Thursday, February 28, 2013 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

[Archivists]

Game Recap for Show #6554, 2013-02-28

CONTESTANTS
Twyla Dignan, a domestic goddess from West Linn, Oregon
Dean Flagg, a contracts assistant from Los Angeles, California
Sara Garnett, a graduate student of zoology originally from Okemos, Michigan (whose 1-day cash winnings total $25,601)

OPENING REMARKS
Alex: Hey Johnny, Thank you. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to our show. This has been a most exciting week here at Jeopardy!. We started, of course, with the culmination of our Tournament of Champions. Yesterday we said goodbye to a 5-time champion who left us having won $105,000. So we'll see him in next year's Tournament of Champions. And today we're happy to welcome back the young lady who defeated him, Sara, who picked up over 25 grand yesterday herself. Today she defends for the first time against our challengers Twyla and Dean. We welcome you aboard. We wish you all good luck, and we go to work right now in the Jeopardy! round. And here are the categories for you...

JEOPARDY! ROUND CATEGORIES
YOU KNOW, THE MOVIE WHERE... (5/5) (Alex: And we'll provide a little more information for you.)
SHAKESPEARE (5/5)
ON WHAT CONTINENT? (5/5)
CHEW, CHEW (5/5)
TRAINS (4/5, including 1 missed Daily Double)
"WEE"! (4/5) (Alex: (After announcing the category in a high-pitched voice) W-E-E comin' up in each correct response. I can't believe I said that.)

THE RIGHTS & THE WRONGS
Dean: 12 R, 1 W (including 1 DD)
Sara: 9 R (including 1 rebound), 1 W
Twyla: 7 R (including 1 rebound), 1 W

Clues revealed: 30
Triple Stumpers: 1
Jeopardy! Round Potential Lach Trash: $1,000



SCORES AT THE FIRST BREAK
Dean: $4,600
Sara: $2,200
Twyla: $1,000

CONTESTANT INTERVIEWS



Alex: We introduced Twyla Dignan as a domestic goddess whose husband said, "I think we should get married," and what was your response to him?

Twyla: Well, he didn't--my husband Todd, did not ask me a question. So I looked at him and said--he said, "Well?" And I said nothing, and I said, "I think you need to re-phrase it in the form of a question."

[Laughter]

Alex: Is he a big Jeopardy! fan also?

Twyla: He is.

Alex: Alright. Is he a better player than you?

Twyla: No, he isn't.

Alex: OK. Good for you, you're being honest with us.




Alex: Dean Flagg is a contracts assistant from Los Angeles. A practitioner of MMA. What is that?

Dean: That's Medieval Martial Arts.

Alex: Which means what?

Dean: We study the, uh, Kunst des Fechtens, which studies, uh, the Liechtenauer and Talhoffer manuscripts from 13th, uh, sorry, 14th and 15th century Germany. It's long sword, pollaxe, dagger...that sort of thing.

[Alex signals the audience and looks directly at the camera]

Alex: I didn't understand a word he said.

[Laughter]




Alex: Sara Garnett is from Michigan. This young lady won a medal in triathlon. Now Kelly Miahara, one of our Crew Clue, is a triathlete. You won a medal, and you're not even athletic. You can't cycle, and can you swim?

Sara: Um, well, I can swim, but yeah, I'm not really much of an athlete, and I actually can't ride a bike, but, um, a triathlon near us had an option to do it as a relay, where a different person would do each leg of the race, um, and they had a separate set of medals for the top three relay teams, and, uh, we managed to squeak in at 3 out of 6.

Alex: Well, good for you. Way to go.

JEOPARDY! ROUND DAILY DOUBLE
Dean found the Daily Double on the 24th clue. Sara had $3,400, Dean had $6,600, and Twyla was at $1,400. Dean wagered $2,000.

TRAINS $800: Chartered in 1859, the railroad we know by the names of these 3 places didn't get to the New Mexico capital until 1880
(Dean: What is the transcontinental railroad?)

TRIPLE STUMPERS IN THE JEOPARDY! ROUND
"WEE"! $1000: Mason was the first name of this parson & Washington biographer

SCORES AT THE END OF THE JEOPARDY! ROUND
Dean: $6,000
Sara: $4,000
Twyla: $2,400

[Archivists]

DOUBLE JEOPARDY! ROUND CATEGORIES
THE SPAIN! THE SPAIN! (2/5, including 1 missed Daily Double)
TV VILLAINS (5/5)
CLASSICAL MUSIC (5/5)
PARTY HOPPING (4/5, including 1 correct Daily Double)
YOU'VE GOT A DEAL (4/5)
RHYMING DICTIONARY (5/5) (Alex: Each correct response will rhyme with the word dictionary.)

