‘Jeopardy!’: Did James Hirsh Qualify for the Tournament of Champions?
Spoiler Alert
Did James Hirsh secure his fourth Jeopardy! win and qualify for the Tournament of Champions, or did another contestant ruin his streak? The game was decided on a Jim Crow question.
Hirsh came into this game with a three-day total of $67,148. If he wins game four, the lawyer automatically advances to an upcoming TOC.
On Friday, February 27, Hirsh, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, played against Tim Leung, from Fitchburg, Wisconsin, and Diana Miller, from Richmond, Virginia. Leung, a technical trainer, is no stranger to game shows. He has been on The Floor, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and Trivial Pursuit, according to IMDb. Warning: Spoilers for the February 27 episode of Jeopardy! ahead!
Host Ken Jennings shared at the beginning of the show that Hirsh told him he had two plans for his winnings — pay down the mortgage and take his family to Disneyland.
The beginning of the game started off as an even playing field for all three contestants. Miller, an attorney, found the Daily Double on clue 14 with $3,000 in her bank. She was in second place and wagered $2,000.
In “In The State Capital,” the clue read, “Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.” “What is Annapolis?” she answered correctly. She moved into the lead with $5,000.
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Hirsh took a bit of a lead during the rest of the round, but Miller tied for the lead of $6,200 on the last clue of the round. Leung had $3,000.
In Double Jeopardy, Miller found the first DD on clue two. She had the lead of $7,400 after answering the previous clue correctly. Miller wagered $2,600 in “Dirty Words.” The clue was “This word once meant a filthy hotel, but can also refer to a person or, more recently, to an Emmy-winning series.”
“I don’t know,” she answered. The correct response was Fleabag. Miller dropped down to second place with $4,800. Hirsh had $6,200.
It was a battle for first place between Hirsh and Miller throughout the rest of the round. She quickly moved into first after three more clues, but then Hirsh retook the lead. This repeated until the next DD was found.
Hirsh found it on clue 19. He had a lead of $12,200, and he wagered $3,000. In “American Art & Artists,” the clue was “This Brooklyn-born artist with an all-too-short career first attracted attention for his graffiti, done under the name SAMO©.”
He answered correctly with “Who is Basquiat?” This gave him even more of a lead with $15,200. Hirsh ended the round with $16,400.
Miller was in second place with $11,600. Leung had $9,800.
The category for Final Jeopardy was “Companies.” The clue read, “Historian Louis Hyman wrote this company’s sales method undid the power of the ‘consumerism of Jim Crow.'” Crow was a fictional character and a law from the 1830s that became the nickname for America’s legal system of apartheid, enforced from the late 19th century until the 1960s.
The correct response was Sears, and only one contestant got it right. Leung’s response was “What is ?? Thanks, everyone.” He wagered $0, giving him a final total of $9,800. Miller’s response was, “What is Sears and Roebuck?” She wagered $4,799, making her final total $16,399. Hirsh’s response was “What is Coca-Cola?” He wagered $6,818, making his final total $9,582.
This ended Hirsh’s streak. Miller will return for game two on Monday, March 2.
Jeopardy!, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock
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