[The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Monday, June 2, episode of Jeopardy!]
While the Jeopardy! contestants were focused on the game and getting answers right, the fans were swooning over one of the contestants. He was on his third game and fans noticed his good looks since game one.
Geoff Barnes, from Washington D.C., had a two-day total of $38,401. He returned for this third game on Monday, June 2, against Abbi Klein, from Brooklyn, New York, and Kyle Rahe, from Houston, Texas. Fans might have the chance to see him on TV again after Jeopardy! as the analyst revealed in his first game that he has a dream of being on The Great British Bake Off.
“Geoff Barnes is looking to get his third win,” host Ken Jennings said. “On a date that I’m told I got my 21st win here on Jeopardy! Perhaps that’s a good omen for Kyle and Abby going for their first win!”
The game started off pretty even for Barnes and Rahe, a restaurant server. Klein, a psychotherapist, answered questions, but not enough to catch up to the men.
Barnes found the first Daily Double of the game. With $2,800 in his bank, he wagered $2,000. In “Connect 4,” the clue read, “Julian, Dinaric, Bavarian, Maritime.” Barnes hesitated before answering, “What are calendars?” The correct answer was the Alps. He dropped down to $800 in a tie for second place, with Rahe in first with $2,200.
However, fans who think they might have a chance with Barnes got their dreams crushed when he talked about his wife during the interviews. When he met her friends, they bared their teeth in a “universal sign of aggression” because she told them that Barnes was shy and not to scare him.
Rahe dominated the round as he ended in first place with $5,600 after running the category “The Celeb’s Dining Establishment.” Klein had $1,600, and Barnes had $1,800.
In Double Jeopardy, Rahe found the first DD. He was in first with $6,400 and wagered $2,000. In “Arts & Artists,” the clue read, “One of her favorite views to paint was Pedernal Mountain & she had her ashes scattered on it after she died.” “Who is Georgia O’Keefe?” he answered correctly, bringing him to $8,400.
Four clues later, he found the second Daily Double of the round. With $8,800 in his bank, Rahe wagered $4,000 this time. In “Uncanny Valley,” the clue read, “Pharaohs of the 18th, 19th & 20th Dynasties rest royally among about 60 known tombs in this area west of the Nile.” “What is the Great Rift Valley?” he answered. That was wrong, and he dropped down to $4,800. The correct answer was The Valley of the Kings, which ironically was an answer two clues later and was correctly answered by Barnes. This made it a tighter game for everyone.
The rest of the game was a race for first between Barnes and Rahe. Four clues were left unanswered. Rahe had $5,200. Barnes had $4,200. Klein was unable to participate in Final Jeopardy as she had -$400.
In “Science Fiction,” the clue was, “Referring to what’s wrongly believed to be a meteorite, ‘The Falling Star’ is the title of Chapter 2 of this 1898 novel.” Rahe answered, “What is The Time Machine?” That was wrong, and he dropped down to $1,999 after wagering $3,201. Barnes correctly answered, “What is War of the Worlds?” He wagered $2,200 and ended with $6,400. This made Barnes a three-day Jeopardy! champion with total winnings of $44,801. He will be back on Tuesday to face off against two new opponents.
Although it was a close game, fans just cared about how dreamy Barnes was.
“Geoff is so cool,” a Reddit user wrote, alongside an emoji of a woman kneeling and a heart emoji.
“Geoff is ‘A Fallen Star’ that’s landed on my heart,” said another.
“He’s smart and gorgeous. So happy he won,” an Instagram user said.
“He’s so handsome and smart! Glad he won! Go Geoff!” said another.
“The camera does love him,” wrote a fan.
“I really enjoy Geoff so i’m glad he won today’s game, but man that was a tough one to watch,” said one fan.