The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Rona Lisa Peretti, the moderator of the bee, enters the gymnasium to set up, and is quickly thrown back to her own Putnam County Spelling Bee experience, where she won with the word “syzygy.” The students begin to enter and, along with the four spellers who have been selected from the show’s audience, are welcomed by Ms. Peretti (“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”). Ms. Peretti pulls Olive Ostrovsky aside and tells her that she still owes the $25 fee for the bee. Olive reveals that she’s come alone on a bus, so there’s no parent there who can pay. Ms. Peretti decides to let the fee slide. She introduces the spellers to Vice Principal Douglas Panch, who has returned after a murky incident five years previously, which he assures the audience he’s bounced back from. Next to be introduced is the Official Comfort Counselor, Mitch Mahoney, an intimidating-looking convicted criminal who is serving his community service at the bee. Mitch leads the spellers in the Pledge of