Wheel of Fortune is doing something they have never done before. Instead of three strangers competing against each other to try and win money, three friends face off against each other to be “the best Wheel of Fortune contestant” and earn bragging rights, as well as money.

The game show contestants on the Monday, May 12, episode have worked together at a Rhode Island Fire Department for the past two decades. One wanted to be called “King of Wheel of Fortune,” another believed they’re “the real boss,” and the third compared himself to David (vs. Goliath).

Melissa “Missy” Porter, from Johnston, Rhode Island, played against her fellow firefighters Darrin “Poppa” Gallagher, from Narragansett, Rhode Island, and Tim Stebenne, from Lincoln, Rhode Island.

About the twist, social media users commented on whether or not they liked it. “This is so much better than playing in teams,” an Instagram user wrote.

“I’m rooting for them as individuals and as a team I AM SO CONFUSED BUT I LOVE IT!!!” said another.

“I really enjoyed the dynamic of them all being friends, and while I know it shouldn’t be the norm, I’d love to see it more often. I have never seen it before,” a Reddit user said.

“Nice fresh concept we are seeing this week,” commented another.

“I like the concept of Bragging Rights. How many of us have sat on our couches competing against friends and/or family members? So to see that play out on television is interesting. It’s also a sign that there’s a new era of Wheel between Ryan and Bellamie,” one last fan said.

Another twist that came back this week was the Jackpot, which starts at $0 and increases by $500 for each spin. Whoever solves that round’s puzzle, wins the jackpot and their earnings. Also, if someone lands on the $1 Million Wedge, host Ryan Seacrest will hold on to it. If no one lands on Bankrupt by the end of the round, the winner of the round will take the wedge to the Bonus Round if they get there.

Porter, a cook who only makes meatballs when Wheel of Fortune is on, and Gallagher, the longest-tenured firefighter at his station, both solved the first two toss-ups. Stenenne, a man who met Missy and Darrin at the fire academy 21 years ago when she was his first fire truck run partner and “Poppa” was their instructor, won a trip to Iceland when he solved the puzzle — “Love-Hate Relationship.”

Stenenne solved the next one as well. Gallagher solved the next puzzle — “Lush Rainforest of Panama” — and won a trip to Panama.

Gallagher took the lead when he won all three Triple Toss-Ups for $10,000. Porter solved the final puzzle — “Running Neck and Neck” — for $6,000. She ended with $7,000. Gallagher was the night’s big winner with $20,150 cash & Panama, and Stebenne went home with $12,700.

For the Bonus Round, Gallagher picked “What are you doing?” His fellow firefighters cheered him on from the second and third-place podiums. When the puzzle answer emerged, fans were quick to blast the show.

Wheel of Fortune gave him “R,S,T,L,N, and E.” He chose “K,D,G, and A,” to round out his puzzle. It then looked like TAK_NG  A  _ _ _ _ _.”

As the clock counted down, Gallagher guessed “Taking a…” but couldn’t guess the last word. It was “Taking a whiff,” which he said he could have never gotten.

Ryan Seacrest let him know that he lost out on an additional $40,000. This is now the 11th Bonus Round puzzle loss in a row.

“Another tough word,” a YouTube user commented.

“At this point, I don’t even care if it’s the regular $40,000 anymore. Just win something!” another wrote.

“What is going on right now? And 11 losses in a row tomorrow somebody’s gonna have to break the losing streak,” a third added. 

“That was a hard one surprisingly. I knew the first part was ‘Taking A’ without the letter selection. But that last word was odd because there was no T or R. I’ve heard of Take A Whiff, but not Taking A Whiff,” another wrote.

“I thought it was ‘taking a break’,” a fan commented.

“How many people used this word in a year WHIFF or even in ten years,” one last fan wrote.