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Jeopardy! - Season 2025 Episode 227 -
S41 Second Chance Tournament Group 2 Final Game 1
S41 Second Chance Tournament Group 2 Final Game 1
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00:00To studios, this is Jeopardy! Second Chance.
00:10Introducing our Second Chance finalists.
00:14A writer and comedian from West Hollywood, California, Guy Branham.
00:20A tutor originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, Michelle Sine.
00:24And an attorney from Silver Spring, Maryland, Melanie Hirsch.
00:31And now, here is the host of Jeopardy, Ken Jennings.
00:37Thank you, Johnny Gilbert. Welcome to Jeopardy!
00:40If you're tuning in with your family on this holiday, I think you are about to open a great Christmas gift of a game.
00:46Because we have three incredible players and newly crowned champions back to compete in this week's final.
00:51They've already proved they were worthy of a Second Chance.
00:53Now they're hoping to move on to the next level, Champions Wild Card.
00:57Good luck, players. Let's get right into this Game 1 of a two-day final with these categories for you in the Jeopardy! round.
01:04We have History on TV.
01:07Then, On the Bookshelf.
01:09Followed by Fast Food.
01:11Give Me a Ring.
01:13The Movies.
01:15And finally, Homonimbly Yours.
01:18Melanie, the first selection is yours.
01:20On the Bookshelf, 800, please.
01:21This 1949 novel features a daily rally called the Two Minutes Hate, in which party members vent anger at their enemies.
01:30Guy.
01:30What is 1984?
01:31Correct.
01:32History on TV for 800.
01:34Some thought TV undercovered the USA's longest war.
01:38But cameras caught the final departure in 2021 from this capital's airport.
01:43Melanie.
01:44What is Hanoi?
01:45No.
01:46Michelle.
01:46What is Kabul?
01:47In Afghanistan, yes.
01:48On the Bookshelf, 1,000.
01:50In this Alice Sebold novel, a murder victim keeps watch over her family, her killer, and the detective trying to solve the case.
01:58Melanie.
01:58What is the Lovely Bones?
01:59That's right.
02:00Out of the hole for you.
02:01On the Bookshelf, 600.
02:02Answer.
02:02A daily double.
02:03You're back in positive territory.
02:08Good to see.
02:09And you can wager up to 1,000 here.
02:101,000, please.
02:11For 1,200, then, if you're right, here's a clue for you in On the Bookshelf.
02:16Anthony Swafford's experiences in the first Gulf War led to his memoir called This, also the nickname of a Marine.
02:22What is Jarhead?
02:23Jarhead is the book, yes.
02:25You're in the lead with 1,200.
02:26History on TV, 600.
02:30With the world watching, these two countries put on a rare united front, walking under a single flag at the 2000 Olympics.
02:37Guy.
02:38Woodrow, North and South Korea.
02:39Yes.
02:40History on TV for 1,000.
02:42Millions learned what sexual harassment is from the 1991 hearings when this woman accused Clarence Thomas of it.
02:49Guy.
02:49Who is Hill.
02:50Anita Hill is right for 1,000.
02:52Fast food for 600.
02:53If you're craving Mexican food, try this spot's Cravings Value menu, replete with offerings like cheesy Fiesta potatoes.
03:01Michelle.
03:01What is Taco Bell?
03:02Correct.
03:03Fast food for 800.
03:05There's treasure to be had for you and your parrot at this dining spot, including the fish and shrimp platter with hushpuppies.
03:12Melanie.
03:12What is Long John Silver's?
03:14Yes.
03:14Fast food, 1,000.
03:16The queso guacamole chicken burrito is just part of the insanity at this restaurant with a Spanish name.
03:23Melanie.
03:23What is El Pollo Loco?
03:25Another 1,000 for you.
03:26Give me a ring, 800.
03:28A series of concentric dark and bright circles made by the interference of light are rings named for this 17th century British scientist.
03:37Melanie.
03:37Who is Newton?
03:38Yes.
03:39Give me a ring, 600.
03:41E-Ring is the only one with exterior views in this building that has six zip codes of its own.
03:47Michelle.
03:47What's the Pentagon?
03:48You got it.
03:49Give me a ring, 1,000.
