Jeopardy! Season 38 (2021-2022)

[Clanstarling]

14 hours ago, PBnJay said:

A big OUCH goes to Mayim Bialik for asking the one contestant how old her Aunt Lorna is. Doesn't she know how rude that is, asking any woman her age much less on national television?

I was more concerned that Aunt Lorna had gone to the big game show in the sky.

12 hours ago, 853fisher said:

I have to admit I did think Mayim was more agreeable (less manic) than usual today.  I wonder if I'll feel the same way tomorrow.  I don't think it was just my good mood talking, because I wasn't in one this afternoon. ;)

I think you're right. She didn't annoy me as much as I thought she would, especially since I thought it would be Ken hosting today, for some reason.
 

12 hours ago, possibilities said:

I have no problem with humorous job titles in this context. I see no harm in it. I like the game to run smoothly, I hate unrevealed clues, and I get frustrated when things go too slowly, but I appreciate when the players are able to insert a second of two of personality into their bios and their stories.

I often root for a contestant based on what personality they show, and I very much appreciate a sense of humor (particularly self-deprecating). So I  don't really have a problem with it either. It grabbed my attention anyway - stood out from the "normal" jobs.

11 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

That may have been me…😬

I had a pretty good game today. I was 100% until they hit the opera category, which benched me for a few. I got FJ instantly. I think that was just one those that either comes to you right away, or not at all. Other than just running names of board games through your head, there was not a lot to pull from that clue.

I didn't get it instantly - partly because I overlooked the "first word" and thought I was looking for a single word game. But the penny finally dropped and I got to it in plenty of time. 1979 worked too - as I knew I played it in the early-ish 80s (my youngest bought us a new, updated version which we haven't played yet - as we attempted to play the original, and boy, that was hard. The 80s were ages ago.

I did pretty well - didn't run any categories and got more right than I did wrong. So that's a good day for me.

[SomeTameGazelle]

12 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

But the “made it “ in the clue kind of made me think there was something I was missing. No, I guess that was extraneous info. Unless there’s some other connection I missed. 

The only thing that I got from "made it" was that the game must have been especially successful. Nothing related to its name. Once I focused on games with more than one word in the name it came to me very quickly. 

[ams1001]

20 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

1979 worked too - as I knew I played it in the early-ish 80s (my youngest bought us a new, updated version which we haven't played yet - as we attempted to play the original, and boy, that was hard. The 80s were ages ago.

We played in college a fair amount, but I turned four in 1979 so it's a game that's just always been around as far as I remember.

Fun fact: a restaurant in the town where I went to college had a small stack of Trivial Pursuit cards tucked into the little condiment tray at each table so you could quiz each other while waiting for your food.

[Driad]

24 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I was more concerned that Aunt Lorna had gone to the big game show in the sky.

Does the host get any notes about the stories, e.g. that Aunt Lorna is still alive?

[possibilities]

I completely misinterpreted the "first word" of the FJ clue, thinking it referred to "the word first proposed as the name of the game," not "the first word of a two word name". 

[proserpina65]

17 hours ago, 853fisher said:

Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but I'm unsure "Air Emirates" should have been accepted.  They just call themselves "Emirates" in English, while their Arabic name translates to "Fly Emirates."  I can't find anything official with "Air Emirates," although it seems to get some colloquial use.  Would they have taken Air Lufthansa or Air Alitalia?  Air United or Air Delta?

I just said Emirates for this reason.  It was an instaget for me because the football club I support (Arsenal) has both their shirts and their stadium sponsored by the airline.

FJ took me a moment because I thought it said 1879 at first and was trying to think of an old game with a two word name, but once I realized it was 1979, it was easy.

42 minutes ago, Driad said:

Does the host get any notes about the stories, e.g. that Aunt Lorna is still alive?

When I was a contestant, we wrote down 4 or 5 five story suggestions for Alex; he chose what one to use.  So it's possible that her card mentioned Aunt Lorna still being alive and kicking.

[853fisher]

I did wonder whether Aunt Lorna's $64K Question run was "clean" or not.  I recall that show was not as cut-and-dry fixed as some of the other 50s quizzes, but I think the sponsor exerted influence to get favorable questions for players they preferred, or the reverse for those they didn't.  Some contestants even got questions in advance.  Of course they could hardly ask Jennifer that!

[bankerchick]

16 hours ago, PBnJay said:

A big OUCH goes to Mayim Bialik for asking the one contestant how old her Aunt Lorna is. Doesn't she know how rude that is, asking any woman her age much less on national television?

