: Another cheap car win, but we’ll take it.
Dec. 28: Now that’s celebrating the holidays in style!

WINTER EXPEDITIONS 

Dec. 31: Decent game to end 2012.
Jan. 1: Pretty good haul for Keely.
Jan. 2: Good job by Shannon.
Jan. 3: Yay, another double-car winner!
Jan. 4: Tina could’ve picked CDMA to make things easier.

AMERICA’S GAME II

Jan. 7: Watch your language, ladies!
Jan. 8: JUST SPY THE DORK! Yeah, right. -__-
Jan. 9: Tyrone was a great player!
Jan. 10: “I HAVE THE WINE���?! Seriously?!
Jan. 11: This Regis did a mighty fine job!

GREAT ADVENTURES

Jan. 14: ZOO is just nearly impossible.
Jan. 15: Christina made my location proud!
Jan. 16: SEVEN BANKRUPTS was just too much.
Jan. 17: Very good match between Joe and Kristen.
Jan. 18: Dominant run for Scott.

WEEKEND GETAWAYS

Jan. 21: I thought Audra had it…but nope.
Jan. 22: Close match by everyone, but that wasn’t pretty.
Jan. 23: That R2 set the tone for another bad game.
Jan. 24: So close to a Winnebago win for Beau.
Jan. 25: Pepe Le Lew strikes again.

MAKING DISNEY MEMORIES

Jan. 28: I thought the losing streak would end.
Jan. 29: Those BANKRUPTS really made things worse.
Jan. 30: Finally, losing streak over!
Jan. 31: Impressive R3 by the red team!
Feb. 1: Thank goodness for the Bells from Wednesday.

NBA WEEK

Feb. 4: Pretty underwhelming game.
Feb. 5: Elle’s maingame was definitely the highlight.
Feb. 6: Alletta really threw an AIR BALL there.
Feb. 7:  So did this Jim.
Feb. 8: Guess who’s on the court…🦨

SANDALS RESORTS ROMANCE WEEK

Feb. 11: Just an OK game to start this team week.
Feb. 12: The Hamiltons played well!
Feb. 13: Oh no, back to double-digit losing streaks.
Feb. 14: Tara really blew it big time in R4.
Feb. 15: Thank you, McErlains, for saving us!

PET LOVERS WEEK

Feb. 18: Danielle did good though we had six BANKRUPTS.
Feb. 19: What a comeback for Curt!
Feb. 20: Quite a bit of penalties, but another fine episode.
Feb. 21: Kathryn’s BR loss was a bit surprising.
Feb. 22: Bad maingame, good BR win.

CALIFORNIA COAST

Feb. 25: That was one heck of a game for Tammy!
Feb. 26: Not as big as Monday, but still good.
Feb. 27: I’m kinda surprised Stephanie won despite the repeats.
Feb. 28: There goes our chance at perfection.
Mar. 1: GOBLIN GUY?! No chance.

SHOPPING SPREE

Mar. 4: I wanted Zach to win.
Mar. 5: That awful R1 set the tone.
Mar. 6: Good match between the guys.
Mar. 7: Ragini did well.
Mar. 8: Wow, three games this week having two men.

SANDALS RESORTS WEEK

Mar. 11: Great match between the ladies though Dana lost $50K.
Mar. 12: Bill’s $45K win was well deserved.
Mar. 13: Too much lost to BANKRUPT, but Stephen did well.
Mar. 14: That $50K win made up for a lackluster maingame.
Mar. 15: Yeah, 4-1 BR week! Sorry, Dana.

AMERICA’S GAME III

Mar. 18: Those were costly mistakes in R2.
Mar. 19: Lackluster games are no fun.
Mar. 20: Things really fell apart after R1.
Mar. 21: Would’ve been better had Jen not messed up in R3.
Mar. 22: Phyllis’ awful R5 guess was the turning point.

PURE PARADISE

Mar. 25: Why offer a cheap Jetta?
Mar. 26: Bummer for Jason F. on a reasonable BR guess.
Mar. 27: Shaky maingame, DISASTROUS BR ending.
Mar. 28: That BR win made up for a shaky maingame.
Mar. 29: Tight yet crazy match between Michael and Torrie.

SPRING BREAK

Apr. 1: QU- was conquered! No joke.
Apr. 2: Hey, where’s the confetti for Jeff?!
Apr. 3: Stacey probably hasn’t been to museums lately.
Apr. 4: Brian’s smart car loss and $10K win? Crazy.
Apr. 5: Below average maingame made worse by a $50K loss.

ISLAND HOPPING

Apr. 8: Why use the WC on a non-TD amount?!
Apr. 9:  Cheryl’s Jackpot win was the only redeeming quality.
Apr. 10: QU- got its revenge that time.
Apr. 11: Lisa was dominant but could’ve gotten that BR.
Apr. 12: Boring maingame led to 🦨.

SIGHTSEEING WEEK

Apr. 15: Krystie made a nice run despite the WC misfire.
Apr. 16: Why risk all that cardboard for $10K, Rita?
Apr. 17: SHEET CALE?!
Apr. 18: Yay, losing streak over! And cool poster, too.
Apr. 19: Even better: comeback for Zoee!

AMERICA’S GAME IV

Apr. 22: $58K+ will do plenty of BARGAIN SHOPping!
Apr. 23: Sam’s big fails were hard to watch.
Apr. 24: It can’t get any closer than this!
Apr. 25: Decent match between Jonathan and Katie.
Apr. 26: Deloris did pretty good aside from her early mistakes.

NYC WEEK

Apr. 29: I wasn’t fond of Joe’s conservative play.
Apr. 30: MAKING WHOOPIE! Ha!
May 1: Shaky game, but Karl did fine.
May 2: Isaac didn’t even know the second word?
May 3: This week was just slow.

MOM’S WEEK (NYC)

May 6: That BR win made up for a slow game.
May 7: Why is everybody being consonative?
May 8: Valerie’s misplays were just too much.
May 9: Simply underwhelming.
May 10: What a match between Betsy and Clori.

BEST FRIENDS WEEK (NYC)

May 13: This Adam was quite the gambler in R2!
May 14: R3 really paved the way for that TRAINWRECK BR.
May 15: About time we had another MDBR.
May 16: Pat: “Do you even watch the show”?
May 17: Another PP mattering situation led to 🦨.

FABULOUS FOOD (NYC)

May 20: GLAMOROUS COIN? Not likely.
May 21: Great match between the ladies.
May 22: Double Z’s are nasty.
May 23: Dang it, unlucky 13 losing streak.
May 24: What a pitiful road trip this was. -__-

CELEBRATING 30!

May 27: YES! Streak finally over!
May 28: GOOD QUALITY solve right there.
May 29: WILDLY HAPPY GUY?! That’s tricky.
May 30: That WC was clutch big time!!! 🎊
May 31: Not a great follow-up.

DAD’S WEEK

Jun. 3: Good start to this all-male week.
Jun. 4: Nice BR solve even w/ some uncommon letters!
Jun. 5: Look at Bill literally doing THE LIMBO!
Jun. 6: That awful R2 triggered goodbye to our perfection bid.
Jun. 7: This Tony was a good player!

AMERICA’S GAME V

Jun. 10: Aside from the BR, what a match!
Jun. 11: Bad maingame, nice confetti ending.
Jun. 12: Quite a long wait between the VTR and airdate.
Jun. 13: We needed that win after a slow maingame.
Jun. 14: Yay, 4-1 BR to end the season!

And that, my friends and fellow admins, is every S30 episode reviewed in 10 words or less. But before we get to the stats, some notes about this season, etc., I’d like to talk about My Top 5 BEST and WORST Episodes. Do keep in mind that this is based solely on the episode’s qualities themselves and not all major wins/losses will be factored into the lists.

My Top 5 BEST Episodes

#5: February 25

This opener to California Coast was terrific. After early BANKRUPTs by Tammy’s opponents, she got off to a fast start in the first round by winning the featured California trip to La Jolla. Once she got the correct MW in the next round, she never looked back and amassed over $36K cash & prizes. In the BR, she picked a fine time to go w/ CDMA and completed a successful TRICK PLAY for $45K, putting her as the highest non-grand prize winner w/ over $81K!

This was tough for me to decide between this episode and the record-setting maingame from Dec. 21, but had Leanne from said Dec. episode somehow defeated the ZZ, she would have taken this slot instead of Tammy.

#4: October 17

Kimberly was a fantastic contestant this episode. She solved almost every puzzle in the front game (the one she didn’t get was the second Toss-Up) winning nearly $30K cash & trips. But her shining moment came in the BR when she was ALIVE AND KICKING (also the name of a Simple Minds song, BTW) by solving this puzzle for the first $100K payoff of the season, giving her $129,600 cash & trips! Truly well-deserved!

#3: Nov. 21

Now this was an episode to be thankful for. After Cat’s $2K Toss-Up solve, she scored a MAJOR PR in the Jackpot Round by winning $10,650, a $10,200 Jackpot, and the $5K Sears shopping spree. She would never look back after that round, though the real bummer was in R3 when she landed on LaT late, costing her a chance at a whole smart car after picking up her second 1/2 CAR plate. She finished the front game w/ $37,250, and even though she was CDMA conservative, she managed to break Harry & Company’s COIN BANK for the $100K, giving her a final total of $137,250 cash & spree! Another outstanding episode from start to finish.

#2: December 28

The woman who I’m describing had to really work for it unlike the other two $100K winners I described. Cindy, whose son Dave appeared on the show just over 10 years ago, got on the board in the Mystery Round w/ $2K and was in a second-place tie w/ Wil. Said male took a big lead in the next round following a nice usage of his WC w/ $24,272. After she solved the next Toss-Up, Pat spun the big one of $6K in the Speed-Up, which really added to the drama! In the end, she completed a big comeback by solving COLLECTING MY THOUGHTS for $42K! That puzzle could not have been more appropriate! In the BR, she only got help in the second word after her letter choices, but that was all she needed to solve WE HEARD YOU, and she ultimately set a NEW NON-MILLION RECORD w/ $147K!!! Talk about a late Christmas gift!

#1: MAY 30!!!

Now this is one for the record books. After Billy’s unfortunate BANKRUPT late in the first round (that deprived him over $18K cash & Chevy Sonic), it was all about the woman to his left. Autumn solved every single puzzle afterwards plus the opening Toss-Up and accumulated over $30K cash & trips. She also took both the WC and MDW, which really added to the drama. Unfortunately, none of her three consonants and a vowel made the THING puzzle, which made me really worried, but thanks to her WC choice of G, she made the miraculous solve of TOUGH WORKOUT and ultimately became the SECOND-EVER MILLIONAIRE as well as the new all-time top queen of this show w/ $1,030,340 cash & trips! She still holds the record to this day.

But of course, the show is not without its bad moments and there were a handful of episodes that were just too painful to watch, and we have no choice to accept the fact and move on. Let me introduce you to…

My Top 5 WORST Episodes

#5: May 14

The first half was decent, but the second half was where things started to fall apart. George & Mark made a crucial missolve not counting their T’s carefully, allowing the middle team of Kerry & Paula to solve for the PP trip to Hawaii. The next round took so long, and if that puzzle looked familiar, it was the same one used in late S23 during College Week in Denver. I was surprised everybody finished in five figures, but because the middle ladies won with the expensive PP, they were in danger of losing the BR and it really showed when they WIPED OUT w/ their choices. Even more surprising is that came dangerously close to solving WORLDWIDE HIT w/ their guess of WORLDWIDE HUT. Alas, their one letter difference proved to be very costly, resulting in the second of two $100K TOTAL TRAINWRECKS. Oy vey.

#4: January 22

While it was a tight match between everybody, the worst parts were R1 and R4. In R1, there were four BANKRUPTS, two of them by Cari. And R4 was hampered w/ four duds and three bad solves. David’s guess was just totally dumb. CHASING SOMEONE when the category is THING? No way. Zee’s missolves were also baffling w/ first word guesses ending in C instead of N, but she somehow got the job done on her next turn. Her final score? Just $9,550. Even without the PP trip, I wasn’t very hopeful of her chances and it really showed when she didn’t get any help in the totally blank top line, costing her the Winnebago.

#3: April 12

This is probably the biggest snoozefest of the season. In addition to the six penalty spins (five of them BANKRUPTS), both Franklin and Kelly played way too conservatively. After R3, none of the scores broke five figures and that was a clear sign this episode was headed for trouble. Kelly ultimately came short and finished second, so Franklin won w/ just a pathetic $8,200 cash & Costa Rica. The combined total by everybody? Only $18,950. I wasn’t surprised Franklin didn’t get the BR, and so he went down as the lowest-winning champ from this season. Just not worth watching.

