S01.E08: Semifinal #2: John Michael Higgins, Wil Wheaton and Joel Kim Booster

[Athena]

Quote

Semifinal #2: John Michael Higgins, Wil Wheaton and Joel Kim Booster

[Browncoat]

I'm kind of digging Mayim's purple pantsuit.

[ams1001]

I don't know who to root for tonight! Will's excitement is adorable. But I also love Joel.

[Browncoat]

I like them all!

[ams1001]

6 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I like them all!

I do, too, but I'm least familiar with JMH, I guess (which is odd since he's probably got one of the longest IMDB pages of anyone in the tournament -153 acting credits, 51 as himself, and a handful of other categories).

Joel booing Mayim's Star Trek puns while Wil goes "yaay!"...😄

Edited November 14, 2022 by ams1001

[LexieLily]

Did John Michael Higgins go by Michael last episode?

[ams1001]

Just now, LexieLily said:

Did John Michael Higgins go by Michael last episode?

Yes, he did.

[SoMuchTV]

10 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Did John Michael Higgins go by Michael last episode?

If you’re still watching, now you know!

[ams1001]

I hadn't noticed the red question mark on the (overly long) commercial break clues before but since someone mentioned it last week now I've noticed, and I hate it, thanks.

I like that she asked Wil about his mental health stuff. Wil and Joel have been on The Hilarious World of Depression and Depresh Mode podcasts, respectively. (They are essentially different iterations of the same show, hosted by John Moe.) It's part of the reason I love Joel (the only other thing I really know him from is Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! and a little bit of his stand-up, which I looked up after he was on Depresh Mode).

I wasn't keeping score but of all categories I ran the sports one...proof that the celebrity games are easier. 😆

I loved Wil's reaction to winning. 

Edited November 14, 2022 by ams1001

[Browncoat]

Instaget FJ for me -- and hooray for Wil!  The more he played, the more I wanted him to win.  Wil and Joel both played so well!  I wonder if Michael had buzzer issues, or maybe just timing issues -- as in Wil and Joel were just a little faster.

LOL at Michael's interview during the credits! 

[TakomaSnark]

Nooooooooooooooooooooo Michael!!!!!

Loved all three of them, though.

[Ailianna]

These players were all good, and Joel was very good. I liked Wil already, but he's very charming in his enthusiasm. I was glad he won, but liked them all.

Really over Mayim's very obvious puns though. They are definitely operating with some inside baseball too. When asked how he was feeling, Wil's answer was something I think very few people can relate to directly. 

[shapeshifter]

Wil's show interview had me worrying that he would become consumed with self-doubt and blow it——especially because he bet more timidly on his 2nd and 3rd DDs.
I was so relieved he won! 
But I would have been even happier if they all won in a tie!

Celebrity Jeopardy! is so much more my speed. 
I instagot the TSs of Michelangelo and Conqueror, as well as FJ.

[SomeTameGazelle]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

I hadn't noticed the red question mark on the (overly long) commercial break clues before but since someone mentioned it last week now I've noticed, and I hate it, thanks.

Misery loves company! I complained about it last week because it had been upsetting me for quite a while but it was only tonight that I realized that the typeface for the words in the response is the regular clue typeface but the offensive red question mark is in the Jeopardy! logo typeface. They just look wrong together.

I was rooting for Joel (love hearing about his group chat with his friends who have been on Jeopardy) but liked all of them and Wil deserved the win.

I was happy to see Matt Amodio but his clues were rough. They may have been relatively simple concepts but it's always more challenging when the printed text is not available and there were a lot of words to keep track of. This was a less boisterous group than the group that complained about Austin so although it was clear they didn't like the category they didn't joke about Matt.

[dgpolo]

2 hours ago, LexieLily said:

Did John Michael Higgins go by Michael last episode?

It took watching several seasons of America Says to finally realize that although he is introduced as John Michael Higgins all the contestants call him Michael. I don't know why it took me so long to realize but it did finally sink in.

[ams1001]

3 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

It took watching several seasons of America Says to finally realize that although he is introduced as John Michael Higgins all the contestants call him Michael. I don't know why it took me so long to realize but it did finally sink in.

It was probably at least halfway through his previous game that I realized Mayim was calling him Michael and then I noticed that's what was written on his podium.

