Only Connect Series 13: Round 2: Match 1: Vikings vs Parishioners

OK, Only Connect time at last. Back to Tuesdays for reviewing for now, in preparation for when the show returns to the correct day next year. Into the second round now, with the six first round winners playing for a place in the group stage, while the six runners-up will join the two highest scoring first round runners-up (the Escapologists and the Cricketers are my best bet) in a two stage play-off round, with the two ultimate winners going to the group stage. Complicated, I know, but as WW pointed out, it does mean no team exits after a win and a single loss, one of the main issues we both have with UC's current format.

Anyway, playing on Friday night, we had the Vikings, Mark Oxley, John Wilson and captain Mick Lee, who snuck past the Geocachers by a single point in the first round, and the Parishioners, Tracey Rawlins, her husband Andy and captain Ian Fellows, who comfortably saw off the Stewards first time out.

Round 1. The Parishioners kicked the show off with Eye of Horus, and the music set: we heard JS Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, then the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky's the Nutcracker, then Mussorgsky's A Night on the Bare Mountain; they offered that they have animals in their titles, not right. Their opponents heard 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice', but were none the wiser: they are pieces used in Disney's Fantasia. (One of the few Disney animated films I've never seen any of and thus know little about) The Vikings opened their account with Lion: 'William Pitt the Younger (120)', then 'Transport for London Lost Property Office (200)', then 'Dangermouuse (Pillar Box)'; they offered that they live in Downing Street at those addresses, not right. Their opponents saw 'Sherlock Holmes (221b)', and offered that they live in Baker Street at those addresses for the first point of the night. For their own question, the Parishioners chose Two Reeds, and got the picture set: we saw a roll of copper, then an Cos lettuce, then a selection of Capri pants, and finally a Maltese cross. They didn't see it, their opponents did, offering that they are named after Mediterranean islands for a bonus. For their own question, the Vikings chose Water: 'Comedian', then 'Identical Twin', then 'Private Life', and finally 'The History Boy'. That last clue gave it to them: their plural forms are the titles of plays. The Parishioners chose Twisted Flax next: they saw 'Foreign Legion (first year)', and took a five point punt on 'the durations during which you are not allowed to leave'; not correct alas. Their opponents saw ''The Economist' journalists', '11th tradition of drink reformers' and 'Offenders in youth courts (in England and Wales)', and offered that they all have the right of anonymity for a bonus point. Left with Horned Viper for their own question, the Vikings saw 'Y/k', then 'cheWster'; they identified them as dingbat representations of English city names ('York' and 'Winchester') for three points. At the end of the first round, the Vikings led 6-1.

Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Parishioners opened with Eye of Horus: 'Set of dominoes', then 'Guinea', and then 'Stone'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they represent 28, 21 and 14, so something there are seven of, such as 'Deadly Sins', would satisfy for the bonus point. For their own question, the Vikings chose Two Reeds, and got the picture set: we saw a potato alongside '001', then a potato alongside '010'; they saw it to be the potato counting rhyme with the numbers in binary, so offered a potato alongside '100'. Close enough, it's just 'four' in the last verse, but we get the idea. The Parishioners chose Lion next: 'James Garner and Tom Cruise', then 'Enemy of Bugs Bunny', and then 'Vertical rock formation in California'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents. The sequence is Mac operating systems, 'Mavericks', 'Yosemite' and 'El Capitan', so something for 'Sierra', such as 'Mountain range', would be fourth. Too hard! The Vikings chose Twisted Flax next: '4: Hispaniola', then '3: Ireland', and then '2: Borneo'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: '1: New Guinea' completes the set, the sequence being the largest territorially divided islands. For their final choice, the Parishioners chose Water: 'Arsenal (1910s)', then 'Everton (1950s)', and then 'Liverpool (1960s)'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they are the longest serving top flight teams, and the decades they were last promoted to the top flight. Left with Horned Viper for their own final question, the Vikings saw 'West Park', then 'Northworld', and then 'Eastern Exposure'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are TV shows with their titular compass points rotated clockwise, South Park, Westworld and Northern Exposure, so 'SouthEnders' would be an acceptable answer for the points. At the end of the second round, the Vikings led 11-1.

On to the Walls. The Vikings took their turn to go first, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. Their first set came almost instantly: 'Snap', 'Dial', 'Wolf' and 'Reviled' are words that form other words when read backwards. A second set followed suite: 'Hearts', 'Bridge', 'Solo' and 'Nap' are trick-taking card games. The final clues slotted in fairly soon afterwards: 'Pray', 'Shine', 'Sure' and 'Patience' are songs by Take That, while 'Flower', 'Rise', 'Glasses' and 'Day' can all follow 'Sun'. A full ten there.

The Parishioners were thus, realistically, out of it as they set to work on the Water wall. After some early wrong guesses, they isolated 'Vain', 'Blue Sky', 'Writer' and 'Brightside', which can all follow 'Mr' to give song titles. After some more incorrect tries, they had a second set in the bag: 'Mark', 'Mask', 'Rok' and 'Bask' are words where the 'k' can be replaced with 'que' to give different words. After carefully looking over the final clues, they had it all worked out: 'Bane', 'Zoom', 'Kingpin' and 'Sandman' are comic book villains, which they got close enough to for the point, while 'Road', 'Hay', 'Deck' and 'Bullseye' are things that can be 'hit'. Another full ten, which left them trailing 21-11 going into the final round.

So, Missing Vowels to finish with as usual. 'Programmes on the BBC News Channel' was split 2-each. 'Spam email subject lines', such as 'CHEAP GENERIC VIAGRA'(!) proved hard, the Parishioners taking the round's only point. 'Rivers and the bridges that span them' saw the Parishioners lose a point for a rogue 'THE', and there was no time for their opponents to pick up. The Vikings won 23-13.

A decent show even if a bit one sided. Unlucky Parishioners, best of luck in the play-off round. Well done Vikings, best of luck in the group stage!

This week's match: the Eco-Warriors vs the Snake Charmers

Back tomorrow with my usual UC first round summary; see you then then.