FULL RECAP - TPiR MDS 05/21/2008

[Joe_Capitano]

Ah, the last one...for now.
Video is up now on cbs.com and affiliates.

Production #0030SP Drew: stage entrance First Four lineup: mixed - Elizabeth just had to bid last Handoff: Brandi Models of the Day: Everybody active except Gwen Wearing: Tiffany 1   Kawasaki Nija 250R Motorcycle (P) 1-ECCHO 2500 4-ELIZABETH 5000 THOMAS 5100 KRISTEN 2501 ($3499) Kristen from Connecticut plays 1/2 OFF (Hamilton Beach) Food Processor $ 50 BOXES IN PLAY Space Bag Hanging Bag 6 $ 12 * 1 3 6 8 9 11 14 16 Digital Camcorder 75 150 * 3 8 9 16 "Titanic" Doll 35 Digital Camera/Nocs 30 60 * 9 16 Retrostyle Cordless Phone 129 Pick:   (16)   $25,000   WIN! The reveal was a goodie. Kristen did exactly as she was told. Drew told her to say "1, 2, 3, Alakazam." She did and with a straight face just stood there. Drew cracked up. Nice one. 2   Honora 10mm Freshwater Pearl Necklace (G) +Eccho 2400 +Elizabeth *3200 Thomas 999 DELILAH 2999 ($4400) Elizabeth from Utah plays 3 STRIKES for a Jaguar XF (Std., Stereo, GPS, Sealer, Wheels)(L&R) Numbers: 2 4 5 6 9 1. (4) 2nd NO 2. (6) 1st NO 3. (4) 1st NO 4. (2) 4th NO 5. (9) 2nd NO 6. (X) STRIKE ONE! 7. (5) 1st * $5---- 8. (9) 5th NO 9. (9) 3rd * $5-9-- 10. (X) STRIKE TWO!! 11. (6) 2nd * $569-- 12. (X) STRIKE THREE!!! YER OUT!!!   ($56,942)   LOSS 3   Shrek Pnball Machine (A) +Eccho *3001 JONATHAN 2857 +Thomas 2950 Delilah 3000 ($4595) Eccho from Victorville, CA plays RANGE GAME for a Dutchman Eco Travel Trailer (P&R) Scale: $16,900-$17,500 Range: $17,095-$17,245 Price: $17,093   PAINFUL LOSS ...and it even had her name on it...sort of. SHOWDOWN #1 $ 4,400 Elizabeth 55 + 35 .90 4,595 Eccho 95 stay .95 Through to Showcase Round 30,435 Kristen 55 + 20 .75 4   Diamondback 1260EF Elliptical Trainer (B) REBECCA 3200 Jonathan *1776 +Thomas 3300 Delilah 3301 ($2599) *** $1,000,000 GAME *** Jonathan from Mesa, AZ plays COVER UP for a Jeep Wrangler X (Std., Power, AT, Top) Setup    8 1st Try  4 [9][3] 1   2 2 6 2nd Try [2][9][3] 3 [5] 0 4 1 3rd Try [2][9][3] 2 [5]  LOSS   ($29,315) 2 3 3 5 2 9 6 0 3   4 0 9 1 2 $3 1 5 7 4 5   Dell XPS M1530 Laptop/Printer (G&P) Rebecca 3000 LINDA 2500 +Thomas 2900 Delilah *3200 ($3245) Delilah plays GRAND GAME (Target: $7.00) (6) Francesco Rinaldi Pasta Sauce $ 1.99 $ 20 (4) (Campbell's Select) Soup 2.99 200 (1) CLR Bath/Kitchen Cleaner 4.19 2000 (3) Lanacane Cream 6.49 20000   WIN! (2) Combat Quick Kill Roach Killer (5) Aleve Liquid Gels (40) It's nervous time for ol' Thomas. His fate lies in the pricing of one last Item, and failure means another banishment to the primetime wing of the "First Four" Breakfast Club, where all they watch on the telly is the lone episode of "Secret Talents of the Stars" 24/7 - it's Mimi's favorite show. Can he escape that punishment? 6   Taye 5 pc Drum Set/Meinl Byzance Cymbals (T) Rebecca 6900 Linda *4000 +Thomas 1 VERNA 3400 ($4080) Thomas heads off to the clubhouse while Linda plays DOUBLE PRICES for a Ford Mustang Conv. (Std., Remote, Net)(ABP&R) $27,695 PICK ($25,170) LOSS $25,170 SHOWDOWN #2 $ 2,599 Jonathan 75 stay .75 Through to Showcase Round 4,080 Linda 65 + 65 .OV 23,245 Delilah 40 + 20 .60 SHOWCASE ROUND Eccho has the honor. SC1-Jonathan HOW TO ENJOY YOUR MEALS IN STYLE Stainless Range, Fridge & Dishwasher (A) Trip to Paris (NWA Vacations; 5n)(L) Sanyor Ski Boat (G) BID $41,323 PRICE 83,747 DIFF –42,424 SC2-Eccho HOW THE LADIES SPEND THEIR WEEKENDS Hippo His/Hers Golf Equipment EZ GO RXV Golf Cart (P&R) Trip to Tokyo (NWA Vacations; 5n)(B) Dodge Viper SRT10 (Std., 8 SPd, Wheels, GPS)(T) BID $79,505 PRICE 104,474 DIFF –24,969 TOTAL $109,069 Today's Pricing Games: 2 for 6 Total Winnings: $173,828 THIS IS THE ONLY OFFICIAL GOLDEN-ROAD.net SHOW RECAP. REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT AUTHOR PERMISSION.

