Jeopardy! Season 31 (2014-2015)

[PaulaO]

Tvadict44, I believe King of the Nerds has not started their new season.

[GreekGeek]

Can someone explain why Dara's "abscond" answer was not an acceptable alternative for "abduct"?

Edited January 6, 2015 by GreekGeek

[ottoDbusdriver]

So many wrong answers, so many triple stumpers -- and Eliott lucks out in FJ for the win.  Dara should have won this.

[irisheyes]

This group was not the brightest they've had. Some of the clues were really weirdly written too. Altogether, it made for a show that wasn't very enjoyable.

[Misslindsey]

I was distracted after Elliot mentioned trying to make ( or did he make it already? ) Capote into an opera. 

[GreekGeek]

I was distracted after Elliot mentioned trying to make ( or did he make it already? ) Capote into an opera. 

Hey, if John Adams could write an opera called "Nixon in China", why not?

[opus]

Love the Olympics, hate geography. When the category is Olympic Host Cities, I know it's going to be worlds colliding.

Edited January 6, 2015 by GaryE

[SyracuseMug]

Isn't the Black Death synonymous with the plague? I always thought so.

[ABay]

Re: Black Death v. Plague. They were going for the word in the title of the book. Given the shoddy judging and clue writing lately, I'm surprised they didn't accept it.

[possibilities]

I loved-- LOVED-- the idea of Capote as an opera. Moreover, I think Capote himself might have loved it. I'm now wondering why it wasn't done a long time ago.

 

Also agree about abscond and abduct. WTF, judges?

[Totale]

I said "abscond".  That was a lousy game overall, though.  I always root for librarians, although I call them all "Marion".  I thought she had it and couldn't believe she missed the easy FJ.

[Etta Place]

Abscond only means to make a getaway, it doesn't include the seizing part. But I do agree that abduct is problematic because it implies people specifically (although the clue didn't specify people or objects).

 

As for the Defoe clue, I don't remember the exact wording, but I thought it was referring to the book specifically, which is Journal of a Plague Year, so Black Death wouldn't have worked even though it's the same disease.

[proserpina65]

Isn't the Black Death synonymous with the plague? I always thought so.

But the clue was about the title of a Defoe book, so Black Death was not correct.

I missed at least half of the Double Jeopardy round due to a phone call, but I was very happy to have gotten both Iran and Antigua & Barbuda in the geographical category.  (I got the others wrong, though.)  And I got FJ because the Olympics are always good categories for me; my only doubt was whether or not Helsinki was farther north than Stockholm, but I guessed the correct one of the two.

On the abduct/abscond thing, the online dictionary I consulted defines abscond as "leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft", so by that definition it wouldn't have fit the clue.  But other sources might have slightly different definitions, so that's an iffy decision.

[alias1]

Can someone explain why Dara's "abscond" answer was not an acceptable alternative for "abduct"?

I thought they would come back later and tell her it was an acceptable answer.  It would have given her more money and perhaps changed the outcome.  I really hoped she would win.  I'm just not crazy about the current champ.

 

I guess the abscond thing was more wishful thinking (hoping) on my part because I was pulling for her. It seemed like a really good answer and fit the category if not the exact clue.

Edited January 6, 2015 by SierraMist

[Writing Wrongs]

The last couple of days I've found the first round easy and then I suck during Double Jeopardy.

[CarpeDiem54]

That poor lady, Val, looked like she was having a stroke. She was trembling from nerves. I was hoping Alan would win. I liked his Elizabeth Taylor story. The champ is starting to get on my nerves for some reason.

I've been terrible at Double Jeopardy, too, lately. I managed FJ in the nick of time.

[chessiegal]

I feel for Val, but, my problems that are nothing but my own, I don't like contestants who flail the signal around.

 

I was amazed I got all the DDs today. I'm not that good at Jeopardy!

 

Much better game than yesterday.

[Pallida]

I try not to think certain answers are obvious, but I was getting annoyed by the star anise clue as it went on and on leading to what I thought was unquestionably an obvious answer just from the picture.  I was shocked when none of them got it. 

[proserpina65]

I hate runaway games.  I find them pretty uninteresting to watch, and there's no suspense for Final Jeopardy (other than will I get it or not) unless the leader does something really stupid.  Plus, I'm getting a little tired of the current champion - he's seems like an okay guy, but something about him bugs a little.  Maybe it's just that I hate Truman Capote and find the idea of an opera about him so pretentiously hip that it's influencing my view of Elliott.

