Mastermind - Episode 11 and 12

Mastermind - Episode 11 and 12

Well last night brought us another double helping of Mastermind and with snow on the way and a big freeze starting to bite it was time for a mug of tea and the black chair.

Heat 11

Final Standings - 

Jonathan Perry - 25

John O Hagan - 24

Elizabeth Hashmi - 18

Craig Rice - 16

The first episode kicked off with a very close run contest indeed. Only two points separated the contenders after the first round and the marked difference in the GK ability of the contestants  was the difference in the split in the final standings.

Jonathan Perry tackled the works of Moir Ogai which I had no clue about but he seemed to lap the questions up. I have no idea how hard or easy these were but one of the specialist rounds in this episode was, sorry to say it, a farce for a Mastermind SS round. It is of course no the fault in anyway of John O'Hagan who proved he was no mug in the GK round, but he had entered the chair with the subject of Clint Eastwood films. This was, not for the first time this series, a terribly easy and "not-at-all-specialist" round of questions that any casual viewer of films could have scored well in. Quizzers with any film knowledge would have cleaned up but the nature of the questions was more akin to opening rounds of Weakest Link than Mastermind!

Craig Rice, a fellow north easterner, did well on the Anglo Zulu War but only managing 5 on the GK round was never going to be enough and Elizabeth Hashmi did well on Eleanor Bowes but again a troubled GK round left her out of contention.

Indeed it was Jonathan Perry who came to the chair last that stole victory from under the nose of O'Hagan both men scoring 3 in the GK round but Perry's showing in the SS round sending him through.

Another close instalment but the Clint Eastwood issue was really grating.

Heat 12


Final Standings -

James Mackenzie - 22
Rob Green - 18
Martin O Gorman - 17
Denise Smith - 16

I have a lot of notable quizzers on Facebook and during this episode, and partly due to the perceived standard on show, it drew a lot of comment about this years Mastermind. Indeed the 22 it took to win the contest here is not a particularly high score and many other contenders who were in tougher heats may be kicking themselves that they were not in this one!

Rob Green had a very easy set of Astronomy questions but a slack GK round in which he missed a few sitters cost him the win on this occasion. Martin O Gorman seemed to stumble on his knowledge of John Updike and did slightly better in the GK round but was never in contention to take the win. Denise Smith picking ten years of the history of Fleetwood Mac also drew some comment but she only made 7.

The winner of this much commented on heat was James Mackenzie who answered well on the Lost Railways of Yorkshire and 9 GK points for victory. Unless he can up the ante in the final round James might find it hard to make it through the Semi's but well played. You can only answer what you know and if that makes you the winner of the heat all the better!