#2: Nov. 22

This was not something to be thankful. All main rounds except R4 had multiple penalties and it didn’t help that eventual winner Pam was playing conservatively. In the end, she won w/ just $11,583 cash & Aruba, and if you take away her PP, she would’ve finished second to Frank who ended w/ $5,600. In the BR, I thought the two I’s would save her, but because she said FIRST ECLIPSE, which is an EVENT and not THING, SHE BECAME THE SECOND $100,000 LOSER OF THE SEASON AND TEMPORARILY BECAME THE LOWEST-WINNING CHAMP THAT SEASON (Danielle D. from Dec. 10 would take that dishonor next). And what made it worse was that we missed out on good history and got the bad one instead right after Cat won the big one. Ouch.

#1: SEPTEMBER 24

This early episode is gonna take the crown for the WORST EPISODE OF SEASON. The trouble all started when Joe thought the Scandinavian city of Stockholm is in GERMANY — really? -__- That Toss-Up, BTW, was a near Triple Stumper. And things would get much worse w/ seven BANKRUPTS and two LaTs. One of those BANKRUPTS occurred in R3 (the MDW’s left side), which would blow up all of Joe’s $26,850 to pieces. The total trash this episode? $39,850 cash & trip to Spain, a SEASON-WORST. In the end, both women ended up in five figures, which really surprised me. Vickie needed that PP trip to Hawaii to have won this game, which spelled trouble for the BR, and just when I thought she picked good consonants for her bonus puzzle, she ended up blowing it with such nonsensical guess to lose the Volkswagen CC. At least it wasn’t the big one.

As a bonus, my WILDEST EPISODE OF S30 is (drumroll, please)…

…

…

…

…

June 11. Tasha committed a huge error late in R2 costing her the $10K MW and the complete Chevy Sonic, but somehow managed to win w/ a low score of $10,850 and got VERY LUCKY in the BR where she became the fifth and final $100K winner of that season.

Next, I’ll go through some notes apart from the season’s changes…

  • On September 21, the $3K Toss-Up (YELLOW BRICK ROAD) is both the fourth instance of FICTIONAL PLACE as a Toss-Up and the last appearance of said category.
  • During WHEEL Around the World week, the logo on Pat’s podium is just “WHEEL” in red letters, in the style of the “Wheel Around the World” logo. When not in use, the contestants’ scoreboards display the “Around the World” part. The ½  CAR (smart car) is shown on the set behind where Pat stands.
  • Joe from the opening WATW episode bought all five vowels in one fell swoop in R3, but only $1K was deducted from his score before he painfully BANKRUPTed out in that round.
  • On Sept. 28, the bonus puzzle “CAN I HAVE A HUG?” is the fourth and final appearance of a question mark in the Bonus Round.
  • On Oct. 1, Brandon lands on Free Play in Round 1 and calls E, Pat accidentally tells him that he must choose a consonant before calling himself an idiot. On the next turn, he jokes “Yes. There is no T.” He also said “Seacrest is on speed dial”.
  • On Oct. 11, after Pat tells Jeff LeFors the destination of the Prize Puzzle trip he wins, he exclaims “Holy crap!”, though “crap” is censored (likely to maintain the show’s TV-G rating). After the copy, Pat pretends to punch him to “calm him down” w/ a punching sound effect dubbed in.
  • Oct. 16: Adam Kelly WIPED OUT w/ his letter choices after generous RSTLNE help, but still managed to solve.
  • During the week of Oct. 22 (Teachers Week), the 1/2 CAR of the smart car was shown behind Pat. Unfortunately, this week was a SKUNKING and interestingly, all five of them are THING.
  • On Oct. 22, there’s a “Changing Lives” segment featuring S27 contestant Gentry Zuzunaga from April 2010.
  • Daydra from Oct. 24 tried to pick up the Free Play wedge!
  • On Oct. 26, the Round 2 puzzle is the second of only two Same Names this season to use an ampersand.
  • On Nov. 1, the category of WHAT ARE YOU DOING? made its first appearance in the Bonus Round since April 12, 2011, and only its seventh overall. From this point onward, the category began appearing there more frequently.
  • On November 2, we had the first TRIPLE STUMPER this season, and the wrong letter buzzer sounded after Kamela Anderson incorrectly responded w/ RUBBER ROPE.
  • The week of Nov. 5 was the first America’s Game Week, and it lasted for fewer than five days since Friday marked the start of an extra long Military Families week.
  • November 5: Jeremy Peck completely filled in the bonus puzzle of ON THE PHONE.
  • On Nov. 6 (this was the day that this show in many markets was preempted due to the presidential election coverage), Lindsay Hanway gave Pat her Wild Card at the end of the Round 2, thinking she hit BANKRUPT, and it remained absent for the rest of the show. According to her, Pat motioned for the Wild Card while talking to another player, and she did not know that she was not supposed to give it to him. It did not affect the outcome.
  • On Nov. 22, 2012, we made the wrong kind of history — having a $100K loss in the BR right after the previous one had a $100K win.
  • On Nov. 29, Collie Blake got the opening Toss-Up w/ her name in it — BORDER COLLIE! That should remind you of the time when Precious Haines of the previous season solved her bonus puzzle containing her first name (PRECIOUS CARGO).
  • On Dec. 12, Pat did a Changing Lives segment on Season 29 premiere contestants Karen and Ryan Buchanan.
  • On Dec. 14, the category of QUOTATION appeared in the BR for the first time since late 1991.
  • On Dec. 19, Renee Durette was DQed for leaving out the G in the Round 4 puzzle SEVEN SWANS A-SWIMMING (it was classified as LIVING THINGS instead of SONG LYRICS; that was also the case when it was previously used in the holidays of late 2004). Video of the ruling went viral, and sparked controversy across various media outlets. She appeared on “Good Morning America” to talk about the ruling.
  • Dec. 21: Leanne McLaughlin set a new maingame record of $69,300, breaking Lauren Kaufman’s record of $66,350 on Oct. 24, 2005.
  • On Jan. 3, Daniel Janjigian appeared on the show, and he was a former Olympic bobsledder for the country of Armenia.
  • On Jan. 4, we saw three teachers playing the game outside of the theme Teachers Week.
  • On Jan. 7, both women each said a curse word that was edited out for obvious reasons. The first one was by Kristie Walters who said during the PP Round “Oh, (buzzer), I forgot!”. Jenna Brown then said “Crap” when trying to come up with an answer in the BR. The episode was originally scheduled for this Thursday and the staff wanted to move a show with Christmas decorations as early as possible. As a result, Jenna was pre-empted in her area due to college football. And on ABC stations, all the stars of “Shark Tank” except for QVC’s Lori Greiner made an appearance.
  • Natasha Holly went viral on Jan. 10 for blowing the solve in the Jackpot Round w/ “I HAVE THE WINE BY JOHNNY CASH” and unfortunately trashed a $9,800 pot.
  • We had an amazing solve on Jan. 31 when Emily and Tedd Glazebrook solved “BE OUR GUEST PUT OUR SERVICE TO THE TEST” with only the S’s and E’s showing.
  • The week of February 4 was single-player NBA Week (it was originally going to be Music Week), the first time since S23 we had an NBA week of any kind. Unfortunately, that week was a SKUNKING.
  • On February 20, the retro BR featured a puzzle from Rolf Benirschke’s first show (Jan. 10, 1989).
  • On March 8, a button fell off Pat’s jacket during the Final Spin, so as a joke, he wore stage manager John Lauderdale’s jacket throughout the Bonus Round and closing segment.
  • On April Fool’s Day 2013, the hosts reaired the Pat’s bald wig incident from April Fool’s Day 2008.
  •  On April 2, the confetti didn’t rain down at first after Jeff Ellingson won the $100K but finally came down late in the celebration. The puzzle? A PAUSE IN THE ACTION. But the promo video spoiled an outright grand prize win for the second time that season after Cindy’s big win. Whoever’s in charge of that, shame on you! 😡
  • April 24: Brenda Ryan won the 1/2 CAR of the smart car in Round 2 and ended up in second place w/ $24,380 cash & prizes to Matt Keller’s $24,470, making her the first 1/2 CAR winner not to win the game. And that guy would win the MINI Cooper Roadster in the BR, marking a very rare instance of two contestants winning cars in one episode.
  • The R6 puzzle of MATT DAMON on April 26 was shorter than 10 letters.
  • Joe Della Ferra on the April 29 episode of the NYC opener solved STATUE OF LIBERTY w/ just the F showing.
  • During the week of May 6 (Mom’s Week), all Prize Puzzle trips included a Sony NEX-5R camera.
  • On May 30, Jim used the line “You’ve hit the jackpot with…” and announced Autumn’s final total of the night instead of Pat. And in the closing, all of the envelopes were spread out across the Bonus Wheel w/ that million dollar envelope on top. Unfortunately, that grand prize win was spoiled outright.
  • A whopping 41 automobiles were won this season (21 via the ½ CAR plates, 20 in the BR). For some reason, we landed on a car envelope at least once almost every week.
  • We had 76 BR wins this season (one beating the total of both S23 and S28), although there were six BR SHUTOUTS and four double-digit losing streaks (the last one hit a SEASON-WORST of 14 losses to end the NYC road trip and the season’s tapings).
  • The highest non-$1M week in winnings was the season finale at $399,695.

That’s all I have for now. If anyone has any more notes about this season, please feel free to let me know in the comments.

Portions of the materials used in this segment are trademarks and/or copyrighted works of the Wheel of Fortune History Wiki. This material is not official and is not endorsed by the Wheel of Fortune History Wiki. All rights reserved by the Wheel of Fortune History Wiki.

Now for the stats…

ABYSMAL: 2
TERRIBLE: 6
BAD: 25
AVERAGE: 79
GOOD: 61
GREAT: 17
AMAZING: 5

As you can see, just a little over 40% of this season were placed under the AVERAGE rank, and just about 17% were trash. I have placed five of these episodes under the best rank possible, four of which contained $100K wins or more. If it weren’t for those $100K wins and that $1M win, it would have been a carbon copy like S26, S28 or S29.

That being said, my final rating for this season is AVERAGE despite the six grand prize wins. The 2012 part was average for the most part, then it got crazier for most of the 2013 part w/ all those double-digit losing streaks, but we really picked things up nicely in the last three weeks.

SEASONAL RATING: 6

CLOSING REMARKS

Well, folks, it’s been fun documenting my very first season of shows, the pearl season, under the Blogger platform. It was a way to get my feet wet and dig into the details of my favorite show after I formerly worked at BAV’s message board.

I really enjoyed seeing all those classic clips (retro BRs included) for most of the season and also the nice anniversary greetings from the celebs. Of course, no season can be perfect, and that’s what the name of this game is. I definitely enjoy the new look of the contestant scoreboards now touching each other (and they still are to this day). Pat’s area w/ the new monitor that matches the theme week is also a nice touch. The dollar values were altered for this season to accommodate the $500 rule for most extras aside from the MDW, which I appreciate. And I was happy to see my eventual fellow admin @jpgenius join me in commenting on some episodes.

This was a nice run getting six grand prize wins including that $1M win. Any thoughts of this pearl season you would like to add? Write to me in the comments below.

Thanks to those who started joining me in the conversation and wishing me godspeed.

How Season 4 of Celebrity WoF Triggers You!

andynwof2 Comments

I’m surprised @nickskapower didn’t have one of these posts after the conclusion of the fourth primetime season, but I’ll give it a shot anyway.

WARNING!!!

The following post is over-exaggerated. Most opinions shared aren’t accurate to my thoughts and feelings. Are you ready, my fellow admins, ready for Round 4 with the celebs? Any takers?

Before I get started, I must mention that this idea, like @nickskapower’s “Every S39 Episode In Ten Words Or Less” post, is inspired by Adam Alam.

  • I can’t believe the SAG-AFTRA strike impacted the taping day schedule. That meant that most celebs couldn’t promote their upcoming projects in film or TV.
  • That podium change between Brendan Hunt and Melissa Villaseñor on the premiere episode was just flat-out awkward. Obviously, we civilians on the syndicated show can’t do that after we drew what podium we are in.
  • I get that football players might not have time to watch films by a famous director, but Rashad’s P call w/ only the Q remaining in the name of QUENTIN TARANTINO was just absolutely head scratching.
  • There’s a possible case of at least one celebrity cursing on air after an unfortunate mishap. For example, when Kim Fields hit LaT late in Game 1, she said “This is some bull crap” — watch your mouth, lady! -___-
  • It really annoys me when people admit on the air they have never watched the show before, and that was the case with Penn Jillette who won Game 2 in the same episode w/ Kim.
  • It’s really sad that the decade categories don’t deserve the attention it really needs, but I was pleasantly surprised that they brought back 80’s SONG LYRICS in the Season 4 finale.
  • Normally I don’t have a gripe w/ the puzzle writing, but this PHRASE puzzle from the S4 finale was the most ridiculous: “I DON’T NEED INTERNET, MY SPOUSE KNOWS EVERYTHING”. I doubt this statement is completely true in real life.
  • The THING, PHRASE, and WAYD? being offered way too much in the BR like Pat’s final season in syndication.

Overall, this primetime season was definitely better than that HORRIFIC season 3 even though there were some bumps.

Now it’s your turn to tell me…what do YOU think? What triggered YOU about Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune Season 4? What will the next primetime season have in store when Pat comes back to host before he really rides off into the sunset?

BEST/WORST/WILDEST MOMENTS OF S41

andynwofLeave a comment

Here’s another yearly edition of the Best, Worst, and Wildest Moments regarding S41. Feel free to tell me what I should add to those lists.

🙂BEST🙂

1. The four $100K winners. At least we had more winners compared to S40, but it’s a shame we did not have a millionaire on Pat’s final season (though there were a couple of contestants who are spaces away to the envelope or had lost or forfeited their MDW and then wound up landing on $100K).

2. September 27 had a $20K+ sweep!

3. A decent improvement on the Friday Final week on the NFL Superfan Tournament when you have Jill winning both nights (and eventually both BRs), giving her a SEASON-HIGH total of $136,386!
But if you want to count only the grand prize winners, then we have Valerie Reynolds and Tom Krisa’s $126,714 total on November 17. That week also was the first time since S34 we had 1-1 on $100K (the Nov. 15 again had a back-to-back $100K losses).

4. A season-high maingame total of $71,700 set by Jack Zhou on the conclusion of the crazy “Wheel Across America” week.

5. The Dec. 26 episode saw Alisha becoming the very first $75K winner since the introduction in a civilian episode. Prior to that, there were three losses.

6. This was the first time I didn’t cover any May or June episodes in my career, but on top of that, the weeks seemed to be improving, and what a way to go out on a bang for Pat’s exit, better than nothing.
And the 8K special week went better unlike the past three milestone weeks if you recall.

7. Tiffany Calas’ near $86K haul!

8. Eventual Fan Favorite Rhachel Royal-Fortune scores exactly $80K on Pat’s 77th birthday! Her surname is pretty iconic.

9. Rob Bodnar dominates the maingame and pulls off a Christmas miracle to salvage the second Disney Secret Santa week.

10. Jeremy’s dominance at the start of Sand & Sea week on @jpgenius’s birthday, and he took home a total of $83,815 cash & prizes including the Ford Mustang Convertible!

11. All hail Blake Swoboda and Michael Bystrzycki for their Jackpot wins in the BR especially the latter who brought the DOUBLE JACKPOT wedge. 

12. Hannah Precour’s $75K win on the penultimate show of Pat’s final season, breaking $100K the hard way!

13. Adrienne Bean ended the season w/ her $50K BR win to make way for Pat’s farewell message.

☹️WORST☹️

1. After 43 years, Pat Sajak has retired as host.

2. The nine $100K losses this season. The penultimate on April 26 was rather DISASTROUS for a very good reason (Friendship Feed luckily warned us on a Warning of posting in Future recaps back in 2019 and to ensure there’s no repeat of a similar manner unlike the S39’s Hawaii or the February 8, 2023 incident, both of which taught the group a good lesson; with that in mind, it was clear Friendship Feed relayed a message on anniversaries, know which ones we can keep, and keeping references as indirect should be good). And it’s a shame another such loss had to happen on my November 15 blogging anniversary.

3. HSN Shopping weeks are usually a bad omen, and this better not return for good, if they ever did so, given the week being SKUNKED and had a $100K TOTAL TRAINWRECK on anniversary week. If there’s anything positive, the weekly total wasn’t a SEASON-LOW week (that honor goes to the European Vacation, our first INSTANT SKUNKING since S23). Grand Getaways probably shouldn’t return, either, since that week was a carbon copy of last season’s edition.

4. We tied the record of SIX Toss-Up TRIPLE STUMPERS.

5. Eventual Fan Favorite Laryn may have won big on September 13, but the maingame was an absolute mess including her lousy guess of A CABLE IN A FABLE.

6. Too much BANKRUPT trash on the Wednesday and Friday episodes of Halloween week (the former saw a frightening $31,750 being taken away).

7. In addition to the many duds from November 9, there was Matthew’s PATHETIC STRIPES, STARS, AND BUTTER BARS, which caused him to go viral.

8. The Monday episode of Home for the Holidays week is an example where conservative play and careless mistakes will cost them the game and a MDBR chance, and some big leads, respectively.

9. The start of Dec. 1 really had some abysmal gameplay, all that ended was Kristen getting a SEASON-LOW total of a measly $10,250, which ties the record-low in the Triple Toss-Up era.

10. Numerous missolves gone viral including the one that took the cake on the May 23 episode where Tavaris gave the WORST NSFW ANSWER OF ALL TIME, RIGHT IN THE BUTT — UGH. -__-

11. The entirety of Happy New Year week was pretty shaky due to messy maingames including some critical mistakes. One such example was this on January 4:

G R A N D
S L A M
D _ N _

Heather Morgan Zell BOMBED OUT thinking the last remaining vowel is an O to throw away over $16,650 cash & CARIBBEAN along w/ the MDW — DONK, lady?! UGH. -__-

12. Wheelgopher said it best — the whole episode of January 16 was totally OUT OF FOCUS due to bad gameplay and Angela ultimately became the second-lowest winning champ that season. This was also one of @nickskapower’s bottom 5 worst episodes this season.

13. The first two episodes of our favorite “WHEEL Around the World” were a pain to watch especially Monday when we had a low scoring game plus Ryan DiMarco’s painful BR miss by one second costing him the INFINITI QX50.

14. Kylee Hatch made a BIG FOOL of herself on the April Fool’s show especially in the Mystery Round when she thought there was a West Coast city called SUN FRUNCISCO, hence the U purchase to cost her $12,450 including the $10K MW. I had no choice but to give her the DESERVING $1K GOOSEEGG award.

15. The entirety of the April 2 show (and one of @nickskapower’s personal list of worst episodes). Because of champ Lauren’s forgetfulness of collective nouns, we set a new SEASON-LOW in winnings for a single episode.

16. Even though we had a triple $10K+ finish on April 4, we had this in the PP Round…

T H E / E N T R A N C E
T _ / A / C A _ T _ E

You’d Expect: Kim Weisenberg to solve or if she chooses to buy a vowel, she needs to pick the obvious O.

Instead: She BOMBS OUT BIG TIME with a CRITICAL PURCHASE OF U to throw away $17,300 — just where do you think that would go, ma’am?! -___-

17. The R3 on my birthday episode was a TRAINWRECK with 10 lost turns.

18. After Randy Rose’s late CRITICAL DUD in R2 on my anniversary episode, he did most of the work in the next round and this was the board:

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

You’d Expect: He needs to solve right away to collect $23,550 plus the trip to Costa Rica.

Instead: He spun on and painfully LaTed out — unbelievable. -___-

19. The board late in R3 on my last recap of the season:

D U _ _ – _ I L L E D
P L A T Y P U S

You’d Expect: Kimberly Wright to either solve or fill in either the C, K, or B.

Instead: She next landed on EXPRESS…but BOMBED OUT BIG TIME w/ F to throw away $7,250, apparently thinking the second word was FILLED. She never recovered from that mistake, forcing me to give her the DESERVING $1K GOOSEEGG award. She also went viral as a result.

20. The category THING showed up in all 195 episodes as a BR choice this season.

🤪WILDEST🤪

1. Jesse’s stomach roll on the Friday of Weekend Getaways.

2. Tuesday’s maingame of Teacher’s Week was rather underwhelming until the BR, with the Speed-Up puzzle of MILLION DOLLAR WINNER being the ironical one. At least Mitch from that episode said hi to us.

3. The entirety of “Wheel Across America” week. You have two maingame highs by Keri and Jack having one of the top maingame scores, but each has lost their respective BR. The former also had one big BANKRUPT earlier on R1 but later redeemed in the $6K final spin while the latter he would have almost doubled his total.

4. The Wednesdays of March-April seems to have attracted $100K envelopes and it did, four times in five Wednesdays.

5. Male Izzy and female Frankie from the start of Halloween week. This proves why some names can be unisex.

6. November 23 on the set of Wheel Across America was pretty wild. There were big wins in R1-3, a Triple Stumper on the last of the Triple Toss-Ups, and a BR WIPEOUT to boot.

7. Susan from the Tuesday episode of Big Money kept grabbing the Toss-Up device when it wasn’t really a Toss-Up.

8. While Colette Show You the World week was more-or-less the same in a S38 counterpart where we faced a skunk threat, the difference was where we had two sweeps- an all-female winner and a BR Car for the first time in 13 years. And for the second straight season, Bonusland did not offer a Winnebago.

10. The second car sweep happened during Big Money week.

Every S41 Episode in 10 Words or Less (and some concluding words)

nickskapower5 Comments

Hello, again. It is I, @nickskapower. Inspired by @adamrocks05259 and @jliu23232, here is every S41 episode in ten words or less. However, this time, I will do it in the style of @jliu23232 (without whom this style would not be possible) and each date will be colored based on a rating of ABYSMAL, TERRIBLE, BAD, MEDIOCRE, WILD, GOOD, GREAT, or AMAZING. Finally, I will give an overall seasonal rating at the end. And this is going to be a looooooooooooong post, so grab a Coca-Cola (or Pepsi, whichever you prefer. 🤪) and enjoy!

We’ll begin our journey down memory lane w/…

Every S41 Episode in 10 Words or Less

September 11: Pretty eh start…
September 12: Another $50K loss already?!
September 13: Lord, the Wheel was horrific.
September 14: Don’t tell me we’re about to have an instant SKUNKING…
September 15: …and we did.

September 18: Could’ve been better.
September 19: Jason made up for a slow first half.
September 20: Finally, a BR win!
September 21: An unlucky day for grand prize losses…
September 22: Oh, hi, $75K…

September 25: Dining… JAR?
September 26: The maingame was quite rocky.
September 27: Too bad I was sick…
September 28: Not to good of a follow-up episode.
September 29: The BR should have been an EVENT.

October 2: The Triple Tossup Sweep was the only highlight.
October 3: Quite a bit of conservative gameplay.
October 4: Sam and Jenni had the battle.
October 5: And another decent match.
October 6: I really don’t have anything to say.

October 9: Created a duplicate of this episode. Whoopsie!
October 10: Thank goodness for the $6K Final Spin…
October 11: Picking up the TD space? Really?
October 12: What’s w/ that Z call?!
October 13: Tough call, but what a wild night this was.

October 16: Tiffany really cleaned up!
October 17: POISED is a tricky word.
October 18: Not even the BR win could save it.
October 19: What an ugly game this was…
October 20: There were too many duds.

October 23: Long time no see, Halloween Week!
October 24: Better maingame this time.
October 25: What in the Sam Hill was the Wheel’s Problem?!
October 26: I’m hoping for our first 4-1 week…
October 27: …spooky week, but we achieved just that.

October 30: Yet another somewhat scary game.
October 31: Enough with the penalties already!!!
November 1: This one took us on the gamut of emotions.
November 2: At long last, our first BANKRUPT-free episode all season!
November 3: Another tough call.

November 6: Not too exciting of a start to this week…
November 7: Ugh, first prize puzzle trip below $7K…
November 8: Wow, impressive BR solve!
November 9: One of the most random BRs ever.
November 10: Messy gameplay impacted by a horrific loss…

November 13: No penalty spins, but questionable gameplay.
November 14: Liz‘s sharp solves were enjoyable though.
November 15: HANGOUT strikes again…
November 16: Can we win a bigger amount for once?
November 17: YAY, THANKS!!!

November 20: DUDS. That is all.
November 21: That was just dreadful…
November 22: I could easily have given this episode a 0.
November 23: Head-scratcher of an episode.
November 24: Worst week of the season thus far.

November 27: Andy wrote the BR combo line like Bobby McBride.
November 28: The Final Spin made up for the bad maingame.
November 29: SPOILER: No more early feeds this week…
November 30: Definite forced loss material in the BR.
December 1: Enough w/ the abysmal episodes already!!!

December 4: The magical time once again, Secret Santa Sweepstakes…
December 5: Nice $20K+ match!
December 6: Nick‘s EXPRESS crash was hard to watch…
December 7: Okay, BAKED has SIX letters?!
December 8: Well, BAH HUMBUG.

December 11: Not a favorable outcome at all.
December 12: Beware The British Ogre!
December 13: Too wild for me to give a rating or grade.
December 14: Since when is “thumb” a verb?
December 15: It’s a Christmas miracle!

December 18: The Monday losing skid is over, folks!
December 19: Norway, Sweden, AND Finland in the Prize Puzzle trip?!
December 20: Welcome back, Andy!
December 21: Another good match but not a Prize Puzzle concern.
December 22: CARRIAGE PROPOSAL?!

