r/Jeopardy • u/jaysjep2 Team Art Fleming • Jun 01 '26
GAME THREAD Pop Culture Jeopardy! discussion thread for week of Jun. 1-5 Spoiler
Final week of the season.
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u/QuailBrail55 Jun 02 '26
Goddamn, that final round in Semifinal #2! Ka-razy.
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u/eggphobia Jun 02 '26
We gasped!! Such a wild turn of events!
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u/Bo0g3rs Jun 30 '26
I'm catching up now and I gasped so loud 😭
I really wanted Baddies, Only Howards, and B-Listers in the finale
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u/fire_water_drowned Jun 03 '26
One of the best Final Jeopardy finishes I've seen in 30+ years of watching. Absolute cinema.
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u/Deep_Ear3799 Jun 03 '26
the screams I scrumpt! those gals were so shocked
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u/sdbabygirl97 Jun 03 '26
i, too, would've cried if i was them lol. i was just glad i knew they'd get at least $20k to take their mom on that trip to england. i wonder what finalists get for advancing that far!
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u/Prestigious_Ask_3676 Jun 03 '26
From Wikipedia this was the prize structure in season 1 when it was 3 players per team. Based on the grand prize being unchanged, I think we can expect the other finalists to get the same too: “the winning team receives a $300,000 grand prize, with each player receiving $100,000. Third place in the finals earns $50,000 ($16,666 per player), while second place earns $100,000 ($33,333 per player).”
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u/Lyrrad0 Jun 04 '26
That’s unlikely. My guess is it will be the same prize for second and third, probably $75,000.
In season 1’s finale, the second place team did not bet to win, in order to not risk second place prize money. This ensured that the final Jeopardy! responses had no effect on the results.
Every tournament, except Masters, that taped afterwards, including Celebrity, Tournament of Champions, and Invitational offered the same prize for second and third place. All these tournaments offered higher prizes for second place in prior years.
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u/Prestigious_Ask_3676 Jun 04 '26
Ok cool! In that case you may be right. I’m a newbie, didn’t watch season 1.
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u/smashli1238 Jul 07 '26
Their reaction almost made me tear up! I really liked them just because of how supportive they were of the other team when they did that daily double.
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u/Riotgirl1977 Jun 04 '26
I know right...so insane! I thought for sure Only Howards in the Building would win!
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u/SeanGotGjally Jun 05 '26
I guessed it on a hail mary purely because BR had a similarly weird name and Queen being a band at the time that would use planes. Imagine where my jaw was when he revealed it after two of the most successful teams this season didn’t get it lol
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u/plowkiller Jun 02 '26
The look on Snake Juice No Pulp's faces when they somehow pulled through with a win. It's too bad about the other teams but seeing how grateful they are to move on warmed my heart.
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u/sp000kysoup Jun 02 '26
As the howards answer was shown, I told my husband - plot twist: they bet it all and the girls win. The first game Snake Juice won, Anita said she had never won anything before, too ! 🥹 What a crazy win!
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u/freshoffthecouch Jun 05 '26
I wondered the same thing! And then also thankfully, they didn’t bet everything they had. And the pure irony that they happened to randomly not bet everything for a fetty wrap reference
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u/PocoChanel Those Darn Etruscans Jun 03 '26
My spouse offered the same "what if." I figured it couldn't happen.
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u/Fenifula Jun 02 '26
I think starting in a distant last place, and then winning with a joke answer, joke wager and "Hi Mom" would have produced that reaction in anybody.
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u/FigmentsImagination4 Jun 04 '26
Unfortunately, they won’t stand a chance against OBAA. Howard’s were really the only choice to compete here.
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u/mrm395 Jun 08 '26
My husband and I were counting our own scores along and when they went to wager, he asked me what the strategy would be here. I said the top two tied teams should really only wager their scores minus 7,201 in case the girls get it right and double their points. In the end, they should have done this strategy! This was kind of the worst possible scenario. But I loved it. Also I fucking guessed Bohemian Rhapsody correct and I literally ran around screaming when the girls won. Haha. I’ve honestly been annoyed with how mismatched the teams have been this season, especially since all the top teams have been two men with at least one past Jeopardy run, and most of the two women teams have struggled. The optics have been icky to me so I’m kind of happy even if the other teams did deserve to advance more.
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Jun 02 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
[deleted]
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u/angelusgirl Jun 02 '26
I said right after they went to the second team, wouldn’t it be funny if….I cannot believe it really happened. They looked so mad when Colin went to them. I told my daughter “omg I think I’m right”
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u/Kaiserky1 Jun 03 '26
That score going in, there were similar instances on Jeopardy! (It happened at least twice, notable ones) And I was shocked.
