Top 5 moments from Jeopardy! season 40 from historic wins to celebrity cameos (2024)

Season 40 of Jeopardy! ended last month and fans are left nostalgic for the hit season that left Ken Jennings flying solo as host for the first time

This past season of Jeopardy! marked the 40th season of the hit game show.

With various ups and downs, the season included nail-biting moments and surprising upsets. Reruns of tournaments are airing this summer, as the show won't resume new episodes until September.

With the hit show on summer break until then, only showcasing reruns, let's take a look at the top five moments from this past season.

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Ike Barinholtz on TOC

Ike was the first contestant from Celebrity Jeopardy! to be invited to the Tournament of Champions. The Mad TV actor shocked fans as he defeated Ray LaLonde and Melissa Kalapper, making his way to the semifinals.

During Final Jeopardy, the answer was Ovid, and host Ken Jennings jokingly asked: "Did he think of Ovid, as we know celebrities often do?" He was surprised that Ike got the answer correct, leading him to win the game.

One fan wrote on Reddit: "Absolutely electric. I love being surprised by an unexpected outcome." Ike went on to the semifinals, narrowly losing.

Four corrections in a row

During Isaac Hirsch's iconic winning streak, something else amazing happened - Ken Jennings issued four corrections in a row from the judges.

Usually, during the game, one or two corrections will be handed out, so fans were shocked at the rulings that changed the score for Isaac dramatically. "Isaac's triple score correction moved his score up $6,400. I'd never seen anything like it, and it involved one of the most interesting players of the year," one fan wrote on Reddit.

"Despite being so bizarre, it was definitely the right thing to do in the interest of accurate rulings," the Reddit user continued.

The Comeback Queen

This season one of the biggest comebacks in Jeopardy! history occurred.

Juveria Zaheer initially lost to Hannah Wilson but was given a second chance this season. She went on to win two redemption tournaments and made it into the Tournament of Champions.

Fans called Juveria's run a Cinderella story, inspiring them as they watched. One person wrote on Reddit: "Juveria's Cinderella run through multiple tournaments. Literally the only thing that kept me excited during all that. Can't wait to see her compete again someday!"

One-day champ to two-time tournament star

Victoria Groce was a one-day champion back in 2005 but returned this year to do the unthinkable.

She competed in both the Invitational Tournament and the Jeopardy! Masters Tournament back to back. Fans were amazed at her wins, sharing their love for the competitor.

"I loved watching Victoria’s dominance in JIT and Masters. She was so impressive while also being humble and kind throughout," one person wrote on Reddit. Another added: "I was deep in the tank for Victoria Groce, so seeing her win the Invitational and Masters was really exciting."

Ken as sole host

Ken Jennings first hosted Jeopardy! with Mayim Bialik in 2022 and the two shared hosting duties, taking turns standing at the podium throughout the season.

Then after the Writers Guild strikes last year, in December Mayim shared the news on Instagram that she wouldn't be returning to Jeopardy as a host. Ken was then named the only host, taking on this past season on his own for the first time.

Fans had to gush over how well Ken did in his first season on his own. "Ken being named the permanent host going forward was a highlight as well," a fan wrote on Reddit.

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