Yes, I criticize contestants on a fairly regular basis. But those are the stupid ones. If a smart contestant makes a good effort, I can appreciate them.
Zachary was one of those contestants today, and I genuinely felt sorry for him watching the show. He was a "first four" contestant that never got on stage today. While most people have this happen to them because they're clueless, Zachary was anything but.
Here he (second from right) is bidding last on some gardening equipment, playing it perfectly, only to have Diana get it exactly right...
Now, here's Zachary bidding third on a dishwasher, again making a terrific bid...
...only to have the actual retail price be $799.
Bidding third in the final round, Zachary knew he was screwed as soon as Wesam bid just over him. And he was right...
Zachary clearly knew the machinations of The Price is Right. On his $901 bid above, as soon as the bell went off signifying that someone was exactly right, you could see Zachary shake his head and say, "Dammit." He knew what was up.
Players like this deserve better.
Stage tomfoolery
A couple people who did win on bidders' row, however, had some interesting entrances. Here's Octavia unexpectedly jumping into Drew Carey's arms, then doing a dance:
