Deal or No Deal (USA)/Episode 252A/252B

Episode 252A/252B
Season 2, Episode 54
Airdate	March 12, 2007
← 2x53 Episode 251	2x55 → Episode 253A/253B
Deal or No Deal (USA) — Season Two

Episode 252A/252B is the fifty-fourth episode of the second season of Deal or No Deal, and the ninety-third episode overall.

Guest Stars:

Gameplay

• Retired USMC Gen. Hugh Neisler returned to narrow the field to six cases, with $500,000 and $1 million still in the mix. After turning down a $116,000 deal, he chose a case that hid $500,000. His next offer tumbled to $99,000. Perhaps seeing this as a sign to bail — the two lowest amounts still were in play — he teased the audience as he pondered his decision, before accepting the deal. However, in the playout, he eliminated (in order) $500, $1, 1 cent and $25,000, with a final potential offer of $512,000. The worst news came when he opened his case: He had the $1 million and the $200 was the other amount still on the board.
• New contestant Jessica Howard — the former "dork" (as shown in a fourth-grade photograph displayed for the audience) turned swan — talked of how she missed out on her senior prom. So just for her, she was allowed (after the second round) to change into a prom dress, have her hair styled and put on a corsage; her husband, Lance, put on a tuxedo to share the experience. The stage was decorated in balloons, and a huge banner reading "Jessica's Prom" was prominently displayed.

After starting the game on a high note, Howard lost $500,000, $1 million and $300,000 in the second round to see her second deal tumble. The Banker would occassionally taunt Howard with visions of a bad ending to the prom (a la "Carrie"), but she recovered enough to eventually take a $40,000 deal with six cases left. The playout narrowed the field to $5 and $200,000 (the only six-figure amount remaining when the game ended); her case held the five bucks, and the Howards celebrated a last dance.

• Dave Atherton, a bodybuilder and bagpipe manufacturer, came on stage dressed in a kilt and playing a bagpipe version of the show's theme. After three rounds, by which time he had eliminated just the $100,000 and $750,000 cases, he accepted an $81,000 deal and became the earliest contestant to bail. Atherton told Mandell he had no regrets, but in the playout, it became clear he dealt way too early; he kept picking small amounts (and occassionally choosing larger ones) to see his offer skyrocket to an eventual $561,000. Even the models expressed their displeasure with Dave's deal as they opened their cases. With $50,000 and $1 million left, Atherton could only wince as Mandell revealed the grand prize inside his case.

Notes

• This episode saw two notable firsts. This was the earliest a contestant would accept a banker's deal (after the third round; two contestants had pulled out after the fourth round for the previous record). Also, this was the first time two contestants on the same episode — albeit, not in back-to-back games — would choose the grand prize case.
• Hugh was the worst dealer by percent in history, if only for less than an hour. Dave's record of selling a case for 8.1% of its value still stands today, although there have been situations where it could have been broken.
• The show paid homage to prom season for high schools and colleges. In addition to the stage being decorated for Jessica Howard's game, the models reminisced about their proms throughout the episode.
• The play-at-home game offered an initial stake of $10,000, but during each commercial break, the banker kept adding $5,000 until it reached $50,000.
• An update on Tammy Fuller, the New York Jets fan who won $186,000 on the October 16 episode, was played. Ironically, Fuller was another contestant who picked the $1 million case but bailed out.