Wheel of Fortune Recap: 10/2/1989

Now we're heading into October, where the Free Spin wedge is out and the second yellow $500 is in... but for now, we still have the Free Spin wedge and the Clarendon yellow $300.

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America's most watched game show has given away hundreds of thousands of dollars so far this Season! The winnings may get even bigger this month, but the start of the month is a bit of a low-ball, since over...



...can be won tonight on... Nighttime Wheel of Fortune! And today, these trio of contestants are ready to win a bunch of cash and prizes.

John Yeuster: Returning champion, who has collected $8,350 all cash on the last episode!
Donna Beigenbaum: Elementary school substitute teacher.
Laurie Cohen: She's also a substitute teacher.

Will Laurie teach Donna how to win WoF? Will Donna get an A at this game? Or will John protect his crown? Look below and see what went on.



There's $1,000 on that wheel and also a Bankrupt, but let's not focus on that. The first round is where these players are playing for cash and the first puzzle is... yep, you guessed it. A Phrase.



The player in Red won the backstage draw and has the advantage of going first, it's John. He starts us with a couple of letters before his instinct that the second word was OF was false, making the F a dud. Donna then makes another dud, an N on the purple $200. Laurie lights up the S, but lands on $350 and calls the dud F as in fail. John has his turn back, but control goes to Donna since he LATs. Donna's turn doesn't last long since he's dudding with an L on the red $400. Laurie calls a C on $800, an invisible C since there aren't any. John puts up the first and only consonant multiple this round and after lighting the D, he buys FOUR Us, very rare.



After that good buy, he tells Pat to PUT UP YOUR DUKES for $1,150.

John: $1,150
Donna:
Laurie: Dud repeater.

Bankrupts: 0
Lose a Turns: 1 (John - $450)
Duds: 5 (John - F - $450), (Donna (2) - N, L - both with $0), (Laurie (2) - Repeat F, C - both with $150)
Missolves: 0



John has an early lead, but like I said, it's early and there's a $2,500 wedge now on the wheel along with a prize: it's a custom made ring with five diamonds in the middle of it, from JC Penney, it's a value of $2,750! Have some fun with a word game puzzle, Before & After.



It's also a four liner! Donna gets to start this round, but starts it with a Lose a Turn. Laurie takes control and hits some high amouns before...



...she solves BOB HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL for $3,850!

John: $1,150
Donna:
Laurie: $3,850

Bankrupts: 0
Lose a Turns: 1 (Donna - $0)
Duds: 0
Missolves: 0



$3,500 is now on the wheel, a lot of money can be made should the pointer end up on that pink wedge! Round 3's category is... Phrase...



Laurie starts the round and gets the T up there before she duds with an R on the pink $300. John puts up the S, but duds with an N on $550 right after. Donna now has a turn and immediately hits the top dollar... and uncovers THREE Ls! However, she buys a dud E directly after. Laurie gets a few more letters up there before she loses $600 via Bankrupt. John gets two more letters up there...



He solves POLITICAL ASYLUM, which earns him $1,950 more and denies Donna of more than $10,000.

John: $3,100
Donna:
Laurie: $3,850

Bankrupts: 1 (Laurie - $600)
Lose a Turns: 0
Duds: 3 (John - N - $250), (Donna - E - $10,250), (Laurie - R - $150)
Missolves: 0



It's a close match so far, but $3,500 is here to stay and try to break it up and a new prize has come to the wheel, a Kimbel grand piano which is $5,898 (marked PIANO, on pink $300)! This puzzle is a Thing.



John starts this round, but starts it with a Bankrupt. Donna can't get anything better, since he LATs. Laurie gets to spin and she duds with a T on $1,000. John lights some letters before he hits Lose a Turn, leaving $2,150 on the table. Back to Donna whose luck may be getting better since she picks up the Piano! After putting up another consonant and a vowel, she duds with an R on the pink $600. Laurie spins and she calls an L that's nowhere to be seen. The Ms are put up...



John gets $3,550 more by solving an ESCAPE MECHANISM... thingy.

John: $6,650
Donna:
Laurie: $3,850

Bankrupts: 1 (John - $0)
Lose a Turns: 2 (John - $2,150), (Donna- $0)
Duds: 3 (Donna - R - $950 + Piano), (Laurie (2) - T, L - both with $0)
Missolves: 0



The new template is on the wheel and it is looking quite expensive, with the $5,000 and $1,500 wedges on the wheel! The category is the same as Round 4, a Thing.



Donna starts the round and on her first spin, she hits the $5,000! She calls that $5,000 T and a $500 R before dudding with a P on the purple $350. Over to Laurie, who hits Bankrupt on her first third template spin. John is probably planning on spinning, but the bells have other plans.



It's Speedup time, so Pat has to give the wheel a final spin!



John:
Donna: $5,500
Laurie:

Final Spin Result:
$300

Not much, but vowels are free and consonants are $300 a piece.



John is in control and here's the table so you can see what happens.



We have this...



Donna gets on the board with FAMILY TREE!

John: $6,650
Donna: $5,800
Laurie: $3,850

Bankrupts: 1 (Laurie - $0)
Lose a Turns: 0
Duds: 1 (Donna - P - $5,500)
Missolves: 0

Medium-High Sized Maingame Winnings: $16,300



Everyone won something today, including our retuning champion who won with $6,650 giving him an all cash 2-day total of $15,000 so far! However, he can win a whole lot more and it's Monday, so there are five great prizes out here for him to win. John can win a sports car worth almost $28,000, a Vacation of a Lifetime where he'll go to London, Zurich, Paris, and Venice, that's valued at over $26,000, a Cadillac worth over $31,000, a $23,000 piece of jewelry, and the great & green $25,000 cash!



All five cards are available, but John can only pick one and he grabs the second E. The Bonus Round puzzle's category is... People.



People does not always mean proper names, so it probably doesn't here. Let's see if RSTLNE is going to be a big help.



Almost half revealed to start. Now John needs to get to work with three more consoants and a vowel. He's going to try CHMO.



That is... barely helpful. It's possible though, so can he solve this one?



He got it right after the timer started, very impressive solve! Now the question is... what Bonus prize will he be enjoying?

The jewelry! Albeit, I'm not sure if he or his wife will enjoy it.

Either way, his two day total is now $38,000 cash and jewelry and he will be returning on the next episode for one last spin of the wheel!