[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Friday, December 19 episode of Jeopardy!]
Jeopardy! champ Laura Faddah clinched a narrow second win on Friday night in a nail-biter finish, leaving fans with two major takeaways on social media. Viewers questioned the writers over a Daily Double that was so easy, it’s in our DNA. And on a more poignant note, praised an impressive challenger who came achingly close to victory amid a personal tragedy.
Faddah, a manager from Memphis, Tennessee, entered with a one-day total of $11,200 after a triple fumble on a sports Final clue in the last episode. She faced Joe Asaminew, an ER physician from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Maria Lauro, a contract specialist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In the Jeopardy! round, Asaminew gained an early $1,000 on the “Science Bookshelf” Daily Double, which was in the bottom row, so it was also valued at $1,000. It was, “It’s the structure of DNA & the title of James Watson’s book about the discovery of it,” and he had no trouble correctly responding “Double Helix.” The returning champ finished the round with $4,800, Asaminew with $3,800, Lauro with a lead of $5,200.
In Double Jeopardy, Faddah dropped $2,000 on the second Daily Double, unable to get the “World Religion” clue seeking “Taoism.” Similarly, Asaminew dropped the same amount on the remaining Daily Double, a “Mr. & Mrs. Lit” clue seeking “Dalloway.” This allowed fellow challenger Lauro to lead going into Final Jeopardy with $10,800, the champ held $10,400 and Asaminew $9,000.
It all hinged on the “Movies and Law” clue which was, “‘Drafters…have to have a little fun sometimes’, said the author of this law when asked if he was inspired by 1931’s ‘Little Caesar’” It was a triple stumper, as no one came up with “RICO act.” It all came down to the wagers.
Both Faddah and Asaminew opted for mid-sized wagers, while Lauro went nearly all-in from the lead. “Go big or go home,” she said with a shrug. “You had to do it,” Ken Jennings replied. In quite the twist, Faddah survived the scare, winning with $5,800 for a two-day total of $17,000.
Fans flooded the Reddit thread for the episode, reacting to the narrow victory, the triple-stumper and the questionable placement of “Double Helix” at the bottom-row.
“Double Helix was the $1000 clue???????” one fan wrote.“That seemed like a surprising triple stumper,” wrote another.“I guessed because years ago. Alex Trebek did his best Edward G. Robinson impression to say. “Is this the end of Rico?”” wrote a third.Lauro chimed in to the thread to share her thoughts on her narrow defeat, which comes after she took to Reddit earlier in the day to share the tragic news that her husband died between the show taping and airing. Lauro’s contestant anecdote was a shoutout she planned to surprise him with.
“My biggest regret is not hitting the Mr & Mrs Lit DJ,” she wrote. “I’d have bet big because my degree is in English and I’ve taken graduate courses on the Bloomsbury group. She will always be ‘Mrs. F-ing Dalloway’ to me from now on. I would have known the other one, but wouldn’t have bet as big.” She ended her message on a heartbreaking note: “My husband knew the FJ answer.”Related‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant’s Heartbreak as Husband Dies Just Before Her Episode Airs“You played a great game, Maria!!,” one Redditor replied. “Glad you got the chance to be on that stage and show off your knowledge!”“Maria for Second Chance!” wrote another.Lauro replied, “I’m rooting for Jasmine from Tuesday, but it would be fun. I want my son to try out.”What did you think of the game, did you get Final Jeopardy correct? Do you hope to see Maria Lauro in Second Chance? Let us know in the comments section below!
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