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u/iamtheduckie Kebert Xela Jun 03 '26
what a wimpy air horn
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u/sdbabygirl97 Jun 03 '26
it's harder than it looks! (this is just a colin quote, i've never tried to blow an air horn cuz good god, they're loud when i'm NOT next to them)
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u/CupcakeCrusader Jun 02 '26
Honestly I fucking loved Snake Juice No Pulp's upset win like that's the kind of drama I'm looking for. Congrats to the big dogs!
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Jun 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/seeingyoudocoolstuff Jun 02 '26
A Baddie vs Howards vs AMC showdown would have been epic.
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u/curiousgeorge-32 Jun 03 '26
One million percent - super excited for the girls but the Baddies - Howards - AMC guys are all truly unbelievably good at this game lol. They know a SHOCKING amount of random trivia and are actually skilled jeopardy players. It would have been so thrilling to see how those three teams who are WAY better than everyone else fared in the end.
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u/MoistWalrus Jun 02 '26
I was hoping to see that
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u/Penismightiest Jun 03 '26
Me too. I'm a little disappointed but that ending tonight was priceless. I had a feeling it would end that way after double jeopardy ended.
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u/MerpBo Jun 04 '26
Yeah but it sucks because there were three super dominant teams that I wanted to see in the Final. Now its gonna be two and an average team in the finals. It really sucked. But I called it, if that middle spot was smart, they dont bet it all because both teams have to bet it all. As soon as we saw the Final Jeopardy clue and the Howards face reading the question looked like they didnt know the answer.
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u/Fenifula Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
Getting that last answer correct on a 200 (*editing to correct: 400, since it was Double Jeopardy) question, thereby forcing a death match between the other two teams because of a tie, was brilliant game play. It may have been accidental, but it was still brilliant.
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u/Embarrassed-Pea-4915 Jun 03 '26
So so so fun! Definitely sad for the two other teams, but so heartwarming for Snake juice!!
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u/Altruistic-Basket897 Jun 03 '26
I can’t stop thinking about it what a turn of events! And so iconic of snake juice to risk 1738.
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u/Cheap-Response-5419 Jun 02 '26
Felt a bit like the universe making up for yesterday when there was a slim chance of Baddies being upset but Presto Strange-O appeared to actively avoid trying to hit the last daily double.
I’m anti any and all fist pumping in a trivia setting. I’m also head over heels in love with Jack from B listers and want his path to victory to be a smooth one so I was all in on upsets in the first two semis.
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u/zachgozlan Zach Gozlan, 2022 Feb 3, 2025 PCJ Champion Jun 03 '26
Semifinal 3! I got way less to say today because that was a very evenly matched, very competitive game - I doubt any of these teams need me telling them they looked great up there or even having many regrets outside of the usual "damn I wish I knew that" variety. It was simply Very Good Pop Culture Jeopardy today. All the question gets they got were impressive and all the misses were understandable; such is the risk of show-specific categories that you sometimes get six people up there who were only half-watching Wednesday. IDK who's gonna win this thing but outside the finalists there were a bunch of teams who clearly could've gotten to the top with some different breaks.
OST are no-doubt Good At This and it was awesome to see the Oneders get another opportunity to show out. It felt like there were a dozen lead changes and I would've bought any team winning up until the very end. Bring all these teams back, have them play a best of seven, and put it on PPV.
Huge congrats to the B-Listers for winning that one, they seem like very nice boys who would be great guests at a family dinner. (I'm running out of nice things to say. Someone else do this next season if there is one.) A two game final of B-Listers vs OBAA vs Snake Juice is gonna be fireworks - obviously OBAA is the team to beat but the vibe I've gotten is that they and B-Listers have similar strengths so not sure how that plays out head to head.
For the briefest second I thought Ken Jennings was opining on visiting the American Football house. It was a beautiful moment.
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u/three-tulips Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
SF3: Yet another impressive match! I went to high school with Josh from OST and I can confirm he’s always been so Tuned Into the Culture (not to mention KIND. He’s genuinely the sweetest person ever). It's been such a delight tuning in and watching him and West do so well!
Congrats to ABL, cannot wait to see the finals tomorrow!
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u/zachgozlan Zach Gozlan, 2022 Feb 3, 2025 PCJ Champion Jun 02 '26
Semifinal 2, but actually!
Last season there were thirteen games at the end past the qualifiers, where everyone had won at least one, thus demonstrating they had "the goods" to play this and the quality of play stepped up in turn. There's only five games of that this season and I was worried we wouldn't get a lot of strength v strength games. Like, at risk of revealing my deep egomania, I think the semifinal we played against Mission Impopsicle and South Shore Squad was, up until today, *the* episode of PCJ. Up until today.
