[Warning: The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Wednesday, November 12, episode of Jeopardy!]
Jeopardy! fans said that a contestant “ate the board” after their huge win. Fans went wild after the runaway.
Harrison Whitaker, from Terre Haute, Indiana, returned for his second game after defeating four-game champion, Allegra Kuney. He had a one-day total of $34,801. Whitaker, a researcher, played against Greg Saunders, from Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Lynette Perloff, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 12.
The game started well for Whitaker as he answered the first two clues correctly, which led him to finding the Daily Double on clue three. With $1,400 in his bank, he made it a true Daily Double. In “Playing a Classical Number,” the clue read, “This composer who raised the profile of English music made his Opus 33 in 1897 the patriotic-sounding ‘Banner of St. George.'” “Who is Holst?” he answered incorrectly. The correct response was Elgar. Whitaker dropped down to $0, making it an even playing field for everyone.
But that miss didn’t set him back. By the first commercial break, Whitaker had the lead with $6,600. During the interviews, Saunders, an insurance reinspector, revealed that his son, Brandon, was on the Teen Tournament many years ago.
By the end of the round, Whitaker had a huge lead of $11,000. Saunders was in second place with $2,200. Perloff, an assessment specialist, had $400.
In Double Jeopardy, Whitaker found the first Daily Double with $11,400. He wagered $4,600. In “Mashed-Up Play Titles,” the clue was “‘The Piano’s Black Bottom.’ “What are ‘The Piano Lesson’ and ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’?” he answered correctly, bringing him to $16,000.
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A few clues later, he found the last Daily Double. With $19,600 in his bank, Whitaker wagered $5,400. In “World Geography,” the clue read, “The borders of this capital city, the birthplace of Simón Bolívar, spill into the state of Miranda.” “What is Bogota?” he answered incorrectly. The correct response was Caracas. He dropped down to $14,200, but still kept a wide lead.
Whitaker had a runaway lead with $23,800 by the end of the round. Saunders maintained second place with $5,800. Perloff had $4,000.
The category for Final Jeopardy was “Businesses.” The clue read, “A 2018 book about this company, once valued at $9 billion, was titled ‘Bad Blood.'” The correct response was Theranos, and all three contestants got it right.
Perloff wagered $3,995, which gave her $7,995. Saunders wagered $2,001, which gave him a final total of $8,001. Whitaker wagered only $1,200, which gave him $25,000.
Whitaker had a two-day total of $59,801 and will return on Thursday for game three. Fans reacted to his incredible game on Reddit.
“Harrison ate the board today, but he’s apparently not a fan of Edward Elgar nor Simon Bolivar,” one fan wrote.
“I really like Harrison, if he gets better at the Daily Doubles, we might be seeing him a while,” said another.
“Huh, another potential ToCer? I’m thinking he’s gonna run the week, unless something radical happens tomorrow or Friday. I think his flaw is the Daily Doubles, if he ends up wagering high & getting one of those Daily Doubles, especially in Double Jeopardy wrong, that’ll be it for him,” a third added.
Jeopardy!, Weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock
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