Jeopardy! Season 38 (2021-2022)

[Mindthinkr]

6 hours ago, PBnJay said:

I guess @Browncoat and I (and my "friend") are the only ones who know and can recognize the very recognizable Friesian horse. And B+W dairy cattle are Holsteins in North America, while the term Friesians is often used in the UK and Ireland. And since Jeopardy and this site are in North America and not UK or Ireland ... Holsteins they are.

I can spot a Friesian horse. I thank my 7 years in 4-H, as well as my equestrian career. My vet has 3 of them as well. 
 

I finally had a decent night. I got Hazelnut (ran the Italian cooking category), hemophilia, Bell, Book and Candle, and the Good Doctor which I picked up by (as Bastet says) cultural osmosis. I did get the FJ of Greece. I used logic as it wasn’t an instaget.  

[mertensia]

4 hours ago, PaulaO said:

I can spot a Friesian in the pasture.  My trainer owns one.  Not my type of horse.  Holsteiners are breed of horse.  I have heard people call the cows Holsteiners…

I DVR Jeopardy! and come here to find the winner.  If it’s Mattea I delete the episode.

I am from the Dairy state - Wisconsin - though did not grow up anywhere near a farm. Holstein cattle are everywhere you go in the rural farm parts of the state.

[GreekGeek]

On 4/25/2022 at 8:00 PM, Browncoat said:

 

I don't think I got any TS in the first round, but in the second, I got Tony Randall, Steven Van Zandt, New Zealand (on a guess), and Friesian.  Friesians are gorgeous horses.

It made me sad that Tony Randall was a TS.

 

I'd never heard of Friesians, but "gorgeous" was exactly the word that came to mind. 

 

22 hours ago, Chellichik said:

She was ok for the first 5 games or so, but I am so over her silly comments and especially her hand gestures.  She needs to go, please.  I think I get tired of every champion after about 7 games.  Benjamin Franklin’s quote about fish and visitors start to smell after three days applies to Jeopardy players after 10 days.

The "guests and fish" quote actually goes all the way back to Plautus, the ancient Roman comedy writer. Anyhow, last night's "extras" about Canadian provinces was the first time I became annoyed with Mattea, though I agree that's on Ken. 

Tonight I knew hazelnut, hemophilia, Horatio Alger (I somehow sensed that one would be a TS), bell, book, and candle; Winken, Blinken, and Nod, and The Good Doctor.

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

did get the FJ of Greece. I used logic as it wasn’t an instaget.  

I'm impressed. What part of the clue led you to Greece? Like Mattea, I guessed England.

[Bastet]

Confession:  I came up with Astor immediately after, and before the contestant rang in, but upon seeing "John Jacob" my brain first went to Jingleheimer Schmidt.

No one guessing hemophilia surprised me, and I was also a little surprised by the Pulitzer TS; I hope they were at least thinking "some journalism award". 

At the end of the first round, I feared walking farther than I intended in the sun this afternoon fried my brain.  I only ran Italian cuisine in the first round.  I was terrible in comic books (which I expected, as I've never read any, and have seen very few of the films or TV shows adapted from them), missing all but the Wonder Woman clue, and missed six more among the other categories.

But I did much better in DJ, so no heatstroke, I was just bad at the first round clues.  I only ran Mediterranean and __,__&__ (in which I pre-called hook, line, and sinker) but I got all but one in three others and only missed two TV shows (impressive since NYPD Blue was the only one I'd never seen and didn't watch enough to remember the precinct; I just figured that had to be it based on the years).

I had no earthly idea on FJ, though.

[Josiemae]

Rowdy group tonight. Was this The Jerry Springer Show? Because it looks like they got all 3 contestants liqoured-up before the cameras rolled.

So obnoxious. 

[Scott]

For the love of god, people…

I’m at the point where I’m wondering if the staff are encouraging this over-the-top behavior for whatever reason. It feels like it’s become the rule rather than the exception. 

[30 Helens]

4 hours ago, 853fisher said:

I don't tend to especially mind over-the-top personalities or a moment of silliness here and there, but all three contestants being so "on" was just a bit too much for me.  

