Jeopardy! Wednesday May 8, 2024, Recap, Winner and Final Answer

Jeopardy! welcomed three new contestants on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Ben Mills, an operations director from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kelcy LópezFreeman, a hospital pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia, and Allison Gross, a data scientist from Cleveland, Ohio, all took to the stage to test their knowledge and quick-thinking skills.

The game kicked off with a variety of categories in the Jeopardy! round, including “Nursery Rhyme Characters,” “The Planets,” and “A Rapper’s Delight.” Allison Gross, a one-day champion with winnings of $9,599, started strong with a consistent performance in the first round, ending with a score of $4,400. Kelcy López Freeman gave Gross competition, matching her score dollar for dollar, while Ben Mills trailed behind with $2,000.

The Double Jeopardy! round introduced new categories such as “18th Century America,” “TV & Movie Moms,” and “Quarters.” Gross continued to showcase her knowledge, but a missed Daily Double opportunity in the “18th Century America” category cost her $4,000, allowing LópezFreeman to take the lead with $7,400. Mills struggled to gain momentum and lost $2,000 on a Daily Double, ending the round with $3,200.

Heading into Final Jeopardy!, the contestants were faced with a challenging clue in the category of “Rhyme Time: Opera Edition.” The clue pertained to an opera that tells the story of a duke, a jester, and the jester’s daughter. None of the contestants were able to provide the correct response, which was “What is the ‘Rigoletto’ libretto?“. Gross made a strategic wager, losing only $2,401, and secured her victory with a final score of $9,999.

The judges’ decision came under scrutiny in the TV & Movie Moms category when they initially accepted the response of “Roseanne Barr” for a clue about a sitcom character, which was later reversed. This reversal could have potentially changed the outcome of the game, as López Freeman may have entered the Final Jeopardy! round with a higher score, giving her a chance to overtake Gross with a small bet.

In the end, Gross emerged as the winner, adding to her previous day’s winnings for a two-day total of $19,598. LópezFreeman finished in second place with $4,800, and Mills took third place with $3,200.