I was waiting for her to say, 'well, she's dead.'  I don't pay much attention to the personal anecdotes (other than to notice that they seem to be getting longer, and certainly no more interesting) so I may have missed if she said something to indicate that Aunt Lorna was definitely still alive.

15 hours ago, possibilities said:

El Al is the Israeli airline. I bet the Emirates would plotz if they heard someone mixed them up.

I thought the same thing.

FJ was an insta-get for me.  I had a friend who bought the game as soon as it came out and it's almost all we did for a couple of years.

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, Driad said:

Does the host get any notes about the stories, e.g. that Aunt Lorna is still alive?

I sure hope so, otherwise that question's a pretty big risk besides being a touch rude.

[ams1001]

20 hours ago, ams1001 said:

He did remind me of someone but I couldn't think of who.

Will Forte!

[dbklmt]

12 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Will Forte!

Except that Lawrence has baby blue eyes.

[853fisher]

I haven't followed them avidly because they're a bit dense for me, but I enjoy looking up the box scores from time to time, especially when I'm trying to think how long a contestant might play on.  I'm curious to know if anyone else is following them.

I think I would probably check them more often if they were posted, under some kind of spoiler tag, earlier in the day.  I often watch the show around lunchtime, then by the time the box scores are up, I've mostly forgotten how the game went.

[ams1001]

73% / 54% / 63%

How do you not ask if he got the trip to McDonalds?!
Hey, did you know Mayim's a neuroscientist?
Got a good laugh at Lawrence's niece's choice of state capital to visit. Smart kid and she probably gets it from him.

Ran two-syllable words, missed one each in Last 1000 Years, Cooking, and Around the USA and Z movies. Only missed two in the Biblical category, which is pretty good for me. No FJ; never read it and don't know what it's about, other than what the title tells me. I was thinking in the right part of the world, at least..?

TSes were Jean Lafitte, Trent, Pac-Man Ghosts, Bogotá, the Algonquin (DD), and the four Vedas.

Edited February 9, 2022 by ams1001
watched early and didn't mean to post yet

[853fisher]

I was just talking to some friends about where we'll see the upcoming "Death on the Nile" movie, after I've seen the trailer many times recently.  The pump was definitely primed for me on that one!  I wonder if it's just a coincidence or that was a bit of indirect promotion.

I was glad Andrés got to play the last round.  I always root at least a bit for students who test their skill in the general pool instead of the specialized tournaments.  I felt for Krystle too, to get so close but have the wrong method of transportation.

I knew those were Pacman ghosts, but I think I would've tried to say just "Pacman."  And I wonder whether that map on which Brazil was marked so boldly on the clue about Caracas was intended to be a trap or not?

I felt again today that Mayim seems to have toned it all down a bit.  I am grateful, though I still prefer Ken.  It doesn't really affect anything, but I thought today's outfit was truly hideous.  I'm no clotheshorse myself, but I'd take a stylist if I were offered one!

[Katy M]

I got FJ.  But, it was a guess and I honestly didn't think it was right.  Just didn't know any other novels that took place in the Egypt area.

I got the missed clues of Bogota and Pac Man Ghosts.

I got the entire category of Bible right.

[Grundoon59]

The Algonquin missed answer hurt and I am surprised she couldn't hear me screaming the answer at her (but then the space time continuum would never be a strong category for me). 

Mother Grundoon and I stayed there several times on trips to NYC around my early December birthday.  A lovely hotel (smallish rooms but as Mother Grundoon would say, "we did not come to New York to sit in a hotel room") with so much history and a perfect location.  Great cabaret for many years, elegant lobby and bar plus it had a resident cat.  Even managed to see a couple of minor celebrities - Teller was finishing tea in the lobby as we were starting ours (didn't hear him speak) and I almost tripped over Tommy Tune in the front desk area while he was checking in and we were checking out (the year prior we had seen him in a one man show of song and dance - he was very gracious about me nearly kicking him and took time to speak to Mother Grundoon as well which made her day). 

[ams1001]

31 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

I was just talking to some friends about where we'll see the upcoming "Death on the Nile" movie, after I've seen the trailer many times recently.  The pump was definitely primed for me on that one!  I wonder if it's just a coincidence or that was a bit of indirect promotion.

lol...I just saw the trailer after game 1 of the college championship. My first thought was, well, now we know why that was a clue this week...

33 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

I knew those were Pacman ghosts, but I think I would've tried to say just "Pacman."  And I wonder whether that map on which Brazil was marked so boldly on the clue about Caracas was intended to be a trap or not?