They were a lot! It’s like the challengers’ only exposure to the game was from watching Mattea while waiting their turns, and they took their cues for informal play from her. 

A few comments about Pink Haired Guy:

1. He really dominated the post-show conversation! From body language, I think he was telling them he knew FJ and was devastated he didn’t get a chance to write it down. 
2. As he was speaking and waving his hands over his head (again, post-show credits), I did my best impersonation while supplying his muted words: “THIS is how you talk with your hands, Mattea! You don’t flop down here, you wave up HERE! Watch and learn!” Ah well, at least my husband was amused. 
3. He pledged to donate all his winnings to the Migraine Society or whatever. I hope he had another source of payment for his flight home.

4. I was rooting for him and his loud pink hair. 🥲

Edited April 27, 2022 by 30 Helens

[Cotypubby]

I don’t even know how you were supposed to figure out that FJ. There was nothing in that clue to possibly lead you to Greece. Unless you’re a big soccer fan and have heard of that player (I have no idea who Ken was talking about, never heard that name before) there was no way to get it.

I noticed that Ken used the singular “they” pronoun for both pink-haired guy and Reya, which I thought was interesting.

[possibilities]

1 hour ago, Cotypubby said:

I don’t even know how you were supposed to figure out that FJ. There was nothing in that clue to possibly lead you to Greece. Unless you’re a big soccer fan and have heard of that player (I have no idea who Ken was talking about, never heard that name before) there was no way to get it.

I noticed that Ken used the singular “they” pronoun for both pink-haired guy and Reya, which I thought was interesting.

I was 100% stumped on the FJ clue. I agree it was a case of you absolutely  know it or you have no idea and no shot at guessing.

I liked that there was nothing made of the pronoun situation, it was just done and not drawn attention to. I get tired of the way that respecting people tends to be followed by a lot of rigamarole where you and/or they have to explain and/or congratulate yourselves for being respectful. Just be respectful and do it seamlessly. Really pleased to see that happen.

[The Wild Sow]

8 hours ago, mertensia said:

I DVR Jeopardy! and come here to find the winner.  If it’s Mattea I delete the episode.

Ha ha, that's what I did during the later part of Ken's run!  Fortunately, he's grown on me in the intervening years.  Oh well, de gustibus non disputandem est, as the old Romans used to say.  

5 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

I don’t even know how you were supposed to figure out that FJ. There was nothing in that clue to possibly lead you to Greece. Unless you’re a big soccer fan and have heard of that player (I have no idea who Ken was talking about, never heard that name before) there was no way to get it.

It's actually NBA basketball, but since I'm not a great basketball fan and I'd never heard of that player either, I was as stumped as anyone.  Turns out his nickname is The Greek Freak but if you didn't know that in the first place, there was no way to reason it out.

[Badlands]

5 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

I don’t even know how you were supposed to figure out that FJ. There was nothing in that clue to possibly lead you to Greece. Unless you’re a big soccer fan and have heard of that player (I have no idea who Ken was talking about, never heard that name before) there was no way to get it.

I noticed that Ken used the singular “they” pronoun for both pink-haired guy and Reya, which I thought was interesting.

Basketball. Giannis Antetokounmpo (aka "The Greek Freak) is a two time NBA MVP, as well as Finals MVP on last season's champion Milwaukee Bucks. He's probably the third most popular basketball player, after LeBron and Steph Curry.

[DrSpaceman73]

Reya looked like death. 

I'm not saying they looked bad. They literally looked like death. Was not at all surprised about the story being in a performance art exhibit. 

And they were ALL doing the 'unsure answer' tone all game.  Annoying. 

[ams1001]

8 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

A few comments about Pink Haired Guy:

1. He really dominated the post-show conversation! From body language, I think he was telling them he knew FJ and was devastated he didn’t get a chance to write it down. 

3. He pledged to donate all his winnings to the Migraine Society or whatever. I hope he had another source of payment for his flight home.

1. He did know it! I saw a few comments he made in the game recap thread on reddit; he said he's a big fan. "The annoying part is I was wearing Giannis’s shoes and am literally his biggest fan and would have wrote Giannis stay in milwaukee forever and talked about that after the episode so hopefully they put that on the jeopardy “overheard” section of their site:)."

3. He also said the fragrance in the makeup or whatever was triggering his migraines and the room was spinning and even mentioned blacking out, and also that the monitor was hard for him to read, because it's the size of a computer monitor and 40 feet away. Sounds like he kinda didn't stand a chance, through no fault of his own. At least he got a thousand dollars (or whatever's left after taxes, I guess) to donate.

I'm pretty sure I've heard of a basketball player named Giannis but I would never have been able to tell you his last name. I don't follow basketball.

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

At least he got a thousand dollars (or whatever's left after taxes, I guess) to donate.

If he arranged for it to be paid directly to the charity and not to him, there won't be any taxes taken out.

[cinsays]

16 hours ago, PaulaO said:

I DVR Jeopardy! and come here to find the winner.  If it’s Mattea I delete the episode.

I'm watching the first segment and the contestant interviews because I enjoy those, but then I stop.  I found her fun and refreshing at first but I am finding her to be acting like this is her show now and Ken seems to pander to her in the intro.  

Bring back the 5 game limit.

[MrAtoz]

13 hours ago, 853fisher said:

I don't tend to especially mind over-the-top personalities or a moment of silliness here and there, but all three contestants being so "on" was just a bit too much for me.

I have a feeling that, for better or for worse, this might be the new normal.  Since Harry Friedman retired as executive producer in 2020, it seems like the newer regime has been doing more to make the show a bit less "stodgy," for want of a better word.  Things like little comments between clues, personal messages in Final Jeopardy responses, and the like, seem to have become more common.  In earlier days, they would have been stamped down harder.  Alex himself might have had something to do with that, as well.

I do think that it's a deliberate decision.  It seems to be the case that more "colorful" contestants tend to generate buzz on social media, which is one of the things that they want.  For a long time, Jeopardy! has had a reputation as a show for old people.  I think they're deliberately trying to broaden the show's appeal.  Making it more like a more traditional game show, with over-the-top contestants, is likely part of that strategy.

For whatever it's worth, most articles about Mattea that I've noticed call her a "fan favorite."  Now some of that is probably journalistic hype, but I do wonder what the breakdown is between people who love her versus people who find her annoying.  For the most part, I've been enjoying watching her.

[SHD]

10 hours ago, Josiemae said:

Rowdy group tonight. Was this The Jerry Springer Show? Because it looks like they got all 3 contestants liqoured-up before the cameras rolled.

So obnoxious. 

Ha! My feelings exactly. I texted my brother and said “Are they letting contestants drink before the show now?”

[Cotypubby]

2 hours ago, The Wild Sow said:

Ha ha, that's what I did during the later part of Ken's run!  Fortunately, he's grown on me in the intervening years.  Oh well, de gustibus non disputandem est, as the old Romans used to say.  

It's actually NBA basketball, but since I'm not a great basketball fan and I'd never heard of that player either, I was as stumped as anyone.  Turns out his nickname is The Greek Freak but if you didn't know that in the first place, there was no way to reason it out.

Ha, whoops! 😅I swear I thought I heard Ken say soccer. Apparently I know even less about that then I thought! I have zero interest in basketball, could not name a single current player.

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

If he arranged for it to be paid directly to the charity and not to him, there won't be any taxes taken out.

That's cool; I didn't know that was an option. As someone who gets migraines (though they don't make me dizzy; but I have had labyrinthitis so I've had a small taste of what he probably goes through), I'm glad they got something.

1 hour ago, MrAtoz said:

For whatever it's worth, most articles about Mattea that I've noticed call her a "fan favorite."  Now some of that is probably journalistic hype, but I do wonder what the breakdown is between people who love her versus people who find her annoying.  For the most part, I've been enjoying watching her.

She is certainly generating buzz. Sometimes I make the mistake of reading comments on the J! Facebook page. Anyone who makes the mildest criticism of her gets jumped on, accused of being jealous and/or too stupid to get on the show themselves, and told to stop watching.

[dgpolo]

19 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

She is certainly generating buzz. Sometimes I make the mistake of reading comments on the J! Facebook page. Anyone who makes the mildest criticism of her gets jumped on, accused of being jealous and/or too stupid to get on the show themselves, and told to stop watching.

