Law and policy student and current Jeopardy! champ Caleb Groen looked to add another large sum to his already impressive eight-day total of $220,500. Originally from Thousand Oaks, California, Groen battled real estate title examiner Patience Bruce and cleantech funder Khalid Kurji to defend his title.
“Yesterday marked the eighth win and the fifth runaway victory for our champion, Caleb Gruitt, who set a personal record yesterday by attempting to buzz on 49 of the 60 clues in the game. Pretty good,” said host Ken Jennings. “Caleb has certainly shown that he knows his stuff. And even after a break from the buzzer over the weekend, did not show any signs of slowing down.” Warning: Spoilers for the July 14 episode of Jeopardy! ahead!
The cast of Apple TV+’s Shrinking, including Harrison Ford, Brett Goldstein, and Jason Segel, appeared via video to introduce the category “Therapy Talk” (and promote their show).
Groen kicked off the game with the category “4,4” for $800 and the clue: “A Laurel & Hardy film from 1930 is called Another this, though Hardy sometimes used ‘nice’ instead.” Bruce was the first person on the board with the correct response: “What is a Fine Mess?”
In the same category for $1000, Groen found the first Daily Double. He wagered his entire pot of $4,400 on the clue, “Orchids are often planted in this, harvested from bogs or fens.” An incorrect answer of “What is peat soil?” lost Groen his pot, and he had to start again. The correct answer was peat moss.
By the time of the first break, Groen was in second place with $1,600, while Bruce nabbed the lead with $3,400. Kurji remained at $0.
In the getting-to-know-you segment, Kurji recounted being interviewed by a man-on-the-street reporter about his favorite Seinfeld episode, a moment that earned him a bit of local fame in Calgary, Alberta. Bruce shared the woes of her life due to her resemblance to Sadness from Pixar’s Inside Out. Groen spoke about his supportive family, who have been in the audience for every game of his run so far.
By the end of the first round, Groen reclaimed his lead with $3,600, with Bruce right behind him with $3,000. Kurji was in third place with $800.
Kurji found the first Daily Double of Double Jeopardy on his first clue in the category “Great Scots!” He bet $2,000 in an attempt to catch up, and with the clue, “His name lives on in the waterproof garments he developed using a special rubber preparation between layers of cloth.” With the answer of Macintosh, Kurji was back in the game with $2,800 on the board.
Groen found the second and final DD under “At the Center of Everything” for $800. Wagering $3,000 on his pot of $18,000, he got the clue: “Traditionally, the altar is central in a Catholic church. In a Protestant church where the word is the focus, it’s this structure.” With the correct answer of “What is the pulpit?” Groen’s total stood at $21,000.
After a shaky start and a loss at the beginning of the game, Groen regained his footing and managed yet another runaway game in the second round. By the end of Double Jeopardy, Groen had $23,000, with Bruce in second place with $9,400 and Kurji in third with $8,400.
In the Final Jeopardy category of “Historic Books,” the trio was given the clue, “Ann Eliza Webb, an ex-spouse of this man, penned an expose about the experience titled Wife Number 19.”
Did Groen get it?
Kurji answered, “Who is Hugh Hefner?” It was a good guess, but a wrong answer. His mistake cost him $8,399, leaving him with $1. Bruce correctly guessed “Who is Brigham Young?” and took a big swing, betting her whole pot of $9,400, leaving her with $18,800. Was that enough to beat Groen?
Groen guessed incorrectly with “Who is Nebakov?” However, he bet only $3,000, keeping his lead and the title of Jeopardy! champ with $20,000. With a nine-day total of $240,500, Groen will return on Wednesday.
Jeopardy!, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Peacock and Hulu