[heelsrule1988]

1/2 Off was the perfect start to the night. Hilarious and awesome at the same time.

BEST CONTESTANT OF THE DAY: Elizabeth
SHOW GRADE: 3

[ClockGameJohn]

One thing that hit me tonight, was the the awkwardness of 1/2 Off's cash bonus not being increased for Primetime.  I don't know why I didn't realize it before, but I did tonight.  Everything else is supersized for the MDS, but not that.

On another note, I don't like the cash bonus for 1/2 Off, but since it's there, it felt odd not being doubled.

Range game was awful close, and upon review of the instant she hit the button and how the rangefinder stopped, I wouldn't be so sure on whether or not she lost.

I saw several people in chat discussing how Cover Up's M$G premise went against the strategy of winning Cover Up, but it actually made even more sense.  Do you want to risk using strategy to win the car, or make it harder by going for a million bucks?  I think it added a cool element to the game.  Much better than risking prizes that were won or coming up with something as rediculous as 5 digit Safe Crackers.  I think having the M$ element should be a part of everyday gameplay, not something added for the sake of a gimmick.

The one thing I can say about the million dollar specials that seems to get stale is that we see the same games and similar prizes every so often.  Overdoses of Plinko and high dollar cars can be a big downfall in the future.  As long as the specials stay "special," we will be ok.  I'm glad that they're done for now.  It makes the show interesting when it's not overdone.

[Wayoshi]

A very decent show tonight, but unfortunately the worst contestant gameplay-wise got the $1mil game:

-Halfy: Take that, DOB, you can't hide in 16 anymore! Funniest moment of the night, she was probably nervous to open the lid...Drew did well to recover and throw to commercial.
-Jaguar Strikes: The one thing bad about foreign cars reared its ugly head: random price. I had 52649 as a reasonable paint protection guess, never did I think it would be 56942. Liz was a great contestant and while the segment was edited somewhat she at least seemed to move it along. She did the best she could until luck gave her her three strikes.
-Rangey: PRIMETIME OOOOOOOOOOOF! How could an Eco trailer be lost by a person named Eccho? They were meant for each other....
-Cover: Finally, what we all were clamoring for...too bad he screwed up any suspense. I understand the Jeep Unlimited will be more than a 20k Wrangler, but 29k was sticking out there, it wasn't like between a 4 and a 1 for the Shelby Mustang. Also, no paint protection - the last digit should have been a given. My guess for the $1mil was $29,305 - I was surprised to find Gavazzi NOT holding here, remember in M$ Rangey the price was 22,605. Still, it wasn't a repeat of a 2 - overall, just a subpar, random-guessing playing.
-Grandy: When was the last time someone even considered bailing in this game? Fortunately she moves on and wins.
-DP: My Mom told me right away, "has to be -95!". That's when I realized the DOB was playing the Mustang overpricing card - convertible deluxes are indeed just under 25k in price.
-SC1: A random boat I couldn't even spell the name of...I bet the DOB trapped him with another ultra low bid, and that thing is megabucks - 81,108.
-SC2: Viper has a 80k base alone, Eccho...and it's loaded...not sure about the golf-cart...played it safe with 93,308...
-Results: Thanks to my suspicions on the boat, I won CSS today! Meanwhile, Stage Player indeed has another garffest, but Eccho garfs the least and is justified from her painful loss earlier!

