February 27, 2013 recap

Considering Stephanie's two letter repeats, I wasn't all that surprised she didn't solve the bonus puzzle right away, but she eventually got it w/ two seconds left to keep our slip PBRW hopes alive.

Score: 7

Toss-Ups: Two players get money early, while the third suffers from an ill-counted guess.

R1: Stephanie repeats a bad vowel, but then comes back with a good one and cashes in on her top dollar hit! We got a random Jackpot hit, but it was the first spin of the round and thus much too premature.

R2: Stephanie... you'd have a good-sized lead if you'd stop picking both bad vowels and repeated letters. Instead, Lexi brings in the Yosemite trip and takes over the lead for herself.

R3: Lexi builds a nice cardboard collection, including the entire car and the MDW, but loses her turn. Stephanie narrowly avoids the same fate and calls only good letters on her way to picking up the gift tag, some cash, and an Antigua trip.

R4: Pat hits what would've been the MDW slot, but the wedge has long since been retired from the game. Clay gets another $1,800 to add to his toss-up money, but Stpehanie's our winner after that big third round.

Bonus: I RSTLNE'd it, and Stephanie picked good letters - just good enough for a dramatic $35,000 solve.

Overall: Decent, not great, but decent - 6/10.

jm, any insight on why the two repeats occurred? R1 I can kinda get as another rare acronym came up in TV, but R2 seemed like a breakdown.

Wayoshi, to answer your question, I do recall Stephanie being quite nervous. The contestant coordinators were being a little aggressive toward her because she wasn't really projecting her voice, and at times, she seemed overwhelmed by the experience. I think the two repeats were due to the fact that she was looking at a largely incomplete word (I think she was focusing too much on the last word each puzzle, trying to fill it in with a plausible letter, even though that letter was already called). Also, she should've known better that HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA would not have worked on the first Toss-Up, due to the fact that the words were NOT the same length. Maybe my memories of the players will shed some light.

Before that, though, two interesting pieces of trivia: After Round 1, the coordinators told us that the blind auditions for "The Voice" are actually filmed at a neighboring sound stage at Sony, and that Junior Coordinator Alexandra got to see the set-up during her mandatory studio tour when she joined the Wheel team in 2011.  Second, a lot of us in the audience were wondering "what the heck is a PLUNGE POOL?!?" after the Prize Puzzle.  Indeed, that sounded a little contrived.

CLAY: Didn't spend too much time with him, but a very likable guy and a man after my own heart (I used to teach High School History). Remember how I said that GEORGE WASHINGTON served as our Speed-Up puzzle in the dress rehearsal? Clay was up at the podium at that time and did not solve it. Gary gave him a little crap about that, considering how Clay was a history teacher. I was happy that he won that much.

LEXI: I absolutely loved her! She reminded me a lot of a colleague I used to work with. She had a wild personality and a permanent smile on her face. I audibly groaned when she lost out on her impressive cardboard collection. Backstage, I told her "Lexi, you were in the cat bird seat! Tough break on the Wheel, though." She took it all in good fun (as well she should, considering who was standing to her right), and I mentioned how lucky she was to get her turn back on Round 2 (she told me she thought the second word was GET, then checked the other words shortly thereafter and realized that it wouldn't have made sense). I saw her again in the hotel that evening, gave her a big hug, and told her how royally jealous I was that she won her trip to San Francisco and Yosemite, two places I've always wanted to visit. As an extra bonus, she has her own YouTube channel (LexiWithTheCurls), in which she announced her Wheel appearance. I have been communicating with her since then, and I hope to get her to come over here, or do an interview with her.

STEPHANIE: Definitely the most enigmatic player in our group. I knew something was up with her that morning in the hotel restaurant. She stood right in front of me in the omelette bar line, and didn't even so much as notice me or ask me about the show. She had a tendency to keep to herself, didn't really project her voice, and got visibly nervous. Maybe I'd need to watch the recording, but she just didn't come across to me the way you'd expect someone would on that day. From what she said that morning about "the weather in Philly being terrible," I gathered that she was one of several in our group affected by Hurricane Sandy, which occurred just two weeks prior to taping, so that was still weighing heavy on her mind.

The biggest thing she did that made me confused, though, was her behavior in the Green Room afterwards. I attempted to congratulate her with my hands extended, and she was like "just...don't touch me!" I initially found this to be rather abrupt of her.  I think she realized that luck really was on her side, with an expensive Prize Puzzle and an easy bonus that I was able to get once her choices appeared. I don't recall seeing her again afterwards. This left us to get some lunch and get fired up for the remainder of the shows.

Don't get me wrong, I was happy to see her win, but something just made her come across as a little too overwhelmed. I think she took some of what was going on offstage and onstage (the repeats, the coordinators talking to her, and the fact that she wasn't able to wear the green blouse she had originally wanted to wear) too personally.

Now that I look over this, I think "smug" wasn't the best choice of word. I'd definitely say she was more jumbled up than anything, and I was taken aback by the reaction she gave backstage. Indeed, she wasn't bragging or boasting backstage (and even if she did, we would've understood, so long as she wasn't attacking us personally). I think she was overwhelmed and realized just how lucky she was. Trust me, I understand that luck is part of the game, but so is skill. If nothing else, I think she was a little hard on herself.

As for the contestant coordinators, I never implied that they were picking on her or anyone else. Indeed, Tammy recently described on the show's blog that they are the nicest people she has ever come across, and I echo those sentiments. I don't think Stephanie was shaken too much, but she did get a few good talking-to's from them. In fact, if anyone ever asks me advice about what to expect from Wheel, for auditioning and appearing, I'd tell them...be ready for the coordinators - they are fast and a little fierce, but don't take them personally. Tammy commented on her blog (and to me) that she had never smiled, shouted, or clapped that much in her life. You do have to make some effort, but if you leave the studio feeling great, they've done their job.

1. As a one-time performer myself, I can tell you that projecting your voice conveys a sense of confidence and excitement. I always comment when people look like they are having fun, making the show fun to watch. Granted, I know that well into the '90s, contestants were still playing the game relatively calmly, but times have changed. Shows that are exciting to watch generally have people who are exciting to watch. I think, generally speaking, that people are drawn to those who exude confidence, even if it is a little over the top. When watching Tuesday's episode (both in the stands and on video), I noticed that Chelsea was always cheering people on, calling letters clearly and confidently, and having a great time (Lexi and Lawren did this, too, but to a lesser extent). If anything, the coordinators were trying to make her overcome her nervousness and make her look better.

2. As for the green blouse...if I recall correctly, contestants are told not to wear linen or satiny clothes, as they tend to be rather shiny. I also think she may have spilled something on herself.

3. Different people react to the same high-stress situation differently. The vast majority of us had fun with it and were laughing, hugging, high-fiving, and just pulling for each other. Others tend to wonder "what the hell just happened to me?!?" and sit silently. Also, I'm not speaking all high-and-mighty. Stephanie would not have been chosen if the coordinators didn't like her personality, her gameplay, and her presence...she probably just had a lot on her mind, which I understand (at least she didn't have to start a class the day after she returned, like I did).

4. Also, I wasn't "the perfect gentleman" for the coordinators - I got a good talking-to, as well. I repeated a letter during the dress rehearsal (and was the only one to do so). As soon as I saw that N, plain as the nose on my face, I was like "OH, GEEZ!" because I knew what...and who...was coming. Jackie and Shannon raced up to my podium and pointed me in the direction of the Used Letter Board, and told me in no uncertain terms to watch the screen very carefully. I felt stupid for messing up, but used that moment as a takeaway and instead of running from it, chose to learn from it.

I appreciate the constructive response, my friend. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: until you've done it, you cannot understand what's going through someone's mind as they are at the podium. Stephanie, indeed, put up a very valiant effort and didn't buckle. My initial reaction to her wanting to be left alone was bewilderment (not disgust), and I just couldn't fathom why she acted that way (to be honest with you, I was so focused in the moment). I did the gentlemanly thing, and just let it be. By no means is Stephanie a bad person, but I just found her actions and deeds to be unexpectedly atypical. Thanks for your time and understanding.

PS: I recently looked over the wardrobe list in my contestant documents. One of the specific rules is that you could not wear a silk or satin top (like Stephanie's green blouse was), due to the fact that the microphone can slide off silk or satin.

Kate, I understand your concerns and address them in a private message to you. I will address some of these concerns publically, though. Like you, I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I am not shy about showing emotions (I frequently shake hands with contacts and casual friends, and hug closer friends - even males), and I've developed lasting friendships with friends and colleagues from this.

I knew that I was never going to see most of these people again, and I believe strongly in first impressions. I understand what she was going through, but initially found her actions to be confusing. Please know that unless he or she did something wrong, I would NEVER dislike a person.

Finally, to address your concerns about "how would I feel," I'd feel pretty rotten. In fact, I feel a little pit in my stomach now. Openness does have its price.