03:51Wagner finished hitting for the ring cycle with this opera in which Valhalla burns.
03:56Melanie.
03:56What is Twilight of the Gods?
03:57Yes.
03:58Goethe demmerung.
03:59That's why I said it in English.
04:00The movie's 800.
04:02Unlike in the novel, James Caan's character Paul Sheldon gets to keep both of his hobbled feet in this film.
04:08Guy.
04:09What is Misery?
04:09Right.
04:10The movie's for 1,000.
04:12Dustin Hoffman played the roles of Michael Dorsey and Dorothy Michaels in this film, but only got one Oscar nomination for it.
04:19Guy.
04:19What is Tootsie?
04:20Right.
04:21The movie's for 600.
04:23Rolling Stone named this Spike Lee film in which he played Mookie the greatest movie of the 1980s.
04:29Melanie.
04:29What is Do the Right Thing?
04:30That's right.
04:31He acted and directed in it.
04:325,400 for you means you're in the lead as we come to our first break.
04:35We'll be right back with more of these Jeopardy! Second Chance finals in just a moment.
04:44Guy Branham is a writer and comedian from West Hollywood.
04:48And Guy, have you been keeping up at all with your fellow Jeopardy! competitors?
04:51Yes.
04:52The community that I've been introduced to by Jeopardy! has been really great.
04:55But one of the best parts is I've been touring with a solo show when I was recently up in Portland.
04:59And Mike Dawson, the guy who beat me, actually came to the show to say,
05:03I really hope you get into Second Chance because he and the other guy on our episode are both making it to Tournament of Champion.
05:08He was like, you deserve to be there.
05:10And I thought that was very sweet.
05:11The guy who beat you came to your show?
05:12Yes.
05:13And did he heckle?
05:14No, no, no.
05:14I made fun of him from the stage.
05:16I asked him a very hard question from the stage and then he had nothing.
05:19And I was like, ha ha.
05:21See?
05:21Yes.
05:22But it was really lovely.
05:23There you go.
05:24Level the plague field.
05:25Yes.
05:25I like becoming a comedian out of revenge for Jeopardy!
05:27That's a good idea.
05:28That's the only reason people do it.
05:30Michelle Tsai is a tutor originally from Honolulu.
05:32When you won your semifinal game, there was a big outcry in our audience.
05:36You have some fans here, right?
05:38Yes.
05:38I have my friend Rachel and my mom in the back row there.
05:42And then my dad on the left, my husband on the right, and my grandpa in the middle.
05:46And he came all the way from Honolulu, Hawaii, and he's 96 years old.
05:5096-year-old grandpa is here.
05:53And he's still the smartest, sharpest one in the family.
05:55Smartest one in the family?
05:56Yes.
05:57Wow.
05:57By a mile.
05:57And you've got a Jeopardy! champ in the family.
05:59That's a pretty good testimonial, sir.
06:01Melanie Hirsch is our final finalist, an attorney from Silver Spring, Maryland.
06:05By total coincidence, in your governmental job, you work with some Jeopardy! champions.
06:11Is that right?
06:11That's right.
06:12So the very first head of the agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, was Rich Cordray,
06:16who was a five-time champion in the 80s.
06:18One of my close colleagues was on last year, and recent champion Tom Devlin is a current
06:24colleague of mine.
06:26The last 10 months or so have been very fraught for all of us at the CFPB.
06:29We've been fired multiple times, rehired.
06:32And you got rehired here for your Jeopardy! job.
06:34Exactly.
06:35You got a second chance here.
06:36And I hope you get a second chance at the CFPB as well.
06:39You have control of the board right now, Melanie.
06:41Homonymely, yours for $600.
06:43A great result after a horseshoe throw.
06:45It can also refer to someone sneakily brought into a game who's way better than most.
06:50Michelle.
06:51What's a ringer?
06:51Yes.
06:52Homonymely, yours for $800.
06:54In one sense, it means to squander.
06:57In another, it's a deep-fried corn treat familiar to Southern cuisine.
07:03What is a fritter or to fritter?
07:06Michelle.
07:06Homonymely, yours $1,000.
07:08It can refer to cutting something into two parts, say with an axe, or to cling together.
07:14Michelle.
07:14What is cleave?
07:16That's right.
07:17Homonym, yours $400.