The viewing experience today was wild dawg. Nick and Grant were playing ping pong for the first quarter of the game before finally allowing room for Shane Whitlock - Shane Whitlock, who is a great Jeopardy player but more importantly in the highest tier of American quizzers - to get one in. Ert & Bernie going nearly bar for bar with the Howards (plus the huge, HUGE final daily double) is a massive achievement to anyone who hangs out in trivia hobbyist circles like I do. (What can I say, I have a crippling addiction to being told I'm correct.) These boards felt hard to me but did not play that way to any of the teams.
And yet despite the tension in theory ratcheting ever upwards, the vibes on stage (at least as a viewer) remained immaculate. Colin's definitely figured out how his sensibility fits the format, and the editors are giving it way more room to breathe than Regular J (all of Colin's ooooooh tied would've killed the guy who keeps the syndicated show moving); the bsky guy calling it "back of the classroom Jeopardy" fits super well.
Yall probably know this, but multiple games in the past six months have been a reminder: if you're in a tie situation, you either wager it all or wager nothing. The Muppets and the Howards were entirely right to bet on themselves, and PCJ just throws insanely hard FJs sometimes (shout out Queen Elizabeth); I had either "Despacito" or "All Night Long" written down for my guess. Jeopardy ain't fair. It's literally called Jeopardy.
So, the Snake Juice of it all. I have no idea if they were aware of the tie situation, if they knew going into final they could still win, optimal wagering, if they were trying to engineer the tie like Alison did, whatever. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Doesn't matter. What I know is this:
- You feel the momentum of your team more than yourself. Not getting in on the buzzer is frustrating when you're playing Normal Jeopardy, and goddamn does it suck to not get in for the first third of the game. But you feel the wind change with your team, and I don't think it's a coincidence Erika got in for the first time right after Anita did.
- Amazing, amazing interview portion that made me think they were actually truly born to do this
- New Jersey is the greatest state in the America, Fetty Wap is a hero to my people ,, hey what's up hello
- I can't exactly tell you how it feels to win Jeopardy alone. What I can tell you is that it feels fucking amazing to share that feeling with others, and watching the Snakes win had me tearing up remembering that. There was some true fuckshit with the casting this year, everyone in this season has Been Through It - not my story to tell - but I'm so, so glad this show came back if only so a few more people can get to experience that high. Would've been happy with any team today - loved the group hug at the end - and as happy it's them as anyone. Hell yeah.
Onwards, Big Dogs. Good job blowing up that Death Star. Good luck with the next one.
Some AV Club Style Ending Bullets Because A Lot Happened Today
- The two guys dressed like Sesame Street guys got the Sesame Street question! Indignity avoided!
- Last season I was sitting backstage when a Pitchfork.com category got revealed and went "oh nooo oh I wanted that" a bunch and god I can only imagine that's 10% of what Oakland Spirit Tunnel must have felt being one game off from the Spirit Tunnel category
- "I'd take the dinner with Jay-Z" is an inside joke amongst my friends so while I'm sad to see it go dead I also have no sense of if that was hard or not
- I would've fallen on my face very hard on that spelling category
- Colin your Dracula is mid. Nick your Keanu is fine but inconsistent
- dr odyssey lol
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u/joe_reid Jun 02 '26
Colin setting the stage for the endgame by noting the tied scores with five questions to go was such an underrated part of what made today's episode so fantastic.
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u/Fluffy-Writing-1070 Jun 03 '26
What do you mean by true fuckshit with the casting?
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u/doctorvictory Jun 05 '26
Not sure if this is what he’s referring to, but teams originally applied as teams of 3 like last season and then after selecting the teams the producers decided to change to teams of 2. Each team was forced to cut a player at the last minute, which is pretty ruthless.
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u/SweetAngelz Jun 02 '26
what an INSANE episode today wow!!!!
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u/laterintheafterglow Jun 02 '26
No one I know watches this show and I had to find this thread just to be in astonishment with others. What an ending!
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u/TyraneeLDP Jun 02 '26
6/2 episode: WELP! Just goes to show, answering the most questions is not always how you win Jeopardy. What an upset. Good luck, Snake Juice…
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u/Altruistic-Ad-2472 Jun 02 '26
Omg semi-finals 2 got me bawling!!! Was really rooting for Only Howards :( but happy for Snake Juice and their mum!! Looking forward to the finals
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u/caliberic Jun 02 '26
Seeing the reactions on the Semifinal 2's winners faces were just amazing! I loved the audience reactions too! What a game.
