Post by pakman on Mar 27, 2019 21:41:52 GMT -5
Took some time off to regroup and catch up on some other things in my life, but now I'm back and ready to start recapping Season 17! I don't know why I really got into Wheel around this time, but I obviously really enjoyed it, since I recorded about 30 episodes from January and February 2000. My first Season 17 recap comes from the first week of the new millennium, and only the fourth new episode to air in the new year; January 6, 2000, with the theme of Hawaii Week (though this week was shot in Culver City).
Let's get started!
Preview Puzzle
Category: Thing
R O _ E B _ _ H
The answer is revealed as ROSEBUSH. Pat comments on how he always thought it was two words, but he supposes if you’re referring to someone named Rose Bush it would be two words, but otherwise it's just one.
Kristina Murray is from Kent, Washington. She works as a receptionist at A&M Warehouses in Renton, and has a “beautiful, wonderful” family that includes husband Michael and a 5-year-old son named Miles. Kristina says when she was 15, she won a trip to Europe in a singing radio call-in contest.
Sue Kobusky is from Lake Forest, California. She’s also married to a man named Michael and has two sons; Brian is 8 and Spencer is 2. Sue also has a weird connection to Vanna; her mother and Vanna share the same birthday, while her father is born the same day as Vanna’s then-husband. Pat talks to Vanna about this, but she’s not wearing a microphone so we can’t hear her.
Frank Gomez is from New York City, New York. He’s a personal trainer and does both home visits and works at a gym. Upon Pat’s questioning, Frank says “I see some business, definitely” when asked about the show’s crew. In his spare time, Frank likes to ride his bicycle in New York City.
Our first round is the Puzzler Round tonight, which means whoever solves this puzzle has a chance to win $3,000 more.
Round #1
Category: People
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Kristina drew #1 so she’s going to start the game by landing on $900 and getting two S’s. She gets to double her $600 haul on her next spin with two N’s. She does even better with three R’s on $350. Kristina buys one E and one I before spinning $600, but can’t cash in thanks to a dud M.
_ _ N S _ R _ _ _ I _ N
_ _ R _ E R S
Sue gets her first shot at the wheel and nets $1,000 from two C’s on $500.
C _ N S _ R _ C _ I _ N
_ _ R _ E R S
After just one spin, Sue decides she’s going to try and solve the puzzle, and gets it right with CONSTRUCTION WORKERS. While she has $1,000, Pat reminds her that it’s the Puzzler Round and she can get $3,000 more by solving this bonus puzzle.
Puzzler Round
Category: Things
H A _ _ / H A _ _
Sue questioningly asks HARD HATS and cashes in, bringing her first round total to $4,000. She’s so excited, she’s jumping up and down. Pat tells her to calm down and save her energy for later, because there’s still a lot of show left.
Kristina - $0
Sue - $4,000
Frank - $0
That includes the prize that Charlie is describing, which is a outdoors package. It includes fishing gear and supplies, as well as camping gear and clothing from Cabela’s. Altogether, it’s worth $2,500.
Pat asks where the footage for that prize was shot and learns it actually was filmed in Hawaii and not on the backlot. “How come I didn’t go on that trip?” he asks, which gets a chuckle from Charlie.
Round #2
Category: Fill in the Blank
? _ _ _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
Fresh off her victory, Sue gets the round started, but she hits a BANKRUPT attached to the $10,000 space.
? _ _ _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
Frank’s first spin of the game doesn’t fare much better, as he can’t find an R for $550.
? _ _ _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
But Kristina is able to cash in on $800 thanks to three S’s, then keeps going with $900 for a solitary T. She buys an A and gets quite a bit of help from six of them. A single W lets her cash in on $400 before she buys a single E and two I’s, and with that, no vowels are left in the puzzle. Kristina spins again and gets $450 on a D, then $700 on an L. A $500 spin nets her $2,000 thanks to four N’s, but her streak ends when she calls a bad B on $300 and can’t go any further.
? _ A _ A N _ _
? S W E A T
? _ A N / I S / A N
I S L A N D
Back to Sue, who gets $600 on a solitary M, but she can’t pick up the FREE SPIN after calling a bad H. Before taking his own spin, Frank points out that Sue landed on FREE SPIN, but Pat tells him that because she didn’t guess a correct letter, she can’t pick it up. “I’ll run this show, Frank!” Pat tells him with fake anger.
? _ A _ A N _ _
? S W E A T
? M A N / I S / A N
I S L A N D
And with that, Frank hits a BANKRUPT. “Why did you do that?” Pat asks him.
? _ A _ A N _ _
? S W E A T
? M A N / I S / A N
I S L A N D
Kristina is looking to redeem herself and does so by finding two C’s on $600. Pat notes that she looks confused and tells her she has to spin if she doesn’t know it, or she’ll get buzzed out. She takes another spin and upon finding a Y and getting $700, she finally gets it.
