‘Jeopardy’ Fans React to Controversial Double Jeopardy Clue

Isaac Rouse May 2, 2023, 7:49 pm

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the May 2 episode of Jeopardy!]

Current Jeopardy! two-day champion Kevin Belle went head to head against costumer Amanda Hendrickson and attorney/Seinfeld expert Paul Guelpa to defend his title and his winnings of $24,398. However, the episode’s highlight didn’t come from the Final Jeopardy, but a blunder that cost a contestant the correct answer until the judges backstage reconsidered.

Going into Double Jeopardy after the commercial break, Kevin had $3,600, Paul with $4,600, and Amanda at negative $1,200. A little after the game resumed, Amanda went for the category “Mythology” for $400, with the clue reading: “This God of love hid psyche & visited in secret until she found out who he was.” Paul hit the buzzer first and responded with “Eros,” to which host Mayim Bialik replied, “No.” Amanda picked up the question and responded with “Cupid,” for which she was rewarded $400.

However, by the time Kevin received the second Daily Double, Bialik revealed there’s been a change in score for Paul. “The judges have reviewed your response of Eros and decided it’s also correct,” she said before revealing they were “going to add $800 to your score.” That brought Paul’s score of $4,200 to an even $5000 against Kevin’s $8,800 and Amanda’s $800.

This sent fans into an uproar about how judges word clues, how many precautions Greek or Roman mythological figure categories need clarity, and more.

“I feel like anytime an answer is a greek or roman mythological figure, they need to either carefully word it so that it only refers to one or the other, or know beforehand whether two names work as answers. It seems like a forseeable issue,” the top comment on the Jeopardy! Subreddit said before ending with, “Them not anticipating that Eros would work as an answer seems like a lack of foresight.”

“Exactly. And people are going to unfairly blame Mayim for a mistake that the writers should have foreseen and prevented,” a user said in response.

See Ken Jennings React After Mayim Bialik Flubs 'Wheel of Fortune' Answer

Folks on Twitter echoed the same sentiment, noting: “The scoring change is all well and good re: “Eros,” but had that been given initially, Paul and not Amanda would’ve had control of the board right before the Daily Double in Mythology was chosen.”

In the end, though, Kevin retained his champion title for another day, increasing his total winning to $42,798.

What did you think of the flub? Let us know in the comments below.

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The scoring change is all well and good re: “Eros,” but had that been given initially, Paul and not Amanda would’ve had control of the board right before the Daily Double in Mythology was chosen.#Jeopardy

— Matt Carberry (@mfc248) May 2, 2023

Thank you, Eros and Cupid are the same god. #Jeopardy

— Amanda Weimar (@alias093001) May 2, 2023

Um what just happened #Jeopardy #Eros

— Karen (@runyourplate) May 2, 2023

Cupid is Eros though.. Eros is the greek name and Cupid is the roman #jeopardy

— Lexi (@MinteaLexi) May 2, 2023

I’m watching jeopardy and the guy answered the question right???? Eros is just the Greek name for Cupid. He should have gotten the money. They didn’t specify that they wanted Roman

— grim/aster (@grimghost7) May 2, 2023

Uh……..They better correct and give him "Eros" because "Eros" and "Cupid" are the same god. #Jeopardy

— Author Jennifer Quail (@jenniferquail) May 2, 2023

Uh, "Jeopardy!," Eros & Cupid are the SAME GOD, & BOTH interacted with Psyche in myth. Your category doesn't specify ROMAN mythology!

— Tehuti (@tehuti88) May 2, 2023