Jeopardy! viewers might still be feeling the adrenaline from the game that aired on Friday, November 8, which one fan called one of the most fun episodes they’d ever seen.
In that match, one-day champion Susan Stumme, a journalist from Arlington, Virginia, faced off against Ross Dickson, a research consultant from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Rachel Marcus, a writer and consultant from New York City.
Susan took an early lead and stayed far ahead of Ross and Rachel for most of the Jeopardy and Double Jeopardy rounds — even though she missed a Daily Double by identifying the opera Don Giovanni by the protagonist’s Spanish name, Don Juan.
But after Ross’ big wager during the last Daily Double — he added $6,400 to his score by knowing that Charles de Gaulle presided over France’s Fifth Republic — he and Susan ended Double Jeopardy tied at $14,600, with Rachel trailing with $12,200.
And yet, Susan and Ross both whiffed on the Final Jeopardy clue: “In a letter he wrote, ‘On August 7, 1501… we determined that the new land was not an island but a continent.’”
Susan and Ross both thought the explorer in question was Christopher Columbus, but it was Rachel who responded correctly with Amerigo Vespucci. And so Susan ended the game with $0, Ross ended up with $10, and Rachel reigned victorious with $20,600.
In a Reddit thread about the episode, fans raved over the three contestants’ gameplay. “I didn’t really want anyone to lose that game, honestly,” one wrote.
Another said: “Honestly, one of the most fun games to watch I’ve ever seen. … This would be a great game to show someone who hasn’t seen a lot of Jeopardy! before or hasn’t watched in a while. It’s a good balance between the super old-school style of play and some of the recent tournaments, where every [Daily Double] is an all-in bet.”
A third fan also called it a fun watch, adding, “Looked like Susan was going to run away with it, but Rachel picked up a bunch of high value clues in Double Jeopardy and Ross nearly doubled up on a DD.”
Someone else said, “Ross clutching his chest after that DD had me giggling. I could feel his relief.”
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And Susan entered the chat, too, offering “just a few thoughts on the highs and lows of being a one-day champ” in the Reddit thread.
“I wasn’t kidding; being on Jeopardy! was a dream come true,” she wrote. “Winning my first game was exhilarating, but I played so much better in game two… and lost. I got great categories for my strengths and had the buzzer timing nailed. In the end, you gotta get [Final Jeopardy]. And I didn’t. Kudos to Rachel for the win, and congrats to Ross on a great comeback. Our contestant group overall was lovely, and I had an amazing day meeting them and competing with them.”
And speaking of fun, another Reddit user pointed out a funny coincidence between Friday’s Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune episodes: “After Rachel beat Ross and Susan, Phoebe won on Wheel of Fortune; quite a Friends reunion.”
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