Grand Opening (Day 5)

Well, it's time to wrap up an up-and-down week of awesomeness! And I didn't mention it last episode, but we're on the verge of a PERFECT BONUS ROUND WEEK!!! Will it happen tonight?

Tonight's Potential Perfectos: Mark, Katie, Rachel

Toss-Up 1: Food & drink
P E A N U _ _ / _ N
T _ E / S H E _ _

Katie guesses PEANUTS IN THE SHELL...and she's right.

Toss-Up 2: Thing
_ I C T _ _ _
C H _ E _

Mark does a VICTORY CHEER after learning he's just won $2,000.

Featured Prize: Trip to the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park, $6,000

Jackpot Round: Things

Mark finds an $1,800 pair of S's, but he's going for a very quick solve...

_ _ _ _ S / &
_ _ _ _ S

WOW!!! He nails ACHES & PAINS for that amount! Very impressive, Mark!

QUICK FIRST-EVER DOMINATION!

Unclaimed Jackpot: $5,900

Mark: $3,800
Katie: $1,000 Toss-Up money
Rachel: $0

Mystery Round: Thing

Katie plays catch-up with Mark by landing on the MW near LaT and calling an S. She flips it...but goes right back down to zero. Rachel can't find an R on $400. This time, after making an impressive R1 solve, Mark promises he's going all the way. He finds a $600 pair of T's, buys 2 E's, picks up the pink 1/2-Car with an N, and finds $400 from an M. After buying a trio of I's, he gets a $300 D and clears the vowel board with an O. He picks up the Wild Card with an H and collects $500 from an F. And staying true to his word, he fills the whole board with a $1,200 pair of C's. The board reads:

S C I E N T I F I C
M E T H O D

Mark must have had a "clever" SCIENTIFIC METHOD for playing that way; in any case, he's earned $2,750 and his cardboard.

Wrong Letter: R (Rachel)
Bankrupt: Katie

Mark: $6,550 + WC + 1/2-Car
Katie: $1,000
Rachel: $0

Prize Puzzle: What are you doing?

Rachel finds a $400 S and a $1,000 (near the MDW) pair of T's. After buy an E trio and an A pair, she goes for 2 L's on $300, but doesn't get any more on $700 with an R. Mark gets a $500 G and a $1,200 N pair...before getting the pink 1/2-Car (his second plate) with a pair of C's! And he's nervous about this, but he's going for the solve...

E A T _ N G
T _ E / L _ C A L
C _ _ S _ N E

With $2,700, Mark can go EATING THE LOCAL CUISINE in BARBADOS! Not only that, he's the first car winner of the season, the new owner of a $10,000 Sedan! With the vacation valued at $6,500, he's earned $19,200 cash and prizes that round!

Wrong Letter: R (Rachel)

Mark: $25,750 cash, Caribbean, and car + WC
Katie: $1,000
Rachel: $0

Toss-Up 3: Phrase
H _ _ / O F F
T H E / G _ _ L L

Here's something HOT OFF THE GRILL - a quadrupler for Katie.

Round 4: Place

Katie starts out with a $1,500 (near the empty MDW) trio of R's, but strikes out with S on $450. After Rachel picks a wrong letter of C on $300, it's Final Spin time...

_ _ R _ _ R _
_ _ R _ _ _ _ _

...and consonants are worth $1,300 each. Mark asks for a pair of T's...

_ _ R _ _ R T
T _ R _ _ _ _ _

...and nails AIRPORT TERMINAL for $2,600 and the blowout win!

Wrong Letters: S (Katie), C (Rachel)

Mark: $28,350 + WC
Katie: $4,000 Toss-Up money
Rachel: $1,000 consolation

Maingame Winnings: $33,350

Perfect Bonus Round Week Alert: Places

Will Mark give us a good ending? He lands on the S in SPIN (he had a medium-strong spin, by the way).

RSTLNE fill in nearly half the puzzle:

R _ _
_ _ _ S E S

He's gonna kill it with WHCO and P (his WC pick)...

R O W
H O _ S E S

...and we have our first PERFECT BONUS ROUND WEEK of the season already!!! Mark doesn't live in any ROW HOUSES, but he's earned another 35 large and leaves us with $63,350 cash and prizes! Thank you, so much, Mark!