Jeopardy! Season 35 (2018-2019)

[Mystery Author]

My first thought for FJ was Cold Mountain, but I could think of only one Oscar for that movie.

I simply can't get my answers (questions?) out as quickly as James, so I'm skipping the "What is" or "Who is/are" part of the answer (question).

[EllenB]

I don't have that much sympathy for the contestants who lose to James.  It's not his fault he's so much better-prepared than other players.  It's like asking the show to dumb down the other players so one of the new ones has a chance.

Ooh, I got FJ right two days in a row!  Now I feel adequate.

[Booney]

3 hours ago, EllenB said:

I don't have that much sympathy for the contestants who lose to James.  It's not his fault he's so much better-prepared than other players.  It's like asking the show to dumb down the other players so one of the new ones has a chance.

I feel the same way. At the start of last night's double jeopardy round, I noticed that the woman, who went first, started at the top of a category, and the guy followed suit. Not smart - this didn't make any sense given how they had seen James play in the first round (and maybe in previous games). If any contestant wants to have a chance against James, they've got to adopt his strategy (besides needing to be well prepared and fast on the buzzer). If they don't, well, that's on them.

[ABay]

Maybe J! could just eliminate the other 2 contestants until James is done.

My DVR failed to record last night's episode and all I could find on YT in a speedy search was FJ. 

[Clanstarling]

11 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Almost an instaget FJ for me tonight.  My thought was, “That movie with Denzel!  What was it?  Oh, not Born On the 4th of July, the other one — Glory!  That’s it!”  I had plenty of time to write it down.

For me as well. I didn't see the movie (it's on my list that doesn't seem to get shorter), but I remember Denzel getting the Oscar.

10 hours ago, BuckeyeLou said:

I thought the gal in the middle(red dress) was really upset at the end, she had her hands crossed over her stomach & looked like she did not even want to shake Alex's hand at the end.  It must be discouraging for the other contestants, the guy on the end would have possibly been a winner at another time, he was quick & seemed to have good knowledge. 

When I made a similar comment, the mister said he saw her turn and smile at James after FJ was over. He tends to pay more attention to the ladies 😉 and, to be fair, he doesn't see the negativity as much as I do, which speaks to his kinder, more positive mind.

[Abstract]

If James is around for Season 36 (which I'm just assuming he is at this point), his opponents will know exactly what they're walking into and hopefully be prepared emotionally. I'm working on my attitude now, just in case.

After all, playing against James would immunize you forever against any criticism for losing on Jeopardy. 

[Brookside]

On ‎5‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 12:58 AM, pennben said:

And now i learn he went to UofI and shared my philosophy on class attendance?

Where/what is Uofl?

[Katy M]

9 minutes ago, Brookside said:

Where/what is Uofl?

University of Florida, I would imagine.

[suebee12]

2 minutes ago, Katy M said:

12 minutes ago, Brookside said:

Where/what is Uofl?

University of Florida, I would imagine.

No, it is the University of Illinois. I read it as FL also but then realized the "of" and "I" should be separated!

[Abstract]

Never mind.

Edited May 22, 2019 by Abstract

[Trillium]

4 hours ago, Booney said:

I feel the same way. At the start of last night's double jeopardy round, I noticed that the woman, who went first, started at the top of a category, and the guy followed suit. Not smart - this didn't make any sense given how they had seen James play in the first round (and maybe in previous games). If any contestant wants to have a chance against James, they've got to adopt his strategy (besides needing to be well prepared and fast on the buzzer). If they don't, well, that's on them.

As much as I hate the Patriots and Tom Brady, I can't be mad at them for continuing to win Super Bowls. Other teams to to elevate their play. My beloved Packers have squandered having two HOF QB’s by not stepping their game up. That’s not Tom’s fault. Same here. How he’s winning isn’t a secret. Others can do it too. I will concede that his strategy works well for him because he does have such a breadth of knowledge, and others trying to emulate his strategy might fail spectacularly, but if you want to beat him, that’s the only way. 

[Katy M]

54 minutes ago, Trillium said:

As much as I hate the Patriots and Tom Brady, I can't be mad at them for continuing to win Super Bowls. Other teams to to elevate their play. My beloved Packers have squandered having two HOF QB’s by not stepping their game up. That’s not Tom’s fault. Same here. How he’s winning isn’t a secret. Others can do it too. I will concede that his strategy works well for him because he does have such a breadth of knowledge, and others trying to emulate his strategy might fail spectacularly, but if you want to beat him, that’s the only way. 

Actually, if you're going to get all the answers right and ring in faster, you can pick the clues any order you want.

[mostlylurking]

I liked Alex calling James champ yesterday, multiple times.  I thought it was cute.  I think he's enjoying this, and at this point if its making Alex happy it's making me happy.

[Abstract]

30 minutes ago, mostlylurking said:

I liked Alex calling James champ yesterday, multiple times.  I thought it was cute.  I think he's enjoying this, and at this point if its making Alex happy it's making me happy.

Yeah, Alex is treating James like a long-lost favorite son. He must not be too offended by the interrupting.

[zoey1996]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

Actually, if you're going to get all the answers right and ring in faster, you can pick the clues any order you want.

The thing that makes James' strategy work is that by going to the bottom and getting the correct answers for the $1k and $2k clues means he has more to bet when the DD are chosen.  So if he got all 6 $200 clues correctly before he hit the DD, then he has only $1,200 to bet.  If he gets all 6 $1k before he hits the DD, he has $6k to bet, and (assuming the answer is correct) he would have $12k instead of $2,400 going into round 2, even if he answers no other questions in round 1.  And so it goes.

I still groan and roll my eyes when he gets the third DD, because by that time, the game is all but over.  

2 hours ago, Trillium said:

As much as I hate the Patriots and Tom Brady, I can't be mad at them for continuing to win Super Bowls.

I'll preface by stating that I'm not a sports fan and watch very little.  I usually don't watch the Super Bowl, and sometimes don't look at anything other than a few of the ads after the fact.  However, I would be more likely to tune in to even a few minutes of the SB if the outcome didn't seem to be a foregone conclusion.  

I still like Jeopardy!, but I like to watch it more when it's a contest and not a steamroller.  Runaways aren't nearly as fun to watch as a close game is.  In my humble opinion.

[Bastet]

Alex even asked him two questions in yesterday's interview segment.  Come on, dude; of all contestants to use up two questions in one interview segment on, James is not it -- he's going to be around long enough the staff will be going crazy trying to come up with new things to ask him.

Also, I was only half-listening while making my grocery list, but it sounded like from James's answer to the first question, he was on some sort of missionary trip when he met his wife.  If so, that's probably why the daughter has traveled so much at a young age, if they're continuing to do stuff like that and taking her with them.

[Katy M]

1 minute ago, zoey1996 said:

The thing that makes James' strategy work is that by going to the bottom and getting the correct answers for the $1k and $2k clues means he has more to bet when the DD are chosen.  So if he got all 6 $200 clues correctly before he hit the DD, then he has only $1,200 to bet.  If he gets all 6 $1k before he hits the DD, he has $6k to bet, and (assuming the answer is correct) he would have $12k instead of $2,400 going into round 2, even if he answers no other questions in round 1.  And so it goes.

I understand that, but it still all hinges on buzzing in first and getting the answers right.  even if they pick the $1000 clue first, if James gets it right, then the only hope they have is that they happen to pick the DD. And percentagewise of how many times James gets to pick, it's not likely to happen. Yes, I know it has. Actually, I remember the one game he didn't get any DDs.  I loved it.

[BuckeyeLou]

7 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Alex even asked him two questions in yesterday's interview segment.  Come on, dude; of all contestants to use up two questions in one interview segment on, James is not it -- he's going to be around long enough the staff will be going crazy trying to come up with new things to ask him.

Also, I was only half-listening while making my grocery list, but it sounded like from James's answer to the first question, he was on some sort of missionary trip when he met his wife.  If so, that's probably why the daughter has traveled so much at a young age, if they're continuing to do stuff like that and taking her with them.

I heard James say that he was teaching English to students in Thailand...not sure if it was a mission trip or not....and yea, they are going to run out of things to talk to James about.

[Bastet]

1 minute ago, BuckeyeLou said:

I heard James say that he was teaching English to students in Thailand...not sure if it was a mission trip or not

Yes, and then near the end of his answer he said something about "the church" he was working for/that was organizing this/whatever.  So it sounded like a missionary thing, which reminded me of the earlier discussion about how much international travel their young daughter had done.

