111 - Letter Perfect (w/ Reyna Larson)

Summary

SmartLess Presents ClueLess: Episode 111 - "Letter Perfect" (w/ Reyna Larson) Summary

Release Date: December 19, 2024

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Introduction

In Episode 111 of SmartLess Presents ClueLess, host Elliott Kalan, alongside recurring contestants Sean Hayes and guest Reyna Larson, dives into a series of intricate puzzles and spirited competitions. The episode, titled "Letter Perfect," blends humor, camaraderie, and mental challenges, all within a concise 12-minute runtime.

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Opening Banter and Vegetable Debate (00:41 - 03:15)

[00:41] Elliott Kalan sets the stage with his signature wit, juxtaposing a haunted house scenario with the challenge of listening to Sean Hayes solve puzzles:

"[...] if you want to hear Sean Hayes solve puzzles, just keep listening. This is Clueless." (00:41)

The conversation swiftly transitions to a light-hearted debate on the most overrated vegetables:

• Reyna Larson: "Ah, Brussels sprouts." (02:43)
• Sean Hayes: "Kale. Did we get it right? Is it kale and Brussels sprouts?" (02:44)

Elliott humorously suggests Botox for kale:

"I'd like, if somebody could kind of Botox that kale and kind of smooth it out a little bit, that'd be great." (03:02)

Notable Quote:

"Put a can of peas with butter on it in front of me, I'll eat the whole thing." — Sean Hayes (03:15)

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Revealing Last Week’s Puzzle (03:15 - 04:20)

Elliott revisits the cliffhanger from the previous episode:

"Name a famous company that has two antlers, two horns and eight hooves." (03:48)

After some deliberation, the answer is unveiled as Instagram, explained by the combination of a stag and a ram in its logo, symbolizing the antlers and horns with eight hooves collectively.

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Competitive Game: "Letter Perfect" (06:17 - 12:19)

Game Introduction (06:17 - 07:40)

Elliott introduces the main game segment, "Letter Perfect," where Sean and Reyna compete by identifying words or phrases containing a specific letter multiple times within various categories. Each occurrence of the letter scores a point.

"You get one point for each time the letter appears in your answer..." (06:40)

Today's letter is C, with categories including Animal, Actress, Beverage, City, and Musician.

Round-by-Round Breakdown

1. Category: Animal (07:53 - 09:45)

   • Sean Hayes: "Crouching Tiger" (08:54) — 2 Cs
   • Reyna Larson: "Cockatoo" (09:34) — 2 Cs

2. Category: Actress (09:47 - 10:06)

   • Sean Hayes: "Cate Blanchett" (09:52) — 2 Cs
   • Reyna Larson: "Christy McNichol" (09:59) — 2 Cs

3. Category: Beverage (10:17 - 10:38)

   • Sean Hayes: "Coca Cola" (10:17) — 3 Cs
   • Reyna Larson: "Caffeine free Coca Cola" (10:23) — 3 Cs

4. Category: City (10:49 - 11:10)

   • Sean Hayes: "Cincinnati" (10:54) — 2 Cs
   • Reyna Larson: "Chicago" (10:58) — 2 Cs

5. Category: Musician (11:27 - 12:04)

   • Sean Hayes: "Credence Clearwater Rail" (11:27) — 3 Cs
   • Reyna Larson: "Cat Stevens" (11:41) — 1 C

[12:04] Elliott tallies the scores:

"Reyna has 11 points. Sean has 12 points. How is this possible? How is it possible? Does he hold ahead?" (12:04)

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Final Mega Clue Question (12:19 - 14:06)

Elliott escalates the competition with a "Final Jeopardy" style question, allowing Sean and Reyna to wager their points. The final challenge requires naming a five-letter word with two consecutive Cs.

• Sean Hayes wagers 6 points and answers: "Bocce" (13:46)
• Reyna Larson wagers 11 points but does not provide an answer on air.

Result:

• Sean Hayes: 18 points
• Reyna Larson: 22 points

Reyna clinches victory with a comeback, winning by four points.

