Jeopardy! Season 34 (2017-2018)

[GenerationX]

Betting $0 on FJ and getting it right is like taking a class pass/fail and getting an A.

There are only two valid situations for betting $0 in FJ, I think.  One is if it is a nightmare category for you.  The other is if you are in 3rd place, and the two ahead of you are very close to each other.  If either of them get it right, you likely lose.  By betting $0, if they both get it wrong, you likely win regardless of whether you were right or wrong.  If you bet something, however, you take the chance of losing if you are wrong.

[Browncoat]

I'm with y'all on Ami's vocal fry and up-speak.  I was hoping for either of the other two to win.  Also agree about Alex and the French category.  That was painful.

I just said Yukon for FJ as well, and am pretending that they would have accepted that.

For TS/missed DD, I got the more the merrier, Delta, electroencephalogram, Tales OF The South Pacific, and Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

But I couldn't figure out why they would pick all the clues in a category except the last one.  Why leave the highest dollar clue?  Sometimes the DDs are there, too.

[Quickbeam]

My household spent the entire episode discussing Ami’s hairline and her sorority girl vocal inflections. I’d also just say “Yukon” having watched this show a time or two before. 

[secnarf]

3 hours ago, PaulaO said:

I said C.S. Lewis for FJ!  I hate Alice in Wonderland.

I thought the season ended with the ToC?  In which case Austin wasn't part of the new season.  

The season for Jeopardy starts in September, like most traditional shows. The TOC interrupts it.

The Yukon would definitely have been an acceptable answer for FJ. Yukon Territories is just as incorrect as referring to the Northwest Territory. It sucks to have lost because of that, but it is an incorrect answer. I don't think that is one of the (many) judging errors that have occurred on this show.

[peeayebee]

I too just said Yukon. I felt so bad for Cary.

I got Please sir, I want some more; The more, the merrier; and electroencephlogram, or however you say/spell it.

[Mondrianyone]

3 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Thanks Mondrianyone for the YouTube tip. I watched the Christmas episode, and there was Donna, all commenting and commentating just like the day before. The best was when Donna missed the first question, and the gal in the center also missed it. Donna pipes up with: "That's GOOD!" WTH? She was also jiving back at Alex, which actually I didn't mind since I like Alex less than I don't like Donna. And yeah, Santa will bring me coal lumps again next year for snarking on Poor Donna.

You're welcome, Saber, but I'm not sure if I did you a favor or not.  Donna might've been even worse on her second day.  (And thanks to those angels on YouTube--we're on our third or fourth day with no signal.  Maybe it's time to launch our own satellite.)

I'm kind of hoping that Ami decided to take some amphetamines just for her Jeopardy! appearance.  If she's like that all the time . . . Yikes.

[DrScottie]

6 hours ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

I got "the more, the merrier", electroencephologram, Tales of the South Pacific, and Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

FJ was an instaget, but I stopped at Yukon.

Got those and Delta (it was the only Greek letter airline I could think of). 

As territory was given in the clue itself, "What is the Yukon?" would have been acceptable. 

Eta Carinae? That's obscure astronomy there. To fit the category of Greek letter phrases, Alpha Centauri would have been reasonable. 

[PaulaO]

I, the geographic idiot, felt FJ! was too obvious.  It was one of those questions that was so easy for me that I was sure I had it wrong.  I said territory though....

[M. Darcy]

Ouch.  That territory/territories is going to haunt him forever. 

[Prevailing Wind]

I was at my brother's for Xmas. We had dinner & were sitting around playing the home version of Family Feud. (Boy, do we suck at that!) when my SIL said to me, "You'd better hit the road & get home to your kitties..." and I yelled, "OH, no! I'll miss Jeopardy!  It'll be over by the time I get home!!"  Which I did. I was driving during Xmas Day's J! Reads like I didn't miss much.

As for yesterday, I said plain ol' "Yukon," as well. New champ = annoying. I'd rather watch more of Donna.

[Clanstarling]

I liked Donna, and was sad to see her go, though she did herself in with her needlessly large wager. I enjoy people who are enjoying themselves, as opposed to those who are impressed with themselves, and those seem to believe they're too cool to show actual interest in the game. (granted, the last type doesn't happen too often)

I also chose CS Lewis - partly because the  Alice books never enter my mind (didn't like them on their own merits, and Carroll's real life fascination with the girl who inspired Alice gives me the squicks) - so I put in his "opposite", who I also thought was more "poetical."

[Clanstarling]

12 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

That's what I thought too.  "As a response to new developments there, this territory was carved out of the Northwest Territories in 1898."  So "Yukon" by itself would have been fine, but the addition of "territories" tripped him up.  Darn it.  I liked him -- he must have watched a lot more TV than just sports.  The Farrah Fawcett movie is old! 

Don't care for Amy Li -- the occasional vocal fry, up-speak, and buzzer-bashing -- but she went to Wellesley (and goes back every five years!), so of course she knew the difference between Handel and Bach.  (My reverse snobbery is showing.)

Farrah's movie was pretty controversial in the day - which is why I remembered it. (well, it was more the actions in it - if I recall correctly, and I'm not sure I do, it was based on a real incident)

I have no idea how I got Handel. All those old composers look alike to me (except for Mozart, whose hometown is the same as my mother's, and whose face is plastered over my favorite candy - Mozartkugeln).

7 hours ago, DrScottie said:

Eta Carinae? That's obscure astronomy there. To fit the category of Greek letter phrases, Alpha Centauri would have been reasonable. 

I said Alpha Centauri, but figured it was wrong because Alpha had already been used in one of the clues.

Edited December 27, 2017 by Clanstarling

[DXD526]

I knew the new champ would not be too popular here! The vocal fry is annoying, but the constant giggling irks me even more. Giggling like a loon isn't an appropriate response to finding a DD. I don't know what's worse, doing that, or the deep breath and eye roll with which a recent champ greeted the DD's. *Ugh.*

My affiliate was showing basketball and totally blew off the Christmas episode. I was going to check it out on youtube, but after reading here what it was like, I think I'll skip it!

[YoureSoUrban]

Thanks for the heads up about other places to watch the Christmas Day game. I was in the middle of dinner and thought DVR would catch it but nope.

I wasn't at all impressed with the current champ. She didn't seem confident in her answers. I thought Cary was talking unnecessarily loudly but he had good knowledge and I was cheering for him. New champ Amy can't get off my TV fast enough. So glad I'm not the only one annoyed by her.

The only TS I remember getting is the more the merrier, and FJ was an instaget; I only said "the Yukon".

[saber5055]

I must be the only one around here who didn't notice anything offensive about Ami. I did like her way of playing, though, as she was fast to get back to the board and quick with her requests, like: "Stars, $200" instead of "I'll take Hollywood Stars Who Appear in Television Shows for 200 dollars, please Alex." Or maybe I'm just mixed up with episodes since I went right from the Christmas ep on YouTube to the one-year-old rerun on network (it took me forever to realize the champ did NOT dye her hair overnight to blond, it was a different show, duh) to the new show one hour later. I did get the super-easy Yukon FJ, and I agree that Eta Carinae (What? Who? Ha!) was way obscure. I guess that was a clue writer's way of saying, "Take THAT, PTV snarkers, answer THAT one you big smarties!"

[proserpina65]

17 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

Man, that poor dude was kinda fucked over by the judges I thought. Territories not acceptable. Ouch.

It wasn't accepted because it isn't correct

 

15 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

That's what I thought too.  "As a response to new developments there, this territory was carved out of the Northwest Territories in 1898."  So "Yukon" by itself would have been fine, but the addition of "territories" tripped him up.  Darn it.  I liked him -- he must have watched a lot more TV than just sports.  The Farrah Fawcett movie is old! 

Don't care for Amy Li -- the occasional vocal fry, up-speak, and buzzer-bashing -- but she went to Wellesley (and goes back every five years!), so of course she knew the difference between Handel and Bach.  (My reverse snobbery is showing.)

Side story: when I was living in London in 1995, there was an article in the Times about a controversy involving the awarding of the blue historical markers to the house once lived in by Jimi Hendrix.  Some people were up in arms about one being awarded to that house because Handel had once lived in the house next door and was far more worthy of recognition, which he actually had, btw.  The author of the article talked about one of these musicians being a genius and one being a hack, with Hendrix being the genius and Handel the hack; he completely tore about those critics as snobbish idiots.  (A view I fully endorse.)  So even if I hadn't immediately recognized the portrait of Handel, which I did, I knew the answer from remembering that controversy.

15 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Also agree about Alex and the French category.  That was painful.

Awww, I quite enjoyed it.  But I knew the reception it would get here, and laughed as soon as I saw the category title.

20 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I must be the only one around here who didn't notice anything offensive about Ami. I did like her way of playing, though, as she was fast to get back to the board and quick with her requests, like: "Stars, $200" instead of "I'll take Hollywood Stars Who Appear in Television Shows for 200 dollars, please Alex." Or maybe I'm just mixed up with episodes since I went right from the Christmas ep on YouTube to the one-year-old rerun on network (it took me forever to realize the champ did NOT dye her hair overnight to blond, it was a different show, duh) to the new show one hour later. I did get the super-easy Yukon FJ, and I agree that Eta Carinae (What? Who? Ha!) was way obscure. I guess that was a clue writer's way of saying, "Take THAT, PTV snarkers, answer THAT one you big smarties!"

You're not the only one.  I didn't find her annoying at all.  But who knows, she might bug the crap out of me tonight.

[M. Darcy]

Quote

Farrah's movie was pretty controversial in the day - which is why I remembered it. (well, it was more the actions in it - if I recall correctly, and I'm not sure I do, it was based on a real incident)

And though it was before my time (heh, it really wasn't), if I remember correctly, it was Farrah's first big drama role and she was really great (which I don't think people expected from her given she was known for Charlie's Angels at that point). 

[Toothbrush]

Seat me at the "new champ is annoying" table. Her enthusiasm reads as franticness to me, and I can't deal with the vocal fry.  

Felt bad for Cary, but his FJ answer was wrong. I would have stopped at Yukon.

If I ever take the test and actually make it on the show, my solemn pledge to all of you is that I will steer clear of any category that seems like it will "require" Alex to speak en francais

TS I got were the more the merrier, Delta, Tales of the South Pacific 

[Browncoat]

Glad Ami's gone.  Her voice was making my throat hurt. 

FJ was another one that I should have gotten, but blanked on.  We have too many in Virginia, and I couldn't think of anything not in Virginia, even though I knew it wasn't one here.  Boo, hiss.

I did get a few TS, including brown gown, Star-Spangled Banner, helium, Yokohama, Ecuador, Endurance, and Tennessee Ernie Ford.  If only I had thought about Tennessee Ernie Ford while I was trying to figure out FJ, I might have gotten it.

[Tabasco Cat]

"Bowel Hymn of the Republic" LOL

I knew that was the 2nd verse of The Star Spangled Banner immediately.

If I could ask Ami one question: Do you talk that way on purpose?

[M. Darcy]

I got Hermitage because it was only home I could think of besides the original three (Mount Vernon, Montpellier and Monticello). 

[CarpeDiem54]

What the blankety blank hell!?  There's a stupid football game on and no rescheduled Jeopardy in the middle of the night.  Asshats.

Is there a secret password for finding J on YouTube or something?  The most recent episode I can find is Dec. 18th.  I wanted to watch the Christmas episode and today's.  Could someone post a link?  Thanks.   This annoys me no end.

Glad to read Ami's gone.

[Bazinga]

7 minutes ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

I wanted to watch the Christmas episode and today's.  Could someone post a link?  Thanks.

Jeopardy December 25, 2017 Episode

[CarpeDiem54]

Thank you, @Bazinga!

Woot!  I got watch today's episode, too.  Thanks again.  I've bookmarked it.

Edited December 28, 2017 by CarpeDiem54

[burner]

17 hours ago, tvaddict44 said:

That hunDRED business reminded me how much I hated it when that woman last year(?) won several games and I was about to skip Jeopardy for the first time ever. 

 

Oh man, never forget. Laura Ashby.

Edited December 28, 2017 by burner

[Pallida]

I am sad we didn’t get the last three music clues. I don’t know that I would have gotten them, but Alex acting like the contestants wouldn’t know them irritated me. 

[peeayebee]

I'm surprised Sarah didn't get the Forest of Arden. She seemed knowledgeable about Shakespeare, and obviously was confident about it since she bet it all. I'm average in Shakespeare knowledge, but I got it pretty quickly.

TSs I got were brown gown and the Star Spangled Banner. FJ also came quickly.

[DrScottie]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

I'm surprised Sarah didn't get the Forest of Arden. She seemed knowledgeable about Shakespeare, and obviously was confident about it since she bet it all. I'm average in Shakespeare knowledge, but I got it pretty quickly.

She did say: "Go big or go home." It's a risk, but I do like seeing people go for it particularly if they think they have a good shot at it. It irks me to no end when people are running a category, hit the DD, and then bet a small sum. Forest of Arden did come to me at the last second. 

3 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I did get a few TS, including brown gown, Star-Spangled Banner, helium, Yokohama, Ecuador, Endurance, and Tennessee Ernie Ford.  If only I had thought about Tennessee Ernie Ford while I was trying to figure out FJ, I might have gotten it.

Got brown gown, helium, Ecuador, Endurance, Yokohama, and the Star Spangled Banner. I started looking at the lyrics after the NFL controversy about it began. I got Hermitage too. 

3 hours ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

Glad to read Ami's gone.

When Alex said that she was hoping to match Julia Collins, I remembered that Julia won 20 times. I liked Julia, but I don't think I could have taken a month of Ami. 

Edited December 28, 2017 by DrScottie

[Mondrianyone]

3 hours ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

Is there a secret password for finding J on YouTube or something?  The most recent episode I can find is Dec. 18th.  I wanted to watch the Christmas episode and today's.  Could someone post a link?  Thanks.   This annoys me no end.

What I do to find a particular day's episode--because they're not always posted by the same person--is type "Jeopardy" into the search line and when the results come up, click "Filter" on the right side of the page.  If it's toward the end of a day and you select "Today" under "Upload Date," that day's program is likely to show up near the top of the hits.

I think maybe Alex wasn't feeling Ami either, and her frenetic, careening vibe.  When she called out another clue after he said to hold on (for the first break), he told her, "I said to hold on," in not the gentlest way. A lot gentler than I've been talking to her, though.

[Lizzing]

I like the new champ, but all I see is a doppelganger of a slightly younger Brian Doyle Murray. (Which isn't a bad thing...I'm just expecting more jokes.)

[teebax]

9 hours ago, Pallida said:

I am sad we didn’t get the last three music clues. I don’t know that I would have gotten them, but Alex acting like the contestants wouldn’t know them irritated me. 

It's a good thing Donna or LaKedra weren't in this game. I can't imagine the stupidity we'd have gotten from Alex. It would be something like, "Donna, you're gonna love this first category! It's Hip Hop!" 

He's such an ass. 

I don't remember my gets, but for FJ, I first said Stonewall Jackson's home. Thrn it took me about 10 seconds to remember what it was called. 

I was happy to see Ami lose, but overall it was a meh game for me.  

[Good Queen Jane]

I really liked how Kevin abbreviated the "Killing Gary Oldman" category. He seems to have a good sense of humor (or at least one that matches mine.) I'm glad he won.

[peeayebee]

I liked when he said something like, "Killing Gary Oldman again for 600."

 

8 hours ago, Lizzing said:

I like the new champ, but all I see is a doppelganger of a slightly younger Brian Doyle Murray. (Which isn't a bad thing...I'm just expecting more jokes.)

He reminds me of one of the regular Cheers customers.

 

5 hours ago, tvaddict44 said:

I was tickled to get a Tennessee Ernie Ford clue.

I could hear his voice in my head but couldn't remember his name, probably because I was starting with Ernest/Ernie.

[Toothbrush]

Ami's voice was even more annoying to me during Wednesday's game, so I am glad she was a one & done. Liked both Kevin and Sarah, and felt bad for Sarah when she missed her all-in DD.

TS I got were Helium, Papua New Guinea, Endurance, Yokohama. Neither Dr Toothbrush nor I had any idea for FJ. 

8 hours ago, Lizzing said:

I like the new champ, but all I see is a doppelganger of a slightly younger Brian Doyle Murray. (Which isn't a bad thing...I'm just expecting more jokes.)

I was thinking of a younger Wilford Brimley, but Brian Doyle Murray is much closer. 

2 hours ago, teebax said:

It's a good thing Donna or LaKedra weren't in this game. I can't imagine the stupidity we'd have gotten from Alex. It would be something like, "Donna, you're gonna love this first category! It's Hip Hop!" 

OMG, I can hear it! 

[Spunkygal]

3 hours ago, teebax said:

It's a good thing Donna or LaKedra weren't in this game. I can't imagine the stupidity we'd have gotten from Alex. It would be something like, "Donna, you're gonna love this first category! It's Hip Hop!" 

He's such an ass. 

I don't remember my gets, but for FJ, I first said Stonewall Jackson's home. Thrn it took me about 10 seconds to remember what it was called. 

I was happy to see Ami lose, but overall it was a meh game for me.  

I think you mis-typed and meant to put that it was Andrew Jackson's home. 

Edited December 28, 2017 by Spunkygal

[proserpina65]

15 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Glad Ami's gone.  Her voice was making my throat hurt. 

I didn't notice the upspeak the first night, but last night it was driving me crazy.  (I still have no idea what vocal fry is - apparently I can't hear it, whatever it is).

15 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Glad Ami's gone.  Her voice was making my throat hurt. 

FJ was another one that I should have gotten, but blanked on.  We have too many in Virginia, and I couldn't think of anything not in Virginia, even though I knew it wasn't one here.  Boo, hiss.

I did get a few TS, including brown gown, Star-Spangled Banner, helium, Yokohama, Ecuador, Endurance, and Tennessee Ernie Ford.  If only I had thought about Tennessee Ernie Ford while I was trying to figure out FJ, I might have gotten it.

I didn't get brown gown (was thinking of coffee as lighter - can you tell I drink it with cream?) or Yokohama (I know the Ballad of John and Yoko, but forgot that Yokohama was a city in Japan), but I did get the rest.  I had no idea on FJ, though.  I've heard of the Hermitage.  Heck, there's even a historic house in the town where I work named that - it's older than Jackson's home - but had no idea of the word origin so I was stumped.

[opus]

For Tennessee Ernie Ford I kept repeating "The guy on I Love Lucy, the guy on I Love Lucy...." and I came up with the name in time.

[Browncoat]

19 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

(I still have no idea what vocal fry is - apparently I can't hear it, whatever it is).

It's kind of hard to explain in writing, but it's sort of the opposite of up speak.  The voice goes down, sometimes words are extended or elongated, and sometimes has kind of a gravelly quality, which is the part that made my throat hurt.  I wish I could think of a specific example, but Ami had it in spades.  I noticed vocal fry with her more than up speak, though she did that, too.  There's a woman at work who does both at the same time, which is fascinating.  I often end up not listening to what she's saying because I'm trying to figure out how she does that.  Still can't quite figure it out.

[AuntiePam]

Vocal fry demonstration -- Browncoat's description is perfect -- "gravelly", like a croak.  Once you notice it, it's hard not to notice. 

[sugarbaker design]

4 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

I really liked how Kevin abbreviated the "Killing Gary Oldman" category. He seems to have a good sense of humor (or at least one that matches mine.) I'm glad he won.

 

4 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I liked when he said something like, "Killing Gary Oldman again for 600."

And for the final clue he said something like "Let's finish him off!"

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

Vocal fry demonstration -- Browncoat's description is perfect -- "gravelly", like a croak.  Once you notice it, it's hard not to notice. 

I've watched that, but I still don't hear it.

[Mumbles]

Quote

Ami's voice was even more annoying to me during Wednesday's game, so I am glad she was a one & done. 

She was so awful. And it always cracks me up when Wellesley graduates are so proud of their school. In reality it’s a basic bitch pig farm for rich girls whose daddies’ connections still can’t get them into an Ivy League school.

[Browncoat]

Tonight, either the two challengers were mumbling at first, or I need to get my hearing checked.  Since it cleared up later in the game (perhaps the show people reminded them during the break), I'm going to assume it wasn't my hearing.  Speak up, people!

For FJ, I first thought the 12 days of Christmas, until I read/listened to the entire clue, then it was an instaget. 

Bell surprised me as a TS, and I thought Alex was awfully quick to jump in and rule Kevin incorrect on Lonelyhearts.  I mean, it was obvious that Kevin left off the s, but with all the mumbling going on, he might have been given a chance to say it again.  Or someone else might have been given the chance to answer, for that matter.

Other TS I got were hinny, walking papers, autonomous, and Orkney.  Loved having Harry Potter and Monty Python clues!  Ministry of Silly Walks, hee!

[Grundoon59]

I spend my summer watching Vintage Base Ball (yup that's how you spell it) so the minute he said it, I was Team Travis.  But I really liked Kevin too, especially with his handling of the Playwrongs and Unreal Ministries categories.  Oh Jeopardy you hurt my heart and brain!

[CarpeDiem54]

Yeah, Alex jumping in on the Miss Lonelyhearts answer too quickly was annoying.  Why didn't he ask Kevin to repeat his answer instead of cutting him off?  Asshat.  Second time he's done that in the last few days.

I must need to be high on Mucinex DM, which I didn't take today, to do well on Jeopardy!  I didn't get any TS and was clueless for FJ.

[Miss Chevious]

I got autonomous, walking papers and Orkney. FJ was an instaget for me. As soon as I saw the word topaz, the light bulb in my brain lit up.

That poor woman in the middle, she was completely out of her depth tonight. And I agree, there was some mumbling going on in the first part of the show.

[AuntiePam]

3 minutes ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

Yeah, Alex jumping in on the Miss Lonelyhearts answer too quickly was annoying.  Why didn't he ask Kevin to repeat his answer instead of cutting him off?  Asshat.  Second time he's done that in the last few days.

 

Especially since he allowed another contestant (the attorney) to expand on one of her answers.  I've forgotten which one though.

And like Browncoat said, shouldn't Alex have allowed one of the other contestants to jump in on Miss Lonelyhearts?

[saber5055]

As soon as the clue and photo for hinny were revealed, I knew it would be a TS. As I've said before, animal categories are the weakest on this show. Any my strong suit! So yeay me. I thought FJ was a no-brainer but I guess if one doesn't pay attention to horoscopes and that sort of thing, if would be a stumper. I felt sorry for the lady contestant missing it though. I didn't pay attention to FJ bets, but did the champ bet too little? If he had bet his full amount, wouldn't he have won? And I, too, was totally irked by Alex jumping in on Lonelyhearts when he should have asked for "repeat" or ruled no, and let someone else ring in. WTH Trebek. But then again, he's an asshat. And a really cranky one today.

Gah, I mean "And my strong suit." Sorry, can't do edits.

[DrScottie]

10 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I didn't pay attention to FJ bets, but did the champ bet too little? If he had bet his full amount, wouldn't he have won?

No. Kevin's max bet would have been worth 18400, Travis won with 18450. 

Got hinny. It helped that "inn" was going to be a part of the response. 

Got FJ too knowing that topaz is a birthstone and sardius was some red rock.

[saber5055]

Thanks, DrScottie, for clarifying the FJ bets. I was feeling sorry for the champ if he had bet too little of his total, but I guess he did all he could do so now I don't feel quite as bad. I really have to move the pile of papers that is blocking the bottom half of my teevee so I can see those totals. Hah!