Final Jeopardy: U.S.S.R.I.P. (8-28-24)

TODAY’S JEOPARDY! RERUN: QF8 of the 2024 Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament that originally aired on 3/29/2024

The Final Jeopardy question in the category “U.S.S.R.I.P.” was:

Of the 15 countries formed by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, this one is alphabetically last

Today’s Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament contestants are: Victoria Groce, a writer & television personality from Pittsburgh, PA; Dhruv Gaur, a grad student from Cambridge, MA; and Ben Ingram, a business control specialist orig. from Florence, SC.

Round 1 Categories: The Ancients Speak – State Flags – A Standout Stand-Up – Penalties & Bonuses – Classic Ad Slogans & Jingles – 13-Letter Words

Dhruv found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “The Ancients Speak” under the $800 clue on the 10th pick of the round. He was in the lead with $3,400, $1,600 more than Victoria in second place. Dhruv bet $2,000 and he was RIGHT.

In “The Lives of the Twelve Caesars”, it’s said that his last words were “What an artist dies with me!” show
WHO IS NERO?

Victoria finished in the lead with $7,600. Dhruv was in second place with $5,200. Ben was last with negative $200. All clues were shown.

Round 2 Categories: South American History – Plays & Playwrights – Biology “A”, “B”, “C”s – A Warming Trend – Mr. or Mrs. Song – Eponyms

Ben found the first Daily Double in “South American History” under the $800 clue on the 5th pick of the round. He was in last place with $1,400, $8,200 less than Victoria’s lead. Ben bet $2,000 and said silver. That was WRONG.

Simon Iturri Patiño was once Bolivia’s rey del estaño, king of this metal in which the land is rich show
WHAT IS TIN?

Dhruv found the last Daily Double in “Biology ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’s” under the $800 clue on the 15th pick of the round. He was in second place with $6,400, $10,000 less than Victoria’s lead. Dhruv bet $6,400 and he was RIGHT.

“C”: In myth, it’s a fire-breathing hybrid monster, in genetics, it’s an organism with 2 distinct sets of DNA show
WHAT IS CHIMERA?

Victoria finished in the lead with $22,800. Dhruv was in second place with $14,400 and Ben was last with $5,800. All clues were shown.

TWO of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS UZBEKISTAN?

If you didn’t instantly known Uzbekistan was alphabetically last of the 15 countries formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was no need to clutter up your mind with the 10 non-stans (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine). If you just ran the 5 -stans through your mind quickly, you’d get there: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Back in 2011, a Geographic Process of Elimination Final Jeopardy! clue listed all the -stans except “This country [that] borders the most “stan”s: Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan & Turkmenistan”. When no one got it, Alex Trebek said: “we put all those -stans in alphabetical order, and the next one on the list was Uzbekistan.”

Not surprising: Uzbekistan is also alphabetically last of the 7 countries that start with the letter U: Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan.

Ben got it right. He bet $1,854 and finished with $7,654.

Dhruv thought it was Ukraine. He lost $8,401, leaving him with $5,999.

Victoria also got it right. She bet $6,001 and won the game with $28,801. Victoria Groce advances to the semifinals.

Final Jeopardy (3/29/2024) Victoria Groce, Dhruv Gaur, Ben Ingram

A triple stumper from each round:

A STANDOUT STAND-UP ($600) His early stand-up bits (image) like the over-chatty ventriloquist are part of what made him a legend

SOUTH AMERICAN HISTORY ($2000) This Venezuelan president said in 2019 that protesters would not go unpunished & accused the U.S. of plotting against him

More clues on Page 2

2 years ago: NONE of the players got this FJ in “U.S. City Names”