"This was one of the most dramatic games in Clueless history." — Elliott Kalan (14:12)

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Cliffhanger Puzzle (14:12 - 15:20)

Elliott leaves listeners with a tantalizing cliffhanger:

"My daughter's been singing the Alphabet song a lot, but I think she's learning it wrong. Here's what she keeps singing. A, B, B, B, B, B, B, B, B, C, D, E, K. What is she actually listing?" (15:18)

The puzzling sequence sets the stage for the next episode, enticing listeners to return for the solution.

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Closing Remarks and Credits (15:20 - End)

Elliott wraps up the episode with heartfelt thanks to Reyna Larson for exemplifying friendship and to Sean Hayes for his competitive spirit.

[16:12] The production team is credited, highlighting contributors like producer Devin Tory Bryant and puzzle writers Josh Richmond and Kevin Lehman.

"This has been SmartLess Clueless, and I've been your host, Elliot K, saying you could miss the next episode, but as your attorney, I would not recommend it." — Elliott Kalan (16:12)

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Notable Highlights and Quotes

• Elliott Kalan: "Puzzles are all about danger. Let's move right along to that main puzzle. It's called letter Perfect." (06:19)

• Sean Hayes: "Nothing could ever tear the poochies apart." (11:15)

• Reyna Larson: "We owe it to you, the audience, to weigh in on one of the most divisive controversies riling our country today." (02:19)

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Conclusion

Episode 111 of SmartLess Presents ClueLess masterfully balances engaging puzzles with the dynamic interplay between Elliott, Sean, and Reyna. "Letter Perfect" not only challenges the contestants' linguistic prowess but also entertains listeners with its witty exchanges and competitive intrigue. The cliffhanger ensures that fans eagerly anticipate the next installment, solidifying the podcast's blend of fun and mental stimulation.

Transcript

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[Raina Larson]

Smart Bless media.

[Elliot Kaelin]

As you creep through the haunted house searching for the fabled Vanderhorn jewels, you suddenly hear a scream. If you go to investigate the scream, turn to page 123. If you want to hear Shaun Hayes solve puzzles, just keep listening. This is Clueless.

[Raina Larson]

Clueless. Clueless.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm Clueless.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Welcome to Smartless presents Clueless, which is kind of like a true crime podcast if the crime is being too good at puzzles and the only suspect is Sean Hayes. My name is Elliot Kaelin, and I just meet the height requirement for hosting this show. Sean, thank you for being here again today.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes, thank you for having me, Elliot.

[Elliot Kaelin]

That's right, every episode of Clueless comes with Sean Hayes. But act now. And for a limited time offer, we'll also throw in a Raina Larson. Raina, thank you for being on the show again.

[Raina Larson]

Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much. I'm happy to be here.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, my gosh. Raina's here. Oh, poochie, poochie.

[Elliot Kaelin]

There's something very special about episodes where Reyna is here. I don't know if it's the mutual love between you and Sean or if it's that you're very good at doing puzzles, or if it's just that I keep thinking about what other food I may order off the menu at your restaurant when I go to it someday.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes, Ray and Al's. Everybody go eat it. It's so effing good. It's so yummy. Raina, how are you doing today?

[Raina Larson]

I'm doing great. I'm really enjoying my time with you.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, I love it. Isn't it nice you don't have to fly out here now to visit? Because we're visiting.

[Raina Larson]

It's amazing.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Raina Larson]

So why would I ever come back?

[Sean Hayes]

I total.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Now, those of you who listened to our last episode know that we ended with a cliffhanger puzzle, which we'll be revealing the answer to at the top of today's episode. But first, this Show. It doesn't usually like to get political, but we owe it to you, the audience, to weigh in on one of the most divisive controversies riling our country today. Sean Raina, what's the most overrated vegetable?

[Raina Larson]

Ah, Brussels sprouts.

[Sean Hayes]

Kale. Did we get it right? Is it kale and Brussels sprouts?

[Elliot Kaelin]

I think. Let me check. Hold on, let me check my refrigerator.

[Sean Hayes]

But I will have broccoli if it's like, if you sprinkle a little oil and salt and pepper and then you bake it.

