Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Jeopardy! Masters episode that aired on Tuesday, May 16th. Read at your own risk!
James Holzhauer came to play in the Jeopardy! Masters tournament and hasn't lost an ounce of the confidence that he earned during his original run on Jeopardy. He had something to say with his latest win, but this time, it wasn't a message to Ken Jennings. Instead, Holzhauer decided to channel a famous movie starring Brad Pitt and even showcased some acting chops in ABC's primetime event.
So, did he recite a line from Fight Club or maybe even Ocean's Eleven? The latter would be a great choice considering that James Holzhauer's Jeopardy! strategy is rooted in his experience as a professional gambler, but that's not what he went with. Instead, he went with this classic line from Troy, which he quoted with a Jeopardy! twist:
Hey, when you're capping off the night with yet another score so high that the best of the best can't come close to it, I understand the confidence. Amy Schneider and Matt Amodio managed to take both Daily Doubles from James Holzhauer in their game, but neither had a chance at beating him when they got to Final Jeopardy.
For those who haven't seen Troy, some context may drive home James Holzhauer's wild Jeopardy! Masters moment better. Check out the scene below and the line uttered by Brad Pitt's Achilles after easily killing a fearsome warrior:
It's like I'm rewatching James Holzhauer's Jeopardy! Masters moment with my Hulu subscription! Jokes aside, one can't help but wonder if Holzhauer is setting himself up for a tremendous fall with his Achilles-level confidence. He may be in first place in the round-robin tournament, but Andrew He is right behind him and still capable of taking first should Holzhauer lose a round.
The question is, will James Holzhauer lose a round? He's still undefeated so far, and it's looking more and more likely that the only person who could beat him is the one asking questions at the host's podium. Apparently, the rules dictate that Ken Jennings can't play Jeopardy! again, though a producer has hinted the rules are flexible depending on the circumstances.
The current standings of Jeopardy! Masters have James Holzhauer in first with fifteen points. Andrew He is in second with twelve, Mattea Roach is in third with eight, and Matt Amodio is in fourth with six. Amy Schneider has five points, and Sam Buttrey has two. Schneider and Buttrey face elimination ahead of the semi-finals, though Schneider could swap spots with Amodio with a win on Wednesday and advance.
Jeopardy! Masters rages on over at ABC on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Right now, this competition is still James Holzhauer's to lose, but who knows what will come in the next few days that might humble the prolific champion a bit?