December 25: Jill‘s exchange w/ Pat went viral.
December 26: Finally, a $75K win!
December 27: I hate $0 Prize Puzzle wins.
December 28: QUITE ALIKE is kind of fun to say.
December 29: WAY too many duds in this episode also.

January 1: That Speed-Up was… something.
January 2: Bad first half, good ending.
January 3: R1 was just excruciating…
January 4: Slam DONK.
January 5: What an embarrassing BR loss that was.

January 8: As if last week wasn’t bad enough already…
January 9: How much more BANKRUPT TRASH is there gonna be?!
January 10: Well, at least this episode is SLIGHTLY decent.
January 11: Whoa, an ampersand in the BR?
January 12: Our first car sweep since S28!

January 15: If they use VIVID one more time…
January 16: What in the world did I just recap?!
January 17: The BR made up for lost time.
January 18: Could Tina really only think of MINOR?!
January 19: I’m not surprised that the RHYME TIME puzzle was slammed.

January 22: Just what I needed after the last two weeks…
January 23: I think Micah meant “BLOOD orange slices”.
January 24: I wish Dustin would have won.
January 25: Andy using the sunglasses emoji made me grin.
January 26: “Who jumps at the chance these days?” — Mario Cantone

January 29: Did it have to end w/ a post-buzzer solve?!
January 30: Oh dear lord, not another bad game…
January 31: Only because of the five-figure match.
February 1: Welcome aboard, Justin!
February 2: Here we go, SKUNKED again…

February 5: “The MVPs of our show”.
February 6: The maingame could have been better.
February 7: Two PRs AND a Triple Tossup sweep?!
February 8: Welp, automatic all-female sweep.
February 9: I love Friday Finals in modern episodes.

February 12: Rest in peace, Grandpa…
February 13: Not so romantic of an episode…
February 14: INVESTMENT FIRM has NO CHANCE of fitting.
February 15: Slightly below average.
February 16: Good match to end the week.

February 19: This episode marks Justin’s first-ever recap.
February 20: ANOTHER. PENALTY. FILLED. EPISODE.
Febraury 21: Hats off to Alexis for her comeback win.
February 22: Great, now I wish COLOR BEAR CUBS were real.
February 23: Guess who’s back? 🦨

February 26: That moment when you see “Whitepages” in Andy’s comment.
February 27: I thought the short intro would spell disaster.
February 28: What a way to end a losing streak!
February 29: I have actually heard of the word SHINDIG.
March 1: At least there was a minimum sweep.

March 4: Finally, I get to recap my favorite week!
March 5: Joey cleaned up nicely in the front game!
March 6: Wow, AND back-to-back MDBRs?!
March 7: Now that’s what you call a MAJOR PR!!!
March 8: Four WCs in a row AGAIN?

March 11: And my second favorite week immediately after!
March 12: What a game between Marsha and Dylan!
March 13: Australia is a COUNTRY. OCEANIA is the continent.
March 14: Once again, we needed the $6K Final Spin.
March 15: Now it’s my turn to vacation… 😌

March 18: It’s a bird… it’s a plane… its… SUPER-JERRY!!!
March 19: “Avengers… ASSEMBLE!!” – Jerry Liu, 2024
March 20: I would have loved to recap this episode.
March 21: ‘Sup, Spider-Man?
March 22: Jerry was the real hero by filling in for me.

March 25: A one-letter solve…
March 26: …three $50K losses in a row…
March 27: …and a grand prize win w/ one second left?!
March 28: The maingame was too shaky.
March 29: Thank HEAVENS Emma saved our bacon this week.

April 1: I was afraid Alicia would say DRIED BANANA.
April 2: I’m surprised Andy didn’t give this a 1.
April 3: At least this was an improvement from last night.
April 4: R3 was just EXCRUCIATING.
April 5: Phew, thank the almighty WC.

April 8: What a rotten birthday present for Andy…
April 9: Welcome back, Louise!
April 10: Well… THAT’S never happened in a while.
April 11: Andy’s special week is turning sour again…
April 12: Now that’s better.

April 15: Looks like they’re still on a budget…
April 16: The maingame could’ve been smoother.
April 17: WHOA, now what are the odds of THAT?!
April 18: Who misses a sight word in the BR?
April 19: Fan Friday Word Of The Day: My home country.

April 22: Nice five-figure match with few penalties.
April 23: Things are getting back on track…
April 24: This is A FEEL-GOOD TELEVISION SERIES indeed.
April 25: JP loves all-cash winners.
April 26: This is the pure definition of “Abysmal”.

April 29: The less said about Friday’s EPIC FAIL, the better.
April 30: See you next season, Andy…
May 1: A pretty wild start to May.
May 2: Flat-out lackluster episode.
May 3: “Arr”. I’m weak after that pirate impression! 🤣

May 6: Finally, a THING(S) win.
May 7: Another subpar game.
May 8: FUDDY DUDDY. I cannot.
May 9: A decent improvement.
May 10: The EXPRESS run was the main highlight.

May 13: Pat’s last compilation week…
May 14: A Triple Tossup sweep could’ve made a difference.
May 15: Honestly, there’s not much to write about this season.
May 16: Oops, someone forgot the “OF“…
May 17: “Thanks For The Memories” in the final compilation week?

May 20: Charles recovered nicely from his G repeat.
May 21: Hooray, a jackpot win!
May 22: It’s unimaginably rare to hear this audience booing.
May 23: Right in the butt!!!
May 24: Happy 8,000th, Wheel! Now the countdown commences. Ten…

May 27: …nine…
May 28: …eight…
May 29: …seven…
May 30: …six…
May 31: …five…

June 3: …four…
June 4: …three…
June 5: …two…
June 6: …one…
June 7: …thank you for everything, Pat.

And that, my friends and fellow admins, is every S41 episode reviewed in 10 words or less. Before we get to the stats, some notes about this season, etc., I would like to talk about my TOP 5 and BOTTOM 5 episodes. Do keep in mind that this is based solely on the episodes’ qualities themselves and not all major wins/losses will be factored into the lists. We’ll begin with…

TOP 5

5. May 21

Blake dominated the second half of this episode with a lucrative EXPRESS run, leading to a well-deserved INFINITI win in the BR after last night’s unclaimed prize. A reminder to Susan: Signaling devices are only for Tossup puzzles!

4. March 20

In a thrilling episode, Melinda‘s early MDW win wasn’t enough to secure victory. Berto‘s PP win, a much-needed cruise, ultimately turned the tide in his favor.

The BR was solvable by me with RSTLNE, a familiar pattern for long-time viewers. Luckily, Berto didn’t need any help and walked away with an impressive $100K! His genuine excitement made the win even more enjoyable.

3. May 24

@jliu23232‘s recap of this milestone episode perfectly captured the excitement, despite a few hiccups. Michael‘s infectious enthusiasm and incredible DJ win made it a truly unforgettable celebration!

2. June 6

In a thrilling episode, Hannah dominated the main game with a strategic EXPRESS run, racking up a significant lead. The excitement continued into the BR, where she landed a whopping $75K win, sending confetti and streamers showering down in what could be one of the final celebrations of the Pat Sajak era. To top it all off, viewers were treated to a delightful surprise – no SKUNKING during Pat’s final week!

1. NOVEMBER 17!!!

Despite a few missed puzzles, this episode delivered redemption with the season’s FIRST $100K WIN! Congratulations to V&T on their incredible victory!

But of course, the show is impossible without its bad moments and there were a handful of episodes that made me want to shut off the TV, but we just have no choice but to accept the fact and move on. Because of this, here we go w/ the section of this post we all dread…

BOTTOM 5

5. April 10

Well, this Wheel of Fortune episode was a rollercoaster. I was shocked that HOLLYWOOD stumped all three contestants in R1, but thankfully Laura quickly figured it out and capitalized on the opportunity. Laura continued her winning streak with another impressive solve in R3… AND THEN THE $100K TOTAL TRAINWRECK HAPPENED (FIRST SINCE KAYAKER FROM S35). It was heartbreaking to see her miss out on a guaranteed win by only $150. Those A’s would have been a lifesaver. 😖

4. January 16

After two lackluster episodes, my hopes for the rest of the week were dwindling. James‘ R1 guess of “HOTEL ROOF” after calling “F” was a head-scratcher. Extravagant hotel roofs? Not likely. And “APPLAUDING” just wasn’t going to work — another Triple Stumper? Seriously? Oh, and Jane, why risk another spin? That LaT was painful to watch. I nailed R5 right away just like Angela did and, thanks to a @jpgenius recap, I knew the BR answer with RSTLNE, but alas, perfection wasn’t meant to be.

3. April 2

This episode was a trainwreck from start to finish. R1 ended prematurely, setting a dismal tone. Things worsened in R2 with Sarah‘s devastating LaT, leading to a lackluster house minimum solve by Willie. With abysmal scores entering the Triple Tossup round (which was equally chaotic), disaster was imminent. Ultimately, Lauren‘s forgetfulness about collective nouns sealed the deal, resulting in a season-low $40K loss. The only silver lining? None of the big money wedges were hit.

2. December 1

The first episode in December was a tough one. Despite two players solving puzzles before the BR, the winner, Kristen, only managed to secure a meager $10,250. With no BR win to boost her total, she not only became the lowest-winning contestant of the season but also TIED THE RECORD-LOW WINNING TOTAL SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TRIPLE TOSS-UP FORMAT.

1. APRIL 26.

This episode takes the crown for WORST OF THE SEASON. It gave that chaotic February 8 episode from last season a run for its money. Kate‘s risky R1 spin cost her dearly, and the following rounds were riddled with penalties, including a T repeat by Ellie on the MDW. Kate‘s surprising comeback win after a throwaway guess in the Speed-Up was short-lived, as her BR bankrupt solidified this episode as a true disaster. She’s the EIGHTH PLAYER TO MISS OUT ON THE $100K GRAND PRIZE. What started as a decent week ended on a sour note.

As a bonus, the Wildest Episode Of The Season award goes to…

…

…

…

…OCTOBER 13. Jack dominated the maingame, securing a massive $14K PP trip and hitting the jackpot with five P’s in the Speed-Up round. His impressive performance earned him the FOURTH-HIGHEST MAIN GAME WINNINGS EVER! Unfortunately, the episode also featured the season’s first TRIPLE STUMPER. In the BR, Jack‘s letter choices matched the correct answer, but he couldn’t solve the puzzle, missing out on a substantial prize. This means we didn’t see a minimum sweep this week, and Keri (Tuesday’s contestant that week) avoided becoming the lowest-scoring winner at the time.

Next, I’d like to go over some notes about this season (apart from the season’s changes):