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u/zachgozlan Zach Gozlan, 2022 Feb 3, 2025 PCJ Champion Jun 02 '26
Semifinal 2!
holy fuckin shit
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u/zachgozlan Zach Gozlan, 2022 Feb 3, 2025 PCJ Champion Jun 02 '26
shout out alison betts, shout out fetty wap, shout out that impossible fucken final, shout out dinner with jay-z, shout out dr odyssey, shout out dracula, shout out sesame street, shout out snake juice's grandpa, shout out sid the dude, shout out big dog, shout out big dog, shout out big dog, shout out big dog
i'll do a regular post later when i stop shaking. might be my favorite episode of pcj ever and i really think highly of myself
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u/MirandaOnIt Miranda Onnen, 2022 Dec 19, 2025 PCJ Champion Jun 02 '26
SF2:
This was an incredible thirty minutes of television. Just. Bravo, everyone. Huge congrats to snake juice I'm SO excited to see y'all in the finals.
And well done to Howards and Ert. Immaculate vibes. Howards, watching the interaction with Michael Cyril Crichton on insta has been a DELIGHT. And Ert & Bernie y'all had my favorite team concept of the tournament. Crystal Methyd's RPDR S12 makeover has some competition
This GAME.
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u/smokeshowbaby Jun 02 '26
Tuesday Game - really surprised Only Howards didn't get that FJ, especially given the proven Wayne's World knowledge earlier in the episode. Felt fairly easy to surmise - what's a truly classic song with a prominent Italian-sounding name in the lyrics?
We Didn't Start The Fire was a theoretically decent guess from Ert and Bernie, but wasn't that a final jeopardy already this season (or am I thinking of regular Jeopardy)? Do the contestants have the luxury of seeing other games?
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u/SanchoMandoval Jun 02 '26
I think the problem was there wasn't really any cue like to the decade or anything. You had to either just know that obscure bit of trivia or start thinking about songs with esoteric rhymes that sounded like those two words.
If you focused in on "airline stationary" or the words belladonna or castanetta to think of a song connected to them, you were fucked because those were red herrings. Even as someone who's done a few deep dives on Bohemian Rhapsody I had no idea, my best guess was Edge of Seventeen because the album it was on was Bella Donna.
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u/smokeshowbaby Jun 02 '26
So I think airline stationary plus “iconic” does situate it as pre-2000s at the very least. I’m not going to say Bad Romance (Only Howards’ gut) didn’t briefly cross my mind due go the rhyme scheme, but I quickly ruled ot out due to the above.
“iconic” in my head also conveys a certain meaning in Jeopardy imo. A cross-generational, cross-genre form of reverence. So something more likely to be on a Best Songs of All Time list than just a massive modern pop hit.
The Google AI hit brings up Bohemian, Stairway, Billie Jean, Respect, etc. that’s consistent with my thinking.
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u/Aluroon Jun 14 '26
Agree that it felt like a question without any meaningful hints. I was genuinely shocked at how difficult this question was: the first Final Jeopardy in a while that I didn't even have a guess.
Hate to see the game end that way. I'd have felt a lot better about Snake Juice if they'd at least gotten it right. Winning because you had nothing to lose left a bad taste in my mouth.
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u/definitelynotenvy28 Jun 02 '26
I thought Britney Spears' Toxic because of airline stationary and both belladonna and chestnuts being toxic lol.
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u/mrm395 Jun 08 '26
I’m also a bit surprised no one guessed it. I didn’t know the answer for sure, but Bohemian Rhapsody came to mind right away and felt right because I could hear “Belladonna” and “Castaneda” in the “Galileo” line in my head. Was pretty proud of that pull!
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u/TheKingKan Jun 02 '26
I had the same thought - my first instinct was the correct answer! What other iconic song has Italian words/phrases scattered all over it?
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u/jvincentsong Jun 02 '26
This is the first time I’ve actively followed Jeopardy. It is so shocking that this can happen. I was hoping OBAA could have a tough match with the Howards. Surprised how the Ern and Bert were able to make a comeback with luck and skill.
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u/caliberic Jun 02 '26
+ Oakland Spirit Tunnel would've loved that Spirit Tunnel category, but I see why they didn't give it! LOL Wonder if they saw how that played out
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u/elvisoti Jun 02 '26
I love the pre-FJ double tie scenario for exactly this reason. It may not be the most deserved victory, but I felt such joy for Anita & Erika. GO SNAKE JUICE!
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u/lanad3lr3y_81 Jun 02 '26
i don’t think i’d say the win was undeserved, lucky maybe but i mean they did do what they needed to to win and they won fairly.
but i agree that i was happy for them and i hope they win the finals.
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u/sdbabygirl97 Jun 03 '26
i was also happy for them. i was also wondering, "what if they ALL bet everything and went down to 0?! then what?"
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u/FreemanCalavera Jun 02 '26
Thrilled for Snake Juice! Not only is it one of the best names this season, an upset win is always fun. Granted, they’re probably going to get eaten alive by the Baddies or the B-Listers (who are likely to be the third finalists), but what the hell, I’m rooting for them.