B

[Franc]

I also noticed the Half Off lack of increased cash bonus.

That was a hilarious moment in Half-Off. I haven't seen Drew laugh like that since his days on Whose Line Is It Anyway? !

I agree with John on the CoverUp strategy vs $1M thing. It's a good thing, especially since the strategy is not common knowledge among casual fans. Let's face it, how many times have we seen someone using the strategy in Cover Up this year? 1?

Great show, but yeah, let's not make too much of a good thing!

[SteveGavazzi]

My guess for the $1mil was $29,305 - I was surprised to find Gavazzi NOT holding here, remember in M$ Rangey the price was 22,605.

To tell you the truth, I never even considered the 0 as a possible choice...1 is right way more reliably than anything else, so I went with it as soon as I saw it.

[ssetta]

Aww, I'm sooo sad the MDS's are over. They were so much fun, and it looks like they did more than ever this season. Do you think maybe they'll do more next season?

[Cue in "Pomp and Circumstance"]

[Richie]

Half Off: Funniest moment tonight: Kristen copies what Drew says!  I had a hunch Roger was going to put the money in 16.........Kristen and I were definitely on the same wavelength.

Three Strikes: Great to see this back in primetime....and for a Jaguar!!!!  As for the playing itself, that price was nasty!  I thought $56924.....oh man $56942?  NASTY price.  The strikes did poor Elizabeth in....too bad. 

Range Game: OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Painful loss by $3!!!!  I felt really bad for Eccho not winning that Eco trailer.

Cover Up: I called this the MDPG in chat this morning and I was right!  I felt a little iffy when Jonathan put the 4 down as the first number....I was like there goes your chance for an exacta.  My price was $29325.  Oof, the fourth number was the killer again.  That price was pretty tough in my honest opinion....I didn't expect the one to be the fourth digit.

Grand Game: Delilah thought about quitting with the $2K, but the audience thought otherwise and I felt that they led her in the right direction this time.  My picks were the pasta sauce, CLR, Lanacane, and the soup.

Double Prices: The Mustang Convertible deluxe didn't have that many options added, which prompted me to pick the $25K price.  I think Roger wanted to trap somebody into overpricing a Mustang Convertible and he got his wish with Linda picking the top price.

Showcases: I had a gut feeling both Jonathan and Eccho bid too low.
When Eccho was $24K off her showcase, I noticed that Jonathan was doing a bit of a dance and I was thinking----he was doing that little jig because he thinks he has won that showcase with his bid.  I wonder if anybody noticed this during the showcases.
Anyways, Jonathan garfed more and he was really disappointed.....the jig is up!

I was really happy Eccho won.  She got something better than that painful loss she had to endure in Range game.

BEST CONTESTANT OF THE DAY: Elizabeth

Hate to disagree with you heels, I thought Eccho was the best contestant---I loved her enthusiasm onstage.

[GedAlexNeil30]

Just got done watching it on the DVR (and doing push-ups each comm break, will explain later):

HO: I said everything she said.
3S: Initially thought it was over $60K.  Dunno how I would've fared. (Hard to say in these games)
RG: Would've lost less painfully the Eccho did.  Would've made sure $17195 and $17295 were in red area.
CU: Would've said $29635 initially (and wouldn't have been a millionaire but it would've been a better guess then Jonathan's by a long shot)
GG: Sadly wasn't really paying attention to it.
DP: Was this a DOB-stopper, as you call it?  I would've picked bottom, because it was obviously set up for a loss. LOL

SC's: Boat-$55K, Viper- $100K (I really didn't think that boat was THAT expensive! Sheesh!)

