September 8, 2003 (SEASON 21 PREMIERE) recap

Airdate: September 8, 2003

From Sony Pictures Studio, it's the season premiere of America's game! Welcome to Big Money Week!

And welcome to a brand new set! Out with the gold, in with the blue!

Lights! Lights! And more Lights!

We take no responsibility for any blindness this might cause if you stare at it for too long.

(Note that starting this season, letters on the puzzle board sometimes reveal slower than usual. I'm not sure how this would sporadically happen.)

Everything else, the same as before. We have a Toss-Up ready for you:

Go!

Larry solves SHOPPING ONLINE.


The season's first spenders:
Larry Brooks: Optician by day, murder mystery theater writer by night, from Stuart, FL
Desiree Barsuglia: Studying science at Sacramento City college, hoping to work in forensics, Sacramento, CA
Jessica Davis: Server/aspiring singer, Berwyn, IL

The only killing around here will be time...and possibly Toss-Ups, such as this one:

Go!

Jessica solves COMEDY CENTRAL.


Don't let the outside return the favor by robbing you; get to the center of the $10,000 space for the prize!



Jessica solves BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND.


You'll still get your prizes...we hope, such as a trip to Nevada and stay at Casablanca Resort and Casino (labeled TRIP) worth $13,800!

What would a Big Money week be without the Jackpot wedge?


JACKPOT! Jessica solves BANANA & LICKETY-SPLIT for a massive $14,900 pot!


I don't know if you've gone bananas, though it depends on the risk. With the two Mystery Wedges back in action, you could find a BANKRUPT. But you could possibly find a Toyota Echo worth $13,245.

Larry may be curious about Round 3:


Larry solves UNIVERSITY IN ENGLAND OR A TYPE OF CLOTH. Time to provide a correct answer to our season's first "clue" for $3,000.

No guess. They wanted an answer of Oxford.


If you're still not back in the swing, we'll try one more Toss-Up:

Go!

Jessica solves ANNUALS & PERENNIALS.


She can pad her lead even more with the $5,000 space!


DING DING! DING DING!

And there goes her loophole. Pat gives the Wheel a Final Spin, and consonants will be worth $400 + $1,000 for $1,400 a piece.

Jessica: L (x2) ($5,400)

Perfection! Jessica solves KING KONG AND GODZILLA.


And another consecutive premiere that leaves somebody in the cold begging. Desiree gets the $500 consolation prize.





BONUS ROUND:

As our first subject in Bonus Land this season, Jessica can try for...
Infiniti SUV
Nissan 350Z
A boatload of cash ($25K-$50K)
The whole bundle ($100,000)

We've redone our Bonus Wheel a little bit as well. The lettering and numbering is now blue.

Jessica is the first to test it (though it just barely goes all the way around?), and she will try out the I. This puzzle will try her out:

RSTLNE gives her...

She trusts the combo of DMCI:

She does not solve HELPFUL HINTS...

...and misses out on the Infiniti. But she still leaves with $28,000, all cash.