The Hustler - General Discussion

[Madding crowd]

Yes, some of the questions were too random for the hustler to just happen to know so they had to let those go. Who would know the marshmallow dream bar is the least calories of the things listed? I didn’t guess until halfway through and then it seemed obvious Kwasi was leading the answers.

[dargosmydaddy]

3 minutes ago, Madding crowd said:

Who would know the marshmallow dream bar is the least calories of the things listed?

I was actually leaning that way! At the very least, I knew it wasn't the bagel (or the croissant).

[Diana Berry]

2 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

Yes, some of the questions were too random for the hustler to just happen to know so they had to let those go. Who would know the marshmallow dream bar is the least calories of the things listed? I didn’t guess until halfway through and then it seemed obvious Kwasi was leading the answers.

I guessed when he smirked at the nic cage pillow also when the 2nd person that got kicked out was nailed him.

[Ms Lark]

I guessed when he was twitching around in his chair when they were discussing IBS!

[NotChristine]

The pillow kinda clued me as to who the hustler could be. Then, something that Kwasi mentioned during the Hippocratic Oath question made me certain that he was the hustler.

[chitowngirl]

17 hours ago, Diana Berry said:

I guessed when he smirked at the nic cage pillow also when the 2nd person that got kicked out was nailed him.

And that’s on the editing to show us that. Same with last week when they showed The Hustler’s pet and she smiled and mouthed his name. Those are the clues I look for.

[Diana Berry]

6 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

And that’s on the editing to show us that. Same with last week when they showed The Hustler’s pet and she smiled and mouthed his name. Those are the clues I look for.

 

6 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

And that’s on the editing to show us that. Same with last week when they showed The Hustler’s pet and she smiled and mouthed his name. Those are the clues I look for.

I might go back and watch that. I’m usually multi tasking 

[bunnyface]

I knew who The Hustler was for once!  Not because of anything on the show, because I still can't read these people.  But because I remembered the news story of when he got into all the Ivy League schools.  I didn't remember him, specifically, but I remembered the gender and ethnicity.  Random vague memories for the win!

 

[seacliffsal]

I guessed the Hustler fairly early on (based mainly on the Ivy League info and some other tidbits).  But wow did pink wig woman not want to hear a thing that the other guy said to try and get her to change her vote.  The young woman voted off made me laugh as it seemed like she really, really, really wanted to be the Hustler even though it wasn't her due to her trying to get so much attention placed upon herself (like she couldn't stand not being the center of attention).  

[Angeleyes]

The Hustler April has certainly led an interesting life. I feel bad for the poor cats who have to wear the chain mail she makes for them. Plus, I side eyed the whole mentalist thing. She held back and was quiet through the first half of the game, but once she started talking and getting more pushy she gave away too many details of herself. The better strategy would probably have been to leave herself up against the two guys, but the first guy and the red head lady were both pushing strong for wrong answers so that forced The Hustler to eliminate them. 

[LakeGal]

I was proud of myself.  I picked her when they were introduced.  I told the people in the room that I thought it was her.  I had one of those witchy moments.

[Door County Cherry]

I think I figured out it was her when the polyamory clue came out.  Poly people often look like your next door neighbors but one with FIVE different partners?  I don't know why but I expect a very religious look or an edgy look.  She fit the artsy vibe.  

[eyelash]

5 hours ago, Door County Cherry said:

I think I figured out it was her when the polyamory clue came out.  Poly people often look like your next door neighbors but one with FIVE different partners?  I don't know why but I expect a very religious look or an edgy look.  She fit the artsy vibe.  

I got suspicious of her early on, but didn't settle on her for good until the clue about the retainer.  She was the most obvious candidate based on the appearance of her teeth.  Then as Angeleyes said, she talked too much toward the end and her vocabulary and bossiness gave her away.