 

None of them got star anise from a clue that included a photo and said that the name came from the shape?  Really?

[peeayebee]

Yeah, that was pretty painful to watch, though I did enjoy Elliot's fumbling around to be more specific.

[Trey]

 

Plus, I'm getting a little tired of the current champion - he's seems like an okay guy, but something about him bugs a little.

 He was already out of favour with me from the first day when he thought Dunkirk was in England.

[6 MeowMeowBeenz]

I'm OK with the champ more or less, but he reminds me of the Hitler Youth character in "Cabaret" who sang "Tomorrow belongs to me"

[ChicagoCita]

I'm OK with the champ more or less, but he reminds me of the Hitler Youth character in "Cabaret" who sang "Tomorrow belongs to me"

 

Hah!  He reminds me Mitchell from Modern Family, and I like that he's a tad pretentious because it goes with the Mitchell persona.  I also like that the longer he sticks around, we're beginning to see a bit of his snarky side. As for the Capote opera, I'm old enough to remember rolling my eyes at hearing that the composers of Jesus Christ Superstar were working on an opera about "the wife of the former dictator of Argentina," and of course that turned out to be Evita and I feel like a pretentious idiot myself when I remember how lame I thought the idea was.

[ABay]

It all reminds me of The Tall Guy where characters are snarking about a musical based on Nixon, called Dick! (the ! is what makes it art). I've always suspected the writers of the non-musical, non-!ed movie Dick also saw the The Tall Guy.

[rubaco]

I'm enjoying Elliot, I find him personable. Plus I have always been a sucker for dimples.

[mojoween]

Iron Lady was the first thing I thought of. Yay me, heh.

FOX has been blacked out since Saturday so I've really been jonesing for Jeopardy! But in the episodes I watched before tonight and tonight it seems more prevalent to leave clues on the board. I don't like it, I wanted to do all the NY governors.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Elliott continues to succeed against another round of lackluster competition.  Early on in the DJ round, at one point no one had more than $3200.

 

I've noticed that Alex has stopped indicating that any one contestant has a runaway before going into the break before FJ.

[peeayebee]

I'm aghast that none of them knew Frank Gehry. There's no mistaking one of his buildings.

 

Also, shame on you, Elliot, for thinking that pic of Pataki was Bloomberg.

 

What the hell is Doober Doober? 

[proserpina65]

Also, shame on you, Elliot, for thinking that pic of Pataki was Bloomberg

 

I wasn't in the room, so I didn't see the picture, but I wouldn't have recognized Pataki if you hit me over the head with him anyway.  Still,

even I know that Bloomberg was mayor of NYC not governor of New York State.

[how55]

Being from the "great Empire State" I was a bit sad that they performed so poorly on the Governors category. Bloomberg thought he was mayor of NYS. I was figuring that Mario Cuomo (RIP) would be a low value question as he's probably the most recognizable of our govs.  Also, was surprised not to see Rockefeller or our more recent Spitzer or Patterson.

I stumbled on Iron Lady as I thought 1976 was too early for Thatcher (history, even recent, is not a strong suit) but got it at the end.

[ChicagoCita]

Anyone know what the thing around Eliott's neck is today?  At first I thought it was an old-guy braid, but that thought is so horrible I can't even contemplate it.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I'm glad that Eliiot's gone.  The new champ seems pretty solid.

[peeayebee]

Anyone know what the thing around Eliott's neck is today?  At first I thought it was an old-guy braid, but that thought is so horrible I can't even contemplate it.

It just looked like collar embellishment to me.

 

I didn't mind Elliot, but I like the new champ.

 

Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but I don't think I've ever seen Kiddy spelled that way. It's always Kiddie. Does anyone else feel that way?

[dcalley]

Anyone know what the thing around Eliott's neck is today?  At first I thought it was an old-guy braid, but that thought is so horrible I can't even contemplate it.

I thought it was just his sweater collar.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but I don't think I've ever seen Kiddy spelled that way. It's always Kiddie. Does anyone else feel that way?

 

That was weird.  Blame the writers, they seem to have fired the decent clue writers from previous seasons and gone with cheaper, less qualified replacements this season.

[opus]

When I punch Kiddy Lit into google, it says showing results for Kiddie Lit.

