Warning: This page contains spoilers for the September 25, 2023, game of Jeopardy! — please do not scroll down if you wish to avoid being spoiled. Please note that the game airs as early as noon Eastern in some U.S. television markets.
Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category Scientists) for Monday, September 25, 2023 (Season 40, Game 11):
A 1953 article by this pair says, “The specific pairing we have postulated… suggests a… copying mechanism for the genetic material”
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Colin Beazley, a private investment professional from West Palm Beach, Florida |
Jilana Cotter, a senior data analyst from Dade City, Florida |
Elaine Filadelfo, a consumer insights researcher from Washington, D.C. |
Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Week 3 of Season 40 begins with Week 3 of Second Chance; a third set of nine contestants return to the Alex Trebek Stage looking for a chance at becoming a Jeopardy! champion. Today’s three players are Elaine Filadelfo, Jilana Cotter, and Colin Beazley. Colin had the best statistics in their original games, but all three players played well in their first appearances. Absolutely anything could happen during Second Chance!
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There’s also some good news in the world of Jeopardy! — news last night from the WGA indicates that a tentative deal has been reached with the AMPTP, subject to drafting final contract language; it could still be up to two weeks before Jeopardy!‘s writers will be able to return to work. However, things are looking up!
(Content continues below)
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Correct response: Who are James Watson & Francis Crick?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2023 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
The article, published in April 1953 in Nature, was titled “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid”. (DNA is now generally known today as deoxyribonucleic acid.) Its authors were J.D. Watson & F.H.C. Crick, and it was the first publication of the famous double-helix structure.
It is well-known today that Rosalind Franklin did a major amount of generally uncredited work towards discovering the double-helix structure of DNA. Due to Franklin’s 1958 death, she was never awarded a Nobel Prize for her work. (Part of me is hoping that Ken makes a “cribbed Rosalind Franklin’s notes” joke on the show today, but I’m not holding my breath.)
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Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Monday, September 25, 2023 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: International Relations; Best Original Screenplay Oscars; What’s In That Chip; Shakespeare -Logues On; U.S. Capital Airport Codes; Fix The Malaprop)
Jilana doubled up on clue #9 through the Daily Double to hold the lead at both commercial breaks. Elaine was just behind, though!
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Jilana 6 correct 1 incorrect
Elaine 5 correct 0 incorrect
Colin 3 correct 0 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Colin definitely missed his Call because he’s a millennial and doesn’t pick up the phone.
Jilana was in an ultrasound appointment when she got The Call.
Elaine incorporates “story time” with her child into her preparation.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Jilana 12 correct 2 incorrect
Elaine 11 correct 0 incorrect
Colin 5 correct 0 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Jilana $7,000
Elaine $6,400
Colin $3,000
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: A Place In History; So That’s What Those Lyrics Say!; Indiana Wants You; French Literature; White House Pets; Farming Phrases)
Double Jeopardy saw both Elaine and Colin get to play a Daily Double. Unfortunately, the both lost a good amount of their score on incorrect responses. This allowed for Jilana to have a runaway going into Final!
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Jilana 20 correct 2 incorrect
Elaine 16 correct 2 incorrect
Colin 15 correct 4 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 0 (0 today).
Scores going into Final:
Jilana $17,800
Elaine $8,200
Colin $3,900
Everyone got Final—Jilana is a weekly finalist!
Tonight’s results:
Colin $3,900 + $0 = $3,900 (Who are Watson + Crick?)
Elaine $8,200 + $200 = $8,400 (Who are Watson + Crick?)
