Who won 'Jeopardy!' tonight? Richard Nguyen begins his streak in the game after defeating 12-day champ
Richard Nguyen shocked everyone when he defeated 12-day champion Adam Remsen on the final clue in Tuesday's episode of 'Jeopardy!' He is now back to create his own legacy, and competed against Robyn Masella, from Corvallis, Oregon, and Ben Crockett, from Laurel, Washington, in his second game. The research attorney came in strong right from the start. He buzzed in repeatedly, giving Masella and Crockett very little time to bounce back. The categories that the other two contestants even managed to get on the board turned out to be so difficult that they found themselves in the negatives for most of the first part of 'Jeopardy!'
By the time the first commercial break arrived (after 15 clues), Nguyen was in the lead with $4,000. Crockett was able to gather some momentum and stood at $800, while Masella found herself dead last with -$600. The second phase was no different as Nguyen maintained a chokehold on the game. Fortune also favored him, and he found a Daily Double on the first clue, right after the commercial break. The DD belonged to the category 'An Operatic Demise,' and Nguyen decided to bet almost all his winnings. He wagered $3,000, and his clue read, “In a Verdi opera, Radamès is condemned to be buried alive, & this heroine joins him in the tomb.” Nguyen wrote “Who is Aida?”, which earned him $7,000.
On the back of 14 correct responses, the returning champion had $8,400 in his kitty. Crockett showed some improvement, ending at $2,200 before beginning 'Double Jeopardy.' Masella remained at the bottom with -$600. She finally tasted some success with the fourth clue, worth $1,200, which got her to $600. On the next clue, the victim advocate discovered the game's second Daily Double. As per the rules, she could bet up to $2,000, and she did so. The DD belonged to the category, 'Word Origins,' and its clue read, “This word first appeared on 16th-century Dutch maps, has the name of a whirlpool in the Arctic Ocean.” She answered with “What is Bermuda?” which was incorrect. Unfortunately, this meant she was in a more dire position than before, dropping down to -$1,400.
Masella found another lifeline in the form of the third and last DD on the seventh clue. This DD belonged to the category 'Film & TV Cameos,' and again, she wagered $2,000. The clue read, “Martin Scorsese directed this De Niro film & makes a creepy cameo as a disturbed passenger plotting to harm his wife.” The correct answer was "What is Taxi Driver?" but she wrote, “What is Throw Momma From the Train?” As a result, her winnings dwindled to -$3,400. However, she did not give up and kept her head in the game. At the end, she was left with -$1,400, which meant she could not participate in 'Final Jeopardy.'
Nguyen maintained his dominance and entered 'Final Jeopardy' with a runaway lead of $18,000. Crockett, on the other hand, garnered $3,800 over the two rounds. The FJ belonged to the category, 'Names In Entertainment,' and the clue read, “Among his numerous accolades are 3 Tonys, 3 Emmys, 5 Grammys & a 2016 Pulitzer Prize.” It was Crockett who provided the correct response, “Who is Lin-Manuel Miranda?” He had wagered $2,200, which meant he walked away with $6,000. Nguyen lost $2,000, but walked away as the winner with $16,000. Nguyen will play his third game with a two-day total of $36,801.
