Warning: This page contains spoilers for the April 28, 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.
Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category Contemporary Authors) for Monday, April 28, 2025 (Season 41, Game 166):
At the start of his writing career, his wife told him, if it didn’t work out, at 6’4″, he could be a reacher in a supermarket
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Steve Icsman, a retired teacher originally from Sandusky, Ohio
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Erin Morin, a digital pre-press specialist from Aldie, Virginia
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Liam Starnes, an undergraduate student from Barrington, Illinois (6-day total: $123,584)
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
When J! Archive originally coined the term “superchampion” 20 years ago, it would be used to refer to a champion like Liam, as six wins was J! Archive‘s threshold. Unfortunately, though, Jeopardy! decided to ignore this fan construction and so Liam will need four more wins in order to reach that status. He goes for victory number seven today against Erin Morin and Steve Icsman.
(Content continues below)
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Correct response: Who is Lee Child?
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.)
Lee Child is the British writer best known today for the Jack Reacher series of novels; the character’s name was inspired by a joke that his wife Jane made while shopping at an Asda supermarket, as Lee’s height made him quite able to reach tall shelves.
Lee Child is actually a pen name as well, it was inspired by a family running joke of pronouncing Renault’s Le Car as “Lee Car”; his daughter became referred to as “Lee Child”, which sounded like an excellent writer’s name.
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Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Monday, April 28, 2025 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Quotable Fictional Characters; Holding Space; The “Co” Co.; Television; Wonders; Never Cease)
Liam had the best time early on, picking up 8 of the 15 clues. After 15 clues, the scores were Liam $5,000 Erin $2,200 Steve -$200.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Liam 8 correct 0 incorrect
Erin 5 correct 1 incorrect
Steve 1 correct 2 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Steve is part of a very large family.
Erin listened to bird calls for an undergrad project.
Liam could tell people the day of the week they were born on at the age of 4.
Erin found the Daily Double and bet to tie for the lead. Liam still led, but it was close after 30.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Liam 12 correct 2 incorrect
Erin 9 correct 2 incorrect
Steve 4 correct 3 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Liam $6,400
Erin $5,600
Steve $600
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: The 1970s; American Lakes & Rivers; Science & Nature; A Complete Unknown; Drinking Songs; “MB”, Eh?)
Liam doubled up through DD2 early on; he lost $3,000 on DD3, though—that incorrect response was enough to keep himself from running away with this one.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Liam 22 correct 3 incorrect
Erin 20 correct 4 incorrect
Steve 9 correct 5 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 30 (0 today).
Scores going into Final:
Liam $25,400
Erin $14,800
Steve $5,400
Erin was correct, Liam was not—and that means we have a new champion! She’ll be back tomorrow to defend.
Tonight’s results:
Steve $5,400 – $0 = $5,400 (Who is Percival Everrett?)
Erin $14,800 + $14,800 = $29,600 (Who is Lee Child?) (1-day total: $29,600)
Liam $25,400 – $4,201 = $21,199 (Who is Jack Grisham)
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) QUOTABLE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS $400 (clue #21)
Erin 3200 +2000 (Liam 5200 Steve 600)
2) AMERICAN LAKES & RIVERS $1200 (clue #4)
Liam 9600 +9600 (Erin 5600 Steve 2600)
3) SCIENCE & NATURE $1200 (clue #6, $26800 left on board)
Liam 20800 -3000 (Erin 5600 Steve 2600)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 148
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Liam 5 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3
Erin 1 3 4 5 2 1 2*
Steve 2 1 5
DJ! Round:
Liam 4 3* 4 3*
Erin
Steve 5 4
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Erin 2.57
Liam 3.60
Steve 3.40
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 30 (0.18 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Erin $13,200 Coryat, 20 correct, 4 incorrect, 33.33% in first on buzzer (19/57), 4/4 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Liam $20,000 Coryat, 22 correct, 3 incorrect, 38.60% in first on buzzer (22/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 7 rebound opportunities)
Steve $5,400 Coryat, 9 correct, 5 incorrect, 21.05% in first on buzzer (12/57), 0/2 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $38,600
Lach Trash: $7,200 (on 8 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $8,200
Lead Changes: 1
Times Tied: 3
Player Statistics:
Liam Starnes, career statistics:
144 correct, 22 incorrect
8/10 on rebound attempts (on 34 rebound opportunities)
34.09% in first on buzzer (136/399)
10/13 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $41,190)
3/7 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $15,600
Erin Morin, career statistics:
21 correct, 4 incorrect
4/4 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
33.33% in first on buzzer (19/57)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $2,000)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $13,200
Steve Icsman, career statistics:
9 correct, 6 incorrect
0/2 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
21.05% in first on buzzer (12/57)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
0/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $5,400
Erin Morin, to win:
2 games: 47.544%
3: 22.604%
4: 10.747%
5: 5.110%
6: 2.429%
Avg. streak: 1.906 games.
Andy’s Thoughts:
- A reminder to viewers that responses must also fit category constraints—a response of just Arlington Cemetery in a category that states “UNKNOWN” does not fit that constraint, and Ken was correct not to ask Erin to be more specific.
- Today’s box score will be linked to when posted by the show.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Liam $25,400 Erin $14,800 Steve $5,400)
Liam: Standard cover bet is $4,201. (Actual bet: $4,201)
Erin: You have to be correct to win. Bet at least $6,400—but going all in is fine, as this maximizes potential winnings if you are correct. (Actual bet: $14,800)
Steve: If you think Erin will at least bet to pass Liam’s score by $1, bet no more than $1,200. If you think she’ll bet the minimum she needs to, bet at least $3,000. (Actual bet: $0)
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I didn’t catch the Reacher reference (never read any of his work). So, knowing that Stephen King is taller than me AND has a wife AND is contemporary, I went with him.
Me too!
So did I.
I went with John Grisham.
Giving Liam writing Jack and then crossing it out, I wonder if he was thinking of Jack Reacher but couldn’t remember the author.
I appear to be in good company, my first and only thought was Stephen King. I hadn’t read any of the correct authors works, but that will likely change.
I immediately thought of the Jack Reacher books and discarded the idea that it could be a red herring. I’ve never read the books nor watched the movies or the series, but I’ve seen them all advertised (and repeatedly in “choice lists”). I think I would probably like them, but have just always had other things I wanted to see more than them.
I’ve always thought ‘Reacher’ was a last name that I would not want and the same goes for ‘Child’, but they seem to have worked out well for that writer.
I guessed Michael Crichton because I knew he was tall. I looked it up afterwards and he was 6’ 9”, or 5 inches too tall for that clue.
Given that the first burial at Arlington National Cemetery took place in 1864, I would argue that the response didn’t actually fit the clue and it should’ve been ruled incorrect out of hand.
https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/History-of-Arlington-National-Cemetery
Which, of course, it was. I shouldn’t post while tired.
I didn’t know FJ.
Retro congrats to Erin on win #1 and we’ll see if she can get win #2 tomorrow night. I won’t be able to watch, as I’ll be at the LA Kings playoff game. I’ll come here on Wednesday and check out what happened.
Also, retro congrats to Liam on that 6 game winning streak. Quite the talented 20 year old and I look forward to seeing him in the next TOC.
Pretty amazing that we had three 6 game champions between March 21st to April 25th with a 4 game and 3 game champion in that time frame as well. Some really good players lately and they will all be dangerous in the TOC.
Best quiz match I’ve seen. With half a board and doubles spent, she smiled, picked up the pace and pulled it off against a super champ. Reminds me of Tyson v Douglas. Epic.