Jeopardy! Season 34 (2017-2018)

[tallykat]

Wednesday, I was on a roll. Thursday, I would not have made it. I only knew one TS: Nina. No clue on FJ. I'm blaming my lack of knowledge of British history and not my lack of knowledge of geography. Where was the Ore-Ida map? A nice little picture of the English Channel with the islands highlighted in red? As a last-ditch, gotta-say-something answer, I said: "Orkneys???" without a shred of hope that I was right because the Norman Islands had to be closer to Normandy than northern Scotland.

Count me among those surprised by the tie breaker. Well, me and Sarah. She looked so confused when Alex announced Laura's score. I wonder if they give them 30 seconds to catch their breath and just edit the tape to look like it was bam! Here's the clue. 

If they had both gotten it right, would Laura have won by a dollar? The math totally baffled me. 

[Good Queen Jane]

10 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I had a quibble - they shouldn't have accepted Caesar, as there were a number who held the name/title Caesar.

That really should have gotten a BMS. She could have meant Kit Caesar!

[Sharpie66]

Caesar should definitely have required more, since I occasionally think of Augustus when just the word Caesar is used. 

(BTW, SPQR is supposed to be really good—I have to read it some day!)

Oh, and shout-out to the Orkneys, tallykat! I was just thinking about my visit there a few years ago—can’t wait to go back there.

[saber5055]

2 hours ago, teebax said:

If I remember correctly, they wanted to discourage contestants from trying for a tie, which supposedly would make wagering more competitive.

If I were competing on FJ, I most certainly would not be wagering to try for a tie. I don't see that logic. I also think two tied winners returning the next game is fairer/better than the buzz off, faster buzzer takes all. Not a fan of this fancy smancy tie breaker.

[Prevailing Wind]

I said Orkneys, too.

[GalvDuck]

15 hours ago, Driad said:

I had to read The Scarlet Pimpernel as a kid, and disliked it. There was a big mystery about who the SP was, but there was much too much attention on one seemingly unimportant character. It felt like a giant neon arrow pointing at him.

Is it sad that when I hear Scarlet Pimpernel, I think of Daffy Duck as the Scarlet Pumpernickel?

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, tallykat said:

I wonder if they give them 30 seconds to catch their breath and just edit the tape to look like it was bam! Here's the clue. 

It's probably like when a game goes into overtime - in between regulation ending and overtime starting, they explain the rules.  So, although it was edited out for time, they probably explained how the tie-breaker works before bringing up the clue.   Because it's not as simple as, "be first to ring in and answer correctly, and congratulations, you win," they have to be told what happens if the first one to ring in gets it wrong.  So, unless the "in the event of a tie" rules are included in the rules they go over before the game starts, they'd need to hear them then.

[proserpina65]

17 hours ago, Sharpie66 said:

I got Barbra, the Scarlet Pimpernel DD, and the Channel Islands FJ. I always thought they were part of the UK, so the guess was just based on the location and the name the Norman Islands, since they are between Normandy and England—I was convinced I was wrong, but happy to hear I was right!

This FJ seemed so easy to me that I thought it must be a trick, so color me surprised that none of them got it.

I'm not a fan of the tie-breaker being used for regular games.  I can see it for tournaments, especially after the first round, but I'd rather they just brought back both contestants in the event of a tie like this.

17 hours ago, M. Darcy said:

A tie! 

They seek him here, they seek him there, those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven or is he in hell? That damned elusive Pimpernel. 

As recited by Anthony Andrews for me.

[proserpina65]

17 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

I blame the writers for writing clues in such a way that choosing a clue out of order puts the player at a disadvantage.  If I remember right, the second clue in the Erin category was about a "twitching nose" and the answer was Bewitched.  The third clue also mentioned a twitching nose (that there was no twitching) and the answer was Happy Days.  So picking the third clue before the second, and seeing the words "twitching nose" -- the mind quickly goes to Bewitched -- which wouldn't have happened if the clues had been picked in order.

I actually like it when they do that.  Because sometimes the contestants need to be reminded that choosing clues in order can make a difference.  (Yeah, despite adoring Chuck Forrest, I'm not really a fan of jumping around the board.)

14 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

15 hours ago, Conotocarious said:

Never saw a tiebreaker before.It happened so fast it was a bit jarring. 

The minute I saw the famous trios category I knew Julius Caesar would be an answer. 

 

I had a quibble - they shouldn't have accepted Caesar, as there were a number who held the name/title Caesar.

Kit Caesar

[illdoc]

8 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

  Because sometimes the contestants need to be reminded that choosing clues in order can make a difference.