[dcalley]

Kiddy is listed as a less-common variant in Merriam-Webster. It did look odd.

[Sharpie66]

I think it's the Disney Center in LA, and if it's Gehry, it's usually made out of stainless steel. If it is the Disney Center, that's the buidling that they actually had to buff out some of the shininess after it was built because the sun's reflection off of the facade was blinding the local drivers.

[peeayebee]

No, it wasn't Disney Hall. It was the Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota.

[mojoween]

I don't know if it was nerves or what but Evan's demeanor was so off-putting it made me actively dislike him. I mean, I'm sure it's stressful but why would you write Harry Truman as the answer to someone who died in 1910, per the clue? Also, his "let's do" before nearly every selection was driving me bonkers.

Exclamation point was wildly overvalued as a $2000 clue.

Loved the NFL category so very much and was happy they went all the way through it.

[GreekGeek]

I don't know if it was nerves or what but Evan's demeanor was so off-putting it made me actively dislike him. I mean, I'm sure it's stressful but why would you write Harry Truman as the answer to someone who died in 1910, per the clue? Also, his "let's do" before nearly every selection was driving me bonkers.

 

I felt the same way about Evan. He came across as the type who acts bored so people will think he's smart, but he didn't seem to know much at all. I agree Harry Truman was a terrible guess; Alex was being really nice by saying, "Not a bad guess." I suppose that was the only famous Missourian he could think of. 

 

The woman in the middle (I forget her name) seemed very uncertain about her answers and I was afraid she would never ring in at first, but she played pretty well overall.

[ottoDbusdriver]

The woman in the middle (I forget her name) seemed very uncertain about her answers and I was afraid she would never ring in at first, but she played pretty well overall.

 

Agreed, it was a good game -- 2 of the 3 had high totals going into FJ and there was no runaway.  The new champ didn't succumb to the 2nd game yips that seems to have done in a lot of the 1 day champs last fall, and he actually earned the victory.

 

Mark Twain was a pretty easy FJ  -- and I guess, at least according to Evan, it was zombie Harry Truman that governed the country from 1945 to 1953 since he died in 1910. </snark>)

[YoureSoUrban]

 

I felt the same way about Evan. He came across as the type who acts bored so people will think he's smart, but he didn't seem to know much at all.

That's my feeling as well. Smug but his knowledge wasn't impressive. I like the champ. He was calm throughout and seems to really enjoy the questions.

I thought it was funny was how they repeatedly called the "Do It" category "Do Eet", when Alex was just making a silly joke with "Yukon".

[Bastet]

"Not a bad guess"?!

 

Who are you, and what have you done with Alex?  And can you send the real guy back, because if ever there's a time for pretentious snarking, it's when a J! contestant offers up Truman for a clue referring to someone who died in 1910. 

 

Loved the NFL category so very much and was happy they went all the way through it.

 

Same here, and the Jimmy Johnson clue cracked me up.

[peeayebee]

I was so tired I fell asleep during the show, yet I know what you all mean about Evan's demeanor.

 

I guess I was asleep when Alex said, "Not a bad guess." Maybe he was trying to make Evan feel better and really didn't mean it.

[teebax]

I was so tired I fell asleep during the show, yet I know what you all mean about Evan's demeanor.

I guess I was asleep when Alex said, "Not a bad guess." Maybe he was trying to make Evan feel better and really didn't mean it.

Maybe Evan's mom was there and Alex didn't want her complaining to the media that Alex didn't properly console her child. Edited January 10, 2015 by teebax

[Etta Place]

 

Also, his "let's do" before nearly every selection was driving me bonkers.

Though it was unintentionally hilarious when he said "Let's do The Ladies for $400, Alex."

[Sharpie66]

I didn't even have to see Missouri in the clue to know it was Twain as soon as I saw the person died in 1910.

And, yes, Evan bugged me just like everyone else--I was so happy when his wagers went wrong, which makes me a bad person, I know.

[alias1]

When FJ came up, I immediately said Mark Twain and my husband said, "well, the only other famous Missourian would be Harry Truman.  Someone might guess that (disregarding the year)."  I think that's why Alex said not a bad guess. 

Edited January 10, 2015 by SierraMist

[Bklyndeb]

I thought Evan's Oliver Wendell Holmes answer for the future justice who argued Brown v Board was just as bad as the Harry Truman answer. Clearly just a random guess.