Warning: This page contains spoilers for the January 8, 2025, 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.
This site also has recaps for today’s three Pop Culture Jeopardy episodes. If you’re looking for those recaps instead: Episode 16 (‘Nother Scorcher, Sears Siblings, 40 Years Late For Detention); Episode 17 (Let ‘er Hrip, Lena’s Legends, O’Trivia Rodrigo); Episode 18 (In Our Jeopardy! Era, Together We’re T.I.M., Team Shenanigans). Finally, you can find the recap for today’s episode of Celebrity Jeopardy! here.
Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category American History) for Wednesday, January 8, 2025 (Season 41, Game 88):
The last claim awarded under this act was in 1988, 126 years after it passed, for a parcel of land in Alaska
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Lindsay Denninger, a writer from Smithtown, New York
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Ferdinand Percentie, a day trader from Altamonte Springs, Florida
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Sam Cameron, a finance manager from Fargo, North Dakota
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Today’s final Second Chance semifinal of Winter 2025 features Sam Cameron, who put up 19 correct against Greg Jolin back in November, Ferdinand Percentie, who was leading 5-time champion Amy Hummel going into Final back in April, and Lindsay Denninger, who put up 20 correct responses against ToCer Neilesh Vinjamuri back in July. The prediction model does like Ferdinand’s chances in this one, but we play the games for a reason!
Making an already busy Wednesday (thanks to Pop Culture Jeopardy!) busier, Season 3 of Celebrity Jeopardy! debuts tonight at 9:00 PM Eastern (8:00 Central), inexplicably without any sort of useful minisite posted anywhere. I do not understand why ABC is choosing not to promote its programming.
Meanwhile, it seems as though many fans over the past few days have been dropping their “hot takes” regarding Jeopardy!. Here’s mine: Reddit has a massively oversized influence on the show, considering both its size and general composition, compared to the actual viewing audience of Jeopardy! itself—and the show’s producers need to remember that this is the case.
(Content continues below)
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Correct response: What is the Homestead Act?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2025 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
The Homestead act of 1862 could give U.S. citizens—who had “never borne arms against the United States Government or given aid and comfort to its enemies”—up to 160 acres, provided that citizen settled and cultivated that land. A man named Ken Deardorff was the final American to receive land; he received 80 acres in 1988 in the Stony River area of Southwestern Alaska.
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Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Wednesday, January 8, 2025 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Best If Used By Dec. 31, 1999; Making Some Bones About It; Flying In State; Sports By Movie; Your Number Is Up; No Ryan, I Would Not Like To Buy A Vowel)
Sam got off to a hot start, but fell back to $0 on a Daily Double that got a heck of a lot easier in the interim between taping and airing. (And no, it wasn’t about Greenland.) After 15 clues, Ferdinand led with $2,400 to Sam’s $1,800 and Lindsay’s $1,000.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Ferdinand 6 correct 1 incorrect
Sam 5 correct 1 incorrect
Lindsay 1 correct 0 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Lindsay had her phone “blow up” during her first appearance.
Ferdinand went viral over his interview regarding “Cheeseburger in Paradise”.
Sam regrets not getting in on an Agatha Christie clue in his first appearance.
Ferdinand picked up another 7 correct responses to continue to lead after 30 clues.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Ferdinand 13 correct 2 incorrect
Sam 8 correct 2 incorrect
Lindsay 4 correct 0 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Ferdinand $5,000
Sam $3,000
Lindsay $2,600
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Around The Southern Hemisphere; An Edible & Musical Before & After; You Just Got Monk’d!; 5 Random Words From The Novel; Good Enough; Government Work)
Sam had the best round, picking up both Daily Double in amongst 12 correct responses. However, he bet just $1,000 on DD3—which allowed Ferdinand to bring himself just within 50% of Sam’s score going into Final Jeopardy.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Sam 20 correct 4 incorrect
Ferdinand 20 correct 3 incorrect
Lindsay 8 correct 1 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 26 (0 today).
Scores going into Final:
Sam $19,400
Ferdinand $10,200
Lindsay $6,200
Ferdinand was correct in Final, putting the pressure on Sam. But Sam was also correct, and that makes him a finalist!
Tonight’s results:
Lindsay $6,200 – $4,001 = $2,199 (What is ? Hi, Henry, Mom Dad + Tay)
Ferdinand $10,200 + $9,201 = $19,401 (What is the Homestead Act?)
