Friday night’s episode of Wheel of Fortune left viewers puzzled—not only by a challenging Bonus Round, but also by a surprising loss that some fans believed should have been an easy win.
A Competitive Matchup
Airing on March 28, the game featured three contestants: Stephen Sporer of St. Paul, Minnesota; Christina White of Long Beach, California; and Megan Russell of Sylvester, West Virginia. Each brought their A-game in a closely fought contest that kept the audience engaged from start to finish.
Sporer and Russell got off to a strong start, each solving one of the first two toss-up puzzles and pocketing \$1,000 apiece. But the game’s momentum quickly stalled during the opening round, as all three contestants landed on the dreaded Bankrupt space, keeping the playing field level. Russell ultimately recovered and solved the puzzle, adding \$3,500 to her total.
The second puzzle, however, is where things took a confusing turn—leaving both the audience and fans at home scratching their heads.
What Is the ‘Green Flash’?
The second puzzle of the night left many viewers scratching their heads. With the category listed as “Event,” Christina White buzzed in to correctly solve: “Seeing the green flash.” But instead of cheers, the answer sparked widespread confusion from fans unfamiliar with the phrase.
“The Event category puzzle—What did that even mean???” one puzzled Reddit user wrote.
“No idea,” another admitted.
Fortunately, Wheel of Fortune didn’t leave its audience in the dark. At the end of the episode, hosts Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White took a moment to explain the unusual term.
“Earlier in the show, we had a puzzle, ‘Seeing the green flash,’” Vanna began, turning to Seacrest. “Have you ever heard of the green flash?”
Seacrest described it as a rare atmospheric phenomenon that occurs just as the sun sets. “When I’m sitting there in a lawn chair with a wine cooler, watching its final moments, it flashes at the last second before dipping below the horizon. You see this green refraction of light—it’s quite beautiful.”
Fans appreciated the clarification, even if the event was new to them. “I’m glad they explained it,” one viewer commented. “But I’ve never heard of that before—or seen it in the many, many sunsets I’ve watched.”
Sporer Advances to the Bonus Round
As the game moved on, Christina White gained momentum in the Prize Puzzle Round, solving “Take a shower under a waterfall” and securing \$9,000 along with a dream vacation to Aruba.
But it was Stephen Sporer who ultimately clinched the lead and earned his spot in the Bonus Round, setting the stage for a finale that would leave fans with even more to talk about.
But Sporer seized control in the final rounds, sweeping all three Triple Toss-Up puzzles and boosting his total by \$10,000. He capped off the main game by solving the last puzzle, “In the home stretch,” bringing his total winnings to \$35,000 and securing a place in the Bonus Round. Christina White finished with a strong \$22,132, while Megan Russell wrapped up with \$5,800.
A Bonus Round Blunder Fans Won’t Forget
With his partner Jeremy and best friend Mary in the audience, Sporer stepped into the Bonus Round with high hopes. His category: Phrase. The board revealed:
O N O _ R _ _ _
He chose the letters C, M, G, and O—but as the final countdown began, uncertainty set in. Sporer hesitated, taking a few stabs at the answer but never landed on the correct phrase: “On Our Way.”
The miss cost him a hefty \$40,000 bonus prize, leaving viewers stunned. Many fans expressed sympathy online, calling it a tough break in an otherwise well-played game.
“I GOT IT!! I cannot believe he didn’t know it was ‘On Our Way,’” one viewer exclaimed on YouTube.
Another shared, “I was yelling the answer at my TV repeatedly, haha!”
A third added, “I’m usually not great at solving puzzles, but I figured this one out even before they added the extra letters.”
Despite the Bonus Round stumble, Sporer still walked away with a solid \$35,000. Yet for many fans, the missed opportunity—especially on a puzzle some found easy—will be remembered as one of Wheel of Fortune’s more frustrating Bonus Round moments.
