‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Blast Show Over ‘Absurd’ Ryan Seacrest Question

Jeopardy! viewers had a lot to say about the Thursday, July 3 episode, particularly when it came to a specific question about Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest.

The episode saw Jason Singer, a real estate agent from Portland, Maine, return to the Alex Trebek Stage looking for his third win. After a 13-game streak of one-day champions, Singer was the first contestant since mid-June to win more than one episode.

Singer faced off against Scott Riccardi, an engineer from Somerville, New Jersey, and Katy Doll, an instructor of American studies originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. The game started evenly between Singer and Riccardi, whose scores were tied at $3,200 each at the contestant interviews stage of the episode.

However, it was during this first round that fans took issue with a particular clue under the “Dropouts” category. The $600 clue read: “It was Seacrest out of this state university in 1992; that didn’t stop Ryan from getting a hosting job or 2.”

The question stumped the players (the answer was University of Georgia) and annoyed the viewers, with one Jeopardy! Reddit user writing, “Is there a particular reason we should know the school from which Ryan Seacrest was a dropout?”

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“Came to ask about that absurd Ryan Seacrest question too lmao like… he’s not Michael Jordan or… literally any athlete where they famously go play at a college and it’s mentioned or something lol,” said another. “How in the world is anyone supposed to know where Seacrest went and if it’s a 600 dollar question without a single hint/clue in the question?”

Another defended the question, saying, “Some people just know some things. That’s the game: what has the lint roller in my head picked up over the years?”

One commenter responded, “True, but Jeopardy! clues are supposed to help you get there, and usually the information conveyed is somewhat interesting. They just don’t want a random fact about a random celebrity that has no particular point of interest. If the whole show was like that it would be boring as hell.”

“Evidence would indicate more people are interested in Ryan Seacrest than Ken Jennings. (Not me. More…other people.),” quipped another.

Another said, “I guess no one here watches Wheel of Fortune? This isn’t a remotely analogous example. Seacrest mentions he’s from Georgia several times a week, on air. Ken doesn’t personally inject himself into the show on anywhere close to this level. Is the Georgia thing an “interesting” factoid? Maybe not, but there’s no question it’s common knowledge for even the most casual viewer.”

Seacrest began hosting Wheel of Fortune last year following long-time host Pat Sajak‘s retirement. Wheel is Jeopardy!‘s sister show and films in the studio next door, which is why some fans think the clue was included in the episode.

“I think y’all are way over thinking this. This is just throwing a bone to Jeopardy‘s sister show,” explained one Reddit user. “A lot of people watch both J! and WoF. And anyone who’s been watching Wheel since Seacrest took over will instantly know about his Georgia connection. He talks about it all the time, and is constantly trash talking with any contestant who comes from another SEC state.”

As for the rest of the episode, things remained close between Singer and Riccardi, with only $400 separating them going into Final Jeopardy. At the end of Double Jeopardy, Singer led with $17,000, while Riccardi followed closely behind with $16,600, and Doll trailed with $5,600.

Unfortunately for Singer, he wasn’t able to make it three wins in a row after another pop culture question stumped him. The Final Jeopardy clue read: “‘Lord of the Flies’ inspired this series as did the 1994 film ‘Heavenly Creatures,’ which starred one of the show’s actresses.”

Singer, like many viewers, incorrectly guessed ABC’s Lost. The correct answer was Paramount’s Yellowjackets, which both Riccardi and Doll figured out. Singer ended up finishing last after wagering almost his entire amount. Riccardi, who YouTube commenters said looked like Henry Winkler‘s Fonzie, won with $17,600, while Doll finished second with $7,200.

“I had the same response as Jason for Final. I’m vaguely aware of the existence of Yellowjackets only because it gets such an inordinate amount of hype for what is apparently a premium cable knockoff of Lord of the Flies and Heavenly Creatures,” said one Reddit commenter.

Another added, “I was proud of myself for thinking it was Lost.”

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“Partner got it because of the Melanie Lynskey connection. I would have said Lost…,” added another.

“I have heard of Yellowjackets, but it was a hard pass for me. A bit too out there for me,” said one Facebook user.

“Nope had no idea. We said Lost,” another wrote.

What did you think of Thursday’s episode? Did you get the Seacrest and Yellowjackets questions correct? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.