♪♪
From the Alex Trebek Stage at Sony Pictures Studios,
this is "Celebrity Jeopardy!"
[ Cheers and applause ]
♪♪
Please welcome tonight's semifinalists...
A comedian from Chicago,
The New York Times named him
one of "The Queer Young Comics Redefining American Humor."
He's written on "Big Mouth,"
"The Other Two," and "Billy on the Street,"
and he had a runaway game in his quarterfinal.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Joel Kim Booster!
An actor from Burbank, California,
he's an accomplished author, a podcaster,
and the current host of "The Ready Room,"
the official online hub for all things "Star Trek."
He was overwhelmed after winning his quarterfinal
and is looking for a repeat performance tonight.
Please welcome Wil Wheaton!
[ Cheers and applause ]
And an actor from Boston, Massachusetts --
On top of starring in many of our favorite
TV shows and movies,
he's an accomplished game show host
who's enjoying being on the other side of the podium
for a change.
He comes into the semifinal
with the highest score from this round of quarterfinals.
Please welcome John Michael Higgins!
And now here is the host of "Celebrity Jeopardy!" --
Mayim Bialik!
[ Cheers and applause ]
Thank you, Johnny Gilbert.
And welcome, everyone, to our second semifinal game
of the season.
You know what they say --
Seasons change, friends come and go,
but the title of "Celebrity Jeopardy!" Champion
lasts forever.
One of these three will end the night
joining Ike Barinholtz in our finals.
And the good news is, no matter what happens,
you're all guaranteed to leave the Alex Trebek Stage tonight
with at least $50,000 for your charity.
But now that you've made it this far,
I have a feeling you're all eyeing
that $1 million grand prize.
So who will advance to the finals?
Could it be Michael, perhaps Joel,
or will Wil will himself to victory?
Well done. Mayim: The only way to find out is to play the game.
Good luck, champions.
Let's go to work in the Jeopardy! round.
Here are the categories.
"A" is the first letter of each response.
Michael, you'll be selecting first.
All right. Thank you, Mayim.
I'll take The Book You've Been Meaning to Read
for $300, please.
Joel. Who is Bridget Jones?
Yes.
That Book You've Been Meaning to Read for $200.
How 'bout a Daily Double? [ Chuckles ]
[ Applause ]
How much would you like to wager?
You can wager up to $500.
We'll do $300.
A true Daily Double to get us started.
Here's your clue.
What is "Les Misérables"?
That's correct.
[ Applause ]
That puts you at $600.
Go ahead and pick again.
Let's do The "A" List for $300.
[ Beep ]
They want their autographs.
Joel.
Let's do The "A" List for $200.
Joel. What are alligators?
Yes.
The "A" List for $100.
Michael. What is attendance?
Yes.
I'll take The Book You've Been Meaning to Read, $400.
Wil. What is "The Catcher in the Rye"?
That's correct.
Book for $500, please.
Wil. What is "Infinite Jest"?
That's correct.
The "A" List for $500.
Animation puts images on a screen.
This longer word is the technology
of life-like, motorized puppets.
Joel. What is animatronics?
Correct.
The "A" List, $400.
Joel. What is alleged?
Yes.
That Book You've Been Meaning to Read, $100.
Michael. What is "Time"?
Yes, "A Brief History of Time."
Let's take The Edwardian Era, excuse me, for $400.
Joel. Who is Kurt Cobain?
No.
Wil. Who is Jimi Hendrix?
No.
[ Beep ]
"Who is Eddie Van Halen?"
[ Scoffs ] I put the Van Halen flare on my name and everything!
I'm sorry, Wil.
I can never show my face at the Van Halen convention
ever again.
Mayim: Michael, select again.
Let's stick with it. Edwardian, $500.
Wil. What is "Edward Scissorhands"?
That's correct.
Going Through Some Cycles for $100.
Wil. What is the spin cycle?
That's it.
$200.
Wil. What is a bicycle?
