On Thursday’s Jeopardy!, the sport was stuffed with twists and turns that put the reigning champ able he hadn’t confronted earlier than. In an episode marked by full of life banter, spontaneous poetry, and shocking upsets, the competitors took on an entire new degree of unpredictability, holding viewers guessing till the very finish.
Challengers for Thursday’s episode embody Jolynda Chenicek, a instructor 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 complete a jaw-dropping $144,902.
On Wednesday, Riccardi nabbed his fifth win, and in doing so, he turned one of many eight official qualifiers within the Event of Champions.
After a robust begin that started with a back-and-forth between Riccardi and Chenicek, the Jeopardy! champ landed the Day by 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 a substitute of his common all-in guess.
The clue: “The Native American folks of Montana had been named for the colour of their moccasins.” Riccardi doubtless wished he had visited the Treasure State, as he incorrectly responded with “What’s Crow?,” dropping his complete to $3,200. The right reply was “Who’re the Blackfeet?”
By the point it obtained the primary break, Riccardi had solely a $2,000 lead over Chenicek, who had $1,200, whereas Hobbs was within the crimson with -$800.
In the course of the chit-chat section of the present, after Chenicek shared a narrative about working towards together 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 At all times Wished to Say This.”
Let’s jeopardize all the pieces to be taught,
How a lot we didn’t know we knew,
By hollering a query at a deep blue display screen,
After Ken Jennings has learn the clue.
And having made it a real Day by day Double,
Towards higher judgment and towards all odds,
Let’s jeopardize the entire enchilada.
Kiss it goodbye and irregardless applaud.
“Very good,” mentioned Jennings. “And if given the possibility to make it a real Day by day Double, will you recite your poem?”
“I’d in truth prefer to make let’s jeopardize all the pieces 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 a couple of of these a lot simpler questions, proving that even the low-dollar clues can journey up the very best.
Among the many stumpers was within the class “Little Pal” 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 except you’re the dimension 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 obtained 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 Day by day Double hidden underneath “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 consider the human physique?” Riccardi responded in form: “I’ve by no means been on a Unbelievable 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 complete 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 Day by day Double underneath “Phrases of Knowledge” for $1,600, his third Day by day Double of the sport, although he had but to reply one appropriately. Taking part in it protected, he wagered $3,000 towards his $8,200.
“Latin for ‘impolite’ or ‘tough’ provides us this adjective which means scholarly.” Riccardi’s reply, “What’s professorial?” was incorrect, dropping his complete to $5,200. He missed all three Day by day Doubles within the recreation. The right response was “erudite.”Within the ultimate moments of Double Jeopardy!, Riccardi misplaced his result in Chenicek, who started to drag forward after appropriately 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 number of extra right responses widened the hole, and by the point they entered Remaining Jeopardy!, Chenicek was in first place with $7,800, Riccardi in second with $6,400, and Hobbs in third with $2,200.
The Remaining Jeopardy! class of “Chart Toppers” supplied the clue, “His mom named him after her dream automobile, however he topped the charts in 2019 underneath 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 referred to 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.