‘Jeopardy!’ Fans React After Stunning, Unexpected End to Season

[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for the Friday, July 25, episode of Jeopardy!]

Season 41 of Jeopardy! has come to a close. Super champ Scott Riccardi made the last month of the season a whirlwind, but will fans see him again next season? Read on to find out.

Riccardi, from Somerville, New Jersey, won 16 games with a total of $455,000. He made it into the top 10 for all-time winnings in regular play, landing in spot number eight, and even tied for 10th place for consecutive games won. The pressure was on for Scott Riccardi, an engineer, to win the last game of the season against two new opponents.

On July 25, he played against Jonathan Hugendubler, from Baltimore, Maryland, and Charlotte Cooper, from San Francisco, California. Could either of these two contestants take down the beast?

By the first break, Riccardi was in the lead after a tough round filled with Triple Stumpers and contestants in the red. When the game show returned, he found the Daily Double in “What’s That Spell?” With $5,600 in his bank, he wagered $2,000, which would still give him the lead if he got it wrong. The clue read, “Spell 77 in one of these funerary texts written for a man named Ramose was for transforming him into a golden hawk.” Unsure, Riccardi shook his head and answered, “What is The Book of the Dead?” He was correct and improved to $7,600.

To no one’s surprise, Riccardi was in the lead by the end of the round with $10,800. Cooper, a graphic designer, had $3,000. Hugendubler, an adjunct professor and trivia host, finally got out of the hole with $800.

In Double Jeopardy, Hugendubler found the first DD of the round on the first clue chosen. He wagered $2,000 in “Stately Bodies of Water.” The clue was, “This bay that had a colony named for it extends southward over 40 miles from Cape Ann.” “What is Massachusetts Bay?” he answered correctly, giving him $2,800.

Two clues later, he found the last DD. With $4,400, he made it a true Daily Double. In “They’re All Greeks to Me,” the clue read, “In this play by Aristophanes, we hear, ‘O women, if we would compel the men to bow to peace, we must refrain–.’” He answered, “What is Lysistrata?” bringing his total to $8,800, putting him in second place.

The rest of the round was a battle between Riccardi and Hugendubler, but Riccardi came out on top. By the end of the round, the reigning champion had $23,600. Hugendubler had $14,000. Cooper was in third with $7,800.

A wild wager in Final Jeopardy changed the entire game. The category for Final Jeopardy was “20th Century Names.” The clue read, “According to one obituary, in 1935 he owned 13 magazines, 8 radio stations, 2 movie companies, and $56 million in real estate.” The answer was “Who is William Randolph Hearst?” Only two contestants got it right.

Cooper answered correctly and wagered $7,800, bringing her total to $15,600. Hugendubler also answered correctly. “Oh, this just got interesting. He is correct as well,” host Ken Jennings said. He wagered $9,601, putting him $1 over Riccardi. Riccardi answered, “Who is Howard Hughes?” eliciting a big groan from the crowd. He wagered $5,000, making his final total $18,600.

Hugendubler became the new champion, defeating 16-time champ Scott Riccardi. He will be back next season to see if his streak continues. Hugendubler stood there in shock. After he pulled himself together, he went over to hug Riccardi.

Fans reacted to Hugendubler’s shocking win on Reddit. “Crazy thing is he was -2,600 after 7 clues, if you could bet on him winning at that point, you could retire,” one said.

“Yes, seriously. It was a disastrous start with the bad answers to the history questions. I could imagine getting discouraged and not focused after the start, and messing up the buzzer timing. Props to Jonathan for playing a strong game the rest of the way and giving himself a fighting chance,” replied another.

“Holy s**t. The first time a superchampion has lost on the last day of the season. What a way to wrap it up, congrats Jonathan!!” a third added.

“Jonathan really capitalized on his daily doubles. Well played! A great way to end the season. Thanks also to Charlotte and Scott. Look forward to seeing Scott in TOC,” a fan wrote.

“Well, wasn’t expecting that ending,” said one Reddit user.

“No one expected this ending to a season! But we’ll see Scott in the TOC,” another wrote.

“I am floored that Scott lost on that Final Jeopardy, which was like…at most 20th percentile FJ difficulty. No hate to an incredible champion, I just never in a million years would have thought he’d have gone out on that one. This game can still surprise us!” a shocked fan said.

“Great game!! Sad to see Scott go (loved him) but pleased he has earned a place on the Leaderboard of Legends,” one last fan said.

Jeopardy!, September 2025, check local listings