Jeopardy Masters 2026 Quarterfinals Recap: Friday August 28th

 

Match 1

Paolo Pasco vs. Juveria Zaheer vs. Long Nguyen

Long knew a win could help him the most and he came out swinging in the Jeopardy round. He found the Daily Double in the Jeopardy writers tribute to Oliver Stone: GREEN, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, IS GOOD.

At the time Long was in the lead with 2800 points and he bet everything:

In a Paris-set 1890 Marie Corelli novel, a character says of this "What an idea…Medicinal green! Think of melted emeralds". It took a while before he guessed: "What is absinthe?" He was so astonished he was correct.

By the end of it he had 11,600 points to Juveria's 2600. Paolo, who really struggled (as did the entire group with) NON-KELSEY GRAMMAR was lucky to finish the Jeopardy round at -800 points. (Grammar have never been my strong point either and I didn't even try to buzz in on any of them.) He finished by referring to Arthur Fleck as the 'Joka' before saying Joker just to get -800.

Paolo knew he had to come out swinging in Double Jeopardy and he demonstrated some Holzhauer like ability to find the Daily Double on his first two picks.

In the first category alone he showed true skill in A NOT-THERE PHRASE. This was the kind of category that was clearly designed for this tournament. Here's the example Ken gave: "Boy or A best selling novel'. The correct response would be Gone Girl. This is the kind of category even the best Jeopardy champions save for last. Paolo picked the 1600 point clue as his first choice.

He bet the 2000 he knew he needed to:

Relative humidity is used in calculating the index: a virtual tie in a race.

You gotta figure Paolo's crossword puzzle constructing clues helped him come up with: "What is dead heat?"

Immediately after that the Joka as Ken teased and Paolo smiled about found the other one in BODIES OF WATER. Again he bet the 2000 points he was allowed:

Once one of the largest bodies of water of its kind, its reduction came from the diversion of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers.

Paolo came up with it: "What is the Aral Sea?" He moved up to 3200 points and into second place. But despite his impressive recovery he couldn't catch up to Long.

Long finished in the lead with 22,400, ten thousand points more Paolo, 20,000 more than Juveria.

So the question was: would Paolo play safe and try to play for second, which would maintain his position on the leaderboard or go for the win in Final Jeopardy and try to lock up his place right now?

The category for Final Jeopardy was PEOPLE IN 2OTH CENTURY HISTORY. After brilliant service in Morocco in 1926 at age 33, he became the youngest brigadier general in the European Army.

Juveria was first. She wrote down: "Who is Petain?" That was incorrect but she wagered nothing.

Paolo was next: "Who is Lawrence?" He was clearly thinking of Lawrence of Arabia, not a bad idea but also wrong. He bet 7599, leaving him with 4801. He clearly wanted to lock up second place.

Long was now looking pretty safe. He was also thinking of the French. "Who is De Gaulle?"  As it turned out Spain was at war with Morocco and it turned out to be General Francisco Franco, who would famously become dictator of Spain. (For the record I was closer to Paolo; I wrote down: "Who is Montgomery?") Long lost 2401, which left with 19,999 points more than enough to get a victory he desperately needed.

 

Long received 3 Match Points. Paolo got 1 more match point. Juveria had zero

 

Interview: Long mentioned a story about how he had studied tennis for a while as a teenager and while he thought he was good one day he went to his tennis coach and asked whether to go to a math academic tournament or a tennis match that were on the same day, his coach told him he had a chance to get an academic scholarship, he had no chance as a tennis scholarship. Juveria shared that she had been comparing every single Master to someone from the MCU. Long was Ant-Man because he was an engineer who had just come out of nowhere, Paolo was the Filipino Peter Parker (same initials) and Juveria was protective of her husband and children so she was the Scarlet witch. Paolo joked that somehow since he'd first appeared on Jeopardy there were people on line who he said was a 'Filipino Jeopardy champ' who 'has swag' , something he greatly disagreed with based on close-ups from previous appearances. He thought he'd improved his dress sense since the Masters.

 

Match 2

Yogesh Raut vs. Victoria Groce vs. Andrew He

Andrew knew going into this game that he needed a win just to stay alive. He had to do it against the two highest ranked players on the leaderboard. It didn't work out as well as it did for Long.

It took a long time in the Jeopardy for anyone to find the Daily Double and VICTORIA found it in MYSTIC COMMERCE. She was in the lead already and bet the 5400 points she had:

The name of this optical brand founded in 1919 was meant to sound like the pinnacle of achievement. She figured it out: "What is Olympus?" and doubled her score to 10,800.

At the end of it Victoria led with 11,400 points to Yogesh 5200 and Andrew's 1400 points.

Victoria and Yogesh went back and forth early but Victoria found the first Daily Double in CAUGHT IN 4 'A's. There were going to be four A's in every response and at that point no one had gotten a clue correct. So Victoria, who had 16,200 points "based on this category bet a meager 200:

It's the title given to Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh kingdom of the Punjab.

She responded: "What is maharaja?"

Two clues later Victoria found the other Daily Double in 3-NAMED PEOPLE. She tried to do some quick math (and there was a category on the board called "WERE YOU TOLD THERE'D BE MATH?) before sighing and betting $2600:

She taught law at Notre Dame before being joining the Supreme Court.

There are two obvious candidates and Victoria picked the correct one: "Who is Amy Comey Barrett?" She went up to 21,000 even.

She would finish the round even stronger with 30,200 points. Yogesh had 9600 and Andrew had 4800. Victoria had locked up the win but Andrew still had a chance at a match point for second place.

The Final Jeopardy category was PEN NAMES. Schardanus Rider, a pseudonym found on 17^th century British Almanacs anagrams to this American pseudonym from the 18^th century.

In a sense all three of them got the correct response (as did I) but only two benefited.

Andrew wrote down: "Who is Richard?" He was clearly thinking of Poor Richard but they couldn't accept it as was. It cost him everything, but it wouldn't have affected the end result.

Yogesh was next: "Who is Richard Saunders?" And that is the complete pen name that Ben Franklin famously used for Poor Richard's Almanac. Yogesh added 1 point to his total, locking up second place.

Victoria also came up with Richard Saunders and bet 4375, locking up her third victory in the 2026 Jeopardy Masters so far and added another 3 match points to her total.

Interviews: Andrew said that in trying to keep up with Jeopardy he listened to a bunch of old songs on a loop which made him joke that after the last summer Spotify seemed to thing he was 93 years old! (It didn't pay off for him.) Victoria told her about competing in adult spelling bee which she says is with no offense to anyone here 'is the dorkiest crowd ever' and impressed us with another word she'd won to win with. Yogesh talked about his experiences in trivia around the world and how he seems to be using his newfound success to serve as a mentor to others.

 

 

LEADERBOARD AFTER AUGUST 29^TH

Victoria Groce – 9 Match Points

Yogesh Raut – 8 Match Points

Paolo Pasco – 6 Match Points

Long Nguyen – 5 Match Points

Juveria Zaheer – 3 Match Points

Andrew He -  1 Match Point

 

At this point Victoria has officially locked up her spot in the semifinals.  For the remaining three spots its mathematically possible that the remaining five players could qualify at the least until next week.  That said its looking pretty good that Yogesh will qualify for the quarterfinals for the third consecutive year right now.

