‘Jeopardy!’: Reigning Champ Faces a Tough Challenge From Former Reality Show Contestant

Management consultant Shaan Mirshra returned to defend his title of Jeopardy! champion after beating Tom Devil in last Friday’s showdown. The Carmel, Indiana, resident returns to the podium with a one-day total of $15,600. Will he add to his winnings, or will a new contestant steal his title?

On Monday, October 27, Mishra faced off against Morgan Walker, a marketing director from Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and Aaron Levine, a sports anchor from Seattle, Washington. If Levine looks familiar, it’s because he previously competed on the reality series Dream Job, where he came in second place.

Will they have what it takes to topple the champ?

Ken Jennings welcomed back Mishra and told the anecdote about the young contestant getting the call to be on Jeopardy! while he was on a 17-country backpacking trip. “Quite a Jeopardy! journey for Shaan so far,” commented the host.

Mishra started the game with “Rainforest Meet Desert” for $1,000, which offered the clue: “Much of Eastern Washington is deserty scablands; Out west, this rainforest-filled national park lies on the same-name peninsula.” Levine buzzed in first with the correct answer, “What is Olympic?,” giving him the lead.

Just two clues in and Levine found the first Daily Double of the game under “Final Resting Places” for $800. Wagering $1,000 on the clue, “Levallois-Perret Cemetery is where this civil engineer known as the ‘Magician of Iron’ came to rest after his 1923 death,” Levine got the right answer with Gustave Eiffel. With that correct answer, Levine was able to jump into an early lead.

By the first break, Levine was ahead with $4,400 and Walker was next with $2,000, while champ Mishra was in third with $1,800.

During the anecdote section of the game, Walker talked about her mountain home, where her neighbors are “a river, and a Wendy’s,” which makes her abode a favorite destination for the local bear population. Levine talked about his job as a local sportscaster, and how he was stoked with Jennings reposted one of his commentaries. And Mishra talked about his early entrepreneurial days, when he started a pop-up restaurant while in college that boasted a four-course tasting menu. “I think I set off smoke alarms in six different kitchens in my life,” said the champ. “But I accept no responsibility!”

By the end of the first round of Jeopardy!, Levine was in the lead with $7,200, champ Mishra was second with $4,000, and Walker was in third with $2,200.

In the Double Jeopardy round, Leven found the second Daily Double of the game in the category of “A Bit O’ Lit” for $1,600. The clue was: “A group of 10 young people head to a country villa to escape the plague afflicting Florence in this 14th-century work.” With a wager of $5,000 on his total of $9,200, Levine answered correctly, “The Decameron.” His total surged to $14,200, placing him well ahead of Walker, who had $2,200, and Mishra, whose total was $4,000.

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Just three clues later, Mishra found the third and final Daily Double under “Czech Yourself” for $1,600. The clue was, “If you’re gonna defenestrate, do it in Prague, site of them in 1419, 1483 & 1618, the proximate cause of this conflict.” Betting $4,000 against his $6,000 total, Mishra answered incorrectly with Crimean War (the correct answer was the Thirty Years’ War). This plummetted the champ to third place with a $2,000 total, as Walker had a pot of $2,2000 and Levine was in first with a healthy $15,500.

Going into Final Jeopardy, Levine was in the lead with $14,600, Walker moved to second with $10,200, and champ Mishra was in third with $4,800.

The Final Jeopardy category was “On The Map” with the clue: “An official American Viticultural Area spanning multiple states includes this eastern island where you’ll find the town of Chilmark.” Walker lost  with her answer, “What is Long Island?” She bet almost her entire pot with a wager of $10,198, leaving her with $2. Both Mishra and Levine got the right answer with, “What is Martha’s Vineyard?” Mishra bet $4,000, bringing his total to $8,800, which was not enough to hold on to his title as Levine wagered $6,000, marking his total at $20,600.

And with that, Jeopardy! has a new champion with Aaron Levine.

Jeopardy!, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock