Post by pakman on Mar 20, 2019 23:17:57 GMT -5
It's day four of European Vacation Week, and the last chance for contestants to earn a spot on Friday Finals!
Let's meet our contestants!
Steve Sampson is from Van Nuys, California. He is married to Melissa and is currently a pre-med student at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He is also a skilled backgammon player and is ranked in the top 200 in the world.
Simone Cupid is from Toronto, Canada. She’s happily married and her husband is in the audience. She recently quit the beauty industry after 13 years and is looking to pursue other interests, possibly as a broadcast journalist. Pat tells her, “Change is good. And so, I’m leaving this show.”
Lonnie Peck is from Tacoma, Washington. He works for a computer service bureau where he specializes in “transportation and information and logistics services.” A fun fact about him is that his eyes change color, usually from blue to green depending on the weather. Pat suggests that everyone stand and watch this event unfold. “It’ll give us something to do for the next 30 minutes.”
Round #1
Category: Place
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
Pat incorrectly identifies the first puzzle as the second puzzle before correcting himself, and telling Steve, who drew #1, to start the show. Steve thanks Pat before giving the wheel its first spin. He hits $500 first and is able to cash in on a solitary N. Steve hits $450 next and says “I’ll have a T, please,” to which Pat tells him, “No you won’t,” then tries apologizing for sounding rude before saying, “Oh, leave me alone.”
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ N _
_ _ _ _ _ _
Simon’s got her first shot at the wheel and gets $500 by calling two S’s on $250. She doubles her money again on $300 thanks to two L’s. Simone buys the first vowel of the game and gets three A’s, then gets her money back by calling a single V on $250. She then turns right back around and spends that money on three E’s. Her next spin gets her $600 thanks to two G’s on $300, followed by $250 on a C. Simone decides to buy a single I, which turns out to be the last vowel in the puzzle. But she can’t cash in on $450 because there is no M in the puzzle.
L A S / V E G A S
_ E _ _ I N G
C _ A _ E L
Lonnie’s up with his first spin, where he doubles his $250 thanks to two D’s.
L A S / V E G A S
_ E D D I N G
C _ A _ E L
Despite encouragement from Pat, Lonnie decides he’s done with the puzzle after a solitary spin, and solves LAS VEGAS WEDDING CHAPEL for $500. Pat approaches Lonnie to congratulate him and notes that Lonnie's eyes have not changed color. He also mentions that the score to beat to come back tomorrow is $18,442, and notes that Lonnie just has under $18,000 to go. Poor Pat remarks that he’s “trying to make people feel good and I’m having a miserable time of it.”
Steve - $0
Simone - $0
Lonnie - $500
Hopefully Charlie’s prize can make everyone feel better. Today it’s a combination of new workout clothes provided by Jacques Moret and a cardio machine from Polaris, just in time to get that beach body ready. The entire package is worth $2,745.
Round #2
Category: Fill in the Blank
? _ _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
Simone kicks off round two almost by hitting LOSE A TURN, but instead she hangs on to $800 and triples her haul thanks to three T’s. She then gets $250 by calling a solitary S. After buying three E’s, she nearly hits LOSE A TURN again, but is saved once again by $800 on a single N. Simone then decides to buy two A’s and two O’s. But she can’t get any of her money back after hitting $250 because of a dud L.
? A _ _ _ E S
? O _ _ O _ T _ N _ T _
? _ A T E / _ _ _ _ _ E
Current leader Lonnie keeps the round going by doubling up on $500 with the help of two G’s. He then gets $300 on a D before buying a single I. He then gets $750 after calling three R’s on $250.
? A R _ _ E S
? O _ _ O R T _ N _ T _
? G A T E / _ R I D G E
Lonnie is apparently Mr. Play-It-Safe, as he decides to solve the puzzle and calls out ? ARCHES / ? OPPORTUNITY / ? GATE BRIDGE. But Pat reminds him his $1,800 can grow even further if he can identify the common thread, which Lonnie can by correctly guessing GOLDEN, allowing our favorite eye-changing contestant to add $3,800 to his total.
Steve - $0
Simone - $0
Lonnie - $4,300
Simone Cupid is from Toronto, Canada. She’s happily married and her husband is in the audience. She recently quit the beauty industry after 13 years and is looking to pursue other interests, possibly as a broadcast journalist. Pat tells her, “Change is good. And so, I’m leaving this show.”
Lonnie Peck is from Tacoma, Washington. He works for a computer service bureau where he specializes in “transportation and information and logistics services.” A fun fact about him is that his eyes change color, usually from blue to green depending on the weather. Pat suggests that everyone stand and watch this event unfold. “It’ll give us something to do for the next 30 minutes.”
