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Who won ‘Jeopardy!’ tonight? One brilliant move shakes up Adam Remsen’s quest for second straight win

Adam Remsen returns to face off against Sue Barndt and Benjy Malings on Monday’s episode of ‘Jeopardy!’.

Attorney and theater producer Adam Remsen returned to Monday's episode of 'Jeopardy!' to win his second game in a row. Fans were eagerly waiting for Monday's episode, hoping it would finally get a repeat winner after four single-day champs. In this episode, Remsen faced off against Sue Barndt, a professor from Claremont, California, and Benjy Malings, an attorney from Los Angeles, California. Throughout the episode, Remsen faced an uphill battle from both competitors. He could not detect any of the Daily Doubles (DD) and had to rely on traditional clues to make his way through. Ultimately, it all came down to the Final Jeopardy (FJ).

All three contestants spoke about their love for 'Jeopardy!' during the show. Malings revealed that he incorporated his love for 'Jeopardy!' even in his wedding, with a trivia game for everyone. Barndt informed that her household is currently full of "competitions" because of her 'Jeopardy!' participation and her kids' upcoming appearance in the World Scholars Cup. Remsen shared that last week's runaway win felt good and then added, "What I remember from it," referring to the fast-paced nature of the show. The host, Ken Jennings, agreed with him, having gone through the mind-blowing pace of the competitions in his 74 consecutive wins. This episode also featured Tom Hanks and Tim Allen from 'Toy Story 5' as guest stars.

Malings kickstarted the game by buzzing in on the $800 clue from the category 'Begins Like a Month.' The clue read, "These percussion instruments are made of hollow gourds or synthetic shells filled with seeds, beads, or similar materials." The attorney answered, "What are maracas?" which was deemed correct. He also discovered the first round's DD on clue number 11. It belonged to the category 'The 1930s,' and its clue read, "Marguerite Perey discovered this element in 1939 but had to wait a little while to name it for her homeland." He responded, "What is germanium?" which was incorrect. He had bet $1,400 on this DD and hence dwindled to $2,200.

By the time the first commercial break arrived (after clue 15), Remsen had shot ahead with $4,000 in his kitty. He gained the lead over Malings on clue 15, from the category 'TV: Who Said It?' which read, "Lemon, the grown-up dating world is like your haircut: Sometimes, awkward triangles occur." Remsen correctly responded, "Who is Jack Donaghy?" Malings followed him with  $1,200, and Barndt stood in third spot with $600. From this point on, Remsen maintained an iron grip on the top spot throughout the round. He finished the round with $7,400, followed by Malings with $1,600 and Barndt with $1,000. The professor did not have a gala time during the first round, but got her moment in the spotlight when she buzzed in correctly for the 'Toys Old & New' category, for which Hanks and Allen came to the show.

In 'Double Jeopardy' (DJ), Brandt got the opportunity to reverse her fortunes when she found a DD on the first clue itself, which came from the category '8-Letter Cities.' She had $1,000 to her name and decided to wager $2,000. The clue read, "Check out the nightclub Meca for dancehall music in this world capital." The professor answered, "What is Riyadh?" which was wrong. She dwindled to -$1,000 and never covered. Malings found the last DD and bet $2,500 from his kitty worth $2,800. The clue read, "A musical from 2017: Jenny Lind, Chang & Eng." He answered  'La La Land.' The correct response was 'The Greatest Showman,' which brought him down to $300. 

Even after the DD mishaps, Malings did not give up and turned in one correct response after another, reaching close to Remsen. The returning champion also put his best foot forward and made sure that Malings did not get too close. The second round closed with Remsen at $14,600 and Malings at $7,900. These standings implied that with the right wager in 'Final Jeopardy,' Malings still had the chance to walk away as the winner. Brandt was no longer in contention due to her negative score. The FJ was from the category 'Unlikely Authors,' and its clue read, "Set around Tikrit, Zabibah & the King is a historical romance novel from 2000 attributed to this man." Only Remsen provided the correct response, "Who was Hussein?" He had wagered $1,201, bringing his total to $15,801 and ensuring his return for his third game on Tuesday. 'Jeopardy!' is a syndicated program that streams on Hulu and Peacock.