I know my first thought was Brasilia... but I registered what the clue was actually asking for in time.

[blueray]

I feel like the question that highlighted Brazil then asked about something completely unrelated was unfair. It was misleading on purpose. And I think they should have accepted the name of the pharaoh as it was correct I believe. 

[ams1001]

22 minutes ago, blueray said:

And I think they should have accepted the name of the pharaoh as it was correct I believe. 

According to this wikipedia page, there are several possibilities for the Pharaoh in the Exodus story...though Ramses III is in there.

[dgpolo]

57 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

1 hour ago, 853fisher said:

I was just talking to some friends about where we'll see the upcoming "Death on the Nile" movie, after I've seen the trailer many times recently.  The pump was definitely primed for me on that one!  I wonder if it's just a coincidence or that was a bit of indirect promotion.

lol...I just saw the trailer after game 1 of the college championship. My first thought was, well, now we know why that was a clue this week...

Me too. I almost didn't say the answer because it was so obvious to me plus the movie coming out but I couldn't think of any other book that was about a trip on the Nile. (I did think briefly of the Amelia Peabody books but they are not very well known, a pity, ripe for a movie series I think)

 

28 minutes ago, blueray said:

I feel like the question that highlighted Brazil then asked about something completely unrelated was unfair. It was misleading on purpose. And I think they should have accepted the name of the pharaoh as it was correct I believe. 

They put a big red star on Caracas.

[blueray]

40 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

They put a big red star on Caracas.

True, but at first it was confusing as it just said "Brazil" in bold letters. It took me a second to realize the question said "northern". But I can see how that it would be confusing as they are trying answer quickly. And as a visual learner, it was distracting.

Edited February 9, 2022 by blueray

[Bastet]

The mission control TS surprised me a bit.

I ran USA, cooking, and words in the first round, and almost ran (meaning I only missed one) everything else other than - of course - the Bible category, where I missed three.

In DJ, I only ran room, but I only missed one each in paint, R, and capitals (I didn't know which George Georgetown is named after) and two in accent.  My only bad category was Z movies, where I missed three (it should have been two - I cannot believe I knew one had to be Zombie-something and didn't manage to toss Zombieland out there as a guess).

It took me a moment to come up with FJ, and then when I did I thought maybe it was a different book I wasn't familiar with, but I stuck with it.

[secnarf]

2 hours ago, 853fisher said:

I was just talking to some friends about where we'll see the upcoming "Death on the Nile" movie, after I've seen the trailer many times recently.  The pump was definitely primed for me on that one!  I wonder if it's just a coincidence or that was a bit of indirect promotion.

I was literally buying tickets to Death on the Nile during the Jeopardy round....do you think it occurred to me by the time Final Jeopardy rolled around 😂 I'm surprised they didn't outright plug the movie though - hard to believe that was sheer coincidence although I don't think I've seen them use FJ for advertising before.

I decided that Lawrence looks like Chris Hadfield:

[853fisher]

3 minutes ago, secnarf said:

I'm surprised they didn't outright plug the movie though - hard to believe that was sheer coincidence although I don't think I've seen them use FJ for advertising before.

I don't think so either.  I guess it wouldn't bother me more or less than when categories are obviously sponsored during the main game.  Disney does seem to be promoting this movie lightly (the number of times I've seen the trailer at theaters aside) because of the controversies involving Armie Hammer and Letitia Wright.  The trade papers say COVID and the large ensemble cast made any potential reshoots with different actors unworkable, or else I think they might have done them.  Instead they just dragged out the release and are now keeping it fairly low-key.

[ams1001]

10 minutes ago, secnarf said:

I decided that Lawrence looks like Chris Hadfield:

Heh...surprised I didn't think of him. I watch his son's youtube channel (it's called Rare Earth now, but it was originally Chris's channel; the videos from about 6+ years ago are his stuff) which just started posting new videos after a long (pandemic-induced) hiatus.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, secnarf said:

I'm surprised they didn't outright plug the movie though

Is it a Sony production?  If not, there'd be no reason for J! to promote it.  I only find Disney and some smaller studios in the company credits, no Sony connection.

Oh, wait - there's a deal for bringing some Sony content to Disney's streaming platforms.  I'm not sure if this film will be part of it, though.

Edited February 9, 2022 by Bastet

[853fisher]

18 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Is it a Sony production?  If not, there'd be no reason for J! to promote it.  I only find Disney and some smaller studios in the company credits, no Sony connection.

Oh, wait - a deal for bringing some Sony content to Disney's streaming platforms, I think.  I'm not sure if this film will be part of it, though.

