‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Debate Ken Jennings’ ‘Bad’ Call & Confusing Final Jeopardy! Clue
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the October 7 episode of Jeopardy!]
It’s not uncommon for Jeopardy! fans to find reasons to debate a call or the way a clue is worded, and in the latest episode, which aired on Monday (October 7) night, both happened.
Returning champ Mark Fitzpatrick, a content manager from Riverside, Connecticut, with a one-day total of $30,401, faced off against Amanda Prusila, a communications advisor from Ottawa, Ontario, and Daniel Gately, a teacher from Tucson, Arizona. Fitzpatrick led at every break, eventually going into Final Jeopardy! with a runaway game ($23,400 to Gately’s $4,200 and Prusila’s $600).
During the game, there were multiple instances in which host Ken Jennings asked for a contestant to be “more specific” with an answer—before one time that fans expected him to say the same to Fitzpatrick and he didn’t. The $1200 clue under National Historical Parks read, “The Hereford cattle on the ranch of this president’s historical national park are descended from his registered herd.” Fitzpatrick answered with “Who is Johnson?” and Jennings told him, “Yes, LBJ’s right.” But at least one fan wasn’t happy about that.
“Bad decision by Ken to rule ‘Johnson’ correct on NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARKS $1200 without a ‘be more specific’ prompt — there were two Presidents with that surname, after all,” one viewer wrote on the Reddit thread for the episode, referring to Lyndon B. Johnson and Andrew Johnson. Another chimed in in response with, “From what I can tell, this is now standard practice. Might be a Davies thing.”
But as one person pointed out, “I get we had two presidents named Johnson, but a cattle ranch is pretty obviously LBJ so let’s not waste time on a BMS.”
Fans were also a bit miffed by the Final Jeopardy clue. In Brand Names, it read, “In 1886 this brand’s bookkeeper came up with its name & flowing script logo, saying, ‘the two Cs would look well in advertising.’” The person who put together the Reddit thread said it was “astonishingly” a triple stumper; Fitzpatrick and Prusila guessed Coco Chanel, while Gately wrote down Currier. The correct answer was Coca-Cola. Fitzpatrick became a two-day champ, adding $20,000 to his total.
Another fan also was shocked by the fact that no one got Final Jeopardy. “Bit of a stunning triple miss on FJ — the only thing I can think of is eliminating Coca Cola because it has 3 C’s, but that doesn’t hold up with the Coco Chanel guess. Either way, pretty dominant win for Mark,” the person wrote. The wording bothered another viewer, who explained, “I initially thought coca cola but the clue threw me off because I thought the correct answer could only have 2 ‘C’s’.”
But for a couple of people, it wasn’t that difficult. “FJ was so easy. I can’t believe no one got it,” one wrote, and another agreed in a reply.
What did you think of the aforementioned ruling and wording from this episode? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Conversation41 Comments
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Comments are closed on this story.
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S
The answer has been on the history channel, foods that built America and many more outlets. The biggest part of the clue was the “flowing script” logo.
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O
Right! And Chanel has always been all caps in block letters
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G
My son and I were both watching and both had the correct answer immediately. The question didn't seem confusing at all.
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O
Me too.
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B
All the answers are easy. It’s the questions that are tough
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R
If you haven't noticed over the last decade, people aren't gaining knowledge like they used to. That was the easiest FJ I have EVER seen and no one got it right. The criticisms mentioned above are indicative of people who overthink and underknow. Coco Chanel also has three "c's" for heaven's sake.
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O
So does coca cola
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R
Didn't the clue say something about "swirling c's" (or something to the effect). To me, Coca Cola was the only answer based on that. I thought about Channel but I then thought 1886 was much too early.
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R
Only 2 Cs are part of what they were talking about. That there is another C is irrelevant.
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B
I thought Coca Cola was obvious. The Cs in Coco Channel aren't flowy
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O
You should see her Channel.
