Warning: This page contains spoilers for the May 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 Countries with Space Programs) for Thursday, May 2, 2024 (Season 40, Game 169):
It launched its first satellite, Asterix, in 1965
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Sarah Hardy, a pediatrician from Hot Springs, Arkansas
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Angelus Kocoshis, an attorney & flower farmer from Muncie, Indiana
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Weckiai Rannila, an engineer from Albuquerque, New Mexico (1-day total: $9,999)
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Talk of a “five-game curse” has already begun after our first two regular-play 5-time champions in Season 40 could not win game #6. Yesterday, Amy Hummel stumbled on the Daily Doubles as Weckiai Rannila became our new Jeopardy! champion. Today, she faces off against Angelus Kocoshis and Sarah Hardy in her first title defense.
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(Content continues below)
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Correct response: What is France?
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.)
I always have a soft spot for Final Jeopardy! clues that use as few characters as possible. With the launch of Astérix in 1965, France became the sixth country to have an artificial satellite in space, after the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. While the satellite was originally designated A-1, the French press named the satellite Astérix after the famous French comics character.
Another colonial tidbit: While the current European Space Agency launch site is in French territory, in French Guiana in South America, Astérix was launched from the former French colony of Algeria; in fact, the French continued to operate a rocket launch site at Hammaguir, Algeria for another five years after Algerian independence was granted.
I personally think that this will play relatively straightforwardly for our players and the home audience today, which always leads me to give the following statement: Easier Final Jeopardy clues are important, as the risk of an easy Final Jeopardy is a major reason why leaders continue to have an incentive to bet to win in the final round.
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Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Thursday, May 2, 2024 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: A View Of The City; Celebrity Siblings; Diaries & Journals; Stock Symbols; You Gotta Have Heart; 1950s Talk)
Angelus got off to a strong start, but he fell back to $0 after a missed Daily Double. Weckiai found her buzzer timing just before the break and she jumped into the lead with $4,600; Sarah sat second at $2,800 while Angelus was third at $1,800.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Weckiai 6 correct 0 incorrect
Sarah 3 correct 0 incorrect
Angelus 5 correct 1 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Sarah is a community pediatrician.
Angelus auditioned for the show the day after appendicitis.
Weckiai was a D&D Dungeon Master for a group of young mothers.
Weckiai finished a combined-29-correct-response round with five more correct responses to stay in the lead.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Weckiai 11 correct 0 incorrect
Angelus 12 correct 1 incorrect
Sarah 6 correct 0 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Weckiai $6,600
Angelus $4,200
Sarah $3,800
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Literary North Carolina; The Greats Of History; Physics; Fast &/Or Furious; The Girl In The Song; Word Origins)
Angelus got to both Daily Doubles in this one; however, he split them; in all, 8 incorrect responses and 7 Triple Stumpers in the round led to an unplayed clue at the end as Weckiai led; Sarah was at 60% of Weckiai’s score going into Final.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Weckiai 20 correct 2 incorrect
Sarah 11 correct 1 incorrect
Angelus 19 correct 6 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 10 (1 today).
Scores going into Final:
Weckiai $15,000
Sarah $9,000
Angelus $4,600
Final Jeopardy was a triple get; Weckiai is now a 2-day champion, winnings $28,000!
Tonight’s results:
Angelus $4,600 + $0 = $4,600 (What is France?)
Sarah $9,000 + $8,999 = $17,999 (What is France?)
