McLaughlin's Redemption

Last week I got an AI chatbot to write the introduction, and now, despite saying how glad I was that it wasn't good enough to take my job, I'm kind of missing it. It's a lot easier to type a simple request and copy-paste the rest, but I'm here, and if I finish this tonight then I can go on blog-holiday for Christmas, so I'll push on through.

This match was the second of the high-scoring loser play-offs, between Bristol, who posted 185 points in their opening day loss to Durham (an absolute sickener, especially when you consider that their score would have won them eight (8!) of the other thirteen first round games, and even more especially when you realise than Durham stole it at the last second with a run of three consecutive starters), and Oriel, who snuck in with 130 points (which wouldn't have won them any).

Still, anything can happen in knockout tournaments (as the absolutely batshit World Cup Final showed yesterday), so they had every chance of becoming the sixteenth team to make the second round.

If you want to watch the episode before reading the review then you can do so here. And without any further ado, here's your first starter for ten...

Bristol kick things off with an incorrect interruption - let's hope things don't go as badly for McLaughlin as they did for Sheffield's Fisher, who ended with minus twenty points to his name - and Chong picked up the pieces for Oriel. Two bonuses followed, before another neg from McLaughlin - and it really was looking as though he might repeat Fisher's performance.

This one, however, couldn't be stolen by Oriel, and Ortega was able to buzz in with rho next time out to bring Bristol back to zero. On the next starter, McLaughlin again buzzed in early, but on this occasion he was right, and tied the game.

An unfortunate mixup from Oriel, whereby Ford had buzzed, but Chong gave the (correct) answer, handed the initiative to Bristol, and they capitalised with a couple of starters in a row, and opened up the largest lead of the game. Ford hit back for Oriel though, managing to answer his own buzz this time, and there was only one question set separating them going into the music round.

Marchant (whose first name is Katy, and I don't know why I think this, but surely there is no other name better suited to the surname Marchant than Katy. I knew that was her name before she said it, in the same way I knew that Thibaut Courtois was going to save Alphonso Davies' penalty in the Belgium-Canada game at the world cup. Just don't ask me how) recognises The Clash within about half a second, and an inspired guess of Franz Ferdinand (it sounds like Franz Ferdinand, but it isn't - just say it anyway) brought them within five points.

They took the lead thanks to Chong and extended it through Ford. A guess of Severn from Marchant on a question about the fourth longest river of the UK gave Bristol the opportunity to steal the points, and McLaughlin duly obliged. He was now two for two. Ford gives Oriel the second picture bonuses, on tennis matches dubbed battles of the sexes, but they don't get any and with minutes left on the clock, trailed by five points.

Another from McLaughlin made this fifteen. Three for two. Ford brought it back to five on the next starter. McLaughlin again. Four for two. Full set, thirty point gap. McLaughlin. Five for two. Fifty point gap. Game over.

Bristol 185 - 150 Oriel

Tough on Oriel that, and it could have been even closer but for the wrong answerer mishap. They may have lost two matches, but they did so in a fine manner. Well done to Bristol though, who posted 185 points for the second match running. If they can do that for the rest of the series then they'll probably go far. And well done in particular to McLaughlin, who showed courage to keep buzzing in after the negs at the start.

This is the last episode before UC goes on its Christmas Break, so I will see you in the New Year for the start of the second round matches. I'll be watching the Christmas series, but not reviewing, so look out for some tweets - come on Aberdeen!