[Raina Larson]

I don't think that was the question, though.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, sorry. Let's move on.

[Elliot Kaelin]

I think those were great answers. Thank you. Kale. It's a little wrinkly. I'd like, if somebody could kind of like Botox that kale and kind of smooth it out a little bit, that'd be great.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, exactly. But you know what? Put a can of peas with butter on it in front of me, I'll eat the whole thing.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Oh, boy, that's good to know. Thank you so much for those answers, but I think the listeners, they're enjoying the vegetable discussion too much. Let's tell them the answer to last week's puzzle. Yes, you may remember that last week's puzzle was a riddle that went like this. Name a famous company that has two antlers, two horns and eight hooves. Sean Raina, can you name this bizarre, misshapen beast?

[Sean Hayes]

Two antlers, two horns and eight hooves.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Two antlers, two horns, eight hooves. One riddle.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Raina Larson]

I mean, the first thing that came to mind was John Deere, but it's not John Deere.

[Elliot Kaelin]

That's two antlers and four hooves.

[Raina Larson]

Right, that's my point.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Raina Larson]

Like, I don't know. Two deer's moving company.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Raina Larson]

I mean.

[Elliot Kaelin]

All right, I think I'm going to tell you the answer.

[Sean Hayes]

Is it Christmas something? Okay, go ahead.

[Elliot Kaelin]

The answer is Instagram. Instagram. Because it contains a stag with two antlers and a ram with two horns. And between the two of them, they have eight hooves. Oh.

[Raina Larson]

Oh, that's hard.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Here's another word. Trick. These words, they're too tricky.

[Sean Hayes]

Is that the end of the episode? Is that it? Is that the end of the episode? Cause that hurt my brain.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Oh, no. Well, don't worry. You've got another chance to, I guess, heal your brain through action in the form of puzzles.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay. I love it.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yes.

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[Elliot Kaelin]

Are you ready for the main game, or would you like me to remind you of the podcast safety features?

[Sean Hayes]

Yes, please tell us the safety features.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Let's live dangerously. Come on. Puzzles are all about danger. Let's move right along to that main puzzle. It's called letter Perfect. Letter Perfect. Letter Perfect.

[Raina Larson]

Letter Perfect.

[Sean Hayes]

That's a new one. I like that.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yeah, I like that little ding at the end. It was like somebody was buying a lot of letters at the word store.

[Raina Larson]

I love these songs.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Now, this is a competitive game. So Sean Raina, you are about to be locked in bitter conflict. Poochie versus Poochie. Poochie take all. So I'm gonna give you a letter, and you're going to try to think of a word or phrase in a category that has that letter as many times as you can think of it.

[Raina Larson]

Okay?

[Elliot Kaelin]

You get one point for each time the letter appears in your answer, and the player with the most points wins. For example, let's say the letter was A and the category was fruit. Apple would get you one point. Guava would get you two points. Banana would get you three points, and Banagua V Apple would get you no points because it's not real. Only real words, please. Yeah, but I will accept phrases. So Gala Apple would be worth three points. So you can give two word phrases.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay? Got it. Good.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Ready to go so. And again, this is competitive.

[Sean Hayes]

Got it.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Okay, today's letter is C. Keep in mind that for each of these questions, there is a potential answer with three Cs in it if you think of it.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay?

[Elliot Kaelin]

Now let's let er rip. Letter. Perfect. And here are your themes. Remember, the letter is C. The first category is Animal.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Okay, the next category is Actress.

[Raina Larson]

Oh, geez.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Okay, after that comes Beverage or drink. We don't have to be fancy. And then city.

[Raina Larson]

City. I got none.

[Elliot Kaelin]

I'd say don't overthink it. It's okay to go with the first thing that comes to mind.

[Raina Larson]

I know, it's crazy.

[Elliot Kaelin]

And the last one is musician. All right.

[Sean Hayes]

All right, Good. We're back in.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Okay, let's go through those categories and we'll find out what your answers are. Whoever has the most Cs per category gets the most points per category. And then at the end, why don't we just add those points up and see who wins?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, let's do it.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Let's do it. Let's go crazy. Let's just add the points up.

