The returning ‘Jeopardy!’ champion from Maine lost her bid to repeat as champion Monday night on the popular American TV quiz show.
Susan McMillan of Portland incorrectly answered the Final Jeopardy! question and finished last behind the winner, Bryce Hwang, a medical student from Santa Clara, California. Cyndi Mundt, a forensic evaluator from Seattle, finished second.
Susan McMillan on the set of “Jeopardy!” with the guest host, Dr. Mehmet Oz ‘Jeopardy!’ photo
McMillan wagered $8,800 on the Final Jeopardy! question, while Hwang wagered $13,000, an amount that grew to $28,000 after he correctly answered that P.L. Travers, the author of the Mary Poppins children’s books, authorized a United Kingdom stage version provided no Americans were involved. Travers placed restrictions on the movie rights after expressing disgust over a 1964 live-action movie musical produced by Disney. As a result the musical was not released until eight years after Travers’ death.
McMillan, 35, is an Arabic translator and Army reservist. In her debut Friday night, she won after correctly answering two Daily Doubles and the Final Jeopardy! question. She breezed through categories of questions about history, opera and authors.
But Monday, McMillan and Hwang swung back and forth answering questions on topics ranging from books by chapter, to physics and Asia. By the time they reached the final round, Hwang had accumulated $15,400 and McMillan $13,800.
The episode was guest-hosted by Dr. Mehmet Oz. Celebrities, including Katie Couric and Anderson Cooper, are filling in as guest hosts following the death of Alex Trebek, who hosted for 37 seasons before he died of pancreatic cancer. Next week’s guest host will be Aaron Rodgers, quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.
McMillan is a former reporter for the Kennebec Journal in Augusta. She left the newspaper in 2014 to enlist in the Army Reserve, where she received Arabic language training.
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