But there are still four games left to play and next Tuesday we'll get a good idea who will be moving on to the semi-finals on Thursday. It's been thrilling so far, let's hope they can keep it up.

 

My Predictions for the 2026 Emmys Week 2 Conclusion:Outstanding Supporting Actress in A Drama Et Al

 

We've had multiple nominees from the same series in Best Supporting Actress every single year this decade so far. And it rarely works out for one of the nominees from the drama that has the most nominees.  Prime example: It's very likely the split between the four nominees from The White Lotus last year helped pave the way for Katherine LaNasa's win for The Pitt – which clearly shocked her.

Now she's the favorite to repeat but the shoe's on the other foot. There are four other nominees from The Pitt that very likely will divide the vote. Throw in the fact a couple of other performers have won awards for shows this season and this is far from decided.

For the record I'm going to do what I did for Supporting Actor in a Drama and throw in my personal pick from The Pitt as well as a favorite from a different show. Keep in mind this is a top heavy field.

 

Taylor Dearden, The Pitt (My Pick for The Pitt). For Playing: Dr. Mel King, sweating a deposition and finding out new facts about her sister. Pro: Dearden is my favorite character this season for many reasons. For one thing she's still incredibly nervous about working here in a way most of the staff isn't, spending the first half of the shift terrified of a deposition. For another, she's centered her entire life around the care of her disabled sister so it appalls her to learn that not only does her sister have a better social life she does but is pulling away from her because of it. And there's the realization that she's trying to keep things together without flying apart and has formed so many bonds that I already care about deeply. Throw in the fact that she is the daughter of Bryan Cranston and there's a feel good story. And come on for that post Season 2 credits rendition of You Ought to Know alone she deserves respect. (I want her and Isa Briones to recreate that moment on the Emmy stage this year.) Con: Like Mel herself it seems likely that Dearden will always be overshadowed by greater talent. I rest assured by the certainty that while this is his first nomination, it won't be her last.

 

Fiona Dourif, The Pitt. For Playing: Dr. Cassie McKay, facing a chaotic shift where she watches a terminally ill patient make a difficult decision. Pro: Like Dearden, Dourif is the daughter of a great actor. (Indeed her father Brad appeared in Season 1.) But her work is often more subtle and compassionate. Much of her work this shift dealt with her taking care of a terminally ill cancer patient and her family and then watched as she made the decision to end her life and spent most of that shift trying to prepare her family and most frequently her children to say goodbye. In one of those deep ironies that often affects this show, Cassie was on the street when her patient passed away and that clearly hit her even deeper then the death itself. Dourif's nomination was the least expected of the four nominees on this show but in my mind it’s one of the better choices by the Emmys overall this year. Con: The storyline she's a part of may help her – Tai Anderson was nominated for an Emmy along with Dourif – but its far more likely she will be overshadowed by other forces

Alison Janney, The Diplomat. For Playing: Grace Penn, ascending to the White House after the death of the President. Pro: There's the historical part if Janney were to pull of a victory here. It would be her eighth Emmy as an actress, putting her into a tie with Julia-Louis Dreyfus for most Emmys won by a performer. There's the synchronicity of it: her first four Emmys came for her work as CJ on The West Wing where she merely spoke for the President and now she is playing the President. There's the continued fact of her versatility and excellence. Going into this Emmy cycle she had a chance to be nominated in comedy for her work in Palm Royale and TV Movie Limited Series for Miss You, Love You. There's the fact that over the last two years, incredibly, the Emmy have shortchanged her, especially by ignoring her in this category last year when she was nominated for every award in the book for her role. And then there's the fact that yet again she demonstrates all the qualities that have made Janney one of the greatest actresses in history as Grace Penn, a President who has committed treason just before she took office and now has concerned about what will be done. Con: The Emmys might very well want to give a prize to someone who hasn't already got an Emmy in every acting category a performer can win in in both drama and pretty much comedy as well. Not saying they won't give it to Janney, or that she doesn't deserve it, but it hasn't been their pattern this decade

Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt (EXPERTS PICK). For Playing: Charge Nurse Dana Evans, dealing with a chaotic shift while still recovering from her assault from last year. Pro: It's been clear this shift that Dana is only slightly more put together then Robby. She spent much of the season helping a trainee adjust to her first day and several hours dealing with a victim of sexual assault, then erupting in fury when she learned a rape kit from weeks earlier still hadn't been collected. She spent the shift handling the analog ER and trying to protect her trainees and increasingly becoming worried by Robby's harsh and mean-spirited behavior. It all exploded in a long confrontation after Dana ended up dosing a patient who assaulted one of her nurses and she told Robby everything would be here when he came back. When he answered: "What if I don't come back?" you could see the terror forming over LaNasa's faces even as he never answered the question. All in all, it was a superb performance that deserves to repeat in this category. Con: What worked for LaNasa last year could very well work against her this year. Throw in the fact of what happened at this year's Astras and I'm beginning to think momentum might be shifting to…

Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt (DARK HORSE). For Playing: Dr. Al-Hashimi, the interim replacement who clashes with Dr. Robby and is hiding a diagnosis. Pro: Moafi was the most central new cast member to The Pitt in Season 2, an accomplished doctor with a clear history behind her who was more than qualified to replace Dr. Robby and yet no matter how good she was he challenged her in every scene they shared. The overwhelming majority of this was on him: as an outsider with no knowledge of the history she had the clearest look at how horrible his behavior was to his fellow doctor and it was satisfying watching her cut him down throughout the entire season. But there was clearly something she was hiding and when she told Robby about in the final episodes it faced him with an ethical dilemma that we're still not sure how it will be resolved next season. It was a restrained, calm performance the type that usually doesn't get recognition. So the fact that Moafi managed to win at the Astras a few weeks ago in this category is the clearest sign yet that it might resonate with Emmy voters. Con: Moafi's problem is the same as every other nominee for The Pitt: the other three actresses will (for good reason) take votes away from her. I don't envy them their jobs: all of these actresses gave superb performances and it's going to be tough for them to choose.

Julianne Nicholson, Paradise (My Pick). For Playing: Sarah Redmond, code name Sinatra facing threats from without and within after emerging from a month-long coma. Pro: I'm very grateful the Emmys have been catching up with one of the most undervalued actresses in 21^st century TV.  She won an Emmy for playing 'Dance Mom' on Hacks last year while being nominated in this same category. While her role in Paradise was somewhat diminished compared to Season 2, Nicholson continued to flesh about Sinatra to the point where by the end of the season (and in theory her life) she went from villain to antagonist to someone who did bad things for the right reasons. It's clear that all along she's been trying to save humanity and that caused her to horrific things even before the reality of the bunker. But we saw the good person she once was while she watched the birth of the first child in Paradise, someone who genuinely wanted the approval of her therapist, someone who may have done everything to see her son again and may have succeeded. In the final minutes of Season 2 she seemed at peace for the first time in the entire series, watching the bunker she spend her life and fortune on collapse over her head and in that final moment perhaps realize what she wanted all along. I don't really know if this will be the end of Nicholson's tour (as we saw throughout the season we saw a lot of the people who died last year in flashbacks) but it's the kind of role deserving of an award. Con: As superb as her work is I have to admit it's not at the same level of even some of the other non-Pitt nominees. But considering she's recreating the role that won the first Emmy she got in Mare of Easttown in Season 2 of Task I think it's safe to say she'll have another chance sooner rather than later.

