Jeopardy! Season 32 (2015-2016)

[Bastet]

Here's a link to a nice write-up about Margaret in Huffpost-Entertainment.

 

I'm glad you posted this; I missed Thursday and Friday's shows, so didn't get to see Margaret.  After seeing the clip of her J! interview and reading her comments in the HuffPo interview, I am utterly charmed by her.  You do you, Margaret.

 

Or the Crimean War. I never hear anything about the Crimean War except on Jeopardy.

 

It's part of a joke in the tremendously silly horror spoof Saturday the 14th, which a friend and I find such campy fun we have it memorized and quote from it regularly.  So whenever I hear a clue about the Crimean War on J! - yes, the only other time I hear it mentioned - I giggle, thinking of the film. 

[MortysCleaningLady]

I personally loved Margaret.  Sorry she wasn't a longer term winner.  (Of course, covering knitting, love of cats, and her 90 year old parents, a third interview could be a challenge.)

[ABay]

The Crimean War is an essential plot point of the Thursday Next novels by Jasper Fforde. And that is all I know about it except Florence Nightingale and the Charge of the Light Brigade.

[opus]

For FJ I was "Oh, no, those books where A is for, B is for, I don't remember who....oh yeah, Grafton."

[docmatt]

I was at tryouts with McKinnie last summer. He was not somebody that I actually talked with before or after the tryout. He was one of a few people who had friends or family with them. But he came across as somebody who very much wanted to be on Jeopardy. He did well in his mock game and had his anecdotes, including the Steven Tyler one very down pat. Very rehearsed. 

 

It was cool to see someone from that session on the show, but he wasn't somebody I was going to automatically, enthusiastically root for. But he was more memorable than most of the people there. I think the end was probably more "my lifelong dream is over and didn't end like I hoped it would" than poor sportsmanship

[Mystery Author]

 

I love her too.

 

She hasn't appeared as a clue quite as often as Amelia Earhart; but Sue Grafton has appeared on Jeopardy! as a contestant, which we cannot say about Amelia Earhart.

Me, three. I'm a crime fiction author and I've done book signings with Sue. She's a darling...with fellow authors as well as fans. Obviously, FJ was an instaget.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I cheered and clapped like a seal when Andrew won. I always love a good comeback, and his was a great one. Plus he knows how to go through a category, and he's eaten fugu, which reminded me of a wonderful Simpsons episode. 

 

I wonder if Andrew went through the same type of checklist that Homer did on the Simpsons after finding out he ate fugu.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Fish,_Two_Fish,_Blowfish,_Blue_Fish

[Prevailing Wind]

When Margaret talked about her parents, she said they live in Boone, NC.  THEN she missed the Cumberland Gap/Daniel Boone answer.  I was amused.  (I have old high-school friends that live in Boone.)

[proserpina65]

A critic said that this bestselling author “Makes me wish there were more than 26 letters.”

 

Sue Grafton is known for her series of alphabetically titled detective novels. A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar,etc She's up to X now. 

I missed Friday's game due to a friend's birthday celebration, and I forgot to set the VCR, but I'd like to think I would've gotten FJ.  Sue Grafton was VERY popular when I was still working for dear, departed Borders.

[M. Darcy]

 

but I have to admit that I did get a perverse pleasure out of McKinnie failing to find that Daily Double he was obviously intent on getting.

Me too.  I was just praying that the other two would be the ones to find them. 

[Lois Sandborne]

I wonder if Andrew went through the same type of checklist that Homer did on the Simpsons after finding out he ate fugu.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Fish,_Two_Fish,_Blowfish,_Blue_Fish

Ha, yes! Hopefully he had someone to be "intamit" with at the very least.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Wow that FJ was easy.

 

Decent game overall, but FJ -- come on writers, make FJ more challenging.

[mojoween]

Right?!? I mean, there was nothing else FJ could be.

David was DD hunting and didn't get any.

