On April 8, “Jeopardy!” contestants set a new record for the most incorrect responses in Season 41. The episode featured a notably difficult board that challenged the three participants, leading to 16 missed clues during the game — the highest count of the season.
Returning champion Mike Dawson from Portland, Oregon, aimed to extend his two-day winning streak totaling $35,000. Dawson, a technology manager, competed against Anise K. Strong-Morse, a history professor from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Joe Lancour, a quality and export compliance manager from Agawam, Massachusetts, in what resulted in a challenging match.
The difficulties began early when Joe found the first Daily Double in the Chapter category. Host Ken Jennings read the clue: “In this novel Chapter 10 is The Shell and the Glasses & 12, ‘Cry of the Hunters.'” Joe failed to identify “Lord of the Flies,” reducing his score by $1,000.
By the end of the first round, Mike held the lead with $4,800, while Joe had $3,000, and Anise was in the red at negative $1,000. The second round proved equally challenging for the players.
Anise made a significant comeback in “Double Jeopardy!” but faced difficulty when she uncovered the second Daily Double in the Ditch the X category. The clue asked participants to “Remove the X from within a statement of a basic principle & you do this, inflict a severe injury.” Anise could not provide the correct answer “maim,” losing $2,500 from her $4,200 score.
Joe discovered the third and final Daily Double in The National Road category and made a bold wager, risking nearly his entire prize amount. Jennings read: “The National Road was also called this for the Maryland city where construction began in 1811 heading west.” Joe did not correctly answer “Cumberland,” causing his score to fall from $6,600 to $600.
As his opponents struggled with high-value clues and Daily Doubles, Mike steadily increased his lead. Going into “Final Jeopardy!” he had $16,400, while Anise had $2,900, and Joe had $1,800.
The “Final Jeopardy!” category was Honors, with the clue: “Burt Lancaster and Joanne Woodward were among the first eight honored at a 1958 ceremony held on this street.” All three contestants successfully answered “What is Hollywood Boulevard?”
Mike achieved his third consecutive victory with a final score of $21,400, raising his three-day total to $57,000. Meanwhile, Joe ended with $3,600 and Anise with $3,607, both trailing the champion.
The episode’s difficulty was reflected not only in the final scores but also in the statistics. The three contestants missed a total of 16 clues, setting a new record for Season 41. Mike only answered two clues incorrectly (with 19 correct responses), while his opponents missed seven clues each.
Viewers took to social media to comment on the challenging nature of the game. “This was an abnormally tough board for me today. All around difficult, even in categories I’d normally do well in,” one fan wrote. “You could tell the contestants were struggling, too. Hard clues, hard DDs, and a surprisingly easy FJ.”
Another viewer noted that there were “Ten triple stumpers. 16 wrong responses including all three DDs and two of the three players had under $3,000 going to FJ. Yikes!” A third fan described it as a “frustrating game to watch.”
What viewers see on television is only part of the “Jeopardy!” experience. Behind the scenes, several features help the show run smoothly. Each contestant podium contains a hidden riser to ensure all participants appear to be the same height on camera. After clues are read, signal lights illuminate around the game board to indicate when players can buzz in with their responses.
The timing system is precise — buzz in too early, and contestants are locked out for a quarter of a second. Each podium also features a small white light in the lower left corner that signals to host Ken Jennings which player to call on next.
Contestants must also adhere to specific wardrobe guidelines, with restrictions on busy patterns, solid white, purple (which matches the background), and logos. All participants are required to bring three different outfits to the studio, though only the host and returning champion change clothes for consecutive episodes.
The production schedule is quite demanding, with five episodes typically taped in a single day, and sometimes more. To ensure fairness, the categories, players (aside from returning champions), and “Final Jeopardy!” clues for each taping day are all drawn randomly.
Despite the tough round of questions and record-setting wrong answers, Mike Dawson’s consistent performance secured his position as a three-day champion, although he lost the next day. As season 41 progresses, fans will be observing to see if this record for missed clues remains or if another challenging board will test future contestants even further.
