‘Jeopardy!’ Contestants Speak Out After Stunning End to Game

Spoiler Alert

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[Warning: The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Tuesday, September 9, episode of Jeopardy!]

Jonathan Hugendubler returned for his third Jeopardy! game on Tuesday, September 9, a true nail-biter that came down to the final question.

Hugendubler faced off against Ian Morrison from Aurora, Colorado, and Stacy Shelly from Rockford, Illinois. Hugendubler, from Baltimore, Maryland, was attempting to add to his two-day total of $63,601.

The game started well for him as he answered the first three clues correctly. He found the Daily Double on clue four and wagered all of his $1,600.

In “Body Parts Everywhere,” the clue read, “At the end of an 1831 novel, his skeleton is found in a cellar with a curved spine and soon crumbles into dust.” Hugendubler, a trivia host, hesitated, which prompted host Ken Jennings to encourage him to answer. “Who is Long John Silver?” Hugendubler answered incorrectly, dropping down to $0. The correct response was Quasimodo.

After that, Morrison, an airline ramp agent, and Shelly, an attorney, both answered clues, leaving Hugendubler at $0. However, he answered the last three clues before the commercial break, bringing him to second place with $1,800.

The rest of the round was a battle for first place, but Hugendubler came out on top with $4,000. Morrison was in second with $3,200. Shelly had $2,800. Right before Morrison selected the last clue, he said, “Bring it,” a classic line from Jeopardy! champion Sam Buttrey.

“I couldn’t help but say ‘Bring it,’ for that last clue in DJ! Sorry, everyone!” he wrote on Reddit. after the show.

“I am not in the hating ‘Bring it’ crowd! Congrats,” a fan replied.

In Double Jeopardy, Hugendubler plowed ahead. By the time he found the first Daily Double of the round, he had $15,200. He wagered $5,200 in “18th Century Notables.” The clue was “This archduchess & empress led Austria through the Seven Years’ War & was the mother of Marie Antoinette.” The adjunct music professor answered, “Who is Mother Theresa?” giving him a total of $20,400.

After the DD, Shelly ran the category “New Yorkers Head South” and moved to second place with $7,600. Morrison then found the last DD a few clues later. With $5,600 in his bank, he wagered $3,000.

In “I’m Getting Crafy in My Old Age,” the clue read, “When I hear this word, I no longer think soup but ‘pottery that’s been fired once in a kiln & hasn’t been glazed.’” He correctly answered, “What is bisque?” and moved into second place with $8,600.

By the end of the round, Hugendubler still led with $21,200, but his opponents weren’t too far behind. Morrison had $14,600. Shelly was in third with $10,800.

Hugendubler seemed like the clear winner, but Final Jeopardy can change everything. The category was “Classic Rock & Classic Films.”

“In 1976, Groucho Marx sent this band a telegram congratulating them on their ‘sage choice’ in album titles” was the clue. The correct response was “Who is Queen?” which only one contestant got right.

Shelly answered, “Who is Led?” She wagered $2,401, dropping down to $8,399. Morrison did get it right and wagered $7,409. This made his total $22,009, currently higher than Hugendubler’s. The reigning champion’s response was “Who is Led Zeppelin?” He wagered $8,001, making his total $13,199. Hugendubler lost, and Morrison became the new champion. He will return tomorrow for his second game.

On Reddit, Morrison thanked a commenter for their compliment on his checkered bowtie. He also revealed that he wore a kilt on The Weakest Link when he was on it three years ago. Find out what he wears tomorrow for game two.

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