Are you looking for today’s Jeopardy! UK recap? Check that out here!
Are you looking for today’s Celebrity Jeopardy! recap? Check that out here!
Warning: This page contains spoilers for the January 2, 2024, 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 Landmarks) for Tuesday, January 2, 2024 (Season 40, Game 82):
During Pope John Paul II’s 1987 visit to Los Angeles, pranksters covered up this letter in a local landmark
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Michael Cavaliere, a consultant from New York, New York
|
Sharon Bishop, a high school Spanish teacher from Pawtucket, Rhode Island
|
Sophia Weng, a senior social studies major at Harvard College from Chevy Chase, Maryland
|
Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
In what will be the second of three games airing today for the hardcore Jeopardy! fan, after Jeopardy UK earlier in the day and the first Celebrity Jeopardy semifinal later at 8:00 (7:00 Central) tonight, we have the first semifinal of Week 3 of Winter 2024’s Second Chance today. This match today is between Michael Cavaliere, who came within a Final Jeopardy of beating Yogesh Raut, Sharon Bishop, who very nearly beat Lucas Partridge in the Season 39 finale, and Sophia Weng, who was unable to take part in the 2023 High School Reunion Tournament. I also felt safe in predicting Michael to win this one, as I think he’s the strongest of the three players in this one. However, I should point out that I do think anything can happen; the games are played out in actuality (as opposed to “on paper”) for a reason.
As I said in the preview, Sharon is a rare instance of someone not winning a regular game of Jeopardy and getting a return appearance on the show before the person who beat them, at least in “Jeopardy Production Time”. (If you count “Jeopardy Air Time”, 5-time champion Paul Glaser lost on the Friday immediately before the 2007 Tournament of Champions to Kyle Brittain, but got to compete in that 2007 ToC before Kyle attempted to defend his title.)
Another reminder that I have started a Sunday mailbag column where I answer fan & viewer questions regarding the show. If you have a question, feel free to send it to mailbag@thejeopardyfan.com!
(Content continues below)
My friends over at Geeks Who Drink have introduced a daily trivia game—Thrice! Existing to make daily clever trivia content accessible to a wide audience, it's a daily challenge that tries to get you to the answer via three separate clues. It has a shareable score functionality to challenge your friends and new questions every day will give you a new daily social ritual. You can find it at thricegame.com.
Are you going on the show and looking for information about how to bet in Final Jeopardy? Check out my Betting Strategy 101 page. If you want to learn how to bet in two-day finals, check out Betting Strategy 102. In case the show uses a tournament with wild cards in the future, there is also a strategy page for betting in tournament quarterfinals.
Are you looking for information on how to stream Jeopardy! in 2024? Find out information here on how to stream from most places in North America!
Do you appreciate the work I do here on The Jeopardy! Fan? Would you like to make a one-time contribution to the site? You may do so here!
You can find game-by-game stats here at The Jeopardy! Fan of all 17 players, now including Adriana Harmeyer, that have won 10 or more games on Jeopardy!
You can now listen to Alex Trebek-hosted Jeopardy! episodes from TuneIn Radio without leaving The Jeopardy! Fan — listen now!
Correct response: What is L?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2024 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
An unfortunate result of the last game of a tape day airing on a Monday and the first game of the next tape day airing on a Tuesday, we have identical categories in Final Jeopardy two days in a row. I feel as though the show shouldn’t have done this, if only because it looks really weird to the viewer at home—and as I’ve said many times over the years, Jeopardy! is as much a game for the viewer at home as it is for the players in studio.
On to the topic of this Final Jeopardy, for the Pope’s visit to Los Angeles in September 1987, nine pranksters took it upon themselves to change the famed HOLLYWOOD sign in the city to read HOLYWOOD.
According to a UPI article, city officials were not pleased—they were worried about safety in the area and that one of the pranksters would have been injured in attempts to reach the sign.
As it turned out, city officials did not permit the Pope to see the sign read HOLYWOOD; the missing L was restored hours before the Pope’s motorcade went through Los Angeles.
