“Jeopardy!” fans are pointing fingers at the show’s writers for a “lazy” category that left all three contestants stumped during Monday’s episode, sparking calls for change from viewers.
The controversial category, “Jeoportmanteau!” has been a recurring feature on the show, tasking contestants with merging two words in sound and meaning to form a single word, known as a portmanteau. During the May 12, 2025, episode, none of the contestants managed to answer any of the five clues correctly.
One viewer suggested retiring “Jeoportmanteau!” permanently, labeling it as poorly designed.
The episode featured returning champion Kara Peruccio, a university professor from Bangor, Maine, who had previously won $12,400. She faced off against Rachel Hall, a data analyst from Washington, D.C., and Andrew Jones, a graduate student from Queens, New York.
The game began with Kara finding the first Daily Double but losing $1,000 after an incorrect response. By the end of the “Jeopardy!” round, Peruccio led with $3,200, Jones had $2,400, and Hall followed with $400.
In the “Double Jeopardy!” round, categories included: “Ancient Persia,” “It Ain’t Shakespeare,” “Suburban Legend,” “We’ve Got Rights,” “Movie & Song, Same Title,” and “Jeoportmanteau!”
Hall chose the $400 clue in “Jeoportmanteau!”: A mental survey of the past that follows ‘in’ + old-timey term for eyeglasses.” The correct response was “retrospectacles,” but none of the contestants got it right.
The $800 clue read: “Blushing dwarf of Snow White fame + point about which a lever rests.” The answer was “Bashfulcrum,” which stumped all three contestants. This pattern persisted with the remaining clues.
The $1,600 clue — “Twin-hulled boat + spoiled or putrid” — required the response “Catamarancid.” The final $2,000 clue, “To urge passionately + the science of growing plants,” had the answer “exhorticulture.”
“Tough category,” host Ken Jennings remarked afterward.
A Reddit user questioned if the writers hold accountability meetings after creating challenging categories or if they move on without addressing issues in their cleverness.
Another Reddit commenter added that when contestants miss all clues in a category, the responsibility lies with the writers for prioritizing cleverness over accessibility.
Audience members present during the show’s taping confirmed the category’s difficulty, with one in the green room noting that everyone struggled with the “Jeoportmanteau!” clues.
The “Jeopardy!” Fan website offered a different perspective, highlighting that “Jeoportmanteau!” has appeared a dozen times since 2004 and arguing that contestants’ poor performance does not invalidate the category.
The site further defended wordplay as a crucial element of “Jeopardy!,” similar to sports categories, while acknowledging its preparation challenge since it cannot be easily memorized from archives. They noted that only a vocal minority seeks to eliminate the wordplay format.
Beyond the wordplay category, one fan noted the game’s overall difficulty with numerous unexpected instances where all contestants missed answers and several avoidable mistakes.
By the end of the “Double Jeopardy!” round, Hall and Jones were tied with $5,600 each, while Peruccio had $400.
The “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Texas Technology,” with a clue asking contestants to name a person who, at age 27 in 1992, became the youngest CEO when his company joined the Fortune 500. None correctly identified Michael Dell.
Jones answered “Who is Mark Cuban?” and wagered $0, finishing with $5,600. Hall guessed “Sergei Brin,” wagering $5,100 to end with $500. Peruccio didn’t respond, wagered nothing, and finished with $400.
Some fans raised concerns about recently hired writer Buzzy Cohen. “I hope Buzzy Cohen wasn’t involved in this. If so, things are off to a rocky start,” one viewer commented.
According to Screenrant, a Reddit user named “tfl03” described it as “one of the sloppiest games of all time,” while RasputinsAssassins criticized the show for being “overly cute” with wordplay and using “excessively long titles that make it difficult to figure out what is being asked.”
Despite the criticisms, Jones won the game and returned as the new champion for Tuesday’s episode.
