On a recent episode of “Jeopardy!” aired on November 13, 2024, the show’s adjudication process was called into question during the Final Jeopardy! round, leading to bewilderment and dissatisfaction among viewers.
The contestants for the episode included Joey DeSena, a development engineer from Raleigh, North Carolina, who had already won two games and accumulated $44,698. His competitors were Lois Dioro, a realtor from West Haven, Connecticut, and Evan Dorey, a data analytics director hailing from Toronto, Ontario.
Prior to the Final Jeopardy!, Dioro and Dorey both had a tied score of $14,600, while DeSena lagged behind with $7,400. The category for this decisive round was “POETRY & PLACES,” and the clue was related to the title of a Robert Burns poem that described ‘the mountains…covered with snow…the straths & green valleys below.’ The expected response was “Highlands.”
DeSena responded with “Moor??? It was fun!” and was left with a mere $199, thus ending his winning spree. Dorey, on the other hand, answered “Highland” and despite the apparent uncertainty, the judges accepted his answer and his score doubled to $29,200.
Ken Jennings, the host, verified that the correct answer was indeed “My Heart’s in the Highlands.” Dioro, who had responded with “Scotland,” saw her score reduced to $12,000, resulting in Dorey becoming the new champion.
The outcome evoked a variety of responses from the audience, with many viewers taking to social media to express their views. A common concern was why the singular form of the correct plural title was deemed acceptable.
One observer highlighted the discrepancy, questioning why a singular response was accepted when an incomplete plural response was not. Another viewer echoed this sentiment, expressing the belief that an answer, if it is a title word, should exactly match rather than being a modified version.
The debate primarily revolves around the show’s policies concerning singular and plural forms in answers. In this case, the judges accepted “Highland” even though the actual title of the poem is “My Heart’s in the Highlands.”
This incident has prompted a wider debate among the show’s fans about the consistency of the program’s ruling process. In October 2024, contestant Eamonn Campbell was denied points due to his mispronunciation of “anesthesiologist” as “anateesiologist” and “anathesiologist,” with Jennings rejecting his answer.
When another contestant, Dot White, correctly pronounced the word, she was awarded the points. Fans were split over this decision, with some accusing Jennings of being overly strict while others supported the importance of correct pronunciation.
In a similar vein, contestant Kelly Proulx in July 2024, answered “Bridalveil Falls” instead of “Bridalveil Fall” and was ruled incorrect due to the additional “s.” This decision resulted in Proulx missing out on crucial points and subsequently losing in Final Jeopardy!. The decision was met with disappointment from fans, who labelled the ruling as overly meticulous and unfair.
These incidents underscore the ongoing challenges Jeopardy! encounters in upholding consistency in its rulings, particularly concerning singular versus plural forms and pronunciation.