That's right.
Going Through Some Cycles, $300.
Joel. Who is Frank Sinatra?
That is correct.
This is "Jeopardy!",
but, Michael, Wil, and Joel,
we can tell you're not playing games here tonight.
Stick around.
More "Celebrity Jeopardy!" when we return.
[ Applause ]
♪♪
Here is a "Celebrity Jeopardy!" Clue For You.
What is "Edward Scissorhands"?
Wil cut his competitors down to size
by remembering "Edward Scissorhands."
Vincent Price's first movie was a 1938 comedy...
But it was his turns as a villain of horror films
that gained him the most fame.
They also appealed to this young future filmmaker...
The two collaborated on a 1982 Disney short...
We'll be right back with the correct response.
Before the break, we asked...
...this filmmaker cast him in multiple projects,
ending with "Edward Scissorhands."
The correct response...
♪♪
Welcome back. Joel Kim Booster, so nice to see you again.
How are you feeling as we head into these here semifinals?
Oh, I -- My body's rebelling.
I feel like I have to pee.
And I want to start smoking again.
So that's sort of where I'm at mentally.
Okay. Got it.
And please remind us,
who's the charity that you're playing for tonight?
I'm playing for the SELAH Neighborhood Homelessness Coalition.
They are a nonprofit here in L. A. that is hyper local.
They focus on serving the unhoused communities
on the East Side of L. A. Wonderful.
And Wil Wheaton, a huge "Jeopardy!" fan. Yeah.
You were very emotional when you won... I was.
...in the quarterfinals.
Tell us how you're feeling right now.
I'm excited. I'm a little nervous.
Little embarrassed that I blew the Eddie Van Halen answer,
I'm going to be honest with you.
But as I said in my very first game, like,
this is such an unbelievable dream come true for me.
To literally just be on this stage is such a big deal.
If I can get through here without feeling dumb,
I'll be thrilled.
[ Laughter ]
And remind us who you're playing for.
I'm playing for the National Women's Law Center.
They are an organization that fights for gender equality
with a specific focus on supporting women and girls.
Wonderful.
And, John Michael Higgins,
how are you feeling heading into the semifinals?
Well, I've already failed at what Wil wanted to do,
which is not to feel dumb.
So I'm super happy with my score so far because I'm a masochist.
And... [ Laughter ]
But other than that, I feel 100%.
Let's get into it! No, you want to talk more.
Remind us about the Actors' Equity Foundation
that you're playing for.
Yes, the Actors' Equity Foundation,
which also includes the Entertainment Community Fund,
is a very old charity that helps performing artists.
And, you know,
most people think of showbiz people as famous people,
but the overwhelming majority of them are not famous.
They're just people.
And they need help often because it's a very rocky industry,
as we all know.
And it helps with all kinds of things --
healthcare, legal things.
And it extends across all the genres.
Circus performers are included.
So, anybody who's performing live
can benefit from their incredible work there.
So I'm really happy to represent them.
Okay, now do you want to say, "Let's get back to the game"?
Mayim, let's get back to the game.
All right. Joel, your selection.
Let's do Going Through Some Cycles for $400.
Michael. What is the sun?
That's right.
Let's go with The Edwardian Era, $300.
Wil. What is "Twilight"?
That's correct.
Going Through Some Cycles for $500.
Michael. What is photosynthesis?
No.
Joel.
The Nobel Peace Prize.
No.
[ Beep ]
"What is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine?" Joel: Oh.
Wil, select again.
At The Store, $400.
Wil. What is 7-Eleven?
Yes.
At The Store for $500.
Wil. What is the Genius Bar?
Yes.
See What I Did There? for $100, please.
Alexander Gardner here.
During this war, I took photos two days after Antietam,
the first battlefield to be photographed so soon.
Wil. What is the Civil War?
That's right.
See What I Did There? for $200, please.
Cheerio! I'm Sir Roger Bannister,
the first man to run this distance in under 4 minutes,
seen here on the same track 50 years later.