  • All five BRs are lost on the week of September 11 (part of a seven-day losing streak), which means we had our first INSTANT SKUNKING since S23.
  • Due to Vanna testing positive for COVID-19, Bridgette Donald-Blue (named 2023 Teacher of the Year by the California Teachers Association) filled in for her. This was the first time since 1991 A.D. that Vanna had missed an episode. Jim introduced just Pat, who then introduced Bridgette. The opening chant was done by children. This was the first time since the 2011 A.D. Teen Best Friends week that the normal opening chant was not used (not counting several Halloween episodes where it was lowered in pitch). Due to Vanna’s absence, no sixth episode was taped.
  • On October 17, Nadine Cedro added an S to the last word in the R1 Crossword Puzzle FLY FINGERS BEAN NUT (in the category BUTTER____), but was still accepted. The closed captioning also displayed “nuts”. This did not affect the outcome.
  • For the first time since 2016 A.D., scary sound effects replaced the BR envelope chime during Halloween Week.
  • On October 26, Rhachel Royal-Fortune recited a poem congratulating Pat on his retirement. A clip of this was posted on the show’s social media and included in media articles before the episode aired.
  • During the closing and credits on Halloween, Pat, Vanna, Maggie, and Jim handed out candy to various staff members’ children, including Bellamie Blackstone’s daughter. Maggie wore a Wheel-shaped blanket modified as a skirt.
  • During the $100K win on November 17, the confetti did not fire. This appeared to have been a malfunction; during the closing segment, Pat jokingly wrote a letter of complaint to the “Johnson Confetti Machine Company”.
  • On November 22, when Vanna activated the second Triple Tossup MIAMI BEACH, the second M lit up first instead of the H.
  • On November 30, the NMC beeps did not sound in the Speed-Up.
  • On December 4, the closed captioning wrote all three contestants’ last names as “[indistinct]”.
  • December 7 is only the second known time that two puzzles on the same episode are solved with only one letter showing.
  • During R3 on December 28, Pat does not prompt Michael Merritt to use his WC on TD despite earning it only two turns prior. This affects the outcome, as he later solves the puzzle, loses the card to BANKRUPT in R4, then finishes in second place.
  • In R1, Carla Antonino picks up the WC before calling a letter. Pat instructs her to put it back, after which she calls an incorrect letter. When the card ends up being hit by Tiffiney Lee on the next turn, Pat walks over and readjusts the card before she calls her letter, which is in the puzzle.
  • Pat and Vanna celebrated Maggie’s birthday with a cupcake from Vanna and a $5 bill from Pat.
  • For the first time since 4/17/2009 A.D., an ampersand appears in the BR (BAGELS & DOUGHNUTS).
  • NFL Superfan Tournament Week was the first NFL week played since January 2006 A.D..
  • Not one, but two same-sex couples competed during Sweethearts Week.
  • From March 5-8, four contestants in a row took the WC to the BR, and the first two of those contestants also took the MDW.
  • As an April Fools’ Day prank, Jared Leto walked out with Vanna instead of Pat, and introduced the $1K Tossup.
  • On April 23, the camera cut away too soon during the $1K Tossup, showing a brief shot of Vanna getting in place at the puzzle board before the wipe appears. Vanna was shown on-camera during the contestant interviews, due to Laura Trombino saying that she met Pat and Vanna shooting promos while on her honeymoon. Mikeya Bates‘ microphone shorted out when the R’s were revealed in R2. As a result, there was about a five-minute pause in recording before her microphone was fixed and the reveal of the R’s was re-shot. During the pause, stage manager Jimmy McGuire told Pat “the R’s have been populated” when explaining the situation, and Pat referenced this comment by saying “let’s get the O’s populated there” later in the round. After R2, there was a bumper where a partially-revealed puzzle themed to travel is shown (similar to the Puzzler), with Jim saying via voiceover, “Can you solve this special Holland America Line puzzle?”
  • After Alex Harrell wins the Prize in R2, Pat began to throw to Jim before realizing he has already read the copy, at which point Jim was shown on-camera a second time. A clip of this uploaded to Facebook edited out Pat’s mistake and Jim’s subsequent comment by splicing in the Prize copy afterward.
  • During the closing chat on April 30, Pat and Vanna drank margaritas made with the Margaritaville Portable Frozen Margarita Maker. The segment was re-shot due to Pat getting salt on his lips and tripping over his words on the first take.
  • The audience booed the Bonus Puzzle QUIBBLING after Paul Dodson fails to solve it.
  • On May 23, Tavaris Williams guessed RIGHT IN THE BUTT! on the $1K Tossup THIS IS THE BEST!, a moment which goes viral.
  • On May 28, Brian Davis spun a BANKRUPT during Final Spin.

That’s all I have for now. If anyone has any more notes about this season, please feel free to let me know in the comments.

Portions of the materials used in this segment are trademarks and/or copyrighted works of the Wheel of Fortune History Wiki. This material is not official and is not endorsed by the Wheel of Fortune History Wiki. All rights reserved by the Wheel of Fortune History Wiki.

And now, let’s take a look at the stats:

meta-chart-1

As you can see, approximately 3/8 of the episodes were Mediocre and there were almost twice as many bad episodes as there were good. There were only five episodes under the Amazing rank, two of which contained $100K wins. This season was also almost a carbon copy of the awful S35 and S36.

In spite of this, however, I will say that this was a MEDIOCRE season. I was this close to giving it a BAD (and for a while, that seemed to be the final seasonal rating). The early portion of the season may have been lackluster for the most part and I gave a rating of 0 on the bottom three episodes this season in my humble opinion, but everything near the end of the season (as well as the Pat Sajak era) made for some great television.

SEASONAL RATING: 5.5
SEASONAL GRADE: E

Closing Remarks

In closing, my dear friends and esteemed fellow admins, as we bid adieu to Pat’s final season, let us reflect on the journey we’ve shared and the remarkable evolution of the show. With Alex Van Wagner taking the helm as director, we anticipate exciting new chapters ahead.

Season after season, we’ve witnessed changes, and this one is no exception. From adjustments to the Bonus Wheel to the return of the studio audience, each modification has added a fresh layer to the iconic game show experience. As we embrace these shifts, let us cherish the memories we’ve created together.

I extend heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your unwavering dedication and support. Special thanks to @jliu23232 for his invaluable contributions, stepping in seamlessly during pivotal moments. Your commitment has been the cornerstone of our success.

As we look back on Pat’s illustrious tenure spanning 43 remarkable years, let us honor his legacy with fond memories and deep appreciation. Though he bids farewell as host, his influence will endure as he continues to guide the show in his role as consultant.

As we eagerly anticipate Ryan Seacrest’s stewardship in the upcoming season, let us remain open to the possibilities it holds. What are your reflections on Pat’s final season, and what do you envision for S42? Share your thoughts, for it is through our collective insight that we shape the future of this beloved show.

In closing, I extend warm wishes for an unforgettable summer ahead. Let us embark on this new chapter with optimism, unity, and the enduring spirit of Wheel of Fortune. Again, on behalf of myself, @jliu23232, @jpgenius, @jbeaugard01, and especially @andynwof as the big cheese of this website himself, thank you, Pat, for a legacy that will continue to inspire generations to come.

Ending Song

Scene: A group of friends (Jerry, JP, Justin, Nick, Danny, Antwan, Corey, Malek) and the mascot, Friendship Feed, are gathered at a cliffside, watching the sunset. A television nearby plays the final episode of Pat Sajak hosting Wheel of Fortune.

[Background sound of waves crashing]

Jerry: (Sighs) Man, this isn’t the same without Pat. Wheel of Fortune just won’t be the same.

JP: You’re telling me. Feels like the end of an era.

Nick: (Nods) Definitely. Though hey, gotta give a big welcome to the new guy!

Justin: (Smiling) Thanks, Nick! Happy to be here.

Danny: Speaking of new beginnings, Nick had an interesting idea for next season…

Nick: (Looks at Corey) How about Corey becomes the first-ever female admin?

Corey: (Surprised) Oh wow, Nick! Thanks! I… I don’t know what to say.

Antwan: You deserve it, Corey. Great call, Nick.

Malek: Absolutely!

[Suddenly, Jerry points excitedly]

Jerry: Hey! Guys, look behind you!

(Everyone turns around)

All (except Andy): Andy!

Andy: (Grinning, holding a suitcase) Hey everyone! Back from vacation!

Nick: (Pulls out his guitar) Welcome back, man! Perfect timing. How about we sing our usual ending song, make it extra special for Pat’s last hurrah?

Danny: Great idea!

JP: Sounds good!

Nick: ♫♫ Hey, this was really fun! ♫
Jerry: ♫ We hope you liked it too! ♫
Andy: ♫ Seems like we’ve just begun ♫
Andy, Jerry, and Nick: ♫ When suddenly, we’re through… ♫

Andy: ♫ Goodbye, goodbye, dear Pat Sajak ♫
Andy, Jerry and Nick: ♫ ‘Cause now it’s time to go ♫
Nick: ♫ But hey, I say, well, that’s okay ♫
Jerry: ♫ ‘Cause we’ll see you very soon, I know! ♫
Andy: ♫ Very soon, I know! ♫

JP: ♫ Oh, when Pat Sajak goes away ♫
Justin: ♫ It’s kind of sad, but then ♫
Danny: ♫ So sad, but then ♫
Antwan: ♫ It’s nice to know ♫
Corey: ♫ It won’t be long ♫
Malek: ♫ ‘Til we get to see the new host Ryan! ♫
Friendship Feed: ♫ The new host Ryan! ♫

(key changes from A to C)

All: ♫ Goodbye, goodbye, good friends, goodbye ♫
Andy, Jerry, JP, Justin, and Nick: ♫ Next season will be grand, we pray! ♫
Danny, Antwan, Corey, Malek, and Friendship Feed: (♫ Goodbye, we pray! ♫)

All: ♫ The hosts, the Wheel, and the studio will be waiting for you to come and play! To come and play! To come and play! ♫♫

All (spoken): Bye now!

(I end the song before performing one last quick strum of the C chord and quickly muting my guitar before everybody compliments and applauds each other’s performances.)

And then, Pat Sajak took his final bow… or did he?

WoF Recap: June 6, 2024

JL32310 Comments

EPISODE #8009: 📖THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES📖

Flashback (1991; incorrectly labeled as “1980s”): Pat and Vanna pie each other at the end of a show.

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

P L A _ I N _ / I _
T H _ / _ I G / _ A _ E

Jim could be PLAYING IN THE BIG LAKE if he wins a trip tonight, but that’s incorrect.

P L A _ I N _ / I _
T H _ / _ I G / _ A M E

Hannah and her opposition are PLAYING IN THE BIG GAME…

Hannah Precour: dental assistant instructor at a local technical college married to Lance for 20 years with three sons and has the pleasure of going by Nana Hannah to their two grandchildren (one of them named Abraham is also known as “Babraham”; she has nicknames for everybody); they’ve been organizing free dental clinics for the community so everybody can have a happy and healthy smile from Graham, WA

Kandace George: pharmacy technician at a long-term care pharmacy (they package medications for assisted living facilities, nursing rehabs, and nursing homes) married to Corey with two kids from Garland, TX

Jim Gras: Air Force reservist for 21 years and now retired married to Penny with a son Wesley and “the most spoiled dog in the world” named Shadow from Bradenton, FL

$2K Toss-Up: WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?

_ A R _ _ / H _ T

Jim blanks out.

P A R _ _ / H _ T

Hannah triples up with PARTY HAT.

FEATURED TRIP: Coconut Bay (CARIBBEAN)

Round 1: THINGS

Hannah: $2,100 T trio, 2 E’s, 3 I’s, $550 M, A, LaT
Kandace: $1,400 D pair, 3 O’s (NMV), $1,100 N pair, solve for $2,250…

T I M E – _ O N O _ E D
T _ A D I T I O N _

She knows that this show has been part of our TIME-HONORED TRADITIONS.

Mystery Round: SAME NAME

Kandace: $1,400 S pair, 4 E’s, no D on $650
Jim: 2 R’s for CARIBBEAN worth over $11K, A (NMV), D repeat on $500
Hannah: $500 T, $1,800 P pair, $1,800 N trio, $600 M, $500 B, solve for $5,200…

P E R M A N E N T / &
B E N _ _
P R E S S

She solves PERMANENT & BENCH PRESS.

Hannah: $8,200 | Kandace: $2,250 | Jim: ZILCH

PP/Express Round: FOOD & DRINK

Jim: $500 T, $1,400 R pair, E, MDW’s right side ($1,650 lost)
Hannah: $1K S pair, 2 A’s, $650 H, O, $1,950 M trio, 2 C’s on EXPRESS

Allllllllllllllllllll aboooooooOOOOOOOARD!!

Current Bank: $5,100
Chosen: 3 F’s (she initially wanted to solve early), N, D (NMC), solve for $10,100…

M _ F F _ N S / M A D E
F R O M / S C R A T C H

She might have some MUFFINS MADE FROM SCRATCH on her Overseas Adventure Travel safari in AFRICA worth $12,990.

Hannah: $31,290 cash & safari | Kandace: $2,250 | Jim: BUPKIS

Triple Toss-Up: PLACE

1.

_ _ _ / C _ E _ M
_ _ _ L _ _

All parlors here; Kandace solves ICE CREAM PARLOR.

2.

_ I _ _ A
_ _ _ _ _ R

She also solves PIZZA PARLOR…

3.

_ I _ G O
_ A _ L _ R

…but Jim is scoreless no more with BINGO PARLOR.

Speed-Up: PHRASE

Jim has spun $1,600 per consonant.

Jim: 3 T’s
Hannah: N
Kandace: S
Jim: B
Hannah: 2 R’s
Kandace: H
Jim: buys unhelpful A
NULL CYCLE
Hannah: 4 E’s (NMV)

B E T T E R / T H A N
E _ E R

Hannah’s feeling BETTER THAN EVER after winning another $6,400.

PENALTY BOX DUDS LaTs BANKRUPTS REPEATS
Round 1 Hannah
Mystery Round D (Kandace) D (Jim)
PP/Express Round Jim
Speed-Up (aired) S (Kandace) N/A N/A
5 TOTAL 2 1 1 1

FINAL SCORES
Hannah: $36,090 cash & safari | Kandace: $6,250 | Jim: $2K

GRAND TOTAL: $44,340
BANKRUPT TRASH: $1,650

Unfavorable categories for Hannah…

  • THING
  • PLACE
  • WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

$100K Bonus Round

After we see her aunt Patty and cousin Tiffany, she lands on the ★. Opening setup…

_ _ T T _ N _ / _ _ _ N
_ _ E _ S

GBDO is a pretty good combo even though the G is a waste…

_ O T T _ N G / D O _ N
_ D E _ S

We won’t have a skunking on Pat’s final week because Hannah will be JOTTING DOWN IDEAS on what to do with this amount she just won…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…$75K (the confetti and streamers come down for what is very likely the last time in the Pat Sajak era) for a final total of $111,090 cash & Africa!

