‘Jeopardy!’ Thriller Decided on Judges’ Ruling

[Warning: The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Monday, October 13, episode of Jeopardy!]

The October 13 game of Jeopardy! was decided on the final clue by a judges’ ruling. Was there a new champion, or did Aimée Fluitt win her second game? Read on to find out.

Fluitt, from Kansas City, Missouri, played against Daniel Richman, from Santa Barbara, California, and Allegra Hill, from Washington, D.C., for her second game. Fluitt had a one-day total of $4,599 after beating champion Spencer Janes.

The beginning of the round didn’t start off too great for the reigning champion. Fluitt, a former national security consultant, was in second place by the first commercial break, $2,200 below Hill, a foreign affairs professional, with $2,200.

However, Fluitt had the chance to take the lead in the second half when she found the Daily Double. Picking the first clue in “‘EZ’ does it,” she wagered $2,000, out of her $3,000. The clue read, “One who sings the part of Amneris in ‘Aida’, for example.” She answered correctly with “What is a mezzo-soprano?” Fluitt took the lead with $5,000, compared to Hill’s $4,400.

A few wrong answers from Fluitt put her back in second place. At the second-to-last clue, Hill and Fluitt were tied at $5,000. Because Richman, a Ph.D. student, buzzed in and got it right, they ended in a tie, while he had $3,600.

In Double Jeopardy, the round was pretty even, with only a few $100 separating the contestants. Richman found the first DD and tried to take the lead. With $6,400 in his bank, he was in third place. He wagered $4,000 in “Latin Lesson.” The clue read, ” If someone says this 3-word phrase, you might have been a little loose-lipped during happy hour.” Richman didn’t know the answer and said, “a little tipsy?” The correct response was “What is in vino veritas?” He dropped down to $2,400 and stayed in third place.

Only two clues later, Hill found the last DD. With the lead of $7,800, she wagered $3,800. In “U.S. J-ography,” the clue read, “It was originally proposed that this capital be called Missouriopolis.” “What is Jefferson City?” Hill answered right away. She improved to $11,600.

By the end of the round, only $1,000 separated Hill and Fluitt. Hill had $12,800 while Fluitt had $11,800. Richman was in third place with $5,600.

The category for Final Jeopardy was “The Oscars.” The clue read, “The first 2 actors to refuse their Oscar trophies were in films with scripts that this man co-wrote.” The correct response was “Who is Francis Ford Coppola?” which only one player got correct, but even their response was grammatically wrong. A ruling by the judges saved them.

Richman wrote, “Who is Welles? Hi crew :))” He wagered $0, so he ended with $5,600. Fluitt answered “Who is…” wagering only $500, so she ended with $11,300. Hill responded, “Who is Ford-Coppola?” adding a hyphen to the director’s last name, which isn’t how his name is formatted.

“We will accept that. Yes!” host Ken Jennings said. She wagered $10,801, giving her a final total of $23,601. Hill became the new champion and will return on Tuesday for her second game.

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