Thursday’s episode featured a former 401(k) processor, a retired dentist, and a data analytics director battling it out for Jeopardy! glory. Returning champ Evan Dorey, the data whiz from Toronto with winnings of $29,200, held a comfortable lead for much of the game, but a Final Jeopardy! stumble opened the door for Stephanie Asalone, the Pennsylvania native, to snatch the victory.
The first round saw the contestants grapple with categories like “What’s ‘Up’?” and “O’er the Land of the Free,” proving that geography and pop culture knowledge can coexist, at least for some. Steven Czekala, the retired dentist from Oakland, seemed to be having some trouble keeping up so it will be interesting to see how things play out. Evan, however, maintained a steady lead, showcasing a knack for quick buzzer work and accurate responses.
Double Jeopardy! introduced more challenging fare, including “Ancient Greece” and “20th Century Fiction.” A Daily Double on musical acts briefly propelled Steven into contention but, alas, he never found another Daily Double in this round, while Stephanie’s small wager on the final Daily Double of the game in “Aviators” kept her from truly surging from third to first going into Final Jeopardy.
The Final Jeopardy! category, “Sports Teams,” appeared straightforward enough. The clue, however, added a dash of religious history to the mix, referencing a founding date that coincided with All Saints’ Day. While Evan and Steven missed the mark, Stephanie correctly identified the New Orleans Saints, adding $6,000 to her score and securing a well-deserved win. It turns out knowing your saints can be just as valuable as knowing your sports, who knew?
Final scores: Evan $8,800, Steven $2,399, Stephanie $14,100.
