[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Wednesday, November 13 episode of Jeopardy!]
Jeopardy! topped a brand new champ after a dramatic showdown on Wednesday, November 13. Nonetheless, the true shock for followers got here when the judges controversially allowed a Ultimate Jeopardy reply that was technically incorrect — some citing much less lenient previous rulings on social media — and it determined the sport.
Joey DeSena, a improvement engineer from Raleigh, North Carolina, entered a two-day champ after huge back-to-back wins and $44,698 whole. He confronted Lois Dioro, a realtor from West Haven, Connecticut, and Evan Dorey, a knowledge analytics director from Toronto, Ontario.
Within the Jeopardy! spherical, DeSena was outplayed by Dorey who acquired off to a scorching begin, nabbing the primary Every day Double to have $4,000 by the primary business break whereas neither of the opposite gamers have been on the board. By the top the spherical, DeSena trailed with $1,000, Dorey led with $5,000, and (latent) Bruce Springsteen fan Dioro narrowed the hole with $3,000.
In Double Jeopardy, the 2 newcomers overtook the sport, with Dorey dropping $2,000 on the second Every day Double unable to get the “From The Greek” clue as “Technicolor,” however nonetheless conserving a small lead. In an thrilling late second, Dioro discovered the final Every day Double, getting the “You’ll Study To Adapt” clue as “Emma Thompson” within the nick of time including $2,400 and heightening the stakes.
Going into Ultimate Jeopardy, issues have been out of the blue very fascinating as Dioro and Dorey have been tied at $14,600, DeSena nonetheless in rivalry by simply $100 with $7,400.
All of it hinged on the “POETRY & PLACES” clue, “It’s the geographic phrase within the title of a Robert Burns poem about “the mountains …lined with snow…the straths & inexperienced valleys beneath.” The right response was “Highlands.”
DeSena was incorrect with “Moor??? It was enjoyable!” dropping to $199 ending his run. Then got here Dorey, who wrote “Highland.” He appeared uncertain it might be accepted, seemingly conscious the clue wished a phrase in a title which does have an “s”. Nonetheless, the judges accepted it and he doubled as much as have $29,200.
“And we’ll settle for that,” Ken Jennings mentioned inflicting Dorey to exhale at his podium. “‘My Coronary heart’s In The Highlands‘ is the identify of the poem,” the host defined. Dioro was additionally incorrect with “Scotland,” dropping to $12,000, so the allowance of Dorey’s response made him the brand new champ.
Followers flooded the Reddit thread for the episode, reacting to the Ultimate Jeopardy ruling and struggling to make sense of why a singular response that left off a letter was thought-about full.
“I’m confused. If a FJ contestant offers a singular identify although the proper title is plural, it’s accepted. But when they write that singular and are beginning to add s when time runs out, it isn’t?” one fan wrote.
“Little confused by that myself,” wrote one other. “I assumed if the reply was a phrase in a title, the reply wanted to be the title phrase, not a model thereof.”
“The place did you get that impression?” requested a 3rd. The consumer responded, “Nicely. in the event you’re going for Harriet Tubman and it seems such as you didn’t end, you don’t get credit score.” referring to the notorious “Harriet Tubma” response from Season 39 which was not accepted by the judges.
A 3rd wrote, “My interpretation of this ruling is: If the clue particularly wished the total title and he wrote ‘My Coronary heart’s within the Highland’, that may be incorrect. However since they simply wished the phrase somewhat than the total title, they’ll take singular or plural.”
A fourth wrote, “Primarily based on in the present day’s FJ ruling, if the clue is a couple of fruit within the title of a Steinbeck novel and I write “What’s Grape?”, I suppose that’s acceptable.”
A fifth wrote, “I can’t consider every other examples the place a “phrase within the title” clue had any wiggle room on the response. “Highland” is just not a phrase within the title of the poem; “Highlands” is. (Perhaps as a result of “highland” is contained inside “highlands”??? However that appears ridiculous. By that logic, “land”–a geographic phrase in and of itself–ought to have been a suitable response as properly.) I believe this was a the-ends-justify-the-means ruling. Evan was one of the best participant in the present day so he deserved to win, however underneath a strict interpretation of the foundations and the wording of the clue, I don’t assume “highland” was an accurate response.”
And a sixth referred to as it a “Loopy ruling. They shouldn’t be giving credit score for comparable phrases. The clue requested for a phrase within the poem title. Highland is just not within the title.”
Outgoing champ DeSena chimed in to share his ideas general, writing, partly, “Nicely, the unbelievable mini-streak has come to an finish. All of the credit score on this recreation goes to Evan and Lois, who have been two wonderful opponents that got here to play. I felt like a fan myself throughout Ultimate, excited to see how the tie would break! I do know it’s been mentioned possibly instances earlier than, however I’ve utmost respect for the gamers that may rattle off 5 wins in a tape day. That’s draining!”
What did you consider the Ultimate Jeopardy “Highland” ruling? Ought to it have been accepted? And do you assume Evan Dorey will win a number of extra video games? Tell us within the feedback part beneath!
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