Hello there, this is a recap I've been looking forward to doing for some time, especially since this is the first recap I've ever done with the possibilty of crowning an octochamp.
Even better, the whiz kid on the brink of octochampdom could break a number of records, so history could so easily be made in this recap. 
Let's get on with it then. 
C1: Champion Giles Hutchings (7 wins, 854 points.) An apteforumite from Surrey, he is hoping to study mathematics at university next year. Today's his last game for a while but some sensational performances in his previous games have left him on the brink of making history. Here's a reminder of some significant scores he may be aiming for today:
- A win with 35 or more to overtake Andy Platt as number one seed.
- A win with 46 or more to join the 900 club.
- A win with 92 to equal Jack Hurst's octochamp record of 946, or 93 to beat it.
- A win with 100 or more to become the eighth octochamp to score eight centuries in his heats.
- A win with 146 (joint highest ever) or more to break the 1,000 points barrier.
- A win with a conundrum solve to become the seventh octochamp to solve all eight conundrums in his heats.
- Any loss to smash the record for the highest heptchamp total, not really sure he'd want this one though.
C2: Challenger Nick Holland is given the unenviable task of trashing the party. He is a technical advisor from Barnsley but he used to be the manager of a bingo hall. His family says he has an obsession with tortoises. Even though he's an apterite, I think he has his work cut out today.
DC: Susie Dent and Richard Madeley.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: F L A E N G I N B
R02: D F S L A I E R O
R03: 75, 8, 1, 7, 8, 10. Target: 377.
TTT: HESKINDA - "He's kinda scary with his haircut, but don't let him put you off"
R04: S H G Q A I E S T
R05: R T K O U N I A U
R06: 75, 6, 1, 1, 4, 6. Target: 526.
R07: E B N P I O T U L
R08: S V P N A E O T J
R09: 100, 6, 3, 10, 8, 5. Target: 448.
TTT: RAYTOILS - "Ray toils all by himself in confinement"
R10: Z G R N E I A S D
R11: I N D E A R M U S
R12: G R C P E O E S D
R13: A E T M S A R H E
R14: 25, 1, 5, 4, 10, 2. Target: 966.
R15: R A W W M E L O N (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: F L A E N G I N B
C1: ENABLING (8)
C2: ENABLING (8)
DC: FINAGLE (7)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)
A great darrenic start for everyone sees both players on the scoreboard immediately.
Round 2: D F S L A I E R O
C1: DARIOLES (8)
C2: SOLDIER (7)
DC: FEDORAS (7) FORESAIL (8)
Score: 16–8 (max 16)
Giles takes the first lead of the day with the classic Countdown word DARIOLES.
Round 3: 75, 8, 1, 7, 8, 10. Target: 377.
C1: 376. (8 - (10 - 7)) x 75 + 1 (7)
C2: 376. (7 - (10 - 8) x 75 + 1 (7)
OT: 377. (8 x 8 - 10) x 7 - 1 (10)
Score: 23–15 (max 26)
Both players claim seven points by spotting the reasonably straight forward 376 but 377 is much more difficult. Even Rachel concedes defeat on this one but there are in fact two methods, one of which involves ignoring the 75.
Teatime teaser: HESKINDA -> SKINHEAD
Round 4: S H G Q A I E S T
C1: GEISHAS (7)
C2: STAGES (6)
OT: AGEISTS (7) SAITHES (7)
Score: 30–15 (max 33)
Another winner for Giles who is well on his way to octochampdom now. A GEISHA is a Japanese hostess trained to entertain men with conversation, dance or song.
Round 5: R T K O U N I A U
C1: RAINOUT (7)
C2: OUTRANK (7)
DC: RATION (6) TROIKA (6)
Score: 37–22 (max 40)
A final E would have given the awesome nine KETONURIA and I think Giles had seen that opportunity too. Sadly the last vowel was another U but on the bright side, the contestants find both sevens between them and surprisingly, Susie admits they have beaten the corner.
Round 6: 75, 6, 1, 1, 4, 6. Target: 526.
C1: 526. (6 + 1) x 75 + 1 (10)
C2: 526. (6 + 1) x 75 + 1 (10)
Score: 47–32 (max 50)
Again the numbers spread looks awkward at first glance but this time a much easier target appears, which enables Giles to surpass the 900 mark already!
Richard gives us an anecdote about the "You say, we pay" feature on Richard and Judy, where viewers had to describe something on a screen without saying what it was to them as they had their backs turned to the screen. Each correct answer earned the viewer £1,000. They once had an elderly lady who described something that is orange and black and keeps you warm in the winter, with the answer being a hamster. It turns out she'd lost her glasses at the crucial moment and thought she was describing a coal fire.