I seem to bring good luck to this show with my past few first-run recaps, don’t I?

Vanna closes the show saying she can’t believe that tomorrow is their last show together. She doesn’t know how to put into words what these past 41 years have meant to her, but she’s going to try. 8,000 episodes went by like the snap of her finger. When she first started, she was so green. Pat made her so comfortable and made her so confident and made her who she is. As the years have gone by, they’ve grown up on television, but they’ve also shared so much more behind the scenes. As much fun as they had on camera, those memories, milestones, and life events they shared with their families outside the studio are her favorite. They’ve watched their children go up together, traveled all over the world, eaten hundreds of meals together, laughed, cried, and celebrated. As she gets teary-eyed, she remarks “what an incredible and unforgettable journey we’ve had, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it”. As this chapter of their lives is coming to an end, she knows he’ll still be close by. He’s like a brother to her, and she considers him a true lifelong friend who she will always adore. She then blows a kiss for Pat.

Postgame Chat: Pat has been saving a tissue for Vanna. She almost lost him a day early because when she’s not expecting confetti, it’s very frightening, but he survived that.

MY RATING: 9 (A-)

And then, there was one. @nickskapower will wrap up the season tomorrow.

Penultimate Stats for S41

JL3236 Comments

Thank goodness for Kennedi and Kchristshan from Friday, because the rest of this edition of Fan Favorites wasn’t that great.

And I must say this: 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. 😡

Total for this Week: $231,835
-Maingame: $191,835
-BR Wins: $40K

Total for the Season: $10,404,168
-Maingame: $7,226,434
-BR Wins: $3,177,734

Prize Wedge Wins: 37

MW was Flipped-Declined: 53-22
MW Flip was $10K–BANKRUPT: 17-36
$10K MW was Next to LaT–$650: 23-30
MW Wins: 7

EXPRESS was Played-Passed: 36-9
–Successes: 17
–Crashes: 19 (Wipeouts: 8)

WC Usages: 32
-Maingame: 4 (3 on $3,500, 1 on $550)
-BR: 28

5-Round Games: 20

Triple $10K+ Finishes: 7

Perfect Rounds: 70

Gooseegg Victims: 29

Toss-Up Triple Stumpers: 6

Triple Toss-Up Sweeps: 28 (4 swept every Toss-Up)

Red/Yellow/Blue Winners: 68/68/54

Biggest Margins of Victory

  1. $65,700 (Oct. 13)
  2. $42,630 (Oct. 10)
  3. $37,400 (Oct. 16)

Smallest Margins of Victory

  1. $233 (Jan. 16)
  2. $260 (Dec. 11)
  3. $406 (Apr. 25)

Players who Needed the PP to Win: 62 (39 lost BR)

$0 Prize Puzzle Wins: Week: 1, Season: 32
House Minimum Bumps: Week: 1, Season: 89

Average Maingame Winning Score this Week: $22,535 (-$667)
Average Maingame Winning Score this Season: $23,331 (-$21)

Median Maingame Winning Score this Week: $19,390 (-$2,520)
Median Maingame Winning Score this Season: $22,200 (-$99)

This Week’s BANKRUPT Trash: $7,850
Total BANKRUPT Trash for the Season: $844,687 + 1 trip of unknown value
Biggest Known BANKRUPT: $29,750 (Apr. 26)
Biggest Known BANKRUPT Trash in a Game: $36,250 (Apr. 26)

BANKRUPT Trash-Free Games: 23
BANKRUPT-Free Games: 6
Penalty Spin-Free Games: 5

BANKRUPT Trash by Only One Contestant: 82

Aired BANKRUPT Hits
-Near $650: Week: 5, Season: 163
-Near TD: Week: 4, Season: 175
-Via MDW: Week: 1, Season: 94

Aired LaT Hits: Week: 6, Season: 123

Aired Duds: Week: 24, Season: 1,092
Aired DQs: Week: 6, Season: 130

BANKRUPT Losses
WCs: Week: 2, Season: 38
MDWs: Week: 0, Season: 10
$10K MWs: Week: 0, Season: 3
Prize Wedges: Week: 0, Season: 11
Cash: Week: $7,850, Season: $740,850

Unclaimed
MDWs: Week: 0, Season: 16
$10K MWs: Week: 1, Season: 7
Prize Wedges: Week: 0, Season: 28
Cash: Week: $68,650, Season: $2,553,150

Forfeited WCs: Week: 1, Season: 30
Forfeited MDWs: Week: 1, Season: 8

Top Winning Totals

Contestant (Overall)

  1. $136,386 (Feb. 9)
  2. $126,714 (Nov. 17)
  3. $121,917 (Mar. 20)
  4. $119,500 (Jan. 2, Mar. 27)
  5. $111,160 (May 24)

Contestant (Maingame)

  1. $71,700 (Oct. 13)
  2. $48,480 (Oct. 10)
  3. $46,690 (Mar. 7)
  4. $46,250 (Feb. 8)
  5. $40,794 (Sept. 19)

Episode (Overall)

  1. $151,414 (Nov. 17)
  2. $137,717 (Mar. 20)
  3. $133,398 (Mar. 27)
  4. $131,100 (Jan. 2)
  5. $130,260 (May 24)

Episode (Maingame)

  1. $79,700 (Oct. 13)
  2. $63,950 (Feb. 8)
  3. $63,036 (Nov. 3)
  4. $62,830 (Dec. 25)
  5. $62,799 (Sept. 27)

Bottom Winning Totals

Contestant (Overall)

  1. $10,250 (Dec. 1)
  2. $11,550 (Jan. 29)
  3. $11,900 (Jan. 16)
  4. $12,470 (Apr. 2)
  5. $12,949 (Nov. 24)

Contestant (Maingame)

  1. $10,250 (Dec. 1)
  2. $11,550 (Jan. 29)
  3. $11,649 (May 6)
  4. $11,900 (Jan. 16)
  5. $12,298 (Oct. 18)

Episode (Overall)

  1. $22,620 (Apr. 2)
  2. $24,517 (Dec. 8)
  3. $25,567 (Jan. 16)
  4. $26,290 (Sept. 12)
  5. $26,410 (Nov. 21)

Episode (Maingame)

  1. $21,470 (Oct. 27)
  2. $22,620 (Apr. 2)
  3. $22,800 (Apr. 19)
  4. $23,550 (Nov. 22)
  5. $24,517 (Dec. 8)

Season-High Week: Home for the Holidays ($395,364)
Season-Low Week: European Vacation ($179,526)

MAINGAME PUZZLE STATS

CATEGORYTU1TU2R1R2R3TTUR4+
AROUND THE HOUSE101131399
BEFORE & AFTER——1853———
CHARACTER(S)11114
CROSSWORD——727———
EVENT(S)82148966
FAMILY1
FOOD & DRINK91494292513
FUN & GAMES1311831176
IN THE KITCHEN252141
LANDMARK32131
LIVING THING(S)413117510
MOVIE QUOTE1211
MOVIE TITLE1111
OCCUPATION(S)1151538
ON THE MAP18202269
PERSON/PEOPLE11161192816
PHRASE221320932940
PLACE(S)231514831315
PROPER NAME29111
QUOTATION 1
RHYME TIME565148
SAME LETTER——37————
SAME NAME——432———
SHOW BIZ4732823
SONG/ARTIST1
SONG LYRICS11351
SONG TITLE11
THING(S)2616125204622
TITLE4131
TV TITLE1
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?1541518322125
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?562638

FINAL SPIN STATS

Occurrence
Start of Round 4: 134
Middle of Round 4: 36
Start of Round 5+: 15
Middle of Round 5+: 5

Spun by Red/Yellow/Blue: 58/62/70

Final Spin Amounts
$1,500: 58
$1,550: 9
$1,600: 25
$1,650: 22
$1,700: 27
$1,800: 10
$1,850: 7
$1,900: 20
$6K: 12

Final Spins Edited Out: 13 (1 was left in)

BONUS ROUND STATS

BR Win Record: 67-123 (.353)

PBRWs: 0
4-1 Weeks: 1
3-2 Weeks: 9
2-3 Weeks: 12
1-4 Weeks: 12
SKUNKINGS: 4 (TOTAL TAPING DAY WASHOUTS: 2)

MDBRs: 11

Letter Combo Wipeouts: 9 (TOTAL TRAINWRECKS: 1)

Perfect Letter Combos: 4

BR Categories
Top/Middle/Bottom Chosen: 64/48/78

AROUND THE HOUSE: 1/1; 1-0
EVENT(S): 8/21; 3-5
FOOD & DRINK: 16/20; 6-10
FUN & GAMES: 2/3; 1-1
IN THE KITCHEN: 1/2; 0-1
LIVING THING(S): 5/15; 1-4
ON THE MAP:
PERSON/PEOPLE: 10/48; 3-7
PHRASE: 77/168; 30-47
PLACE(S): 15/45; 5-10
THING(S): 12/190; 1-11
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?: 40/54; 15-25
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?: 3/3; 1-2

Dreaded Category Trio Encounters: Week: 1, Season: 47
THING-Free Category Choices:

BR Prizes
CAR: 22/54 (2 car sweeps)
$40K: 34/101 (6 minimum sweeps)
$50K: 5/17
$75K: 2/5
$100K (or $1M): 4/13

Car Wins

  • 1 Lincoln Corsair Standard
  • 2 Nissan LEAF SV Pluses
  • 2 Nissan Pathfinder SLs
  • 3 MINI Cooper SEs
  • 1 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend
  • 1 BMW X1 xDrive28i
  • 2 Ford Mustang MACH-E Selects
  • 2 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Premium Convertibles
  • 1 Volkswagen Atlas 3.6L V6 SE
  • 1 maZDa CX-50 2.5 S Select
  • 1 Chevrolet Equinox RS
  • 1 Ford Edge SEL
  • 1 Nissan Murano SV
  • 1 BMW X2 M35i
  • 2 Infiniti QX50s

MDBR Result
Landed on $1M:
1 Space Away:
2-3 Spaces Away: 2
4-5 Spaces Away: 2
6 Spaces Away: 2
7-8 Spaces Away: 1
9-11 Spaces Away: 4
12 Spaces Away:

BR Wins Despite Losing WC to BANKRUPT: 6
BR Losses Despite Having WC: 15
Non-$100K Wins After Losing MDW to BANKRUPT: 1

Toughest BR Puzzle this Week: IT WAS OUT OF VIEW
Easiest BR Puzzle this Week: GOING PLACES

Fan Favorite of the Week: Kennedi Williams & Dr. Kchristshan Howard

WEEKLY RATING: 5 (D)

Pat’s last-ever week as host is appropriately titled “Thanks for the Memories”. And all four of us will be getting some recap action: @jpgenius on Monday and Tuesday, @jbeaugard01 on Wednesday, me on Thursday, and @nickskapower wraps up the season.

WoF Recap: May 24, 2024 — 🎉EPISODE #8000!🎉

JL32310 Comments

Hopefully this 8,000th episode milestone will turn out good. 🤞🏻

EPISODE #8000: 💰BIG MONEY💰

$1K Toss-Up: EVENT

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

Yes, Sarah– 8,000 episodes is A HUGE MILESTONE for this show. Last contestants this week…

Sarah McCabe: former English teacher who raises pigs and cattle and just got chickens last week and donates onesies every year married to farmer (not “former”) husband Kevin with a 2 1/2-year-old son named Colton (he was born two months early) from Mankato, MN

Michael Bystrzycki: master electrician (he works with standby generators, electrical paneling, wires, and transformers) who likes mani-pedis from Drummons, TN

Lillian Devane: Jersey girl and word nerd (she has a word app on her phone and she says the word for the day is “grateful”) from Atlantic City by way of Wildwood, NJ

$2K Toss-Up: SONG TITLE

E _ _ _ T / _ A Y S
A / _ E E K

Michael IDs “EIGHT DAYS A WEEK” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Crossword Round: FIRE ______

Michael: $1,400 R pair, 2 E’s, $1,400 T pair, 3 O’s, BANKRUPT near $2,500 ($2,300 lost) (he originally thought of solving at this point)
Lillian: other BANKRUPT
Sarah: MDW’s left side
Michael: D for DJ near $700, solve for $1K & DJ…

_OR__
O_
O_
DE__RT_E_T

WORKS, DEPARTMENT, WOOD, and PIT are the things associated with “fire” to secure the special golden wedge.

Mystery Round: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Lillian: $600 G, 3 N’s for other DJ, 3 I’s, 5 A’s (NMV), 3 C’s on MW near $650, passes, solve for $6,100 & DJ…

_ I C _ I N G / _ A C _
I N / A / C A _ A N A

She’s got a golden wedge of her own and someone who solves the next puzzle would be KICKING BACK IN A CABANA- PR.

