Jeopardy! Season 32 (2015-2016)

[ClareWalks]

There were a LOT of TS that were truly surprising. One that really stood out to me is that nobody knew the capital of Costa Rica. Really? I know almost nothing about Central America and I know that. This was kind of a crappy game. Everyone was being dumb. Blaaaaah.

[mojoween]

I just started watching but Carter is beeyootiful! Rawr. I was at Phantom of the Opera last night so missed the show.

I could do without the eyebrow waggle, though.

[GreekGeek]

I remembered a lot of those old TV quiz shows (not quite old enough to remember them from radio). One thing I could never remember was whether it was the College Bowl Quiz or the College Quiz Bowl. 

 

I could not believe everyone missed FJ, but then again I love Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker.

[dcalley]

It made me mad that Alex joked they'd never do the Central American Capitals category again, because those players should have known them. World capitals. Study them if you're going to be on the show. Come on!

[Browncoat]

I was stumped for FJ, but I did know the Central American Capitals, and cribbage!

[secnarf]

I had never even heard of the hotel in FJ - I also guessed Bellagio because it looked like maybe they were at a poker table, except for the lack of cards and the magazine saying "New Yorker" on it. I would have been shocked if Bellagio had been correct, but it was the only thing I could think of.

Interesting how wildly different the difficulty levels were for FJ from last night to tonight. I think, even accounting for differences in people's knowledge bases, coming up with Malcolm X last night was a million times easier than coming up with tonight's answer.

 

They did terribly with the Central American capitals, though. That was embarrassing, particularly the ones where the country was explicitly given in the question.

[CarpeDiem54]

Darn, I was rooting for Pamela since Alex was so condescending to her and acted surprised every time she answered correctly. Boo hiss, indeed.

Raphael should have been a BMS. He was an archangel.

I got sheetrock, Alien, San Jose and cribbage.

FJ was an instaget. I guess the Algonquin Round Table was "before their time".

[Trey]

It made me mad that Alex joked they'd never do the Central American Capitals category again, because those players should have known them. World capitals. Study them if you're going to be on the show. Come on!

That is what I said to Mr.Trey!  I need to study them too; I didn't do any better than they did.

 

Lots of TS's in the game but I didn't do well on them either.

 

They did do well on the E T C category and I thought it was rather hard.

 

Fellow on the end looked pretty pissy when he kept missing the Central American capitals.

 

Instaget FJ.  I was also surprised that none of them got it.

 

Congrats to Carter on his second win.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Trey

[Writing Wrongs]

What's the lowest you can bet on a DD? Can you bet 0?

[dcalley]

What's the lowest you can bet on a DD? Can you bet 0?

$5, I believe.

[mojoween]

Didn't Arthur bet $1 on the hockey DD? (And come across as a supreme asshat while doing it?)

[Moose135]

FJ was an instaget. I guess the Algonquin Round Table was "before their time".

 

Same here, was surprised no one got it.

[peeayebee]

Raphael should have been a BMS. He was an archangel.

Yeah, I thought archangel was the answer.

 

For TSs I got Alien and cribbage. When the one contestant answered somebody Hull for a football clue, the name that came to me was Bobby Hull, which was right. I have no idea where that came from. I thought Bobby Hull was a hockey player.

 

I just could not remember You Bet Your Life. Maybe if I had had a couple more minutes I would have remembered it.

 

I got FJ. I had to think for a second, but it came pretty quickly.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I can't remember the last time an entire category was made up of 5 TS.

 

FJ came to me almost immediately -- roundish table, famous hotel, 20s clothing style, someone holding a New Yorker magazine 

[Clanstarling]

I was amazed that they all biffed in the Central American category. I mean, I did too - but that's why I never had the guts to try out for Jeopardy. I have a mental block when it comes to capitals, Central and South American in particular. I should have gotten San Jose - I lived in SJ California once upon a time.

I got Algonquin, which I struggled with only because I wasn't sure if it was the name of the hotel or the name of the room.

Missed cribbage because my mind was stuck in a different category and thought there was another game that looked like cribbage that started with a different letter.

