Jeopardy! champ makes impressive comeback after being in last place nearly missing his two-game winning streak

The game didn’t appear to go Jonathan’s way in the beginning

RETURNING Jeopardy! contestant Jonathan Hugendubler has wowed viewers with an incredible comeback after a rough start during Monday night’s episode.

The Baltimore, Maryland, native almost ended his run on the game show before clinching an impressive lead.

September 8 marked the Season 42 premiere of Jeopardy! following an over a month-long summer break.

The show picked up where it left off with the Season 41 finale winner, Jonathan, returning to the podium.

He battled Caroline Paul, a Human Resources Specialist from Washington, D.C., and Josh Jackson, an urban planner from Pasadena, California.

Jonathan might’ve had a leg-up against his opponents, considering he moonlights as a host of trivia nights at a local pub at home.

The music professor didn’t disappoint and pulled out a $40,000 win after securing a considerable lead in the latter half of the game.

ROUGH START

However, Jonathan didn’t appear to be a frontrunner in the beginning, as Caroline and Josh steamrolled ahead.

The pair were neck-and-neck for much of the game, and Jonathan struggled to gain momentum ahead of them.

But he eventually broke through on Daily Double 2 and continued to soar forward after that, cruising into Final Jeopardy with $29,800 – a significant difference from Caroline’s $7,200 and Josh’s $5,200.

Jonathan took another gamble with his whopping $10,000 Final Jeopardy! wager and nabbed the victory, marking his second win on the game show.

Host Ken Jennings acted shocked by Jonathan’s confident final wager and then excited for the two-time champ to return next week.

Fans were also dazzled by Jonathan’s bold wagers and swift comeback, applauding the game show whiz on social media.

“Fantastic game! Those were some ballsy wagers from Jonathan too, love to see it! He was on top of his game today and you could tell,” one person wrote on a popular Jeopardy! thread.

“Is Jonathon going to be the next five-day champ?” another wondered.

“Ok, Jonathan knows his stuff,” a third said.

Jeopardy! Set Secrets

Jeopardy! fans don’t see everything behind the scenes from watching on TV. These hidden set features make the show run smoothly:

Each podium has a hidden riser so that all contestants appear to be the same height.
After each clue is read, signal lights go off around the game board, indicating players can buzz in and respond.
Buzz in too early, and you’re locked out for .25 seconds.
The podiums have a small white light in the lower left corner, which tells Ken Jennings who goes next.
Contrary to popular belief, the player with control doesn’t have a buzzer advantage on the next clue.
To the game board’s left is a scoreboard so the players can see their opponents’ scores.
All contestants must bring three outfits to the studio, but only the host and returning champion change for the next episode.
There are wardrobe rules, including restrictions on busy patterns, solid white, purple (like the background), and logos.
Five episodes are taped in a single day, and sometimes more.
The categories, players (aside from the returning champion), and Final Jeopardy! for a tape day are all drawn randomly to ensure fairness.
Female contestants are asked not to wear makeup, which is applied backstage, and don’t wear mascara because of sweat.
Contestants fill out a questionnaire, and producers select five Q&A topics for the host.
Host Ken isn’t allowed to interact with the contestants until after the game.
Players can request to sit in a chair while competing without question.

“Great way to start the new season!” a fourth added.

Jonathan ended his first appearance on the show with $23,601 in winnings.

He’ll face off against two new opponents during Tuesday’s episode, vying to secure his third-straight win.

This season is the first that Jeopardy! will stream the next day on Hulu and Peacock, giving fans another chance to tune in.