And after yesterday's debacle, I think a super dose is necessary
Enjoy. 
Countdown recap for Thursday 18 July 2013.
C1: Champion Margaret Lawless (3 wins, 213 points.) From Raunds, Northamptonshire.
C2: Challenger Niall Breen. A GP from Dublin, but is originally from Donegal. He previously worked in a theme park in New Jersey, and is an Arsenal fan, as well as a supporter of Donegal's Gaelic football team.
DC: Susie Dent and Brendan Cole.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: H L N S I E O G N
R02: A R S E R A O N D
R03: 25, 8, 7, 3, 4, 1. Target: 114.
TTT: SNUCKDIN - "You wouldn't want to be stuck with these on a desert island"
R04: T U R W I D E A T
R05: R F O E I L M T O
R06: 50, 9, 5, 6, 7, 2. Target: 329.
R07: I A E S N M T S T
R08: P D L R O E O Z P
R09: 25, 3, 7, 8, 10, 4. Target: 722.
TTT: MOISTTIP - "In his world, everything is on the up"
R10: S H E I D A T H O
R11: K N V C A U I E Y
R12: N U M S I U B D E
R13: R N O A I C P S O
R14: 75, 3, 4, 8, 3, 1. Target: 194.
R15: D E S L E T H E R (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: H L N S I E O G N
C1: SHONE (5)
C2: SLING (5)
DC: INGLES (6)
OT: GINNELS (7) LEGIONS (7) LINGOES (7) LONGISH (7) NOSHING (7) SHINGLE (7) SHOEING (7)
Score: 5–5 (max 7)
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I think the dosage needs to be upped even more, as DC even miss seven 7's!!!
Round 2: A R S E R A O N D
C1: REASON (6)
C2: SANDER (6)
DC: SERRANO (7) ADORNERS (8)
Score: 11–11 (max 15)
DC perk up with the darrenic 8, while the contestants stay 2 behind the tops with their 6's.
Round 3: 25, 8, 7, 3, 4, 1. Target: 114.
C1: 114. ((3 - 1) x 7) + (4 x 25) (10)
C2: 114. (4 x 25) + 7 + 8 - 1 (10)
Score: 21–21 (max 25)
Probably no easy way to get to that one, but there are certainly loads of ways to reach 114, and the contestants don't miss this time.
Teatime teaser: SNUCKDIN -> NUDNICKS
Round 4: T U R W I D E A T
C1: WAITER (6)
C2: WAITER (6)
DC: RATTED (6) RUTTED (6)
OT: ATTIRED (7)
Score: 27–27 (max 32)
A couple of WAITERs are called forth, while the darrenic 7 is left untouched.
Round 5: R F O E I L M T O
C1: TREFOIL (7)
C2: FLOOR (5)
DC: LOFTIER (7)
OT: MOTLIER (7) TREMOLO (7)
Score: 34–27 (max 39)
An impressive spot from Margaret gives the first lead of the day.
Round 6: 50, 9, 5, 6, 7, 2. Target: 329.
C1: 326.
C2: 329. ((50 + 5) x 6) - ((7 + 2) / 9) (10)
Score: 34–37 (max 49)
But not to be dragged down, Niall makes a quick comeback and even takes the lead with his perfect solution.
Brendan talks about his wardrobe malfunctions that have befallen him while on his tour, or during filming Strictly Come Dancing.
Round 7: I A E S N M T S T
C1: STAINS (6)
C2: STAINS (6)
DC: INMATES (7) MATINESS (8)
OT: ANTSIEST (8) INSTATES (8) MANTISES (8) MISSTATE (8) NASTIEST (8)
Score: 40–43 (max 57)
Back to 2 off the pace again with the contestant's STAINS, while DC go all matey with their MATINESS for 8.
ANTSY is an adjective meaning apprehensive, uneasy, or nervous.
To INSTATE is to put or place in a certain state or position, as in an office.
