Returning champion Mehal Shah, a software engineer from Seattle, swaggered into Friday’s Jeopardy! match with a two-day total of $46,062 and the air of a man who knew his way around a buzzer. Facing off against Adam Hersh, a Brooklyn attorney, and Courtney Schooley, a preschool teacher from Tulsa, Shah looked set for another decisive victory. Early rounds saw a familiar pattern: Shah racking up correct responses, Hersh keeping pace with strategic wagering on Daily Doubles, and Schooley struggling to gain traction.
However, a whiff of vulnerability emerged in Double Jeopardy! While Shah secured a Daily Double, his typically aggressive wagering was replaced by a more cautious approach. Hersh, sensing an opening, capitalized with precise responses and a bold Daily Double bet of his own, seizing the lead.
The Final Jeopardy! category, “Movies and Psychology,” presented a classic film title ripe for the picking. The clue: “In this film, Paula Alquist tells Gregory Anton, ‘Have you gone mad, my husband? Or is it I who am mad?'” Both Hersh and Schooley correctly identified the 1944 thriller “What is Gaslight?,” while Shah, inexplicably, blanked, wagering his entire $14,400 and ending his Jeopardy! run with a thud.
Hersh’s strategic wager of $12,400 boosted his final score to $29,000, crowning him the new Jeopardy! champion. Schooley also answered correctly, doubling her score to $16,601. While Schooley’s performance improved in the final round, it was Hersh’s calculated risk-taking and command of the board that ultimately carried the day. Shah, despite his impressive two-day run, learned a harsh Jeopardy! lesson: sometimes, even the brightest flames can be extinguished by a well-placed gust of “Gaslight.”
Jeopardy! airs weekdays on syndicated television. Check your local listings.
