Friday night’s episode of Wheel of Fortune left viewers puzzled—not just by a tricky puzzle, but also by a surprising Bonus Round miss that had fans shaking their heads. The game featured three contestants: Stephen Sporer from Minnesota, Christina White from California, and Megan Russell from West Virginia. The competition began with Sporer and Russell each winning $1,000 from early toss-up puzzles.
The first main puzzle was challenging for all three contestants, as everyone hit the dreaded Bankrupt spot early on. Megan Russell eventually solved the puzzle, earning $3,500. However, the second puzzle drew confusion from viewers. With the category “Event,” Christina White solved the phrase “Seeing the green flash,” a term unfamiliar to many watching at home.
Fans took to Reddit and other social media platforms expressing confusion over the phrase. Luckily, the show’s hosts Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White explained it at the episode’s end. Seacrest described the green flash as a rare optical phenomenon that occurs just before the sun fully sets, when a green refraction of light flashes briefly on the horizon. Many viewers appreciated the clarification, with some admitting they had never heard of or seen the green flash despite watching many sunsets.
As the game progressed, Christina White scored big by solving the Prize Puzzle “Take a shower under a waterfall,” winning $9,000 and a trip to Aruba. Meanwhile, Stephen Sporer gained momentum, successfully answering three Triple Toss-Ups and solving the final puzzle, “In the home stretch.” This earned him a total of $35,000 and a spot in the Bonus Round. Christina finished second with $22,132, and Megan ended with $5,800.
The Bonus Round, however, became the night’s most memorable moment—for all the wrong reasons. With friends cheering him on, Sporer picked “Phrase” as the category. The puzzle revealed “O N O _ R _ _ _,” and despite selecting helpful letters and repeated attempts, Sporer couldn’t solve the phrase “On Our Way.” This missed opportunity cost him an additional $40,000.
Viewers reacted strongly online, with many yelling the answer at their screens. Despite the blunder, Sporer still walked away with a respectable $35,000, but the moment will be remembered as one of the more frustrating Bonus Round fails in Wheel of Fortune history.
