Typically, Jeopardy! has a legacy contestant, which means somebody in an individual’s household has competed on the sport present earlier than, however more often than not it’s a mum or dad and little one. This time, although, it was two sisters — twins, to be precise.
Dan Moren, an writer and podcast host from Somerville, Massachusetts, returned for his third sport on Friday, Might 9, after accumulating a two-day whole of $33,500. He confronted off in opposition to Zach Dickstein, from Chicago, Illinois, and Kara Peruccio, from Bangor, Maine. Peruccio revealed that not solely does she have a twin, however her twin additionally competed on Jeopardy! 12 years prior.
Throughout the interview spherical, host Ken Jennings mentioned that Kara, a college professor, was “not the primary Peruccio” to look on the Alex Trebek stage.
“No, my twin sister, who’s 23 minutes youthful, was on, I feel in 2013,” she mentioned. “We threw a watch celebration for her, the place the bar invoice was greater than she ended up profitable for second place.”
Jennings cracked up and mentioned that custom can proceed for her sport. “I imply booze costs have gone up, however…”
“You’ve received one thing to play for in the present day,” he mentioned.
The sport began with two Triple Stumpers, leaving everybody at $0. Nevertheless, solely 4 questions in, Moren discovered the primary Every day Double. With solely $600 in his financial institution, he wagered the allotted quantity of $1,000. In “Indicators & Symbols,” the clue learn, “From Latin for ‘apple with many seeds,’ this fruit is a logo of fertility in lots of cultures.” “What’s pomegranate?” he answered accurately, bringing his whole to $1,600.
By the tip of the spherical, Moren maintained the lead with $6,800. Peruccio had $2,200. Dickstein wasn’t too far behind with $2,000.
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Solely three questions into Double Jeopardy, Moren, who writes science fiction and fantasy novels, discovered the primary Every day Double of the spherical. With $8,400 in his financial institution, he performed it protected by solely wagering $2,000. In “Phrases About Phrases,” the clue was, “Watergate helped popularize this time period for a nasty phrase; it plus ‘deleted’ changed curse phrases in White Home transcripts.” He answered, “What’s redacted?” however was unsuitable. Moren misplaced $2,000, bringing his whole to $6,400. The proper reply was expletive. He maintained the lead by $2,200.
Peruccio gave Moren a run for his cash when she took the lead in the direction of the tip of the spherical by answering virtually all the questions within the class “Property Watching.” Moren saved answering questions unsuitable, and he was all the way down to $6,000. In the meantime, Peruccio had $9,400.
Moren discovered the third and ultimate DD to attempt to redeem himself. With $7,200 in his financial institution, he wagered $1,500. In “The 1913 Armory Present,” the clue was “10 years after his loss of life, this well-traveled painter from Paris was on the Armory Present in spirit along with his ‘Faa Iheihe.’” “Who’s Renoir?” he answered incorrectly. The precise reply was Paul Gauguin. He dropped all the way down to $5,700, nonetheless giving Peruccio the lead.
She ended the spherical with $12,200. Moren had $5,700. Dickstein, a restaurant supervisor and bike owner, was ineligible to compete in Remaining Jeopardy as his whole was -$1,200.
The class for Remaining Jeopardy was “Literary Narrators.” The clue learn, “This work has 10 major narrators, seven of them girls, together with Fiammetta and Lauretta.” Peruccio was accomplished writing so quick that followers barely noticed her write down a solution. Moren took a bit longer. He wrote “What’s Inferno?” which was unsuitable. The reigning champion wagered $5,600, giving him a ultimate whole of $100. Peruccio answered accurately with “What’s The Decameron?” She wagered $200, ending with $12,400.
This made her the night time’s champion, ending Moren’s reign. “You don’t have to fret about your bar invoice,” Jennings mentioned on the finish of the present. She beat her sister, who went house with the second-place prize of $3,000. Peruccio can be again on Monday, Might 12, for her second sport in opposition to two new opponents.
Peruccio is an assistant professor in each the Division of Historical past and the Ladies’s, Gender, and Sexuality Research program, in response to the College of Maine’s web site.
“I grew up watching Jeopardy! with my household,” she advised the outlet. “After we have been little or no, my twin sister and I’d dance in entrance of the TV to the music throughout Remaining Jeopardy. We additionally had a Jeopardy! CD-ROM sport, and it received fairly cutthroat; there was some body-checking to get to the mouse first to reply. I actually get pleasure from trivia, so making an attempt out for Jeopardy! was a no brainer!”
“My twin sister Caitlin was a contestant again in 2013. After she received on, I used to be additional motivated to maintain auditioning once I remembered to do it!”
Kara auditioned for the School Event when she was an undergraduate, however didn’t get picked. She then took the web qualifying take a look at in 2011. Peruccio was chosen, however was instructing English in Turkey and was unable to return to tape. The champion tried out once more in 2020, however the present targeted on native contestants on account of Covid-19 constraints. In September 2024, she lastly received the decision and was capable of tape.
“I auditioned on Thursday, September 5, 2024,” Peruccio mentioned. “I virtually missed the audition as a result of the e-mail went into my spam folder! Fortunately, all of it labored out. They known as me in early February 2025, and I flew out to Los Angeles in March.”
“After my sister taped her episode, she and my mother (who went together with her) wouldn’t inform the remainder of our household how she did!” she ended. “Neither of them may make the journey out to L.A. with me, and so I’ve been giving them a style of their very own drugs! Solely my little sister is aware of how I’ve accomplished. On the entire, I feel I’ve been fairly profitable at dodging questions on how I did.”