[Warning: The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Wednesday, October 8, episode of Jeopardy!]
Jeopardy! was a tight game between two contestants, and the win all came down to the final question, where one contestant made a fatal blunder. Find out if TJ Fisher continued his winning streak or if a new champion was crowned.
Fisher, from San Francisco, California, returned for his fifth game on Wednesday, October 8, after racking up a four-day total of $76,524. For his fifth game, he played against Josh Ng, from West Nyack, New York, and Chris Turner-Neal, from New Orleans, Louisiana.
The beginning of the round wasn’t looking too hot for the reigning champion. He had -$200 before answering the fourth clue correctly. He then found the Daily Double on clue five. With only $400 in his bank, the marketing specialist wagered the allotted $1,000. In “You Come At The Queen,” the clue read, “Oops, this royal missed! Already imprisoned, she plotted to kill Elizabeth I, but Liz found out in 1586 & was so not thrilled.” Fisher answered correctly with “Who is Mary, Queen of Scots?” which bumped him up to $1,400.
However, by the first commercial break, Turner-Neal, a writer, took the lead with $5,000. But, during the interviews, Fisher revealed a connection to the game show, which might be bringing him luck. Former host Alex Trebek is his eighth cousin, twice removed, according to a genealogy report his mother conducted.
Turner-Neal kept the lead by the end of the round with $7,800. Fisher had $1,600. Ng, a middle school teacher, was in third place with $1,000.
Fisher’s luck turned around in Double Jeopardy when he found the first Daily Double. He had $3,600 compared to Turner-Neal’s $7,800. Fisher made it a true Daily Double in “An Open Question.” The clue read, “What happened to this man last seen in the parking lot of a Detroit area restaurant July 30, 1975?” “Who is Jimmy Hoffa?,” he answered right away. This gave him $7,200, only $600 behind Turner-Neal.
The rest of the round was a battle between the two men. Turner-Neal found the second DD. With $11,000 in his bank, he wagered $1,500. In “Rowing on the River,” the clue was “The Hoyas, at the Thompson Boat Center.”
“We don’t need to wait. I don’t know,” Turner-Neal replied. He lost $1,500, which brought him to $9,500, compared to Fisher’s $8,400. The correct response was the Potomac.
The men went back and forth, taking the lead. But, in the end, Turner-Neal came out on top with $12,700. Fisher had $12,400, so he wasn’t too far behind. Ng wouldn’t participate in Final Jeopardy since he had -$200.
It all came down to Final Jeopardy. The category was “Animation.” The clue read, “Phil Vischer, creator of this show, originally had a candy bar as the lead until his wife nudged him in a healthier direction.” Both contestants got it right, which meant Fisher got his first Final Jeopardy answer correct. The correct response was VeggieTales.
Fisher wagered $11,799, giving him a final total of $24,199. Turner-Neal went small and only wagered $1,500, giving him $14,200. Fisher secured another win and a spot in an upcoming Tournament of Champions. He has a five-day total of $100,723.
Fans reacted to the win. “Losing after leading, going into FJ, and then getting FJ right seems like the worst way to lose? I mean, if you really feel like the FJ category is the worst category ever, but otherwise, bet on yourself, no?” a Reddit user said.
“That’s the second time in like a week and a half that the player in a close 2nd place going into FJ wagered big, the player in 1st place wagered a small amount instead of the standard cover bet, they both got FJ right, and the player who had been in 2nd ended up winning. Crazy. (It also happened Friday before last.) If he’d made the standard cover bet, Chris would have defeated a (now) TOC-bound champ, so he’s probably a strong contender for Second Chance,” another said.
“Great time for TJ to come through on FJ! Another TOC contender. Well done!!” a third added.
“Epic ending, that was such a heated battle between two trivia titans. Happy for TJ, but hope Chris can come back sometime for a second chance!” one fan said.
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