Mark Fitzpatrick returned as the reigning four-day champion on Jeopardy! in the Thursday October 10, episode, facing Cynthia Bullock, a nonprofit executive from Colorado Springs, and Mike Obstgarten, a test-prep coach from Henderson. With $81,600 in total winnings, Mark’s strong gameplay throughout the week made him the clear contestant to watch.
The Jeopardy round featured categories like “BBL, BUSY,” “ANIMAL ANAGRAMS,” and “TIMELINE.” Mark scored big early on with a Daily Double in “TIMELINE,” successfully wagering $1,000 and identifying the end of the Thirty Years’ War as 1648. By the first break, Mark was leading with $2,600, ahead of Cynthia with $2,000 and Mike, who had yet to score. Mark entered Double Jeopardy ahead with $5,000, followed by Mike at $3,600, while Cynthia trailed with $800.
In the Double Jeopardy round, the competition tightened as Mike began to close the gap with categories such as “AFRICAN-AMERICAN SPORTS HISTORY” and “WORLD LEADERS.” Mark secured another Daily Double, identifying Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the former mayor of Istanbul, raising his score to $13,200. Mike remained a strong contender, holding $10,000 at that point.
Mark found the third Daily Double in “STORIES WITHIN STORIES,” correctly answering that the novel with the “Grand Inquisitor” story is The Brothers Karamazov, boosting his total to $18,200. Despite Mike’s impressive play, Mark maintained control going into Final Jeopardy, with scores standing at Mark $18,600, Mike $12,800, and Cynthia $4,400.
The Final Jeopardy category was “MOVIES,” with the clue referencing the 1990 film “What is Goodfellas?,” which had over 25 cast members later appearing in HBO’s The Sopranos. Both Mark and Mike answered correctly, but Mark’s strategic wager of $7,001 secured his win, bringing his total to $25,601 for the day and increasing his five-day earnings to $107,201. Cynthia finished with $1,400, and Mike ended with $12,800.