You're correct, no (apparent) Sony connection to the movie itself.  I checked this too because I wasn't sure who owned what.  I guess I thought it was possible that anyone could arrange to sponsor / product place / whatever-you'd-call-it a category.

[Prevailing Wind]

I missed Tuesday's show, but looking at the pic of Lawrence, he looks like he could play Col. Mustard. I didn't "watch" on Monday, I tuned in late and then just listened, so I didn't see much of him, but that promo pic of him reminds me of so many Brit officers I've seen in movies.

I would have gotten FJ.  Didn't Branagh play Poirot in a remake of Murder on the Orient Express?  Ah, imdb says yes, with Depp playing the dead guy & that Damn Dame Judi Dench as the old Russian Princess. (I call her that ever since Steve Martin did when he was hosting the Oscars.)

[853fisher]

31 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I would have gotten FJ.  Didn't Branagh play Poirot in a remake of Murder on the Orient Express?  Ah, imdb says yes, with Depp playing the dead guy & that Damn Dame Judi Dench as the old Russian Princess. (I call her that ever since Steve Martin did when he was hosting the Oscars.)

It was pretty good, if you like a period mystery.  I'd love to see it again sometime.

[Mindthinkr]

I had a decent game. I got Lafitte, Bogota, Polo, the missed DD of Algonquin, mission control, but of course I did not come up with FJ. Seems to be my modus operandi lately. 

[M. Darcy]

14 hours ago, ams1001 said:

How do you not ask if he got the trip to McDonalds?!

Yeah, I immediately thought that Alex (and Ken) would have asked. 

Darn it, I just reread Nile recently. But I think of it as a mystery and not as fiction so it never would have occurred to me. 

[Clanstarling]

14 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Got a good laugh at Lawrence's niece's choice of state capital to visit. Smart kid and she probably gets it from him.

Good lesson to learn about setting very clear boundaries in what you're willing to give a child the option to pick their prize - they will often go for the most outrageous/expensive thing they can think of. 

Clever girl.

13 hours ago, blueray said:

I feel like the question that highlighted Brazil then asked about something completely unrelated was unfair. It was misleading on purpose. And I think they should have accepted the name of the pharaoh as it was correct I believe. 

The name of the Pharaoh wasn't in the Bible, as I recall, and the specific Pharaoh is speculation (scientific/historic research, but still). So I think they did right thing.

32 minutes ago, M. Darcy said:

Darn it, I just reread Nile recently. But I think of it as a mystery and not as fiction so it never would have occurred to me. 

That's an interesting distinction. Are there other genres you don't think of as fiction?

I took a guess at FJ, mostly because of the upcoming movie "Death on the Nile" - so I got it. If there were delays in release, I'm not sure how they could have timed it that closely - but maybe it was meant to be released in January, so it would have been close.

I ran two categories (Bible and Z), got FJ, but otherwise had a terrible game. Weird.

Edited February 9, 2022 by Clanstarling

[Grundoon59]

@dgpolo - thanks for the Amelia Peabody mention.  I was a devoted Elizabeth Peters reader - enjoyed all of her series of mysteries.  I agree they would make a good movie/tv series.  I wonder if Acorn ever considered them. 

[GreekGeek]

2 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

 but of course I did not come up with FJ. 

Same. I guessed Heart of Darkness. If the category had been "Mysteries," I might have known it, especially since I just read a review of the movie, but I guess that would have been TMI.

[M. Darcy]

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

That's an interesting distinction. Are there other genres you don't think of as fiction

Probably fantasy, sci-fi, romance.  I know they are really fiction but in my head there are different categories. They are shelved separately at Barnes and Nobles :-) 

[bankerchick]

17 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Got a good laugh at Lawrence's niece's choice of state capital to visit. Smart kid and she probably gets it from him.

What else would you pick?  Lansing (no offense to Michigan?)  I knew he'd say Hawaii as soon as he told the story.

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, M. Darcy said:

Probably fantasy, sci-fi, romance.  I know they are really fiction but in my head there are different categories. They are shelved separately at Barnes and Nobles :-) 

Ah, now the categorization makes sense to me. 🙂

Edited February 9, 2022 by Clanstarling

[proserpina65]

18 hours ago, blueray said:

And I think they should have accepted the name of the pharaoh as it was correct I believe. 

Whereas I thought it was Ramses II and that's what I answered.  Of course, that's probably because Cecil B. DeMille told me it was.  The bible apparently doesn't specify but just says "pharaoh".  (And boy, that's a weird word to spell.)

