[The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Monday, April 28, episode of Jeopardy!]
Liam Starnes has already qualified for an upcoming Tournament of Champions, racked up over $123,000, and taken the Jeopardy! world by storm. Going for his seventh game and win, the undergraduate student had to be on his game.
The reigning champion, from Barrington, Illinois, faced off against Steve Icsman, from Sandusky, Ohio, and Erin Morin, from Aldie, Virginia, on Monday, April 28.
Starnes dominated the first half of the game, correctly solving eight out of the 15 questions before the first commercial break. He had $5,000 already at that point. Morin, a digital pre-press specialist, had $2,200, and Icsman, a retired teacher, was in the negatives with -$200 after answering two questions wrong.
During the interviews, Jeopardy! fans learned another interesting fact about Starnes. He could tell people what day of the week they were born if they gave him their birthday when he was four years old. He shared that he still has that talent.
“That seems pretty on brand for you,” host Ken Jennings said. Morin listened to bird calls for an undergraduate literature project. Icsman is part of a very large family, with over 50 cousins.
Morin found the Daily Double and tied Starnes for the lead. The clue in “Quotable Fictional Characters” read, “‘Just think lovely wonderful thoughts… and they lift you up in the air’, explains this eternal youth.” She answered, “Who is Peter Pan?” She went up to $5,200, tying Starnes.
However, by the end of the round, Starnes maintained the lead. He had $6,400. Morin was only behind by $800 with $5,600. Icsman was finally on the board with $600.
In Double Jeopardy, Starnes found both of the DDs. The reigning champion increased his total on the first one. He made it a true Daily Double in “American Rivers and Lakes.” “This river that flows through a valley of the same name is the main tributary of the Potomac,” was the clue. Starnes doubled up to $19,200 when he answered, “What is Shenandoah?”
He found the second DD two questions later. In “Science and Nature,” the clue was “This hard, dark-colored volcanic rock is the most common type found in the Earth’s crust.” Starnes answered, “What is obsidian?” which was incorrect. The right answer was “What is basalt?” This dropped him $3,000, making his total $20,800 versus $5,600 for Morin.
By the end of the round, Starnes had a huge lead with $25,400. Morin was in second with $14,800. Icsman finally filled his bank with $5,400.
The Final Jeopardy question changed everything when Starnes answered incorrectly. The question was in the category “Contemporary Authors.” It read, “At the start of his writing career, his wife told him, if it didn’t work out, at 6’4″, he could be a reacher in a supermarket.” Icsman answered incorrectly with “Who is Percival Everett?” After wagering all of his money, he ended with $0. Starnes also answered incorrectly with “Who is Jack Grisham?” He wagered $4,201, ending with $21,199. This still gave him the lead, but it all came down to Morin. She correctly answered, “Who is Lee Child?” She wagered all of her money, doubling up to $29,600. This made her the night’s winner, defeating Starnes.
Fans reacted to Starnes’ shocking loss. “Wow, I wasn’t expecting Liam’s streak to end so soon, especially after that ending. But congrats to Erin on becoming new champion,” a Reddit user said.
“I am unwell over Liam’s Jeopardy loss,” said another.
“Very sad to see Liam go, but wow what an impressive showing from Erin!” said another.
“Liam’s run was PERFECT in length. Never been a fan of those extremely long runs where someone’s the next KJ. Liam did an awesome job 💕,” wrote one fan.
“My goodness Liam is so impressive! A six-day streak is always impressive, but a six-day streak while still an undergrad is otherworldly. Can’t wait to see him in the ToC ❤️,” one last fan commented.