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Jeopardy! season 41, game 63, aired on December 4, 2024, and featured a thrilling competition between three contestants. The episode was a continuation of Stevie Ruiz's impressive performance, which had established her as the new champion in the previous episode. Stevie Ruiz, Kimberly Debus, and Gloria Nastas were the contestants of the evening, each contributing their unique knowledge and style to the game.
In this intense episode, Stevie Ruiz won again with a performance that was hard to beat. Kimberly Debus and Gloria Nastas were his opponents. He beat them after dominating both the Jeopardy and Double Jeopardy rounds. He knew a lot about many things, like movie monsters and world history, which helped him build his lead and win.
The trivia show, Jeopardy!, challenges contestants with clues in the form of answers. The contestant answers correctly. This structure, along with diverse categories and the strategic Final Jeopardy round, keeps viewers engaged.
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Jeopardy! episode recap: Breakdown of tonight’s game
Jeopardy! round overview
The Jeopardy! round began with a variety of categories, including A Bit of Everything, World History, Fast Fashion, American TV Shows In Spanish, The Midwest, and Very Demure, Very Mindful. Stevie Ruiz quickly took control, finding the Daily Double early and picking up $1,000, which gave him an early advantage.
By the time the break came, Stevie had amassed $3,000, with Kimberly Debus at $600 and Gloria Nastas trailing at $0.
Stevie’s strong performance continued throughout the round as he secured 13 correct responses with no incorrect answers, leading the board with $7,600. Kimberly and Gloria struggled a bit more, with Gloria ending the Jeopardy! round with $1,200, and Kimberly at $3,000.
Double Jeopardy round highlights
The Double Jeopardy round brought tougher categories, such as World of Dance, “Ism”s, A Real Sob Story, Geology, Movie Creatures, and Plains, Rains & Autobahns. Kimberly Debus made an early charge to close the gap, but Stevie dominated the Movie Creatures category, even finding the Daily Double, where he increased his lead with a significant wager.
Final Jeopardy!
In tonight’s Final Jeopardy, the category was The 20th Century.
The clue was:
This country’s national radio launched in 1925; 14 years later, it fell into a long silence following a piano nocturne.
The correct response was: What is Poland?
Polskie Radio was founded in 1925, and after the German invasion in 1939, it ceased broadcasting during World War II. The last song played before the shutdown was Chopin’s Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. posth., a piece that was also played when the station resumed broadcasting in 1945. This poignant connection to history was a key part of tonight’s trivia challenge.
Despite Kimberly’s late-game efforts, including finding the third Daily Double, Stevie held his ground, concluding the Double Jeopardy round with an impressive score. Gloria Nastas, though a strong competitor, struggled to close the gap and finished with a score well below Stevie’s.
Contestants and their personal touch
Tonight’s contestants brought distinct personalities to the game. Stevie Ruiz, the defending champion from Montauk, New York, was an assistant front office manager with a solid performance track record. His calm, steady approach throughout the game kept him in control, especially in the face of competition.
Kimberly Debus, a Unitarian Universalist minister from Takoma Park, Maryland, also showed strong knowledge, but some incorrect responses in the Double Jeopardy round held her back.
Gloria Nastas, a retired healthcare policy analyst from Troy, Michigan, was another standout, especially with her unique trivia interests. Her love for penguins, which she mentioned during the contestant interview, added a personal touch to her competitive spirit.
Other insights: The format of Jeopardy!
The appeal of Jeopardy! lies in its unique format. Unlike traditional quiz shows, contestants are given answers and must respond in the form of a question. This distinct approach, combined with categories that span a wide range of topics—from history and literature to pop culture and science—keeps the show fresh and engaging.
The game’s structure includes three rounds: Jeopardy round, Double Jeopardy, and Final Jeopardy, where the stakes are highest. Tonight’s episode showcased the strength of this format, with the contestants navigating a variety of categories and strategically betting during the Daily Doubles.
Game recap and Tonight’s game stats (December 4, 2024)
Jeopardy round:
- Categories: A Bit of Everything, World History, Fast Fashion, American TV Shows in Spanish, The Midwest, Very Demure, Very Mindful
- Stevie found the Daily Double early, earning $1,000.
- At the break, Stevie led with $3,000, followed by Kimberly at $600, and Gloria at $0.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
- Stevie: 5 correct, 0 incorrect
- Kimberly: 1 correct, 1 incorrect
- Gloria: 4 correct, 2 incorrect
Contestant interviews:
- Gloria is a penguin fanatic and owns 80 penguin-themed Christmas ornaments.
- Kimberly does an Ethel Merman impression and once won $500 in Vegas for it.
- Stevie met up with a middle school friend in Paris.
Jeopardy round stats after 30 clues:
- Stevie: 13 correct, 0 incorrect
- Kimberly: 4 correct, 1 incorrect
- Gloria: 6 correct, 2 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy round:
- Stevie: $7,600
- Kimberly: $3,000
- Gloria: $1,200
Double Jeopardy round:
- Categories: World Of Dance, “Ism”s, A Real Sob Story, Geology, Movie Creatures, Plains, Rains & Autobahns
- Kimberly made an early push but Stevie dominated Movie Creatures, including the Daily Double.
- Some clues were Triple Stumpers, slowing the game down.
- Kimberly found the third Daily Double late, but a $4,000 wager and an incorrect response hindered her chances.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
- Stevie: 24 correct, 1 incorrect
- Kimberly: 10 correct, 2 incorrect
- Gloria: 9 correct, 3 incorrect
Scores going into Final Jeopardy:
- Stevie: $18,000
- Kimberly: $8,600
- Gloria: $1,600
Final Jeopardy results:
- Gloria: $1,600 + $1,595 = $3,195 (Correct response: What is Poland?)
- Kimberly: $8,600 – $3,500 = $5,100 (Incorrect response: What is England?)
- Stevie: $18,000 + $0 = $18,000 (Correct response: What is Poland?)
- Two-day total: $35,987
In tonight’s episode of Jeopardy!, Stevie Ruiz proved once again why he’s the reigning champion. His steady performance and strong knowledge across diverse categories helped him secure his second consecutive victory.
While Kimberly Debus and Gloria Nastas challenged him, Stevie's calculated risks and accurate answers in key rounds—especially Double Jeopardy—made him the winner. The mix of intellect and strategy continues to draw fans, and tonight's game showed how Jeopardy! keeps viewers on edge.