Michael. What is the mile?
Yes, one mile.
Let's do See What I Did There? for $500.
I'm this one-named Renaissance sculptor,
and I did a bust, now in Florence,
of another one-named dude, Brutus.
[ Beep ]
That would be Michelangelo.
Michael.
See What I Did There?, $400.
I'm lead architect James Polshek,
and I kept a bridge motif in mind
designing this man's presidential library
in Little Rock.
Wil. Who is Bill Clinton?
Yes.
Finish the category, please.
I'm staying anonymous,
but I put my initials on a train,
a form of graffiti called this.
Wil. What is a tag?
That's right. Tagging
At The Store for $300, please.
Wil. What is Abercrombie?
That's correct.
At The Store for $200, please.
Wil. What is IKEA?
Yes.
Finish the category.
Michael. What is Starbucks?
Yes.
Edwardian Era, $200.
If you are thinking out loud,
perhaps you are thinking of this singer-songwriter seen here.
Joel. Who is Ed Sheeran?
That's right.
And here's the final clue.
Joel. Who is Edward Norton?
That is correct.
Brings us to the end of the Jeopardy! round.
Wil is hoping to become
the next generation of "Celebrity Jeopardy!" champions.
But, Joel and Michael,
you didn't make the trek down here not to win, right? Boo.
Yay! Let's see what you've got when "Celebrity Jeopardy!" returns.
We'll be right back.
[ Applause ]
♪♪
Here is a "Celebrity Jeopardy!" Clue For You.
Who is Bill Clinton?
Wil remembered the "Jeopardy!" prime directive,
know your presidents.
...the late James Polshek.
...Louis Kahn, who died in 1974.
The Four Freedoms Park on an island in the East River
is a memorial to the vision of this president,
whose "Four Freedoms Speech" inspired a nation.
We'll be right back with the correct response.
Before the commercial, we asked,
James Polshek helped realize
his teacher Louis Kahn's vision for the Four Freedoms Park,
a tribute to this president.
The correct response...
♪♪
Welcome back to "Celebrity Jeopardy!"
It's time for Double Jeopardy!
Michael, you're going to be selecting first.
Here are the categories.
Mayim: Michael, where should we start?
I'll take Driving in L. A. for $800.
Joel. What is a valet?
Yes.
Let's do The Bible for $600.
Michael.
Oh, gosh. [ Chuckles ]
Who are Cable -- That's time.
Wil. Who are Cain and Abel?
[ Michael groans ] That's correct.
Driving in L. A. for $1,000.
Joel. What is "Sunset Boulevard"?
That's right.
Let's do The Bible for $800.
Wil. Who are the meek?
That's right.
A Trip to the Museum for $400, please.
Oh, there's a Daily Double.
[ Applause ]
You have $5,200. You're $2,000 ahead of Joel.
How much are you gonna wager?
I'm going to make it a true Daily Double, Mayim.
I am prepared for you to make it a true Daily Double.
Here we go. And here's your clue.
What is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
That's correct, Wil.
[ Applause ]
[ Exhales sharply ]
That takes you to $10,400.
Well done. Select again.
Body Part Phrases for $200, please.
Joel. What is cold feet?
Yes.
Let's do The Bible for $1,000.
Joel. What is manna?
Yes, manna from Heaven.
The Bible for $400.
Wil. Who are the Magi?
Yes, or the Wise Men.
A Trip to the Museum, $600.
Visitors to Chicago's Field Museum
can gaze upon SUE, one of these dinosaurs.
Joel. What is a T. rex?
Tyrannosaurus -- That's correct. Tyrannosaurus rex.
Let's do -- finish out The Bible for $200.
Michael. What is the Ark?
Yes, Noah's Ark.
Let's do Driving in L. A., $600.
Wil. What are orange trees?
Yes.
Driving in L. A., $400.
