A returning champion, an Episcopal priest, and a science writer faced off on Jeopardy! Monday, November 25, 2024. Brooklyn attorney Adam Hersh, riding high on a $29,000 win, seemed poised for another victory. But Kevin Laskowski, the priest from Falls Church, Virginia, had other plans, wielding his knowledge of “Bod-e” parts and Polynesian cultures with an almost unsettling confidence.
The first round saw Adam take an early lead, but it was anyone’s game. Carolyn Gramling, the science writer from Washington, D.C., trailed slightly, perhaps pondering the diacritical marks on “Jeopardy!”
Double Jeopardy! was where things got interesting. While Adam initially maintained his lead, a Daily Double about animal quotes tripped him up. Kevin, meanwhile, found his stride, correctly identifying the endocrine system on another Daily Double and pulling ahead. By the end of the round, Kevin held a commanding lead with $20,200, leaving Adam at $7,200 and Carolyn at $5,600.
Final Jeopardy! presented a challenge: name the 19th-century novel where a new railway line in India sparks a bet. Adam, though trailing, was the only contestant to correctly identify Jules Verne’s “What is Around the World in 80 Days?” Kevin wagered a bit too aggressively, dropping him to $15,200, but still enough to secure the win. Carolyn, alas, ended the game with a mere $300.
So, Kevin Laskowski, the Episcopal priest, takes the crown (and $15,200) proving that sometimes, divine intervention comes in the form of knowing things about 19th-century novels. Jeopardy! airs weekdays – check your local listings.