Jilana $17,800 + $1,000 = $18,800 (Who are Crick & Watson?) (Finalist)
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) WHAT’S IN THAT CHIP $1000 (clue #9)
Jilana 2600 +2600 (Elaine 2600 Colin 600)
2) A PLACE IN HISTORY $1600 (clue #3)
Colin 5000 -3500 (Elaine 6400 Jilana 7000)
3) WHITE HOUSE PETS $1600 (clue #10, $22800 left on board)
Elaine 8400 -3000 (Jilana 11400 Colin 300)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: -6
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Elaine 3 4 5 3
Jilana 4 3 4 5*
Colin 3
DJ! Round:
Elaine 3 4*
Jilana 3 4 3 2
Colin 2 3 4* 5†
† – selection in same category as Daily Double
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Jilana 3.50
Elaine 3.67
Colin 3.40
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 0 (0.00 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Jilana $16,200 Coryat, 20 correct, 2 incorrect, 35.09% in first on buzzer (20/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Elaine $11,200 Coryat, 16 correct, 2 incorrect, 24.56% in first on buzzer (14/57), 3/3 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Colin $7,400 Coryat, 15 correct, 4 incorrect, 29.82% in first on buzzer (17/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $34,800
Lach Trash: $9,400 (on 7 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $9,800
Player Statistics:
Elaine Filadelfo, career statistics:
34 correct, 4 incorrect
4/4 on rebound attempts (on 13 rebound opportunities)
27.19% in first on buzzer (31/114)
0/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$3,000)
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $13,700
Jilana Cotter, career statistics:
36 correct, 3 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 7 rebound opportunities)
29.82% in first on buzzer (34/114)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $2,600)
2/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $14,800
Colin Beazley, career statistics:
38 correct, 5 incorrect
3/3 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
31.58% in first on buzzer (36/114)
1/2 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$2,500)
2/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $12,000
Andy’s Thoughts:
- Today’s box score: September 25, 2023 Box Score.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Jilana $17,800 Elaine $8,200 Colin $3,900)
Elaine: Limit your bet to $399. (Actual bet: $200)
Jilana: Limit your bet to $1,399. (Actual bet: $1,000)
Colin: Bet whatever you like. (Actual bet: $0)
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tsk I’m ashamed to admit that I would not have remembered the names. They didn’t even ring a bell when I followed up on the Wiki article, despite them coming up in a Chris Pannullo game from last year. :p
I got this right away, although I just said “Watson & Crick”, without the first names. 1953 and “genetic material” gave it to me. I did know about Rosalind Franklin, but “this pair” left her out—again! I didn’t know that DNA once had a slightly different name—thanks, Andy. So—a good start to the week!
P.S. Judith P. On your 10:59 pm Saturday comment—my entry (last in order) at 7:55 am this Monday morning. (We seem to be at opposite ends of the clock!)
For those who watch “Jeopardy” on WABC TV (NYC)(Channel 7) you by now have noticed that the Monday September 25 episode was pre-empted for ABC TV Monday Night Football. The online schedule on the WABC website and the one on my Spectrum Cable tv show that this episode of “Jeopardy” will air tomorrow morning at 2:05 A.M. followed by Monday night’s pre-empted “Wheel of Fortune” episode at 2:35 A.M. If you are programming your tv
for either or both shows, I would set the end time for well after the scheduled end time as football coverage tends to run late….and everything following gets pushed back. Such was the case the last two Monday nights….Tuesday mornings.. when only
“Wheel of Fortune” was pre-empted on WABC. “Wheel” ran til nearly 4 A.M. last week. In any case, even with pre emptions, it’s good to have Channel 7 back….having Spectrum as my cable provider, I was without Disney (including ABC Network and Channel 7 locally) for a week and a half. Disney pulled all of its channels off of Spectrum, due to a contract dispute.
I got this one due to the genetic material that these scientists made back in 1953. Still though the DNA clue helped as well.
Stayed up late to watch this on channel 7 in New York, where it was pushed back by football. But they’re showing an old episode with Mayim instead. Any idea if they’ll show it at another time? Crazy that a major station in the number one market can’t do this right!
It is good news that the WGA action against the poduction companies is (tenatively) ovwe. I saw an article that seem to be inline with Andy’s analysis that “regular season” may not air until Feburary, even if (when) the writers return to work in a week, or, two, because of the Second Chance competitions, the “Champions Wild Card” competition, and, of course the T of C., not to forget the emount of time it take to create, and, verify, agme material.
From reading the answer, I understood the it was looking for the pair that “disocovered” DNA. Unfortunately, even if I has seen this game, I didn’t know who they were.
With the category being Science, I didn’t have to read past “A 1953 article by this pair…” before immediately thinking of Watson & Crick. I feel like this clue was a little too easy for FJ. Not surprised all three contestants came up with the correct response.
I’m glad Andy acknowledged Rosalind Franklin here. I wish that had been done on the show.
Interesting the FJ category was “Scientists” when they had one about a scientist just last week.
I am assuming maybe some of the “previously unused” questions came from when the writers had provided multiple clues under a single category and the show picked one of them at the time. If that can have been the case, I am wondering whether there is an element of choice in which one gets used (originally) or if they are chosen at random.
[I don’t mean specifically “chosen” for a specific episode, I just mean chosen to be put into an “FJ lottery” vs not used (rejected?).]