S01.E01: Quarterfinal #1: Simu Liu, Ego Nwodim and Andy Richter

[Athena]

Series Premiere

Quote

Quarterfinal #1: Simu Liu, Ego Nwodim and Andy Richter

[ams1001]

I was wondering how they were filling an hour when it looked like there was only one set of players. Not sure how I feel about three rounds. I kinda like the clues at the commercial breaks.

In case any one else hasn't regularly watched SNL since the days of Adam Sandler and had no idea who Ego Nwodim was, she plays Dionne Warwick on SNL.

I'm only vaguely familiar with Simu Liu because he's been on one or more of Colbert/Seth Meyers/Daily Show in the recent past.

[TakomaSnark]

Liu  hosted SNL last season, he was very charming.

[TakomaSnark]

FYI, according to r/jeopardy, this was filmed on September 11th, three days after the Queen's death - when it was still blanketing the news. Can't believe Simu and Ego didn't have Scotland on their minds for the clue about the country she died in.

[TakomaSnark]

Shocking ending. That clue was such a gimme, can't believe Andy missed.

[shapeshifter]

LOL: Simu Liu's reaction to winning: "I had dinner plans."
Simu Liu really would have done better with more confidence (Ego somewhat too), so maybe he'll do okay in the next round. I was expecting him to jokingly ask Andy to stand in for him, but I think he was too shocked to be witty.

I'm glad Mayim's script had her mention Simu Liu's show "Kim's Convenience." That show was my real medication and therapy in recovering from stage IV cancer, but mostly people just know Simu Liu as a sci-fi superhero. 

[Ailianna]

The questions/clues were generally much easier, as expected, but at least there weren't a ton of TS. I do think it might have been too soon for the players to have absorbed all the QEII material. We've all been through all the pomp and memorials of the funeral too, and if I'd been about to be on J! I would feel ok skipping some of the news too. When was the last time a clue asked for a current event from THREE DAYS AGO?

Mayim was a bit too "on" for my taste, but it was lovely to see Buzzy, and I suspect that the charm (or lack thereof) of the players will contribute greatly to my level of enjoyment. I was really pulling for Simu to pull out Vatican City, since he'd guessed it earlier, and that's how he said he got it! I did think Andy would have known that one since it's pretty basic trivia knowledge, but Simu's reaction was everything!

[The Wild Sow]

Maybe if Simu doesn't want to play the semifinals, he can go on tour with Conan and Andy can sub for him! 😁

[MrAtoz]

11 hours ago, Ailianna said:

I did think Andy would have known that one since it's pretty basic trivia knowledge

I actually wondered about it.  Since Vatican City is the smallest state in the world, period, I was a bit confused by the additional qualifier "landlocked."  I started wondering if Vatican City is somehow not landlocked?  I have to wonder why that part was included.

[Trey]

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would although a full hour of Jeopardy! is a bit much. There was just enough banter but not too much.

I was pulling for Simu and was glad and surprised that he won.  It really seemed to be a lock for Andy.

I think Andy was surprised that he lost. I haven't heard of Ego before but I really liked her.

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, Trey said:

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would although a full hour of Jeopardy! is a bit much.

I've decided I'm okay with it since it's only once a week and not on a day when I've already watched half an hour of the regular game. During the prime time College Championship after a few days of an hour and a half almost back-to-back (I get J! at 7pm so I only had a half hour between that and the prime time games) it got to be a little too much Jeopardy.

1 hour ago, Trey said:

There was just enough banter but not too much.

In the beginning I was a little afraid they were going to be joking around the whole time but they struck a good balance. I definitely expect more joking with the celebs, but with double the time for basically 1.5 games it gives them a little more leeway in the broadcast (I don't know if the actual gameplay time limit is the same.) I also kinda liked that we got to see the chitchat at the end without the credits music playing over it. I don't usually pay much attention to that but occasionally they're so animated that I wonder what they're talking about (and usually when I go to the J! site to find those videos they're not there yet).

[dgpolo]

40 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

In the beginning I was a little afraid they were going to be joking around the whole time but they struck a good balance.

I agree, I've already forgotten the specific but right at the beginning one of them made an extraneous comment and I thought 'here we go, they just can't be quiet' but then they settled down and there was little of the joke making and interruptions that I don't like on Celebrity Jeopardy.

[Bastet]

Simu and Ego's reactions to Andy's dominance were a lot of fun.  I love Simu saying no game show exposes stupidity like J!  Ego's "Damn, I should have done more" before answering the knee DD was great.  My favorite was Simu's response to winning, especially "I have to come back?!"

I was rooting for Ego, but liked all three contestants and their charities, so I enjoyed it. 

I especially enjoyed that the easier clues let me come closer to a perfect game than I typically do, even with 30 extra clues to tackle (those who frequent the forum for the regular show know I'm on a thus-far fruitless quest to get every clue correct) -- I ran the first two rounds and knew FJ immediately, and only missed four in Triple Jeopardy.

[Ailianna]

10 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

I actually wondered about it.  Since Vatican City is the smallest state in the world, period, I was a bit confused by the additional qualifier "landlocked."  I started wondering if Vatican City is somehow not landlocked?  I have to wonder why that part was included.

I think that just connected to the category and was there for extra confirmation, if anyone went down some paths. 

[Clanstarling]

On 9/25/2022 at 5:14 PM, ams1001 said:

I was wondering how they were filling an hour when it looked like there was only one set of players. Not sure how I feel about three rounds. I kinda like the clues at the commercial breaks.

In case any one else hasn't regularly watched SNL since the days of Adam Sandler and had no idea who Ego Nwodim was, she plays Dionne Warwick on SNL.

I'm only vaguely familiar with Simu Liu because he's been on one or more of Colbert/Seth Meyers/Daily Show in the recent past.

Ah, that she played Dionne made her stress about the category a little more interesting. I saw Simu's movie, but did not recognize him at first.

On 9/26/2022 at 6:16 AM, MrAtoz said:

I actually wondered about it.  Since Vatican City is the smallest state in the world, period, I was a bit confused by the additional qualifier "landlocked."  I started wondering if Vatican City is somehow not landlocked?  I have to wonder why that part was included.

I think adding "landlocked" was more a way to get other countries into the mix, and for people to wonder if Vatican City wasn't landlocked. In other words, a ploy to make some go astray - I was surprised it was Andy though. I got it the same way Simu did, by wrongly answering Vatican City in an earlier clue.

Yeah, I thought the three rounds might be a bit much. But it was enjoyable - and since it's only one episode a week, and during our recording/streaming slow time, I guess we will be watching it.  Especially since the somewhat easier clues made me feel smart!

[Bliss]

Took me a bit to find this thread... not sure why it isn't under the J! topic.

I'm WAY behind in the regular show, mostly because I got out of the habit of watching*... and partly because I do not enjoy Mayim's hosting for one main reason: she hesitates too long before saying "correct" or something similar. So, I hesitated about watching this - but enjoyed it. (Although she still pauses too long for me!)

SO happy Simu won. I think it was @shapeshifter who mentioned him being on Kim's Convenience. Most people LUV that show!

His response to winning? Priceless.

*just when I thought life was going to get back to something close to normal (my recovery from major surgery is excellent) and doing things like watching J! while eating dinner, yesterday, my husband fell off the roof and has a broken back (3 places), several broken ribs, brain bleed, collapsed lung, internal bleeding, and still waiting for the neurosurgeon's assessment... however, he can wiggle his toes (yay!🙏) and is in good spirits. All prayers are welcome!

[Trey]

5 minutes ago, Bliss said:

not sure why it isn't under the J! topic.

Because it is a different show.

