Thursday, January 10, 2019

Andy's comments: "When I write the questions for Complete the List, I always hope that the categories play well for the players. If not - well, then, I hope some good laughs are generated. Like this Katy Perry category."

Andy's comments: "Also, when I come up with the category names, I often include references that I hope the players pick up on. Sometimes, it doesn't quite go as well as planned - like when Jonathan Oakes almost knows he's about to run into trouble, but picks the category anyway."

Andy's comments: "The reminder that a player still has their double sometimes leads to amusing moments. Like this game, where 'Sally, you still have your double' almost became a catchphrase."

Andy's comments: "Team games always provide for an interesting wrinkle on the show, and sometimes they lead to an argument. Here's one of my favorite moments, featuring Jake Larson and Chloe McGuire."

A comment from Matt here: this episode was one of the first to be archived (I started from my first appearance in Episode 47, worked forward to what was then the most current episode, and then back to the beginning). At some point, I consciously made a decision to not transcribe portions of the show as I did here; I felt that doing so on a regular basis takes away from the experience of listening. This archive is a record of and a supplement to Complete the List, not a substitute for it. This is probably most clearly reflected in the rendering of Episode 64, especially Round 1.

Andy's comments: "The final round almost always is dramatic. Here's my favorite final round moment. Eugene Byon was known for never having won a game show - and then came Complete the List."

Andy's Matt's comments: This round was not part of the released "best of" episode, but since a CtL game has six main rounds, I'm exercising a prerogative here to round out that number. It's a great example of how being the submitter of a category can add a different dimension to how you hear it played, and also a great example of Andy's ability to build the drama. When Andy said "it IS a hockey category," leading to Drew groaning and Stacey exclaiming "I have a chance!", I had to stifle a laugh. When I first heard this, I was pulling into a parking lot and had to suppress laughter to navigate to a spot, thinking, "Stacey, you have no idea how screwed you are on this." Listening back upon it, I'd forgotten Drew's trepidation ("this is going to be like throwing darts at a wall") - but he managed to stay in the right part of the Big Ten, while Wesley seemed to have a better grasp of it. (Stacey was indeed screwed, managing only two cribs.) Perhaps most frustratingly for me, Cornell was consigned to the leftovers... In retrospect, this round takes on even greater meaning for me - eight days after E49 was released, the Humboldt Broncos tragedy shook not only Stacey's province, and her and Andy's country, but the entire hockey community to its core. It was an honor to contribute to the campaign for those affected most acutely. And especially given that tragedy occurred on the off day of the 2018 Frozen Four, it didn't surprise me in the least that the Broncos were acknowledged with a moment of silence before the title game.