I just watched it, and it's clear they're going for a more humorous angle. I know that's not what I want, but it fills in that zany part of the lineup that's usually occupied by
Match Game or
Holey Moley.
Taking a few notes throughout the game:
- In general, I feel the show is intentionally leaning into the more chaotic side, and the change in the Mini-Sweep iterates that pretty well. I'd say that's more fun than just "Oh, now that your partner buzzed in, if you give it to me in 30 seconds... or 20... blah blah"
- They integrated more "characters" into this version, like the security guard, "bagger", and the sweep bonus (florist/barista this episode). The bagger giving a one-line zinger is fine, I wasn't the biggest fan of repeating the same gag for the security guard, but the maingame bonus goes a bit overboard. In theory, with some of the past bonuses, like the coffee grinder or candy counter or international bread section/magazines, it is up to the player to control their fate (technically it was possible to get some cans of coffee while holding down the button, candy counter could be a one-shot thing, memorization played a role along with an additional list), but it's obvious that they're stalling for a predetermined time designated by the producers.
- I wasn't that big of a fan of the ruling on Lucky Charms in Sweep Right - the contestant was able to say the brand, which was enough for the Hamburger Helper Hand and the Nesquick Bunny. However, it's a fine game.
- Stop Faking It feels like another variation of the vanilla game they played in the PAX/Lifetime series, and same with the slogan game.
- Not a fan of reusing the same game twice in one episode. My mind instantly jumps to Don't, which did repeat games throughout the season, but always had five unique games. I know there can't be that many games you can do with grocery products, but it just seemed odd to do in a season premiere.
- However, I am a fan that both games aren't played for the same amount of time; it seems like Game 1 is for a maximum of 60 seconds, while Game 2 is for 30-40 seconds. That way, the weaker player, if necessary, doesn't have to play as much, but still can bank a considerable amount of time. It adds a layer of strategy that's a little more apparent than in the 90s.
- The Round Robin game is supposed to be rapid fire, and I don't like the direction they went here, because it slows down the game.
- I already stated I'm not a fan of the acts for the extra bonus, but the Golden Cans are a better version of the Manager's special. Honestly, it was too hard to follow what was going on; that's why the 90s version had a dedicated announcer do a sports play-by-play of every action. Due to the focus on the team doing nothing, only grabbing bonuses, and the focus on the florist, I thought all three teams played the Sweep very poorly until the final totals rang. Leslie was a frantic game show host the entire hour, which is fine to keep the energy up, but bad when she's also trying to help you make sense of what's happening in the middle of guffawing at a prearranged skit.
Although I appreciate an endgame with generous bailouts (and a guaranteed 21 seconds to go for a fourth item for $50,000 is REALLY nice), the bonus round worked because it was one last burst of frantic energy, and the bailout options slow this frantic game to a halt. In addition, adding 20 seconds for item four, then 15 seconds for item 5 is a bit awkward. It's not a one-to-one comparison, but there is another show on television right now that ends with a contestant finding five grocery items for a grand prize -
Guy's Grocery Games. After beating three other chefs in a cook-off, the contestant has to find five grocery items in 2 minutes. I'd say the contestants get around 3 to 5 items each time with harder hints (culinary info like "This is what muddles a mojito" vs the riddles). I think it would scale about right if it was a 90-second bonus round, with a money ladder of $10,000 for three correct items, $25,000 for four, and $100,000 for five (or if you really insist, keep the $25k/$50k/$100k).
7.5/10, and I'll be back next week for sure. I was expecting Leslie to put all the attention on her, but at her highs she was a good game show host, and at her lows she was much easier to tune out than I thought she'd be.