[Red Bridey]

I pulled out Algonquin out of the mists of memory, but I know that if I had been in that studio with the music playing and the lights and the stress, I wouldn't have been able to clear my mind enough to remember it. At first, I was fixated on Adirondack, close but not correct!  I completely missed all the Central American Capitals, but everyone knows geography is not my strong suit.  I got Bobby Hull, and cribbage.  I *hate* the categories with letters that may not be together but are in order.  When I was on J!, the category was "O-M-G", and I didn't even try to ring in because my mind fixated on words with OMG consecutively, of which there are few.  I had that "deer in the headlights" look on my face and I had that sinking feeling that my Jeopardy! dream would end up a horrible, horrible nightmare.

[Prevailing Wind]

I was disappointed they didn't use my favorite-to-pronounce Central American capital: Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

[rcc]

Darn, I was rooting for Pamela since Alex was so condescending to her and acted surprised every time she answered correctly. Boo hiss, indeed.

Raphael should have been a BMS. He was an archangel.

I got sheetrock, Alien, San Jose and cribbage.

FJ was an instaget. I guess the Algonquin Round Table was "before their time".

I did notice that Alex was being condescending too.

 

I thought I heard Pamela answer a couple of times not in question form. Anyone else?

[peeayebee]

It kind of sounded that way to me, too, but I think she was saying it softly or swallowing the words.

[dcalley]

Aww, tune in right at the beginning to see Alex get emotional.

[dcalley]

Margaret is awesome!

[rubaco]

Aww, tune in right at the beginning to see Alex get emotional.

Can you explain? I came in a bit late (Margaret already had something like $11,000 and I was like, whoa). 

[Spunkygal]

Can you explain? I came in a bit late (Margaret already had something like $11,000 and I was like, whoa).

What game show host who loves French words has a mom who turns 95 today?

[dcalley]

I'm sorry I don't know the wording, but Alex said there was a long-time fan of Jeopardy he wanted to mention, and it's her 95th birthday (I think her age is where his voice started to crack), and I think there might have been a "way to go, Mom!" Plus they showed her picture.

Edited April 14, 2016 by dcalley

[Babalooie]

I had no patience with Margaret.  I'm Southern, but I don't speak that slowly and measured.

[just prin]

Can just hear her telling me to shhhh now! Hate librarians--carry-over from high school--still teed! And this one may linger forever. UGH! :(

[Browncoat]

What a great game!  Both boards were cleared, they played in an organized manner, and I don't recall any TSes.  Were there any?

 

FJ took me a second -- I had to picture a map of the US in my head -- but got it in plenty of time. 

Edited April 15, 2016 by Browncoat

[chessiegal]

I was in the kitchen when I heard the introductions and picked up "Margaret" and "librarian" and thought - is my MIL back from the dead? lol.

Good game. I couldn't believe they showed a picture of an anvil in a DJ clue.

[Miss Chevious]

Margaret's manner of speaking is slower than molasses. Annoyingly Slooooooooow. She knows a lot but I can't stand her.

[secnarf]

At first, Margaret's slow speech irritated me to no end, but she won me over with her sense of humour in the interview and her extensive knowledge - though I get the feeling there are certain areas of knowledge that simply aren't in her wheelhouse. There were a couple of categories that she was silent for.

She also strikes me as cautious - she should have bet everything on the character/book daily double!

 

FJ was an instaget for me. I enjoyed the game though - interesting categories and very few TS!

[alias1]

I loved Margaret.  What a knowledgeable lady!  She didn't waste any time picking clues, started from the top, didn't need to say the whole category.  Slow? I don't think so.

[NorthstarATL]

At first, Margaret's slow speech irritated me to no end, but she won me over with her sense of humour in the interview and her extensive knowledge - though I get the feeling there are certain areas of knowledge that simply aren't in her wheelhouse. There were a couple of categories that she was silent for.

She also strikes me as cautious - she should have bet everything on the character/book daily double!

 

FJ was an instaget for me. I enjoyed the game though - interesting categories and very few TS!

I believe she didn't ring in on any of the fill-in-the-blank music category. I was put off at first by her, but, as with you, won over by the interview and the amount of knowledge she had.

  That said, she reminds me of a character that Carol Burnett might have created if given the chance.

  The champ put in a decent attempt at a comeback though. And isn't an archivist technically the same as a librarian?

