FANS are divided over today’s ‘silly’ Final Jeopardy! round that left all three contestants stumped and cost the returning champion her winning streak.
The game flipped upside down and a new victor was crowned after the controversial clue led to the prize pots being drained from the trio of trivia players.
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On Monday’s Veterans Day Jeopardy! episode, one-day champion Rachel Marcus returned to attempt to extend her winnings.
The New York City-based writer went up against Chris Spencer, a medical writer from Washington DC, and Joey DeSena, a development engineer from Raleigh, North Carolina.
Throughout the game, the contestants swapped leads – though Joey held strong most of the game.
He had already secured $9,200 going into the Double Jeopardy! round and kept the number going up when he found the second and third Daily Doubles.
Joey added $3,200 to his total and followed that with an additional $1,000 bonus.
Heading into Final Jeopardy!, Joey had $18,200 while Rachel secured $16,400 and Chris garnered $8,000.
Ken Jennings read the final clue under the category “19th Century America” after the players placed their wagers.
“It caused rich amusement that the name of this President, whose wife didn’t allow dancing, was similar to that of a dance,” the host said.
The correct response was “Who was Polk?” however, all three players were wrong.
Both Chris and Rachel’s final score dropped to just $1, while Joey ended the game with $17,497.
Fans chatted about the divisive final clue after the game – with one wondering if others shared their “dislike” for the category.
“I wonder if there is going to be a lot of dislike for this FJ. I think it’s fun and a little silly,” a viewer wrote.
“It’s challenging because you could overlook it even if you can easily recall the presidents over that period.”
However, another didn’t agree.
“I got it but had to pause, so I would not have gotten it in time, as I was going backwards from McKinley and considering both first and last names,” they wrote.
“I think its a pretty fun FJ. Way better than the 3 musketeers one,” a third agreed.
Jeopardy! Universe
Jeopardy! first aired in 1964 until 1975. Then the nighttime version began in 1974. Since then, spinoffs of the game show have emerged. Here are all of those
Jeopardy! – (primetime) 1974 to present, weekdays on ABC at 7pm
Tournament of Champions – 1984 to present, features the top champions who have appeared on the show since the last tournament
Celebrity Jeopardy! – 1992 to present, has celebrities comepete against each other to raise money for chairty
Jeopardy! Masters – 2023 to present, features six notable recent Jeopardy! champions competing against each other
Jeopardy! National College Championship – 2022 to present, undergraduates from 36 colleges and universities across America compete to win $100,000
Other versions of Jeopardy! have fizzled out throughout the years
“I think it was a really good gettable one in 30 seconds honestly,” one more said.
Joey defeated Rachel – who was popular with fans after Friday’s energy-filled game against Ross Dickson and Susan Stumme.
While many contestants appear tense on stage due to the high-pressure scenario, today’s players were more loose, energetic and talkative.
During the interview segment, Ken walked over to chat with the players, and Rachel revealed why she hoped her “idol” wasn’t watching the episode.
“I love Fran Lebowitz but I would never want her to know that. I don’t think she has a TV.
“She would think it’s very uncool of me that I think she’s the ultimate New Yorker,” Rachel quipped.
Unfortunately for Rachel, Lebowitz has revealed in the past that she is, in fact, a massive fan of the beloved trivia show.
When asked in a 2021 interview if she ever watches TV, Lebowitz said, “Other than Jeopardy!, I never watch TV deliberately.”
“If I’m home and I have time, I watch Jeopardy! And every week when I watch Jeopardy! I don’t answer my phone during Jeopardy!
“Many years ago I got a phone call out of the blue: ‘This is so-and-so, a producer on ‘Jeopardy!’
“We just thought you might like to know on such-and-such day, you’re going to be a category on Jeopardy!’ And I was a category! It was one of the most brilliant things in my life.”
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