L.A. lore says when Johnny Carson asked Bette Davis
how a young actress could get into here,
Bette said, "Take Fountain."
Wil. What is Hollywood?
That's correct.
Historic Ships for $400, please.
Joel.
What is a submarine?
That's correct.
Let's do Musical Theater for $600.
Wil. What is "The Book of Mormon"?
That's correct.
Body Part Phrases, $400, please.
Wil. What is head over heels?
That is correct.
We're going to take a break
and be back with more Double Jeopardy!
right after this.
[ Applause ]
♪♪
Here is another "Celebrity Jeopardy!" Clue For You.
What is "Sunset Boulevard"?
Joel's spent enough time driving in L. A.
to answer three clues about it.
A drive along Sunset Boulevard from its eastern stretch,
now named after Cesar Chavez,
to its spectacular end at the ocean,
takes you past landmarks like the Beverly Hills Hotel.
...the Garden of Allah,
a glamorous and mysterious compound for Hollywood stars
like Greta Garbo.
...the Mid-Century Modern Lytton Savings Bank,
itself just recently demolished for a project
by this California starchitect to go up in its place.
We'll be right back with the correct response.
Before the break, we asked,
this famed architect is designing the newest project...
The correct response...
♪♪
We are back.
Joel, you had mentioned that you did some training
with some former "Jeopardy!" contestants
for your quarterfinal game.
How did they react to the fact that they've not won,
but with their support, you made it this far?
I think that there is a little bit of surprise
that the dumbest person on the group chat won "Jeopardy!"
And then, also some, like, anger that the hottest person
on the group chat is now also the smartest, so...
[ Laughter ]
It's a hard pill to swallow, but they're dealing with it.
No, they're very proud.
They're very, very proud of me, so...
Awesome. Oh, that's funny.
Wil Wheaton, among all of the things you do
and the beautiful work that you do,
you've been very, very open about mental health
and mental wellness... Yeah.
...both personally and sort of on a larger scale.
Tell us a little bit about the work that you do
and why you do it.
I am a survivor of child abuse and exploitation,
and I have complex PTSD as a result.
I live with anxiety and depression,
and I'm super not ashamed of it.
I don't blame myself for it.
And I speak out about it as much as I can
to remove the stigma that is associated
with mental health in America.
If more people were more willing to be open
and vulnerable about it,
people would not be afraid,
and people would not suffer longer than they need to.
Awesome.
[ Applause ]
That's beautiful.
Thank you so much for sharing that.
John Michael Higgins.
Yes, ma'am.
It says "Michael" on your podium.
Does it? Oh, yes. Yeah. And -- It does.
This is something I'm curious about.
Mm-hmm. And maybe someone else might be.
Your given name is John Michael Higgins. It is.
You go by Michael. Yeah.
Tell us about that.
I'll give you my parents' phone number, and, uh...
No, what happened --
My parents named me after Kennedy. Hm.
We were a big Irish Catholic family, right,
and he was very important back then.
And, um, but they --
My brother's name was Patrick.
In an Irish family, it's "Pat and Mike," you know? [ Laughs ]
And so, they kept calling me Mike.
And -- But it is my middle name, Michael.
And so I was always called Michael.
Then when I got into the union, the acting union,
I was Michael Higgins, but it was taken.
There was a great actor named Michael Higgins,
great stage actor -- A huge fan of his as a child.
And John -- There can only be one name registered, right...
That's right. Yeah. ...with a particular actor's name.
There was a time when Michael Higgins,
who was in his 80s at the time I was 20-something,
would show up at the same audition.
You know, it'd be like me in a waiting room
with, like, seven 80-year-old guys and me
playing the grandfather,
or him showing up
to be the guy with the little cap on, you know?
Because you had the same name. With the beanie.
Yeah, because we all had the same name.
And then he and I just got so tired of it.
But I had already done my part.
I registered as John Michael Higgins,
but everybody calls me Michael.
And to this day, you are Michael.