27 minutes ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

Misery loves company! I complained about it last week because it had been upsetting me for quite a while but it was only tonight that I realized that the typeface for the words in the response is the regular clue typeface but the offensive red question mark is in the Jeopardy! logo typeface. They just look wrong together.

My other issue is that the red against the particular shade of Jeopardy blue is a tad hard on the eyes.

[30 Helens]

I love playing Celebrity Jeopardy because it makes me feel like a genius.

I was rooting for Wil from the outset, even though I’ve only ever seen him in one thing, nearly 40 years ago (Stand By Me). I guess little Gordie made quite an impression. Loved his reaction at winning— I assume many of these celebrities just do it for the PR value and don’t really care about the outcome as long as they don’t embarrass themselves, but he was obviously genuinely thrilled. Good for him.

ETA: When looking up the age of the movie, I just learned that Wil was suffering from parental abuse at the time, something he channeled into his performance. How awful. I have new respect for him, for pulling through that and becoming his own person.

Edited November 14, 2022 by 30 Helens

[SusieQ]

Michael explained why he uses his middle (Michael) name instead of his first name (John). As someone who has a nick name (Sue) which is totally different than my actual first name I get it. I know my relationship to people based on what name they call me. School and work, actual name; family and neighbors, nick name.

[dgpolo]

3 minutes ago, SusieQ said:

Michael explained why he uses his middle (Michael) name instead of his first name (John).

I always skip any interview portion of any game show. I hate them. To use a word I learned from my grandson they are 'cringe'

I loved Wil's reaction to getting 'binary code' correct, it made me think he was relieved that he got something that Wesley Crusher would have known.

[ams1001]

6 minutes ago, SusieQ said:

Michael explained why he uses his middle (Michael) name instead of his first name (John). As someone who has a nick name (Sue) which is totally different than my actual first name I get it. I know my relationship to people based on what name they call me. School and work, actual name; family and neighbors, nick name.

My mom mostly goes by her middle name, except for "official" stuff which is under her first name. Except when she went back to work full time (at the same building where she worked before my brother was born) when I was 11 or so, for some reason she never told her coworkers to call her by her middle name. My dad also worked there (on a different floor) and he was the only person I ever heard call her by her middle name there, until one day I visited for lunch and heard some guy say 'hi Firstname'...turned out to be someone she went to high school with.

1 minute ago, dgpolo said:

I always skip any interview portion of any game show. I hate them. To use a word I learned from my grandson they are 'cringe'

The short version is that his family called him Mike growing up, and when he joined the actor's union there was already someone registered as Michael Higgins, so he registered as John Michael Higgins, because there can be only one.

[saber5055]

As a life-long Star Trek geek I was rooting for Wesley, I mean Wil. I wondered if he was living with abuse back in the early ST days, but good on him for standing up and making it public to help others who might be suffering. I also like his character of WIL WHEATON! on BBT. Will be interesting to see who the third finalist is, but right now I like both Ike and Wil.

[853fisher]

Apparently the next quarterfinal game will air in January.  I've been hot and cold on these games, but overall enjoyed having them to watch before work Monday, so I'll be glad to have them back.

I realize we don't really "know" celebrities, even those who have shared a lot.  That said, I really think Wil is the real deal.  I always like seeing him and am glad he did well.  I'd love to see him win the whole thing.

I thought the clue for "alligators," referring to the man who killed his fiancé and later himself (his remains were found having partially been eaten by wildlife), seemed oddly flip.  It's hard to say why briefly, but it just didn't sit well with me.

[ams1001]

4 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

I thought the clue for "alligators," referring to the man who killed his fiancé and later himself (his remains were found having partially been eaten by wildlife), seemed oddly flip.  It's hard to say why briefly, but it just didn't sit well with me.

Same here. I can't imagine how their families feel about their rather recent tragic case being a Jeopardy clue.

[SomeTameGazelle]

4 hours ago, ams1001 said:

My mom mostly goes by her middle name, except for "official" stuff which is under her first name.

It's very common in my extended family to go by a middle name. I am always surprised when other people think it's unusual or sneaky. 

We would probably all be less confused in this case if Michael had decided to use J. Michael Higgins instead of spelling out John. I have always had a hard time remembering his name even though I remember liking him so much in A Mighty Wind but maybe now the name will stick.

