Here are today’s contestants:
– Elizabeth Severs, an aspiring novelist from Wilmington, North Carolina;
– Rian Robertson, a software developer from Ottawa, Ontario; and
– Kristin Franke, a pastor from Washington, D.C.. Kritin is a one-day champ with winnings of $8,900.
Jeopardy!
MERRIAM-WEBSTER’S WORD OF THE YEAR // SEMI-STUPID ANSWERS // GO TO YOUR ROOM // YOU’RE GROUNDED // WAIT UNTIL YOUR FATHER GETS HOME // BILLY CRYSTAL
DD1 – $800 – GO TO YOUR ROOM – The Germans got a good hard look at themselves, in every sense, while signing 1919’s Treaty of Versailles in this opulent room (Rian doubled to $3,200.)
Scores at first break: Kristin $400, Rian $6,200, Elizabeth $2,200.
Scores entering DJ: Kristin $1,600, Rian $7,400, Elizabeth $4,000.
Double Jeopardy!
19th CENTURY NOVELS // MUSICAL ANIMALS? // BY THE NUMBERS // PLACES IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE // THE SUPREME COURT // NOT-SO-SILENT “K”
DD2 – $1,600 – 19th CENTURY NOVELS – In a Thomas Hardy novel, the future holder of this title office sells his wife–a real though rare thing in the 19th century (Rian added $5,000 up to $16,000.)
DD3 – $2,000 – BY THE NUMBERS – Jiang Qing & Wang Hongwen made up half of this notorious group (Late in the round, Rian wagered just $100 from the lead and was correct.)
Rian was correct on all three DDs, making a small bet on DD3 with only a few lower-value clues left to seal the runaway at $18,900 vs. $8,000 for Kristin and $6,800 for Elizabeth.
Final Jeopardy!
HISTORIC ZOOLOGY – Described when first encountered in 1835, this species “must have weighed at least 200 pounds…gave a deep hiss, & drew in its head”
Rian was the only player to miss FJ, dropping $2,800 to win with $16,100.
Final scores: Kristin $13,601, Rian $16,100, Elizabeth $10,800.
Clue selection strategy: Very late in DJ with DD3 still available and only one place where it could logically be, Elizabeth chose from the category where DD2 had already been found. Rian got control, picked DD3 on the next clue and made a tiny wager from the lead to essentially wrap up the runaway. Given that Rian missed FJ, it’s entirely possible that Elizabeth’s clue selection cost her the game.
Correct Qs: DD1 – What is Hall of Mirrors? DD2 – What it “The Mayor of Casterbridge”? DD3 – What is Gang of Four? FJ – What is the Galápagos Tortoise?