Monday 21st April 2014 series 70 episode 70

Andy McGurn · Post by **Andy McGurn** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 3:25 pm

Countdown recap for Monday 21 April 2014.

C1: Champion Mark Murray (7 wins. 792 points) Mark Murray. Now on seven wins. Mark already has the highest points total of the series, now he’s on a quest to score an eighth century and possibly break 900 points.

C2: Challenger Simon Pinder. Simon Pinder, a salon manager from Stafford who likes fashion, photoshoots and blogging. He was also a singer in a punk band.

DC: Susie Dent and Louise Minchin.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T H S E A O E F R
R02: N P I E S D T O K
R03: 4, 8, 7, 10, 75, 100. Target: 269.
TTT: TRAPLESS - "covers the wall with finger dressings perhaps "
R04: M G I T V E O J B
R05: S T M A E I O R D
R06: 8, 2, 4, 10, 8, 50. Target: 368.
R07: C S L T E A E D G
R08: Y O N R I O S E P
R09: 4, 8, 8, 6, 100, 75. Target: 186.
TTT: ERASEHER - "she'll have to do this to erase the errors from her performance"
R10: T G U E R N O I S
R11: N W Z M E A O A D
R12: R B E U L N Q O R
R13: L T F I A I S G O
R14: 8, 5, 6, 7, 2, 75. Target: 233.
R15: S U M O G R O I N (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T H S E A O E F R

Mark: FEATHERS (8)
Simon: farthest
DC: THEREOF (7)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)

Mark continues as he has throughout his run with a max spot to get off to a quick lead.

Round 2: N P I E S D T O K

Mark: POINTED (7)
Simon: PINKEST (7)
DC: TOPSIDE (7) PINKOES (7)
OT: KENDOIST (8)
Score: 15–7 (max 16)

Sevens for both contestants here. There was the excellent KENDOIST hiding in this selection, but it goes unspotted.

Round 3: 4, 8, 7, 10, 75, 100. Target: 269.

Mark: 268. (75-8)*4 (7)
Simon: -
RR: 269. ((100-75)+10)*8-(7-4) (10)
Score: 22–7 (max 26)

Surprise miss by Mark but Simon can’t get away near, giving Mark a bigger lead.

Teatime teaser: TRAPLESS -> PLASTERS

Round 4: M G I T V E O J B

Mark: MOTIVE (6)
Simon: MOTIVE (6)
DC: JIVE
Score: 28–13 (max 32)

Susie subconsciously demonstrates that she really does want to appear on strictly come dancing

Round 5: S T M A E I O R D

Mark: MEDIATORS (18)
Simon: STORMED (7)
DC: AMORTISED (18)
Score: 46–13 (max 50)

A bread and butter nine for our apterite. To those who havn’t heard of apterous (which I assume includes Simon) this must look really impressive.

Round 6: 8, 2, 4, 10, 8, 50. Target: 368.

Mark: 368. (50-4)*8 (10)
Simon: 368. (8-2)*(50+10)+8 (10)
Score: 56–23 (max 60)

Simple numbers game, but Simon’s method is a good one.

Round 7: C S L T E A E D G

Mark: LEGATES (7)
Simon: CASTLED (7)
OT: CELESTA (7) CLADEST (7) CLEATED (7) DELATES (7) DESCALE (7) EAGLETS (7)
Score: 63–30 (max 67)

Eight sevens here and both contestants spot one of them

Round 8: Y O N R I O S E P

Mark: snoopier
Simon: SPOONER (7)
DC: POISONER (8)
OT: SPOONIER (8)
Score: 63–37 (max 75)

Worth a shot by Mark, given he’s already well ahead, but it doesn’t pay off enabling Simon to pull back seven points.

Round 9: 4, 8, 8, 6, 100, 75. Target: 186.

Mark: 186. 100+75+6+4+(8/8) (10)
Simon: 186. (8/8)+4+6+75+100 (10)
Score: 73–47 (max 85)

Another easy numbers game keeps the gap the same.

Teatime teaser: ERASEHER -> REHEARSE

Round 10: T G U E R N O I S

Mark: ROUTEING (8)
Simon: TOURING (7)
DC: TONGUES (7) STURGEON (8) ROUTINES (8)
OT: GENITORS (8) ROUSTING (8) SOIGNEUR (8) TRIGONES (8)
Score: 81–47 (max 93)

Mark’s very close to securing octochampdom now as he spots one of the seven 8’s available here

Round 11: N W Z M E A O A D

Mark: MOANED (6)
Simon: AMAZED (6)
DC: MEADOW (6) DAEMON (6) AMAZON (6)
OT: ADENOMA (7)
Score: 87–53 (max 100)

Standard sixes from both contestants but there was a darrenic seven here that one would assume Mark has heard of

Round 12: R B E U L N Q O R

Mark: ROUBLE (6)
Simon: REBORN (6)
OT: BOURNE (6) BURNER (6) LORNER (6) NOBLER (6) UNROBE (6)
Score: 93–59 (max 106)

Six is the max here and barring a mega miracle, Mark has secured octochampdom. He just has to pick the letters shrewdly on the next round to avoid a nine coming up which is a pretty simple task

Round 13: L T F I A I S G O

Mark: GALIOTS (7)
Simon: FLAGS (5)
DC: FLOATS (6)
OT: FOILIST (7)
Score: 100–59 (max 113)

Mark’s ship has come in and he is now an Octochamp. He just needs to score on either of the final two rounds to break 900 points.

Round 14: 8, 5, 6, 7, 2, 75. Target: 233.

Mark: 233. (6/2)*75+8 (10)
Simon: 233. (6/2)*75+8 (10)
Score: 110–69 (max 123)

…and he has now got the 900 points that I’m sure he hoped for. Just the conundrum to come to cap it off perfectly.

Round 15: S U M O G R O I N

Mark buzzes on 22 seconds to say IGNORMOUS which is incorrect.
Simon does not buzz.
The answer was GINORMOUS.
Final Score: 110–69 (max 133)

Mark takes a bit of a wild guess on the final conundrum, which is very close to being the actual answer. Despite this, he’ll be happy has secured his octochamp status and now moves on to the finals. At this point he is clearly the favourite to win the series.

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70