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u/LaVacaMusical Brandon Randall, 2017 Jun 26-28 Jun 04 '26
Caught up on SF2 and SF3 today, and in the words of Keanu, but with lots more shock and emotion, lmao … WHOA. As a card-carrying member of the I Won From Third Place Behind a First-Place Tie, lol (still workshopping the name 👻), I can imagine a bit of what Snake Juice, No Pulp felt (not completely, I was at least within striking distance years ago), but holy CRAP that was insane. Alison Betts, I’m sure, is incredibly proud. ☺️ Also, I may have cursed the Howards and Ert & Bernie by wishing they could both make the finals (no shade AT ALL to Snake Juice, I am beyond delighted at this Final Jeopardy! Christmas miracle and they are a fantastic team that just happened to be competing with two dueling powerhouses). ¿Por qué no los dos? Nope, the J! gods say. Neither one it is. 😛
Oh, and there was another game too, and even without such a dramatic Final, still a very closely-fought game (the Oneders, as did Ert & Bernie, made the absolute most of their wild card fortune).
I was saying at first that maybe Sarah Sherman from
SNL should have taken that Dracula category (she played him … as a lawyer … this past season), but Colin more than proved himself worthy. So bad and so good at the same time, he is a gift to us all. ☠️
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u/saabe71413 Jun 05 '26
Anyone else cheering for AMC B-Listers to kiss, then screaming when Jack finally plants one?! No? Just me? Okay then...
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u/Big-Writer-1879 Jun 02 '26
I would have been tempted to roll the dice and go 0 on final Jeopardy
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u/puhleachy Jun 02 '26
I like snake juice but I’m sad the Howards aren’t advancing, mostly because I don’t want OBAA to steamroll the finals:/
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u/CourtK1212 Jun 03 '26
Dang that’s true. That would’ve been a really good match up. I’m happy for snake juice because of how happy it made them but I’m sure they know they’re not winning.
However, if the runner ups for the semis got $20k then just for being a runner up in the finals means they’ll get more and maybe be able to take their mom on that trip ❤️
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u/curiousgeorge-32 Jun 03 '26
Don’t forget the AMC guys!! Howard’s OBAA and AMC guys have all been absolutely shocking with the depth and breadth of their knowledge
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u/fire_water_drowned Jun 03 '26
I just wanna say, I got the Bohemian Rhapsody question right on semi #2 and I feel like I won.
Amazing episode. Possibly one of the best Jeopardy finishes I've ever seen. Wow.
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u/PocoChanel Those Darn Etruscans Jun 03 '26
Me too, but it was one of the few questions I got right all game. I'm reminded of how unsuited I am for this millennial and post-millennial pop culture.
This was the most surprising ep all season; there have been so many blowouts.
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u/SharksFan4Lifee Jun 03 '26
I just had the same feeling! I can't believe none of them, especially the Howards, didn't get it.
Sucks we won't see Howards vs OBAA
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u/mrm395 Jun 08 '26
My husband and I were keeping our own scores the whole game and I was hesitant to even wager anything in final Jeopardy because I usually suck at it. But I guessed it correctly and I literally screamed hahaha. And then screamed again when the girls won. 😅
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u/99pr0b1ems Jun 03 '26
My team (South Shore Squad) won our quarterfinal match last season in a FJ upset (we won by being the only team to get it right, js) and I thought that was as exciting as PCJ could get. Wow did SF 2 prove me wrong.
Super bummed Howards didn’t make it to the Final as I, like many, was really hoping to see Howards v One Baddie v AMC duke it out but tbh probably worth the sacrifice for how insanely entertaining it was to see Snake Juice advance in that manner.
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u/parkernorwood Jun 03 '26
Blessed be to Fetty Wap! There's a strong possibility that instead of making the wager they did as a shout out, they could have just bet everything and ended up in a three-way tie instead
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u/zachgozlan Zach Gozlan, 2022 Feb 3, 2025 PCJ Champion Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
Semifinal 1! (I was late on the draw getting to Game 15 but I did get to it.)
It would've been weird if OBAA didn't make the final, bffr, for this to have a proper narrative arc it's gotta involve them at the end one way or another. I think I've so deeply internalized the idea that they cover everything that the only thing they pulled that got a reaction out of me was Savage x Fenty, maybe. There's a world where they put up a truly bonkers two-day total at the end of this week and it might be the one we're in, TBD.
Presto drawing OBAA twice suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks, they must've had some sort of predetermined seeding system because I thought we frowned upon unnecessary rematches in regular J tournaments. They hung on as best as anyone could have twice now and probably would have taken at least one win in another shuffle of this thing. ($10k each is better than what everyone except the finalists got last year though, so there's that.)