Karolina Wydra, Pluribus. For Playing: Zosia, the representative of the hive mind to Carol. Pro: Wydra was one of the breakout stars of 2025 for her work as Zosia and that's saying something considering that most of the season she's basically a representation of the forces that have conquered Earth rather than a character of her own. I always give extra credit for those whose roles have deeper layer and you can't get much deeper than someone who doesn't think she's an actual person. Most of the time the viewer doesn't trust Zosia's motives any more than Carol does and we watch as Carol clearly becomes charmed by her with a sign of concern. But there's something about Zosia's very real ability to struggle with calling herself 'I' rather then the hive mind 'We' that is very really, along with the memory she shares with Carol as Zosia for the first time in the series. In that montage where its clear Carol has fallen in love with Zosia for the briefest of moment we want to believe in it not just for Carol, but for Zosia. That's how good a job Wydra has done. It's a revelatory performance that has gotten deserved respect, including a Saturn for Best Supporting Actress. Of all the nominees who aren't in The Pitt, I think Wydra has the best chance of breaking through and winning. Con: Wydra is a supporting actress in a series that was created by Vince Gilligan. We all know just how well that tends to work for them the last decade.

 

Prediction: I think that this one is more wide open then it looks. For the moment I'm predicted Moafi but I'm not confident of it. To be clear they are all deserving winners.

 

Now let's look through the remaining categories.

 

 

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Colman Domingo has previously won in this category and is the heavy favorite to repeat for the final season of Euphoria. I'm actually inclined to think that it will go to Jeff Kober for his work as Duke in the final stretch of The Pitt.

 

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Having seen all six performances my personally preference is for Shailene Woodley who is still the favorite for her work in Paradise. Brittany Allen is gaining on her but I'd personally bet on Tai Anderson for pulling it off for someone from The Pitt.

 

 

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING AND WRITING

I expect Pluribus to win in both of these categories. That being said, don't rule out an upset by Slow Horses in either one as that does seem to be their pattern. It's currently ranked in third place in writing for the season finale behind The Pitt and Pluribus so I'm guessing that's where it would happen if it does.

 

Next week, I will wrap up by coverage with Best Limited Series. Oh and stay tuned this weekend as I let the Emmy have it with both barrels as to how they're doing it this year. One week to change your mind, NBC.

Jeopardy 2026 Masters Quarterfinals Recap: Thursday August 27th

 

 

Match 1

Victoria Groce vs. Andrew He vs. Long Nguyen

Going into this game Andrew and Long needed a win far  more than Victoria did. For much of the Jeopardy round Andrew had the advantage, helped when he found the Daily Double early in CLASSICAL COMPOSITION. Already in the lead with 2800 points he wagered everything:

Debussy took the title of a piano movement from a Verlaine poem that begins "Your soul is like a moonlit landscape fair."

Andrew pondered: What is Claire de Lune?" It was correct and he was into a big lead.

But despite her reluctance to pick it Victoria finished strong by running the category RECENT HORROR to retake the lead, finishing with 9600 points to Andrew's 5600. Long trailed with 2800 points.

In Double Jeopardy Long was helped when he found the first Daily Double on his first pick SCIENCE & SCIENTISTS. Saying "I was kind of like a  a scientist back in the day" he bet everything.

Oblivious sharks and hungry remora have this symbiotic relationship, partly from Latin for 'table'.

Once again we were nervous until Long responded: "What is commensalism?" He moved up to 5600 points, right on Andrew's tail

Two clues after that Andrew got the other Daily Double in RATED MIDDLE 'X'. (The letter X would be in the exact center of the response.) With 7800 to Victoria's 11,200 he wagered 6000 or as he put it '6 kilo-points."

Synonyms for this include center, core & union. He couldn't figure it out. At home I was right – I guessed "What is nexus?" but because I hadn't responded correctly on the clue prior I gave myself no points. Andrew dropped to 1800. He never got out of third place the rest of the round. Victoria and Long went up and down much of the rest of the round but nothing changed in order by the end of Double Jeopardy.

This was the first game where at the end of Double Jeopardy no one had a runaway. Victoria had 15,600 points to Long's 8000 while Andrew had 4800 points. So the end result for any of the free players was not written in stone.

The Final Jeopardy category was WORLD LANGUAGES. One of 24 official languages of the EU, this island tongue spoken by 500,000 is a form of Arabic written in the Latin alphabet.

For the first time in this year's Masters all three players had the correct response in Final Jeopardy (as did I at home) What is Maltese?

Andrew wagered 4000, moving him to 8600. Long wagered 7601, giving him 15,601 and putting him momentarily in the lead. It came down Victoria and when her correct response was revealed as well as her 401 point wager for a well-deserved victory.

It was Victoria's second win and  3 more Match Points. Long got 1 match point. Andrew got zero.

 

Interviews: Long admitted that he and Victoria had gone all the way back to college in terms of rivalries both in Academic Quiz Bowl and that in high school she'd beaten his brother's team. He said his brother had come all the way across the country to see him play…hopefully. Andrew talked about how his increasingly long hair dated back to 2020 but before his audition he had been told to cut because 'it was Covid hair.' Victoria showed us a good luck charm that dated all the way back to her first appearance on Jeopardy, a baby toy named Mutton that was Nora's from 2005. It served her in good standing today.

 

 

Match 2

Paolo Pasco vs Yogesh Raut vs. Juveria Zaheer

The three top players on the leaderboard after Wednesday's games battled for a win that would give one of them a clear advantage going forward. Yogesh got an advantage early in the Jeopardy round in the category HAVE A SEAT. He was already in the lead with 2800 points and though the category made him want to 'have a seat' as he put it, he still bet all his points.

2 animals that don't typically get along combine in this folksy term meaning a position of great advantage. Yogesh knew it was: "What is the catbird seat?" And went up to 5600 points. He was then generous enough to select "I WANT MY REALITY TV' for Juveria, who thanked him for doing so before getting the 1000 point clue correct.

Yogesh finished the Jeopardy round with 7600 points but Paolo with 4800 and Juveria with 2600 were right on his heels.

Yogesh got off on a fast start in Double Jeopardy but before he could completely run away with it Paolo rang in on a 1200 point clue and then found the first Daily Double in OUR FAVORITE RHYMES. With little choice he bet 6000 points:

In this work the irrepressible Mr. Gilbert rhymed 'Ring the merry bells on board ship' with 'for the union of his lordship'. It is greatly to his credit that he knew the correct response: "What is H.M.S. Pinafore?" (Savoyard humor.) He moved up to 12,000 points.