[Trey]

I liked all three contestants so I was fine with any one of them winning.  Congrats to Andrew on his second win - that's a pretty good total for only two days.

 

I agree, FJ's would be more enjoyable if I had to think a little bit - not too much, mind you, but...Rosie the Riveter? So easy.

[Browncoat]

It made me happy that David didn't get any DDs.  But we all know how I feel about players who don't start at the tops of the categories...

 

Easiest FJ ever.

[CarpeDiem54]

Congrats to Andrew again. I liked Sarah and David, too, but his DD hunting bugged me. I love how Andrew always goes for the lowest value clue even if someone else starts in the middle of a category.

Good game overall.

FJ was an instaget.

[dcalley]

She hasn't appeared as a clue quite as often as Amelia Earhart; but Sue Grafton has appeared on Jeopardy! as a contestant, which we cannot say about Amelia Earhart.

From J-archive, it looks like she's maybe been in video clues.

 

I personally loved Margaret.  Sorry she wasn't a longer term winner.  (Of course, covering knitting, love of cats, and her 90 year old parents, a third interview could be a challenge.)

I have nothing but a gut feeling about this, but I thought Alex went "off script," which is not unprecedented, and asked things he wanted to know rather than about her listed stories.

[Prevailing Wind]

"Artists and repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists and songwriters"

 

Note that it does not say Artists & Repertory.  I only saw the show in bits - did they ever ding him for the repertory answer?  I know some folks think the words are interchangeable, but that's NOT what the record companies say when they define A&R.

[YoureSoUrban]

Yeah I noticed the same thing about A& R but they never dinged him.

I've been on vacation and missed a bunch of games but did manage to catch the ones with Margaret, the annoying Mackinnie and Andrew's great comeback. And after his story about fleeing a lizard that grew in size as he told the story ;-) I adore him.

[M. Darcy]

 

but I thought Alex went "off script," which is not unprecedented, and asked things he wanted to know rather than about her listed stories.

I thought so too.  She did look a bit surprised at the question. 

 

Congrats to Andrew on his second win - that's a pretty good total for only two days.

I wonder if Alex was right and that is a record. 

[proserpina65]

I was shouting "cockapoo" at the tv.  Was that clue the only TS?

 

I, too, loved how the lizard grew while Andrew was telling his story.

[Mondrianyone]

I was shouting "cockapoo" at the tv.  Was that clue the only TS?

 

I don't think so.  I also remember "whiskey" (the Garbo movie quote) and "satire" (what closes on Saturday night).  Both pretty easy if you ask me.

[Trey]

I don't think so.  I also remember "whiskey" (the Garbo movie quote) and "satire" (what closes on Saturday night).  Both pretty easy if you ask me.

Yes, I remember those too - I got satire but not whiskey.

[JudyObscure]

On the breed of dog identification, both of us said labradoodle also. It looked just like the dog of someone he works with.

It looked exactly like my neighbor's labradoodle. What they should have done was photograph the dog next to something that would have given us a size perspective. Like maybe a labradoodle!;)

[ClareWalks]

I looked up the champ since he's a professor from Amherst, OH, and sure enough he is a music theory prof at Oberlin (my alma mater). Since he is associated with the Conservatory and not the College, he is probably less of a maniac than most Oberlin professors ;)

[PaulaO]

I love Andrew. That is all.

[SeanC]

Jeez, that was a massacre. And he knows when to play it safe.

I got Haley at a guess. Newton was too obvious.

[Browncoat]

Newton never occurred to me.  Halley was my first and only thought -- I think it was the "return" part of the clue.

 

Good on Andrew for knowing when not to bet big (and when to bet big, like in the capital city mashup category)!  I like him more every day.

 

The only TS I remember that I got was the Johnstown Flood.

[CarpeDiem54]

Wow, how many categories did Andrew run? He dominated that game without being a smug asshat. How refreshing.

I got Johnstown Flood, too.

I failed at FJ with Newton.

