In a stunning upset, six-day “Jeopardy!” champion Liam Starnes met his match on Monday, April 28th. Erin Morin, a digital pre-press specialist from Aldie, Virginia, snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, delivering the final blow in Final Jeopardy! and ending Liam’s impressive run.
Going into Final Jeopardy!, Liam, an undergraduate student from Barrington, Illinois, held a substantial lead with $21,199. He’d already amassed $123,584 in prior winnings, making him a formidable opponent. Steve Icsman, a retired teacher from Sandusky, Ohio, trailed with $5,400, while Erin sat in second place.
The Final Jeopardy! category, “Contemporary Authors,” seemed to offer a level playing field. The answer appeared: “Who is Lee Child?”. Both Liam and Steve missed the mark, but Erin correctly identified the author of the Jack Reacher novels. Her wager of $29,600 propelled her to a winning total of $30,201, enough to secure the win.
Earlier in the game, Erin had displayed her trivia prowess by finding the Daily Double in the Jeopardy! round under “Quotable Fictional Characters.” Her correct response to the clue, (Answer: “Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning”. Correct response “Who is Peter Pan?”), boosted her score, tying her with Liam for the lead at $4,000. Liam, however, quickly regained control, finding both Daily Doubles in Double Jeopardy!. He responded correctly to the first, wagering $3,600 on “What is Shenandoah?”, and doubling his score to $19,200. His miss on the second Daily Double proved less consequential.
The categories for the Jeopardy! round included “Quotable Fictional Characters,” “Holding Space,” “The ‘CO’ CO.,” “Television,” “Wonders,” and “Never Cease.” Double Jeopardy! featured “The 1970s,” “American Lakes & Rivers,” “Science & Nature,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Drinking Songs,” and “‘MB,’ Eh?”.
While Liam’s reign has ended, Erin Morin begins hers, proving that on “Jeopardy!”, even a substantial lead isn’t always safe. “Jeopardy!” airs weekdays in syndication. Check your local listings for showtimes.