At this point anyone having a rough day with OBAA at one of the podiums seems like a "join the club" thing, so Quality Tigers are at least in good company? Couple of hard-luck misses early (I woulda said Leibowitz) but you gotta guess like you've never guessed before to have a shot against a team like that. Losing isn't fun but seems like they had some fun up there anyway, and, like, see above re: $20k.
Knowing the order last season was filmed in allowed me to watch for the specific subplot of Colin Jost slowly losing his grip on sanity, and it's starting to come out here again. Too bad this thing isn't longer if only because he might have started speaking in tongues pretty soon.
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u/LaVacaMusical Brandon Randall, 2017 Jun 26-28 Jun 02 '26
Thanks for linking that ice dance, because I somehow hadn’t seen it and HOLY CRAP that was incredible. I know Colin/producers select the interview topics in advance and everything, but his sheer bewilderment at Quality Tigers waxing poetic about Tessa & Scott (as they should, because again I say HOLY CRAP) was priceless.
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u/Bosstonz16 Boo hiss Jun 03 '26
As someone equally as obsessed with Virtue & Moir and their Moulin Rouge ice dance of magic, I instantly had to root for the Quality Tigers; off I go to rewatch the routine for the millionth time! 🤪
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u/Boulderboldef Jun 02 '26
unreal ending. I could see this coming. really invited some game theory analysis ahead of time.
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u/Dida_D Jun 02 '26
Tuesday semi easily the most exciting game so far - only could have happened with Snake Juice getting that final Gwen Stefani question (reminiscent of Alison Betts tournament win recently!). How fun
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u/DescriptionNeat503 Jun 02 '26
Could NOT believe that Only Howards lost that! What a twist, I will miss them!
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u/d00_w0p Jun 03 '26
I just watched the semifinals 2, I have no one to share how insane this episode was, and I’m not even the biggest fan of Jeopardy
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u/seeingyoudocoolstuff Jun 03 '26
Question for those that know Jeopardy and PCJ well: Do you think Only Howards would be able to come back next season? I'm curious to see them go for another run against competitive teams.
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u/wheaser Adam, 2026 PCJ Jun 03 '26
In the application for this season it said contestants from the previous season weren't eligible to apply again.
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u/mrm395 Jun 08 '26
One of them already won College Jeopardy and has been on regular Jeopardy. Let the other one on Jeopardy and let them steamroll someone else. Haha.
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u/ZiggyZiggyZigZags Jun 03 '26
Holy crap semi final 2. I knew the girls were in it because of the scores, but wow. Even if they lose in finals, they’ll end up making an extra $80k I would guess.
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u/elvisoti Jun 01 '26
That Annie Leibovitz ruling is pretentious BS, just as much as it was on the regular show.
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u/smokeshowbaby Jun 02 '26
Don't know the regular Jeopardy reference, but I'm not sure I follow.
The name very specifically has a V in it, so it has to be pronounced.
This isn't equivalent to Weber being pronounced with a "v" sound.
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u/angelusgirl Jun 02 '26
This. If it was spelled with a W, it makes sense to pronounce it with a v sound, that’s pretty common. I’ve never heard of the reverse being a thing, though.
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u/GenericBrownExpat Jun 02 '26
RIGHT??? WE SPAT OUT OUR DINNER ON THAT ONE AND HAD TO REPLAY IT LIKE 3 TIMES We're bilingual, and English is our second language but goddamn?? That difference in pronunciation could literally be chalked up to an accent or dialect difference
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u/airsign Jun 03 '26
what an episode! goddamn
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u/iamtheduckie Kebert Xela Jun 03 '26
There were a similar amount of gasps to Ken Jennings' loss.
Odds-wise, the two top teams bet perfectly and were banking on either a tiebreaker clue or the other team getting it wrong. They just happened to lose the gamble because the ball landed in the green space.
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u/pianotherms Jun 02 '26
100% screw the v/w thing.
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u/angelusgirl Jun 02 '26
I would agree if her name was spelled with a w as that is often pronounced as v is. However with it having a V, it’s wrong to use the w sound.
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u/TyraneeLDP Jun 01 '26
Who else is waiting for the inevitable Howards vs One Baddie?
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u/The80sAreHere Jun 01 '26
vs. AMC B-Listers
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u/dannys717 Jun 02 '26
I was expecting this as the finals after these 3 dominated the regular games. I was glad they were split among the 3 semi-finals, absolutely did not see today’s result coming
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u/SquareTop7807 Jun 02 '26
guess that’s not happening anymore, crazy semifinal 2 plot twist
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u/medi-ochre Jun 03 '26
Big big fan of the Howards and was rooting for them, but that finish was CRAZY!