Round #1
Category: Place
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
Pat incorrectly identifies the first puzzle as the second puzzle before correcting himself, and telling Steve, who drew #1, to start the show. Steve thanks Pat before giving the wheel its first spin. He hits $500 first and is able to cash in on a solitary N. Steve hits $450 next and says “I’ll have a T, please,” to which Pat tells him, “No you won’t,” then tries apologizing for sounding rude before saying, “Oh, leave me alone.”
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ N _
_ _ _ _ _ _
Simon’s got her first shot at the wheel and gets $500 by calling two S’s on $250. She doubles her money again on $300 thanks to two L’s. Simone buys the first vowel of the game and gets three A’s, then gets her money back by calling a single V on $250. She then turns right back around and spends that money on three E’s. Her next spin gets her $600 thanks to two G’s on $300, followed by $250 on a C. Simone decides to buy a single I, which turns out to be the last vowel in the puzzle. But she can’t cash in on $450 because there is no M in the puzzle.
L A S / V E G A S
_ E _ _ I N G
C _ A _ E L
Lonnie’s up with his first spin, where he doubles his $250 thanks to two D’s.
L A S / V E G A S
_ E D D I N G
C _ A _ E L
Despite encouragement from Pat, Lonnie decides he’s done with the puzzle after a solitary spin, and solves LAS VEGAS WEDDING CHAPEL for $500. Pat approaches Lonnie to congratulate him and notes that Lonnie's eyes have not changed color. He also mentions that the score to beat to come back tomorrow is $18,442, and notes that Lonnie just has under $18,000 to go. Poor Pat remarks that he’s “trying to make people feel good and I’m having a miserable time of it.”
Steve - $0
Simone - $0
Lonnie - $500
Hopefully Charlie’s prize can make everyone feel better. Today it’s a combination of new workout clothes provided by Jacques Moret and a cardio machine from Polaris, just in time to get that beach body ready. The entire package is worth $2,745.
Round #2
Category: Fill in the Blank
? _ _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
Simone kicks off round two almost by hitting LOSE A TURN, but instead she hangs on to $800 and triples her haul thanks to three T’s. She then gets $250 by calling a solitary S. After buying three E’s, she nearly hits LOSE A TURN again, but is saved once again by $800 on a single N. Simone then decides to buy two A’s and two O’s. But she can’t get any of her money back after hitting $250 because of a dud L.
? A _ _ _ E S
? O _ _ O _ T _ N _ T _
? _ A T E / _ _ _ _ _ E
Current leader Lonnie keeps the round going by doubling up on $500 with the help of two G’s. He then gets $300 on a D before buying a single I. He then gets $750 after calling three R’s on $250.
? A R _ _ E S
? O _ _ O R T _ N _ T _
? G A T E / _ R I D G E
Lonnie is apparently Mr. Play-It-Safe, as he decides to solve the puzzle and calls out ? ARCHES / ? OPPORTUNITY / ? GATE BRIDGE. But Pat reminds him his $1,800 can grow even further if he can identify the common thread, which Lonnie can by correctly guessing GOLDEN, allowing our favorite eye-changing contestant to add $3,800 to his total.
Steve - $0
Simone - $0
Lonnie - $4,300
It's now time for tonight's Jackpot round, which starts at $5,000!
Round #3
Category: Phrase
_ ’ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _
Leader Lonnie gets to start round three, and starts it off in a big way by landing on the FITNESS package. He picks it up thanks to three D’s, but Pat immediately has to take it back thanks to a BANKRUPT, his first bit of bad luck this game as our host points out.
_ ’ D
_ _ _ D / _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ D _
_ _ _ / _ _ _
Steve gets his first spin since round one and picks up $250 thanks to a solitary N. He then hits the JACKPOT, to Pat’s chagrin, but even more to Steve’s chagrin, there are no T’s, so nothing will happen there.
_ ’ D
_ _ N D / _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ D _
_ _ _ / _ _ _
Simone gives it a go and gets $900 off of an S. She then wins triple $250 by calling three R’s. It’s vowel time as Simone buys one I and two E’s. Her next spin nets her $1,800 by correctly getting two B’s on $900. At this point, Simone decides to spin one more time, and it proves a lucky spin as she hits the JACKPOT. Simone excitedly calls a solitary F.
I ’ D
B E N D / _ _ E R
B _ _ _ _ _ R D S
F _ R / _ _ _
She then solves I’D BEND OVER BACKWARDS FOR YOU, allowing her to cash in on a $7,300 Jackpot, which, combined with the $2,950 she already had that round, catapults her into the lead.