Round 7: E B N P I O T U L
C1: POUTINE (7)
C2: unpolite
OT: BOTULIN (7) ELUTION (7) OPULENT (7) OUTLINE (7)
Score: 54–32 (max 57)
Either Nick thinks it's a good time for a gamble or he doesn't have a seven but either way, his offering isn't in the dictionary, which sees him fall further behind.
Round 8: S V P N A E O T J
C1: PAEONS (6)
C2: STOVE (5)
DC: PANTOS (6) NOVATES (7)
Score: 60–32 (max 64)
Considering Giles' form during his run, that's a bit of a surprising miss by his standards but he still manages to extend his lead as Nick can only muster a five.
Round 9: 100, 6, 3, 10, 8, 5. Target: 448.
C1: 448. (100/(10/5) + 6) x 8 (10)
C2: 448. (100 - 10) x 5 - (8 - 6) (10)
Score: 70–42 (max 74)
Two very different and equally good ways of solving the numbers, even though Nick doesn't have time to write his solution down.
Teatime teaser: RAYTOILS -> SOLITARY
Round 10: Z G R N E I A S D
C1: READINGS (8)
C2: READINGS (8)
DC: GRAINED (7) GRAZES (6)
OT: GRADINES (8)
Score: 78–50 (max 82)
The high standard of this game carries on with both players spotting the most common of the two eights. Giles is getting ever so close to breaking the record now, just a measly FIFTEEN points required from the last five rounds!
Round 11: I N D E A R M U S
C1: NURSEMAID (18)
C2: REMAINS (7)
DC: REMUDAS (7)
Score: 96–50 (max 100)
WHAT A WAY TO DO IT!!!!!! (sort of). I say sort of because guarantees him the highest eight-game score ever but he's not technically an octochamp yet. The chances of such an enormous collapse are ridiculously low so I think he can realistically celebrate now. His points total is now a massive 950 and counting!
OoW: Susie answers a query from a viewer who asked about the origin of the word "passion". It originated from Latin meaning suffering and has been in use in the English language since around the time Jesus was crucified. Passion flowers are often used to resemble instruments of crucifiction.
Round 12: G R C P E O E S D
C1: CORPSED (7)
C2: PROCEEDS (8)
Score: 96–58 (max 108)
Wow, Nick responds with a Giles beater to cut the gap to 38 with a great darren of his own! All Nick has to do now is get a nine in the next round and hope that Giles misses it, beat him with a perfect solve on the numbers and get two conundrums.
This may be too little too late to spoil the party but at least he's made the young maestro wait a little longer for absolute confirmation. In fairness, Nick probably deserves his moment for his performance today.Round 13: A E T M S A R H E
C1: HETAERAS (8)
C2: HEATERS (7)
Score: 104–58 (max 116)
No nine available in this round which mathematically confirms that it's game, set, match, octochampdom and RECORD OCTOCHAMP TOTAL HOLDER Hutchings!
He celebrates in style too, by pulling another beauty out of the bag and finishes his letters rounds with a bang! 958 points now with a possible twenty points still to come!A HETAERA (also HETAIRA) is courtesan or mistress, especially an educated one in Ancient Greece.
Round 14: 25, 1, 5, 4, 10, 2. Target: 966.
C1: 965. (10 x 4 - 1) x 25 - (5 x 2) (7)
C2: -
Score: 111–58 (max 123)
Another horrible one large comes out as Nick admits to messing up his working and Giles gets as close as possible with his 965 method, taking his total up to 965! I was surprised to learn that this couldn't be done though. Just the conundrum to go now and can our new record holder become only the seventh player ever to solve all eight conundrums during his octochamp run?
Round 15: R A W W M E L O N
No one buzzes. The answer was LAWNMOWER.
Final Score: 111–58 (max 133)
No he can't!
After solving his previous seven in a combined time of around seven to eight seconds, this one dumbfounds both contestants. Giles gets a telling-off from Nick 
and he finishes on 111 today, the lowest score of his run! 
This may be a slightly disappointing end but let's not detract from what a brilliant octochamp run it has been from Giles! His total stays at 965, which beats Jack Hurst's previous record by 19 points! It will take someone extremely impressive to take the honour off Giles. Spare a thought for Nick too who played very well himself and I'm sure he could have won a few had he not run into an apterite at the top of his game. Giles takes his place at number one on the leaderboard, replacing Andy Platt who may challenge him for the series finals in June. Giles will certainly be one to watch out for when the best players of this series return and looks like an early favourite, although you can never be sure.Tomorrow it's back to the mortals as two new challengers will compete against each other. Join Robbo for that, I'll be back next Tuesday for my next assignment, see you then!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68