6 minutes ago, Bliss said:

*just when I thought life was going to get back to something close to normal (my recovery from major surgery is excellent) and doing things like watching J! while eating dinner, yesterday, my husband fell off the roof and has a broken back (3 places), several broken ribs, brain bleed, collapsed lung, internal bleeding, and still waiting for the neurosurgeon's assessment... however, he can wiggle his toes (yay!🙏) and is in good spirits. All prayers are welcome!

OMG. Prayers being sent to you and your husband.

[secnarf]

1 hour ago, Trey said:

1 hour ago, Bliss said:

not sure why it isn't under the J! topic.

Because it is a different show.

See below:

I was rooting for Simu Liu and was glad when he pulled off the surprise win. Loved his reaction as well. I was surprised two of them missed FJ though, especially after his guess of Vatican City earlier. I initially thought of Rwanda and Burundi (and was debating which was smaller) before remembering (in order) Eswatini, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, San Marino and then finally Vatican City which would definitely have the lowest population.

[meowmommy]

Color me shocked to watch a celebrity show of any kind and know who everyone was.  I'm seriously pop culture-impaired but I knew Simu from Kim's Convenience and Ego from SNL.  I recognized Andy Richter because he's fairly ubiquitous, even though I've never seen Conan's show.  (I only recognized two of the celebs on the WoF that ran right after Jeopardy.)

And somewhat shocked that Andy went into Final without a runaway lead, which of course in the end he could have used.  The questions were dumbed way down from regular Jeopardy, naturally, and I was worried in the early round that Simu and Ego were going to be totally embarrassed, but they came along as the game went on. 

I think if they're playing for charity and they're playing three rounds, don't cheap out on the board values.  Make Triple Jeopardy even bigger than real Double Jeopardy.  Do 200-400-600.  Give us a thrill.

[anniebird]

Mayim was wearing pants! I thought she only wore dresses or skirts because of her conservative beliefs.

Edited September 29, 2022 by anniebird

[Bastet]

46 minutes ago, anniebird said:

Mayim was wearing pants! I thought she only wore dresses or skirts because of her conservative beliefs.

She's done so occasionally before, hosting the regular J! show and on her current sitcom.  She used to say she never wears pants outside of the house, but in writing several years ago about wearing them in a scene on The Big Bang Theory she said she "hardly ever" wears them outside the house, so she's obviously loosened that restriction over time.

Edited September 29, 2022 by Bastet

[cmahorror]

I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to the whole season. All three contestants were fun and personable. I especially loved when Mayim said that they were happy to have Andy back and Ego was like speak for yourself. I also loved the surprise ending of Andy losing in Final Jeopardy. Usually when you have someone with that great a lead. the only person who could beat them doesn't wager enough in Final Jeopardy. Simu was smart, he risked it all and that was why he won. He didn't overthink his decision, just went with his gut and hoped Andy would miss the question.

Ego was too reserved in her playing for me. I was almost yelling at her when she got the daily double "You have a degree in biology and you are majorly behind - risk it all!!!". She didn't and instantly regretted it when the clue was basic anatomy, something she must have taken to get her degree. Jeopardy is a game of risks - if you don't take the risks when needed, you don't win.

[SoMuchTV]

10 minutes ago, cmahorror said:

Jeopardy is a game of risks - if you don't take the risks when needed, you don't win.

Right? Especially when you’re on the celebrity game and no matter how badly you do, your charity still gets the $$$.

[Clanstarling]

13 hours ago, cmahorror said:

I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to the whole season. All three contestants were fun and personable. I especially loved when Mayim said that they were happy to have Andy back and Ego was like speak for yourself. I also loved the surprise ending of Andy losing in Final Jeopardy. Usually when you have someone with that great a lead. the only person who could beat them doesn't wager enough in Final Jeopardy. Simu was smart, he risked it all and that was why he won. He didn't overthink his decision, just went with his gut and hoped Andy would miss the question.

