WoF: As we wrap up this year's Big Money Week, $201,485 in cash & prizes have been won this week, but it could've been $331K+ by now.
$1K T-U: Occupation
B _ N K
M _ N A G E R
Taylor gets a C-note from a BANK MANAGER before we talk to him & his opponents:
Taylor Shank (Martinsville, VA)- An American Studies major at the University of Virginia
Dave Smith (Branchport, NY)- A married brewer w/ a two-year-old daughter named Riannan
Dianna Lahmann (Olympia, WA)- A Washington State Department of Health worker & administrative assistant (who suggests washing your hands while singing "Happy Birthday" twice)
$2K T-U: Around the House
P E R _ I _ N
R _ _
This was a popular prize on "Press Your Luck" & Taylor solves it as PERSIAN RUG.
Friday's Prize Wedge: InterContinental New York Barclay w/ a day of pampering from Metamorphosis Day Spa & Hotwire.com travel ($6,415)
Eggland's Best Jackpot Round: Phrase
After we get a shot of Jimmy in his booth for the first time since becoming the new full-time announcer, Taylor starts off the game w/ two $300 T's but then buys the sole dud vowel on the board (E) right afterwards. Second, Dave Loses a Turn. Third, Dianna calls two L's for $900, buys the I but then gets beeped for repeating the E. Taylor next calls a $450 N, buys quadruple A's but then bobbles the I. On Dave's second opportunity, he Free Plays two O's, calls a $400 D but then Bankrupts next to the $2.5K space to lose the four bills. Dianna follows that by taking three S's for $1.5K more & buys the final vowel of two U's before getting into trouble w/ the other normal Bankrupt along w/ Taylor, costing them a combined total of $1,950. After Dave picks up the Omaha Steaks gift tag w/ three Y's, he loses that to the Million Dollar Wedge's left Bankrupt. Dianna next puts in a $300 B & M and five C's for five times $600...
Y O U / S C _ A T C _
M Y / B A C _ / A N D
I ' L L / S C _ A T C _
Y O U _ S
...& mercifully says "YOU SCRATCH MY BACK AND I'LL SCRATCH YOURS" for a $600 lead.
SOLE DUD: E (Taylor)
SOLE LaT: Dave
BANKRUPTS: 4 (two by Dave)
DQs: 2 (Dianna's E repetition, Taylor's I duplication)
FINAL UNCLAIMED JACKPOT OF THE WEEK: $8,800
Current Scores:
Dianna: $3,600/Taylor: $3K/Dave: $0
Mystery Round: Show Biz (w/ a colon at the end of the next-to-last word; I think I got this puzzle without any letters because of that)
Hoping for better luck starting in at least this round, Dave first gets two T's while on the Mystery Wedge in between FP & LaT & buys the flip for $2K...he has the 10 G's! But he then loses control w/ an H call. Dianna secondly finds seven S's for 21 pictures of Franklin, two H's for an added $1,600 & decides to buzz in...
T _ _ / _ R _ _ S _
S T _ R S / _ _
_ _ S S _ _ _ :
_ _ _ _ S S _ _ _ _
...she knows that TOM CRUISE STARS IN "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE" to add $3,700 to her first-place haul & keep command of that wheel.
SOLE DUD: $300 H (Dave)
Current Scores:
Dianna: $7,300/Taylor: $3K/Dave: NO LUCK
Prize Puzzle Round: Show Biz
She starts this time w/ the same MDW Bankrupt from earlier, her second of this match. Taylor secondly Bankrupts on its other side, so everybody's got a pair of them to their credit. Third for Dave are trip R's for $1,800, an A but then S for sorry. Fourth, Dianna has the same fate w/ T. Next, Taylor claims the green 1/2 KIA w/ a $1.5K set of N's, then come four E's, an I, two $300 G's & the other two vowels as singletons. But he then screams like I sometimes do back at home (LOL!) because he's repeated a letter for the second time this night w/ the R (& Pat consoles him and tells him to man up like Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions The Briscoes). After Dave's second LaT landing, Dianna calls the $1,050 worth of three C's...
_ O R E I G N
C U R R E N C _
E _ C _ A N G E
...& she may need to refer to the FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE for that amount, because she's also going on a trip to the Bavaro Palace Deluxe worth $6,360.
DUDS: $800 S (Dave), $450 T (Dianna)
SOLE LaT: Dave
BANKRUPTS: 2 (Dianna & Taylor)
SOLE DQ: Taylor (R bobble on green $300 wedge)
TONIGHT'S SPIN ID: BR8612416 (Bonnie R.)
Current Scores:
Dianna: $14,710 in cash & Dominican Republic/Taylor: $3K/Dave: ZIP
$3K T-U: Living Thing
M _ U N T _ I N
_ L _ E _ I R D
Taylor remembers a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD for the $6K T-U Sweep.
