In the Thursday May 16, 2024, episode of Jeopardy!, three new contestants took center stage to showcase their knowledge and quick thinking. Elizabeth Brzozowski, a social studies teacher from Fishkill, New York, Chen Yan, a surgeon from Happy Valley, Oregon, and Grant DeYoung, a grocery clerk from Prescott, Arizona, all vied for the top spot. Grant, a one-day champion, entered the game with a strong foundation, having won $25,601 during his previous appearance.
The first round, Jeopardy!, presented a diverse range of categories, including “YO ABBA ABBA!” and “ANAGRAMMED AUTHORS,” testing the contestants’ knowledge of wordplay and music. Other categories, such as “CLOSE STATES IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION” and “HERE BE MONSTERS,” required a solid grasp of history and geography. The first Daily Double, worth $800, fell into the “NOT AN ADVERB, BUT ENDS WITH ‘-LY'” category. Despite Grant’s confident wager of $4,000, he couldn’t come up with the correct response, “anomaly,” costing him a substantial sum.
At the first break, Grant maintained a slight lead with $3,600, followed closely by Elizabeth with $2,000 and Chen with $1,800. As the round progressed, the competition tightened, with Grant’s lead narrowing to just $200 entering Double Jeopardy!.
The second round, Double Jeopardy!, introduced new categories, such as “COUNTRIES WITH ONE THING IN COMMON (all seven letters)” and “APPROXIMATE WEIGHTS & MEASURES,” challenging the contestants’ geographical and scientific knowledge. Grant’s strategic wagers on both Daily Doubles in this round paid off, allowing him to pull ahead of his competitors. He added $5,000 to his score with the first Daily Double, correctly responding with “What is Winchester?” to a clue about the Wild West. The second Daily Double, worth $2,000, further solidified his lead as he accurately identified “What is Senegal?” as the country surrounding the Gambia.
Heading into Final Jeopardy!, Grant had established a commanding lead with $20,800, nearly doubling his closest competitor, Chen, who had $9,600. Elizabeth trailed behind with $2,400. The Final Jeopardy! category, “THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY,” with “before entering history, this man visited the grave of Bogdan Zerajic, who had died just a few years earlier,” stumped all but Grant, who provided the correct response: “Who is Gavrilo Princip?” However, Grant played it safe and wagered nothing, ensuring his victory with a final score of $20,800. Chen and Elizabeth finished with $9,600 and $0, respectively.
The episode also featured a “before their time” moment, where the contestants struggled with a seemingly easy pop culture question. Despite being given actor Jack Klugman’s name and the first letter “Q,” they couldn’t identify the long-running series “Quincy, M.E.,” highlighting a common trend of contestants faltering on relatively straightforward entertainment questions.
