The game’s host, Pat Sajak, heard Nura’s answer the first time, but could not believe it. Just like everyone else at the time, he didn’t know how to react to her answer and instead instinctively blurted out, “say that again for me. Did you say ‘Z?’”
Steve had been expecting Nura to correct her answer and select a more logical letter. The expectant audience was also waiting for her to come up with a new answer, the one they believe she had intended to give the first time. But Nura confidently repeated her answer, showing no signs of having erred. “As in Zulu,” she backed up her response. Now firmly locking in her certainty in the letter “Z.”
Nura, You're On
By the time the last round spun into action, all eyes had turned to Nura. Time was on her side right from the beginning, and all she had to do was to stay consistent and ward off distractions. Steve and Troy could only watch in admiration, and yet a part of them still wanted to compete. After Troy correctly called a “T” in the two-letter clue word, Nura was up next.
What Nura did at this stage of the competition left the audience puzzled. It wasn’t what they had anticipated at all. When the camera panned across them, you could see them looking around, puzzled and apparently seeking answers from those seated close by. All they got were the same confused looks.
Odd Choices
Nura looked as assured as she had been all night when the time came for her to give an answer. She knew she was ahead of the competition by a mile, and so did everybody else in the venue.
She then picked the least likely letter in not just the word on the board, but any word in Wheel of Fortune history. The audience furrowed their brows in disbelief as Nura confidently uttered “Z.” Steve could not believe what he’d just heard. His friendly countenance abruptly turned contemplative.
Too Much Pressure?
Having heard her confirm an obviously illogical answer, Sajak replied in shock, “You did say ‘Z.’ Okay.” Still baffled by Nura’s decision, and unable to mask his reaction, he faced the board. Its failure to light up surprised exactly no one at all.
Pat Sajak dismissed this part of Nura’s participation and considered it a mere momentary lapse of reason. A lot of things could go on in a competitor’s mind under pressure. Steve’s turn was up and he correctly guessed the letter “R.” Troy answered “S” and gained mild applause. And then it was Nura’s turn to spin again.
Simply Losing It
When it was time for Nura to supply an answer, expectations were, once more, high. People knew she would now make up for her mistake. Yet Nura remained silent. Sajak thought she was just hesitating, but he was wrong. Far from being hesitant, she had made a decision to decline to give any guess at all. Everyone was dismayed at the sudden train-wreck she seemed to be made of what had been looking like an impressive win.
We can only hope to guess what was going on in their minds... and, perhaps more importantly, Nura’s. In the next round, she finally gave an answer. She guessed “Q,” and Sajak’s reaction suggested he was becoming more and more convinced that she’d lost her wits. Had something happened to her during one of the commercial breaks?