Danger! viewers still shocked by ToC favorite’s instant defeat

The final season of JEOPARDY! is coming to an end, and while there haven’t been as many big winning streaks as previous seasons, there’s been no shortage of big losers.

A 21-day champion suffered a Tournament of Champions faceplant, James Holzhauer lost the Masters and a 13-day champion lost to a performer.

The 40th season of Jeopardy! started last summer and will end at the end of July 2024.

The Writers Guild of America strike truncated the season, but when the postponed tournaments finally aired, the events that followed were shocking.

The 2024 Tournament of Champions was even described at one point by host Ken Jennings as “the most dramatic in history”.

And season 2 of the Masters in May saw former titleholder James lose – in a runaway.

Punctuated by the abrupt departure of co-host Mayim Bialik, here are the most notable upheavals of season 40.

MISSING SCREAM

Cris Pannullo won 21 games and $749,000 in Season 39, making him the fifth-winningest Jeopardy! competitor ever.

He was also considered the favorite for the 2024 Tournament of Champions.

He entered the quarterfinals with his head held high, sharing on stage how he was previously the alternate in Season 1 of the Masters.

So it came as a shock when he not only lost, but was obliterated by a three-day champion.

Cris was crushed by three-day winner Jared Watson and finished with $0, eliminating him from the annual $250,000 tournament upon arrival.

Jared found all three daily doubles, corrected Final Jeopardy and won in a runaway.

Earlier this week on Jeopardy! On the Reddit forum, fans were asked about the most shocking matches of the season, and most said it was Cris.

“Cris, absolutely NO ONE saw it coming. Rich Strike winning the Kentucky Derby was less shocking,” one comment read.

“I really thought Cris was going to make it to the final…” wrote another.

“I was in studio for the losses of Alex Jacob, Hannah Wilson and Cris Pannulo. There is no doubt that Cris’s was the biggest shock,” wrote a third.

“I almost drained the oxygen from the studio.”

IKE DROP

ToC 2024 was also a game changer by allowing the previous Celebrity Jeopardy! winner to participate in a first for the game show.

So, Ike Barenholtz came on board, which at first seemed like a fun idea.

His inclusion no longer became a laughing matter when he faced the tournament’s second seed, 13-day champions Ray LaLonde and Melissa Clapper.

Ike defeated Ray in the clash of all shocks since the latter is a super-champion and the former is an actor.

It all hinged on Final Jeopardy, which said: “Far from Rome, this first-century poet wrote: ‘When the anger of the leader has passed, grant me the right to die in my native land.’ »

The correct answer was “Ovid”, which Ray got, so it all came down to Ike’s answer in second place.

Ken even pointed out that he didn’t think Ike, of Mad TV and Mindy Project fame, would have any idea.

“Did he think of Ovid, as we know celebrities often do? Oh!” Ken shouted in surprise.

Ike wrote “Ovid” and came out with a smirk and victory over a 13-day champion.

“I didn’t think Ike had a chance, and things really went in his favor in this match. It was fun to see!” one Redditor wrote in the thread.

“I never respected Celebrity Jeopardy. He changed that,” wrote another.

FALL OF THE GROCERY

Masters Season 2 was another shocker as defending champion James lost to one-day champion and quiz pro Victoria Groce.

She, James and ToC 2024 winner Yogesh Raut were the bottom three.

James not only lost, but he lost in a runaway and came in third place.

By the Final Jeopardy of the final! In the round, Victoria had so many more points than James that she had already won.

She received $500,000 and won her Masters trophy, 2024 ToC winner Yogesh received $250,000 for second and James received $150,000 for third.

Acknowledging defeat, James said, “Final boss death music” and imitated a Mario death tune at the podium.

All three players have a guaranteed spot for Season 3 of the Masters, which will take place next spring.

After Season 40 ended at the end of July, Jeopardy! will have its summer reruns and will return with season 41 at the end of August.