[Ms Lark]

I picked April first off. She just seemed to continue to fit every clue given. Her clothing. Her vibe. The chain mail and her super long chain earrings. I also have a hunch (it's just an observation, it really doesn't matter to me) that she is trans and could be more open in her relationships.

What I don't get is the "Baby Shark." Unless others in her Poly group have kids, in which case, of course.

[seacliffsal]

Once Natalie was eliminated I figured it was April.  She really started pushing answers at the end and every reason she gave for knowing the answers just pointed to her being the Hustler.  I really enjoy this show and this Craig Ferguson does a great job as host.  

[Door County Cherry]

8 hours ago, Ms Lark said:

I also have a hunch (it's just an observation, it really doesn't matter to me) that she is trans and could be more open in her relationships.

When she said that she didn't have any "parts" for having kids, that's what I thought she was going to insinuate or state but then she said she didn't have large hips/boobs or something like that.

But even if she were a trans woman, it doesn't mean she couldn't have biological children.  They could have been conceived pre-transition or she could have stored sperm in a sperm bank. 

[Whimsy]

On 7/3/2021 at 10:57 PM, Madding crowd said:

Yes, some of the questions were too random for the hustler to just happen to know so they had to let those go. Who would know the marshmallow dream bar is the least calories of the things listed? I didn’t guess until halfway through and then it seemed obvious Kwasi was leading the answers.

I knew that right away from my weight watchers days. Rice Krispies treats were something like 4 points lol. That was a long time ago and now I avoid sugar, carbs and fake processed crap, but I knew that. 

18 hours ago, LakeGal said:

I was proud of myself.  I picked her when they were introduced.  I told the people in the room that I thought it was her.  I had one of those witchy moments.

I picked her during the introductions too. Glad my gut was right!

53 minutes ago, Door County Cherry said:

When she said that she didn't have any "parts" for having kids, that's what I thought she was going to insinuate or state but then she said she didn't have large hips/boobs or something like that.

But even if she were a trans woman, it doesn't mean she couldn't have biological children.  They could have been conceived pre-transition or she could have stored sperm in a sperm bank. 

I still think that’s what she meant by not having the “parts” but then she back-pedaled the answers. My mom was tiny with no boons and hips and she had 3 kids. 

[Madding crowd]

I know what Rice Krispie treats are but have no idea what’s in a Marshmallow dream bar, it could have nuts, chocolate or anything else. 

[saber5055]

I'm useless in this show. Last week I watched without multi-tasking and  couldn't pick the Hustler. So I tried again this week, watched and listened, and STILL couldn't pick the Hustler. *sigh*

[Madding crowd]

I wonder what this latest hustler’s actual role is with the space program. The stuffed animal weddings and baby shark playlist seemed at odds with a scientist ( not to mention the wall of whips). I also wonder why they always seem to eliminate the one who everyone is guessing for the hustler.

[alexa]

Yes, she got really aggressive too fast, and gave away too much all of the sudden.  I was curious about her throughout, but her sudden change of character made her suspicious.  

[tinkerbell]

I knew for sure it was April when she said to the therapist, "if you've read the DSM then you would know chiromancy." Nope, its not in the DSM, she was trying too hard to implicate the other woman. 

But even before that - chain mail for cats, whips, polyamory, that goes along with dressed all in black with earrings that go past her shoulders. If she wanted to play smarter, she should have dressed a bit more conservatively.

[pezgirl7]

On 7/16/2021 at 8:09 PM, Madding crowd said:

I wonder what this latest hustler’s actual role is with the space program. The stuffed animal weddings and baby shark playlist seemed at odds with a scientist ( not to mention the wall of whips).

I'm not sure about that. I feel like a lot of people in tech fields are quirky/nerdy/weird/eccentric, and I don't mean that in a bad way. I only guessed the hustler near the end. The stuffed animals and cats made me think it was a woman.

