Early Struggles and Shifting Momentum
The episode featured three players: Michael Soltis from Pittsburgh, Eimi Smith from Austin, and LaShauan Swift from Chicago. Soltis, a union carpenter for over two decades, got off to a slow start. Smith quickly seized control, sweeping the toss-ups and solving the first full puzzle, “Accidentally on Purpose,” to push her total to $9,050. She extended her lead to $10,350 by solving “Sleeping Bag of Tricks.”

Momentum shifted in the Prize Puzzle round. Soltis earned a Wild Card and correctly guessed the song title “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” winning a trip to Africa and raising his total to $14,690. He also locked in two of the three triple toss-ups, while Swift, a retired Chicago Fire Department paramedic, finally entered the board by solving one.

The night continued to favor Soltis. He cracked the final puzzle, “The Wild Wild West,” even with just three letters filled in. “You got that one quickly,” host Ryan Seacrest remarked as the round ended. Soltis finished the regular game with $20,240. Smith left with $10,350, and Swift took home $2,000 — plus the satisfaction of a bucket-list appearance.