We have many new offerings at The Jeopardy! Fan Online Store! Here are our current featured items, including our new Masters Season 3 Player List T-shirt:
Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Tuesday, January 2, 2024 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: At The Museum; Stocks & Investments; Geography Test; Concert Tours; Close Encounters; The Charles III Kind)
It was Michael got off to the best start in today’s game, picking up $6,400 before the first commercial break! He found the first Daily Double and went surprisingly conservative with it—maybe he thought he was dominating and didn’t want to give an opening. As it was, Michael got to five figures by the end of the round.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Michael 8 correct 0 incorrect
Sharon 3 correct 0 incorrect
Sophia 4 correct 1 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Michael created a very sad music playlist after his first appearance.
Sharon hasn’t heard from Barry Manilow since her first appearance.
Sophia is still directing talent show and now directs drag shows.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Michael 11 correct 0 incorrect
Sharon 5 correct 0 incorrect
Sophia 9 correct 1 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Michael $10,000
Sharon $3,400
Sophia $2,400
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: What’s “New”?; Those Who Celebrate; Let’S Talk Astronomy; Child Performers; All The World’s A Shakespeare Stage; Historic Lasts)
Sophia found the first Daily Double immediately—and then went conservative. She then went into the same category, gave up control to Michael—who then proceeded to find the last one, going a little bit conservative again. From there, Sophia did just well enough to ensure that Michael didn’t have a runaway going into Final!
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Michael 25 correct 0 incorrect
Sophia 18 correct 1 incorrect
Sharon 9 correct 1 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 0 (0 today).
Scores going into Final:
Michael $28,800
Sophia $14,600
Sharon $5,800
Only Sharon got the correct letter as Sophia misunderstood the Final Jeopardy! Clue! Heartbreak for Sophia as Michael advances to the final!
Tonight’s results:
Sharon $5,800 + $1,000 = $6,800 (What is L?)
Sophia $14,600 – $14,201 = $399 (What is the Hollywood sign?)
Michael $28,800 – $500 = $28,300 (What is O?) (Finalist)
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) THE CHARLES III KIND $800 (clue #16)
Michael 6400 +2600 (Sophia 1000 Sharon 1400)
2) ALL THE WORLD’S A SHAKESPEARE STAGE $1600 (clue #1)
Sophia 2400 +1400 (Sharon 3400 Michael 10000)
3) LET’S TALK ASTRONOMY $1200 (clue #3, $32000 left on board)
Michael 11200 +4800 (Sophia 3800 Sharon 3400)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 142
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Sophia 3 2 3 3 4
Sharon 1 1 2
Michael 5 4 5 4 4 5 3 4*
DJ! Round:
Sophia 4* 3†
Sharon
Michael 3*
† – selection in same category as Daily Double
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Michael 4.11
Sharon 1.33
Sophia 3.14
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:
Michael $23,400 Coryat, 25 correct, 0 incorrect, 38.60% in first on buzzer (22/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
Sharon $5,800 Coryat, 9 correct, 1 incorrect, 17.54% in first on buzzer (10/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 1 rebound opportunity)
Sophia $14,800 Coryat, 18 correct, 1 incorrect, 31.58% in first on buzzer (18/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 1 rebound opportunity)
Combined Coryat Score: $44,000
Lach Trash: $7,400 (on 8 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $2,600
Lead Changes: 1
Times Tied: 0
Player Statistics:
Sophia Weng, career statistics:
32 correct, 5 incorrect
0/0 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
29.82% in first on buzzer (34/114)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $1,400)
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $10,800
Sharon Bishop, career statistics:
29 correct, 5 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
24.56% in first on buzzer (28/114)
1/2 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $0)
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $12,200
Michael Cavaliere, career statistics:
50 correct, 5 incorrect
3/3 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities)
39.47% in first on buzzer (45/114)
4/5 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $10,600)
0/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $21,800
Andy’s Thoughts:
- The problem with watching both UK and US versions back-to-back: you get really confused when clues about Twelfth Night shows up on both on the same day!