  Alex was sweet with his birthday message to his Mom.

[mojoween]

I thought FJ was an instaget, once I dismissed Michigan after I pictured the entire US border. I said to my kid that it had to be Idaho because the skinny part is at the top.

[Trey]

 

I couldn't believe they showed a picture of an anvil in a DJ clue.

I know! And after a long, rambling clue, all they wanted was "anvil".

 

Not quite an instaget FJ but I would have had time to write it down.

 

Congrats to Margaret - that was quite a score she racked up!

[PaulaO]

I had to quit watching because Margaret was so flipping slow when talking. I'm a librarian with a cat and I knit, so I'm stereotypical and she stole my interview story!

[CarpeDiem54]

Happy Birthday, Alex's Mom! It was sweet that he teared up.

Go Team Margaret! When I first saw her, heard that she was a librarian and heard her speak, I thought - ugh! But her interview and knowledge won me over. I wish she'd bet a boatload on that literature DD.

Besides the anvil picture being ridiculous, the flag category DD was Kids Tournament easy.

I got the trout TS. I don't really know if there were others. They cleared the board and answered the questions without skipping around.

I wrongly guessed Michigan for FJ.

[ABay]

I am also a librarian with a cat. Well, two cats because I have to compensate for not knitting. Margaret's slow speech annoyed me, but they cleared the board and damn she's smart.

And just prin, I don't work in a high school or a public library where high school age children gather but I'm a bit offended on behalf of my colleagues who do.

Edited April 15, 2016 by ABay

[Mondrianyone]

I had no patience with Margaret.  I'm Southern, but I don't speak that slowly and measured.

 

Can just hear her telling me to shhhh now! Hate librarians--carry-over from high school--still teed! And this one may linger forever. UGH! :(

 

But didn't either of your hearts flutter with a smidgen of love when she said, "What is hoooorn-swaaaawggle?"?  I know my dried-up prune of a fast-talking New York heart did.  When it comes to contestants with annoying speech oddities, Margaret's way at the end of my line.  So far.

 

I'm okay with librarians.  I figure as long as they have a job, I have a job.

 

I said bass, even though I thought of trout first.  Don't know why I do that as often as I do.

[Spunkygal]

I am also a librarian with a cat. Well, two cats because I have to compensate for not knitting. Margaret's slow speech annoyed me, but they cleared the board and damn she's smart.

And just prin, I don't work in a high school or a public library where high school age children gather but I'm a bit offended on behalf of my colleagues who do.

I am not and have never been a librarian, but now that I am retired, I volunteer at my neighborhood's elementary school library for about 8-10 hours a week. Our librarian is greatly loved and is lively and fun. But she also exhibits great discipline with the kids without being mean. You wouldn't believe how rough they are with books and don't respect library things. Sometimes when I see how rough those young whipper-snappers treat books, I want to go over and whack them on the head with the book. But of course I can't do that without going to jail. So, big props to all the librarians out there!! I wonder how old Margaret is? Her glasses and hairstyle made her look a bit middle aged but her skin was lovely. Maybe she transforms to a Marian the Librarian type when Harold Hill visits! Edited April 15, 2016 by Spunkygal

[just prin]

Librarians may have changed, but in my day, they were hell on wheels. And judging by the looks and manner of the current j champ, a few weirdos remain, hellions or not! So the cat-lover that I am feels a smidge of affection. But only a whisker!

Knew my other post would have the lib ladies/gents shaking some fists. But I'm mean.

Edited April 15, 2016 by just prin

[biakbiak]

FJ was an instaget. I was raised in Seattle and if we were coming back from far enough east my dad always made us go through the Idaho border crossing because it was super fast because there was hardly anyone using them.

[ottoDbusdriver]

FJ was a teen tournament clue at best.  Since when does Michigan have a land border with Canada ?

 

Otherwise, a really good game.  And yeah, Margaret needs to pick up the pace a little even though they did clear both boards.

[peeayebee]

I know! And after a long, rambling clue, all they wanted was "anvil".

Man, that was ridiculous. It's obvious that sometimes the writers just want to educate the audience with extraneous info. These kinds of clues can be interesting and informative, but in this case it was annoying.

