[The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Tuesday, March 18, episode of Jeopardy!]
Jeopardy! fans couldn’t believe that a question about a popular TV show was a triple stumper and in Final Jeopardy at that. Fans want to watch a show where everybody knows the name of Cheers.
Alex DeFrank from Brooklyn, New York, returned for his third game against two new opponents. The game show contestant’s two-day winnings total was $56,401. He faced Lily St. Laurent from Bakersfield, California, and David DeBacker from Ypsilanti, Michigan.
The first part of the game became a battle between DeFrank, an inventory specialist, and DeBacker, an architectural designer, as they went back to back correctly answering questions. Eight questions in, St. Laurent, a student assistant, buzzed in but she was wrong, so she dropped down to -$1,000.
During the interview round, St. Laurent shared that she had a very short spelling bee career in the fourth grade when she spelled the first word in the competition incorrectly. DeBacker said being on the game show is huge for him because his grandmom is obsessed with Jeopardy!, Alex Trebek, and Ken Jennings. His grandmother told him when she found out he got on Jeopardy! that she could “die happy now.” DeFrank, the returning champion, revealed that he also won Sports Jeopardy! 10 years ago.
St. Laurent was still in the hole until she found the first Daily Double of the game. She wagered $1,000, even though she had -$400. The clue in the category “Disney Villain” read, “‘The daughter of the great sea king is a very precious commodity.’” “Who is Ursula?” she answered, which was correct and gave her a total of $600.
By the end of the first round, DeFrank had $4,000. St. Laurent was in third with $600, and DeBacker led with $6,200.
About halfway through the round, DeBacker found the first DD of the game. In the category “‘Authors,” the clue read, “She worked as a journalist in Chile before she was forced to flee to Venezuela in 1975, her last name being a big problem.” “Who is Allende?” he answered correctly, adding $5,000 to his bank.
It was a tight game between DeFrank, who had $10,400, and DeBacker, who had $12,000 when DeFrank found the second DD. He wagered $6,000, which would put him in the lead if he got it correct. The clue read, “This cat burglar asset is also an attribute of the B-2 bomber.” “What is stealth?” he answered correctly, bringing his total to $16,400.
For the last few questions in the round, DeBacker was on a roll answering almost everyone, but it still wasn’t enough to catch up to DeFrank. He led with $25,200. DeBacker had $15,600, and St. Laurent had $2,200. Final Jeopardy! could change everything, but it also brought a shock to viewers.
The category was “Classic TV Shows.” “Posted over the door of this show’s setting was a notice reading, ‘Maximum Room Capacity 75 Persons,’” the clue read. St. Laurent wrote down, “What is a TV show I don’t know.” She wagered $2,198, giving her a final total of $2. DeBacker wrote down, “What is MASH?” which was also wrong. He wagered $11,111 and ended with $4,489. It all came down to DeFrank’s answer and wager. He also answered MASH. DeFrank wagered $6,001, giving him a total of $19,199, making him the night’s winner. The answer was “What is Cheers?”
This makes DeFrank a three-day champion with a total of $75,600. He will be back on Wednesday, March 19, to face two new opponents. DeFrank is the first three-day champion since the regular game show returned this year.
Reddit users were stunned that none of the contestants knew Cheers.
“Flabbergasted that FJ was a triple stumper,” one fan wrote.
“I’ve never seen Cheers, but I know about it through pop culture. It’s one of the longest-running and most popular shows of all time and is famously set in the titular bar,” said another.
“Hopefully they at least know Cliff Clavin,” wrote one Reddit user.
St. Laurent commented on the thread and explained why she answered the way she did. “Pop culture is probably my strongest forte, so when Classic TV Shows appeared as the category, I assumed I had it in the bag. My mind blanked when the clue appeared, and, although I’ve watched four or five seasons of Cheers, I couldn’t come up with the answer. I want to offer my sincerest apologies to Ted Danson, Shelley Long, and most importantly Cliff Clavin,” she wrote.
Jeopardy!, weekdays, check local listings