[Sean Hayes]

This is nuts.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Okay, category one, Animal. Sean, what do you have?

[Sean Hayes]

Crouching Tiger. Well, I couldn't think of any.

[Elliot Kaelin]

I'll allow it. I guess it's a species of tiger.

[Sean Hayes]

Come on. He said it could be a phrase, too.

[Elliot Kaelin]

That's true. Could be a phrase. That's two Cs right there in Crouching. I'll allow it because.

[Raina Larson]

Wait a minute, a phrase.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, you said like gala apple.

[Raina Larson]

So I can say Cunning koi cheetah and then win.

[Sean Hayes]

That's true.

[Elliot Kaelin]

You know what? By the way, the Crouching Tiger precedent says you can. Yeah, I think so.

[Raina Larson]

I was gonna go with Cockatoo.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, yeah, that's good.

[Elliot Kaelin]

I think, Reina, you should choose Cockatoo. And not only have you tied Sean, but you also have the moral high ground. You didn't play tricks.

[Raina Larson]

Yeah, I did not play tricks.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Let's go to round two. Actress.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, I just had Cate Blanchett because I like her. But that's only two Cs.

[Elliot Kaelin]

That's two Cs. But that's great. I mean, she's great. She earned both of those C's.

[Sean Hayes]

I love her.

[Elliot Kaelin]

You know, she does the work. Reina, what have you got?

[Raina Larson]

Well, I got that, too, but I'll let you have it, because then I wrote. Well, oh, no, I wrote Christy McNichol.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Oh, Christy McNichol. That's two right there. Amazing. Let's see if it continues in round Three beverage.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow, that's easy. Coca Cola.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Great. That's three points right there. Raina. What have you got?

[Raina Larson]

Caffeine free Coca Cola.

[Elliot Kaelin]

What?

[Sean Hayes]

What?

[Elliot Kaelin]

What?

[Sean Hayes]

That is so good. A cool, refreshing glass of caffeine free Coca Cola.

[Elliot Kaelin]

I'm blown away. I'm blown away. Mast. Masterful moment. Mvp.

[Sean Hayes]

That's really good.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Let's go on to the next category. City. What do you have for city, Sean?

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, I had. Well, first I wrote Cleveland, but then I think Cincinnati. I went with Cincinnati.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Cincinnati's great. That's another two. Seer. Rayna, what do you have?

[Raina Larson]

Chicago.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, Chicago. That's where we're from.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Aw. It also has two Cs in it. This is. You are so evenly matched. Except for last one when Reyna really pulled that gaming Jiu Jitsu on you. Sean.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, yeah.

[Elliot Kaelin]

I don't want the poochies to be torn apart by this game.

[Sean Hayes]

Nothing could ever tear the poochies apart.

[Raina Larson]

That's right.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Let's see how it goes in the final round. Musician. Musicians. Starting with C or with C in their name somewhere.

[Sean Hayes]

Credence Clearwater. Ah, that's three Cs, right?

[Raina Larson]

Credence Clearwater. What?

[Elliot Kaelin]

Oh, yeah, it's three. Yeah, that's right. I got confused because they for a second because they're usually called ccr. So I was like, does he have.

[Raina Larson]

To say the full name?

[Elliot Kaelin]

But there's actually more Cs in their full name than there is in the abbreviation.

[Sean Hayes]

Is that a person or a band?

[Elliot Kaelin]

It's a revival. Raina, what's the name that you have?

[Raina Larson]

Well, I have Cat Stevens.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, that's good.

[Elliot Kaelin]

That's one C. That's one C. That'S one. But it's a strong C. Thank you. A nice strong starting off circle. So tallying up these scores. Give me one second to do that. Let's see.

[Sean Hayes]

I thought his name was Credence.

[Elliot Kaelin]

So, tallying up the scores at this point in the game, Reyna has 11 points. Sean has 12 points. How is this possible? How is it possible? Does he hold ahead?

[Sean Hayes]

Reyna always wins.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Of course. There's one more word that starts with C. That word is clue, as in the mega clue.

