"Wheel of Fortune" 10/1

Intro Flashback Moment ('97): Pat & Vanna denying they're a married a couple at the end of a small conversation

Fun & Fit was the second taping day of the season.

(Note: Just as the game's about to start, the two-row logo on Pat's screen has changed to the rounder logo.)

$1K T-U: Occupation

A _ _ _ B _ _ S

I N _ _ _ _ _ T O R

Brandon solves AEROBICS INSTRUCTOR. Now, to the panel at hand:

Brandon Diaz (Western FL)- A project manager for a clinical trial software company married to Sarah for five years w/ daughter Hayden & son Cole
Sherdena Johnson (Greensboro, NC)- A recent graduate from NC A&T State University as a Magna Cum Laude in Architectural Engineering; she has a niece & also has a granddaughter on the way
Missie Nunez (Indio, CA)- A personal trainer & smoothie bar owner married for two decades w/ two kids named Greg (18) & Leah (15)

$2K T-U: Rhyme Time

_ _ Z _ L E -

D _ Z _ L _

Brandon has the RAZZLE-DAZZLE tripler.

Featured Trip: Scottsdale Resrt & Athletic Club in AZ ($5K)
Monday/Wednesday/Friday Gift Tag: Dick's Sporting Goods

meineke Jackpot Round: Before & After (w/ the jet ski category wipe)

He Free PLAYS five E's (including one at the end), but not before Pat tells him he can only call a consonant until he saw the wedge that was landed on. After that little fail of the host's, Brandon has a fail of his own by calling a dud of T (Pat: "Yes, there is no T"). Secondly, Sherdena calls three $500 N's for the vacation (Pat: "I'm not sure, let's look...Seacrest is on speed dial"), three $500 C's while on the Jackpot but then buys a dud vowel in I. Third, Missie immediately Bankrupts on the right side of the Million Dollar Wedge. After Brandon's third spin of the wheel, he takes the Wild Card once he calls two N's for $1K. Following his purchase of the other vowels in this puzzle, an O, we have...

_ E N C _

_ R E _ _

C O N _ E R E N C E

...he may not have the strength to participate in a BENCH PRESS CONFERENCE (this would've been a better puzzle for Missie), but we can give him another $250 for $4K in total.

DUDS: I (Sherdena), $600 T (Brandon)
SOLE BANKRUPT: Missie
FINAL UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $7,600
 
Mystery Round: Event (big puzzle alert)

Sherdena picks up the Dick's gift card w/ three $500 N's, then coming her way is the Lose a Turn. Second, Missie calls three T's for $1,350, buys the same number of O's & collects two H's for 14 more bills, tres E's, a $350 G, a pair of I's & a $1K S while on the Mystery Wedge in between FP & LaT. She gives back the $1K sure thing & risks $2,350...it's the $10K! Then come the other vowels (a U & four A's), double B's to throw in $7K &...

B _ O _ I N G / O U T

T H E / _ A N _ _ E S

O N / A / B I _ T H _ A _

_ A _ E

...this feels like BLOWING OUT THE CANDLES ON A BIRTHDAY CAKE- her winning a cash total of $18,850 & keeping control (her scoreboard malfunctions just as she solved the puzzle)!
 
SOLE LaT: Sherdena

Current Scores:

Missie: $18,850/Brandon: $4K WC/Sherdena: $0

Bonus Puzzle Blast from the Past #11 ('96)(Thing)(CDMA was tried by a lady):

D E _ _ S _ T

S L _ _

She couldn't solve DEPOSIT SLIP.

Prize Puzzle Round: Phrase

She hits the other MDW Bankrupt right off the bat. Brandon secondly finds himself on the regular Bankrupt next to top dollar to give back his WC. Third, Sherdena takes an $1,100 pair of S's, a $900 H, a couple A's & I's, an $1,800 quartet of T's, an O & a $2,100 N set, followed by a $500 G for the 1/2 CAR in between $350 & $900 (like two weeks ago, it's a Ford Fiesta), a pair of E's to clean the vowels out, a $500 W & a $700 R. She then takes a shot at the following...

N O W / T H A T ' S

T R A _ E _ I N G

I N / S T _ _ E

...NOW THAT'S TRAVELING IN STYLE- going to the Morgan Bay Beach Resort w/ $6,600 spending money, a total this round of $12,900 in cash & St. Lucia.

BANKRUPTS: 2 (Missie & Brandon)

Current Scores:

Missie: $18,850/Brandon: $4K/Sherdena: $12,900 in cash & trip

$3K T-U: The 90's

_ A Y _ E ' S

W _ _ _ D

Brandon gets the T-U Sweep because of "WAYNE'S WORLD", so he's $7K wealthier to this moment.

R4: What Are You Doing?

He FPs the E just like he did in the JR, but this time it's a dud (Pat: "Yes..." & the regular buzzer). Moving on, he calls the trip N's for $1.5K (one at the end), buys the twin I's & digs up a $500 G at the end of the first word, quatro A's, dos O's to finish the vowel shop off, FPs $1K worth of double T's & a $1.5K R trio, then we have...

T R A I N I N G / _ O R

A / _ A R A T _ O N

...he says he might be TRAINING FOR A MARATHON to also break five figures w/ a $3,900 payoff.

SOLE DUD: E (Brandon)

Current Scores:

Missie: $18,850/Brandon: $10,900/Sherdena: $12,900 in cash & travel

Speed-Up: On the Map

The consonant payoff's $1.5K; everyone should still be mathematically alive. After his four N's...

N _ _ / _ _ _ _ N

C _ N N _ C T _ C _ T

...he banks another six grand w/ NEW HAVEN, CONNECTCUT. Shardena had 1/2 that & Missie misses out on an additional $4.5K. I think a null cycle was edited out out of this round.

Final Scores:

Missie: $18,850/Brandon: $16,900/Sherdena: $12,900 in cash & St. Lucia
GT: $48,650

TONIGHT'S BANKRUPT TRASH: WC only
 
Maxwell House BR #9: On the four-day week w/ this theme last season, there was a BR SHUTOUT. If Missie can avert it already in this full week, she'll win some more cash &/or a FIAT 500c. The I envelope in SPIN is what she needs to pick up.

Category: Phrase

This seven-letter solution starts just like this:

_ N / _ _

_ _ _

I have an idea & I think she does too after calling MCYO...

O N / M Y 

_ _ Y

...because she wins the $30K (Jim: "Donna, you're on your way to big cash..."), she'll be saying a total check of $48,850's "ON MY WAY"! Likewise, $115K's in the Rebuidling Together bank.

$5K SPIN ID #11: CC3400680

EPISODE RATING: 7