[ams1001]

2 minutes ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

We would probably all be less confused in this case if Michael had decided to use J. Michael Higgins instead of spelling out John. I have always had a hard time remembering his name even though I remember liking him so much in A Mighty Wind but maybe now the name will stick.

He's definitely been one of those "hey, it's that guy from that thing, what's his name again?" actors for me (Pitch Perfect is actually the first movie that comes to mind; I don't think I've actually seen any Christopher Guest movies but I know he's in them). Maybe now I'll remember it.

[illdoc]

53 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

Apparently the next quarterfinal game will air in January.

ABC's mid-season line-up: https://tvline.com/2022/11/07/abc-schedule-2023-midseasn-the-rookie-tuesday/.  CJ! will be on Thursdays (temporarily) starting Jan 5.

[Fex]

The movie Joel wrote and starred in this year, Fire Island , is a (loose) Pride and Prejudice adaptation, so I was pretty tickled that the very first clue tonight was about Bridget Jones' Diary... a Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Of course he got it!

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, Fex said:

The movie Joel wrote and starred in this year, Fire Island , is a (loose) Pride and Prejudice adaptation, so I was pretty tickled that the very first clue tonight was about Bridget Jones' Diary... a Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Of course he got it!

I didn't even make that connection. I haven't seen Fire Island but I did read somewhere that it is a P&P adaptation.

[sharifa70]

Ok, normally I’m rolling my eyes at most of the drummed-up Jeopardy outrage, but this time? They seriously couldn’t come up with a better way to clue “Alligator” than bringing up the death by his own hand of a (suspected) murderer? 

Aside from that, I enjoyed this episode. Yay, Wil!

[SomeTameGazelle]

3 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I didn't even make that connection. I haven't seen Fire Island but I did read somewhere that it is a P&P adaptation.

I've watched it and knew it was P&P (Joel was the Lizzy, and Bowen Yang the Jane), but didn't even think of the Bridget Jones connection which is much slighter despite having Colin Firth in the movie. 

[meowmommy]

It was seriously pleasant not to have any assclowning, for a change.  Hope there's none in the next bracket.

If I managed to be a celebrity on Celebrity Jeopardy, I would always make it a True Daily Double.  The clues are so, so easy. 

I can see why they show Celebrity Jeopardy in prime time.  Someone who doesn't watch the show regularly would likely not feel intimidated by the answers and questions, as they might on the regular game.

I was kinda hoping for Michael to win, but dang if I wasn't charmed by Wil who was like a kid who just got a pony.  Such pure joy.

[Clanstarling]

On 11/13/2022 at 5:10 PM, Browncoat said:

I'm kind of digging Mayim's purple pantsuit.

I don't normally pay a lot of attention, but the pantsuit looked good on her, and her hair looked good too.

On 11/13/2022 at 5:13 PM, ams1001 said:

I don't know who to root for tonight! Will's excitement is adorable. But I also love Joel.

I loved his reaction to winning - he may have had a rough childhood, but he still has the child in him. I've always liked him, from Stand By Me, to Star Trek, to BBT.

On 11/14/2022 at 11:33 AM, 853fisher said:

I thought the clue for "alligators," referring to the man who killed his fiancé and later himself (his remains were found having partially been eaten by wildlife), seemed oddly flip.  It's hard to say why briefly, but it just didn't sit well with me.

I think it was unconscionably flip. A tragic murder/suicide should not be fodder for a clue that's only looking for "alligator" for an answer. 

On 11/14/2022 at 6:03 PM, sharifa70 said:

Ok, normally I’m rolling my eyes at most of the drummed-up Jeopardy outrage, but this time? They seriously couldn’t come up with a better way to clue “Alligator” than bringing up the death by his own hand of a (suspected) murderer?

Agreed, it startled and angered me, and like you, I don't generally go along with the media fostered "outrage." But this time, absolutely. It was disrespectful and I can only imagine how painful it might be for both families to have their child's death used in such a casual way.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Clanstarling

[Ailianna]

I hadn't heard of the case, and still have only read what's been posted here. So I processed basically a clue about an idiot in Florida (?) (I wasn't paying as much attention as I should), and what would eat him. Alligator was obvious, even without being given the starting A. But it didn't even click that it might be something real and recent.

[possibilities]

I also didn't know it was a reference to something real.

[Clanstarling]

32 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I also didn't know it was a reference to something real.

Sadly, it was all too real.