The $40,000 Chain Reaction (USA, Ep. 50)

[dougmorrisontheair]

That's it -- UMBRELLA.









(ding; audience applause)

George, you've regained the lead. Still lot a money left in the chain -- and the goal is $5000.

How do you play it?


bighornbattle
koopakid17

[bighornbattle]

Take a letter above Umbrella.

[dougmorrisontheair]

George looks to pad the lead...









(ding)

...with the letter B.

[bighornbattle]

Beach.

[dougmorrisontheair]

BEACH is right.









(ding; audience applause)

George, you're up to $4500. Kevin has $3000. The game is $5000.

The remaining link is now worth a total of $1500. George, if you solve it, you complete the chain and become our new champion. Kevin, if you get a chance to complete the chain and solve the remaining link, we'll be tied at $4500 -- and go to a fourth round to determine a winner.

George, the crucial decision is yours. With the remaining link below BUILD and above BEACH, who gets the first letter?


bighornbattle
koopakid17

[bighornbattle]

Strategically I could play this wrong but I am going to take it.

[dougmorrisontheair]

George goes for the game...









(ding)

...with the letter M.

[bighornbattle]

Mud.

[dougmorrisontheair]

If it's MUD, you're our new champion.











































(buzz)

No. That's not it.

Kevin, who gets the next letter?

[koopakid17]

I'll take it.

[dougmorrisontheair]

To tie the game, Kevin's going for the completion...









(ding)

...with M-U.

[koopakid17]

Mud.

[dougmorrisontheair]

MUD -- is still wrong.

So we'll go back to George. Who gets the next letter?

[bighornbattle]

I will.

[koopakid17]

Oops.

[dougmorrisontheair]

George tries again for the win...









(ding)

...with M-U-S.

[bighornbattle]

Muscle.

[dougmorrisontheair]

If it's MUSCLE, we have a new champion.














































(dings; audience applause; win music plays)

George wins it.

George, for winning our 50th episode of The $40,000 Chain Reaction, you're winning as a bonus...

...$5000.

(audience cheers)

Your total winnings -- $13,500.

(audience cheers)

How are ya feelin', new champ?

[bighornbattle]

It feels good. I must say Kevin is a great player. He definitely gave me a run for sure.

[koopakid17]

I didn't have it anyway before muscle. Good game, George.

[bighornbattle]

Thanks Kevin. To you as well.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Great game played by two great players on a milestone 50th episode. Can't ask for much more.

Let's recap the chain.









Bodybuilders often build muscle. Muscle Beach is an actual location on the south side of the Santa Monica Pier in California. On any beach, you could seek shelter from the sun's harmful rays under an umbrella. Rain Pryor is the daughter of the late comedy legend Richard Pryor. And Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder teamed up in many comedy movies.

That's our chain. Kevin, we must say a fond farewell -- but we send you home with a nice piece of change. You're taking home just over $9000.

(clip rolls on monitor)

Nappa: What? 9000? There's no way that can be right.

(audience laughs and applauds)

Just making sure the control room's awake. Total winnings really are...

...$9002. Another nice hand for Kevin Kolsen.

(audience cheers; board rotates as part of the theme plays)







George, again, our congratulations. You now have a chance to play our Missing Link game. This determines how much you get to play for in the final chain. First, let's spot you four pennies.







(ding)

We'll spot you the top and bottom links of this three-link chain -- and the first letter of the link in the middle. Correctly complete the chain on the first try -- and all four pennies join you in the final chain. You could parlay those four pennies into $40,000.

(audience cheers)

But for each additional letter you need, it costs you a penny -- and thus reduces your potential winnings in that final chain.

So, let's wish you good luck as you tackle this Missing Link game.








(ding)

This Missing Link chain starts with MUNCH and it ends with ALABAMA. The link in the middle starts with an M.

To save all the pennies, George, what is that link starting with M?

[bighornbattle]

Mobile.

[dougmorrisontheair]

MOBILE is right.







(ding; audience applause)

Munch Mobile, the name of a classic video game. And Mobile is the name of a city in Alabama.

We'll play for $40,000 -- after this.

(audience cheers; quick fade to black)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Welcome back. There's the bank that could swell from four cents to $40,000.

And here's the new champ, George Custer, who could win it all.

George, we have something special planned for the end of the show. So let's dive right into the final chain.

The setup for the final chain is a little different -- in that we only spot you the top link.










(ding)

And that top link is CINCINNATI. We spot you the first letter of each of the remaining links. We also spot you seven spare letters.

For each wrong guess you make, it costs you a spare letter. But for each correct solution, the money in the bank is multiplied by ten.










(ding)

And this is how it looks in the money chain. Correctly solve all six of the remaining links -- and that's how the money grows from four pennies to $40,000.

(audience cheers)

It is vital, George, to go six-for-six. If you give a wrong answer and a spare letter happens to complete a link, you can't "back into" a correct solution that. We'll need six right answers for the 40 grand.










(ding)

So with that, good luck, here's the final chain back.

Your next link, below CINCINNATI, starts with an R.

[bighornbattle]

Red.

[dougmorrisontheair]

That's it -- and on the money.









(ding; audience applause)

Johnny Bench was a famous Cincinnati Red and one of the reasons the Reds won the World Series in 1975 and 1976.

Four dimes in the bank -- just like that. For four dollars, George, the next link, below RED, starts with N.

[bighornbattle]

Neck.

[dougmorrisontheair]

If you can name everyone on Martin Truex Jr.'s pit crew, but you don't know the name of your mayor -- (scattered laughter from crowd) -- it's not NECK but a good guess as we give you your first spare letter.









(ding)

N-O.

[bighornbattle]

Nose.