“Jeopardy!” contestants established a new benchmark on April 8 by recording the highest number of incorrect responses in season 41. The episode featured a challenging set of questions that resulted in 16 missed clues, marking a record for the season.
Mike Dawson, the returning champion from Portland, Oregon, aimed to build on his two-day winnings totaling $35,000. Competing against him were Anise K. Strong-Morse, a history professor from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Joe Lancour, a quality and export compliance manager from Agawam, Massachusetts. The competition proved notably difficult for all participants.
The difficulties arose early when Joe uncovered the first Daily Double in the Chapter category. Host Ken Jennings presented the clue: “In this novel Chapter 10 is The Shell and the Glasses & 12, ‘Cry of the Hunters.'” Joe’s inability to identify “Lord of the Flies” cost him $1,000.
By the conclusion of the first round, Mike held a lead with $4,800, while Joe had $3,000, and Anise was at negative $1,000. The second round presented equal challenges to the contestants.
Anise made a notable effort to recover during “Double Jeopardy!” but faced setbacks when she revealed the second Daily Double in the Ditch the X category. The clue required removing the X from a statement of a basic principle to reveal “maim,” which she missed, reducing her score by $2,500 from $4,200.
Joe encountered the third Daily Double in The National Road category and took a risk by wagering nearly his entire score. The clue was: “The National Road was also called this for the Maryland city where construction began in 1811 heading west.” Joe’s failure to identify “Cumberland” caused his score to fall from $6,600 to $600.
While his opponents found the high-value clues and Daily Doubles challenging, Mike steadily increased his lead. Entering “Final Jeopardy!,” he had accumulated $16,400, with Anise at $2,900 and Joe at $1,800.
The “Final Jeopardy!” category was Honors, with the clue: “Burt Lancaster and Joanne Woodward were among the first eight honored at a 1958 ceremony held on this street.” All three contestants correctly responded with “What is Hollywood Boulevard?”
Mike won his third consecutive game with a score of $21,400, bringing his three-day total to $57,000. Joe concluded with $3,600, and Anise finished with $3,607, both trailing behind Mike.
The episode’s difficulty was evident in the final scores and statistics. The contestants collectively missed 16 clues, setting a new season record. Mike answered only two clues incorrectly with 19 correct responses, while his opponents each missed seven clues.
Viewers expressed their thoughts on social media regarding the challenging nature of the game. One fan noted, “This was an abnormally tough board for me today. All around difficult, even in categories I’d normally do well in.” Another observer commented on the difficulty of the Daily Doubles and the surprisingly easy “Final Jeopardy.”
Another viewer pointed out the occurrence of “Ten triple stumpers. 16 wrong responses including all three DDs and two of the three players had under $3,000 going to FJ. Yikes!” A third fan described it as a “frustrating game to watch.”
Behind the scenes of “Jeopardy!,” several components ensure a smooth operation. Contestant podiums include hidden risers so all participants appear the same height on camera. After clues are read, signal lights around the game board indicate when contestants can respond.
The timing system is precise — buzzing in too early results in a quarter-second lockout. Each podium has a small white light that signals the host, Ken Jennings, which contestant to call upon next.
Contestants adhere to specific wardrobe guidelines, avoiding busy patterns, solid white, purple, and logos. Participants bring three outfits to the studio, though only the host and returning champion change clothes for consecutive episodes.
The production schedule is demanding, with five episodes typically recorded in a single day, and occasionally more. Categories, players (except returning champions), and “Final Jeopardy!” clues are randomly selected to ensure fairness.
Despite the difficult round and record-setting missed answers, Mike Dawson’s consistent performance secured his status as a three-day champion, though he lost the following day. As season 41 progresses, viewers will watch to see if this record for missed clues remains or if another challenging set of questions will test future contestants.