Steve - $0
Simone - $10,250
Lonnie - $4,300
As we head into round four, Simone has the lead with $10,250, but Lonnie is still within striking distance at $4,300, while Steve still has nothing, but there’s still time to catch up, especially with a $5,000 space on the wheel.
Round #4
Category: The 60’s
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
& / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Steve hopes he can get on the board this round, but starts off on a sour note by hitting BANKRUPT.
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
& / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Simone tries her luck and gets $800 from a single T followed by $500 from a single H. She buys three E’s, then earns $1,000 thanks to four S’s for $250. She buys two A’s, but then she too falls victim to BANKRUPT, losing $1,800.
_ _ A _ A / _ _ S S
& / T H E
S _ _ _ E _ E S
Lonnie doesn’t fare much better, becoming the third player to hit BANKRUPT this round.
_ _ A _ A / _ _ S S
& / T H E
S _ _ _ E _ E S
Steve’s luck, on the other hand, is finally looking up after doubling his $250 on two R’s, followed by $300 thanks to a solitary P. But his luck is short-lived, as he loses his $800 to the BANKRUPT. An exasperated Steve leans on his podium as Pat tells him, “Sometimes life just ain’t fair.”
_ _ A _ A / R _ S S
& / T H E
S _ P R E _ E S
The bad luck continues with Simone, who hits LOSE A TURN.
_ _ A _ A / R _ S S
& / T H E
S _ P R E _ E S
Pat tells Lonnie to see what he can do, and he picks up $600 on a single D. He tells Pat he’ll spin one more time, and picks up an additional $400 thanks to a single M.
D _ A _ A / R _ S S
& / T H E
S _ P R E M E S
With all the bad luck on the wheel, it’s no wonder Lonnie decides to solve DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES, adding $1,000 to his total.
Steve - $0
Simone - $10,250
Lonnie - $5,300
Lonnie has slightly less than half of Simone’s take, and Steve’s still in third, but the show has gone by a little quickly, and they have time for another round.
Round #5
Category: Thing
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _
DING DING! DING DING!
But before we can start the round, that sound means that time is running short, so Pat gives the wheel a final spin. Vowels are worth nothing and consonants are worth…$400 apiece.
Simone – No T
Lonnie – 1 D
Steve – No N
Simone – 1 S
Lonnie – 1 R
_ R _ S _ _ D
_ _ _
Lonnie guesses CRUSHED ICE and picks up an additional $800 for his correct solve. Pat was so impressed, HIS eyes changed color!
Steve’s rotten luck on the wheel means he’ll only be going home with parting gifts today.
Steve - $0
Simone - $10,250
Lonnie - $6,100
Sometimes one round can make a difference, and with Simone’s single-round victory and the help of the Jackpot, she’s tonight’s big winner and is going to the Bonus Round!
Pat again highlights the five Bonus Round prizes this week, none of which have been won yet. They include trips to Holland, Italy, Austria, a Volvo and of course the $25,000 cash
W – H – E – E – L
Simone picks the L for “love,” because her last name is Cupid.
Bonus Round
Category: Place
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Vanna then reveals the R, S, T, L, N, E
S _ _ N _ _ _ _
Simone picks C, D, M and A for her three consonants and a vowel.
S _ A N _ _ A _
While not too much is revealed, Pat suggests that Simone talk it out over the next 10 seconds. She mumbles under her breath the entire time, and starts to say “Sh,” but by the time the buzzer sounds, she doesn’t get SHANGHAI. Pat opens the envelope and reveals, for the second day in a row, the $25,000 cash. He makes note of this, saying they’ve tried to give it away a couple times this week. Still, Simone gets to take home $10,250, and although she won’t be coming back tomorrow, she still seems happy with her haul.
Episode notes:
- The "correct letter" sound effect doesn't play when Steve calls the first N in round one.
Round #3
Category: Phrase
_ ’ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _
Leader Lonnie gets to start round three, and starts it off in a big way by landing on the FITNESS package. He picks it up thanks to three D’s, but Pat immediately has to take it back thanks to a BANKRUPT, his first bit of bad luck this game as our host points out.
_ ’ D
_ _ _ D / _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ D _
_ _ _ / _ _ _
Steve gets his first spin since round one and picks up $250 thanks to a solitary N. He then hits the JACKPOT, to Pat’s chagrin, but even more to Steve’s chagrin, there are no T’s, so nothing will happen there.
_ ’ D
_ _ N D / _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ D _
_ _ _ / _ _ _
Simone gives it a go and gets $900 off of an S. She then wins triple $250 by calling three R’s. It’s vowel time as Simone buys one I and two E’s. Her next spin nets her $1,800 by correctly getting two B’s on $900. At this point, Simone decides to spin one more time, and it proves a lucky spin as she hits the JACKPOT. Simone excitedly calls a solitary F.