It's a bit like that on Twitter too (first noticed it when that one female student bombed big) and all I can think is that the contestants don't really need the thought police to go after the critics, they're smart they can take care of themselves. The student mentioned above re-tweeted every negative post she got. Good for her! she grew up with SM she doesn't need so much 'protection'.

[ams1001]

Here's Nicky's post-show:

 

[Mindthinkr]

13 hours ago, GreekGeek said:

What part of the clue led you to Greece?

The word overseas. My first inclination went to Kenya. Then I glanced back at the clue and saw the word overseas. Then I kept looking at the last name and tried to find something about it as pertaining to another language. So I literally just went north over the Mediterranean and saw Greece. I said aha and wrote it down. Some part of my brain might have been working, but I’m unaware of how that little drawer opened up. 

[DrSpaceman73]

Yes fj was easy if you knew it was referring to giannis. 

I follow the NBA but didn't make that connection. 

[proserpina65]

18 hours ago, PaulaO said:

I DVR Jeopardy! and come here to find the winner.  If it’s Mattea I delete the episode.

That's what I did for Matt and Amy as well as various other champions I didn't like.  Well, I went to the archive so I could see how well I would've done if I'd been watching, but same basic principle.  I just peace-out when there's a champion I don't want to watch rather than complain about them.

16 hours ago, 853fisher said:

I don't tend to especially mind over-the-top personalities or a moment of silliness here and there, but all three contestants being so "on" was just a bit too much for me.  I think I'm going to put the kettle on and find where I put the chamomile bags.

Yeah, that was a game full of very "on" people.  One at a time, please, Jeopardy producers.

16 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Ran Science and TV Shows by Setting. My TSes were hemophila and enzymes (both of which surprised me), and snark.

FJ - not in a million years would I have gotten that.

I didn't get enzymes, but otherwise did well in Science which surprised the hell out of me.  I'm not sure how anyone could've gotten FJ if they weren't an NBA fan.  Which I am not.

I was surprised no one got Aquaman.  I mean, lighthouses are generally right by the ocean.  I almost ran that category despite not being into comic books at all.  Stupid Gamora from stupid movie I have no interest in.

16 hours ago, Katy M said:

That so annoyed me.  Even if she was right, that wasn't going to count.  Just say you don't know so we can get on with our lives.

She was trying to give herself time to come up with the answer.  We've seen other contestants do it even if they don't talk it out like that.

15 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I got Hazelnut (ran the Italian cooking category), hemophilia, Bell, Book and Candle, and the Good Doctor which I picked up by (as Bastet says) cultural osmosis. I did get the FJ of Greece. I used logic as it wasn’t an instaget.  

I got all those, too.  Got Horatio Alger as well. By what logic did you get FJ?  I'm not being snarky, I really want to know how because I had no clue and nothing in the clue directed me to Greece in any way, shape or form.

Everyone knows the hospital on Grey's Anatomy is Seattle Grace Mercy Death.

Edited April 27, 2022 by proserpina65

[proserpina65]

14 hours ago, mertensia said:

I am from the Dairy state - Wisconsin - though did not grow up anywhere near a farm. Holstein cattle are everywhere you go in the rural farm parts of the state.

We have a lot of farms with Holstein cattle in my little corner of Maryland.

12 hours ago, Scott said:

For the love of god, people…

I’m at the point where I’m wondering if the staff are encouraging this over-the-top behavior for whatever reason. It feels like it’s become the rule rather than the exception. 

They do tend to encourage it, and have done for a long time.  We just don't usually get more than one over-the-top contestant at a time.

11 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

Unless you’re a big soccer fan and have heard of that player (I have no idea who Ken was talking about, never heard that name before) there was no way to get it.

He's not a soccer player.  I would've known the name if he was.  Apparently he's an NBA player.  My interest in the NBA began and ended with Larry Bird, so I was clueless, so to speak.

3 hours ago, ams1001 said:

because it's the size of a computer monitor and 40 feet away.

The board is much bigger than a computer monitor.  The individual boxes are probably closer to 32-ish inch tv size, though.  And it is on the other side of the stage.

 

[ams1001]

14 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Everyone knows the hospital on Grey's Anatomy is Seattle Grace Mercy Death.

