recaps

Season 42

Today’s Final Jeopardy – Friday, May 22, 2026

Published Modified

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Current Champion

Matthew Riggle, career statistics:
47 correct, 6 incorrect
1/1 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
41.23% in first on buzzer (47/114)
3/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $7,600)
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $21,300

To win:
3 games: 68.027%
4: 46.277%
5: 31.481%
6: 21.415%
7: 14.568%
Avg. streak: 4.128 games.
(Next game: September 14)
(Click Here for Methodology)

Upcoming Encore Presentations

August 12: S42 E98 (January 21, 2026)
August 13: S42 E99 (January 22, 2026)
August 14: S42 E100 (January 23, 2026)
August 15-16: S41 E141 (March 24, 2025)
August 17: S42 E101 (January 26, 2026)
August 18: S42 E105 (January 30, 2026)
August 19: S42 E102 (January 27, 2026)
August 20: S42 E103 (January 28, 2026)
August 21: S42 E104 (January 29, 2026)
August 22-23: S41 E142 (March 25, 2025)
August 24: S42 E106 (February 2, 2026)
August 25: S42 E107 (February 3, 2026)
August 26: S42 E108 (February 4, 2026)
August 27: S42 E109 (February 5, 2026)
August 28: S42 E110 (February 6, 2026)
August 29-30: S41 E143 (March 26, 2025)
(Source: Bell Fibe TV program guide)

All Time Winnings

All Time Jeopardy! Winnings, Regular Play Only:

1. Ken Jennings $2,520,700
2. James Holzhauer $2,462,216
3. Matt Amodio $1,518,601
4. Amy Schneider $1,382,800
5. Jamie Ding $882,605
6. Cris Pannullo $748,286
7. Mattea Roach $560,983
8. Jason Zuffranieri $532,496
9. Scott Riccardi $455,000
10. David Madden $430,400
11. Julia Collins $428,100
12. Matt Jackson $411,612
13. Austin Rogers $411,000
14. Ray Lalonde $386,400
15. Harrison Whitaker $373,999
16. Adriana Harmeyer $349,600
17. Caleb Groen $346,968
18. Adam Remsen $306,415
19. Ryan Long $299,400
20. Arthur Chu $297,200

All Time Jeopardy! Winnings, Including Tournaments (and Consolation Prizes):

1. Brad Rutter $4,968,436
2. Ken Jennings $4,372,700
3. James Holzhauer $3,614,216
4. Matt Amodio $1,964,601
5. Amy Schneider $1,864,800
6. Yogesh Raut $1,098,403
7. Mattea Roach $897,983
8. Jamie Ding $885,605
9. David Madden $785,733
10. Victoria Groce $773,801
11. Cris Pannullo $754,286
12. Roger Craig $706,200
13. Larissa Kelly $671,930
14. Matt Jackson $623,612
15. Jason Zuffranieri $549,496
16. Andrew He $534,365
17. Scott Riccardi $533,000
18. Jerome Vered $499,102
19. Julia Collins $495,767
20. Austin Rogers $493,000
21. Ben Ingram $449,201
22. Paolo Pasco $448,717
23. Adriana Harmeyer $446,600
24. Buzzy Cohen $441,603
25. Juveria Zaheer $441,000

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Are you looking for today’s Pop Culture Jeopardy! recap? Find that here!

Warning: This page contains spoilers for the May 22, 2026, 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 Literary Terminology) for Friday, May 22, 2026 (Season 42, Game 185):

17th century critic Thomas Rymer coined this 2-word term, instructing that a work should uphold moral principles & see vice punished

(correct response beneath the contestants)

Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:

Jeff Weyhmiller, a nuclear power instructor from Holland, Michigan

Jeff Weyhmiller on Jeopardy!

Mary Morris, a law school administrator from Indianapolis, Indiana

Mary Morris on Jeopardy!

Chris D’Angelo, a content manager from Washington, D.C. (2-day total: $28,600)

Chris D'Angelo on Jeopardy!

Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:

After a wagering error in yesterday’s game that fortuitously worked out for him after opponent Liz Guinn followed proper strategy, Chris D’Angelo is a 2-game Jeopardy! champion, taking on Mary Morris of Indiana and Jeff Weyhmiller of Michigan. I think Chris was also fortunate that Mary wasn’t in yesterday’s game, as I don’t think anyone from Indianapolis would have missed “The Brickyard”.

I am sure there are some of you out there who might have thought I reacted too harshly to yesterday’s outcome—both from a response and a gameplay perspective. As much as I give recaps, this website is still titled The Jeopardy! Fan—and thus I still believe I am entitled to tell people how I thought of a situation as a fan watching the show. (And, there’s not quite a wrath like the one of a diehard Jeopardy! fan when the contestants flub a clue about one of that fan’s special interests.)

(Content continues below)

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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.

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Correct response: What is poetic justice?

More information about Final Jeopardy:

(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2026 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)

Thomas Rymer coined the phrase “poetic justice” in 1678’s The Tragedies of the Last Age Consider’d to refer to how fiction should always portray good triumphing over evil, in an attempt to instill proper moral behavior in its audience.

I think today’s Final Jeopardy clue is actually ironic, considering the events of yesterday’s game, because I was left feeling yesterday that the good wager was not portrayed as victorious.

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Game Recap:

Chris D’Angelo picked up at least 3 correct responses in eight different categories, while Jeff Weyhmiller’s score was reset to $0 twice thanks to a pair of missed True Daily Doubles.

Chris will impress a lot of people, I’m sure, by finishing this game with a correct response in Final Jeopardy. He’ll be back Monday to go for win #4!

Scores going into Final:

Chris $20,400
Jeff $3,200
Mary $1,800

Tonight’s results:

Mary $1,800 – $1,399 = $401 (What is virtuous text?)
Jeff $3,200 – $500 = $2,700 (What is Morality Play?)
Chris $20,400 + $4,600 = $25,000 (What is Poetic Justice?) (3-day total: $53,600)

Chris D'Angelo, today's Jeopardy! winner (for the May 22, 2026 game.)

Game Stats:

Chris $20,400 Coryat, 29 correct, 4 incorrect, 52.63% in first on buzzer (30/57), 3/3 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Jeff $11,200 Coryat, 15 correct, 4 incorrect, 22.81% in first on buzzer (13/57), 3/3 on rebound attempts (on 7 rebound opportunities)
Mary $1,800 Coryat, 6 correct, 3 incorrect, 14.04% in first on buzzer (8/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $33,400

If you are looking for more detailed statistics about today’s game of Jeopardy!, as well as the ability to leave a comment, make sure to check out the Daily Details section.

Chris D’Angelo, to win:

4 games: 61.401%
5: 37.701%
6: 23.149%
7: 14.214%
8: 8.727%
Avg. streak: 4.591 games.

Andy’s Thoughts:

Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:

(Scores: Chris $20,400 Jeff $3,200 Mary $1,800)

Chris: Bet no more than $13,999 ane enjoy your win. (Actual bet: $4,600)

Mary: Bet at least $1,001 for the best chance of second place. (Actual bet: $1,399)

Jeff: Standard cover bet over Mary is $401. (Actual bet: $500)


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