‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Have So Many Mixed Feelings After Seeing Jonathan Fisher Lose

Two weeks after Jeopardy! champion Jonathan Fisher ended Matt Amodio’s historic run, the contestant's time on the beloved quiz show has come to a close.

Since stepping foot on the Jeopardy! stage in mid-October, the 30-year-old California resident has made a name for himself not only for beating Matt, the 38-time Jeopardy! champion, but also for continuing to defend the title. After winning 11 consecutive games and earning $246,100, Jonathan faced Nancy Donehower, a retired college admissions counselor from Portland on Tuesday night’s episode.

After taking turns being in the lead, it all came down to Final Jeopardy! The category was “Authors” and the clue read, “These 2 men who both died in Boston in the mid-20th century each won four Pulitzers, one man for poetry and the other for drama.” When time was up, both Jonathan and Nancy answered it correctly: “Who are [Robert] Frost and [Eugene] O’Neill?” Despite being known for his conservative bets, Jonathan went all in this time and wagered $9,200 and earned a total of $18,400.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the win. Nancy had $10,400 and she wagered $9,000 for a total of $19,400. With that, Nancy was officially declared the new Jeopardy! champion and Jonathan ended his historic run — a turn of events neither Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik nor fans were expecting to see.

Shortly after his last Jeopardy! episode aired, Jonathan acknowledged the moment on Twitter. Just like Matt once did for him, Jonathan also applauded his successor.

“That's it for my run on @Jeopardy! Congrats to Nancy (quite a name for a streak-stopper, eh @KenJennings?) for a great game and a well-deserved win,” he wrote. “This has been one of the best experiences I've ever had, and I wouldn't change a thing about it.”

Reacting to the news, Matt tweeted, “Congratulations @JFishtheDish on a tremendous #Jeopardy accomplishment, achieved with both class and style. Well done!” Matt also later added, “Great job! So happy for you, a well-deserved legendary run!”

Many viewers who followed Matt’s Jeopardy! journey stayed along for the ride when Jonathan claimed the title. Needless to say, seeing two back-to-back double-digit champions, a first in Jeopardy!’s history, brought up a mix of emotions for fans.

“Excellent job, Jonathan. Couldn’t have been easy following on the heels of @AmodioMatt, but you proved that you are a great champion in your own right,” one person wrote. “Congrats! I always figure that the person who takes a long-time winner out to be a one-time winner. You proved me wrong! Again, congrats! #Jeopardy!” another added. “Thanks for giving us some great games, Jonathan... and of course, lots of faces! Good luck in your career!” a different fan said. “Congratulations on your long run, and succeeding @AmodioMatt! Next year's #TournamentOfChampions can't be any more exciting for #Jeopardy!!” a follower commented.

On on the flip side, others were excited to watch a new contestant on the popular quiz show. “Congratulations to Nancy today! Of course everyone played well so it was fun to watch :) #Jeopardy,” someone tweeted. “Miss Nancy - you have my heart and [$19,000] ♥️💅,” a viewer chimed in. “Nancy! You absolute Queen!” one person declared.

While it's never easy to see a champion end their run on Jeopardy!, the good news is both Jonathan and Matt will return to our small screens for the Tournament of Champions — and we can't wait for that!

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