4 hours ago, M. Darcy said:

Probably fantasy, sci-fi, romance.  I know they are really fiction but in my head there are different categories. They are shelved separately at Barnes and Nobles :-) 

I worked at Borders for more than a decade so I mentally tend to divide fiction up into all its genres too.

2 hours ago, bankerchick said:

What else would you pick?  Lansing (no offense to Michigan?)  I knew he'd say Hawaii as soon as he told the story.

Theoretically she could've chosen Sacramento or Phoenix or Santa Fe (a personal fave of mine), but yeah, if you tell her any capital, she's going to pick the furthest away.  And, you know, Hawaii.

[853fisher]

According to the EP, there will be a "Second Chance Tournament" this year, featuring losing contestants who have appeared since the last Tournament of Champions.

[Browncoat]

Catching up from last night.  I did not get FJ, also because I mentally separate mysteries from fiction as well.

But I did get Jean Lafitte, Algonquin, Mission Control, PacMan ghosts, and roue.  Sorry, I can never remember how to do the accents!  Please don't explain again -- I'll just forget again.😄

[853fisher]

I read FJ somewhere and fortunately it stayed in my mind.  I think it might have been get-able anyway.  The San Diego Zoo does seem to be "the" zoo in California.  They're the one with the pandas, for instance, he said jealously.  But LA or San Francisco might have come to mind first for someone with no clue.

I thought it was too bad Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was missed.  It was published in 1967 but it seemed to still be pretty popular when I read it in the mid-2000s.  I don't think it was assigned to the whole class but it might have been on a big list or personally recommended by a teacher.  I might read it again now!

I appreciated Lawrence's willingness to make a bold wager, which paid off for him.  I was rooting for Michelle because I like history teachers, but she lost me when she admitted to having found "Big Bang Theory" educational.  Call me jaded, but I'd rather have heard about James' book than the platitudes we got.

RE the "Second Chance Tournament," it's an interesting idea I've seen mooted often.  It strikes me as a bit of a stunt or gimmick when I think they should be hunkered down focused on quality control while we're still in a time of transition, but oh well.  I hope they follow objective criteria and resist the impulse to bring people back for being cute or memorable.

Edited February 10, 2022 by 853fisher

[Kimmmmmm]

Crap...and crap again. Tuning out until porn actor mustache is gone.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Kimmmmmm

[ams1001]

77% / 60% / 69%

Ran Books for Young Readers and 3-Letter Animals. FJ was an instaget.

My TSes were Bainbridge Island, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, jiffy, and gar.

I like Lawrence but I would have been fine with any of them winning.

[Katy M]

I said Redwood.  Wrong kind of trunks. Points for creativity?

I got the missed clues of ball in their court and Immigration.

I got the entire categories of Judge and alphabetical right.  I did much much much better in the first round than the second, but would have been fine had I not tanked FJ.

[Driad]

"Second Chance Tournament" -- might they also consider a "sixth chance" tournament for contestants who were required to retire undefeated after five wins?

[Browncoat]

I got FJ right, but for the wrong reasons.  I thought swimming trunks and surfing, thus beach and San Diego.  Yeah, I don't know either, but it worked for me!  

I only got two TS -- the ball is in their court and gar.

[Katy M]

16 minutes ago, Driad said:

"Second Chance Tournament" -- might they also consider a "sixth chance" tournament for contestants who were required to retire undefeated after five wins?

That's been like 19 years.

[dgpolo]

14 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I got FJ right, but for the wrong reasons.  I thought swimming trunks and surfing, thus beach and San Diego.  Yeah, I don't know either, but it worked for me!  

I thought trees and was totally wrong. On the other hand I got Corfu, at first I thought I wouldn't get that clue but then the name Durrells rang a bell, I didn't watch that show but I remember seeing ads for it when I watched something on PBS.

[PBnJay]

What was up with the nasty face Mayim made after saying "gar." A gar is a common fish in the Mississippi and so is a catfish ... no squished up face mugging required. Save your opinions for when you are not on the show, Mayim, but then Jeopardy wouldn't be all about you. That seems to be your goal.

I'd like to put money on a bet that Mayim can't talk without bobbing her head and twisting her body. Any takers?

I'm also irritated with the laugh/applause tracks this show is using now.

Another irritation was the woman player not betting to win. What, don't people care about becoming the next champ, they just want to appear once?

[Mindthinkr]

When I read trunk I was thinking of big trees so I thought Sequoia. Lol…it’s probably not a city in CA. So no FJ for me. 
I did fairly well with everything else.