Wow...they really wanted both car games won today, and both contestants ended up really blowing them. You could tell Drew knew it, too -- he basically lost all enthusiasm on both Lucia and Alma's last guesses.
I wouldn't put the emphasis on Alma. Drew knew it because he knows the show doesn't deviate far from 20/30/40 after hosting these last 10 years, but common contestants do not. There should be
no. such. thing. as a $40 stand mixer. What is it made of? Sticks and stones held together with sap and rubber bands. It is common knowledge that stand mixers are generally very expensive. Usually well over $150 for some of the name brands like Sunbeam and KitchenAid. Alma clearly knew that the last SP wouldn't be north of $100, but I wouldn't be surprised if she thought that because stand mixers were usually expensive, this one was still a bit up there.
I know this is bothering me more than it should, but I feel pretty safe saying Mila spinning the Big Wheel was staged -- neither Showcase Showdown ended with the wheel on 75.
Come on, a $10,000 Plinko chip and a showdown dollar? It was definitely staged.
I don't think it was staged at all. Neither Showdown ended with the wheel on 75, but note that both Kathryn and Kristen are off to the side while Mila spins. I think Mila spun after the both of them had and that's where the wheel was when the previous woman went. And given that they played an entire playing of Bag for online only content, that seems likely. Maybe I'm naive (that Bag playing was also won), but given that we've seen crazier things happen on Price (earlier this season, in fact). I think Mila was just really lucky.
We have such a standard of "all-encompassing specials" that is so low with the likes of Jack Wagner that this honestly didn't seem that bad to me. I'll admit that their modelling in both Most Expensive and especially Squeeze Play was so over the top in parody it looked like the worst of SNL and MadTV combined. However, I felt a very sincere, genuine feel from all three of them. They actually were excited to be on the show and I think it's really great to see that in celebrity guests. Maybe not to the rest of you, but they sold me on the fact that they wanted to be there and that alone made the show more enjoyable to me.
I suppose the one thing I didn't like the most was Grocery Game. I don't think guests should run the register. I haven't liked it in the past and I don't like it now. It can be complicated and a contestant is trying to win a prize, and they shouldn't be confused further. A model should do it, especially the longest tenured one who's done it countless times.
Nice to see a mini-van on the show. I'm not entirely sure on this, but this might be the first mini-van in 5 years since the first Baby Shower special. I'm not sure if a mini-van was on one of the family/kids specials or not.
Also, and this is unbelievable, this looks to be the first playing of Lucky Seven (daytime) not played for a dream car to have a prize crack $30K+ in 5 years as well, also on that same Baby Shower special.
Look, I'm not hoisting this show high upon a pedestal for Emmy consideration, nor would I say that I'd rewatch it, but if you think this is some nadir and slippery slope the show is going to head back down, I think you've really given the episode an unfair shake.