 

I too was kind of bugged by Margaret's slow and measured speech, but since all the clues were cleared, I guess it didn't matter. She's smart and funny. I noticed she didn't ring in on the Song category, so perhaps pop culture is not her strong suit.

 

I got the trout TS. FJ seemed super easy to me. Since the clue said the state was far from New England, I immediately went over to the western US and came up with Idaho right away.

[The Wild Sow]

I thought FJ was an instaget, once I dismissed Michigan after I pictured the entire US border. I said to my kid that it had to be Idaho because the skinny part is at the top.

Michigan has a very LONG border with Canada - only Alaska's is longer.  Of course, most of it is water!

[ChicagoCita]

I got Algonquin, which I struggled with only because I wasn't sure if it was the name of the hotel or the name of the room.

 

Me too. I knew it was the Algonquin Round Table, but was flailing about the same thing. God bless my mom for taking me there for a drink when we first moved to New York when I was in high school. I think they were banking on the movie Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle to clue the "before your time" demographic in.

 

I was unexpectedly out of town on a family emergency from February through the end of March, and my DVR faithfully recorded all the Jeopardy episodes. I finally decided last night I was never going to catch up, so I deleted all but this week. Sigh.

 

I admit to a bout with the green-eyed monster while I was gone. I've taken the in-person test three times and never have gotten the call. (One time I thought I had done very well, so that was a disappointment. This past June I crashed and burned like someone's nightmare.) So when a friend of mine asked who might want to go to L.A. with her at the end of April, I was excited -- until she said it was because she was going on Jeopardy! I probably would have considered going if I'd spent February and March at home, but it would have been bittersweet to see my friend do what I haven't been able to accomplish three times. So when you see Singaporean Samantha with her tiny frame and British accent, know that she's a smart cookie and a great friend and I'm an awful person for being jealous of her wonderful opportunity.

 

i only just started watching today's show, but am very moved by Alex getting all emotional about his mom.

Edited April 15, 2016 by ChicagoCita

[JakeyJokes]

I knew Algonquin, but I had just read a Nora Ephron essay about Dorothy Parker. Also, I thought the rounds of that game were harder than usual (for me, anyway) so I felt better about myself when no one got it. I also got cribbage because my grandpa and father play it all the time and I was surprised it was a TS. I also got the "Alien" TS from yesterday. That's one of the most famous scenes in modern movie history, IMO.

 

My grandma was a grade-school librarian for many years so Margaret reminded me of a younger version of her.

 

 

Librarians may have changed, but in my day, they were hell on wheels. And judging by the looks and manner of the current j champ, a few weirdos remain, hellions or not! So the cat-lover that I am feels a smidge of affection. But only a whisker!

 

My grade school librarian was a major weirdo, and I say that with reverence. She had a puppet named Fuzzy that would "whisper in her ear" and she would tap you with a magic wand to give you quiet shoes and quiet voices before going to choose your books. The lady who checked out her books was an old Asian woman who made fun of me once when I was panicking about being late for class because I got side-tracked. I can remember all these things but nothing I actually learned.

[Prevailing Wind]

She won me over with hornswoggle. That she said it with such a straight face cracked me up immensely.

[teebax]

I freaking loved Margaret, and I usually hate contestants who speak slowly. She reminded me of my high school librarian, who was the first weird adult I'd ever met. I was a weird kid and knew other weird kids, but I didn't know you could be a weird adult. I hope she's around for a long time; her knowledge base seems solid, but a pop culture FJ could be her kryptonite.

I got FJ immediately and did really well throughout the game. I wonder if I do better when the contestants do better. There's a nice flow to the game, and it keeps me more focused.

[Scott]

I love Margaret!  Very impressive.  The previous champ was perfectly fine, but I'm really digging the new one.  I knew people would be commenting on her manner of speaking (and to be fair, I usually would be too), but something about her was really endearing.  .Overall, the whole game was such an improvement from yesterday's.

[GreekGeek]

I missed the first round of yesterday's game and so missed seeing "hornswoggle." Margaret seems to be one of those "love her or hate her" contestants. I'm leaning towards the latter right now, but may change my mind. I did not get FJ; I had forgotten Idaho was that far north.