JEOPARDY! fans are calling out the show for its ‘incredibly confusing’ category and rage it was ‘unfair’ for Ken Jennings to not accept a contestant’s answer.
Viewers were disappointed and perplexed by the conditions of Monday’s game – which included a special category to celebrate the upcoming Wicked movie release.
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Paul Clauson, a tax analyst from Madison Heights, Michigan, returned to with hopes to extend his one-day earnings of $15,201.
He went up against Jonelle Lonergan, a product manager from Boston, Massachusetts and Amy Fleenor, an attorney from Cleveland, Ohio.
Host Ken, 50, walked onto the set to introduce the first batch of categories in the Jeopardy! round.
Today’s episode included: JAMES ABRAM GARFIELD, A TURN OF LATIN PHRASE, BLACK, SIMOLEONS, MOOLAH, SCRATCH, MONEY, AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM and the final category that stumped fans: WICKED.
The films stars, Ariana Grande, 31, and Cynthia Erivo, 37, who introduced the category to the trio of contestants and plugged their upcoming film.
Paul was first to take a stab at Wicked, although he looked unsure of his decision when he asked for the $800 clue.
Wicked’s director Jon M. Chu read out the answer in a pre-recorded video message: “Before I even directed Wicked, I could envision it up on the big screen.
“And now, we invite audiences to step inside the magical world of Oz to enjoy this type of nine-letter experience.”
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Paul guessed “wonderful” – which is nine letters and makes sense given the “wonderful Wizard of Oz” is a famous catch phrase from the musical, the book as well as the movie.
However, Ken informed the returning champ that was not the correct response they were looking for – though it did technically match the criteria.
Jonelle buzzed in next and said: “What is Immersive?” – which was the correct response.
Fans immediately took online to express their confusion over the category – as wall as their frustration with Ken not accepting particular words.
“I’m tired of these incredibly confusing categories just to plug something like a movie. Really unfair to the contestants who are not technically wrong,” one person raged.
Another questioned: “Is it just me or is that absolutely not pinned at all? What makes Paul’s guess of ‘wonderful’ (as in ‘wonderful wizard’) wrong?
“What would make my at-home guess of “cinematic” wrong?”
A third asked: “Would Cinematic have been accepted? I wasn’t entirely sure what they were aiming for.”
One more quipped it was “wickedly upsetting” of Ken not to accept Paul’s answer – which they claim actually “makes more sense” than the actual response.
Heading into Final Jeopardy!, Paul set himself up for another runaway lead.
Jeopardy! Set Secrets
Jeopardy! fans don’t see everything behind the scenes from watching on TV. These hidden set features make the show run smoothly:
- Each podium has a hidden riser so that all contestants appear to be the same height.
- After each clue is read, signal lights go off around the game board, indicating players can buzz in and respond.
- Buzz in too early, and you’re locked out for .25 seconds.
- The podiums have a small white light in the lower left corner, which tells Ken Jennings who goes next.
- Contrary to popular belief, the player with control doesn’t have a buzzer advantage on the next clue.
- To the game board’s left is a scoreboard so the players can see their opponents’ scores.
- All contestants must bring three outfits to the studio, but only the host and returning champion change for the next episode.
- There are wardrobe rules, including restrictions on busy patterns, solid white, purple (like the background), and logos.
- Five episodes are taped in a single day, and sometimes more.
- The categories, players (aside from the returning champion), and Final Jeopardy! for a tape day are all drawn randomly to ensure fairness.
- Female contestants are asked not to wear makeup, which is applied backstage, and don’t wear mascara because of sweat.
- Contestants fill out a questionnaire, and producers select five Q&A topics for the host.
- Host Ken isn’t allowed to interact with the contestants until after the game.
- Players can request to sit in a chair while competing without question.
He had $21,200 going into the last round – far ahead of Jonelle with $8,000 and Amy’s $6,800.
The category was “AMERICAN WOMEN” as the contestants placed their wagers.
“In 1900 she told a Mr. Dobson, ‘Get out of the way. I don’t want to strike you, but I am going to break up this den of vice,’” Ken read.
“Who was Carrie Nation,” was the correct question the judges were looking for.
While Jonelle was the only correct response, raising her total to $15,999, she wasn’t able to surpass Paul who was strategic with his wager.
Risking just $1, Paul dropped to $21,099 – for a two-day total of $36,300.
Wicked comes out in theaters nationwide on November 22, 2024.
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