Jeopardy!’s Tuesday April 23 episode introduced a new trio of contestants: Mark Lashley, a professor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Lianne Schaffer, a piano teacher, and musician from Newton, Massachusetts; and Nam Nguyen, a playwright from Mississauga, Ontario. Nam entered the game with a champion’s advantage, having won the previous day’s contest with impressive winnings of $26,999.
The first round, Jeopardy!, presented an eclectic mix of categories. “Presidents & First Ladies” focused on American political history, while “Culture, Popularly” and “Italian Products” offered a taste of the arts and international flair.
Lianne Schaffer made an early strategic move by correctly answering the first Daily Double question in the “Italian Products” category, adding a substantial $1,000 to her score. As the round progressed, Nam Nguyen took the lead with a confident score of $8,600, followed by Lianne at $2,600 and Mark Lashley at $1,800.
The second round, Double Jeopardy!, introduced fresh categories to keep contestants on their toes. “The Picture of Someone Named Grey” and “Shared International Lakes” offered visual and geographical twists, respectively. Nam Nguyen demonstrated his quick thinking by uncovering both Daily Double questions in this round.
However, his bold wager on the second Daily Double question did not pay off, resulting in a net loss of $1,000. Despite this minor setback, Nam maintained a strong performance, entering Final Jeopardy! with a commanding lead of $17,600. Lianne Schaffer and Mark Lashley trailed closely behind, with scores of $7,000 and $9,000, respectively, keeping the game competitive.
The final round, Final Jeopardy!, presented a challenging clue in the category of “Business” with the question: In the 1850s the .925 sterling silver standard was instituted by this company, the first American one to do so. It tested the contestants’ knowledge of American corporate history.
Only Nam Nguyen answered incorrectly, and his mistake proved costly. The correct answer was “What is Tiffany & Co.?” (also acceptable: “Tiffany” and “Tiffany’s.”) Mark Lashley, who had kept himself in contention by answering crucial clues in the previous round, emerged as the winner with a total score of $17,601. Lianne Schaffer finished as the runner-up with a respectable $14,000, while Nam Nguyen took third place with $17,199.
