[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Monday, December 2 episode of Jeopardy!]
Jeopardy! is gearing up for its 2025 postseason with (mercifully shorter!) past-player contests and the coveted Match of Champions. With annual tournaments quick approaching, Monday’s episode introduced a formidable new champ in Evan Jones—although followers, and apparently host Ken Jennings, weren’t impressed with the sport’s Ultimate Jeopardy clue.
The champ moving into was Susan Beachy, a information reacher from Queens, New York, who gained the earlier match for a one-day whole of $9,300. She confronted Jones, a software program designer from Seattle, Washington, and Mike Ross, a trainer from Kansas Metropolis, Missouri.
Within the Jeopardy! spherical, Beachy discovered the Each day Double immediately however took a far-flung guess on the “Cheers to Beer” bodybuilding clue in search of “Mr. Olympia.” She completed the spherical with $1,000, whereas Jones swept an “Anagrams Occupations” class prefer it was nothing for a large lead of $6,000, and Ross had $3,400.
In Double Jeopardy, Ross discovered the second Each day Double early and went all-in. He received the “America Earlier than The Revolution Clue” as “Stuyvesant,” bringing him $10,000 and near the result in make issues fascinating. In any other case, Jones led the way in which and, bolstered by the final Each day Double, had a near-runaway with $21,800, Ross with $13,600, and Beachy had $5,000. As Jennings reminded the gamers, “This isn’t over but.” That stated, it definitely appeared like Jones’ recreation to lose.
The title of recent champ hinged on the “Poetic Characters” clue, which was, “In an 1842 poem, it’s stated of this legendary character that his ‘quaint apparel’ is way admired.”
Beachy wrote and crossed out “Longfellow.” Ross guessed, “Falstaff?” and Jones, whom Jennings applauded for a “dominant recreation” wrote “Daniel Boone?” The clue was a triple-stumper as the right response was, “Who’s the Pied Piper of Hamelin?.”
Jennings defined the right reply saying, “No, that is Robert Browning’s ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ who’s wearing an odd, uh, multicolored manner, I assume.” The host trailed off and flung up his palms. “Therefore the ‘Pied’ in ‘Pied Piper,” he closed. Jones dropped $4,601 to win with $17,199 and burst right into a thrilled expression being named the brand new champ.
Followers flooded the Reddit thread for the episode with many calling out the obscure Ultimate Jeopardy clue, arguing that there was nothing to pin it from “multicolored” to “pied,” and Jennings’ unconvincing rationalization.
“Good recreation! That ultimate was robust,” one Redditor wrote.
“Ken’s rationalization of the FJ clue as the topic ‘wearing an odd, multicolored manner’ most likely didn’t clear something up for many viewers, for the reason that clue made no reference to multicolored apparel,” wrote one other.
Jones chimed into the thread to share Jennings’ response to the clue after it aired. They shared that the host informed the gamers he additionally felt it was “laborious.”
Extra followers within the thread applauded Jones’ large win and needed to give them props for his or her anagram mastery.
“Wow, Evan nailing the “ANAGRAMMED OCCUPATIONS” class had me in awe. I’m horrible with anagrams. That pace wherein he dit it was one thing else,” wrote a 3rd.
“Evan seemed like they have been genuinely having a lot enjoyable! I’m hoping to see them stick round for a number of video games,” wrote a fourth.
“I hope to see them within the TOC, that efficiency was nice,” agreed a fifth.
Another fan wrote, “Dude you beat that anagram class’s a** good lord lol.”
What did you consider the sport? Did Ultimate Jeopardy want somewhat extra to go off of? Will Evan Jones snatch what could be the final Match of Champions ticket for the reason that ToC cutoff is Friday? And the way did nobody acknowledge Faye Dunaway? Each movie buff and their sister — no, daughter, truly, sister and daughter — knew that one! Tell us within the feedback part!
Jeopardy!, Weekdays, verify native listings