Happy New Year, everyone! Time to kick off 2009 with some USA Deal action.
Now, because New Year's Day comes but once a year, the show has thrown in some bonuses. Yes, more gimmickry! Be still, my beating heart.
First of all, borrowing heavily from the Christmas episode, there's a side game where 9 of the left-side amounts (denoted by asterisks) have a Happy New Year sign inside. Eliminating all of these nets the player a $10,000 bonus on top of whatever else they win. Also, because DoND likes to recycle old props, if a player goes all the way, they win a mystery prize that's inside a huge case with 2009 on the front. It's actually one of the huge cases from the failed experiment of last season known as Double or Nothing. Bearing all of this in mind, let the games commence!
Our first contestant is Brien Crowder, a youth basketball coach who hopes to get a slam dunk with a win over The Banker. Let's see if he can do so with Case 11.
Round 1 - 6 to open
Briefcases 21 ($75*), 26 ($5*), 1 ($5,000), 6 ($300,000), 5 ($100,000), and 14 ($10,000) eliminated. Banker offers $83,000; NO DEAL.
Round 2 - 5 to open
Briefcases 4 ($200,000), 3 ($1), 7 ($25*), 19 ($400*), and 15 ($1,000) eliminated. Banker offers $128,000; NO DEAL.
Round 3 - 4 to open
Briefcases 12 ($50,000), 23 ($300*), 17 ($75,000), and 2 ($750*) eliminated. Banker offers $183,000; NO DEAL.
Round 4 - 3 to open
Briefcases 9 ($10*), 24 ($400,000), and 25 ($500) eliminated. Banker offers $234,000; DEAL.
Final Winnings: $234,000
...Whoa, that came from out of nowhere. The show promised that the ending to Brien's game would shock everyone, and it certainly did. Howie, the models, and Brien's supporters are all visibly shocked at this early deal, and rightfully so. Let us examine why:
1. 3 huge amounts left on the board ($500K, $750K, $1 million).
2. An unclaimed $10,000 bonus.
3. Brien clearly didn't read the board properly.
4. A potentially valuable mystery prize left on the table.
I know I don't usually put my personal opinions into these recaps anymore, but I honestly thought that 4th round deal was a stupid one. But maybe Brien knew something I didn't. Let's see if Brien will make me eat my words in the proveout rounds.
Proveouts
Round 5 - 2 to open
Briefcases 20 ($200) and 22 ($50) eliminated. Banker offers $349,000.
Brien Says: "It's okay, I've still got $234,000, and my family will be happy..."
Round 6 - 1 to open
Briefcase 18 ($1,000,000) eliminated. Banker offers $241,000.
Brien Says: "It's okay, I've still got $234,000, and my family will be happy..."
Round 7 - 1 to open
Briefcase 8 ($.01*) eliminated. Banker offers $336,000.
Brien Says: "It's okay, I've still got $234,000, and my family will be happy..."
Round 8 - 1 to open
Briefcase 16 ($100*) eliminated. Banker offers $462,000.
Brien Says: "It's okay, I've still got $234,000, and my family will be happy..."
Actually, they're not, Brien. Judging by the looks on their faces, they want to shoot you for pulling the trigger way to early.
Round 9 - 1 to open
Briefcase 13 ($750,000) eliminated. Banker offers $280,000.
Round 10 - The Final Two
Contestant’s briefcase opened; briefcase contains $500,000.
Unopened briefcase: 10 ($25,000).
Wow. Looks like I won't have to eat my words after all. Brien made a terrible deal, and as a result, Box 23 has this to say:
I'm sure there's been at least one UK contestant who has been guilty of the same offence Brien was (*cough* Richard *cough*).
Anyway, because that game ended so quickly, we have time for another contestant. That contestant is make-up artist Tunde Oyeneyin. She's got Case 24, and we've got a game. Here we go...
Round 1 - 6 to open
Briefcases 3 ($10*), 10 ($25), 11 ($1,000,000), 19 ($75*), 12 ($400), and 16 ($200*) eliminated. Banker offers $59,000; NO DEAL.
Round 2 - 5 to open
Briefcases 7 ($50*), 23 ($5), 9 ($500*), 15 ($300,000), and 14 ($200,000) eliminated. Banker offers $42,000; NO DEAL.
Round 3 - 4 to open
Briefcases 1 ($75,000), 13 ($100), 6 ($750), and 20 ($5,000) eliminated. Banker offers $97,000; NO DEAL.
Round 4 - 3 to open
Briefcases 21 ($25,000), 18 ($400,000), and 4 ($1*) eliminated. Banker offers $130,000; NO DEAL.
Round 5 - 2 to open
Briefcases 5 ($300*) and 22 ($.01*) eliminated. Banker offers $166,000; NO DEAL.
Tunde's mother desperately wants her to deal, but Tunde will hear nothing of it. Thus, Tunde's mome starts to get angry at her. Folks, they're called supporters for a reason, and this one clearly no longer wishes to support the contestant. Talk about poor sportsmanship. Someone call Jerry Springer. Oh, and somwhere within all that angst, Tunde pocketed a $10,000 bonus for knocking off all of the Happy New Year cases.
Round 6 - 1 to open
Briefcase 26 ($750,000) eliminated. Banker offers $73,000; NO DEAL.
Tunde's Mom: Still sulking.
Round 7 - 1 to open
Briefcase 17 ($500,000) eliminated. Banker offers $42,000; NO DEAL.
Tunde's Mom: Still sulking.
Round 8 - 1 to open
Briefcase 25 ($1,000) eliminated. Banker offers $59,000; NO DEAL.
Tunde's Mom: Still sulking.
Round 9 - 1 to open
Briefcase 2 ($50,000) eliminated. Banker offers $61,000; NO DEAL.
Tunde's Mom: Doesn't care anymore.
Before Tunde's case is opened, the huge 2009 case is opened, and inside is a single word - CAR. This means that in addition to the $10,000 bonus and whatever money she's about to win, she also gets a car, which is brand new 2009 Ford Flex, valued at $45,190. Not a bad haul for Tunde thus far. But let's see how much else she wins.
Round 10 - The Final Two
Contestant declines to switch briefcases. Contestant’s briefcase opened; briefcase contains $100,000
.
Note: This is only the third time that someone has won a six-figure amount from their case.
Final Winnings: $110,000, a $45,190 2009 Ford Flex, and a broken relationship with her mother, for a total of $155,190 in cash and prizes (and some pain, too).
Well, that was an, er, interesting game, for lack of a better word. Not sure what to classify it as, though. I'll leave that up to you guys. And for the record, Tunde's mom goes down DoND USA history as one of the worst supporters ever.
We'll be back next time with a recap of what appears to be the last-ever episode of primetime DoND USA.