[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Wednesday, December 18 episode of Jeopardy!]
Each time there’s a breakout star on Jeopardy! the massive query turns into, how lengthy will their profitable streak go, and the way will they lose? In some circumstances, it’s controversial (see Ben-edict Chan), however in others, it’s cut-and-dry. Sadly, it was the latter for four-day champ Ashley Chan: the longest-reigning feminine champ in six months misplaced by such a large margin on Wednesday night time that followers known as it “actually surprising.”
Chan, a publicist from Lewisville, Texas, entered with a mixed complete of $67,400 and the hearts of many viewers for her consolation on stage, huge information base, and lack of long-running champs this season. After a nail-biter final episode saved by an opponent’s defective Ultimate wager, she confronted Eric Weldon-Schilling, a bar supervisor & sommelier from Houston, Texas, and Sarah Rosenthal, a fundraiser from New York Metropolis.
Within the Jeopardy! spherical, the primary signal of hassle got here when Chan discovered and missed the Every day Double, drawing a clean on the “Poli Sci” clue in search of “Astroturfing.” She completed the spherical in final place with $2,800, Rosenthal with $3,800, and Weldon-Schilling within the lead with $6,400. And in final place she shockingly remained.
In Double Jeopardy, Weldon-Schilling went on a tear and expanded his lead into the 5 digits. Even Ken Jennings needed to comment, “You’re doing very properly on this spherical,” when he discovered the second Every day Double in “Victorian Verse.” Whereas he was unable to get “Casterbridge” dropping $2,800 from the entrance, his robust play continued. Chan by no means absolutely received into the image, spending a lot of the spherical with $0.
Rosenthal discovered the final Every day Double with a shot on the lead, dropping $3,000 in a troublesome break mixing up “milky manner” (not a Hershey product) and “Milk Duds.” This allowed Weldon-Schilling a runaway going into Ultimate Jeopardy. He had $19,600, Rosenthal had $8,400 and Chan had $2,400. “Very spectacular in that spherical,” Jennings informed the soon-to-be-crowned new champ.
The “Anthems” Ultimate clue was, “The unofficial anthem of this U.Ok. territory mentions kelp, penguins & “the wind from the horn” It was a triple-get as everybody accurately responded “Falkland Islands.” Weldon-Schilling added $1,400 to win with $21,000, left wanting over the moon.
Jennings gave an identical speech that he gave probably the most earlier feminine multi-day champ Adriana Harmeyer when she received her torch snuffed by Drew Basile (albeit Chan appeared much less distraught), assuring she’d be again. “Ashley, even with 4 wins, well-positioned for the subsequent Match of Champions. We’re more likely to see you again right here in a yr,” he stated in shut.
Followers flooded the Reddit thread for the episode, reacting to the defeat and to how unexpectedly decisive it was with Chan ending in final place.
“Aww gonna miss Ashley,” one fan wrote.
“Eric appeared so completely happy on the finish, I like him rather a lot,” wrote one other.
“I’m wondering if it was only a unhealthy board for Ashley or if she was getting cooked on the buzzer, as a result of it was actually surprising to see a 4 sport champion get so handily crushed,” wrote a 3rd.
“In all probability fatigue? She received incorrect solutions much more often that her earlier video games, I imagine,” speculated a fourth.
“ANTHEMS was not a useful or applicable FJ class given the clue. Additionally, within the POLI SCI class, how on earth did they make the obscure time period “Astroturfing” the $600 clue and DD, whereas assigning $1000 to understanding separation of powers? Baffling and unserious,” wrote a fifth.
Elsewhere within the Jeopardy! Subreddit, Weldon-Schilling spoke about his expertise and answering fan questions. He known as the tape day “emotional” and praised host Jennings whom he’s such a giant fan of that he “cried.”
“Ken was extremely heat and pleasant within the restricted quantity of interplay we received with him,” he informed one fan. “He got here and spoke to us earlier than rehearsals after which stated one thing encouraging to us throughout our picture with him. He exuded an aura of being a person who can’t imagine that that is what his life is definitely like—in the easiest way.”
“It was a really wonderful expertise,” he replied to a different. “I used to be very pleased with the entire expertise. I can’t say sufficient good issues concerning the manufacturing workers and the contestant division. And Ken. I actually cried at the very least 4 instances that day.”
As Jennings talked about, Chan shall be within the 2026 Match of Champions, because the cutoff for the 2025 ToC which airs in a month’s time is already over- nevertheless it’s not the final we’ve seen of her, and she or he’ll have loads of time to prep and grasp her Ultimate wagering technique and, as Sam Buttrey would say, convey it!
What did you consider the sport? Are you unhappy to see Ashley Chan go? Do you assume Eric Weldon-Schilling can win as many video games as he’s seen Bob Dylan live shows? Tell us your ideas within the feedback part beneath!