07:18As a noun, it's a breed of cold-weather pooch.
07:21As an adjective, it can refer to one's burly physique.
07:25Guy.
07:25But he's husky.
07:26Yes.
07:27The movie, yours for $400.
07:28In this film and its sequel, Emily Blunt plays a mom who keeps her kids safe while not
07:33having a whole lot to say aloud.
07:35Michelle.
07:36What's a quiet place?
07:37That's right.
07:38Homonym, yours $200.
07:39As a verb, it means to grow weary.
07:42As a noun, it refers to a part of your car.
07:45Melanie.
07:45What is tire?
07:46Yes.
07:47The movie's $200.
07:49Liam Neeson plays Frank Drebin Jr., son of Leslie Nielsen's character, in the 2025 version
07:54of this film.
07:55Guy.
07:56What is the naked gun?
07:57That's the film.
07:58History on TV, $400.
07:58America learned of this disaster from Al Michaels and Tim McCarver, covering the World Series
08:04at Candlestick Park in 1989.
08:09It was an earthquake.
08:10The Loma Prieta earthquake.
08:12Guy, back to you.
08:13History on TV for $200.
08:14On November 24th, 1963, in Dallas, Jack Ruby shot this man dead on live television.
08:22Guy.
08:22Who's Oswald?
08:23Yes.
08:24Fast food for $400.
08:25In 1980, this fast food chain literally blew up its clown mascot, who'd be replaced by a
08:31guy with a giant ping pong ball head.
08:33Michelle.
08:33What's Jack in the Box?
08:34Correct.
08:35On the Bookshelf, $400.
08:37This man's ghost shows up in a Christmas carol to warn his ex-partner about the error of
08:42his ways.
08:43Guy.
08:43Who's Marley?
08:44Yes.
08:45Give me a ring for $400.
08:46I went down, down, down to this seismic belt in the Pacific.
08:50It's 25,000 miles of volcanoes and such.
08:53Michelle.
08:54What's the ring of fire?
08:55The burning ring of fire.
08:56Give me a ring $200.
08:58Idiomatically, before you threw in the towel when you quit, you threw this object in the
09:02ring when you entered the contest.
09:04Guy.
09:05What is your hat?
09:05Yes.
09:06Fast food, please.
09:07This restaurant makes the impossible possible with its plant-based impossible whopper,
09:12which you can have your way, of course.
09:14Guy.
09:15What is Burger King?
09:15That's right.
09:16The last clue comes to us on the Bookshelf.
09:19This prolific French author's many adventure tales include From the Earth to the Moon and
09:23In Search of the Castaways.
09:25Guy.
09:25Who's Verne?
09:26That's right, Jules Verne.
09:27You are leading in a very close game.
09:29Three strong players, as I predicted.
09:31Let's see what happens in Double Jeopardy.
09:32That comes up right after this.
09:34Our finalists are off to a great start.
09:43Let's see what categories we have under the tree for them in Double Jeopardy.
09:47First up, People and Places.
09:50Then, the Kaiser's College of Musical Knowledge.
09:53Followed by Science and Nature, Playing the Numbers, Comedians on TV, and finally, in the
10:01sixth spot, Tough Eight Letter Words.
10:03Michelle Tsai, you select first.
10:05Let's do Science and Nature for 16.
10:08The song of this bird, a symbol of North Dakota, goes chup and weep.
10:14Michelle.
10:15What is the Western Meadowlark?
10:16It is.
10:17Science and Nature for 2,000.
10:20It's the last phase of both mitosis and meiosis.
10:23Guy.
10:24But it's division?
10:25No.
10:27Melanie or Michelle?
10:27What is telephase?
10:30Michelle, you're up next.
10:31Science and Nature for 1,200.
10:33This bloodsucker is also known as the tick-tick fly.
10:36Michelle.
10:37What's the tsetse?
10:39Yes, the tsetse fly.
10:40Playing the numbers, 1,200.
10:42Counting up from one, it's the first prime number made up of consecutive digits.
10:47Michelle.
10:48What's 11?
10:48No.
10:51Oh, consecutive.
10:52Consecutive digits means 23.
10:55Michelle, back to you.
10:56Playing the numbers for 16.
10:57Answer.
