Jeopardy! recap for Wed., Jan. 3 – Steph took control with a strong performance in a category about novels and kept on expanding the margin. However, a very cautious wager on DD3 prevented it from being a runaway with Steph entering FJ at $18,200 vs. $9,400 for Michael and $600 for champ Saralee.

DD1 – Not seen

DD2 – NOVELS WITHIN NOVELS – She created fictional mystery writer Ariadne Oliver, author of “The Affair of the Second Goldfish” (Steph won $2,500)

DD3 – CHIEF JUSTICES – In 2017 Charlie Taney apologized to the family of this slave for the terrible decision made under his ancestor Roger (Steph won $700)

FJ – OPERA – This character’s famed entrance aria actually introduces him as a handyman, repeats his name and adds “La-la-la-la-las”

Steph and Saralee were correct on FJ, with Steph adding just $601 to win with $18,801.

Triple Stumper of the day: Apparently the players aren’t readers of The Onion, as they didn’t know the word that typically precedes “man” in their headlines, and also precedes a telephone “code”, is “area”.

Missing the layup: For a clue about the ages at which Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix passed, after her opponents missed with 29 and 28, Saralee guessed 26, jumping over the correct response of 27.

This day in Trebekistan: Thanks in part to Alex opening the show by going on at length about Saralee’s subpar earnings on the previous show, we didn’t get to see the first round DD. Sometimes I long for the days when Art Fleming would come out and just say, “Let’s play Jeopardy!”

Correct Qs:

DD2 – Who was Agatha Christie?
DD3 – Who was Dred Scott?
FJ – Who is Figaro?