The impossible felt nearer than ever. Watching Pasapalabra each afternoon on Antena 3 leaves the soul hovering between certainty and surprise, wondering if today will be the day a historic duel ends and one contestant becomes a millionaire.
One of the two sits perpetually on the blue couch, always emerging on top, shifting the drama toward the show’s most iconic moment: the famous donut on television.
Rafa began this Wednesday’s rosco with a strong start, progressing from A to E with almost no doubt. Orestes, by contrast, struggled when he only reached D, yet he would redeem himself in the next round, sweeping through the letters F to P and making the crowd’s anticipation reach fever pitch.
While Rafa took a slower pace, Burgos completed the wheel with 21 strokes and 24 seconds to spare. The letter E turned green when “ultrasound” was hit, just as Q paired with “eskimo.” Competitors faced a tricky prompt: to name the author of the oil painting The San Isidro Chairs the Council of Toledo, housed at the University of Barcelona. Teixidor emerged as Orestes’ answer. Two seconds of grave silence followed, and Roberto Leal’s exclamation of triumph rang out, the moment marking Orestes once again at the brink of rosco as the program’s author Dionisio Baixeras rang in the call.
It was Rafael’s turn again. He closed the first round but faltered on the first reserved letters F and the second N. On Friday, he would return to the blue chair and give it another go, once more hoping for a donut-assisted comeback.
Rafa explains why the boat might capsize in Pasapalabra
The tension at the brink of the rosco
It has stopped surprising viewers to watch Rafa and Orestes hover at the doorstep of the jackpot, a familiar pattern in recent episodes. To chase the drama, the show even teased a light-hearted joke on Twitter, inviting contestants to swap the donut’s name if the moment stretched longer.
The playful suggestion, “One of the boat,” landed with a grin, clinging to the notion that there’s always a word standing between the competitors and the prize. It’s a situation that seems to recur across numerous programs.
What do you think about this playful line? Which moniker would you choose for the donut? Who is your favorite: Orestes or Rafa?