‘Jeopardy!’: Fan-Favorite Comedian Faces Off Against Reigning Champion

[The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Friday, April 4, episode of Jeopardy!]

A Jeopardy! champion’s run came to an end after five games. He played against a famous comedian and a technology manager, who both correctly answered the final question. To end his journey, he wanted to thank his parents and Jesus, which he said during the interview round.

Bryce Wargin, from Kansas City, Missouri, has a four-day total of $70,199. He tried to get five wins under his belt so he could qualify for the Tournament of Champions on the Friday, April 4 episode, but his competitors were just too good. Mike Dawson, from Portland, Oregon, works in technology. Guy Branum, from West Hollywood, California, is a comedian and writer who has appeared on shows such as Last Comic Standing, Talk Show the Game Show, and the movie Bros, and served as a writer on multiple projects including Chelsea Lately and The Mindy Project.

Wargin, a post-market surveillance coordinator, didn’t have the best luck in the beginning. Dawson, who went to Scotland on a second date, correctly answered six questions before the first commercial break, while the other two men only answered three. Wargin also answered one question wrong. Dawson led with $5,000, Branum, whose real name is Mike, had $2,400, and Wargin trailed with $1,400.

 

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When the game show returned, Branum immediately found the Daily Double in the round. “In 2024, this 3-week competition began in Florence & for the first time in its history, ended in Nice, due to the Olympics,” the clue read. He answered, “What is Tour de France?” which was correct, doubling him up to $4,800.

By the end of the round, the comedian led with $6,800 and 11 correct responses. Dawson had eight correct answers and only trailed by $1,000, with a total of $5,800. Wargin, the reigning champion, answered eight questions right and two wrong to have a total of $3,400.

Wargin found both Daily Doubles in Double Jeopardy, but they hurt him more than helped him. The first one read, “A Simple Habana Melody by Oscar Hijuelos focuses on the rumba, but this other 5-letter dance is in the title of his best-known novel.” He didn’t know the answer, and having wagered all of his money ($3,400), he dropped down to $0. The correct answer was “mambo.”

The second DD brought his total back up a bit, but it still wasn’t enough to get him into first place. The clue read, “A flanking ‘bullhorn’ military technique helped give this leader dominance of his Zulu empire.” Wargin correctly answered, “Who was Shaka Zulu?”, adding $2,000 to his $800 bank.

At the end of Double Jeopardy, Dawson had $15,000. Barnum’s total was $10,800. Wargin only had $5,600. Dawson would have to wager a lot of money and get the Final Jeopardy question wrong in order for Wargin to win.

The Final Jeopardy question was in the category “The Nobel Prizes.” The clue read, “Only one man and one woman have won Nobel prizes in two different categories, with this category in common.” Wargin answered, “What is physics?” which was wrong. He wagered $5,599, leaving with $1. Both Dawson and Barnum answered correctly with “What is chemistry?” Barnum wagered $4,201, ending with $15,001. Dawson wagered $6,601, ending with $21,601, making him the night’s champion.

The two winners referenced in the final question were Linus Pauling and Marie Curie. Marie Curie’s prizes are in Physics and Chemistry, while Linus Pauling’s are in Chemistry and Peace.

Dawson will be back on Monday, April 7, for his second game, and face off against two new opponents. Wargin’s run has come to an end.