Sarah: $1K $ Michael: $3K DJ $ Lillian: $6,100 DJ

Fan Friday Word of the Week: SUSHI (enter for your chance to win a Collette trip to Japan)

PP/Express Round: PHRASE

Sarah: 3 T’s for WC, $1,400 N pair, no S on $850
Michael: $500 R, 2 I’s, O, $700 H, 5 E’s, A (NMV), 2 L’s for $10K, solve for $10,200…

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

LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN– in addition to all that cash, he’ll be getting a mani-pedi on his trip to the Avila Beach Hotel in CURAÇAO worth $8,710!

Sarah: $1K WC $ Michael: $21,910 cash & Curaçao DJ $ Lillian: $6,100 DJ

Triple Toss-Up: FOOD & DRINK

1.

T _ P / _ A _ E R

Lillian drinks a glass of TAP WATER.

2.

_ _ _ _ _ G
_ _ _ _ _

She nails SPRING WATER…

3.

C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ E

…but she blows the Toss-Up sweep with CRANBERRY JUICE.

C H _ M P A _ _ E

Sarah pops open a bottle of CHAMPAGNE.

Round 4: THING

She lands on the $8K wedge right away… but says an unfortunate dud of T- darn. Michael then completes the $1,500 Final Spin sweep.

Michael: S
Lillian: T repeat
Sarah: N
Michael: R
Lillian: 2 M’s
Sarah: P
Michael: B
Lillian: 2 Y’s

M Y / _ _ _ _ Y
N _ M B _ R

Though I don’t have MY LUCKY NUMBER, Lillian solves for $6K.

PENALTY BOX DUDS BANKRUPTS REPEATS
Round 1   3 (everybody)  
Mystery Round PERFECT ROUND    
PP/Express Round S (Sarah)    
Round 4/Speed-Up T, P (Sarah), S (Michael)   T (Lillian)
8 TOTAL 4 3 1

FINAL SCORES
Sarah: $3K WC $ Michael: $21,910 cash & Curaçao DJ $ Lillian: $16,100 DJ

We get a shot of one of Michael’s shoes which is pink and sparkly. And wouldn’t you know it — we were this close to an all-male sweep again just like the previous milestone week.

FINAL JACKPOT AMOUNT: $21,250

GRAND TOTAL: $41,010
BANKRUPT TRASH (Michael): $2,300

I don’t think we’ll have a Double Jackpot win because Michael’s unfortunately stuck with THAT list again…

  • PHRASE
  • WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
  • THING

$100K Bonus Round

After we see his “pops”, he lands on WIN. Opening setup…

_ _ _ _ E _ / _ _ R
_ _ S _ T _ _ N

CDMO gives him…

_ O C _ E _ / _ O R
_ O S _ T _ _ N

He will JOCKEY FOR POSITION on winning the $42,500 Jackpot plus…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…the Infiniti QX50 for a final total of $111,160 cash & prizes! Furthermore, we have our SECOND CAR SWEEP THIS SEASON!!! WTG, sir!

Postgame Chat: As we see a cake on stage to commemorate 8,000 episodes, Pat states that they’ve done the daytime version of this show before so he’s done almost 10,000 shows. Vanna has stayed a couple extra years in daytime so she’s done over 10,000. The show was on for seven years before he started; it has been on for over 12,000 episodes, which is crazy. Pat then thanks us for allowing that to happen.

MY RATING: 10! (A+) (despite a few bumps)

And now, w/ 8,000 episodes complete, we shall celebrate this magnificent milestone w/ a celebratory song.

“We Didn’t Spin The Wheel” (To the tune of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire”, written by @nickskapower)

Play this if you want to sing along: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNtmT5n4jwE

(VERSE 1: @andynwof)

Colored wedges, dollar amounts, bankrupt wedges, lose a turns
Free play, wild card, half car plates, million dollar wedges
Mystery wedge flips, express runs, prize wedges, jackpots
Gift tags, puzzle board, categories, used letter board

(VERSE 2: @dannymargulis)

Before and after, phrase, thing, place, what are you doing
Person, event, food and drink, fictional character
Living thing, rhyme time, same name, song lyrics
Title, proper name, crosswords, triple tossup puzzles

(CHORUS: ALL)

We didn’t spin the wheel
It was always turning with contestants earning
We didn’t spin the wheel
Contestants were spinning and solving and winning

(VERSE 3: @jliu23232)

Megawords, clues, prize puzzles, spinning the wheel
Consonants, vowels, solving the puzzle
Tossup rounds, bonus rounds, final Spins, prize puzzle trips
Jackpot rules, prize envelopes, RSTLNE

Changing values, bonus wheel, puzzle board backdrop
Podiums for the contestants and our joyous host
Audience seating, colorful lighting
Video screens, prize display, Changing keys the theme song

(CHORUS: ALL)

We didn’t spin the wheel
It was always turning with contestants earning
We didn’t spin the wheel
Contestants were spinning and solving and winning

(VERSE 4: @jpgenius)

Letters dinging, wheels spinning, bankrupt’s dreaded slide whistle
Applause, cheers, think music, and Pat Sajak the host
Vanna White the co-host, Jim Thornton the announcer
Contestants, audience members, million dollar wins

Funny guesses, bankrupt streaks, celebrity appearances
Record-breaking jackpots and touching contestant stories
Bloopers, outtakes, puzzle writers, puzzle board operators
Production crew and prize coordinators

(CHORUS: ALL)

We didn’t spin the wheel
It was always turning with contestants earning
We didn’t spin the wheel
Contestants were spinning and solving and winning

(VERSE 5: @jbeaugard01)

Audition processes, wheel maintenance
Mystery prizes, various cars, luxury trips, cash prizes
Wheel-based board games, video games, and slot machines
Apparel, merchandise, and wheel configurations
Double play, free spin, money values increasing
Special theme weeks, Disney weeks, secret Santa sweepstakes

(CHORUS: ALL)

We didn’t spin the wheel
It was always turning with contestants earning
We didn’t spin the wheel
Contestants were spinning and solving and winning

(VERSE 6: @nickskapower)

Landmark, occupation, fun and games, around the house
Slang, movie title, TV show title, book title
Hard puzzles, impressive solves, mispronunciations
Unusual categories, Hilarious reactions

Emotional wins, Pat and Vanna’s banter with contestants
Friends and family in the audience, college week, and teen week
Family week and celebrity wheel of fortune
Wheel watchers club events, and plenty of giveaways

(CHORUS: ALL)

We didn’t spin the wheel
It was always turning with contestants earning
We didn’t spin the wheel
Contestants were spinning and solving and winning

(OUTRO: ALL (SPOKEN))

HAPPY 8,000TH EPISODE, WHEEL OF FORTUNE!

S41 Week 36 Stats

JL3235 Comments

Although most of the maingames were average, we managed to get another winning BR week.

Total for this Week: $297,349
-Maingame: $162,099
-BR Wins: $135,250

Total for the Season: $9,823,025
-Maingame: $6,844,041
-BR Wins: $2,978,984

Prize Wedge Wins: 34

MW was Flipped-Declined: 51-18
MW Flip was $10K–BANKRUPT: 16-35
$10K MW was Next to LaT–$650: 22-29
MW Wins: 7

EXPRESS was Played-Passed: 33-9
–Successes: 15
–Crashes: 18 (Wipeouts: 8)

WC Usages: 30
-Maingame: 4 (3 on $3,500, 1 on $550)
-BR: 26

5-Round Games: 20

Triple $10K+ Finishes: 7

Perfect Rounds: 66

Gooseegg Victims: 29

Toss-Up Triple Stumpers: 5

Triple Toss-Up Sweeps: 27 (4 swept every Toss-Up)

Red/Yellow/Blue Winners: 65/63/52

Biggest Margins of Victory

  1. $65,700 (Oct. 13)
  2. $42,630 (Oct. 10)
  3. $37,400 (Oct. 16)

Smallest Margins of Victory

  1. $233 (Jan. 16)
  2. $260 (Dec. 11)
  3. $406 (Apr. 25)

Players who Needed the PP to Win: 56 (34 lost BR)

$0 Prize Puzzle Wins: Week: 1, Season, 30
House Minimum Bumps: Week: 3, Season: 87

Average Maingame Winning Score this Week: $19,470 (-$299)
Average Maingame Winning Score this Season: $23,357 (-$110)

Median Maingame Winning Score this Week: $19K (+$551)
Median Maingame Winning Score this Season: $22,318 (-$32)

This Week’s BANKRUPT Trash: $15,800
Total BANKRUPT Trash for the Season: $822,187 + 1 trip of unknown value
Biggest Known BANKRUPT: $29,750 (Apr. 26)
Biggest Known BANKRUPT Trash in a Game: $36,250 (Apr. 26)

BANKRUPT Trash-Free Games: 21
BANKRUPT-Free Games: 6
Penalty Spin-Free Games: 4

BANKRUPT Trash by Only One Contestant: 78

Aired BANKRUPT Hits
-Near $650: Week: 4, Season: 153
-Near TD: Week: 7, Season: 167
-Via MDW: Week: 3, Season: 89

Aired LaT Hits: Week: 4, Season: 117

Aired Duds: Week: 27, Season: 1,043
Aired DQs: Week: 5, Season: 122

BANKRUPT Losses
WCs: Week: 1, Season: 35
MDWs: Week: 1, Season: 10
$10K MWs: Week: 0, Season: 3
Prize Wedges: Week: 0, Season: 10
Cash: Week: $15,800, Season: $718,350

Unclaimed
MDWs: Week: 0, Season: 16
$10K MWs: Week: 0, Season: 6
Prize Wedges: Week: 1, Season: 26
Cash: Week: $50,500, Season: $2,422,900

Forfeited WCs: Week: 1, Season: 26
Forfeited MDWs: Week: 0, Season: 7

Top Winning Totals

Contestant (Overall)

  1. $136,386 (Feb. 9)
  2. $126,714 (Nov. 17)
  3. $121,917 (Mar. 20)
  4. $119,500 (Jan. 2, Mar. 27)
  5. $97,400 (Mar. 21)

Contestant (Maingame)

  1. $71,700 (Oct. 13)
  2. $48,480 (Oct. 10)
  3. $46,690 (Mar. 7)
  4. $46,250 (Feb. 8)
  5. $40,794 (Sept. 19)

Episode (Overall)

  1. $151,414 (Nov. 17)
  2. $137,717 (Mar. 20)
  3. $133,398 (Mar. 27)
  4. $131,100 (Jan. 2)
  5. $116,389 (Mar. 21)

Episode (Maingame)

  1. $79,700 (Oct. 13)
  2. $63,950 (Feb. 8)
  3. $63,036 (Nov. 3)
  4. $62,830 (Dec. 25)
  5. $62,799 (Sept. 27)

Bottom Winning Totals

Contestant (Overall)

  1. $10,250 (Dec. 1)
  2. $11,550 (Jan. 29)
  3. $11,900 (Jan. 16)
  4. $12,470 (Apr. 2)
  5. $12,949 (Nov. 24)

Contestant (Maingame)

  1. $10,250 (Dec. 1)
  2. $11,550 (Jan. 29)
  3. $11,649 (May 6)
  4. $11,900 (Jan. 16)
  5. $12,298 (Oct. 18)

Episode (Overall)

  1. $22,620 (Apr. 2)
  2. $24,517 (Dec. 8)
  3. $25,567 (Jan. 16)
  4. $26,290 (Sept. 12)
  5. $26,410 (Nov. 21)

Episode (Maingame)

  1. $21,470 (Oct. 27)
  2. $22,620 (Apr. 2)
  3. $22,800 (Apr. 19)
  4. $23,550 (Nov. 22)
  5. $24,517 (Dec. 8)

Season-High Week: Home for the Holidays ($395,364)
Season-Low Week: European Vacation ($179,526)

MAINGAME PUZZLE STATS

CATEGORYTU1TU2R1R2R3TTUR4+
AROUND THE HOUSE101021399
BEFORE & AFTER——1849———
CHARACTER(S)11114
CROSSWORD——626———
EVENT(S)72147855
FAMILY1
FOOD & DRINK91294272212
FUN & GAMES1311831076
IN THE KITCHEN252141
LANDMARK32131
LIVING THING(S)410117410
MOVIE QUOTE1211
MOVIE TITLE1111
OCCUPATION(S)1141337
ON THE MAP18202168
PERSON/PEOPLE1116192716
PHRASE181318931740
PLACE(S)231412831115
PROPER NAME28111
QUOTATION 1
RHYME TIME465138
SAME LETTER——35————
SAME NAME——430———
SHOW BIZ4722723
SONG/ARTIST1
SONG LYRICS11351
SONG TITLE1
THING(S)2416125194617
TITLE4131
TV TITLE1
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?1341517322124
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?562638