I think Simu didn't think he had a chance of winning - so why not bet it all. His astonishment at Andy missing it (I was astonished too) was fun to see.

I wasn't going to watch Celebrity Jeopardy, but I decided to try it out despite Mayim, and it was more fun than I thought it would be. The celebrities aren't as reserved as most Jeopardy contestants.

[ProudMary]

I had recorded this last week and finally got around to watching. I only watched because I like Simu Liu, but I expected Andy Richter was going to win. I was delighted with the outcome and Simu's reaction! I guess I'll at least have to watch his semifinal.

I loved the Buzzy Cohen fashion category.

Truth be told, I wasn't going to watch because I can't take Mayim Bialik and unsurprisingly, she messed up big time early in the first round. Simu Liu had answered "The Little Mermaid" correctly in the Bedtime Stories category, then continued in the same category and found the first DD, which he answered incorrectly. Mayim says, "It's time for a commercial break. Andy controls the Jeopardy! board. Celebrity Jeopardy returns right after this." What?!? Simu was on his second answer in a row. Why the heck would she think Andy controlled the board? 🤦‍♀️ More importantly, is she ever going to learn the rules of the game? 😠

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Simu Liu had answered "The Little Mermaid" correctly in the Bedtime Stories category, then continued in the same category and found the first DD, which he answered incorrectly. Mayim says, "It's time for a commercial break. Andy controls the Jeopardy! board. Celebrity Jeopardy returns right after this." What?!? Simu was on his second answer in a row. Why the heck would she think Andy controlled the board? 🤦‍♀️ More importantly, is she ever going to learn the rules of the game? 😠

Shouldn’t that have been edited in post production? Or do they air the Celebrity Jeopardy! episodes live?

[sugarbaker design]

14 hours ago, ProudMary said:

I had recorded this last week and finally got around to watching. I only watched because I like Simu Liu, but I expected Andy Richter was going to win. I was delighted with the outcome and Simu's reaction! I guess I'll at least have to watch his semifinal.

I loved the Buzzy Cohen fashion category.

Truth be told, I wasn't going to watch because I can't take Mayim Bialik and unsurprisingly, she messed up big time early in the first round. Simu Liu had answered "The Little Mermaid" correctly in the Bedtime Stories category, then continued in the same category and found the first DD, which he answered incorrectly. Mayim says, "It's time for a commercial break. Andy controls the Jeopardy! board. Celebrity Jeopardy returns right after this." What?!? Simu was on his second answer in a row. Why the heck would she think Andy controlled the board? 🤦‍♀️ More importantly, is she ever going to learn the rules of the game? 😠

But Simu did retain control of the board and select the next clue.  MB just said Andy instead of Simu, a mistake for sure, but it certainly doesn't indicate she's ignorant of Jeopardy rules.  I'm shocked the editors didn't pick it up.  And good for you for catching it!

[Ailianna]

I thought it wss a (very dumb) play on his former show, Andy Richter Controls the Universe. She made a quick (equally vapid) comment about Ego and Simu too. 

[Bliss]

For those of you interested in Simu Liu, I just read a review of his book, "We Were Dreamers" - and I wish I knew how to link a photo of the book here. Sorry.

"I couldn't put this book down. So well written. Absolutely fascinating memoir."

(My name is Bliss and I'm a bookaholic. I'm always interested in hearing about books that are worthy.)

For those of you who gave me cyber hugs above, thank you! 😘 Update: Hubby is standing, walking, and out of critical care. 12 fractures (9 broken ribs!) will take time to heal, but so very, very grateful he's on the mend.❤️

[Clanstarling]

14 minutes ago, Bliss said:

For those of you who gave me cyber hugs above, thank you! 😘 Update: Hubby is standing, walking, and out of critical care. 12 fractures (9 broken ribs!) will take time to heal, but so very, very grateful he's on the mend.❤️

I missed giving you a cyber hug, but I was thinking about you. So happy that your hubby is out of critical care. I know how that feels.