Two clues later Yogesh found the other Daily Double in ELEMENTARY MY DEAR MASTERS. At the time he led with 16,400 points to Paolo's 10,400 so he also bet 6000 points. This time not going all in probably saved Yogesh the game.

The Soviets wanted to name element number 104 kurchatovium; the Americans got it named this, after a physicist and Royal Society president.

This one clearly stumped him (and me at home too). Before time ran out he guessed: "What is Seaborgium? It was actually Rutherfordium. He dropped into a tie with Paolo for the lead.

The rest of the round was a mix of incorrect responses, triple stumpers and a slow recovery by Juveria. But Yogesh would hold on to his lead. However unlike all the previous games  at the end of Double Jeopardy this one was anyone's to win. Yogesh led with 15,600 points; Paolo was next with 11,200 and Juveria right in there with 9800.

The Final Jeopardy category was LITERARY NAMES. A literary friendship began when these two met in Florence in 1350; the death of one in 1374 inspired a sonnet by the other.

Juveria's response was revealed first. Who are Chaucer and Petrarch?" Sadly she was half correct. Even sadder, it cost her everything.

Paolo wrote down: "Who indeed?" After the laughter subsided it cost him 6401, leaving him with 4799.

It came down to Yogesh. His response was: "Who is Dante and Petrarch?" And unfortunately he was also only half correct. Petrarch was correct but the man he wrote one of his famous sonnets for was Boccaccio. (I also was half correct but I misread the clue and wrote down Laura as the other half.)

It came down to Yogesh's wager which was 6801. It left him with 8799 and today that was enough as he managed a scrappy victory.

Yogesh managed his second win of the Masters and got 3 match points. Paolo got 1. Juveria zero

 

 

Interview: Juveria told them that with her Jeopardy winnings her eight year old daughter insisted that they go on the Disney Adventure Treasure cruise at the concierge level. While mystified her eight year old knew what concierge level was, she showed pictures of their trip and said they were headed for Hawaii. Yogesh said he'd been hanging out with Isaac Hirsch and since they were both Columbo fans they'd started guessing which villains from Columbo their fellow Jeopardy Masters would be. After debate Juveria was ranked as William Shatner. Juveria seemed charmed: "He is Canadian." And Paolo told us of a continued fantasy of his to recreate a music video involving OK Kid. (I remember this discussion) and apparently he's now in the position of owing a musician of OK's stature an email!

 

 

LEADERBOARD AFTER AUGUST 26^TH GAMES

Yogesh Raut – 7 Match Points

Victoria Groce – 6 match points

Paolo Pasco – 5 Match Points

Juveria Zaheer  -3 Match Points

Long Nguyen - 2 Match Points

Andrew He – 1 Match Point

 

Halfway through the quarterfinals only 2 match points are separating first from third. And a win for anyone in bottom three could shift things all over again.

I'll be back with Friday's results this weekend. Tomorrow's results could shift things irrevocably. We'll find out then.

My Predictions for the 2026 Emmys Week 2, Day 4: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama

 

As is frequently the case in this category and the next, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The change: there are no nominees this year who were nominated last year and only two who were nominated two years ago. The same: as has been the case for at least the past ten years at least one show has a plurality of nominations.

The difference between this year and quite a few in the past is that I'm more than fine if The Pitt ends up with a winner, as I wasn't with other HBO dramas in the past. (Cough: Succession, Game of Thrones.) So I'm going to mix it up with this category and Supporting Actress. I'm going to list the expert's pick, dark horse and my pick. But I'm also going to list my pick for The Pitt because while all of the performances are excellent in both cases I differ with the experts.

All clear? Hopefully it will be. Here are the nominees.

Patrick Ball, The Pitt (EXPERTS PICK) For Playing: Dr. Langdon, returning to the ER for his first shift after six months in rehab. Pro: Let's get this out of the way. Ball absolutely should have been nominated last year for his incredible work as Langdon and he more than matched in Season 2. This was a more humble Langdon then last year, a man who had learned his lessons and was trying to atone to those he knew he'd wronged, particularly Robby who made it very clear he didn't trust him no matter how well he did. It's clear of all the characters we met last season he's come the closest to rebuilding his life after the trauma he went through and we can see the doubts he has in every action he takes. We see him trying to be a good person, knowing of his flaws and showing signs of him in other ways (the bond between him and Mel is already one of the series' deepest) and we know it's a long way back but he is taking the necessary steps. He's already managed to win the Astra for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama and all things are set for a triumph in this category. Con: The exact same thing could have been said about Walton Goggins and we all saw how that worked out for him. When there are many qualified nominees from a single show in a category the vote splitting will often hurt one more than qualified nominee over the others. HBO shows can avoid this at times (Peter Dinklage for Game Of Thrones, Matthew MacFayden for Succession his last two nominations) but it can work against you a lot. This is true, to be clear, for the other two nominees from The Pitt as well.

Billy Crudup, The Morning Show. For Playing: Cory Ellison, a former TMS executive dealing with increasing personal struggles. Pro: Crudup has won two Emmys in this category before and in a series with two of the greatest actresses in TV history, it says a lot that Cory has become for many fans the real star of Morning Show. In fact he is the only actor who has been nominated every season it has been on the air.  As Cory spent much of the series trying to find his new path he was faced with a horrible tragedy at the end of the series that led to him giving into his addiction in a big way in the season finale. As The Morning Show heads into its final season Crudup is finally getting the recognition he deserves for thirty years as one of our most underrated actor. Con: In 2024 The Morning Show was one of the most nominated series by the Emmys. In 2026 Crudup's nomination is the sole one The Morning Show earned. Aside from the obstacles facing you if you are the only nominee from your series, there's also the fact that The Morning Show has always been on the border between peak TV and hatewatching ever since it debuted and The Emmys have rarely been as generous to it as other great dramas of the period. (There's a possibility it did so well for Season Three because of the aftereffects of the 2023 strike in the industry.) Throw in the two Emmys he already has and there's no realistic chance of him winning.

Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt. For Playing: Dr. Jack Abbott, starting his shift early as his sideline mixes with his day. Pro: When Hatosy chose to submit for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama instead of Guest Actor – where he deservedly won last year – some had doubts. He only appeared in five episodes compared to the fifteen of his co-nominees. But Jack Abbott has a way of making his presence known in the few episodes you see him, particularly in every scene he has with Noah Wyle's Robby. This was true in the season finale which almost certainly the episode he submitted for consideration in which he finally calls Robby out on his BS and makes it clear that there is a reason for him to live. It was dark and depressing and incredibly funny at the same time. And that last line – "I'm listed as your emergency contacted and I do not want to be contacted' – speaks for so much that you can't help but love. There's also the history involved as Hatosy could be one of a handful of actors to win in two different categories for playing the same character. (One of them was nominated this year, by the way). I would be fine if he did that. Con: Same problem as Ball, compounded by the fact some voters may have issues with giving a smaller role to someone from this category whose more qualified. Not saying it won't happen, just saying they might.

