On Wednesday night’s episode of “Jeopardy!” on ABC, Jennings and the trivia program’s unseen judges made a call that infuriated some viewers who vented their frustrations on social media.
A Reddit user called host Ken Jennings’ call against a contestant “disgusting.” ABC
Contestant Kelly Proulx said “Bridalveil Falls,” but the correct response was “Bridalveil Fall.” ABC
One blasted the move as “disgusting.”
The drama unfolded during the last clue of Double Jeopardy, which was in the category “Waterfalls.”
“A Yosemite fall with a wispy ribbon of water that flutters in the air like a diaphanous cloth bears the name of this marital wear,” Jennings said, for $2,000.
Returning champion Kelly Proulx, a communications director from Billerica, Massachusetts, buzzed and guessed, “What is Bridalveil Falls?”
Unfortunately, she was off by an “s.”
Proulx wound up with $3,600 after Double Jeopardy. ABC
“No, I’m sorry,” Jennings, 50, said.
“It’s actually Bridalveil Fall, so we couldn’t take that. It is, ‘What is a Bridalveil?’”
That clue was especially confusing because other watery Yosemite sites have the appended letter: Yosemite Falls, Wapama Falls and Carlon Falls, among them.
To boot, the smallest of the three waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls in New York and Ontario, Canada, is called Bridal Veil Falls.
Contestant Isaac Hirsch, center, won with $19,185. ABC
Poor Proulx ended the round in last place with $8,000. Contestant Dana Keane had $8,300 and Isaac Hirsch had $18,000.
After Final Jeopardy, Hirsch, a customer support team leader from Burbank, California, came out on top with $19,185 — and Proulx’s winning streak was brought to a close.
Regular viewers were peeved by the Double Jeopardy blunder.
“I typically give long and wide deference to the judges, but f–k the judges for that ruling,” one Reddit user said.
“There is nothing pinning the clue to ‘fall,’ so she got the required information correct. That was positively disgusting.”
“Yeesh that’s a brutal call on the last clue,” another Reddit user said.
A third was more blunt.
“That ruling was garbage,” they said.