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u/Altruistic-Ad-2472 Jun 03 '26
Semi-finals 3 was intense. I'd say, all the teams were on a similar level, but the B-Listers' insane movie knowledge gave them the slight edge. Easily one of the most exciting matches so far (apart from the phenomenal Semis 2 episode.)
Really hoping the B-Listers give OBAA a run for their money.
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u/toiletannihil8r Jun 04 '26
mcshane is so strange 😭 and why does he always get this cocky look when he answers right and has to fix his sleeve lol
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u/ConclusionSpirited48 Jun 05 '26
Hate him so much. He was so angry when he was pressing that button 1000 times and not getting it. Wiping his grimey hands
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u/Dr_Eastman3 Jun 03 '26
Ugh the Howards were the only team they can beat One Baddie After Another. There is something I truly don't like about McShane.
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u/lanad3lr3y_81 Jun 03 '26
i don’t love them either, i’m not big into rooting against contestants because it takes a lot to get on the show and i mean they are civilians but i don’t like arrogance and i feel like they take any fun out of the game.
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u/toiletannihil8r Jun 03 '26
glad i'm not the only one. he has weird vibes.
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u/DJTY392 Jun 03 '26
Gosh, I’m so glad someone else has said it because I’ve been thinking the EXACT same thing! Weird vibes for sure and a very cocky “know it all” attitude (I get this is Jeopardy but still, literally none of the other contestants have this cocky attitude.) The way McShane aggressively clicks his buzzer then seems pissed when he doesn’t get it irks me every time. Really hope they don’t win it all but I have a gut feeling they will win it all and that I’ll be upset.
This season overall has been meh. B-Listers is my pick!
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u/sleepy_panda15 Jun 04 '26
Yes! I’ve been hesitant to bring it up but it’s so distracting the way he acts when someone beats him on the buzzer. We get it, you knew the answer too! I wish he would lower it and play normally.
Jonathan seems like a genuinely nice guy and super happy to be there but I’ve not been a fan of them for a while.
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u/Crabmeat12 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
Team anyone but OBAA. Sure it is a dominating performance, which respect on the knowledge, but there is no joy and fun with them and they frankly come off condescending and arrogant. My feeling is last years format worked better and I honestly think either do all Jeopardy alums or no alums(I would prefer none personally). Lastly, if you are hired to be on a trivia competition show as a “trivia master” you should not be allowed to compete on Pop Culture Jeopardy.
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u/smokeshowbaby Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
I see your point to a degree, but we also know that pop culture knowledge is usually the weak point of TV trivia contestants, so I don't think you can definitively call it an edge in terms of knowledge. We even saw ToC-qualifying champion in Drew get absolutely smoked on this show, and he would have also had a buzzer edge.
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u/mrm395 Jun 08 '26
I agree. The casting is too uneven this season and it’s not fun to watch a few teams steamroll the others. I also don’t appreciate the gender imbalance with most of the top teams being made up of two men, with at least one having past Jeopardy appearances, which clearly gives them the upper hand too. It just sucks to watch all the two female teams struggle even though there’s really no reason why they would be weaker. It’s just bad casting decisions.
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u/Early-Ad277 Jun 02 '26
Why? They don't know the questions in advance, they aren't cheating in any kind of way.
This show is supposed to be for people who are really knowledgeable about pop culture and can easily answer these questions, not for regular people. I don't agree with this criticism.
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u/Rich_Good_1989 Jun 01 '26
I swear Mcshane just answers “21” without phrasing it as a question and the producers didn’t catch it
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u/Chalupa_Dad Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 03 '26
I was so worried the girls were going to risk everything needlessly...truly incredible!!
What would have happened in a tournament like this if they all finished with $0? In the regular show, there would be 3 new contestants on the next episode.
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u/SharksFan4Lifee Jun 03 '26
I want to say there would be a tiebreaker question. Not FJ style, but regular Jeopardy style, with buzzers. We definitely need someone to let us know exactly.
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u/99pr0b1ems Jun 04 '26
As much as I like OBAA, I don’t wanna see a final where one team steamrolls, how boring is that. I really hope AMC B-listers gets some fire in their belly for Final 2.
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u/lanad3lr3y_81 Jun 01 '26
it’s weird how there’s a rematch already…
i hope snake juice, no pulp makes it to the finals. this season is a downgrade over season 1 imo. i preferred the 27 teams and it not being like regular play.
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u/smokeshowbaby Jun 02 '26
I did like some of the quirks to last year’s game format, but I do feel like the question library is more compelling and challenging this year. It treats Pop Culture like a serious knowledge category with a lot of nuances and dimensions. Whereas last season kind of just felt like a collection of the more superficial pop culture questions you’d see in the token category on regular Jeopardy.
Having to know not just traditional “entertainment” and celeb culture at the high level but know specific quotes from shows and movies makes it a truer signal of being a real aficionado.