THE RIGHTS & THE WRONGS
Sara: 10 R (including 1 DD), 0 W
Dean: 9 R, 1 W (including 1 DD)
Twyla: 6 R, 0 W

Clues revealed: 30
Triple Stumpers: 4
Double Jeopardy! Round Potential Lach Trash: $4,800



FIRST DOUBLE JEOPARDY! ROUND DAILY DOUBLE
Sara snagged the next Daily Double on the 5th clue. Sara had $5,600, Dean had $6,000, and Twyla was at $4,000. Sara wagered $2,000.

PARTY HOPPING $2000: This late Pennsylvanian, once a Democrat, was elected to the Senate for the GOP, then switched back in 2009

SECOND DOUBLE JEOPARDY! ROUND DAILY DOUBLE
It was Dean who snatched up the last Daily Double of the game on the 30th clue. Sara had $16,800, Dean had $16,400, and Twyla was at $8,400. Dean wagered $2,500.

THE SPAIN! THE SPAIN! $2000: After uniting their hearts, Ferdinand & Isabella united these 2 Spanish kingdoms in 1479
(Dean: Let's make it $2,500.)
(Alex: I thought you were about to say, "Let's make it a True Daily Double." You had my heart beating there for a moment.)
...
(Dean: What are León and Castile?)

TRIPLE STUMPERS IN THE DOUBLE JEOPARDY! ROUND
PARTY HOPPING $800: A Democrat as mayor, Norm Coleman switched parties & became a Republican senator from this state

YOU'VE GOT A DEAL $1600: Hedge fund investor Eddie Lampert arranged the 2005 marriage of Sears & this retailer

THE SPAIN! THE SPAIN! $800: He was criticized in 2012 for going on an elephant hunt during tough financial times

THE SPAIN! THE SPAIN! $1600: In 1508 this Spanish explorer settled Puerto Rico & was later named its governor

SCORES ENTERING FINAL JEOPARDY!
Sara: $16,800
Dean: $13,900
Twyla: $8,400

FINAL JEOPARDY! CATEGORY
THE UNIVERSE
(Alex: That narrows it down, doesn't it?)

VENUSIAN MONOLOGUES/MARTIAN CHRONICLES
First equals twice third with second crushing third.
Sara: Wager $11,000--wagering any more risks falling behind Twyla's wager of $2,600.
Dean: While a wager of all $13,900 may be a rational possibility (since it has the potential to tie Sara if you both get Final right), your more optimal choice is to wager $2,900. Don't fall into the trap of making the Four-fifths Rule wager of $5,801, because if Twyla wagers $2,600, you may fall behind, and in this case it's more important to stay ahead of Twyla than to reap the small benefit your 4/5ths position offers.
Twyla: Wager all $8,400 if you have confidence in your Final-solving abilities or Dean's wagering abilities. If neither, a wager of $2,600 is good for at least the extra prize potential of a second-place finish (if Sara misses Final) and can possibly score the win if Dean goofs in wagering. Importantly, this latter wager ties Sara should Sara wager $11,000 but give the incorrect response.

FINAL JEOPARDY! CLUE
In 2006 it was moved to a new list that includes Ceres & Eris

FINAL SCORES
Twyla: $8,400 + $0 = $8,400 (What is Pluto?) (3rd place: $1,000)
Dean: $13,900 + $12,500 = $26,400 (What is Pluto?) (2nd place: $2,000)
Sara: $16,800 + $11,001 = $27,801 (What is Pluto?) (2-day champion: $53,402)
(Alex: It's no longer one of the regular planets. It's now a dwarf planet.)

Total Potential Lach Trash: $5,800

GAME DYNAMICS


CORYAT SCORES
Dean: $18,400, 21 R, 2 W (including 2 DDs)
Sara: $16,800, 19 R (including 1 DD), 1 W
Twyla: $8,400, 13 R, 1 W
Combined Coryat: $43,600

BATTING AVERAGES
Dean: 22/60 = .367
Sara: 20/59 = .339
Twyla: 14/58 = .241
Team: 56/63 = .889

MISCELLANEOUS INTERESTING CLUES
ON WHAT CONTINENT? $800: Marie Byrd land
(Sara: What is Europe?)

ON WHAT CONTINENT? $1000: Mount Ararat
(Twyla: What is Africa?)
...
(Alex: [*], yes. It's in Turkey.)