[Moose135]

49 minutes ago, zoey1996 said:

I still like Jeopardy!, but I like to watch it more when it's a contest and not a steamroller.  Runaways aren't nearly as fun to watch as a close game is.  In my humble opinion. 

If other players adopt this method of game play and it becomes the norm, I think I would be less likely to watch in the future.  I guess I'm an old fart, but I don't really care for this style of play, whether it works for contestants or not.

[Writing Wrongs]

In all seriousness, how long can he go on? Unless he does something really boneheaded, I don't see how this ends unless it's forced.

How did Ken Jennings' run end?

[Abstract]

10 minutes ago, Writing Wrongs said:

In all seriousness, how long can he go on? Unless he does something really boneheaded, I don't see how this ends unless it's forced.

How did Ken Jennings' run end?

Ken didn't have a runaway going into FJ and he missed. The lady who beat him lost the next day. 

Edited May 22, 2019 by Abstract

[illdoc]

Attention Chicago area Jeopardy watchers!  Channel 7 will be showing a Cubs game tomorrow (Thursday) starting at 1:20, so likely no Jeopardy. Check your listing to find out when the episode will air (usually between 1 & 3 am).

[mostlylurking]

1 hour ago, Moose135 said:

If other players adopt this method of game play and it becomes the norm, I think I would be less likely to watch in the future

What type of game play is that?  The "I'm super smart on a wide range of topics, a super fast buzzer hitter, and oh also a super aggressive dd/fj wagerer?"  I don't think there are too many people who will be all three of these things, so you are probably safe 😉 

[Ailianna]

On 5/21/2019 at 10:39 AM, Toothbrush said:

We said the same thing at casa Toothbrush! And it wasn't the DD that moved him so far ahead since he only had $1K when he found it. 

I thought that he had something like $4800.  He has gotten it on the second $1000 clue several times, but last night wasn't one of them.

[3 is enough]

3 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

In all seriousness, how long can he go on? Unless he does something really boneheaded, I don't see how this ends unless it's forced.

How did Ken Jennings' run end?

There was that one game where he won by only $17.  I have no doubt it will happen eventually.

In the meantime, the longer he keeps winning the longer he has to wait for his cheque.

[Browncoat]

Instaget FJ for me tonight.  If it hadn't been, I'd have to move out of the state.

[Katy M]

I got FJ after some floundering around.  I also got Panacea, but I think I pronounced it wrong.  But, without adding letters or syllables so it would have been right.  I would have just looked stupid.  I did horribly in the 3rd spouse category.  I think the only one I got was Ted Turner.  Why wasn't Jane Seymour an answer?  I know Henry VIII's third wife, gosh darn it. Come to think of it, they should have been tricky and asked for Catherine Parr's third spouse.  I would have gotten that, too.

[secnarf]

Ugh I had a bit of a brain block for FJ - I just said 'the state immediately south of Maryland'.

Guess not all of the Canadian schools are doing their jobs 😉

[GenerationX]

James won about $72K today.  Slow day, and his average went down.

I had the Dead Sea Scrolls TS and FJ as an instaget.

I understand why people playing James at some point just start guessing.  They need a bit of luck to have a chance.  Alex should not admonish them for ringing in only when they know the answer.

[saber5055]

3 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Instaget FJ for me tonight.  If it hadn't been, I'd have to move out of the state.

It would have been more difficult (for me) if the state that broke off had named itself Delmarva or Malebolgia.

[Katy M]

5 minutes ago, secnarf said:

Ugh I had a bit of a brain block for FJ - I just said 'the state immediately south of Maryland'.

Guess not all of the Canadian schools are doing their jobs 😉

Well, you weren't wrong.  And a lot more specific than Cliff Clavin's someone who's never been in my kitchen.

[DoubleUTeeEff]

Now that James has been going for so long, I find myself getting excited when another player finds one of the Daily Doubles--especially in the second round. So today I was pretty disappointed that she missed Panacea. And I knew it which made it more excruciating.

I think it will take 3 things for James to lose. 1) A really good player with a broad range of knowledge who adopts James' strategy 2) Another player with poor buzzer skills who hardly ever gets to ring in (so that the other player has an opportunity to get more cash) and 3) Bad luck for James on a DD where he bets big and gets it wrong.

[Robert Lynch]

So what is his total so far?

[hendersonrocks]

Quote

I understand why people playing James at some point just start guessing.  They need a bit of luck to have a chance.  Alex should not admonish them for ringing in only when they know the answer.