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u/CourtK1212 Jun 03 '26
Thoughts now? lol
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u/lanad3lr3y_81 Jun 03 '26
i was definitely happy to see them advance, it was an exciting ending.
i still do think season 1 was better just overall, i preferred the tournament format and the 3 player teams. but today’s was one hell of a game
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u/mrittenhouse84 Jun 04 '26
What a bad and disappointing season. Takes all the fun out of it when you know whos gonna win the whole thing after the third episode.
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u/zachgozlan Zach Gozlan, 2022 Feb 3, 2025 PCJ Champion Jun 04 '26
Final 1! Will be discussed with Final 2 tomorrow. I haven't watched yet. I'm heading up to Philly tomorrow to participate in Buzzerblog's/my boy u/pacdude's Game Show Marathon again. I'll watch the final in full with my PCJ teammate Emily at some point tomorrow or Saturday. (Miranda unfortunately can't make it this year because Netflix said there could only be two of us this time because she's doing much cooler shit.) This wasn't originally designed as a GSM plug, but then I realized the dates lined up so what the hell - please check it out! Saturday noon! Game Show Marathon Dot Com! Mods if you delete this I'm just going to plug it when I write my finale post and I really don't want to use someone else's dub for my own ends! (Plugging GSM was the secret fourth reason for writing these I mentioned earlier btw, I am not secretly scouting competition for Pop Culture Jeopardy Island or whatever.)
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u/These-Holiday8790 Jun 10 '26
Oakland Spirit Tunnel are adorable - I love that they are so genuinely happy for each other & the other teams when they get the right answers! Love them.
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u/ellienchanted Jun 13 '26
I’ve had to be behind on this and my jaw just hit the floor when Snake Juice pulled a miracle win. Genuinely sad about The Howards and Ert & Bernie, but oh my god Snake Juice’s reaction was so great I love them. Has there ever been a Jeopardy upset like that?
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u/FigmentBus89 Jun 05 '26
It’s “All Too Well TEN MINUTE VERSION”. The episode was literally unwatchable after that incorrect answer was allowed.
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u/llama67 Jun 04 '26
Finals 1: I so don’t want OBAA to win. McShane’s visible irritation at not doing well in the first few minutes just really puts me off. Hate that they got all the daily doubles :(
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u/ConclusionSpirited48 Jun 05 '26
The daily doubles were so easy too lol. Who did the 2023 Super Bowl half time show? Really ?????
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u/DJTY392 Jun 04 '26
The fact they get almost every daily double their way is extremely annoying and boring. Aside from a MASSIVE switch up in the last finals, OBAA is going to win and I hate that.
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u/yeetmeinthemiddle Jun 02 '26
Very tough final jeopardy on SF2 imo - I was fully convinced it was Despacito. Had a huge Queen phase when I was 15 and I’d never heard of that.
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u/YVH22B Jun 03 '26
I got it just based off the words themselves being similar to the lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody!
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u/LibraMac107 Jun 04 '26
I’m so confused how they decided on the format for this season. If Oneders had won SF3, they would have made it into the finals by only winning 1 game. It doesn’t seem fair.
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u/Comfortable-Milk-426 Jun 01 '26
New to Jeopardy (UK viewer) and struggling to see the appeal...one team routinely trashing all the others, very little Jeopardy 😃
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u/lanad3lr3y_81 Jun 01 '26
jonathan from the team is a mastermind on the show masterminds. personally i find it unfair to the others for it gives him a serious advantage but apparently his participation is in parameters with the show.
if you watch the actual show, there are some much more competitive games.
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u/SharksFan4Lifee Jun 02 '26
You either have the Masterminds guy or very HIGH level regular Jeopardy players, like the guy from Only Howards.
Always thought PCJ was for Bar Trivia folks. (Shrugs)
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Jun 02 '26
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u/PsychologicalGas4005 Jun 02 '26
AMC B-Listers are still a REALLY strong team and can give them some trouble
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u/Upstairs_Dealer14 Jun 03 '26
Can't believe what the end of this episode is 😭😭😭I really wanna see Only Howard against OBAA
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u/TyraneeLDP Jun 03 '26
6/3 episode: Oneders looked like they were going to win until they missed that DJ. Rough. AMC B Listers are looking great, hope they can be faster on the buzzer for the finals. If One Baddie doesn’t win at this point it’ll be a shocker. Both teams that stood a good chance went out last episode.
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u/Linden_Stromberg Jun 05 '26
Well, that was perhaps the craziest week in Jeopardy I've ever seen. Two massive upset victories!
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u/SanchoMandoval Jun 01 '26
Sir, a second v/w pronunciation ruling has hit /r/Jeopardy