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'Jeopardy!' contestants stumble in final round, fans blame it on production: 'That's a really tough thing'

The clue was part of the final round and many fans were shocked by how unusual it was, despite its typical trivia nature

CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA: 'Jeopardy!' has been struggling all season with the permanent change in its co-hosts and the uncertainities surrounding its writing staff following the WGA strike that has brought Hollywood to a halt. A recent clue on the game show sparked conversation around contestants suffering becuase of 'Jeopardy!'s poor production. 

The clue was part of the Final Jeopardy round and many fans were shocked by how unusual it was, despite its typical trivia nature. Some fans took to Twitter to share their views and argue that the contestants failed to answer correctly because of the game rules. 

Final Jeopardy blunder

The Final Jeopardy round had the clue from the category "Numbers Old and New" and it said: "Expressed in today's numbers, it's the sum total if you add the 7 Roman Numerals together". As soon as host Ken Jennings announced the clue, the camera panned to the contestants doing calculations in their head. 

Only one contestant managed to answer correctly which was surprising given how easy the clue was. Taylor Clagett corrently wrote 1666 while retuning champ Nik Berry wrote 2166 and Ben Sasamoto wrote 666. Clagett managed to take the title of the champ in this episode. 

Fans find the clue 'too difficult' 

Several 'Jeopardy!' fans seem to belive that the clue was not appropriate for the show and tweeted explaining why as well. One fan wrote, "1 got it, but that's a really tough thing to add in 30 seconds with music playing." A fan found it difficult to solve the question themselves and while they managed to get it, it took them a lot longer. The fan wrote, "I did get Final #Jeopardy correct....but I admit, I did pause the TV to add up those numbers in my head...which took longer than 30 seconds." 

Another 'Jeopardy!' viewer also seemed to find the clue difficult but because of the way it was worded. They said on Twitter, "I found the wording of this question so confusing that I didn’t figure out what was being asked until Ken explained it afterward. And I’m not someone who is usually particularly obtuse." Another fan remarked on the WGA Strike, saying, "That was the most “we don’t have any more writers” Final Jeopardy ever." 

More fans were unhappy with the way this clue was made part of Final Jeopardy. One wrote, "This really should have been done only if they're allowed time with scrap paper." The viewers also acknowledged that the clue was easy but not appropriate for the stressful round of Final Jeopardy. One fan wrote, "Did not expect only one person to get final #Jeopardy correct. I guess the pressure got to them."