I can remember a couple of categories where Alex told them that they must do them in order. One category (whose name I don't remember) had as answers (in order)  Rah Ra Sis Boom Baa. I also remember a "Letter Perfect" category where 4 of 5 answers were the same letter (C?). Also remember during one round, all the top ($200?) answers were "Eagle". 

[Browncoat]

10 hours ago, Toothbrush said:

I watched his fine ass in "An American In Paris" on TCM this evening. It is especially impressive in the cream colored pants in the dance sequence at the end

I may or may not have paused and/or rewound that sequence to watch it again.

[ErinV]

17 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

I blame the writers for writing clues in such a way that choosing a clue out of order puts the player at a disadvantage.  If I remember right, the second clue in the Erin category was about a "twitching nose" and the answer was Bewitched.  The third clue also mentioned a twitching nose (that there was no twitching) and the answer was Happy Days.  So picking the third clue before the second, and seeing the words "twitching nose" -- the mind quickly goes to Bewitched -- which wouldn't have happened if the clues had been picked in order.

I really thought they should have known "Happy Days" regardless.  Erin Moran was in the news because she recently(ish) passed away, and then there was a story about her and Scott Baio.  Or maybe I just know her because we share a name :)

[Miss Chevious]

I didn't keep track of the TS's I got but thanks to reading Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (great book, by the way!) FJ was an instaget for me. Would love to visit the Channel Islands on vacation sometime.

Laura seems like she's a very nice lady but oh-so-timid. You're on Jeopardy, sister! Own it and be proud!

[AuntieL]

I knew Happy Days too - I remember being confused about the question (about a non-nose twitching daughter) for about a second then realized that the first clue had to have been about the daughter on Bewitched. I did not however get FJ (Norman/Normandy didn't register so I said Shetland Islands.  there's a mystery series set there that I love).  I was also confused about the tie breaker; I didn't remember having done that before. I do remember contestants betting so that there was a 3 way tie once.  I'm not sure why anyone would do that on purpose.  Under these new rule though, I wonder what would happen if nether contestant knew it?  If the first one to ring in got it wrong would the other one automatically win or would they also have to answer correctly?  

I also read Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - still didn't help.  But yes, terrific book.

Edited March 2, 2018 by AuntieL
had another thought

[Tabasco Cat]

18 hours ago, dcalley said:

This site has way more info than you could possibly want about Jeopardy airtimes (updated in October), showing that some markets air the show in the morning hours.

Thanks for pointing out that page. Bookmarked. I like the comment, "I started by using the show's own "where to watch" page, but it ended up not being good enough." So true. The official Jeopardy! website is the last place I'd go to find any information about the show.

 

10 hours ago, tvaddict44 said:

I may be missing something here, but is there another reason for doing the tiebreaker question besides not wanting to pay the two winners the full money?

It does make them seem like cheapskates. Some people have been clamoring for higher prize amounts for a while and this makes it seem like they don't want to pay out an extra $18,000 once or twice a year. Or once every 3 years. Is this the Arthur Rule?

[Clanstarling]

5 hours ago, tallykat said:

Wednesday, I was on a roll. Thursday, I would not have made it. I only knew one TS: Nina. No clue on FJ. I'm blaming my lack of knowledge of British history and not my lack of knowledge of geography. Where was the Ore-Ida map? A nice little picture of the English Channel with the islands highlighted in red? As a last-ditch, gotta-say-something answer, I said: "Orkneys???" without a shred of hope that I was right because the Norman Islands had to be closer to Normandy than northern Scotland.

 

34 minutes ago, Miss Chevious said:

I didn't keep track of the TS's I got but thanks to reading Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (great book, by the way!) FJ was an instaget for me. Would love to visit the Channel Islands on vacation sometime.

Read the book - loved it and was so sad the author passed away and wouldn't be writing others. Still didn't help me. We were discussing Guernsey and Jersey, and you know, islands that are in the freaking channel - and I still said Orkneys. Smacks head.

[M. Darcy]

Quote

I didn't keep track of the TS's I got but thanks to reading Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (great book, by the way!)

And there's going to be a movie soon!  Its out in April in the UK but I don't' know the US dates yet. 

[Toothbrush]

3 hours ago, GalvDuck said:

Is it sad that when I hear Scarlet Pimpernel, I think of Daffy Duck as the Scarlet Pumpernickel?

Well of course you think of a duck!! 

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

I may or may not have paused and/or rewound that sequence to watch it again.

<whisper>me too

1 hour ago, ErinV said:

I really thought they should have known "Happy Days" regardless.  Erin Moran was in the news because she recently(ish) passed away, and then there was a story about her and Scott Baio.  Or maybe I just know her because we share a name :)

I probably recognized Erin Moran's name from the stories regarding her death since I was too young for Happy Days during its prime (I think was born during the original run), and only remember seeing repeats on Nick at Nite. But even without recognizing the actress's name, I could have possibly gotten it from the character's name & decade. 

[Good Queen Jane]

Here are the rules of the tiebreaker, according to EW.

[Brookside]

9 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

That really should have gotten a BMS. She could have meant Kit Caesar!

Or Sid.

[mojoween]

Elton John?  Bueller? Bueller?

I know it’s old news but I wasn’t really paying much attention Wednesday and didn’t watch last night but hot damn Laura is gorgeous.  Those cheekbones!

Yeah, I purred out loud when Alex revealed the FJ category.  I’m not ashamed...even if I didn’t get it.  Who knew Def Leppard had eight platinum albums?

[Browncoat]

Aww, sorry to see Laura go, but if Matt will settle down during the intro, he'll be fine.  In fact, other than the intro, I didn't mind him at all.

You know Alex just relished getting to say Auguste Rodin! 

Elton John was a surprising TS, and Johns Hopkins was a surprising missed DD -- hospital and university in Baltimore?  Gotta be Johns Hopkins.  I got both of those as well as rain shadow and ruby.

It took me about half the think time to come up with FJ, but I had time to write it down here at home.  I have no idea how I pulled it out of my... hat, though.  I must have twigged to the "deaf" part of the clue.  But I agree, @mojoween, who knew Def Leppard had eight platinum albums? 

[Clanstarling]

4 hours ago, M. Darcy said:

And there's going to be a movie soon!  Its out in April in the UK but I don't' know the US dates yet. 

Now I'm excited. I hope they shot in on Guernsey. I'd love to see what that island looks like.

[CarpeDiem54]

Congrats to Max!  He seems okay, although I'm sorry to see Laura go.  

I got Elton John and Rottweiler (DD).

I had absolutely no clue for FJ.  I also wasn't aware Def Leppard had that many platinum albums.

[Sharpie66]

I only got rain shadow, Johns Hopkins, and Elton John. Completely blanked on FJ!

[saber5055]

My skull ejected a hundred brain cells when the photo of Sterling K. Brown was shown. "Name this actor who plays a brother" (on the most popular show on television) and Trebek even adds: "BTW, the 'K' stands for Kelby."  Jeezy pete. This show would show a photo of Abe Lincoln and clue it: "This 16th president freed the slaves and was shot in Fords Theatre ... and the capital of Nebraska is named for him. Who is it?"

I was disappointed there was no video/audio of Cat Stevens singing Moonshadow in the Shadow category.

Edited March 3, 2018 by saber5055

[dcalley]

16 hours ago, tvaddict44 said:

I may be missing something here, but is there another reason for doing the tiebreaker question besides not wanting to pay the two winners the full money?  I used to enjoy the "2 returning champions" idea and it also seemed fairer.  Couldn't Jeopardy afford to put out the money for these people who pay their own way there and the way home, plus double taxes on their winnings?

I don't think the show has specifically said the reasons, but there are likely several. Having co-champs meant that someone who had flown out to play would not be able to and would have to come back some other time, so eliminating co-champs ensures that everyone who has made the trip gets to play. Co-champs can also give the appearance of a possibility of collusion (not saying it ever happened), and the show didn't want any question about that. And also money, because Money.

5 hours ago, Tabasco Cat said:

Thanks for pointing out that page. Bookmarked. I like the comment, "I started by using the show's own "where to watch" page, but it ended up not being good enough." So true. The official Jeopardy! website is the last place I'd go to find any information about the show.

Yeah, when I'm traveling I usually don't know the local zip code, which is unfortunately the only way to use Jeopardy's station finder.

[AuntiePam]

44 minutes ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

Congrats to Max!  He seems okay, although I'm sorry to see Laura go.  

I got Elton John and Rottweiler (DD).

I had absolutely no clue for FJ.  I also wasn't aware Def Leppard had that many platinum albums.

I couldn't come up with Rottweiler but neither did Max.  What on earth was his answer?  The category was "Same first and last letter" and his answer sounded like two words, wasn't a dog (was it) and didn't have same first/last. 

I'll miss Laura.  She was so darn cute and had a wonderful soothing voice. 

[CarpeDiem54]

34 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I was disappointed there was no video/audio of Cat Stevens singing Moonshadow in the Shadow category.

That would have been danged cool!

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, Browncoat said:

You know Alex just relished getting to say Auguste Rodin! 

I could barely understand him!

The only TS I got was Elton John.

Didn't they just have a category yesterday or the day before that was like Same First and Last Letter?

I, too, guessed eagle for FJ. When Alex said Def Leopard, I was all, "Ohhhhhhh."

[Toothbrush]

Sad to see Laura go. Matt was OK except for the intro, but he settled into the game quickly. He also started his story with "so", but in his defense so did Suzie & Laura. 

TS I got were Elton John (WTF?), Suzie's missed DD of Johns Hopkins (Baltimore hospital always = Johns Hopkins), Rodin, The Philippines, LGBT. FJ was an instaget for Dr. Toothbrush, but I told him he was wrong because I was quite sure that they did not have 8 platinum albums. Shows what I know..lol

4 hours ago, Sharpie66 said:

I only got rain shadow

You know something that Alex didn't! Go Sharpie66!

[teebax]

What a nice, pleasant game that was. My OCD was completely happy with the clue selections! 

I got Elton John (duh), Johns Hopkins after first considering Milton Hershey and then realizing that's Pennsylvania, Oriental, truculent, Chang Kai Shek, LGBT, and FJ in an instaget. I said dachshund for the Rottweiler clue and then laughed heartily at my stupidity. 

[mojoween]

Hey.  Dachshunds can be loyal protectors too!

The way Alex said “L...G...B...T” both irritated me and made me happy.  

Irritation because it made it seem like he was making fun of the contestants (even if he wasn’t) but it made me happy because if he said the clue that slow, it meant we were definitely going to clear the board.  I don’t think he had even given the one minute warning yet and there were only five clues left.

The set up for the new champ’s story was confusing.  Alex says he’s from Brooklyn, NY, and one of his favorite places is close to home...which is in Michigan.  I get that it must be where he grew up, but home right now is Brooklyn.

[AuntieL]

I figure Alex has the same problem I do with LGBT which is that if I say it too fast the constantants get mixed up in my speech. I got Johns Hopkins and took a lucky guess with Leopard. 

Edited March 3, 2018 by AuntieL
And apparently I mix them up when I type too. Sigh.

[GenerationX]

Like teebax, I said dachshund instead of rottweiler.  D'oh!

We need more board game clues.  When Illinois was guessed, I shouted "No, that's one of the red ones!  Oriental!  Light blues!" to Mrs. GenX, who calmly said "Yes, I know."

[Clanstarling]

56 minutes ago, mojoween said:

The set up for the new champ’s story was confusing.  Alex says he’s from Brooklyn, NY, and one of his favorite places is close to home...which is in Michigan.  I get that it must be where he grew up, but home right now is Brooklyn.

IIRC, Alex is the one who said it was close to home. Michigan is a fair bit away to go to camp, there are lots of summer camps in NY and the surrounding areas, from what I understand.

[tallykat]

8 hours ago, Toothbrush said:

TS I got were Elton John (WTF?), Suzie's missed DD of Johns Hopkins (Baltimore hospital always = Johns Hopkins), Rodin, The Philippines, LGBT.

My TS were Rain shadow, Mark Wahlburg, Elton John, Ruby. I’m not saying I would have gotten LGBT but Alex totally misread that clue. I was so confused I rewound. Alex said: “December 2010: an appeal to safeguard people worldwide [slight pause] identified by this 4 letter abbreviation.” My mind immediately went to the appeal and not the people. Poorly worded to start with. “Worldwide” should not have been placed where it was. 

I ran the Bible category. Totally blanked on all the first and last letter the same. FS was an instaget for me. Didn’t even think about the Eagles. 

Edited March 3, 2018 by tallykat
Autocorrect, you do a poor job of reading my mind

[peeayebee]

48 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

We need more board game clues.  When Illinois was guessed, I shouted "No, that's one of the red ones!  Oriental!  Light blues!" to Mrs. GenX, who calmly said "Yes, I know."

I confidently said Connecticut. I could see it in my head. My head lied.

eta: I guess I misheard the clue. Did it include Vermont and Connecticut? If so... duh.

Edited March 3, 2018 by peeayebee

[Mystery Author]

Dear Alex,

A person skis ON the water, not in the water.

If it was IN the water, Laura could audition for an Esther Williams biopic!

[Brookside]

3 hours ago, mojoween said:

The set up for the new champ’s story was confusing.  Alex says he’s from Brooklyn, NY, and one of his favorite places is close to home...which is in Michigan.  I get that it must be where he grew up, but home right now is Brooklyn.

 

I've lived in my current "home" country for 25 years, but still talk about going "home" to the country of my birth.  And when I'm there, I talk about when I'm going back "home" at the end of my trip.

Edited March 3, 2018 by Brookside
Because one of my "homes" turned into a Simpsons' character

[AuntieL]

32 minutes ago, Brookside said:

 

I've lived in my current "home" country for 25 years, but still talk about going "homer" to the country of my birth.  And when I'm there, I talk about when I'm going back "home" at the end of my trip.

Yeah I've in in NJ for 34 years but I still go "home" to Pittsburgh-even though I've lived in NJ longer. 

[Mondrianyone]

15 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

I couldn't come up with Rottweiler but neither did Max.  What on earth was his answer?  The category was "Same first and last letter" and his answer sounded like two words, wasn't a dog (was it) and didn't have same first/last.

He said Heckler & Koch, which is a German weapons manufacturer.  He was obviously thinking about their handguns.  (This is the non-girlie part of my knowledge base.  I work on lots of thrillers, so I know a scary amount about guns, ammo, plastic explosives. . . .)  I was half asleep during the game, so I can't remember what the category was--if it was dogs, then this was a pretty stupid answer.  But otherwise it kind of fits the clue--and it does have the same first and last letter, if you count both words as a unit.

[DrScottie]

34 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

He said Heckler & Koch, which is a German weapons manufacturer.  He was obviously thinking about their handguns.  (This is the non-girlie part of my knowledge base.  I work on lots of thrillers, so I know a scary amount about guns, ammo, plastic explosives. . . .)  I was half asleep during the game, so I can't remember what the category was--if it was dogs, then this was a pretty stupid answer.  But otherwise it kind of fits the clue--and it does have the same first and last letter, if you count both words as a unit.

The category was same first and last letter, but the clue referred to the AKC describing it as an "inherent protector." Had he known the AKC is the American Kennel Club, he would have guessed a dog instead. 

[Mondrianyone]

Thanks!  The only parts of the clue I remember through my sleep haze mentioned a German import and the protector bit.  Maybe he thought AKC stands for "Armament Keepers Club."

[saber5055]

2 hours ago, DrScottie said:

The category was same first and last letter, but the clue referred to the AKC describing it as an "inherent protector." Had he known the AKC is the American Kennel Club, he would have guessed a dog instead. 

I wasn't paying attention to this game, and thought Dacshund, which a poster above guessed, might have been ruled correct. I've shown a lot of them, and we always were warned to be careful taking them out of their crates as most were inclined to bite. But their AKC standard says nothing about that ("The Dachshund is clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness ...") while the AKC standard for the Rottie says: "He has an inherent desire to protect home and family ..." so there you go. Heckler & Koch was a great answer, except for the AKC part screwing it up.

[Toothbrush]

17 hours ago, GenerationX said:

We need more board game clues.  When Illinois was guessed, I shouted "No, that's one of the red ones!  Oriental!  Light blues!" to Mrs. GenX, who calmly said "Yes, I know."

We knew that IL was red and also shouted that at the TV, but neither my husband nor I could come up with Oriental as the third light blue property. 

[ABay]

I thought it was Massachusetts because that's what's between Connecticut and Vermont in real life. 

Edited March 4, 2018 by ABay

[Ailianna]

On 3/3/2018 at 10:31 AM, tallykat said:

 I’m not saying I would have gotten LGBT but Alex totally misread that clue. I was so confused I rewound. Alex said: “December 2010: an appeal to safeguard people worldwide [slight pause] identified by this 4 letter abbreviation.” My mind immediately went to the appeal and not the people. Poorly worded to start with. “Worldwide” should not have been placed where it was. 

I agree.  I was nowhere near right, as I was trying to come up with a 4 letter abbreviation for internally displaced persons (or refugees or something to do with people driven from their own communities) and was not even close.  But his reading of the clue didn't help. 

[Clanstarling]

On 3/2/2018 at 5:54 PM, saber5055 said:

I was disappointed there was no video/audio of Cat Stevens singing Moonshadow in the Shadow category.

Now I'm retroactively disappointed.

On 3/2/2018 at 5:57 PM, dcalley said:

Yeah, when I'm traveling I usually don't know the local zip code, which is unfortunately the only way to use Jeopardy's station finder.

Google can be your friend, if you let it. ;)

[dcalley]

6 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Google can be your friend, if you let it. ;)

[This is re: Zip codes and finding Jeopardy while traveling.] Yeah, but that's two steps instead of one! This other site saves you the trouble.

On Friday I saw a commercial for Jeopardy that teased at the tie-breaker ending. It was funny to see it after it had already happened. It showed a bunch of different contestants from the week, not just the three from Thursday, and said one game would be decided at the last second. I guess it was airing all week.