[The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Wednesday, April 23, episode of Jeopardy!]
Jeopardy! followers assume the Last Jeopardy query was “badly written” and it precipitated a contestant to lose brutally. Reigning champion Liam Starnes returned for his fourth recreation and tried to get his fourth win to qualify for an upcoming Event of Champions.
Starnes, 20, from Barrington, Illinois, confronted off in opposition to Abigail Arnold, from Waltham, Massachusetts, and Eric Cordova, from Chicago, Illinois, on Wednesday, April 23. The champion’s three-day complete is $72,202. He was born the identical 12 months host Ken Jennings had first run on Jeopardy!, which made the host really feel extremely previous.
Arnold, an instructional administrator, dominated the primary spherical. She answered eight out of 15 questions accurately earlier than the primary industrial break. This gave her an enormous lead with $6,000, in comparison with Starnes, an undergraduate scholar, who had $1,400. Cordova, a compliance specialist, had $0 after being within the adverse for many of the spherical.
In the course of the interviews, Cordova shared that he attended a Bears recreation as a child. When his dad stood in line for a beer, the particular person operating the sales space advised them that he wished to be in present enterprise. Seems that particular person was Bernie Mac. Arnold shared that when a friendship of hers turns 13 years previous, she has a bat mitzvah to have a good time. Starnes, to nobody’s shock, shared that he was a Excessive College Quiz Bowl Nationwide Champion at Barrington Excessive College.
Arnold discovered the primary Every day Double of the sport and made it a True Every day Double, wagering all of her $7,800. She at the moment had an enormous lead. The clue learn, “One thing broadcast by a tv community, for instance.” “What’s a program?” she answered, not sure. Jennings advised her it was a transmission. She misplaced all of her cash and went all the best way again right down to $0.
This gave Starnes the lead with $2,200. By the top of the spherical, Starnes lead with $4,200. Cordova had $1,200. Arnold was now in third place with $400.
In Double Jeopardy, Arnold took the lead as she answered the primary three questions proper, which have been all greater quantity questions. Starnes discovered the primary DD of the spherical and had the prospect to surpass Arnold. Solely $600 below Arnold, with $4,600, he made it a real Every day Double. The clue learn, “The northernmost Summer season Olympics have been held on this European metropolis in 1952.” He accurately answered, “What’s Helsinki?” doubling as much as $9,200.
Nevertheless, Arnold gave Starnes a run for his cash as she continued to accurately reply clues. About midway by way of the spherical, she surpassed Starnes by $1,200. Starnes took again the lead and had the prospect to make it a wider lead as he discovered the final DD of the sport. He wagered $4,000 out of his $14,000. “On July 24, 1857, Henry David Thoreau and a pair of others set off on Moosehead Lake in an 18-foot certainly one of these” was the clue. “What’s a canoe?” he answered accurately. This raised his complete to $18,000, giving him an enormous lead.
By the top of the Double Jeopardy spherical, Starnes was nonetheless within the lead with $18,800. Arnold was not too far behind with $14,000. Cordova sadly had $0, and was ineligible to compete in Last Jeopardy.
“twentieth Century Historical past” was the class for Last Jeopardy. “A 1919 Punch cartoon titled ‘The Hole In The Bridge’ confirmed Uncle Sam sleeping on the lacking keystone of this,” the clue learn. Arnold responded incorrectly with “What’s the London Bridge?” She wagered $4,801, giving her a ultimate complete of $9,199. Starnes was additionally incorrect along with his response, “What’s the Golden Gate Bridge?” The proper reply was the League of Nations. Starnes wagered $9,201, making his ultimate complete $9,599, solely $400 above Arnold.
Starnes put his arms on his head and opened his mouth in shock as he realized he received. He now qualifies for an upcoming Event of Champions with 4 wins. His four-day complete is $81,801. Starnes can be again on Thursday, April 24, to attempt to win his fifth recreation in opposition to two new opponents.
Reddit customers felt dangerous for Arnold as she might have received if she both wagered in another way or received her DD appropriate. “Completely satisfied for Liam however I actually really feel for Abigail right here. She performed top-of-the-line video games of the season and will have received right here, powerful wagering state of affairs for her. Actually hope we see her again in second likelihood as a result of it’s a brutal approach to exit. Actually favored her all in guess on DD1 although, it’s enjoyable to see individuals taking part in aggressively,” one fan mentioned.
“I feel it ought to virtually go with out saying that Abigail must be a surefire lock for second likelihood with THAT efficiency,” wrote one other.
“Abigail’s 25 appropriate responses prevailed over her defective FJ wager might be merited sufficient to safe an invite on the Second Probability Competitors?” requested one fan.
In addition they criticized the ultimate query. “IMO, that’s a badly-written FJ clue. Right here’s the cartoon in query. There’s nothing within the wording to point that the ‘this’ is something aside from a bodily bridge, and there’s additionally nothing even vaguely hinting on the worldwide focus of the cartoon. (The 12 months had me serious about girls’s suffrage and the nineteenth modification, although it seems that was in 1920). ‘This group’ might need made it too straightforward, however I feel one thing like ‘this entity’ would have made for a greater clue. And even simply the phrase ‘representing’ would have helped,” mentioned one other Reddit consumer.
“She needs to be an entire lock for second likelihood. Additionally that FJ was brutal,” mentioned one other.
“It was positively a tricky one for positive!” replied a fan.