Gerran Howell, The Pitt (MY PICK FOR The Pitt) For Playing: Dr. Whitaker, no longer the fresh-faced newbie from the first season. Pro: I was overjoyed when Howell was nominated in this category as I'd been pulling for him the most over frontrunners like Ball and Hatosy. In a very short time its clear Whitaker is Huckleberry no more. (Though every so often you get a sign of it.) He clearly has learned the lessons Robby taught him in the past year, and he's clearly got the mentorship down with so many of the other younger doctors then he did when we first met him. He can give as good as he gets, he clearly has more compassion then anyone currently on staff and there's a genuine heart to him that you see far more often then any other character. I feel more optimistic about Whitaker at this point then his fellow new residents and I'd love to see him win. Con: I'll be honest, even if it weren't for the divide in this category, I just don't see Howell winning. His role just isn't as flashy as some of those who win awards in this category and that's what tends to win in my lifetime.

Jack Lowden, Slow Horses. For Playing: River Cartwright, a Slow Horse battling a terror threat on London and increasing personal difficulties. Pro: I was overjoyed to see Lowden back in the ranks after being cast aside by The White Lotus and Severance last year. His work in Season 4 was absolutely the kind of role the Emmys should have nominated. In a series that is dominated by some of the greatest actors in history and who Lowden spends most of his screen time with its astonishing just how good River is. It's clear he's by far the most competent agent Slough House is, ridiculously overqualified to get back in MI-5. Much to the frustration of Lamb, he still gives a damn about doing the right thing and it clearly bugs the hell out of him. Lowden is absolutely going to be an action hero in his own right some day and he's clearly one of the great forces on this show. Con: I'll be honest, I can see almost anyone else in the cast winning an Emmy during this show's run but Lowden. This is the kind of role that never gets recognized by the Emmys these days because River is so duty bound and a sucker at the same time. His energy and activity are almost annoying for the viewer despite being the engine for this show. It's a superb performance, not gonna win this year, probably not ever gonna win. But Lowden works at Slough House. He gets it.

Tom Pelphrey, Task (DARK HORSE, MY PICK) For Playing: Robbie Prendergast, a working man robbing a biker gang for complicated reasons. Pro: Not gonna lie I've been pulling for Pelphrey ever since I saw Task last September. I've had immense respect for him as a performer for a very long time. He's been acting for over 20 years and has been in some superb shows but America only became aware of him five years ago during his stint as the doomed Ben on Ozark. He's starred in a lot of underrated series so it's hard to say his work as Robbie is his best performance. But it's an incredible one just the same. Robbie is a working man his entire life who has turned to a life of crime out of a sense of vengeance for his dead brother. He doesn't have the stomach for violence and murder so when a young boy is found at a stash house he doesn't kill but takes him home to his family. This sets off a chain of events that leads to the death of his friends, the isolation of his sister and finally a situation that leads to him dying in the back of a police car where the FBI agent who he held hostage an hour ago tries to save his life. It's an incredible performance because Robbie isn't doing this for him, he isn't good at it, and he hates how it makes him feel. And in that long conversation between him and Tom where Brandis thinks these are his last moments, you can see Robbie struggling with what he knows he must do and his genuine goodness – and that goodness wins out. I would really like to see him win. Con: There's a good chance he will be overpowered by The Pitt.

Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus. For Playing: His name is Manousos. He is not one of them. He wishes to save the world. (I'm sorry I couldn't help it.) Pro: He doesn't say a word in our introduction to him in the fourth episode. We don't see him again until the sixth. And honestly he only really has much of a presence in two of the nine episodes in the first season. Much of his dialogue is in Spanish and he says very little the rest of the way. And yet for all of that you get a very clear picture of who Manousos is by the time the season ends: meticulous, determined, with a clear sense of ethics. And it tells you something that by the time he finally shares the screen with Carol (in a first meeting that mostly takes under an umbrella over Google translate on a cell phone) that you clearly think you know him as well as a character whose essentially been onscreen the entire series. There are few moments of self-determination as Manousos marching through the Isthmus of Panama, repeating over and over "My name is Manousos. I am not one of them. I wish to save the world." Carol has sent a message of what humanity is and he is making clear what it means to him. It's a bravura work. Con: Of all the nominations in this category I suspect Vesga's was the biggest surprise as no other awards show and recognized him. It's a great performance but I'm pretty sure it's not going to win.

 

My Prediction: I think the momentum is shifting to Pelphrey in the voting. Still don't rule out the possibility Patrick Ball will prevail.

 

Tomorrow I will wrap things up this week with Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama as well as the other major awards in this category.

 

 

Jeopardy Masters 2026 Quarterfinals Recap: August 26th

 

Match 1

Long Nguyen vs Andrew He vs Juveria Zaheer

Long was up against two players with multiple Jeopardy wins behind them.

For the second consecutive game Long started the Jeopardy round in the red. Indeed at one point he was actually at -2400. But he began to dig himself out of the very deep hole when he found the Daily Double in WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Foie gras can be used to make pate, a meat spread ; pate served in an earthenware dish is called this, from a word meaning 'earth'.

Somehow he figured it out: "What is tureen?" And went from -1600 points to -600 points.

This time Long managed to finish the Jeopardy round on the positive side with 400 points. He was 3000 behind Andrew at 3400 points while Juveria led with 4400.

Juveria struck first in Double Jeopardy in YOU STUDIED YOUR CAPITALS, RIGHT? And while she wasn't sure she'd studied as much as Long she bet the 6000 points she had:

The relationship with the Netherlands in the name of Aruba's capital. She mumbled before guessing: "What is Oranjestad?" And with that she doubled her score to 12,000.

She was on cruise control for a while and found the other Daily Double in THIS AIN'T SHAKESPEARE. (The category had to do with other Elizabethan plays and playwrights.) Already with a commanding lead with 20,800 she was modest this time and bet just 5000 points. It was the right call:

Thomas Kyd set the stage for 'Hamlet' and other Elizabethan tales of revenge with this bloody play set in Iberia.

Juveria was thinking of David Mamet: "What is The Spanish Prisoner?" So close it was The Spanish Tragedy.

She dropped to 15,800 points but despite that neither Andrew nor Long could catch her.  She ran away with 20,200, Andrew next with 7200 points, while Long trailed with 4000 points. However with those match points very important for both Andrew and Long second place was going to matter a lot.

The Final Jeopardy category was LEADERS. In a eulogy his successor Ingvar Carlsson said: "We stand united in anger & grief" and "he made the world aware of us all."

Long's response was revealed first. He said: "Who was Gustavus Adolphus?" That was incorrect. It cost him 3001 points, putting him at 999.

Next came Andrew. He wrote down: "Who is Dag Hammarskjold?" (That was my guess, for the record.) It was a good guess; it was the right part of the world but it was also wrong. He lost 1001 points finishing with 5999.

Juveria also wrote down Hammarskjold. The clue referred to Olof Palme, the prime minister of Sweden who was assassinated in 1986.  Juveria got the win and 3 match points. Andrew got his first match point, putting him into a tie with Long with 1 apiece.