[Trey]

I also got Johnstown, plus concertina.  For FJ I pre-called Newton but went with Halley once the clue was revealed.  Like Browncoat, it was "return" that really gave it away.

 

Andrew is really racking up the cash winnings! Congrats to him.  The other two just didn't have much of a chance, the way Andrew was running those categories.

[Babalooie]

Right.  When I saw the FJ category, I immediately assumed NEWTON, but... the apple didn't return to the tree.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Babalooie

[mjc570]

I got Johnstown (well, I do live in PA), and FJ - although I would have spelled it Haley.  

 

  I really like Andrew a lot - not just his knowledge and fast signaling, but he seems pleasant and has no annoying mannerisms (ie, signal device abuse, starting in the middle, etc).  I admit he's probably my #3 favorite contestant - Ken is #1 (for his humor, as well as his obvious mastery) and Julia is #2, for her lovely personality (and good performance).  I hope he sticks around for a while, to let me get my enthusiasm for the show back.

[Mondrianyone]

l know the names of maybe three famous Finnish people, and one of them is Paavo Nurmi, the Flying Finn.  He used to be an answer in crossword puzzles fairly regularly.  I knew that none of them were likely to get it, and I was so pleased my brain still had access to the name that I shouted it and pumped my fist in the air.  (Which I would not have done if I were on the show.)  I'm also pleased to be married to a man who hears his wife scream random Finnish names in another room and just goes on about his business.

 

I called the concertina a celestina, which was really stupid.

 

Love Andrew madly. 

[HelenBaby]

I love Andrew's little nose scrunching, if that's what it's called. I just want to put him in my pocket. He is such a sweetie.

Alex talked about the one day winning record. Was it Roger Craig with about $75,000?

Edited April 20, 2016 by HelenBaby

[Moose135]

Completely blanked on FJ, got Johnstown, I thought the mashed up capitals category was bizarre, but clearly Andrew had it going on there, another big win!  And not only was I glad they got through the Combat Pilots category, but I'm glad I didn't embarrass myself by missing any.

[secnarf]

I love Andrew.

 

I enjoy categories with country capitals, but it was just weird to have to say them as one word.

[DrScottie]

 

Alex talked about the one day winning record. Was it Roger Craig with about $75,000?

 

Roger Craig's single game victory was $77000. Ken Jennings had $75000. 

 

1705 wasn't a naked-eye visible Halley's comet year (like Mark Twain's birth [1835] and death[1910]) and I thought it was Newton talking about the conservation of momentum (like Newton's cradle).. Newton was still around in 1705 too. Tough clue. 

[Judois]

Andrew is a delight to watch. Intelligent and quick on the buzzer and isn't irritating. A triple threat.

[GreekGeek]

Roger Craig's single game victory was $77000. Ken Jennings had $75000. 

 

1705 wasn't a naked-eye visible Halley's comet year (like Mark Twain's birth [1835] and death[1910]) and I thought it was Newton talking about the conservation of momentum (like Newton's cradle).. Newton was still around in 1705 too. Tough clue.

I did not know about the conservation of momentum. This was a case of "less (knowledge) is more." So I went with Halley.

I'm glad Andrew did not yield to pressure to try to set a new one day record. AT really should not imply that contestants are wusses if they don't try for it. That's how "Cliff Clavens" happen.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I was beginning to suspect that Hilary and Lesley's buttons were broken in the early part of the Jeopardy round.

[peeayebee]

Wow. Andrew is so impressive, and I'm really liking him too. I hope he lasts a while. He's exciting to watch.

 

I'm glad Andrew did not yield to pressure to try to set a new one day record. AT really should not imply that contestants are wusses if they don't try for it. That's how "Cliff Clavens" happen.

I hate Alex's remarks during game play about betting and chances and so forth. He was doing it even more this time. It not only takes up time, but I think it's distracting for the players.

[proserpina65]

Damn!  Andrew is impressive!