Last Chance Round: What Are You Doing?
The consonants are valued at $1,300 apiece. After a couple M's called by Dianna...
M A _ _ N G / A / W _ S _
_ N _ _ S T M _ N T
...she responds incorrectly by a letter w/ MAKING A WISH INVESTMENT, likely stopping her from $6.5K worth of icing on her cake. Two turns later, Dave wants that K...
M A K _ N G / A / W _ S _
_ N _ _ S T M _ N T
...& he's finally MAKING A WISE INVESTMENT to the tune of $6.5K!
DUDS (all by Taylor): H, L & R
SOLE DQ: Dianna (missolve)
Final Scores:
Dianna: $14,710 in cash & trip/Taylor: $6K/Dave: $6.5K
GT: $27,210
TONIGHT'S BANKRUPT TRASH: $3,350 in cash & food
Big Money Round #122: I don't know if Pat's more glad than I am that Taylor didn't make it here, because I think he could've shattered the host's ear drums (nothing personal to him). Anyhoo, Dianna spins the G.
Subject: Person
Decent RSTLNE help coming on the bottom:
_ _ _
_ R _ T _ E R
GCDA gives her...
_ _ D
_ R _ T _ E R
...well, she has a KID BROTHER at home, but she doesn't get either word &...
...SHE'S THE OTHER $100K LOSER THIS WEEK & SIXTH OVERALL THIS SEASON- THIS IS ONLY THE FOURTH TIME WE'VE HAD TWO SUCH LOSSES IN ONE WEEK. OUCH. That sends her home w/ $14,710 in cash & D.R.
J!: John Erler's challenged by:
Hannah Spector (Van Nuys, CA)- Stay-at-home mom
Sharla Zwirek (Medway, MA)- Editorial manager
Friday's Opening Rundown:
HORSETORY
FROM JOCK TO POLITICIAN
E BEFORE I
WE ALL MAKE CHOICES IN LIFE
SHAPE UP!
SHIP OUT
Andrew's sitting pretty w/ $4,600 & leads Hannah by $3K & Sharla by $4K. John's lead starts to grow towards the end of this round, but Sharla steals the Daily Double under the $800 Horsestory w/ $1,200; Hannah's sitting on $2,800 & John's at $6,600. Sharla goes for the face value of:
All breeds of domestic horse are a single species, scientifically this genus Caballus (which is also the name of Hyundai's currently most expensive model).
"What is Equus?" is it to claim the $2K level. Hannah ends this part of the game w/ $4,800.
SOLE ATTEMPTED TS: $400 (E Before I)
UNATTEMPTED LACH TRASH: $2,200
TOTAL LACH TRASH: $2,600
Double J! Categories:
MARCH-ING
CELEBRITIES' FAVORITE BOOKS
IT'S A NOUN! IT'S A VERB!
IN THE STATE CAPITAL
GADGETS GALORE
GROUP "E"s
It's a Noun! It's a Verb! It's a DD for the champion currently w/ $8,200 behind its $1,200 clue; Hannah's added $800 to her post-R1 score. To add $2,200:
A medieval rank just below knight, or a verb meaning "to escort".
"What is chaperone?"...good guess, but incorrect; they would be called a squire & he's back to $6K. He does dig up the last one of the week w/ $10,400 at the end of March-ing; he's $4K ahead of Hannah & $8K over Sharla. He bets $2,200 again:
On March 2, 1836, it declared its independence from Mexico.
"What is Texas?"...right in the heart of the cup to up him to $12,600 (& he does the "Hook 'Em Horns" salute on this clue & the next one)! Unfortunately, a wrong response on the last clue of the round from Gadgets Galore busts Sharla out to the tune of $2K, so she leaves w/ half of that as a positive cash figure...only to later find out that the judges have reversed their decision on the $1,600 Triple Stumper from that same subject.
ATTEMPTED LACH TRASH: $2,800
UNATTEMPTED LACH TRASH: $3,600
TOTAL DJ! LACH TRASH: $6,400
Final J! Cash Count:
John: $14,600
Sharla: $1,200- MATHEMATICALLY ELIMINATED ANYWAY
Hannah: $16K
CORYAT SCORES:
John: $16,600
Sharla: $1,200
Hannah: $16K
FINAL J! TOPIC: '70s Blockbusters.
A direction in this film: "Start with the tone...up a full tone. Down a major third. Now drop an octave. Up a perfect fifth."
SHARLA:
Response: "What is 'Five Easy Pieces'?"
Wager: $200
Final score: $1K
John Erler said "What is 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'"...right to finish at $26,799, but Hannah Spector's the new champ w/ $29,201. John leaves w/ $31K.
Millionaire Friday (their last first-run day for two weeks):
Game 1
Game 2
$1K Question Game
Episode ratings:
7: "Jeopardy!"
6: "Millionaire"
3: "Wheel of Fortune"