I just realized a little while ago that I also got the Good Doctor TS.

[proserpina65]

34 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I just realized a little while ago that I also got the Good Doctor TS.

I must've seen enough commercials for that one to recognize the character's name because I've never watched it.

[Caoimhe]

3 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

For a long time, Jeopardy! has had a reputation as a show for old people.  I think they're deliberately trying to broaden the show's appeal.  Making it more like a more traditional game show, with over-the-top contestants, is likely part of that strategy. 

My take was they are looking for a younger audience and that’s what drove things like Mayim’s hosting gig and the other changes I’ve noticed.  My husband still insists on watching but I read or play games on my phone until it’s over most days.  It’s becoming a show I really dislike.

[PaulaO]

I only watched 10 minutes of Tuesday's game, but boy, what a bunch of dim bulbs.  There were several questions where all 3 stared slack jawed at the board.  No clue as to FJ!  No way for me to parse it out either.  That one you either knew or you didn't.

[ams1001]

2 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I must've seen enough commercials for that one to recognize the character's name because I've never watched it.

I can hear his voice in my head saying "I'm Dr. Shaun Murphy" from one of the promos...if they had only given the hospital name I would have had nothing. I think I watched the first episode but it didn't grab me enough to keep watching.

1 hour ago, Caoimhe said:

My take was they are looking for a younger audience and that’s what drove things like Mayim’s hosting gig and the other changes I’ve noticed.  My husband still insists on watching but I read or play games on my phone until it’s over most days.  It’s becoming a show I really dislike.

I watch for the game so I can play along but some of the contestants (and one host) really try my patience some days.

[SomeTameGazelle]

7 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I watch for the game so I can play along but some of the contestants (and one host) really try my patience some days.

I find that when a contestant tries my patience, the game itself plus rooting against that contestant provides enough entertainment for me to enjoy it. Maybe I haven't been annoyed enough because even when the person I am rooting against wins I can usually give them props for having played a good game that deserved to win. 

[Cotypubby]

I watch for the game. I don’t care at all about who is playing. If I like them, that’s great. If I don’t, it doesn’t matter because I watch for the questions. I always skip through the interviews anyway so I only watch the gameplay.

Edited April 27, 2022 by Cotypubby

[proserpina65]

21 minutes ago, Cotypubby said:

I watch for the game. I don’t care at all about who is playing. If I like them, that’s great. If I don’t, it doesn’t matter because I watch for the questions. I always skip through the interviews anyway so I only watch the gameplay.

I always skip the interview, but if there's a contestant whom I find annoying enough, I can't just watch for the game.  It's too distracting for me.

[bad things are bad]

15 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

Ken used the singular “they” pronoun for both pink-haired guy and Reya

And apparently NBC tweeted out something calling Mattea a "lesbian tutor"! Don't think it has come up before,  not that it makes any difference,  NBC

[Mindthinkr]

4 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

The word overseas. My first inclination went to Kenya. Then I glanced back at the clue and saw the word overseas. Then I kept looking at the last name and tried to find something about it as pertaining to another language. So I literally just went north over the Mediterranean and saw Greece. I said aha and wrote it down. Some part of my brain might have been working, but I’m unaware of how that little drawer opened up. 

@proserpina65

[HelenBaby]

Okay I’m officially wanting Mattea to eff off ASAP. 

[DrSpaceman73]

3 hours ago, Caoimhe said:

My take was they are looking for a younger audience and that’s what drove things like Mayim’s hosting gig and the other changes I’ve noticed.  My husband still insists on watching but I read or play games on my phone until it’s over most days.  It’s becoming a show I really dislike.

If they are looking to mayim for a younger audience they made a bad calculation. 

[possibilities]

1 hour ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

If they are looking to mayim for a younger audience they made a bad calculation. 

Younger than what, though? The average Jeopardy watcher might be in their 70s for all we know.

[Browncoat]

Catching up from Tuesday night -- I could have sat here for, well, ever, and never come up with the correct response for FJ.  I mean, if they let me have multiple guesses, I might have eventually arrived at it, but otherwise, no.  

