In the Monday May 13 episode of Jeopardy!, three new contestants took center stage to showcase their knowledge and quick thinking. Joyce Yang, a data analyst from Germantown, Maryland, Michael Richter, an elections worker from Portland, Oregon, and Will Stewart, a political organizer originally from Nashville, Tennessee. Will is a one-day champion with previous winnings of $25,601.
The categories for the initial round reflected a diverse range of topics, including “The Golden Age,” “Celebrities,” and “Big Geo.” It was Joyce Yang who took an early lead during the Jeopardy! round.
The first Daily Double was in the “Big Geo” category, where Will unfortunately lost $1,000, resulting in a close competition with Joyce leading at the first break. Moving into Double Jeopardy!, the categories shifted to include “Literary Title Occupations,” “Colonial America,” and “TV’s Fantastical Places,” among others.
Will Stewart demonstrated his strategic skills by correctly answering both Daily Doubles in this round, building a substantial lead over his competitors. His correct responses in the “Men of Medicine” and “Lexicongress” categories solidified his position as the frontrunner. Heading into Final Jeopardy!, Will had a commanding lead with $18,600, while Joyce trailed closely behind with $9,200.
The Final Jeopardy! category, “Cinema History,” posed a challenging clue about the era of “Hollywood on a river” due to the popularity of films made outside the U.S. in the 1950s. Both Will and Joyce provided the correct response – “What is the Tiber?“, with Will adding just $100 to his total score, securing his victory with a two-day winnings total of $44,301.
Joyce Yang finished as the first runner-up with a respectable score of $10,000, while Michael Richter ended the game with a negative score of -$400. The episode also featured some trivia about the golden age of radio and the lesser-known occupation of a pawnbroker, showing just how diverse your range of knowledge is required to be to excel at Jeopardy!.