Weckiai $15,000 + $3,001 = $18,001 (What is France?) (2-day total: $28,000)
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) DIARIES & JOURNALS $1000 (clue #8)
Angelus 2400 -2400 (Weckiai 1400 Sarah 1800)
2) THE GREATS OF HISTORY $1600 (clue #4)
Angelus 3400 +3400 (Weckiai 6600 Sarah 5400)
3) WORD ORIGINS $800 (clue #15, $12000 left on board)
Angelus 8400 -5000 (Weckiai 10200 Sarah 7400)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: -60
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Weckiai 3 3 4
Angelus 4 5 5*
Sarah 4 5
DJ! Round:
Weckiai 5 4 5 4
Angelus 4* 3 4 3 2*
Sarah 3 4 5 5 4 5
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Weckiai 4.00
Sarah 4.38
Angelus 3.75
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: THE GIRL IN THE SONG $400
Total Left On Board: $400
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 10 (0.06 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Weckiai $15,000 Coryat, 20 correct, 2 incorrect, 39.29% in first on buzzer (22/56), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Sarah $9,000 Coryat, 11 correct, 1 incorrect, 17.86% in first on buzzer (10/56), 2/2 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Angelus $10,200 Coryat, 19 correct, 6 incorrect, 35.71% in first on buzzer (20/56), 1/2 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $34,200
Lach Trash: $9,200 (on 7 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $10,200
Lead Changes: 6
Times Tied: 1
Player Statistics:
Weckiai Rannila, career statistics:
42 correct, 8 incorrect
1/2 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities)
40.71% in first on buzzer (46/113)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $13,200
Angelus Kocoshis, career statistics:
20 correct, 6 incorrect
1/2 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
35.71% in first on buzzer (20/56)
1/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$4,000)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $10,200
Sarah Hardy, career statistics:
12 correct, 1 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
17.86% in first on buzzer (10/56)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $9,000
Weckiai Rannila, to win:
3 games: 43.614%
4: 19.022%
5: 8.296%
6: 3.618%
7: 1.578%
Avg. streak: 2.773 games.
Andy’s Thoughts:
- Today’s box score will be linked to when posted by the show.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Weckiai $15,000 Sarah $9,000 Angelus $4,600)
Weckiai: Cover bet over Sarah is $3,001. (Actual bet: $3,001)
Angelus: I would bet somewhere between $1,401 and $1,599 here—this would pass Sarah on any of her viable bets, while also staying ahead of her if she makes a larger bet (of at least $6,000) to pass Weckiai’s pre-Final Jeopardy total. (Actual bet: $0)
Sarah: While going all in from this position is never a bad idea, there is a battle for second to worry about. I would consider betting between $3,000 and $4,399 to pass Weckiai in case she’s incorrect and force Angelus to be correct and make a wager to pass you. (Actual bet: $8,999)
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I was familiar with the Astérix comics character, so I instantly got “What is France?”
My problem with “easy” Final Jeopardy clues is that I always overthink them. In this case, I was running through a mental list of every country with French as a major language – Belgium, Luxembourg, Haiti, Switzerland, Côte d’Ivoire, etc. Luckily, I just stopped at France before scrolling down to the Correct response section. Sometimes, simple is better 🙂
I also almost overthought this one but France made too much sense so I was greatly relieved when I scrolled down.
I dimly remembered seeing something called “Asterix The Gaul” several years ago which, of course, led to France.
Yay me, two FJs correct in a row 😁
Yes, the five game curse is on. I do not remember what Season of Jeopardy! it was, but there was a FOUR GAME CURSE. So many possible five game winners ended their run with four games won!!!
Got it. Although I did not know the comics character, the name sounded French. I also knew that France had a space program early on.
Contestants have really struggled with music related questions all week no matter how the questions were presented!
I didn’t remember what country Asterix originated from, so another Final Jeopardy, another loss. If I didn’t know that the players on Jeopardy seemingly know more things and can recall them more quickly than I, I might get discouraged. But with that knowledge, I keep looking for the Finals I can “get,” especially when, surprising, the players don’t get the finals I do “get.”
I’m right there with you Bill on your entire comment. 🙂
For those who missed the season opener of “Jeopardy Masters” a couple of nights ago, I see on several websites that ABC is rerunning the episode this coming Sunday at 10 P.M.
Eastern Time. (May 5’th)
I went with England, but had the UK in mind as well. France did pop into my head. Should have let it come all the way out and onto my lips as a go with it answer within 30 seconds. 0 for my last 48. Getting pretty laughable. 😉 It’s all good!
Retro congrats to Weckiai on win #2 and on to tomorrow night.