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G
I knew the answer almost immediately. The two C's, would either begin and end the brand's name or the brand had two parts that start with C's. "Flowing script" was indeed the key. Each of the C's in Coca-Cola has a very long tail. That flowing script has stood the test of time and is just as appealing today as it was in 1886. You over thought the clue if you thought the answer could only have two C's. Jeopardy is usually extremely clear when rules like that apply to the clue. That was a lame excuse. Come on, nothing was confusing about that final Jeopardy question.
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C
I knew the answer to the final immediately? When Prysila revealed her answer, I thought, "good guess, but wrong.
I can't believe NO ONE got it right!
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R
The acceptance/assumption of "Johnson" was a mistake. The FJ was as easy as it gets---although the "clue" was grammatically incorrect, as "well" should have been "good."
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P
The use of the word “well” may have been grammatically incorrect, but not a mistake by the writers as it was part of a direct quote.
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G
Considering the National park service didn’t exist before 1916,(long after Andrew Johnson)The only correct Johnson would be Lyndon Baines.
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G
To me both the date and flowing script were the clues that made it easy for me.
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R
Some people need to get a life.
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O
E.g. @Randall Smith
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P
I think these people need to get a life. I can't believe people are wasting so much time on a subject that doesn't amount to hill of beans in the grand scheme of things!! WHO CARES??!!!
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C
I think they should always show the countdown lights when a person is thinking of the answer to a question. Some responses seem to take a long time.
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G
I think final jeopardy that they wanted two words that begin with a C. Honestly was a bit shocked none of the contestants got it. I think the date should have helped also.
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R
Aren't each of the 12 stars on the E Union
Flag representing a political unit?
I thought question misleading
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O
Knowing history of Coca-Cola, I knew answer from the date. And script made it more obvious to me.
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S
I thought the same thing at first about Johnson - cattle = LBJ. Then I remembered a much more pertinent consideration - national parks didn't exist in Andrew Johnson's time. So the matter is moot.
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O
What made it a no- brainer for me was the date - 1886. Duh ?
Coco Chanel obviously a ridiculous answer. Currier - one C ? But I understand saying something when it's not coming.
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E
They need to fire Ken Jennings!!!
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B
Andrew Johnson was a Tailor from Tennessee.
Not many Cattle Ranches there. Stop with the nit-picking and just enjoy the show.
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O
Two Cs, as in the initial letter of two words. Coca Cola was obvious
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E
they seriously need to fire ken jennings!!!
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B
Isn't it common knowledge that Jeopardy accepts Last Names only? For decades? No National Park Service during Andrew Johnson's lifetime.
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G
Seem like Jennings in very inconsistent w/ rulings.
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R
I got FJ pretty quickly, but had no idea LBJ was a cattleman.
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P
LBJ is from Texas where either you are a cattle baron or an oil baron.
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P
Pick, pick, pick. Love these 'couch judges.'
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R
It's OK to notice inconsistency in the judging. It seems to be happening a lot these days.
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R
Unbelievable that none of them got Final. 😳
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O
Well, I thought it was so easy that everyone would get it.
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L
OK, I'm not a fan of the couch judges that TV Insider seems to depend on for Jeopardy! headliners, however, I agree with those pointing out disparities in Ken's calling for a contestant to "be more specific" because the core reason for the request is based on the premise that what may be "obvious" to one person may not be "obvious" to another. We should not assume such, thus, the reason for asking to be more specific in certain responses, i. e. Lyndon and Andrew. Unless you have the scholarly historical knowledge of U. S. presidents (that a lot of couch judges do not - like myself), you cannot assume that Andrew Johnson could not have had a national park nor Hereford cattle descended from his herd. Assumptions are what the rulings are meant to discredit. IMO, Ken should have asked to be more specific on that one. One other glaring "miss" for me is that Gately said he has been told he resembles Elton John - WHAAAAT???!!! If anyone, he resembles a version of Justin Timberlake. Anyone else?
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O
The moderator, Ken. Should not be allowed to make a ruling. He's as bad as NFL refs.
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B
He doesn't get make the final ruling. The judges will often correct him.
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