I'm still Michael.
Well, I appreciate the explanation.
Thank you. It was very long-winded.
[ Laughter ]
All right, let's get back to Double Jeopardy!
Wil, it is your selection.
Let's do Body Part Phrases for $600, please.
Wil. What is arm's length?
Yes.
Body Part Phrases for $800, please.
Wil. What are loose lips?
Yes, loose lips sink ships. Let's finish the category, please.
Joel. What are eyes on the prize?
That's right.
Let's do Musical Theater for $800.
There's a Daily Double.
[ Applause ]
You've got $6,400.
What are you gonna wager? Um...
Let's go ahead and make it a true Daily Double, Mayim. Okay. Michael: Oh!
I got some ground to cover.
Here is your clue.
[ Sighs ] What is "Fiddler on the Roof"?
That's correct. [ Chuckles ]
Well done.
[ Applause ] Nice.
That takes you to $12,800 --
within a stone's throw from Wil.
Select.
Musical Theater for $1,000, please.
Joel. Who is John Waters?
Yes.
Musical Theater for $400.
Joel. What is "Funny Girl"?
Yes.
And just like that, you have tied first place with Wil.
Let's do Musical Theater for $200.
Joel. Who is Linus?
That's right.
Let's do A Trip to the Museum for $800.
Wil. What is the Smithsonian?
That's right.
A Trip to the Museum for $1,000.
Wil. What is the British Museum?
Yes.
Historic Ships for $200, please.
Joel. What is the Mayflower?
Yes.
Let's do A Trip to the Museum for $200.
Wil. What is Paris?
Yes.
Historic Ships for $600, please.
Michael. Who is Darwin?
Yes.
Historic Ships, $1,000.
[ Beep ]
That ship -- the USS Constitution.
Michael.
Historic Ships, $800.
Wil. What is Pearl Harbor?
That's right.
And here's the final clue.
Joel. What is Dodger Stadium?
That's correct.
That takes you to $14,800.
Wil, you're in the lead with $17,000.
Michael on the board with $600, but Triple Jeopardy! is next.
Dollar values are tripled,
and there are three Daily Doubles on that board,
so anything can still happen.
We'll be right back after this.
[ Applause ]
♪♪
Here is one more "Celebrity Jeopardy!" Clue For You.
Who is Darwin?
A game show host himself,
Michael demonstrated his knowledge of science history.
The historic voyage of the Beagle began in 1831
in unusual circumstances.
The ship's captain, Robert FitzRoy,
had abducted several Natives from Tierra del Fuego
and brought them to London,
where he introduced them to society.
...he put them back on the Beagle
for a return voyage to South America.
FitzRoy, subject to depression,
took along the young Charles Darwin
to keep him company.
We'll be right back with the correct response.
Before the break, we gave you this clue.
The correct response...
♪♪
Welcome back.
In Triple Jeopardy!,
there's $27,000 up on that board,
so a lot can still happen.
Michael, you'll be selecting first.
Let's take a look at the categories.
I'm Matt Amodio, "Jeopardy!" super champ
and Yale PhD focusing on artificial intelligence
and machine learning.
And we'll talk computer science together.
All right. Michael, what's it going to be?
Let's go American Folklore & Legends, $1,200.
[ Beep ]
The Conqueror.
Michael.
Let's stick with American Folklore, $900.
How 'bout a Daily Double?
[ Applause ]
You can wager up to $1,500.
You've got $600. What do you think?
Almost nothing to lose.
Let's try $600. [ Chuckles ]
Here is your clue.
Who is Paul Bunyan?
That's correct.
[ Applause ]
You're at $1,200. Go ahead and select again.
Folklore & Legends, $1,500.
This mythic animal of the West
is usually depicted as a rabbit with antelope horns.
Michael. What is a jackalope?
That's correct.
American Folklore, $600.
Joel. Who is Bigfoot?
Yes. [ Laughter ]
American Folklore & Legends, $300.