TV VILLAINS $1600: Morena Baccarin played Anna, the leader of the reptilian aliens on this ABC series

CLASSICAL MUSIC $400: This Strauss composition made its debut in Vienna in February 1867

RHYMING DICTIONARY $1600: It's seen here, extra close up

CORRECT RESPONSES
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
Weems
(Arlen) Specter
Castile & Aragon
Minnesota
K-Mart
Juan Carlos
Ponce de León
Pluto
Antarctica
Asia
V
The Blue Danube Waltz
dromedary

[Golf]

That last DD was rife with interesting possibilities. Who thought Dean should have wagered 400? Who thought Dean should have wagered 8k and answered "Suck it Trebek?"

Milhouse, had the scores going info FJ been 16.8k, 16.8k, 8.4k, would you have wagered it all or nothing?

Had I been a contestant, I would have selected the last category in the first round ala Maxwell as often as possible!

[jeff6286]

The Universe
In 2006 it was moved to a new list that includes Ceres & Eris.

Spoiler: show

What is Pluto?

Sara Garnett: $16,800+$11,001=$27,801...now a 2-day champion with $53,402
Dean Flagg: $13,900+$12,500=$26,400
Twyla Dignan: $8,400+$0=$8,400

[dippy]

How much longer will we see milhouse win; can you at least give a hint as to how much total money she ended up winning?

[Golf]

You just got berated and forced to apologize for posting a huge spoiler in another game thread and now you're asking for someone to do the exact same thing? Keep your discussion in every game thread to that day's show only.

[dippy]

I'm so sorry; its just I'm anxious to see a man champion again.

[marpocky]

I'm so sorry; its just I'm anxious to see a man champion again.

Well, that's certainly not an answer that's going to regain you any fans. Wow.

[dippy]

I deeply apologize for all the rude comments, it will never happen again, I feel so upset about what I just did, I especially apologize to Sara for offended I may have just made her, I want you to win more Sara, I want you to break Ken Jennings record, ill be rooting for you to win a whole bunch

[Bamaman]

I'd have bet $8,000 on the DD without even thinking. If right, you have a big lead. If wrong (as I was), you have a lock tie going into FJ and a possible three way tie.

Instaget on FJ.

[hanzz]

Did someone feed the troll again?

[corvo]

That FJ was Kids Week level.

And what is up with dippy?

[xxaaaxx]

If anyone in the NYC area felt the earth shaking, and a loud, crazed voice screaming "400!!! 400!!!!!!", that was me, jumping and yelling at the TV like a madman. Sorry.

Second easy FJ in a row, I think I had it the second he said 2006.

Congrats on the 2nd win Sara/Milhouse!

[econgator]

If anyone in the NYC area felt the earth shaking, and a loud, crazed voice screaming "400!!! 400!!!!!!", that was me, jumping and yelling at the TV like a madman. Sorry.

Most of us were shouting that, too -- not that it mattered.

Congrats on #2, Sara!

[Bamaman]

I'm just glad they didn't ask for their new status, I was thinking "minor planet" and almost wrote that down until I figured out what they were going for.

And I was shouting "Eight thousand!!!!!!!!". I don't see the point of betting $400. If he bets $8,000, he comes back tomorrow unless the champ makes a really stupid FJ bet.

[DWS]

I thought the AT&T clue was potentially misleading; they announced the acquisition of T-Mobile, but the deal never ended up happening because the government blocked it. Of course, the rest of the clue (about the spokeswoman) made it an instaget.

On the last DD I would've bet $8K, creating a sizable lead on a correct response or a lock-tie situation on an incorrect response.

FJ was an instaget.

[lisa0012]

If anyone in the NYC area felt the earth shaking, and a loud, crazed voice screaming "400!!! 400!!!!!!", that was me, jumping and yelling at the TV like a madman. Sorry.

You and the rest of America (and Canada). His wager seemed random.

Also agree that FJ! was Kids' Week level, Teen at best.

Great game Sara!

[econgator]

And I was shouting "Eight thousand!!!!!!!!". I don't see the point of betting $400. If he bets $8,000, he comes back tomorrow unless the champ makes a really stupid FJ bet.

Then the scores would have been 16800/16800/8400. Why does that not make sense?

[Bamaman]

I was talking about if he misses the DD. I'm just saying the $8,000 bet puts him in better shape no matter if he gets the DD right or not.

[xxaaaxx]

Well, considering he missed a gimme DD (Castile + Aragon? Really?), maybe he should've bet 8000 after all (good ol' hindsight). Me, I'd rather take my chances on a DD in what had been an easy category. The fact that FJ turned out to be Kids Week level? C'est la vie. I'm sure someone can work out which wager was optimal.