But I did get quite a few TS, including hazelnut, hemophilia, enzymes, Bell, Book, and Candle, Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, and Amati.  I have to thank crossword puzzles for knowing Amati -- that turns up all the time.

[ams1001]

17 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

I noticed that Ken used the singular “they” pronoun for both pink-haired guy and Reya, which I thought was interesting.

Nicky confirmed on reddit that they both use they/them.

[HyeChaps]

Ken and Mayim are the same age; both way younger than Alex.

Edited April 27, 2022 by HyeChaps
typo

[The Wild Sow]

Just want to say Happy Jeopar-versary to my brother Tom! (tee_eff_em)

Unfortunately Tom went out on a KILLER Final J.

[853fisher]

Ben did quite well with relatively few correct answers.  Per J! Archive, he actually had one fewer correct answer (and three more wrong ones) than Christina.  Depending on the criteria, he's someone I think we might see again in the Second Chance tournament.

I can't say Mattea stayed cool exactly, but the pressure she was obviously feeling seemed to fuel rather than harm her.  I wish she would filter out "could it be...I think..." and "I should've bet more," but we're still clearing all the boards, so I guess it's not the end of the world.

I don't especially enjoy the long monologue introductions.  Ken seems very self-conscious delivering them, not half as natural as the witty remarks he sometimes makes during the game.  As I think I said last time, maybe the list should have ended at 3 or 4.

[ams1001]

Ran the Ancient World, anti-ran League's MVP (at least I knew the sport on all but one of them). Got four in Which Came First, Botany, and Anatomy but missed two in the other categories in J! and three in the other categories in DJ. At least I was consistent? ...57%/57%/56%

My TSes were thermodynamics and shin.

I knew FJ because they posted Ken's intro on Facebook and some jackass decided to answer the question of whether someone would stop her streak by spoiling not only that she won, but the correct answer as well. When asked why he would do that, he responded, "I already saw it." Jerk. I won't count it because after reading the clue I don't think I would have gotten it.

3 hours ago, HelenBaby said:

Okay I’m officially wanting Mattea to eff off ASAP. 

Now we're getting "I shoulda wagered more" before she even gives the answer. After getting her entire thought process before deciding on her wager. I probably would have gotten 'rib' if I hadn't been too annoyed by her yammering to pay attention to the clue.

Edited April 28, 2022 by ams1001
corrected quote of jerk on facebook

[Kimmmmmm]

Trying hard to watch "for the game"... listen, rather, because it helps if I don't have to look at her. But I have to mute it during Ken's nightly tongue bath at the beginning of each show.

[possibilities]

 

[ams1001]

4 minutes ago, possibilities said:

 

Aww, she was adorable. 

 

[Katy M]

I said Dylan Thomas. Poetry is not my thing.

I go tthe missed clues of thermodynamics and Gaudi.

I did pretty well in the first round if we discount the MVP category of which I only got the $200.  Didn't do so well in the second, but would have been OK had I got final right.

 

[catrice2]

I am not connecting to the current champ and I am not sure why.  Usually (except Austin) I can hang in there and just play the game, but I am not sure why I am feeling this way. She is extremely smart, I care less about the physical appearance, etc. I admire her achievements, but like Amy, I am ready for her to go.

I honestly believe the whole atmosphere since the ill fated guest hosting  and criticism has finally done what I though was impossible....made Jeopardy no longer must see tv for me. I am so sad. This show has been such a great part of my life. I even stayed away from the board for a while thinking that was it, but alas, it didn't make a difference. 

I am also tired of contestants leaving the show and wanting to be celebrities.  Really? Amy needs a management company? I never listen to to most of the interviews in the middle because I don't care about their lives. I would like it to be the same once they lose. I mean, I loved people on Sale of the Century, etc. but had no interest in what happened to them after they left the show! 

Yet, I enjoyed James immensely.  I don't know why, but I did.  I will say even with him I don't follow his life.  Since I watch the Chase I see him, but I don't seek these people out. 

Maybe it is me. 

 

Edited April 28, 2022 by catrice2

[Katy M]

30 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

After getting her entire thought process before deciding on her wager.

I was hoping she'd make it a true daily double and get it wrong. I've gone on record many times before that 15 games is about the most I can take of any given contestant.