FINAL SPIN STATS

Occurrence
Start of Round 4: 126
Middle of Round 4: 34
Start of Round 5+: 15
Middle of Round 5+: 5

Spun by Red/Yellow/Blue: 53/57/70

Final Spin Amounts
$1,500: 52
$1,550: 9
$1,600: 25
$1,650: 22
$1,700: 25
$1,800: 9
$1,850: 7
$1,900: 19
$6K: 12

Final Spins Edited Out: 13

BONUS ROUND STATS

BR Win Record: 64-116 (.356)

PBRWs: 0
4-1 Weeks: 1
3-2 Weeks: 9
2-3 Weeks: 11
1-4 Weeks: 11
SKUNKINGS: 4 (TOTAL TAPING DAY WASHOUTS: 2)

MDBRs: 10

Letter Combo Wipeouts: 8 (TOTAL TRAINWRECKS: 1)

Perfect Letter Combos: 4

BR Categories
Top/Middle/Bottom Chosen: 60/46/74

AROUND THE HOUSE: 1/1; 1-0
EVENT(S): 7/19; 3-4
FOOD & DRINK: 15/19; 6-9
FUN & GAMES: 2/3; 1-1
IN THE KITCHEN: 1/2; 0-1
LIVING THING(S): 5/13; 1-4
ON THE MAP:
PERSON/PEOPLE: 10/46; 3-7
PHRASE: 73/162; 28-45
PLACE(S): 14/42; 5-9
THING(S): 12/180; 1-11
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?: 37/50; 14-23
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?: 3/3; 1-2

Dreaded Category Trio Encounters: Week: 1, Season: 44
THING-Free Category Choices:

BR Prizes
CAR: 20/49 (1 car sweep)
$40K: 33/97 (6 minimum sweeps)
$50K: 5/17
$75K: 2/5
$100K (or $1M): 4/12

Car Wins

  • 1 Lincoln Corsair Standard
  • 2 Nissan LEAF SV Pluses
  • 2 Nissan Pathfinder SLs
  • 3 MINI Cooper SEs
  • 1 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend
  • 1 BMW X1 xDrive28i
  • 2 Ford Mustang MACH-E Selects
  • 2 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Premium Convertibles
  • 1 Volkswagen Atlas 3.6L V6 SE
  • 1 maZDa CX-50 2.5 S Select
  • 1 Chevrolet Equinox RS
  • 1 Ford Edge SEL
  • 1 Nissan Murano SV
  • 1 BMW X2 M35i

MDBR Result
Landed on $1M:
1 Space Away:
2-3 Spaces Away: 2
4-5 Spaces Away: 1
6 Spaces Away: 2
7-8 Spaces Away: 1
9-11 Spaces Away: 4
12 Spaces Away:

BR Wins Despite Losing WC to BANKRUPT: 6
BR Losses Despite Having WC: 14
Non-$100K Wins After Losing MDW to BANKRUPT: 1

Toughest BR Puzzle this Week: YOU BE THE JUDGE (because of some uncommon letters)
Easiest BR Puzzle this Week: GOOD ENOUGH (just the O’s would give you a good shot at it) 

Player of the Week: Caroline Cannan

WEEKLY RATING: 6 (D+)

Next week, in honor of 8,000 episodes, we’re doing Big Money Week featuring a special Jackpot wedge, a golden $8K wedge, and other exciting elements (@nickskapower covers that week in its entirety).

S41 Week 34 Stats

JL3237 Comments

It’s nice that we got ourselves a winning BR week, but the maingames could’ve been better.

Total for this Week: $284,764
-Maingame: $163,344
-BR Wins: $121,420

Total for the Season: $9,316,281
-Maingame: $6,512,547
-BR Wins: $2,803,734

Prize Wedge Wins: 33

MW was Flipped-Declined: 47-18
MW Flip was $10K–BANKRUPT: 16-31
$10K MW was Next to LaT–$650: 20-27
MW Wins: 7

EXPRESS was Played-Passed: 31-9
–Successes: 13
–Crashes: 18 (Wipeouts: 8)

WC Usages: 28
-Maingame: 4 (3 on $3,500, 1 on $550)
-BR: 24

5-Round Games: 20

Triple $10K+ Finishes: 7

Perfect Rounds: 65

Gooseegg Victims: 27

Toss-Up Triple Stumpers: 5

Triple Toss-Up Sweeps: 26 (4 swept every Toss-Up)

Red/Yellow/Blue Winners: 62/61/47

Biggest Margins of Victory

  1. $65,700 (Oct. 13)
  2. $42,630 (Oct. 10)
  3. $37,400 (Oct. 16)

Smallest Margins of Victory

  1. $233 (Jan. 16)
  2. $260 (Dec. 11)
  3. $406 (Apr. 25)

Players who Needed the PP to Win: 53 (33 lost BR)

$0 Prize Puzzle Wins: Week: 1, Season, 29
House Minimum Bumps: Week: 2, Season: 77

Average Maingame Winning Score this Week: $18,706 (-$3,973)
Average Maingame Winning Score this Season: $23,577 (-$147)

Median Maingame Winning Score this Week: $20,900 (+$4,300)
Median Maingame Winning Score this Season: $22,375 (-$75)

This Week’s BANKRUPT Trash: $20,039
Total BANKRUPT Trash for the Season: $796,337 + 1 trip of unknown value
Biggest Known BANKRUPT: $29,750 (Apr. 26)
Biggest Known BANKRUPT Trash in a Game: $36,250 (Apr. 26)

BANKRUPT Trash-Free Games: 20
BANKRUPT-Free Games: 5
Penalty Spin-Free Games: 4

BANKRUPT Trash by Only One Contestant: 75

Aired BANKRUPT Hits
-Near $650: Week: 3, Season: 142
-Near TD: Week: 2, Season: 158
-Via MDW: Week: 2, Season: 85

Aired LaT Hits: Week: 2, Season: 111

Aired Duds: Week: 29, Season: 984
Aired DQs: Week: 4, Season: 112

BANKRUPT Losses
WCs: Week: 2, Season: 33
MDWs: Week: 0, Season: 9
$10K MWs: Week: 0, Season: 3
Prize Wedges: Week: 1, Season: 10
Cash: Week: $12,200, Season: $692,500

Unclaimed
MDWs: Week: 0, Season: 15
$10K MWs: Week: 1, Season: 6
Prize Wedges: Week: 0, Season: 23
Cash: Week: $86,900, Season: $2,298,150

Forfeited WCs: Week: 0, Season: 23
Forfeited MDWs: Week: 1, Season: 7

Top Winning Totals

Contestant (Overall)

  1. $136,386 (Feb. 9)
  2. $126,714 (Nov. 17)
  3. $121,917 (Mar. 20)
  4. $119,500 (Jan. 2, Mar. 27)
  5. $97,400 (Mar. 21)

Contestant (Maingame)

  1. $71,700 (Oct. 13)
  2. $48,480 (Oct. 10)
  3. $46,690 (Mar. 7)
  4. $46,250 (Feb. 8)
  5. $40,794 (Sept. 19)

Episode (Overall)

  1. $151,414 (Nov. 17)
  2. $137,717 (Mar. 20)
  3. $133,398 (Mar. 27)
  4. $131,100 (Jan. 2)
  5. $116,389 (Mar. 21)

Episode (Maingame)

  1. $79,700 (Oct. 13)
  2. $63,950 (Feb. 8)
  3. $63,036 (Nov. 3)
  4. $62,830 (Dec. 25)
  5. $62,799 (Sept. 27)

Bottom Winning Totals

Contestant (Overall)

  1. $10,250 (Dec. 1)
  2. $11,550 (Jan. 29)
  3. $11,900 (Jan. 16)
  4. $12,470 (Apr. 2)
  5. $12,949 (Nov. 24)

Contestant (Maingame)

  1. $10,250 (Dec. 1)
  2. $11,550 (Jan. 29)
  3. $11,900 (Jan. 16)
  4. $12,298 (Oct. 18)
  5. $12,470 (Apr. 2)

Episode (Overall)

  1. $22,620 (Apr. 2)
  2. $24,517 (Dec. 8)
  3. $25,567 (Jan. 16)
  4. $26,290 (Sept. 12)
  5. $26,410 (Nov. 21)

Episode (Maingame)

  1. $21,470 (Oct. 27)
  2. $22,620 (Apr. 2)
  3. $22,800 (Apr. 19)
  4. $23,550 (Nov. 22)
  5. $24,517 (Dec. 8)

Season-High Week: Home for the Holidays ($395,364)
Season-Low Week: European Vacation ($179,526)

MAINGAME PUZZLE STATS

CATEGORYTU1TU2R1R2R3TTUR4+
AROUND THE HOUSE101021399
BEFORE & AFTER——1647———
CHARACTER(S)11114
CROSSWORD——625———
EVENT(S)62137855
FAMILY1
FOOD & DRINK81194272212
FUN & GAMES1310831076
IN THE KITCHEN252141
LANDMARK31131
LIVING THING(S)4101648
MOVIE QUOTE1211
MOVIE TITLE1111
OCCUPATION 1121336
ON THE MAP18192168
PERSON/PEOPLE1016192415
PHRASE181318826740
PLACE(S)231311831114
PROPER NAME28111
QUOTATION 1
RHYME TIME365138
SAME LETTER——34————
SAME NAME——429———
SHOW BIZ2722713
SONG/ARTIST1
SONG LYRICS11341
THING(S)2215123194317
TITLE4131
TV TITLE1
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?1341317312022
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?562637

FINAL SPIN STATS

Occurrence
Start of Round 4: 118
Middle of Round 4: 32
Start of Round 5+: 15
Middle of Round 5+: 5

Spun by Red/Yellow/Blue: 51/53/66

Final Spin Amounts
$1,500: 48
$1,550: 9
$1,600: 23
$1,650: 22
$1,700: 24
$1,800: 9
$1,850: 5
$1,900: 18
$6K: 12

Final Spins Edited Out: 12

BONUS ROUND STATS

BR Win Record: 60-110 (.353)

PBRWs: 0
4-1 Weeks: 1
3-2 Weeks: 8
2-3 Weeks: 11
1-4 Weeks: 10
SKUNKINGS: 4 (TOTAL TAPING DAY WASHOUTS: 2)

MDBRs: 9

Letter Combo Wipeouts: 8 (TOTAL TRAINWRECKS: 1)

Perfect Letter Combos: 4

BR Categories
Top/Middle/Bottom Chosen: 56/43/71

AROUND THE HOUSE: 1/1; 1-0
EVENT(S): 7/18; 3-4
FOOD & DRINK: 14/17; 6-8
FUN & GAMES: 2/3; 1-1
IN THE KITCHEN: 1/2; 0-1
LIVING THING(S): 5/11; 1-4
ON THE MAP:
PERSON/PEOPLE: 9/42; 3-6
PHRASE: 70/157; 27-43
PLACE(S): 14/39; 5-9
THING(S): 10/170; 0-10
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?: 34/47; 12-22
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?: 3/3; 1-2

Dreaded Category Trio Encounters: Week: 1, Season: 42
THING-Free Category Choices:

BR Prizes
CAR: 18/46 (1 car sweep)
$40K: 31/90 (5 minimum sweeps)
$50K: 5/17
$75K: 2/5
$100K (or $1M): 4/12

Car Wins

  • 1 Lincoln Corsair Standard
  • 2 Nissan LEAF SV Pluses
  • 2 Nissan Pathfinder SLs
  • 3 MINI Cooper SEs
  • 1 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend
  • 1 BMW X1 xDrive28i
  • 2 Ford Mustang MACH-E Selects
  • 2 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Premium Convertibles
  • 1 Volkswagen Atlas 3.6L V6 SE
  • 1 maZDa CX-50 2.5 S Select
  • 1 Chevrolet Equinox RS
  • 1 Ford Edge SEL

MDBR Result
Landed on $1M:
1 Space Away:
2-3 Spaces Away: 2
4-5 Spaces Away: 1
6 Spaces Away: 2
7-8 Spaces Away: 1
9-11 Spaces Away: 3
12 Spaces Away:

BR Wins Despite Losing WC to BANKRUPT: 5
BR Losses Despite Having WC: 12
Non-$100K Wins After Losing MDW to BANKRUPT: 1

Toughest BR Puzzle this Week: EMBARKING ON A NEW CHAPTER (due to its long length, but nice job by Greg for solving it)
Easiest BR Puzzle this Week: OUT OF SIGHT (this would’ve been easily solvable had Charlene picked O as her vowel)

Player of the Week: Greg Moss

WEEKLY RATING: 6 (D+)

Next week, we go on some Grand Getaways (@nickskapower will be doing all of that week). Hopefully we do better over last season’s disappointment.