Sam $19,400 + $1,001 = $20,401 (What is the Homestead Act?) (Finalist)
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) BEST IF USED BY DEC. 31, 1999 $600 (clue #6)
Sam 2600 -2600 (Ferdinand -400 Lindsay 0)
2) YOU JUST GOT MONK’D! $1600 (clue #12)
Sam 7400 +5000 (Ferdinand 7400 Lindsay 6600)
3) GOVERNMENT WORK $1600 (clue #18, $10800 left on board)
Sam 16800 +1000 (Ferdinand 7400 Lindsay 6600)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: -26
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Sam 3 5 4 5 3*
Ferdinand 4
Lindsay
DJ! Round:
Sam 4 5 3 4* 4 5 3 4 5 4*
Ferdinand 4 3 5 2
Lindsay 3 2 2 1
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Sam 4.07
Ferdinand 3.60
Lindsay 2.00
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 26 (0.30 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Sam $19,200 Coryat, 20 correct, 4 incorrect, 35.09% in first on buzzer (20/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Ferdinand $10,200 Coryat, 20 correct, 3 incorrect, 38.60% in first on buzzer (22/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Lindsay $6,200 Coryat, 8 correct, 1 incorrect, 15.79% in first on buzzer (9/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $35,600
Lach Trash: $12,000 (on 11 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $6,400
Lead Changes: 5
Times Tied: 7
Player Statistics:
Sam Cameron, career statistics:
40 correct, 7 incorrect
3/3 on rebound attempts (on 7 rebound opportunities)
33.33% in first on buzzer (38/114)
2/4 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$1,600)
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $18,600
Ferdinand Percentie, career statistics:
43 correct, 11 incorrect
2/3 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities)
40.35% in first on buzzer (46/114)
3/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $10,000)
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $13,200
Lindsay Denninger, career statistics:
28 correct, 7 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 13 rebound opportunities)
25.44% in first on buzzer (29/114)
1/2 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $1,600)
0/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $9,000
Andy’s Thoughts:
- I guess everyone mad because they thought that Rolling Stone had posted a spoiler was wrong!
- Today’s box score will be linked to when posted by the show.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Sam $19,400 Ferdinand $10,200 Lindsay $6,200)
Sam: Standard cover bet over Ferdinand is $1,001. (Actual bet: $1,001)
Ferdinand: You have to bet at least $8,200 to have a chance of victory. (Actual bet: $9,201)
Lindsay: Because Ferdinand has to bet at least $8,200, you should bet no more than $4,199 and hope that Ferdinand is incorrect in Final to give you an extra $1,000. (Actual bet: $4,001)
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I had not thought of the Homestead Act for a very long time and was glad to see it used here. I didn’t have to think too hard, but then I’m a history buff. I thought the clue left no doubt what the answer would be.
I guessed correctly just because it was the first ‘act’ that came to mind – I misremembered it as having been 40 acres and a mule.
Got this right away. Homestead Act. Years dating it were helpful.
Andy,
I’m not sure where you got your info on today’s FJ clue, but since I had spent several years in Alaska I searched online for Mr Deardorff. A National Park Service website ( https://www.nps.gov/people/kenneth-deardorff.htm ) gives background including a short video featuring him and his second cabin on the site. The article also mentions that his homestead was 50 (fifty) acres.
A National Archives website ( https://www.archives.gov/seattle/highlights/last-homestead-in-alaska ) mentions “an 80-acre parcel of land” but a copy of the land patent included in the article states it was 49.97 acres.
FYI, a somewhat longer version of the NPS video is at https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm%3Fid%3DA9B0C4E9-399E-4DF5-A5B7-6804D99C5761
I’ve heard of the Homestead Act but I could not remember its name in time (the phrase “staking the land” was stuck in my brain).
These finals, to borrow the emoji from Drew Goins’ response on Monday, are gonna be ABSOLUTE 🔥
A quick mental calculation yields the year 1862. That left no doubt that the correct response was, “What is the Homestead Act?”
Tuesday’s episode was prempted in Chicago for ABC News coverage of former President Carter’s funeral procession, as I read Andy’s warning a day late. Didn’t matter, I didn’t know Tuesday’s Final Jeopardy.
Today, hearing/reading the Final Jeopardy answer/clue, I said what is the HOMESTEADER act? I hope that adding those extra letters wouldn’t make it an incorrect response.
IMHO, I don’t think they would accept HOMESTEADER ACT.
I said Macau on the first DD, but its handover was on December 20, 1999. Tough one if you don’t remember the exact dates.
Hello Fellow Jeopardy Fans,
I wondered why two of Sam’s answers last night were not ruled as incorrect. First, he responded that the area code for Washington DC is “two oh two”. To be precise the area code is “two zero two”. The category was numbers. Why was his response correct? I know we all say two oh two but that’s not correct. The other was his response about the sea between New Guinea and another set of islands. He responded “the Solomon Islands” but they were asking for the name of the sea, the Solomon Sea. Why were these responses not ruled incorrect or overturned?
I don’t think your expectations of the judges match most of the rest of the show’s viewership here.
1) The number “zero” can also be pronounced “oh”. As you said, “we all say two oh two”. The judges generally do not rule against pronunciations that match common usage.
2) Because the clue said “same-name islands”, the judges have historically not ruled against a contestant giving the same-named islands in such a case.
Thank you for clarifying!