? _ A C A N C Y
? S W E A T
? M A N / I S / A N
I S L A N D
She solves ? VACANCY / ? SWEAT / ? MAN IS AN ISLAND for $7,800. As Pat approaches her, Kristina’s look goes from confusion to excitement, because she knows the common thread is NO. That earns her an additional $3,000 and the lead.
Kristina - $10,800
Sue - $4,000
Frank - $0
It’s now time for round three and the Jackpot round, which tonight is sponsored by Kathy Ireland Furniture Collection.
And the wheel is adding another prize, which is a trip to Hawaii. Guests will stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island, which includes sports and a tropical landscape. The cost of the package is $5,766.
Round #3
Category: Around the House
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Pat nearly calls it Round 5 before simply saying “this round” and handing it off to Frank, whose bad luck continues with BANKRUPT again.
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Kristina hits the JACKPOT on her first spin and finds a solitary N, and while she jokes about solving, she spins again and gets $700 on an M. But that money is taken right back as Kristina also falls victim to BANKRUPT.
_ _ M _ _
_ _ _ N / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Sue cashes in on $900 thanks to an R, but can’t get $700 on a dud D.
_ _ M _ _
_ _ _ N / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ R
Finally, Frank’s luck is looking up with $450 on a solitary F. He gets a major boost in his score when he hits $3,500 and doubles his take with two C’s. But his luck proves short-lived as he hits BANKRUPT again, losing $7,450.
C _ M F _
_ _ _ N / _ _ _
C _ _ _ R
Much like Frank and BANKRUPT, the JACKPOT seems to love Kristina, as she hits it again. She does find a Y, but it’s too early to solve, so she doubles up on $300 with two B’s. She buys a solitary O before spinning again and getting $600 from a G. Pat reminds her that there’s a large Jackpot still out there, as well as the trip to Hawaii. Kristina says she’ll spin one more time because she wants the trip. And sure enough, the wheel grants her wish, landing on the HAWAII trip. She picks it up thanks to a single H, and now only vowels are left.
C O M F Y
B _ _ N / B _ G
C H _ _ R
Kristina excitedly solves COMFY BEAN BAG CHAIR because she’s going to Hawaii. In her excitement, she picks up the wedge and places it on the ledge after solving the puzzle. Pat tells her she can keep it and put it in her pocket, so she literally hugs the wedge and starts running her hands across it. “It’s a dream come true,” she says, to which Pat replies, “For me too!” Including $950 in cash, that round was worth $6,716 for Kristina.
Kristina - $17,516
Sue - $4,000
Frank - $0
As we head into round four, Kristina has a very large lead, while Frank’s bad luck has prevented him from getting on the board. But this round has been known to change the calculus very quickly.
We don’t have a lot of time for the fourth round, so Pat’s going to give the wheel its final spin. Contestants have three seconds to solve if they find a correct letter, and consonants will be worth…$5,000, plus the $1,000 added for the speedup, every consonant in the puzzle is worth $6,000 apiece.
Round #4
Category: Fictional Character
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Kristina – No S
Sue – 1 N
Frank – 2 R’s
Kristina – 1 Y
Sue – 2 H’s
H _ _ _ _ _ _ _ R R Y
H _ _ N _
Sue calls HUCKLEBERRY HOUND and wins $18,000 cash for her solve. She’s excited, but even more excited when she looks over at the scoreboard to find out who the winner is.
Frank unfortunately had some bad luck, which included Pat fake yelling at him, but he still had a good time and will be taking some nice parting gifts back to New York with him.
Kristina - $17,516
Sue - $22,000
Frank - $0
With that speed-up solve, Sue has overtaken Kristina and is the big winner with $22,000, so she’ll be playing the Bonus Round!
Four prizes are left in the Bonus Round, but my copy cuts off as Pat’s explaining what they are, so I missed one of them. But for sure Sue could win a convertible, a jeep or $25,000 cash.
W – H – E – E – L
Sue picks the first E.
Bonus Round
Category: Thing
_ _ _ _ _
With the R, S, T, L, N and E revealed:
_ L _ _ E
Pat remarks that’s a pretty good start as Sue chooses C, M, P and A.
_ L _ _ E
“Yuck,” the host says as it’s revealed that none of Sue’s letters are up there. Sue guesses FLAKE and PLATE before scanning the used letter board and not coming up with anything else when time expires. The solution was actually GLOBE. Pat says she really needed another letter, and upon opening the envelope, tells her it was just mashed potatoes before revealing that she lost out on $25,000. Sue's upset, but recovers quickly, saying, “That’s okay. I won $22,000."
Additional Notes:
- Although her name tag says Kristina, Pat sometimes calls her “Krissy” throughout the show.
Category: Thing
R O _ E B _ _ H
The answer is revealed as ROSEBUSH. Pat comments on how he always thought it was two words, but he supposes if you’re referring to someone named Rose Bush it would be two words, but otherwise it's just one.
Kristina Murray is from Kent, Washington. She works as a receptionist at A&M Warehouses in Renton, and has a “beautiful, wonderful” family that includes husband Michael and a 5-year-old son named Miles. Kristina says when she was 15, she won a trip to Europe in a singing radio call-in contest.
Sue Kobusky is from Lake Forest, California. She’s also married to a man named Michael and has two sons; Brian is 8 and Spencer is 2. Sue also has a weird connection to Vanna; her mother and Vanna share the same birthday, while her father is born the same day as Vanna’s then-husband. Pat talks to Vanna about this, but she’s not wearing a microphone so we can’t hear her.
Frank Gomez is from New York City, New York. He’s a personal trainer and does both home visits and works at a gym. Upon Pat’s questioning, Frank says “I see some business, definitely” when asked about the show’s crew. In his spare time, Frank likes to ride his bicycle in New York City.
Our first round is the Puzzler Round tonight, which means whoever solves this puzzle has a chance to win $3,000 more.
Round #1
Category: People
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Kristina drew #1 so she’s going to start the game by landing on $900 and getting two S’s. She gets to double her $600 haul on her next spin with two N’s. She does even better with three R’s on $350. Kristina buys one E and one I before spinning $600, but can’t cash in thanks to a dud M.
_ _ N S _ R _ _ _ I _ N
_ _ R _ E R S
Sue gets her first shot at the wheel and nets $1,000 from two C’s on $500.
C _ N S _ R _ C _ I _ N
_ _ R _ E R S
After just one spin, Sue decides she’s going to try and solve the puzzle, and gets it right with CONSTRUCTION WORKERS. While she has $1,000, Pat reminds her that it’s the Puzzler Round and she can get $3,000 more by solving this bonus puzzle.
Puzzler Round
Category: Things
H A _ _ / H A _ _
Sue questioningly asks HARD HATS and cashes in, bringing her first round total to $4,000. She’s so excited, she’s jumping up and down. Pat tells her to calm down and save her energy for later, because there’s still a lot of show left.
Kristina - $0
Sue - $4,000
Frank - $0
That includes the prize that Charlie is describing, which is a outdoors package. It includes fishing gear and supplies, as well as camping gear and clothing from Cabela’s. Altogether, it’s worth $2,500.
Pat asks where the footage for that prize was shot and learns it actually was filmed in Hawaii and not on the backlot. “How come I didn’t go on that trip?” he asks, which gets a chuckle from Charlie.
Round #2
Category: Fill in the Blank
? _ _ _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
Fresh off her victory, Sue gets the round started, but she hits a BANKRUPT attached to the $10,000 space.
? _ _ _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
Frank’s first spin of the game doesn’t fare much better, as he can’t find an R for $550.
? _ _ _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ _ _
? _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
But Kristina is able to cash in on $800 thanks to three S’s, then keeps going with $900 for a solitary T. She buys an A and gets quite a bit of help from six of them. A single W lets her cash in on $400 before she buys a single E and two I’s, and with that, no vowels are left in the puzzle. Kristina spins again and gets $450 on a D, then $700 on an L. A $500 spin nets her $2,000 thanks to four N’s, but her streak ends when she calls a bad B on $300 and can’t go any further.
? _ A _ A N _ _
? S W E A T
? _ A N / I S / A N
I S L A N D
Back to Sue, who gets $600 on a solitary M, but she can’t pick up the FREE SPIN after calling a bad H. Before taking his own spin, Frank points out that Sue landed on FREE SPIN, but Pat tells him that because she didn’t guess a correct letter, she can’t pick it up. “I’ll run this show, Frank!” Pat tells him with fake anger.
? _ A _ A N _ _
? S W E A T
? M A N / I S / A N
I S L A N D
And with that, Frank hits a BANKRUPT. “Why did you do that?” Pat asks him.
? _ A _ A N _ _
? S W E A T
? M A N / I S / A N
I S L A N D
Kristina is looking to redeem herself and does so by finding two C’s on $600. Pat notes that she looks confused and tells her she has to spin if she doesn’t know it, or she’ll get buzzed out. She takes another spin and upon finding a Y and getting $700, she finally gets it.
? _ A C A N C Y
? S W E A T
? M A N / I S / A N
I S L A N D
She solves ? VACANCY / ? SWEAT / ? MAN IS AN ISLAND for $7,800. As Pat approaches her, Kristina’s look goes from confusion to excitement, because she knows the common thread is NO. That earns her an additional $3,000 and the lead.
