Steve, who had not managed to win anything until that point, came up the surprise winner of the round. It was a triumphant comeback performance of sorts. He was able to guess the phrase “following footprints,” and claimed his first win of the night.
Just moments ago he had been expecting to go home empty-handed. Yet, out of nowhere, he was now blessed with an impressive $6,400. Still, it was Nura who gained the biggest reaction.
Nura Kept Her Wits
Pat Sajak’s mind was probably flooded with competing theories as to the source of Nura’s strange behavior. She didn’t look like a contestant who could become easily rattled or troubled with stage fright. Nura looked at ease, even confident. Unable to contain his disappointment, Sajak remarked, “I wonder what letter Nura will call.”
Sajak didn’t have to wonder about it too long. Batting his sarcasm right back at him, Nura certainly did not disappoint. She guessed the letter “X.”
No Regrets
You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the venue, or in their living room watching the show, who expect the board to light up after such weird guesses. Of course, Nura failed to see a single letter light up. Yet she didn’t seem to show any sign of regret, and when the final round came, she didn’t yield any answer.
Nura just stood in front of everyone as they gazed at her, mouths agape in utter disbelief. By this time, a hint of awkwardness had finally started showing in her demeanor as she waited for the timer to run out. It was far from the confident composure she had started the game with. She had, it seemed, broken down in some unknown way. And now, it was all over for her.
Pat Sajak's Curiosity Got the Better Of Him
The game was now over, everyone just wanted to know what Nura was thinking. Sajak was dead curious about her guesses and, surely enough, approached and inquired about her strange picks.
As if Nura knew she was going to be asked this question, she appeared prepared, and responded cryptically, “That’s what I saw.” The only problem was that nobody in their sound mind could have chosen those letters. Her answer simply wasn’t plausible enough. “That was an unsatisfactory answer,” Sajak said. “But she’s not under oath.”
The Consolation Prize
Everyone who watched the show must have thought that Nura was playing a different game entirely. But who would deliberately give up the chance to win so much, and why? No one who had been watching her solid early performance could have anticipated her losing in those crucial rounds. Especially in such an obscure manner.
She still did well by proceeding to the final, but her abstruse performance at the end gave Steve a window of opportunity to score for himself. It gave him a sort of consolation prize.