 

Interview: Juveria revealed that when she first took the test she hadn't watched the show in 20 years. So the first she watched was the 2022 Tournament of Champions. She made it clear the player she watched and considered her idol – and who she'd gotten a picture with – was 'terrorizing her right now.' Andrew told us that the more he returns to Jeopardy he gets recognized – but not actually know who he is so they come up to him and just say "Jeopardy!"  Keeping himself humble he added "If they Google 'Jeopardy Asian Guy' they will come up with Jamie Ding." Long Nguyen told us he has a huge database of knowledge – a literal database on a computer. Then he told us "Mormons love Jello!" Ken naturally said: "I can't deny it."

 

 

 

Match 2

 Victoria Groce vs. Paolo Pasco vs. Yogesh Raut

Victoria came out swinging in the Jeopardy round starting off strong. She had 3600 points when she found the Daily Double in HELLO, GORGES. (Ken doesn't say "Oh the writers are having fun.") Victoria chose to bet everything yet again. (It took her awhile to say true Daily Double.)

Fossil Bed II at this site that lives up to part of its name dates somewhere between 1.15 and 1.7 million years old, y'know give or take.

She figured it out: "What is Olduvai Gorge?" She went up to 7200 points. She finished the round with an impressive 10,000 points to Yogesh's 3400 and Paolo's 2800.

There were struggles for all three players early in Double Jeopardy but Yogesh managed to turn it around when he found his groove in BRITISH WAR HISTORY and found the Daily Double there. Trailing with 7000 to Victoria's 12,000 he bet 100 percent of his money:

This war between Britain and Spain began in 1739 following the capture of a British ship and an assault on its captain. He figured it out: "What is Jenkins' ear?" He doubled his score to 14,000 and took the lead.

Two clues later Victoria found the other Daily Double in FESTIVALS & HOLIDAYS. She was tied with Yogesh for the lead and she bet everything. And then came one of those moments on Jeopardy that breaks your heart sometimes.

The Fete National De Quebec is also known as the day of this Biblical purifying guy; respond en Francais, s'il vous plait.

It was the Francais that got her. She said: "Who is Jean De Baptiste?" It was just Jean Baptiste; they didn't need the 'de'. It dropped her to zero and Victoria never recovered. Yogesh would finish with 19,600 points to Paolo's 4800 and Victoria's 2000.

How the match points would be awarded was preordained but Final Jeopardy went forward. The Final Jeopardy category was 19^th CENTURY BRITISH POETRY.

The famous opening of this long poem continues "But still will keep a bower quiet for us and a sleep full of sweet dreams.

It was a killer. Victoria wrote down: "What is a Prelude?" Apparently she was thinking of Wordsworth. It was wrong. She lost 222 points, dropping her to 1778.

Paolo just wrote a lot of dots. (Better than I did.) He lost nothing.

Yogesh seemed to have written. "What is Crossing the Bar?" The poem was actually was from Keat's Endymion and followed the famous lines "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." Yogesh bet 9999 points but he still won, receiving 3 Match points. Paolo got 1. Victoria 0.

(For the record I didn't even have the right century. My guess was Paradise Lost.)

 

Interviews: Yogesh told us he has spent time in zoom rooms watch cozy detective shows from 20 years and they pause halfway through to figure out who did it. He mentioned they're talking about the Ellery Queen show with Jim Hutton in the 1970s. Paolo went into detail about his job as a crossword puzzle writer. He told us about being raised on puzzle magazines and that one of his first tantrums because he couldn't get a second word search book at Walgreen's. Victoria then told us she had a chance to watch Paolo at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament last year. She compared his dominance at crossword puzzles to seeing Simone Biles at the U.S Gymnastic tournament. (Jeopardy champions always prop each other up.)

LEADERBOARD AFTER AUGUST 26^TH

Paolo Pasco – 4 Match Points

Yogesh Raut – 4 Match Points

Victoria Groce – 3 Match Points

Juveria Zaheer – 3 Match Points

Andrew He – 1 Match Points

Long Nguyen – 1 Match Point

 

All six Masters officially have points on the board and for the first time in a long time no one has a clear advantage after the first two nights of Jeopardy Masters. Furthermore after two matches the only players to have responded correctly to Final Jeopardy in either game were Victoria and Yogesh in Game 1. (They're  all still doing better than me; at this point in the Masters I'm 0 for 4, which is pretty close to where I usually am at this point.)

Tomorrow Yogesh and Juveria will face off yet again in the second game and I have no idea yet who will be leading off in the first match of Thursday. Still it's a thrill and a half. See you tomorrow, same Jeopardy time, same Jeopardy channel.

My Predictions for the 2026 Emmys, Week 2, Part 3: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama

 

Since 2015 there has only been one performer who has managed to win in this category twice – Zendaya for Euphoria. She is eligible to win her third Emmy this year but as you'll see the odds are much against.

More interestingly three of the greatest actress in 21^st century television are competing against each other and all of them have compelling narratives to win this year besides the incredible performances they gave. I don't envy the voters this year.

Here we go.

 

Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age. For Playing: Bertha Russell, permanently establishing her role at the head of New York Society at the cost of her own family.  Pro: There was once a time when Coon couldn't get nominated no matter how great her work as in so many classic TV shows. Now she's been nominated for the third consecutive year by the Emmys. It's a reach to call her work as Bertha her greatest performance but its certainly becoming one of the most fascinating in 21^st Century TV. We see a woman who is willing to do anything to get a place in society and in Season 3 the bill comes do as she forces her daughter to marry a man she doesn't love and permanently severs a wedge between her son and her husband that may never be repaired. By the end of the season she has reached the top of the food chain but she is also completely alone and has no one to share the victory with. You would feel sympathy for her had you not spent the last three seasons watching her willing to climb over anyone who got in her way. Coon has yet to win an Emmy in four attempts and considering that many were certain she was going to win last year for her very different work in The White Lotus this would be a good attempt to make it right. Con: Look if they decide to give the Emmy to Coon I'm absolutely not going to complain. She's been owed one since The Leftovers. But somehow I just don't think its time yet and we all know she's going to be back next year with Season 4 just around the corner.

 

Chase Infiniti, The Testaments. For Playing: Agnes McKenzie, a teen in a prep school in Gilead where obedience is brutally enforced. Pro: Chase Infiniti, as they say, is having a moment. She was the unlikely heroine of last year Academy Award winner One Battle After Another playing one different leader of a resistance and now she's in the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale playing a very different leader. One could argue that she's been typecast but she's taking the mantle of Elisabeth Moss another great former child actress who had her moment of greatness in the original series and passes the gauntlet to Infiniti in this show. It's a different world then the one we're used to from Handmaid's but Agnes manages to lead us through in what amounts to a more effective YA drama then the one we got from Handmaid's Tale. Infiniti is going places and it shows here. Con: Infiniti was the only nominee for The Testaments and as Kathy Bates found out last year that rarely leads to a win. More to the point she's the only new face in a category full of actresses who've already been nominated multiple times. Throw in the fact that the moment of the world of Gilead in our culture has passed and its safe to case there's no real chance of her winning this year.

