JEOPARDY! has bent the knee to Taylor Swift, devoting not just one category but an entire round to the chart-topping singer.
Wednesday's Champions Wildcard match saw Lloyd Sy dominate the buzzer and the game, while Taylor's takeover divided social media.
Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings presented the all-out Taylor tribute
Literature professor Lloyd from Rockford, Illinois, faced Marketing manager Kelly Barry from Seattle, Washington, and development director Dillon Hupp from Syracuse, New York.
The Wildcard tournament sees brief Season 39 champions seeking redemption, a $100,000 prize, and a coveted spot in the upcoming Tournament of Champions.
However, when the Jeopardy! round was unveiled, Taylor swiftly stole the show as the categories read: "Love Story," Our Song," Bad Blood," "Shake It Off," "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," and "The Errors Tour."
The internet erupted in a frenzy over the unapologetic Taylor tribute, with some bothered because only a few clues were directly related to Taylor.
'TAYLOR BANDWAGON'
One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "All of today's jeopardy categories are Taylor Swift songs," with a skull emoji.
Another wrote: "For me it's the way swifties would absolutely slay these taylor swift related categories on jeopardy."
A third wrote: "Not sure what I think of Jeopardy jumping on the Taylor Swift bandwagon."
A fourth wrote: "Jeopardy starting with an all Taylor Swift theme board. The NFL and now this. we are being indoctrinated right under our noses. #jeopardy."
A fifth pointed out: "Unfortunately, the questions/answers are not Taylor-related."
A sixth wrote: "Not the Taylor Swift Jeopardy Categories."
A seven questioned: "Why are all of today's #Jeopardy category names riffs on Taylor Swift songs?"
An additional fan rejoiced: "All of the jeopardy categories being Taylor-themed made my day."
In December, Celebrity Jeopardy! had a full category, clues and all, dedicated to Travis Kelce's gal called "Also A Taylor Swift Song,"
Swifties were furious when the A-listers avoided the category until the end and got most of them wrong.
Meanwhile, hardcore fans may recall Lloyd infamously ending the gentlemanly Ray Lalonde’s 13-day streak last year, and his return became a two-way match.
Lloyd faced an early setback with a missed True Daily Double. Undeterred, he reclaimed the lead with $6200 by the end of the Jeopardy! round, leaving Kelly at $4000 and Dillon at $1600.
Entering Double Jeopardy!, Lloyd and Dillon uncovered the remaining Daily Doubles. However, Lloyd's masterful buzzer skills, showcased as he reached into the air with the signaling device, paid off handsomely.
Commanding 16 correct responses in the (non-Taylor) Double Jeopardy! round, he appeared poised for a runaway or uncatchable lead.
Dillon, displaying occasional annoyance and side-eyeing his formidable opponent, was determined not to let Lloyd off that easy, and answered the last two clues correctly.
Making sure Lloyd didn't nab the runaway elicited nervous giggles between the two and even from Ken Jennings.
With scores going into Final Jeopardy!, Lloyd held a staggering $25,200, Dillon trailed with $13,000, and Kelly brought up the rear with $2,400.
The Final Jeopardy clue, referencing the 1983 movie "Scarface," stumped everyone. Lloyd, emerging victorious with a hair flip to boot, secured a spot as a semifinalist with $24,399.
One fan wrote on Reddit: "I will never forgive Lloyd for beating Ray Lalonde but his buzzer game is just so strong. I think even Dillion's pretty annoyed by it haha."
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS INCOMING
The month-long Wildcard clash, divided into two groups, is worth the final two slots in the 2024 ToC, finally premiering on February 23.
After an upended Season 40 of Jeopardy! that's consisted of seemingly endless "Wildcards" and Second Chances" (some due to the WGA strike); the $250,000 winners' tournament will be one for the books.
Fans are in for the return of 21-day winner Cris Pannullo, the pro poker player who amassed the fifth regular play earnings in history ($748K) last fall.
The second seed is Canadian TV set designer Ray (who went a stunning 12/14 on Final Jeopardy).
Then there's Ben Chan, the fan-favorite who won all nine of his victories in runaways until that controversial Benedict Final Jeopardy ruling.
There's also eight-day champ Hannah Wilson, whose run was ended by none other than Ben Chan due to a co-returning-champions rarity match caused by the latter falling ill mid-streak.
And then came the surprises, like all three-day winners - including Yogesh Raut, who blasted Jeopardy! as "unimportant" on Facebook after losing - getting an invite.
Counting last year's Celebrity Jeopardy! winner Ike Barenholtz, there will be 27 competitors in total.Since champs like Ben and Hannah lost in such hotly-contested ways, it's truly anyone's game.
Plus, the 2024 ToC boasts the largest contestant field ever, as it's usually just 15 slots - so major upsets are very likely.