Kristina - $10,800
Sue - $4,000
Frank - $0
It’s now time for round three and the Jackpot round, which tonight is sponsored by Kathy Ireland Furniture Collection.
And the wheel is adding another prize, which is a trip to Hawaii. Guests will stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island, which includes sports and a tropical landscape. The cost of the package is $5,766.
Round #3
Category: Around the House
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Pat nearly calls it Round 5 before simply saying “this round” and handing it off to Frank, whose bad luck continues with BANKRUPT again.
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Kristina hits the JACKPOT on her first spin and finds a solitary N, and while she jokes about solving, she spins again and gets $700 on an M. But that money is taken right back as Kristina also falls victim to BANKRUPT.
_ _ M _ _
_ _ _ N / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Sue cashes in on $900 thanks to an R, but can’t get $700 on a dud D.
_ _ M _ _
_ _ _ N / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ R
Finally, Frank’s luck is looking up with $450 on a solitary F. He gets a major boost in his score when he hits $3,500 and doubles his take with two C’s. But his luck proves short-lived as he hits BANKRUPT again, losing $7,450.
C _ M F _
_ _ _ N / _ _ _
C _ _ _ R
Much like Frank and BANKRUPT, the JACKPOT seems to love Kristina, as she hits it again. She does find a Y, but it’s too early to solve, so she doubles up on $300 with two B’s. She buys a solitary O before spinning again and getting $600 from a G. Pat reminds her that there’s a large Jackpot still out there, as well as the trip to Hawaii. Kristina says she’ll spin one more time because she wants the trip. And sure enough, the wheel grants her wish, landing on the HAWAII trip. She picks it up thanks to a single H, and now only vowels are left.
C O M F Y
B _ _ N / B _ G
C H _ _ R
Kristina excitedly solves COMFY BEAN BAG CHAIR because she’s going to Hawaii. In her excitement, she picks up the wedge and places it on the ledge after solving the puzzle. Pat tells her she can keep it and put it in her pocket, so she literally hugs the wedge and starts running her hands across it. “It’s a dream come true,” she says, to which Pat replies, “For me too!” Including $950 in cash, that round was worth $6,716 for Kristina.
Kristina - $17,516
Sue - $4,000
Frank - $0
As we head into round four, Kristina has a very large lead, while Frank’s bad luck has prevented him from getting on the board. But this round has been known to change the calculus very quickly.
We don’t have a lot of time for the fourth round, so Pat’s going to give the wheel its final spin. Contestants have three seconds to solve if they find a correct letter, and consonants will be worth…$5,000, plus the $1,000 added for the speedup, every consonant in the puzzle is worth $6,000 apiece.
Round #4
Category: Fictional Character
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Kristina – No S
Sue – 1 N
Frank – 2 R’s
Kristina – 1 Y
Sue – 2 H’s
H _ _ _ _ _ _ _ R R Y
H _ _ N _
Sue calls HUCKLEBERRY HOUND and wins $18,000 cash for her solve. She’s excited, but even more excited when she looks over at the scoreboard to find out who the winner is.
Frank unfortunately had some bad luck, which included Pat fake yelling at him, but he still had a good time and will be taking some nice parting gifts back to New York with him.
Kristina - $17,516
Sue - $22,000
Frank - $0
With that speed-up solve, Sue has overtaken Kristina and is the big winner with $22,000, so she’ll be playing the Bonus Round!
Four prizes are left in the Bonus Round, but my copy cuts off as Pat’s explaining what they are, so I missed one of them. But for sure Sue could win a convertible, a jeep or $25,000 cash.
W – H – E – E – L
Sue picks the first E.
Bonus Round
Category: Thing
_ _ _ _ _
With the R, S, T, L, N and E revealed:
_ L _ _ E
Pat remarks that’s a pretty good start as Sue chooses C, M, P and A.
_ L _ _ E
“Yuck,” the host says as it’s revealed that none of Sue’s letters are up there. Sue guesses FLAKE and PLATE before scanning the used letter board and not coming up with anything else when time expires. The solution was actually GLOBE. Pat says she really needed another letter, and upon opening the envelope, tells her it was just mashed potatoes before revealing that she lost out on $25,000. Sue's upset, but recovers quickly, saying, “That’s okay. I won $22,000."
Additional Notes:
- Although her name tag says Kristina, Pat sometimes calls her “Krissy” throughout the show.
- When Pat reveals the $25,000, a woman in the audience can be heard screaming in shock. It's unclear if this woman has any connection to Sue, or if she's just a random person. Pat actually jumps when this happens, then notes, "This is one of the more dramatic shows we've had!"
This is unfortunately the only Hawaii Week episode I have, but as you'll see, I did a much better job recording complete weeks rather quickly. Next up, I'll be recapping some Big Money Week shows, so be on the lookout for that!