10:58Daily double.
11:02You have taken over the lead, Michelle.
11:04How much do you want to risk in playing the numbers?
11:06Let's do 6,400.
11:07Okay.
11:09It's a bold move.
11:11Let's see if it works out.
11:12Here's your clue in playing the numbers.
11:14A readjustment of the frontiers of Italy was ninth on a list totaling this number of proposals in 1918.
11:22What is 14?
11:23The 14 points of Woodrow Wilson doubles you up to 12,800.
11:29Select again.
11:31Kaiser's College of Musical Knowledge for 1,200.
11:35Near where the mine and the Rhine combine is this city, where Wilhelm I enjoyed Don Giovanni to open a new opera house in 1880.
11:44Melanie.
11:44What's Vienna?
11:45No.
11:46Michelle or Guy?
11:48That's Frankfurt on the mine.
11:50Michelle.
11:51Musical Knowledge, 16.
11:52His Kaiserwaltzer, or Emperor Waltz, celebrates the amity between two Kaisers, Wilhelm II and Franz Josef.
12:01Melanie.
12:02Who's Haydn?
12:03No.
12:04Michelle.
12:05Who's Strauss?
12:05Can you be more specific?
12:06Strauss II.
12:08Yes, Johann Strauss II.
12:09Musical Knowledge for 2000.
12:11In 1896, Wilhelm II sent this newish orchestra of his capital city to Russia for the coronation of Nicholas II.
12:19Guy.
12:20What is Berlin?
12:21What is Berlin?
12:21Can you give us more?
12:22Berlin, Prussia?
12:24No.
12:25Michelle.
12:26It was Berlin Philharmonic?
12:27Yes, we needed the orchestra.
12:28People and Places for 1,200.
12:30The answer there, the other Daily Devil in the round.
12:36Michelle, you now have a pretty big lead.
12:38Let's do 3,000.
12:39All right, she's going for 19,400 in People and Places.
12:44Outside of India, Canada has one of the largest populations of followers of this religion, founded by Guru Nanak.
12:50What is Sikhism?
12:51Yes, you add 3,000.
12:57We're playing the numbers for 2,000.
13:00In newspaper production speak, this number was used to indicate the end of an article.
13:08What is 30?
13:09Michelle.
13:10Science and Nature, 800.
13:12The first part of this organ in humans is called the duodenum.
13:16Guy.
13:16What is the small intestine?
13:17Right.
13:18Comedians on TV for 2,000.
13:20Louis Anderson won an Emmy for playing Christine, the patient mom of Chip and Dale on this show.
13:26Melanie.
13:26What is buckets?
13:27No.
13:29Michelle.
13:29What is baskets?
13:30It's called baskets.
13:31Tough eight-letter words for 2,000.
13:34F is for this type of person prone to weaving amazing tales for an audience.
13:38Or he could just be a liar.
13:40Melanie.
13:40What is a fabulist?
13:41That's right.
13:43Eight-letter word, 1,600.
13:44This synonym for a bog also refers to any situation you find it hard to extricate yourself from.
13:50Michelle.
13:51What's quagmire?
13:52Right.
13:53Tough eight-letter words, 1,200.
13:54As an adjective, it can mean not concrete or specific.
13:58As a noun, it's a summary of a technical article.
14:02Guy.
14:02What is abstract?
14:03You got it.
14:05Comedians for 16, please.
14:06Her Netflix special I'm Every Woman helped me do a streaming sitcom from Chuck Lorre Productions.
14:12Guy.
14:13Who is Leanne Morgan?
14:13It is.
14:14Comedians on TV for 1,200.
14:16He closed the show on the Kings of Comedy tour before getting his own sitcom as a sometimes abrasive uncle.
14:23Guy.
14:23Who is Bernie Mac?
14:24That's right.
14:25Comedians on TV for 800.
14:27He brought a certain glow to his role as wrestling show director Sam Sylvia.
14:32Guy.
14:32Who is Marin?
14:33Marc Maron is right.
14:34Comedians on TV for 400, please.
14:35Found your category.
14:37Both featuring stand-ups, EHC is Everybody Hates Chris, and ELR is this sitcom that ran for nine seasons.
14:44Guy.
14:45What is Everybody Loves Raymond?
