In a recent episode of “Jeopardy!” on November 13, 2024, viewers expressed confusion and frustration over a ruling during the Final Jeopardy! round.
Joey DeSena, a development engineer from Raleigh, North Carolina, was on a two-game winning streak with a total of $44,698 before facing off against realtor Lois Dioro from West Haven, Connecticut, and data analytics director Evan Dorey from Toronto, Ontario.
Going into Final Jeopardy!, Dioro and Dorey were tied at $14,600, with DeSena trailing at $7,400. The Final Jeopardy! category was “POETRY & PLACES,” with the clue: “It’s the geographic word in the title of a Robert Burns poem about ‘the mountains…covered with snow…the straths & green valleys below.” The correct response was “Highlands.”
DeSena’s answer, “Moor??? It was fun!” left him with $199, ending his streak. Dorey wrote “Highland” and, though seemingly unsure, his answer was accepted by the judges, doubling his score to $29,200.
Host Ken Jennings confirmed that the correct poem title is “My Heart’s in the Highlands.” Dioro, who had answered “Scotland,” dropped to $12,000, making Dorey the new champion.
This decision led to a wave of reactions from the audience, with many taking to social media platforms to voice their opinions. Many questioned why a singular form of the correct plural title was allowed.
One viewer pointed out the inconsistency, asking why a singular name is accepted while an incomplete plural answer isn’t. Another fan added that they were under the impression that if an answer was a title word, it needed to match exactly rather than be an altered version.
The controversy centers on the show’s rules regarding singular versus plural forms in responses. In this instance, the judges deemed “Highland” acceptable despite the poem’s title being “My Heart’s in the Highlands.”
This ruling has sparked a broader discussion among fans about consistency in the show’s adjudication process. This incident is not isolated. In October 2024, contestant Eamonn Campbell mispronounced “anesthesiologist” as “anateesiologist” and “anathesiologist,” leading Jennings to deny him the points.
Another contestant, Dot White, correctly pronounced the word and received the points. Fans were divided, with some criticizing Jennings for being too strict, while others agreed that proper pronunciation is crucial.
Similarly, in July 2024, contestant Kelly Proulx answered “Bridalveil Falls” instead of the correct “Bridalveil Fall” and was ruled incorrect due to the added “s.” This decision prevented her from gaining the necessary points, leading to her loss in Final Jeopardy!. Fans expressed their dismay, calling the ruling pedantic and unjust.
These instances highlight the challenges Jeopardy! faces in maintaining consistency in its rulings, especially concerning singular versus plural forms and pronunciation.