Wil. Who is George Washington?
Yes.
Historic Events for $900, please.
And there's the second Daily Double.
[ Applause ]
You've got the lead with $17,300.
How much would you like to wager?
[ Sighs ]
$5,000.
Here's your clue.
What is the Louisiana Purchase?
That's correct, Wil.
That gives you $22,300.
Select again.
Historic Events for $1,200, please.
Joel. What is the Trail of Tears?
That's right.
Historic Events, $1,500.
Wil. What is the League of Nations?
Yes.
Historic Events for $600, please.
Wil. What is Parliament?
Yes.
Sports Stars for $900, please.
Winner of 20 Grand Slam singles titles,
this tennis great recently announced his retirement
from competitive play.
[ Beep ]
That's Roger Federer. [ Wil groans ]
Wil.
Sports Stars for $1,200.
Joel. Who is Yao Ming?
That's right.
Brush Up Your Hebrew for $900.
Unlike if you're at Trader Joe's,
if you're speaking Hebrew,
this dip has a guttural first letter and two long vowels.
Michael. What is hummus?
That's right, and we pronounce it "hoom-us" in Hebrew. "Hoom-us."
Hoom-us, there. Sorry about that.
$1,200, Hebrew.
Mayim: Joel. What is father?
Yes.
Brush Up Hebrew, $1,500.
[ Beep ]
Atid is "future."
Joel.
Let's do Brush Up Your Hebrew, $600.
Joel. What are glasses?
Yes.
People often say, "I left my pants at home." Ha, ha.
Let's finish out the category.
Brush Up Your Hebrew, $300.
Wil. What is "shalom"?
That's correct.
A Trip on the Gulf Stream for $300, please.
Wil. What is Iceland?
Yes.
Gulf Stream, $600, please.
And there's the third Daily Double.
[ Applause ]
Wil, you've got $25,000.
How much are you going to wager this time?
Um...hmm.
I'm going to wager $6,000.
Here's your clue.
What is North Carolina?
That's correct, Wil.
[ Exhales sharply ]
Whew! Takes you to $31,000.
Pick again.
Gulf Stream, $900, please.
An undersea area called the Charleston Bump
attracts fish like this one
to part of the Gulf stream's course.
Wil. What is a marlin?
No.
Joel. What is a swordfish?
That's it.
Let's do Computer Science for $900.
Here's Matt Amodio.
In this code that's the basis for digital computing,
my beloved Cleveland Guardians would have retired
Bob Feller's number, 10011, and Jim Thome's, 11001.
Wil. What is binary?
That's correct.
Matt Amodio for $1,200, please.
Here's Matt.
A statistician who annoyed some computer scientists
by butting into our field,
John Tukey came up with this eight-letter word
for the programs that tell a computer what to do.
[ Beep ]
That would be software.
Wil.
Matt Amodio for $300.
All right. Went too close to the sun.
Matt.
Before the hard disk era, the storage of data or programs
known as this word took more cumbersome forms,
like huge circular drums
and reels bearing hundreds of feet of tape.
Wil.
What is magnetic tape?
No. No, that's not at all what it is.
It's very much not that.
[ Beep ]
"What is memory?"
Wil.
Historic Events for $300.
In 1927, this American became an international idol
by flying solo across the Atlantic
in his plane, Spirit of St. Louis.
Michael. Who is Charles Lindbergh?
Yes.
Let's go Trip on the Gulf Stream, $1,200.
Joel. What is Key West?
No.
Wil. What is Key Largo?
No.
[ Groans ]
[ Beep ]
"What is Palm Beach?"
Michael, select again.
Let's go to Sports Stars for $600.
Wil. Who is Usain Bolt?
Yes.
Sports Stars for $300, please.
Joel. Who is Tiger Woods?
Yes.
Sport Stars, $1,500.
[ Beep ]
It's the heptathlon.
Joel.
Let's do Computer Science for $1,500.