14:46It is.
14:47People and Places for 2,000.
14:48The John Randall Center, a lively and colorful museum in Lagos, celebrates the history and culture of this people.
14:56Guy.
14:56Who are the people of Nigeria?
14:58The Igbo of Nigeria?
14:59No.
15:02Who are the Yoruba?
15:04Back to you, Guy.
15:05People and Places for 1,600.
15:06Tenzing Norgay, a member of this mountain-dwelling group, was right there on Everest's peak with Hillary.
15:13Melanie.
15:14There are Sherpas?
15:15Yes.
15:16People and Places, 800.
15:18A Sabra is a native of this country.
15:20Michelle.
15:21What is Israel?
15:23Yes.
15:24People and Places, 400.
15:25After European, New Zealand's largest ethnic group, at 17% of the population, is this indigenous people.
15:32Melanie.
15:33What are the Maori?
15:33That's right.
15:35Eight-letter words, 800.
15:37Sometimes you pour wine into one of these vessels to help deal with the sediment inside.
15:42Melanie.
15:43What's a decanter?
15:43Correct.
15:44Eight-letter words, 400.
15:46Not the cherubim, but this other order of angels that guards God's throne has a name related to Hebrew for to burn.
15:54Melanie.
15:54What are seraphim?
15:55Yes.
15:56Playing the numbers, 800.
15:58This is your score in a perfect game of ten-pin bowling.
16:02Guy.
16:03What is 300?
16:04Right.
16:05Kaiser's College for 800.
16:07John Philip Sousa said,
16:08Wilhelm II's favorite march was this Sousa one, whose Latin title is the Marine Corps' motto.
16:15Michelle.
16:16What is, uh, semper fidelis?
16:19Correct.
16:20Um, playing the numbers, 400.
16:23Four score and seven years ago is this many years ago, which would have been a much less memorable way of putting it.
16:29Guy.
16:29What is 87?
16:30Yes.
16:31Uh, science and nature for 400.
16:33Argon-40 is an example of this, one form of a chemical element.
16:37Guy.
16:38What is an isotope?
16:39Yes.
16:39One more clue from the Kaiser's College of Musical Knowledge.
16:42Dedicated to Wilhelm I, Brahms' Triumphlied from 1872 celebrates the German victory over this nation.
16:50Guy.
16:50What is France?
16:51Yes, the Franco-Prussian War.
16:52So you are in second place at the end of the Double Jeopardy round with 8,000.
16:56Michelle has a big lead, but remember, this is a two-game total point affair.
17:00So this is not over after today's game.
17:02Let's see what the Final Jeopardy category will be.
17:0518th century literature.
17:07We'll pause for a moment, and then we'll come back and see the clue.
17:13We are going back centuries into the past with our Final Jeopardy category today, 18th century lit.
17:18Here's the clue.
17:20In this work, the boys and girls would venture to come and play at hide-and-seek in my hair.
17:2630 seconds.
17:27Good luck.
17:27Good luck.
17:58Melanie Hirsch had $6,000 coming into Final Jeopardy in Game 1.
18:02What book did you think of, Melanie?
18:04What is Gulliver's Travels?
18:06Yes, the boys and girls were little tiny Lilliputians playing in Gulliver's hair.
18:10So you're going to add to that $6,000.
18:12In fact, you will double it.
18:14$6,000 takes you to $12,000.
18:16Guy Branham was in second place with $8,000 today.
18:20Did he think of Gulliver's hair?
18:22He does have Gulliver's Travels.
18:24What did you wager, Guy?
18:25Also, Olivet, another aggressive wager.
18:27So you have $16,000.
18:30Michelle Tsai had a big lead with $24,600 after finding the Daily Doubles and doing very well.
18:34Does she have Gulliver's Travels?
18:37Oh, what is Rapunzel?
18:38How much did you wager, Michelle?
18:40Ah, a conservative wager.
18:42$5,400 takes you down to $19,200.
18:44So this is going to be a very interesting game, too, tomorrow.
18:48Everybody is going to start off with a great score.
18:50We will be adding these scores to what you earned at the end of tomorrow's game to determine our winner.
18:55Be right here tomorrow to see the end of this Jeopardy! second chance final.
18:58And Merry Christmas.
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