[therealdeal]

Interesting 3rd One-Bid (Pin ball machine) music cue... have not heard since clips in the early 90's.  It sounded updated!?!  or maybe just a different part of it.  Seemed like Drew, some of the audience, and some of the contestants were getting into the beat!

From temptation1979ga1's clips ... the third cue with Holly.

Any knowledge of what cue this is?  Has a catchy beat.

[ClockGameJohn]

It is from the Killer Tracks collection.

[OCSO407]

I agree competely, Wayoshi... first half was good, second half, ARRGH!!

Halfy -- I laughed as hard as Drew did... "1, 2, 3, Alakazam, and open the lid!"... CLASSIC!! (And she didn't even open the lid the first time!!)  Will be one of those "classic clips", and a win to boot!!

3 Strikes -- ... and yer out! I was thinking $56K... yes, it was a DOB setup.

Rangey -- OUCH with EXTRA OUCH!!  Three dollars...

Million Dollar Cover -- Another suggestion heard from us here at G-R? Good premise, but as soon as he set the "4" down, you could kiss the money goodbye as fast as his job! Once he got to the last number, I was definitely feeling "1"... too bad he's broke, without a car, and without a job!

Grandy and Double were all right... yup, Double was destined for a loss.

SC1... once again, no money, no car, no job, and now no kitchen, trip or boat... You think a Jeep is $40K, but a speedboat is only $29K or so?? *slaps face* Snap out of it!!

SC2... although Eccho won, I agree with all... I was screaming at least $90K... I was trying to recall how much the last Viper was when it was on Golden Road in daytime, I think it was at least $80K...

All in all, not a bad closing MDS for Drew... a good round of them overall, with the three big takers. Can't wait for next season's offerings!!

[goldroadfanatic]

So this is the final MDS of 2008, supposedly.  I have enjoyed this batch very much; we had over $3 million awarded, foreign cars return after a 15-year abscence, and the show was filmed in HD. 

½ Off was hilarious to watch when it came to the reveal, Drew said "Say 1, 2, 3, alakazam, and open the lid" and Kristen did just that, send Drew, the audience, and most of us in chat to hysterics.  It was great that she won $25,000; it was also great that this wasn't the million dollar game again, I doubt that she would risk what was already won.

Today marks the first time we heard the extended version of the Triple Play intro cue for a car.  Also, we saw 3 Strikes in primetime for the first time since May 22, 2004, which was a sight to see.

Also, its probable that 3 Strikes was edited for broadcast.  Elizabeth, after five aired draws, then broke the ice and had a good idea what the price of the Jaguar was.  It's a darn shame that she ended up striking out.

All of us in chat were deciding that should a technical win have been awarded in Range Game, because the delay in stopping makes the rangefinder move $2 from when the button was hit.  After analyzing it, she pushed the button at $17,094, so she really did lose that time.

I guess a good chunk of us saw this coming eventually, Cover Up as the million dollar game!

John makes a good point about Cover Up as the MDG, one can forget about winning the million but can use strategy over a few turns to try to win the car.  I wonder why Jonathan initially thought the Jeep fetched over $49,000 initially.  But thankfully he had two numbers right and kept going; it's a shame that he lost with the fourth number, which is very hard for the casual viewer.

I was surprised that Delilah considred bailing out in $2,000 initally, since contestants just go for it all nowadays.  The audience sure did a heck of a job talking her out of it.

The presentation of the Viper was just cool with the smoke machines. Also, thanks to the jib cam, it appears they put something resembling a mat under a car again for the first time in years.

[tpirfan28]

It was, at most, a $3 loss in Range Game....but you can make that call.  (I love HD....)

Cover Up as the MDPG was the best so far.

Great show, overall.

[phunguy]

I'll start a thread in Talk is Right on what changes you'd like to see for future MDS shows, Sally.  I agree that the cash bonus in Halfy should be increased to at least $1,000, and while we're at it, double the payouts in It's in the Bag as well.

As for Eccco, she managed to comeback well from her painful loss to win her Dodge viper showcase.