Mitchell continued his strong performance throughout the opening rounds and earned the Wild Card during the first stage of the game. He successfully solved “Chief Financial Officer,” taking his winnings to $7,550. He then pushed ahead during the “Before & After” category, correctly answering “Social Butterflies in My Stomach.” That solve increased his total to $15,650 and placed him in a strong position against his opponents. As the game progressed, Mitchell appeared confident and comfortable with the puzzles, making it seem like he could be heading toward a major victory. However, the turning point came during the Prize Puzzle round, where one unusual strategy choice caught the attention of both the host and the audience.

During the Prize Puzzle, Mitchell landed on the Express Train, a special opportunity that allowed him to earn $1,000 for every consonant he correctly guessed. However, there was also a major risk: if he guessed a consonant that did not appear in the puzzle, he would lose the entire accumulated amount. Mitchell continued playing aggressively and appeared to understand the puzzle before officially solving it. He even began buying vowels, including “I” and “E,” which reduced the amount of money he could have won. The situation became even more surprising when he continued choosing vowels after Ryan Seacrest reminded him that vowels cost money. Seacrest joked, “I want you to win some money, not spend it,” but Mitchell continued with his strategy.

Mitchell eventually solved the puzzle “Magic Carpet Ride,” earning himself a trip to Panama and increasing his total to $31,125. However, fans quickly focused less on his victory and more on the money he had given up unnecessarily. Many viewers believed Mitchell already knew the answer and could have simply solved the puzzle instead of spending extra cash on vowels. On Reddit and social media, fans expressed their frustration, saying the contestant had made an expensive mistake. Some viewers joked that they were confused watching him continue after Seacrest’s warning, while others questioned whether Mitchell misunderstood the rules. The criticism became a major talking point because many believed he had the skill to win even more money if he had simply trusted himself.

The rest of the game continued with Sklar and Krenitsky trying to close the gap. Sklar solved two of the three Triple Toss-Up puzzles, adding another $4,000 to her total. Krenitsky, who enjoys watching every Oscar-nominated film with his fiancée, finally found his rhythm by solving the third Triple Toss-Up. He later solved the final puzzle, “Spring Fling,” finishing with $5,300. Sklar ended the game with $5,000, but Mitchell remained the clear winner with $32,125. His strong performance earned him a place in the Bonus Round, where he selected the category “Phrase” and hoped to add even more money to his impressive total.

In the Bonus Round, Wheel of Fortune provided Mitchell with the usual letters: R, S, T, L, N and E. He then added C, D, F and O, hoping to complete the final puzzle. The board revealed the phrase pattern: “C_ _N_E OF _EN_E.” As the clock counted down, Mitchell quickly guessed “Change of…” but could not find the final word. The correct answer was “Change of Venue,” meaning he narrowly missed the chance to win an additional $40,000 hidden in the envelope. The mistake left him without the extra prize, but he still walked away with a total of $32,125. The episode became another example of how even strong contestants can lose a huge opportunity through one small decision — leaving fans with the question: was Mitchell unlucky, or did his earlier mistakes cost him an even bigger victory?