Yeah, I thought that was a little unnecessary. 

I really liked Mary, and got a kick out of her excitement at getting FJ correct.

[Katy M]

3 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Now that James has been going for so long, I find myself getting excited when another player finds one of the Daily Doubles--especially in the second round.

This is probably really bad of me but every time someone else gets the DD, I think, good less money for James. Especially in the second round.

14 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

I understand why people playing James at some point just start guessing.  They need a bit of luck to have a chance.  Alex should not admonish them for ringing in only when they know the answer.

I think he was trying to help.

[SoMuchTV]

16 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Instaget FJ for me tonight.  If it hadn't been, I'd have to move out of the state.

LOL Same here. Born/educated in WV, lived most of my life in VA. Grown up kid who never lived in WV  said "June 20!"

[saber5055]

32 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I think he was trying to help.

He was being a tool. She knew she messed up, she didn't need AT to broadcast it to the world. AT very much dislikes players who do not know the answers. It is common for him to rank on them.

35 minutes ago, hendersonrocks said:

I really liked Mary

As did I. She was a good player and I'm sure she was HIGHLY disappointed she was not selected for the Teacher's Tournament.

Edited May 23, 2019 by saber5055

[j5cochran]

41 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

LOL Same here. Born/educated in WV, lived most of my life in VA. Grown up kid who never lived in WV  said "June 20!"

Another Mountaineer here! I also hollered June 20!

[saber5055]

James is bordering on Austin territory with his intro miming.

Trebek's hair was parted in the middle. Wasn't it parted on the left side previously? I thought it looked nice.

[Phebemarie]

Alex said on "Good morning, America" that he is wearing a hair piece.  He also said that sometimes between tapings he spends time in his dressing room in excruciating pain.  That he is able to keep going at all is amazing.  

[secnarf]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

As did I. She was a good player and I'm sure she was HIGHLY disappointed she was not selected for the Teacher's Tournament.

Are Canadian teachers eligible for the Teacher's Tournament?

[saber5055]

16 minutes ago, secnarf said:

Are Canadian teachers eligible for the Teacher's Tournament?

Oops. I totally missed the Canada part while concentrating on the teacher part.

Edited May 23, 2019 by saber5055

[peeayebee]

I got Sherman Bros, [Texas] swing, and Panacea.

But I didn't get FJ. 😞 I first thought Virginia, but for some reason I switched to South Carolina. Stupid.

Mary was a good contestant.

[Driad]

Some time they could do a special tournament of buzzsaw victims who might have won if they had not been up against James.

[Phebemarie]

17 minutes ago, Driad said:

Some time they could do a special tournament of buzzsaw victims who might have won if they had not been up against James.

I felt the same way during Ken's winning streak.

Edited May 23, 2019 by Phebemarie

[Grundoon59]

I felt sad that the Sherman Brothers was a TS.  So many wonderful songs of my childhood are attributable to them ( and are now playing on a loop in my head).

[Abstract]

13 minutes ago, Grundoon59 said:

I felt sad that the Sherman Brothers was a TS.  So many wonderful songs of my childhood are attributable to them ( and are now playing on a loop in my head).

I can't believe that piece of info has never made its way into my brain before. Glad I learned something today.

(Saving Mr. Banks was in my archive study today. As was another Richard III clue. Seriously, they asked for the last English king to die in battle, and I guessed Richard III because it's always Richard III.)

[30 Helens]

5 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Alex should not admonish them for ringing in only when they know the answer.

I thought that was kind of rude, and also weird considering how many times I’ve heard him say, “Oh, you knew that! You should have rung in!” after seeing a regretful expression on a player’s face once the answer is read. Certainly, those players were also unsure.

So how long until all the James victims end up in the red and he plays FJ all alone, day after day? The poundings, they are becoming increasingly severe.

[SpiritSong]

9 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

In all seriousness, how long can he go on? Unless he does something really boneheaded, I don't see how this ends unless it's forced.

How did Ken Jennings' run end?

For all those who hate James, remember: This too shall pass. Nothing lasts forever. Not the sun, not the sea and certainly not Jeopardy champions.

I'm sure I watched at least some of Ken Jennings' appearances, but it was so long ago I don't remember. Was there this amount of hostility towards him also?

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy this wild ride for the duration.