 

Keri Russell, The Diplomat. (DARK HORSE) For Playing: Kate Wyler, staying behind in London while her husband takes on the job as Vice President. Pro: There are multiple reasons why Russell is the most deserving nominee in the bunch besides the incredible performance she's given. First there's the fact she's managed to win both the SAG-AFTRA award in this category and the Astra just a few weeks ago. Second her track record with the Emmys is far worse than anyone else. The Diplomat is now the third classic television show she's been associated with and yet after five Emmy nominations (none of them for Felicity which she won a Golden Globe for) she's the sentimental favorite as well as the critical one. And third there's the fact of her husband. Matthew Rhys is certain to win an Emmy for his work in Widow's Bay and I'd love it if the two leads of The Americans could both win Emmys on the same night. Considering that show never got the appropriate love from the Emmys over its run, I now think Matthew Rhy and Keri Russell need to get a lot of love from the Emmys for this point forward. An Emmy for the third iconic performance Russell has given in her career wouldn't make me unhappy. Con: As with Carrie Coon I have zero problem if she ends up winning on Emmy night. But I also think that the Emmys is just starting to catch up with how great The Diplomat is. Furthermore with Season 4 just around the corner Russell will yet again be a frontrunner in this category next year. I think it's going to happen but not yet. In large part because…

 

Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus. (EXPERTS PICK, MY PICK) For Playing: Carol Sturka, one of only thirteen humans left on Earth when a hive mind takes control of the planet. Pro: I really wonder if Seehorn channeled her anger during Pluribus because she lost Best Supporting Actress in a Drama to Jennifer Coolidge for The White Lotus. That's certainly a grudge that would make me angry towards the world. But seriously ever since Pluribus debuted Seehorn has pretty much been winning every award in sight. She took the Golden Globe and Critics Choice for Drama beating Russell and Coon in both categories. This past month she won the TCA award for Best Dramatic Performance, full stop. And the fact is Seehorn's Carol is pretty much the only center of gravity we can focus on throughout Pluribus entire first season. There are entire episodes where she's the only actress onscreen for most if not all of them. And much of her work is built not on dialogue but on long stretches of silence or monologues where she has to express her frustrations to herself. I don't think any show in a very long time has centered on a single character to this extent and I've never seen anyone rise to the challenge so excellently as Seehorn has as Carol. She may not be the heroine we want, but she is the heroine Earth needs. Throw in the fact she somehow never won for Better Call Saul – which I'm still angry about – and I think its her time. Con: One can't rule out the possibility that Russell could manage an upset given that she's beaten her twice this cycle.

 

Zendaya, Euphoria. For Playing: Rue, stuck in the middle of a drug war after graduating high school. Pro: It was the end of a long journey for Rue and even though it was almost inevitable where it was going to finish you spent most of the season hoping that there was a way back on the path she'd chosen. Most of Rue's journey was framed as a spiritual one and while most of the rest of the show struggled watching her battle her way back against the forces against her, hoping against hope she could find a way out was still a battle. Zendaya has already gone two for two over the first two seasons; there have always been a chance she could make it a three-peat. Con: My readers know my bias towards Euphoria has never gone away. So let's look at the facts. Even before the third season debuted there was a backlash building against it. The moment it debuted almost every critic who'd ever had something positive to say about Euphoria had nothing good to say about it. By the series finale TV Guide was jeering the series finale which goes to show just how far it had fallen. No one thought it deserved to be nominated for Best Drama and it only received five nominations. Zendaya's nomination no doubt has more to do with the way the Emmys usually operates: nominating the same actor for each season regardless how good the show is. Her nomination is in no doubt recognition because of the great actress and box office star Zendaya has become. Gold Derby measured this. Before Season Three debuted Zendaya was the favorite to win again in this category: by the time it ended she's now at four percent behind Russell and Seehorn. It was a hell of a run but it's over and not just because Euphoria is.

 

PREDICTION: Seehorn finally gets a chance to be happy on the Emmy stage.

 

Tomorrow I deal with Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama. This one I'm going to have a lot of trouble with.

 

Here We Go: Jeopardy Masters 2026 Recap, Part 1: August 25th

 

Well Jeopardy fans here's the way to wrap up the summer. The 2026 Jeopardy Masters is about to take place.

In a sense the producers have moved backwards. After experimenting with a new format involving knockout rounds and 9 Masters which produced a fair amount of backlash among fans, the producers have gone back to the previous method. This year there are only six Jeopardy masters and nine games. Six days of quarterfinals with twelve games being played, then two nights of semi-finals with four games and a two day total point affair with the winner receiving $500,000.

In a different one they've moved forward. They've scheduled this year's Masters in August while the flagship show is in reruns, in large part repeating the paths that led this year's newcomers to the Masters. And all nine games will be played on as close to consecutive nights as possible. Starting tonight the first four games will be played Tuesday to Friday, next week they will wrap up the quarterfinals and semifinals on and on Tuesday September 8^th the finale will be played.

In a sense this can only help boost the ratings for the Masters, which flagged quite a bit last year. There's less competition for ratings in August then in May and by airing all the episodes pretty close to back to back sustained viewership will be easier for the fanbase.

As a reminder here's the lineup:

Yogesh Raut, winner of the 2025 Jeopardy Masters

Victoria Groce, second runner up in the 2025 Masters, winner of the 2024 Jeopardy Masters.

Juveria Zaheer, first runner-up in the 2025 Jeopardy Masters.

 

And the newcomers:

Paolo Pasco, winner of the 2026 Tournament of Champions

Andrew He, winner of the 2026 Jeopardy Invitational Tournament.

Long Nguyen, runner-up in the 2026 Jeopardy Invitational Tournament and the official producers choice.

 

I suspect there is going to be less controversy about Long Nguyen being the producer's choice then Amy Schneider in 2024. That year it seemed the producers were rigging the game to get a former Jeopardy Master and Tournament of Champions winner into the Masters. Considering that Long's biggest accomplishment was winning one of the 2024 Jeopardy Second Chance Tournaments prior to being invited back to this year's Invitational it's a lot easier to believe he's there for fan recognition. Besides there were four other previous Masters participants in this year's Invitational that would have been a much bigger draw then Long.

Paolo made history this year when he became the first player in the new format of the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions to win in three consecutive games. Furthermore in every single one of his TOC appearances he managed a runaway victory which puts him on the shortlist for one of the great Jeopardy TOC players already. Andrew He is no stranger to the Jeopardy Masters having appeared in the inaugural one and finished in a tie for third place with Mattea Roach, losing on a tiebreaker. He was part of the inaugural JIT and made it all the way to the finals where he was beaten by Victoria Groce and then Amy  Schneider was chosen ahead of him. (We'll soon find out if he holds a grudge.) Andrew's already faced off against the best of the best, finishing second only to James Holzhauer in the first round of  the 2023 Masters. But he has yet to face off against any of the current group.

