JEOPARDY!'s seemingly endless Champions Wildcard tournament has finally wrapped, ushering in the hotly anticipated Season 39 Second Chance.
Returning contestants Mike Elliott, Eva Thomas, and Jason Carpenter took the stage, hungry for redemption and a coveted Tournament of Champions spot.
Second Chance is the redemption round for players who fell short in the previous season, offering them another shot at glory and the prestigious $250,000 ToC.
The event marks a return to the norm for Jeopardy!, as the tournament was meant to kick off Season 40 before the WGA strikes.
It also introduced a glitzy new opening, featuring the venerable announcer Johnny Gilbert, 95, and a sneak peek behind the scenes.
Instead of the typical globe and stock images, fresh BTS shots showed the staff, judges' table, and Ken Jennings preparing to get to work.
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Mike, a meat cutter from New Hampshire, emerged as a fan favorite after carving into ToC frontrunner Cris Pannullo during his eighth of 21 wins last year.
However, his redemption arc hit a snag in Double Jeopardy! when a bold, all-in wager on a tricky "CORNERSTONES" clue led to an unexpected downfall.
Mike had $10,600, Jason $10,800, and Eva $5,000 as the clue read: "The cornerstone for this U.S. school's oldest building, the Wren building, was placed in 1695."
Mike guessed "Yale," only to be corrected with a somber "William and Mary" by the one-and-only host Ken, 49.
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FANS REACT: 'TOUGH BREAK FOR MIKE'
The shockwaves on social media were palpable, with fans expressing awe and sympathy for the courageous but unfortunate move.
One viewer wrote on Reddit: “Somebody sure did blow it."
Another fan wrote: “I applaud the boldness, but I wish players didn't feel like they need to just because it's the hot thing to do nowadays.
A third wrote: "I also said Harvard. Def a tough clue I would have lost a lot of money on.
A fourth penned: "Tough break for Mike," and one more argued: "That's more like an FJ clue than a middle of the board clue."
A fifth lamented: "Mike was who I wanted to see return the most, and while it’s sad to see he didn’t win, I respect the boldness in his DD2 wager."
Scores going into Final Jeopardy had Jason in the lead with $12,000, Eva with $5,800, and Mike trailing with $2,799.
The final question about "INVENTIONS" saw Jason and Eva correctly identifying "stethoscope," both wagering $0, securing Jason win and advancement.
FOOL THEM ONCE
Second Chance unfolds over four rounds until January 8 and heralds the return of fresh questions after months of recycled clues.
Second Chance was previously won by Rowan Ward, who stole the show last year.
Each round will consist of three opening matches and a two-day final.
The winner will pocket a $35,000 cash prize and progress to a brief Season 39 Wildcard (for last season's standout 1-2 day winners) starting January 9.
The two Wildcard victors will earn golden tickets to the Tournament of Champions, starting mid-February.
There, the big guns like Cris, Ray LaLonde, Ben Chan, and Hannah Wilson await.
In an unprecedented twist, all three-time champions from Season 39, including the infamous Yogesh Raut and Jake DeArruda, received invitations to the ToC, making it the largest contestant field ever with 27 slots.
The winner of the ToC nabs $250,000 and joins a short list that includes Amy Schneider and James Holzhauer.
The ToC victor will also get an invite to the next Jeopardy Masters in May, so fortune and perhaps even TV fame are at stake.
'NO LONGER HOSTING'
On Friday, the Jeopardy!-verse got a major shakeup: Mayim Bialik was let go, leaving former champ Ken as the sole host.
“Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!,” Mayim wrote in a statement on Instagram.
“I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Jeopardy! family.
For all of you who have supported me through this incredible journey and to the fans, contestants, writers, staff and crew of America’s Favorite Quiz Show, thank you.”
Jeopardy! confirmed the news on their official Instagram page an hour later.
Their statement read: "Mayim Bialik has announced she will no longer be hosting the syndicated [or nightly] version of Jeopardy!. We have made the decision to have one host for the syndicated show next season to maintain continuity for our viewers.
"And Ken Jennings will be the sole host for syndicated Jeopardy!. We are truly grateful for all of Mayim's contributions to Jeopardy!, and we hope to work with her in the future on primetime specials."
Mayim has since removed "co-host @jeopardy" from her Instagram bio.
In 2021, (and after a slew of guest hosts with disgraced EP Mike Richards named and un-named host), Mayim and Ken were tapped to host the game show through the calendar year.
The following summer Mayim and Ken were made the permanent hosts.
DECISION AXE-PLAINED
Jeopardy! shared in their statement that "maintaining continuity" for viewers by having one host was why Mayim, 48, was ousted.
However, entertainment journalist Matthew Belloni, a founding partner at Puck News, has claimed otherwise.
He shared in his weekly newsletter on Monday the three issues that left parent company Sony: "done with Mayim Bialik."
The report claimed: "Bialik’s actions during the strike were at least a contributing factor, according to three sources close to the show."
Mayim hadn't been on-screen since last May, walking out of all things Jeopardy! when the WGA went on strike, later citing solidarity for her union.
The report continued: "Sony TV executive Suzanne Prete and [Jeopardy!] executive producer Michael Davies were furious when Bialik said in May that she would step away from the final week of filming last season in solidarity with the show’s striking writers.
"After all, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune are well-oiled machines, requiring precise timing to make the show’s five-episodes-a-day schedule."
The report also highlights two additional factors influencing the decision.
First, Bialik's reception on set was less than favorable, and second, Sony had adjusted shooting schedules last season to accommodate her since-canceled Fox sitcom Call Me Kat.
"Bialik wasn’t loved on set," Puck News claimed, but did not specify further. "And Sony had switched up shooting that [previous] season to accommodate her sitcom."
With Hollywood's strikes in the rearview, Jeopardy!'s parent company allegedly planned to let her go at the start of Season 41.
"Sony recently informed her that her services won’t be needed next season.
"She was offered the chance to stay on for the rest of this season, but she said no thanks," the report claimed.
According to Puck News, the Big Bang Theory alum was pulling in an annual salary of $4 million.
Bialik’s compensation was allegedly set to increase by $1 million each year that she remained with the franchise.
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Puck News also noted that Ken is also making $4 million a year, although that number is expected to increase now.
The late Alex Trebek reportedly made $10M a year as host.
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