On the Thursday May 30 episode of Jeopardy!, viewers were introduced to three new contestants: Sandee Baker, a real estate broker from Lake Tapps, Washington; Brad Miller, an IT director from Wentzville, Missouri; and Adriana Harmeyer, an archivist from West Lafayette, Indiana. Adriana was a one-day champion with winnings of $26,200.
The first round kicked off with an intriguing set of categories: “…But Who’s Countying?”, “Giving You the Third Degree,” “First Name’s the Same,” “Slanguage,” “We Have Food at Home,” and “Canon Events.” Adriana quickly took the lead, showcasing her geographic knowledge in the “…But Who’s Countying?” category. However, she stumbled on a Daily Double question in the same category, losing $2,000. Despite this setback, she maintained a strong position with a score of $4,600 at the first break, while Brad and Sandee trailed closely behind with $800 each.
As the game transitioned into Double Jeopardy!, new categories emerged: “Play Characters,” “Thanks a ‘Mill’-ion!,” “Glass,” “National Coats of Arms,” “Songs in the Key of Life,” and “Cannon Events.” Adriana continued to showcase her breadth of knowledge, further extending her lead with a correct response to the second Daily Double. This time, the category was “Play Characters,” and she identified the infamous Marquis de Sade as the answer. Brad, determined to close the gap, made a strategic wager on the third Daily Double, a question about national coats of arms, but it wasn’t enough to overtake Adriana’s commanding position.
Heading into Final Jeopardy!, Adriana held a substantial lead with $22,200, while Brad and Sandee scored $3,700 and $3,000, respectively. The final category, “American Banking,” proved to be a challenging one with the question “around 1930 a bank named for this N.Y.C.area known as a slum was the USA’s largest savings bank by total deposits”, as only Brad answered correctly with “what is the Bowery?”. Despite Adriana’s incorrect response, her smart wagering paid off, and she secured a two-day total of $46,200, once again claiming the champion title.
