Only Connect Series 13: Round 1: Match 9: Disparates vs Beaks

OK, I think we can safely say the show is not using a two group split for the first round draw, but I'm carrying on calling my reviews what they are for now, until it is confirmed for definite in the play-offs. If there are any. The other explanation for this 'two highest scoring losers' they said is that there are no play-offs, and the 37 is made up by the return of the celeb specials. We shall see.

Anyway, playing on Friday were the Disparates, Steve Havard, Ruth Ellis and captain Huw Meredith, and the Beaks, Rob Cromarty, Aidan Sproat-Clements and captain Dan Sproat-Clements, husband of Aidan.

Round 1. The Disparates went first, and kicked the show off with Twisted Flax, and the picture set: we saw a whale shark, then an elephant seal, then a tiger moth; they saw them to be animals whose names include another animal, and collected two points. The Beaks opened their account with Eye of Horus, and the music question: we heard Bobby Darin's 'Beyond the Sea', then NWA with 'Straight Outta Compton', then Edith Piaf with 'La Vie en Rose', and finally Johnny Cash's classic 'Walk the Line'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: their titles were used for biopics of their singers. For their own question, the Disparates chose Two Reeds: 'Houston, Texas', then 'The Ryder Cup', then 'Morse code', and finally 'Colt pistol'. They identified them as being named after people called Samuel, or Sam, and collected the point. The Beaks chose Lion next: 'Criminal', then 'The final', then 'Cut to'; they spotted that they can all precede the names of quiz shows ('Criminal' Mastermind, 'The final' Countdown, 'Cut to' The Chase, and the final clue would've been 'Only as strong as' The Weakest Link), a nice set, for two points. The Disparates chose Water next: 'Disposition matrix', then 'Enhanced interrogation', then 'Blue on blue', and finally 'Collateral damage'. They didn't quite get it, their opponents did: they are euphemisms used in the military. Left with Horned Viper for their own question, the Beaks saw 'Alceste (anthropo)', then 'Wolverine (aero)', then 'Peter Pan (gerasco)', and finally 'Ron Weasley (arachno)'. They got it from the final clue: they are phobias that the characters suffer from. At the end of the first round, the teams were tied on 4-each.

Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Disparates kicked the round off with Two Reeds: 'UK's tallest roller coaster', then 'Card game (aka Chinese poker)', and then 'Lloyd George, Clemenceau, Wilson'; they identified them as 'Big One', 'Big Two' and 'Big Three', so offered 'Top accountancy firms', or 'Big Four' for two points. The Beaks chose Eye of Horus next: 'Thomas Gabriel', then 'Simon Gruber', and then 'Colonel Stuart'. They didn't quite see it, nor did their opponents; they are the villains of the Die Hard films, so 'Hans Gruber' completes the set. The Disparates chose Twisted Flax next: 'D', then ')', and then 'I' (closest I can get, sorry); they saw them to be the symbols for face emojis, so offered '(' for two points. The Beaks chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next: 'Greece', then 'Philippines', and then 'Morocco'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are countries with three Es, three Is and threes Os, so 'Uruguay', with three Us, would complete the set. For their final choice, the Disparates chose Lion: 'M21 F-', then 'M21 F30', and then 'M21 F21'; they offered 'M18 F18', which was correct, the sequence being the age at which both sexes could vote in the UK. Left with Water, the Beaks got the picture sequence: we saw a pineapple, then a tree, and then another pineapple; they saw it to be the lyrics to the (very annoying) song 'Agadoo', but got the order muddled up and thus didn't get it. Nor did their opponents. Some coffee would complete the set. At the end of the second round, the Disparates led 10-4.

On to the Walls. The Beaks, needing a good score, chose to tackle the Water wall. After spotting some connections, they had little luck finding groups, before eventually isolated 'Windsor', 'Castle', 'Hepworth' and 'Back', which are surnames of famous Barbaras. A second set, 'Zoosk', 'Match', 'Tinder' and 'Badoo', which are dating apps, eventually followed. With barely any time left, the final sets settled in on their first attempt: 'Coxswain', 'Grinder', 'Mate' and 'Lookout' are jobs on a ship, while 'Slip', 'Stevedore', 'Granny' and 'Gordian' are knots. A full ten there.

The Disparates thus set to work on the Lion wall with the ball still in their court, just about. In contrast, their first set, 'Dover', 'Hythe', 'Sandwich' and 'New Romney', which are 'cinque ports' in Kent, came almost instantly. After that, though, they couldn't untangle any more, spotting the links, but not being able to isolate any groups. They were eventually timed out, and thus had to pick up bonus group points: 'Hastings', 'Oliver', 'Lemon' and 'Japp' are characters in the Poirot books, which they didn't quite get, 'Grinder', 'Hoagie', 'Hero' and 'Submarine' are types of sandwich, they did just about get, while 'Fever', 'Belly', 'Jersey' and 'Pages' can all follow 'Yellow', which they also got. Four points there, which left the teams level at 14-each going into the final round.

So Missing Vowels would decide the show. 'Things that can be purple', which saw the Beaks fortuitously get a point for saying 'PEARS' instead of 'PROSE', went to them 2-(-1). 'Full names of fictional characters', such as 'JAMES TIBERIUS KIRK', was a clean sweep to the Beaks 4-0, and that was game over. '2016 dictionary additions' only had time for one clue, which was timed out. The Beaks won 20-13.

Another good show with some good questions and good answering. Unlucky Disparates, who will probably not be coming back in the play-offs whatever's going on, but thanks for playing. Well done Beaks though, and best of luck in the second round!

Next week's match: Dandies vs Gaffers