- Today’s box score: January 2, 2024 Box Score.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Michael $28,800 Sophia $14,600 Sharon $5,800)
Sophia: If Michael misses Final and bets to cover, he falls to $28,399. Thus, bet at least $13,800. (Actual bet: $14,201)
Sharon: Limit your bet to $5,000 or less to have the best chance at second place. (Actual bet: $1,000)
Michael: Standard cover bet is $401. (Actual bet: $500)
Become a Supporter now! Make a monthly contribution to the site on Patreon!
Contestant photo credit: jeopardy.com
When commenting, please note that all comments on The Jeopardy! Fan must be in compliance with the Site Comment Policy.
If you are going to quote any information from this page or this website, attribution is required.
Have you had a chance to listen to our podcast game show, Complete The List, yet? Check it out! It's also available on Apple Podcasts.
I did not know about this incident, but it was pretty easy to figure out and put a smile on my face.
only landmark I could think of in LA with letters was the Hollywood sign – and then took another second to realize it had to be the ‘L’. That’s funny. I saw the pope’s caravan when he came to St. Louis in 1999. Mark McGwire kissed his ring.
The Hollywood sign with the L helped with this clue today but that incident in Hollywood it’s been fresh on my mind
I can see how easy it is to make the blunder that Sharon did. You see the category, make your wager, and then start thinking in your head of landmarks before you even see the clue. Clue pops up, and your mind quickly figures it out without noticing it’s the letter not the monument that they want and you quickly put your head down and write.
and speaking of blunders, I meant Sophia.
This Final Jeopardy was so straight forward, I barely thought before saying “What is an ‘L’ ? As Mark0 remarked, Sophia misread the answer, thought it called for the sign, not the letter that was covered, costing her second place. Michael’s playlist will stay one with joyous music, at least one more day.
For what it’s worth, Sophia’s misread cost her more than just second place.
A dramatic game — it seemed that Michael would have a runaway in hand but Sophia turned on another gear to get herself into contention. We’ll never know if she would have put the right letter had she not misread the clue. I suppose she would have, although personally before settling on “L” in my head I was thinking about how in the cartoon “Bojack Horseman” a few years ago, the sign was shown without the “D”.
Ah yes, the first game that I saw when I went to the taping on December 5th. Being there at the studio I was able to nail this FJ. Kudos to that late run by Sophia just to keep this from being a runaway, which clearly seemed to be the way that this was headed.
While waiting to get checked in and getting lined up to head to the studio, I struck up a conversation with a guy who sat next to me. He was talking about being friends with some former contestants on the show and just after he mentions a name, boom, here comes his friends. 🙂 He was talking to them (yes I recognized them) and they asked who I was. He then told them he’d been just talking to me and he, kindly, introduced me to everyone. The 3 friends of his were David Marbury, Rowan Ward, and Tom Zulewski. All I can say about these people is that they are simply awesome people. As we went into the studio, they let me sit with them.
As FJ was asked, we all kind of looked around at each other and motioned L’s with our hands. Then we saw the answers come in from the contestants. I blindly asked if Sophia had bet enough to win and they confirmed she had. I didn’t remember her bet. I believe she realized it was an L in retrospect from the post game conversation. Ken asked Michael about his answer of “O” and he thought that the O was covered by an E to make it Hellywood.
After this taping, Sophia and Sharon came and sat with us for the final 2 morning tapings and talk about 2 more great people. 🙂
I let them know how much I appreciated them letting the dumb guy sit with the smart kids and making this a great day. The people that come onto Jeopardy have my utmost respect and are simply great people.
To all of those former contestants and the guy that introduced me to them, thank you for giving me a Jeopardy experience that I’ll never forget.
One other last little thing I was wondering about the answer to today’s FJ, I wondered if they might want to know which L in the sign was covered. After the game, Tom was talking to a guy that works on the show and I mentioned this to him and he laughingly said to me that he hadn’t thought of that and didn’t want to think of that and why did I out that into his mind. We all got a good laugh. 🙂