[seacliffsal]

I guessed this week's hustler right at the beginning of the show although throughout the show I kept thinking it could possibly be some of the other contestants.  However, the hustler kept revealing herself in pushing answers (especially the Snoop Dogg answer).  This was an instance of the hustler not being able to sit back and watch wrong answers lessen the money prize.  

I find it delightful to play along and even when I end up being right about who is the hustler, I continue to second guess myself throughout the episode.

Oh, and I knew that Salt Lake City is the jello capital of the U.S. but was lost on most of the other questions.

I also really like Craig Ferguson-he makes me laugh at times which is more than other comedians...

[dargosmydaddy]

After pegging the hustler the last two weeks, I couldn't do it this week... I thought it was the second guy who got eliminated right up until he got eliminated just based on his facial expressions when the Jell-o was being shown (and his really random association between salt water taffy--> Salt Lake City--> Jell-o), and then I thought it might be the blonde lady because she looked so stressed and shifty. Though her anguish at the end when they were both trying to convince her it was the other one made me think that no one could be that good of an actress! And I did have a vague recollection of the NFL coaching story so I really should have known it was the other lady. Oh well! Craig always has a great rapport with everyone, but I thought the contestants themselves had nice rapport this week, too.

[Door County Cherry]

I didn't pay close attention to the answers but the NFL clue and the blonde woman's "I thought it was a female ref" response made me think it was her and she was trying to throw us off.  

I knew there was a female NFL coach for the AZ Cardinals.  And I thought I remember hearing her name.  But I thought she was blonde which is why I thought it was her and not the one with darker hair. 

[pezgirl7]

1 hour ago, dargosmydaddy said:

and then I thought it might be the blonde lady because she looked so stressed and shifty. 

I thought it was her too because she was shifty! It wasn't until the NFL coaching question that I switched to the other lady. Although I thought it was maybe a strength and conditioning coach, I figured whoever worked with NFL players would probably have to have a strong personality, and she fit the bill. It's interesting that she said she was a trainer, instead of lying about it. Her strategy seemed to be to convince the other players that she was too obvious to be the hustler. I think it's also strange that she doesn't have an oven. You don't have to use it, but most homes have ovens! 

[Ms Lark]

I thought it was Leland. He had a great smile and the two women didn't have "pretty enough for commercials" smiles. Jen was really rough looking, but I think she's just another victim of too much Hollywood plastic surgery. Totally legit, though, Dr. Jen Welter. Respect!

The blond was truly distraught with the final choice, so I knew it definitely wasn't her. 

I have friends who don't cook, but they have ovens and micros, even if they don't use them. One of them wanted to renovate her kitchen and get rid of the stove, but was advised that you can't sell a home without a stove. People just won't buy. Uses it to store her sweaters.

[alexa]

I thought it was the blonde most of the time but not completely sure between her and the other female.  She had such a Gwyneth Paltrow looking vibe.  

[saber5055]

I don't have an oven or a microwave, I do have a toaster oven and a Nu-Wave oven. I have a friend who's never had a microwave. So I thought that answer might have been higher, although I don't remember now what it was.

I kept thinking the Hustler was the Black guy, even though he never really gave any answers, he just went with the flow. I could see him at Fashion Week though. The reveal always surprises me, even though this week the Hustler was really pushy in getting her answers to be the answers and I still didn't pick up on it. So far, I'm on strike four out of four shows trying to find the Hustler.

[dargosmydaddy]

47 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

So I thought that answer might have been higher, although I don't remember now what it was.

I think it was 4%. I was surprised it wasn't higher, too (I would have picked 14%).

[seacliffsal]

I wonder how they prep the contestants as there is quite a bit of suspense about who is the hustler and all of the contestants seem a bit likely at one point or another.

[Ms Lark]

4 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I wonder how they prep the contestants as there is quite a bit of suspense about who is the hustler and all of the contestants seem a bit likely at one point or another

Hmm. Interesting. I think the contestants are catching on to how it's played, but how to play the others. Leland did say he was trying to get them to think he was The Hustler. No one ever said they all had to tell the truth.