I ’ D
B E N D / _ _ E R
B _ _ _ _ _ R D S
F _ R / _ _ _
She then solves I’D BEND OVER BACKWARDS FOR YOU, allowing her to cash in on a $7,300 Jackpot, which, combined with the $2,950 she already had that round, catapults her into the lead.
Steve - $0
Simone - $10,250
Lonnie - $4,300
As we head into round four, Simone has the lead with $10,250, but Lonnie is still within striking distance at $4,300, while Steve still has nothing, but there’s still time to catch up, especially with a $5,000 space on the wheel.
Round #4
Category: The 60’s
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
& / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Steve hopes he can get on the board this round, but starts off on a sour note by hitting BANKRUPT.
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
& / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Simone tries her luck and gets $800 from a single T followed by $500 from a single H. She buys three E’s, then earns $1,000 thanks to four S’s for $250. She buys two A’s, but then she too falls victim to BANKRUPT, losing $1,800.
_ _ A _ A / _ _ S S
& / T H E
S _ _ _ E _ E S
Lonnie doesn’t fare much better, becoming the third player to hit BANKRUPT this round.
_ _ A _ A / _ _ S S
& / T H E
S _ _ _ E _ E S
Steve’s luck, on the other hand, is finally looking up after doubling his $250 on two R’s, followed by $300 thanks to a solitary P. But his luck is short-lived, as he loses his $800 to the BANKRUPT. An exasperated Steve leans on his podium as Pat tells him, “Sometimes life just ain’t fair.”
_ _ A _ A / R _ S S
& / T H E
S _ P R E _ E S
The bad luck continues with Simone, who hits LOSE A TURN.
_ _ A _ A / R _ S S
& / T H E
S _ P R E _ E S
Pat tells Lonnie to see what he can do, and he picks up $600 on a single D. He tells Pat he’ll spin one more time, and picks up an additional $400 thanks to a single M.
D _ A _ A / R _ S S
& / T H E
S _ P R E M E S
With all the bad luck on the wheel, it’s no wonder Lonnie decides to solve DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES, adding $1,000 to his total.
Steve - $0
Simone - $10,250
Lonnie - $5,300
Lonnie has slightly less than half of Simone’s take, and Steve’s still in third, but the show has gone by a little quickly, and they have time for another round.
Round #5
Category: Thing
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _
DING DING! DING DING!
But before we can start the round, that sound means that time is running short, so Pat gives the wheel a final spin. Vowels are worth nothing and consonants are worth…$400 apiece.
Simone – No T
Lonnie – 1 D
Steve – No N
Simone – 1 S
Lonnie – 1 R
_ R _ S _ _ D
_ _ _
Lonnie guesses CRUSHED ICE and picks up an additional $800 for his correct solve. Pat was so impressed, HIS eyes changed color!
Steve’s rotten luck on the wheel means he’ll only be going home with parting gifts today.
Steve - $0
Simone - $10,250
Lonnie - $6,100
Sometimes one round can make a difference, and with Simone’s single-round victory and the help of the Jackpot, she’s tonight’s big winner and is going to the Bonus Round!
Pat again highlights the five Bonus Round prizes this week, none of which have been won yet. They include trips to Holland, Italy, Austria, a Volvo and of course the $25,000 cash
W – H – E – E – L
Simone picks the L for “love,” because her last name is Cupid.
Bonus Round
Category: Place
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Vanna then reveals the R, S, T, L, N, E
S _ _ N _ _ _ _
Simone picks C, D, M and A for her three consonants and a vowel.
S _ A N _ _ A _
While not too much is revealed, Pat suggests that Simone talk it out over the next 10 seconds. She mumbles under her breath the entire time, and starts to say “Sh,” but by the time the buzzer sounds, she doesn’t get SHANGHAI. Pat opens the envelope and reveals, for the second day in a row, the $25,000 cash. He makes note of this, saying they’ve tried to give it away a couple times this week. Still, Simone gets to take home $10,250, and although she won’t be coming back tomorrow, she still seems happy with her haul.
Episode notes:
- The "correct letter" sound effect doesn't play when Steve calls the first N in round one.
And that's a wrap for my European Vacation Week recaps! Friday Finals has already been recapped here, and I do not have a copy of Monday's episode, which aired March 31, 1997. (but I can tell you, based on my 22-year-old memory of that episode, that Carol - who returned on Friday - won the maingame but did not win the Volvo in the Bonus Round). The next episode I'll be recapping is one from season 13 where I don't know the exact date, but I believe it to be from February or March 1996.