Three contestants took center stage on the Wednesday October 3, episode of Jeopardy! Erin Ward, a software developer from London, Ontario, Scott Tcheng, an ER doctor from San Francisco, and Ryan Manton, a systems administrator from Columbus, Ohio, all vied for the top spot. Ryan, a two-day champion, entered the game having accumulated winnings of $43,778.
The categories for this episode were diverse, ranging from “Australian Currency” to “Health & Medicine” and “TV, Currently.” The first round saw Ryan take an early lead, wagering $1,000 on a Daily Double question in the “We’re Just Getting Started” category.
As the game progressed into Double Jeopardy!, Scott and Ryan were neck and neck, with both contestants answering correctly and strategically wagering on Daily Double questions. Scott’s knowledge of 20th-century playwrights and religious matters kept him in the lead, while Ryan’s expertise in foreign film titles and theories helped him recover from an earlier mistake.
The final scores heading into Final Jeopardy! were closely contested, with Ryan at $12,400, Scott at $11,800, and Erin at $4,800. The category for Final Jeopardy! was “Science,” and the clue focused on physicist John Wheeler’s coined term for “completely collapsed objects.” Both Ryan and Scott provided the correct response, “What is black hole?” but it was Ryan’s strategic wager of $11,201 that secured his victory.
With a three-day total of $67,379, Ryan emerged as the champion, highlighting his knowledge and quick thinking throughout the episode. Scott’s performance was impressive though, narrowly missing out on the win.