[HelenBaby]

In defense of Alex, I think some contestants do lose track of the score when they hit the DD's. It's his job to tell then where the score stands. And it's his job to try to make it more exciting by suggesting large bets. It's up to the contestants to keep their heads on straight. If they feel confident, then by all means they should go for it. But if they're cautious, they should do what Andrew did, which was bet nothing and live to fight another day.

Edited April 20, 2016 by HelenBaby

[proserpina65]

I don't think so.  I also remember "whiskey" (the Garbo movie quote) and "satire" (what closes on Saturday night).  Both pretty easy if you ask me.

I forgot about those.  I've never heard the Garbo quote, so it meant nothing to me, but I'm deeply ashamed for not being able to come up with satire.

 

 

As for last night, science is usually a bad category for me, so I had no clue for FJ, though when Halley was revealed the clue made absolute sense.  All I could think of was Newton, whom I figured was wrong, and that chemistry guy whose name I can never remember.  (Ed: I looked it up - turns out I was thinking of Robert Boyle, who was a 17th century Anglo-Irish scientist - there's a painting of him doing an experiment with a bird in a vacuum pump which I've always found quite disturbing.)

 

I did get Johnstown, concertina, and most of the capitals - missed the category title so I didn't get the first one right away.

 

Paavo Nurmi is a particular favorite Olympic champion of mine.  I love the Olympics anyway, but I also once beat my annoying brother at Trivial Pursuit because I knew the Flying Finn's first name and he didn't.  His fault, he was the one who insisted we had to have complete names.

Edited April 20, 2016 by proserpina65

[peeayebee]

I guessed at satire. I didn't remember the Garbo quote either, though I'd seen the movie and now vaguely remember her saying it. 

[sugarbaker design]

I was hoping the contestant would pronounce it the same way Garbo did:  Viskey.

Edited April 20, 2016 by sugarbaker design

[PaulaO]

I knew viskey and Johnstown flood (happened on my birthday!).  I knew FJ was not Newton (I associate Newton with the 1600s) but also knew it wasn't on my usual list of British scientists:  Faraday, Watts, etc.  The only two Finns that ever come up on Jeopardy! are Nurmi and the composer whose name I cannot remember.  Siebelius?

[ChicagoCita]

And the architect Eero Saarinen.

[teebax]

The contestants for the Power Players Tournament have been announced:

https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/news/power-players-contestants-announced?utm_medium=email&utm_source=spe&utm_campaign=powerplayers2016&utm_content=Story_1_CTA

 

They are:

Kate Bolduan – ”At This Hour” (CNN), Charity: Free Arts NYC

Louis C.K. – Comedian, Charity: Fistula Foundation

Jonathan Capehart – “The Washington Post”, Charity: Sasha Bruce Youthwork

Anderson Cooper – ”Anderson Cooper 360” (CNN), Charity: Spike’s K9 Fund

S.E. Cupp – Conservative Commentator, Charity: No Kid Hungry

Al Franken – U.S. Senator (D-Minn.), Charity: USO

Jonathan Franzen – Best-selling Author, “Purity”, Charity: American Bird Conservancy

David Gregory – Political Analyst (CNN), Charity: Martha’s Table

Melissa Harris-Perry – Professor and TV Host, Charity: Girls for Gender Equity

Sunny Hostin – ABC News Senior Legal Correspondent, Charity: Bronx Children’s Museum

Lara Logan – ”60 Minutes” (CBS), Charity: Committee to Protect Journalists

Ana Navarro – Republican Strategist, Charity: Operation Smile

Michael Steele – Politician & MSNBC Political Analyst, Charity: Catholic Charities Mona Center

Chuck Todd – NBC News Political Director & Host, “Meet the Press”, Charity: Samaritan Inns

Matthew Weiner – Series Creator/Executive Producer of "Mad Men", Charity: Alexandria House

Edited April 20, 2016 by teebax

[SeanC]

Andrew's total is remarkable considering he hasn't gotten anything from the final question two days straight.

I don't know how anybody could miss that Final Jeopardy.