Here's Matt Amodio again.
This word means a procedure
for solving a computational problem.
It can be simple,
like the steps of long division,
or complicated, like the ones
search engines use to deliver results.
Wil. What is an algorithm?
That's correct.
Gulf Stream, $1,500, please.
Michael. What is Norway?
That's right.
Um, okay. And here's the final clue.
It's Matt.
Able to recognize patterns and help solve problems,
neural networks are designed in imitation
of this roughly 3-pound item.
Wil. What is the brain?
Yes, the human brain.
Whew! It's the end of Triple Jeopardy!
With a spot in the finals
and a chance at the $1 million grand prize at stake,
here is the category that you will all face in Final Jeopardy!
Adventure Novels.
Make your wagers.
We will be back with the clue after this.
[ Applause ]
♪♪
Welcome back.
The category for Final -- Adventure Novels.
Let's take a look at the clue.
You have 30 seconds. Good luck.
♪♪
Let's start with John Michael Higgins,
who I just call Michael. Yes, you do.
What did you write down?
Something that might not be right.
"What are 'The Three Musketeers'?"
That is correct. All right.
And how much did you wager?
Gee...
$5,400.
That brings you to $10,800.
We'll go over to Joel Kim Booster.
Did you come up with "The Three Musketeers"?
Yes, you did, with a little happy face.
And how much did you wager?
$19,000. That gives you $38,600.
Puts you in first place for the moment.
It all comes down to this.
Mr. Wil Wheaton, what did you come up with?
"What are 'The Three Musketeers'?"
How much did you wager?
$10,000. That gives you $42,200. Michael: Oh!
Congratulations. You are our "Jeopardy!" champion,
and you are advancing to the finals. Thank you!
[ Squealing in excitement ]
Well done.
Mayim: Joel and Michael, thank you so much for playing.
It's been an absolute delight.
We will be donating $50,000 to the charities that you chose.
And, Wil, we will see you in the finals.
And we will see you next time with our next batch
of quarterfinalists.
Have a good night.
♪♪
Well done.
Very well done. Oh!
I can't -- literally can't even.
It was a really, really great game.
And getting to see the three of you --
How are you feeling, Wil, besides a little bit speechless?
I am so unbelievably overwhelmed
in absolutely the very best way possible.
It's like you just left the network test
and the phone rings on the way to the car, and they're like,
"You booked it, buddy."
Aww. Come on. For real?
Really wonderful to watch. Really wonderful.
Joel, you had "Three Musketeers."
It was very close.
You were in the lead for a second.
Did you feel like you were gonna be able to pull this out,
or how were you feeling going into Final?
I really -- My goal for this game was to beat my score
in the first -- in the qualifying round
and play a little bit more aggressively
than I did in my first game,
and I accomplished those goals.
So I'm pretty happy with my performance. Wonderful.
And $50,000 for the charity of your choosing... Great.
...is also really a wonderful thing.
How are you feeling, Michael?
Rough seas. [ Laughter ]
Rough seas. I had a lot of buzzer problems.
I knew all the answers, incidentally.
All of them. [ Laughter ]
I was gonna play super aggressive, couldn't get in,
because these very, you know, hale, hearty young men.
They just -- It's just much faster than I remember.
Thank you for calling me young. You're welcome.
Thank you so much. You're welcome.
Rough seas. At least, you know,
I got eventually into a sort of five-digit area,
I think? Didn't I? Mm-hmm.
I think -- I mean, you've got $50,000
going to your charity right now, so that's -- Well, that's the important part.
Absolutely. I've got $50,000, which was the whole point here.
But it was -- it was frustrating.
It was frustrating, but I had a great time.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to do this show. Absolutely.
It's just -- it's an honor.
Well, Wil, you will be up against Ike Barinholtz,
and we will see who else, but really, really exciting,
and we can't wait to see you in the finals.
I can't wait to come back.
[ Applause ]
♪♪
-- Captions by VITAC --