While I find the game fun, I don't think I'd like it as much with a different Host. Craig Ferguson is great in the role, plus he fits with the setting, too.

[lynxfx]

If I was the hustler I think my strategy would be to slowly but surely befriend one of the other people. Agree with most of the stuff they say, or who they think is the hustler. Back them up if they get accused, so take the focus off them. Basically make it so by the end you can hopefully more easily convince that person that the 3rd remaining player is the hustler and not you.  I wouldn't try very hard to force answers in the right direction, just let it happen. The last question would be the hardest though, depending on how much has been banked.

One thing I've noticed is that the past two hustlers became very aggressive in the final couple rounds. Seemed to give away that they were the hustler.

I got a good laugh with Craig bringing up Klum as a side joke just before the question with Klum as the answer. I'm sure the producers in the booth were smacking their face. It definitely caught him off-guard. He also seemed to really push the idea that the big guy was the hustler. More focused on one player than usual. I kept thinking the same until the end. Blondie was having a mental breakdown inside and was about to cry.  I really felt bad for her and would have been pissed if they didn't win after those final 2 minutes.

Love this show and they do find some very unique people with crazy lives.

[tinkerbell]

I didn't like the woman who ended up being the hustler. Right from the start, when asked what she does for a living, she says "trainer." I loved when CF asked, "animals or people?"  Trainer can mean a lot of different things.  Its a pet peeve of mine when people give such a vague response to a question that you have to ask again to get the answer.

[saber5055]

Once again I couldn't guess The Hustler. I thought it was the blond woman, even though for the last question she just sat there and didn't contribute. I figured she would pipe up if the other two got the right answer, which they did, then she agreed.

I'm terrible at this show. I should apply to be on it, the real Hustler would never vote me off.

[Door County Cherry]

I don't know why but I guessed it was the guy. There was just something about the way he was trying to control the situation. 

 

[dargosmydaddy]

I pegged the Hustler by the time they got to the final three. He was just contributing too many answers, and then quickly trying to pretend he hadn't. Even when he was attempting to cast suspicions away from him ('I've never seen Bridget Jones's Diary"), you could see him trying to orchestrate to the right answer (he asked someone to describe the movie to him, presumably in hopes that he could pretend to match the right book-- because his mother-in-law is a big Austen fan, don'tcha know-- to the description, and I lol'ed when everyone ignored him). I did think the obnoxious blond woman was suspicious, but in the end I bought that she was just dumb. Meanwhile, the guy was very quick to jump in with denials when the blond lady briefly mentioned that it might be him during the final conversation, despite the fact that she hadn't even picked him. I do think she might have been able to convince the other woman to side with her if she had just picked the guy to begin with!

I also wonder if they're required to submit their final Hustler picks before they reveal them at the table so that the actual Hustler can be told how the others picked and choose accordingly. I think it's too much of a coincidence that there's never been a stand-off (i.e. each person picking someone else/ a three-way tie of one vote each).

Edited August 13, 2021 by dargosmydaddy

[alexa]

I thought it was the dark haired lady.  She played it like a previous hustler had.  I go back and forth a lot, but I never thought it was the blond woman.  

[seacliffsal]

I, too,thought it was the blonde woman.  I wonder if her strategy to stay was to take the attention at the beginning of the game so that the real hustler would keep her as a misdirect and then try to sit back and observe once the two eliminations had taken place.  I did wonder about the brunette woman as well as the real hustler James, but kept going back to the blonde.

I actually knew several of the answers (Glenn Close has referenced growing up in a cult in interviews; history related answers), so would have at least contributed to the cash prize even if I was stumped as to who was the real hustler.

I like this show-it's a lot of fun and I try to guess along with the actual contestants.

[saber5055]

15 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

I actually knew several of the answers (Glenn Close has referenced growing up in a cult in interviews; history related answers), so would have at least contributed to the cash prize even if I was stumped as to who was the real hustler.

I would definitely vote for YOU being The Hustler what with you knowing all those answers! But yeah, this episode had some easy questions that even I knew. I also knew lots of kids in college who sold blood to make money to pay rent. (Or buy ... whatever!)

[LakeGal]

I never thought it was the lady in pink.  She talked too much and picked wrong answers early on.  I figured it was a male hustler early on.  Then LakeGuy kept saying it was the guy from Alaska and I watched him closer. I was sure it was him at final 3. 

[SomeTameGazelle]

13 hours ago, LakeGal said:

I never thought it was the lady in pink.

I picked Jared at the beginning and stuck with him until the final when Christine (in pink) who had voted it was Sarah (in green) spent her time trying to convince Sarah that she [Christine] wasn't the hustler. At that point in order to win if she thought it was Sarah she should have been trying to change Jared's vote to Sarah. Or she should have been changing her own vote to Jared and convincing Sarah to do the same. Her confusing behavior made me question whether Christine might really be the hustler. But I guess it really was just bad gameplay.

[A.Ham]

I am starting to get better at this. I’ve had strong hunches the last couple of times, and this last episode too. For me the top choice was “Alaska” guy, with green blazer lady being a second choice. Something about the way he hinted at the answers (but not too strongly), and then had a bit of a visceral reaction to pink lady’s statements about the hustler being scary / creepy. 

I keep thinking lady in pink looks similar to an actress, but I can’t quite put my finger on who. 

[lynxfx]

I picked the right guy from beginning based on the cult fact and the Amazon shopping list. The thermal paste which everyone ignored is most commonly used when building your own pc. He looked the part. 

Then as we went along the blonde lady kept making over the top remarks to every fact about the hustler. Screamed deflection to me. By the last question I switched to her. Her not helping at all on the final question threw me but I stuck with her and lost. Bah I hate this show!

Kidding love it.

[pezgirl7]

I picked the hustler near the end, but was still unsure. I thought Christine and Sarah seemed like they could have been the hustler, but they both were not doing a good job answering questions correctly. Christine's behavior was really strange, especially all her OMG remarks about the hustler. It's as if she thought all people in cults worshipped the devil, and thought the hustler was selling their blood to vampires! I think it was smart for the hustler to lie about living in Anchorage and only having 2 children, otherwise the 3 home births clue could have pointed to him, if he lives in a more remote area. I'm glad Christine was upset with herself. She literally said Pride and Prejudice has a Darcy, like Bridget Jones' Diary, but then let Sarah guess and choose the wrong answer! For some reason, I'm normally more happy when the hustler doesn't win, but in this case, I'm glad he won!

[Madding crowd]

I kept going back and forth between the two women until Craig said the hustler wrote science fiction and the guy somehow looked like a science fiction writer to me. I really didn’t like either of the women. If someone is born into a cult it isn’t their fault and it doesn’t make them creepy. And the lady in the green jacket also seemed snobby. 

[alexa]

On last night's episode, I kind of thought the guy was the hustler mainly because he kept telling them to answer the questions, and even said one time, I know the answer but I want you to talk it out.  The woman was also suspect to me, but he did seem kind of like he could be the Hustler.  I would have laughed if it had been the other guy because noone would have suspected him.  

[LakeGal]

This was an odd one to figure out.  The Hustler didn't seem to care if they got the answers right.  He was more interested in trying to hide his identity.  

I ended up suspecting most of them at one point.  I even thought it was the guy in the striped top near the end because he had been so quiet.  I really did not like the Hustler.  He certainly was a talkative Hustler.    

[Madding crowd]

It seems like they are going into semi famous people lately ( female football coach and now a daytime Emmy award winner ). If so they will run out of contestants soon. I wish they said what his Emmy was for or a little more about his background. I thought it was one of the guys because whenever they show a clue which seems to point at a man or woman it is always the opposite sex.