On Thursday’s Jeopardy!, the sport was stuffed with twists and turns that put the reigning champ ready he hadn’t confronted earlier than. In an episode marked by vigorous banter, spontaneous poetry, and stunning upsets, the competitors took on an entire new degree of unpredictability, maintaining viewers guessing till the very finish.
Challengers for Thursday’s episode embrace Jolynda Chenicek, a trainer from Tallahassee, Florida, and Austin Hobbs, a library specialist from San Angelo, Texas. Each are hoping to dethrone the present reigning champ, Scott Riccardi, an engineer from Somerville, New Jersey, whose five-day money winnings whole a jaw-dropping $144,902.
On Wednesday, Riccardi nabbed his fifth win, and in doing so, he grew to become one of many eight official qualifiers within the Event of Champions.
After a powerful begin that started with a back-and-forth between Riccardi and Chenicek, the Jeopardy! champ landed the Each day Double within the class of “Montana” for $800. Riccardi, whose pot at that time totaled $6,200, was hesitant concerning the class, admitting he had “by no means been to Montana,” so he opted to wager solely $3,000 as an alternative of his ordinary all-in wager.
The clue: “The Native American folks of Montana had been named for the colour of their moccasins.” Riccardi possible wished he had visited the Treasure State, as he incorrectly responded with “What’s Crow?,” dropping his whole to $3,200. The right reply was “Who’re the Blackfeet?”
By the point it received the primary break, Riccardi had solely a $2,000 lead over Chenicek, who had $1,200, whereas Hobbs was within the purple with -$800.
Throughout the chit-chat section of the present, after Chenicek shared a narrative about training along with her household utilizing the house model of the sport, Hobbs revealed that he was an newbie poet, and even recited one in all his works, a poem he wrote in honor of Jeopardy! titled “I All the time Needed to Say This.”
Let’s jeopardize the whole lot to study,
How a lot we didn’t know we knew,
By hollering a query at a deep blue display,
After Ken Jennings has learn the clue.
And having made it a real Each day Double,
Towards higher judgment and in opposition to all odds,
Let’s jeopardize the entire enchilada.
Kiss it goodbye and irregardless applaud.
“Very good,” mentioned Jennings. “And if given the prospect to make it a real Each day Double, will you recite your poem?”
“I’d actually wish to make let’s jeopardize the whole lot my new catchphrase,” mentioned Hobbs.
Ending the spherical, the trio labored their method from the underside up, saving the $400 and $200 clues for final, however nonetheless missed just a few of these a lot simpler questions, proving that even the low-dollar clues can journey up one of the best.
Among the many stumpers was within the class “Little Good friend” for $400. “In a Grimm Brothers story, this lad’s dad, a tailor, provides him a darning needle to make use of as a sword on his travels.” After nobody buzzed in, Jennings mentioned, “You’ll be able to’t use a darning needle as a sword until you’re the measurement of…Tom Thumb.”
One other query everybody missed was within the “Let’s Get Loud” class for $400: “Loud mating cries are attribute of this feline with many names, together with catamount and painter.” After the three-note jingle, Jennings revealed the reply was “mountain lion or cougar or puma.”
By the point it received to the break, Riccardi was within the lead with $6,000 whereas Chenicek was in second place with $2,600 and Hobbs was in third with $1,600.
Throughout Double Jeopardy!, Riccardi uncovered the primary Each day Double hidden beneath “The Human Physique” for $1,600. Host Ken Jennings quipped, “You mentioned you’ve by no means been to Montana earlier, however what do you concentrate on the human physique?” Riccardi responded in sort: “I’ve by no means been on a Incredible Voyage the place I shrink all the way down to a submarine, so let’s do $4,000.”
With the clue, “The ball of the ball-and-socket shoulder joint is the top of this arm bone,” Riccardi’s reply, “What’s the ulna?” was incorrect, bringing his whole down from $10,600 to $6,600, nonetheless $3,600 forward of each Chenicek and Hobbs. The right reply was the humerus.
Minutes later, Riccardi uncovered the second Each day Double beneath “Phrases of Knowledge” for $1,600, his third Each day Double of the sport, although he had but to reply one accurately. Taking part in it protected, he wagered $3,000 in opposition to his $8,200.
“Latin for ‘impolite’ or ‘tough’ provides us this adjective meaning scholarly.” Riccardi’s reply, “What’s professorial?” was incorrect, dropping his whole to $5,200. He missed all three Each day Doubles within the recreation. The right response was “erudite.”Within the closing moments of Double Jeopardy!, Riccardi misplaced his result in Chenicek, who started to drag forward after accurately answering the “U.S. Military Cadences” clue for $1,600: “Present this tank so that you and so they see if it weighs greater than singer Gracie.” With the response “What’s Abrams,” Chenicek overtook Riccardi with $6,600 to his $6,000.
A couple of extra right responses widened the hole, and by the point they entered Last Jeopardy!, Chenicek was in first place with $7,800, Riccardi in second with $6,400, and Hobbs in third with $2,200.
The Last Jeopardy! class of “Chart Toppers” provided the clue, “His mom named him after her dream automotive, however he topped the charts in 2019 beneath this moniker.” Hobbs have the response, “Who’s Bruno Mar?” (spelled incorrectly). “It wouldn’t have been proper even with the ‘S’,” mentioned Jennings. He wagered $1,200, leaving him with $1,000.
Riccardi, in second place for the primary time throughout his streak, responded with “Who’s Jelly Roll?”—which was incorrect. He wagered $1,401, leaving him with $4,999.
Chenicek answered, “Who’s The Weeknd?” which was additionally incorrect. The right response was Montero Lamar Hill — named after the Mitsubishi Montero — higher often known as Lil Nas X. She wagered $5,001, dropping her to $2,799 and second place, permitting Riccardi to carry on to his title as champ.
Riccardi survived to compete one other day, as he’s now a six-day champion with $149,901.