Some “Jeopardy!” fans aren’t happy about the Final Jeopardy clue on Wednesday’s episode of the game show.
Returning champion Ashley Chan and new contestants Sarah Rosenthal and Eric Weldon-Schilling made it to the final round where the category was “Anthems.”
The clue, as read by host Ken Jennings, was: “The unofficial anthem of this UK territory mentions kelp, penguins and ‘the wind from the horn.’”
Ken Jennings on “Jeopardy!” ABC
All three players were correct in their guesses which was “What are the Falkland Islands?”
Final Jeopardy category. ABC
Weldon-Schilling ended the game with a total of $21,000 and defeated Chan, who had $2,000, and Rosenthal, who had $3,000.
Fans of the show were upset with the choice for the Final Jeopardy clue, claiming that it had nothing to do with the “Anthems” category.
Final Jeopardy clue. ABC
“Agreed that ANTHEMS was not a helpful or appropriate FJ category given the clue,” one fan wrote in the Reddit thread about the episode.
“Baffling and unserious,” they added.
Contestants compete in Final Jeopardy. ABC
“This was another FJ for which solving it required no knowledge whatsoever about the category,” another viewer said.
A different fan asked, “The FJ clues have been so weak lately. Are the writers on holiday break what’s going on?”
Heading into Wednesday’s episode, Chan, a publicist from Lewisville, Texas, was on a four-game winning streak.
Ashley Chan on “Jeopardy!” ABC
She faced off against Rosenthal, a fundraiser from New York City, and Weldon-Schilling, a bar manager and sommelier from Houston, Texas.
Chan got off to an early lead in the game, but that changed during the first Daily Double.
The contestants on “Jeopardy!” on December 18. ABC
The clue for the category “Poli Sci” read: “Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen gets credit for coining this term for an organized effort to fake a grassroots movement.”
Chan guessed “what is astroturfing?” and got it wrong.
That put her behind Weldon-Schilling for the rest of the game.
All three contestants also failed Double Jeopardy! The category was “Victorian Verse” and the clue was “Thomas Hardy really liked this made-up name, writing a poem about its ‘Captains’ as well as a novel about its ‘Mayor.’”
“What is Casterbridge?” was the correct answer.
Chan tried to turn her luck around in Final Jeopardy, but she couldn’t overcome Weldon-Schilling’s lead despite getting the question right.
Contestants competing on “Jeopardy!” ABC
On Reddit, fans celebrated Weldon-Schilling’s first-ever “Jeopardy!” victory.
“Eric looked so happy at the end, I like him a lot,” one fan wrote.
“Totally agree! He’s a new fave at our house,” another fan said.
Other viewers mourned Chan’s disappointing loss.
“Aww gonna miss Ashley,” a fan wrote.