Long has already beaten two Jeopardy Masters, defeating Adriana Harmeyer in the quarterfinals of this year's Invitational and beating Roger Craig in the finals. He has experience against Andrew already.  And as Juveria can attest, Second Chance Winners can do quite well in the Masters.

So here is my day by day breakdown of the 2026 Jeopardy Masters. After each game like with the show itself I will show you the leaderboard. And because I want to keep myself humble I will also tell you what I wrote down for Final Jeopardy after every game.

 

Tuesday August 25, 2026

Game 1

Andrew vs. Paolo vs Long

Game 1 had the newcomers face off and it was a slow start for all three. Paolo got to the Daily Double in the Jeopardy round early with 800 points and wagered the 1000 he could in TRANSPARENT. It did not go well:

In 1928 German firm Rohm & Haas produced acrylic glass and in 1933 they trademarked this transparent wonder.

Paolo paused before guessing: "What is Pyrex?" It was actually Plexiglass. At that point he was at -200 points. So the fact that he managed to recover from this and move all the way up to 5400 point at the end proved how on fire he was.

All three newcomers were in the red at one point in the Jeopardy round. Long finished it with -400 points. Andrew was in second with 1400.

In Double Jeopardy Paolo was helped immensely by the category FOUND IN MISTRANSLATION. The category was made up of words found entirely in 'mistranslation' and Paolo, who designs crossword puzzles for a living, has always done well with clues involving wordplay. As soon as he got control of the board for the first time he went to it, got the 1200 and 1600 point clues correct and found the first Daily Double in the 2000 point clue. He was relatively conservative and bet 4500 points of the 9800 he already had:

In part from Arabic, it's an engraved stone or object meant to protect against disease.

He figured it out: "What is talisman?" He went up to 14,300 points. (He would run the entire category.

Not long after that Long got the next two clues correct and got out of the red. He then found the other Daily Double in PLACES TO VISIT. Though he had but 400 points he wagered 2000 and it was clear he was nervous about going back into the red.

This national park located between Alamogordo and Las Cruces is filled with dunes of gypsum.

Long took a considerable time before clearly guessing: "What is White Sands?" That was correct and he went up to 2400 points.

Everyone made their share of mistakes in Double Jeopardy, including Paolo. But at the end of Double Jeopardy Paolo was still in the lead with 18,300, Long was next with $6800 and Andrew was in third with 2200 points. Because of the scores it was predetermined who would finish where but all three tried their best with Final Jeopardy. It was however an incredibly difficult clue.

The category was MEDICINE. Arne Larsson received the first of these October 8^th 1958 and eventually about 25 more as he outlived his physicians."

Andrew couldn't come up with anything but lost nothing. Long tried to write something down but nothing. He lost 2000 points leaving him with 4800.

Paolo had a runaway but took it seriously. He wrote down: "What is a heart transplant?" It was actually the first pacemaker as Ken told us "They had to be replaced much more often before the invention of lithium batteries."

(He was closer then me. I guessed the measles vaccine.)

He wagered just 625 and clinched his first Jeopardy Masters victory and his sixth consecutive runaway game. An impressive Jeopardy Masters debut by any standard.

 

Interview Segment: Long said ever since he got the call for Masters earlier this year he'd been doing nothing but prepping playing over 500 games in the Jeopardy simulator. Paolo told us what a thrill ride it was considering he'd made his Jeopardy debut just this past season. (His first appearance was in the first week of Season 42 which is remarkable.) Andrew discussed how when he'd recorded the first Masters they'd actually paused taping for the birth of his son who's now 3 and a half.

 

 

Game 2

Yogesh vs. Juveria vs. Victoria

This rematch of the finals of last year's Jeopardy Masters was more thrilling from start to finish. Victoria managed to strike first in the Jeopardy round when she found the Daily Double in one of the old standards for Jeopardy Tournaments 'INITIALS TO ROMAN NUMERALS TO NUMBERS'.

For those who don't know, they gave you a person's name. You took their initials which were Roman Numerals then you had to give the number.

Victoria had 2800 points and decided it was early enough to bet it all.

For the Italian-born woman who wrote: 'It is necessary that the child teach himself and then the success is great.

It didn't take her a moment. What is 2000? (Maria Montessori, MM.) From that point on Victoria would never relinquish the lead but it was never easy. Victoria finished with 9600 points to Yogesh's 5400 and Juveria's 2800.

In Double Jeopardy Victoria came out swinging but Juveria got to the first Daily Double in UNSILENT 'P' SCIENCE. The MD wagered the 3000 points she had:

It's the 'P' in PET scan, an imaging technique useful for studying structures of the heart and the brain. She knew it was positron and moved into second place.

Then she lost 1600 points and found the other Daily Double in MUSEUMS & COLLECTIONS. Once again she bet everything, this time 4400 points.

In Bogota, you'll find the Museo Del this 3 letter palabra (What kings and conquistadors thirsted over).

This took a moment longer. "What is oro?" (the museum of gold). She was back at 8800 points.

Despite her best efforts Juveria couldn't close the gap and at the end of Double Jeopardy Victoria had 24,800 points to Juveria's 12,400, giving her a lock-tie for first place. Yogesh had finished with 8600 points.

It was unlikely Juveria was going to challenge for first this early in Masters so the battle was going to be for second.

The Final Jeopardy category was ANCIENT LANDS. Zarathustra means 'camel owner' and he was 'the Sage of' this ancient land of what's now North Afghanistan and South Tajikistan. (For the record I wasn't even in the right region of the globe. I wrote down Mesopotamia.)

Yogesh's response was revealed first. "What is Bactria?" Which is still associated with camels today. He bet 3801, moving him up to 12,401 points into second place.

Next was Juveria. She wrote down: "What is Tamurid?" That was obviously incorrect. She lost 4801, dropping her down to 7599.

It was irrelevant whether Victoria was correct or not. But she also had Bactria (along with the requisite 'Hi, Nora!). She wagered 1 point and struck first.

Interviews: Victoria said she had done as much preparation this year because she was busy writing her first book which had to do with quiz shows. Juveria told us that prior to being invited to the Jeopardy Masters she had been considering retiring because in two years' she'd been in every Tournament there was and it was becoming exhausting for her children. (She pointed to them in the audience. )And then after doing so well they decided: "This is great. Why would you ever pass this up?" Yogesh told a heartrending story about when he was coming back from winning the Masters he was taking the escalator on LAX and was nearly run over when his suitcase toppled over. Two complete strangers helped him one by rescuing him and the other by picking up his suitcase. He wanted to use the opportunity to thank them on national television. In addition to being grateful he was okay Ken implored Yogesh: "Next time you're out here, please take the elevator."

 

 

 

Leaderboard After August 25^th

 

Victoria Groce – 3 Match Points

Paolo Pasco – 3 Match Points

Yogesh Raut – 1 Match Point

Long Nguyen – 1 Match Point

Andrew He – 0 Match Points

Juveria Zaheer – 0 Match Points

 

We're off to a great start of this year's Masters. Tomorrow in Game 2 Paolo and Victoria will face off for the first time. What else will happen? Stay tuned to this spot for all the details!