December 8, 1997 recap

Airdate: December 8, 1997

From Sony Pictures Studio, it's America's game! Welcome to Puerto Rico Week!

Today's contestants:
Steven Sullivan: 5th grade teacher, recently married, Palm Beach Springs, FL
Barbara Noyes: Police officer for 19 years (now midnight shift), has two sets of twins, Blauvelt, NY
Brooke Ewing: Sales representative for food manufacturing, currently engaged, Owings Mills, MD

A $1,000 space is on the Wheel, and there's a puzzle waiting for the contestants in our first round:


Brooke solves LAW & ORDER.


A quick first round, so quickly give us a prize! Just don't think about it at the last minute.

We'll throw in a Brownie's Third Lung scuba gear package (labeled SCUBA) valued at $4,560.

Not too much thought required for these...the $2,500 space and one-third $10,000 space. Time may have been required for this puzzle though, so if you can, contestants, show some respect.


Barbara solves ? DUDS ? THE COW ? OF HUMAN KINDNESS. She can do something with the puzzle for another $2,000.

She correctly answers milk.


It could happen to the Wheel, with a $3,500 space, and the Jackpot is in this round.


Perfection! Brooke solves BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER.


They're playing this quickly, so the $5,000 space could be happy. Here's another puzzle!


Barbara solves I'VE GOT TO HAND IT TO YOU for the Surprise: A trip to France and stay at the Le Parc hotel worth $6,841!


We easily have enough time for a fifth round:


(Aired) Perfection! Barbara solves CAMELOT to keep the SCUBA gear.


Let's squeeze in one more...


DING DING! DING DING!

Well, good things must come to an end. We'll need to hurry up now, so Pat will spin...$5,000!

Steven: K ($5,000)

Steven finally gets off the bench with STEAK FRIES.






BONUS ROUND:

And we still have time to look at what prizes are available, too!
Caribbean "Once-in-a-lifetime" vacation ($15,000)
Buick Park Avenue (over $36,000)
'98 Chevy Blazer (over $28,000)
Regal 2100 LSR Boat (over $24,000)
$25,000 in spendable cash

Barbara will now pick an envelope, and can still take her time. It'll be the first E. And this will be her final puzzle:

RSTLNE gives her...

If GCDA doesn't do it, I don't know what will:

Barbara simply reads the answer and wins the BOAT worth $24,226! She finishes with a deserving high total of $41,477.

Pat and Vanna talk about the new floors in the studio during the post-game chat.