Over the course of three weeks, nine one-hour episodes will feature two games among different combinations of the contestants, resulting in a champion who will win a $500,000 grand prize and the “Jeopardy! Masters” title.
Wednesday’s episode featured Schneider against Groce, a writer and television personality from Pittsburgh, and Roach, a writer and podcast host from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Credit: ABC
Credit: ABC
Groce, an incredibly impressive and humble presence, already earned her spot in the semifinals but that didn’t keep her from dominating. She confidently set the pace at the outset, finishing the Jeopardy! round with 7,000 points. Schneider and Roach, battling for second, had 3,800 and 3,600, respectively.
At the start of Double Jeopardy! Roach immediately found the Daily Double and wagered everything but failed to correctly respond, opening the door for Schneider to clearly advance. The clue in the category Down in the Valley:
“This valley a bit over 100 miles east of Pittsburgh gets its name from ‘One Mountain’ in a Native American language.”
The correct response was Nittany Valley but Roach responded Susquehanna (Valley). At the end of the round, Groce led with 21,005 points followed by Schneider with 7,800 and Roach with 2,800.
The Final Jeopardy! clue in the category Short Stories:
“‘Down -- steadily down it crept... downward with its lateral velocity. To the right -- to the left’ is in this 1842 tale.”
The correct response: “The Pit and the Pendulum.” Roach, in a sign of sportsmanship and wagering nothing, wrote a congratulatory note to Schneider, keeping a score of 2,800. Schneider, also opting not to wager, responded “The Gold-Bug,” keeping her score 7,800. Groce, choosing “The Tell-Tale Heart,” didn’t wager either and kept her score 21,005.
During the interview portion, Schneider revealed her next endeavor: a podcast.
“I’m planning to start a podcast,” Schneider said. “I need a title. If anybody has any suggestions for a title that’d be great. Also, if you have any ideas about what it should be about.”
“Sounds like you’re almost there,” host Ken Jennings said. “You have everything but an idea and a title.”
“I have a document entitled Podcast Thoughts. That’s it,” Schneider said.
The leaderboard at the end of the sixth episode: First: Groce (16); Second: Raut (10); Third: Holzhauer: (9); Fourth: Schneider: (6); Fifth: Roach (5); and Sixth: Amodio (2). The ranking takes into account the number of correct responses. The semifinals, beginning Friday, will consist of Groce, Raut, Holzhauer and Schneider.
“Jeopardy! Masters” airs at 8 p.m. on ABC. The show also streams on Hulu.
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