[Marine Recruiter]

Mega clue question.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Which in this case is just another question about words with the letter C in them. But this mega clue has a twist. I'm going to let you wager any of your points on this final mega clue question. And I'll also remind you, the points don't really mean anything. So you might as well go big. Why not? You lose nothing. So before I ask the final question, we're gonna do this kind of Final Jeopardy style. How many points are you going to wager on this question that involves words with C in them? Sean, you have 12 points. How many would you like to wager?

[Sean Hayes]

I'll raise your six. Six.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Six strong. And Reina, you have 11 points. How many would you like to wager?

[Raina Larson]

We'll go all in, please.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Nice.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Eleven.

[Raina Larson]

That's right.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Wow. I thought Sean had a confident wager and then Raina was, like, even more confident.

[Raina Larson]

That's right.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Here is our final mega clue word question, and I will give you some time to think about this as well.

[Raina Larson]

I'm gonna lose.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Can you name a five letter word with two consecutive Cs in it? Two Cs that are right next to each other in a five letter word?

[Sean Hayes]

Yes. I have one.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Raina, are you ready? Should Sean give his or do you want some more time?

[Raina Larson]

No, no. Sure, sure.

[Sean Hayes]

My word is bocce, as in bocce ball.

[Raina Larson]

That's what I. Oh, really?

[Elliot Kaelin]

Double bocce. This is the rarest of things on Clueless. A double bocc with your wagers. That means Sean, you zoom up to 18 points and Reyna, you zoom up to 22 points, coming back from behind to win the game by four points.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, that's right. She just won. But they didn't bet at all.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Wow. This was one of the most dramatic games in Clueless history. My heart stopped. I'm on the edge of my seat. Audience, I hope that you are sitting down listening to this. And audience, I want to know, did you do better than Sean and Reyna? Honestly, it doesn't matter. You're already a winner in the only game that matters, the game of life. But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It's this episode's cliffhanger puzzle. The cliffhanger puzzle is the little bit of extra puzzle left at the bottom of the bag that you can lick off your fingers when nobody's looking. And today's cliffhanger is also about letters. I hope you're not done with letters today. And it goes like this. My daughter's been singing the Alphabet song a lot, but I think she's learning it wrong. Here's what she keeps singing. A, B, B, B, B, B, B, B, B, C, D, E, K. What is she actually listing? Sean, Raina, are you already humbled by the sheer unsolvability of this cliffhanger?

[Sean Hayes]

Yes. Can you sing it again, please?

[Elliot Kaelin]

You got it. This is what she's been singing A B, B B B B B B B C D, E, K oh, I got it already. Yeah, well, don't tell us. Save it for next time. That's all the puzzle podcasting you can fit into an episode before the seams start to burst. I want to thank Raina Larson for teaching us the true meaning of friendship. You really did. And I want to thank Sean Hayes for having the heart of a champion and the soul of an angel who sometimes says crouching tiger, when really a tiger is an animal and a crouching tiger is. Well, we'll let him have it. It's fine. And I want to thank you, the listeners, for giving me an excuse to say all this nonsense in the first place. This has been Smart List Clueless, and I've been your host, Elliot Kaelin, saying you could miss the next episode, but as your attorney, I would not recommend it.

[Smartless Production Team]

Clueless, you have been listening to Smartless presents Clueless, a Smartless media production in association with Sirius xm. Your host is Elliot K, who also writes our scripts. Your constant contestant is Sean Hayes with those blue blue eyes. Your producer, editor and engineer is Devin Tory Bryant, who is me. I also write all the music and sound effects assistant engineer, Kyle McGraw. Today's puzzles were written by Josh Richmond and Kevin Lehman. Talent producer is Anne Harris. Associate producer Matty McCann. Social media producer, Tommy Galgano. Executive producers are Elliot Kaelin, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett and Jason Bateman. Executive producers for Smartless Media are Richard Corson and Bernie Kamins. Remember to follow, subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps. That's all for now. We will see you again for more.

[Raina Larson]

Smart Bless media.

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[Sean Hayes]

Let's go.

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