Round 8: P D L R O E O Z P
C1: POOLED (6)
C2: POOLED (6)
DC: POODLE (6) LOOPED (6)
OT: PLEOPOD (7)
Score: 46–49 (max 64)
Lots of 6's in this one, while the odd darrenic 7 is left untouched, although I was surprised that doppler wasn't in....
A PLEOPOD is another name for a SWIMMERET, which in a crustacean, is one of a number of abdominal limbs or appendages, usually adapted for swimming and for carrying eggs, as distinguished from other limbs adapted for walking or seizing.
Round 9: 25, 3, 7, 8, 10, 4. Target: 722.
C1: 722. (3 x 25 x 10) - (4 x 7) (10)
C2: 721.
Score: 56–49 (max 74)
Quite a few methods to get 722, unfortunately Niall can't find one of them, so surrenders his lead back to Margaret.
Teatime teaser: MOISTTIP -> OPTIMIST
Round 10: S H E I D A T H O
C1: DEATHS (6)
C2: DEATHS (6)
DC: HOTHEADS (8)
OT: HEADSHOT (8) SHITHEAD (8)
Score: 62–55 (max 82)
A couple of DEATHS in the studio!!!
But there are some HOTHEADS in DC too. Thankfully no-one spotted the other interesting 8 available.... 
Round 11: K N V C A U I E Y
C1: vince
C2: CAKEY (5)
DC: VICUNA (6)
Score: 62–60 (max 88)
Margaret's lead shrinks a tad, since Vince isn't to be found in the dictionary, but CAKEY is.
Top marks for DC again with the darrenic 6.Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "purchase" and "sale".
Round 12: N U M S I U B D E
C1: UNUSED (6)
C2: NUMBED (6)
DC: IMBUED (6) SUBDUE (6)
OT: DUBNIUM (7) SUBMENU (7)
Score: 68–66 (max 95)
Quite a few 6's again, but there are two unusual 7's available in this one.
DUBNIUM (Chemical symbol: Db) is a superheavy, synthetic, radioactive element with a very short half-life.
Round 13: R N O A I C P S O
C1: POISON (6)
C2: SCOOP (5)
DC: PROSAIC (7) SOPRANO (7)
OT: PICAROONS (18)
Score: 74–66 (max 113)
But, Margaret quadruples her advantage with a bit of POISON, and while SCORPION was also there for 8, there was an amazing 9 lurking in the bushes.
A PICAROON is a rogue, vagabond, thief, or brigand.
Round 14: 75, 3, 4, 8, 3, 1. Target: 194.
C1: 185.
C2: 194. (75 x 3) - ((4 x 8) - 1) (10)
Score: 74–76 (max 123)
Margaret completely loses it in the numbers again, and Niall capitalises as we head into a crucial conundrum, nothing new to Margaret of course.
Round 15: D E S L E T H E R
C1 buzzes on 6.25 seconds to say SHELTERED which is correct.
Final Score: 84–76 (max 133)
But, out from the darkness, Margaret pounces with the answer, and with it ends Niall's brave challenge, and makes her a half-octochamp too.
So, are we in line for a 2nd week in a row where a woman of a more "further age" (trying to make it sound nice, without being patronising, but have probably failed), wins all 5 shows in a week. My internal sources tell me that semi-pro footballer Rory Coleman will be tomorrow's challenger, but with football in the off-season now, will he be ready for the "Lawless" challenge that awaits him I wonder
Join AP tomorrow to see if he can step up to the task, or whether Margaret will make it a full house.
I'll be back next week, not on Wednesday though, since I'll be watching Huddersfield Town take on Real Betis in a pre-season friendly, so if anyone wants to swap recaps with me on Wednesday (I'd preferably like Tuesday, if that's OK, Jack), then that would be cool.
So, till next week, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Margaret:
Total score - 84
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 63
Raw % of max - 72
Total average score per round - 5.6
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 4
Niall:
Total score - 76
Raw score - 93
Total % of max - 57
Raw % of max - 70
Total average score per round - 5.1
Raw average score per round - 6.2
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=69