ACTIVE U.S. Marine Tyler Vandenberg has emerged victorious on Friday's Jeopardy! showdown, captivating a sea of mesmerized fans.
Currently stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, Tyler nabbed a last-minute comeback against past winners Yungsheng Wang and Gary Hollis.
The last Champions Wildcard final commenced, worth a grand prize of $100,000 and a coveted spot in the upcoming Tournament of Champions.
Tyler's odds were looking slim with a mere $2,000 as he entered the Double Jeopardy! round.
Bowtie aficionado Yungsheng, a three-time 2022 victor, led had $6,800, while Gary, a Professor's Tournament finalist, had $9,400.
As the buzzer battle raged on, Tyler found himself in a tight spot as he wound up with $8,800, Yungsheng with $16,800, and Gary with $14,600.
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However, Final Jeopardy proved to be his triumphant moment.
The final question, under the category: "THE WILD WEST," read: "In 1888’s 'Ranch Life & The Hunting-Trail,' Teddy Roosevelt wrote his 2 ranch hands were 'able to travel' like this animal."
While Yungsheng and Gary faltered, Tyler nailed it with: "A Bull Moose," catapulting from last place to first with an impressive $17,600.
In 1912, when he failed to secure the Republican nomination, former President Roosevelt formed the Progressive or Bull Moose party and ran on its ticket.
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Roosevelt boasted that he felt strong as a bull moose after losing the Republican nomination.
The clue also referred to a story Roosevelt loved to tell about capturing boat thieves when he was a sheriff in North Dakota.
Yungsheng now holds $8,000, and Gary sits at $6,000, with the final victor to be determined in Monday's episode.
'SOMETHING ABOUT A MAN IN UNIFORM'
Fans couldn't help but go wild over his comeback, gentlemanly demeanor, and undeniable charm.
All this combined with his Marine blues with chest badges, a stark contrast to the typical professorial look on the game show, sent fans into a frenzy.
Reddit users raved: I would be happy with any of these three winning but I was rooting for Tyler a bit more."
Another added: "Gotta give it to Tyler, he earned this one. Was not surprised at all that he had the sole get on that FJ once I saw the clue."
Other fans on Facebook penned: "The perfect marine and so polite!"
And: "Tyler is stoic. But when he flashes that smile, suddenly he melts that stoic demeanor."
A fifth fan wrote: "He has a bit of a young Tom Cruise vibe from 'A Few Good Men.'"
A sixth claimed: "With an unblemished record of staunch heterosexuality, I agree that he’s a very handsome man."
Additional fans wrote: "Tyler = Cutie," and "Handsome young man and smart too."
More fans gushed: "He is in uniform and is conducting himself in a way to honor and respect it. I think he holds himself to a very high standard. He's very likable."
As one more fan summed it up: "This granny thinks he's adorable."
BRAVE MARINE RESUME
Tyler, a graduate of American University hailing from the Washington D.C. area, is a Marine intelligence officer.
He previously served as a 1802 tank officer and First Lieutenant.
He was also previously stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, according to the Naval Institute, when he got an unexpected assignment.
The former two-time champion told guest host George Stephanopoulos in 2020 that volunteered as a firefighter during that year's devastating wildfires in California.
He shared: “Back in the summer of [2020], the fires were getting pretty bad. Fire season has been worse every year.
"I had all this training. I was down in the Marine Corps Reserves and I wasn’t doing too much with my time meaningful at that point, besides drilling.”
"So I volunteered with the state of California to go up to the north state and be a firefighter. I got accepted, I got into the program, I got a barracks I got a team."
Despite being called for military training 48 hours into his firefighting commitment, Tyler's dedication to duty shone through.
“I went all the way up there, I started my training, and 48 hours later, I get a call from the military. They say, ‘We need you to go to training. Come down off the mountain.’”
Stephanopoulos responded by declaring: “Duty calls!”
WILDLY LONG CHAMPIONS WILDCARD
Hosted by Ken Jennings, Champions Wildcard features past players from Season 37 or Season 38 getting a second shot at glory.
As Season 40 faced retools due to Hollywood strikes, Jeopardy! has relied on placeholder programming, dividing fans who want new contestants (and new questions) back.
Jeopardy! enthusiasts have expressed mixed feelings about the prolonged tournament - which began in September - on social media.
One fan wrote on Instagram: "Can’t be the only one that thinks it’s ridiculous we are getting all these tournaments just to be followed by a Tournament of Champions."
Another commented: "Can we get back to regular Jeopardy now?" and a third questioned: "When do the regular games return?"
The fatigue became evident as a third fan exclaimed: "The tournament is still going?!?"
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS APPROACHES
Thankfully, the wait is almost over, as the eagerly awaited 2023 Tournament of Champions season will finally kick off on December 19.
The first precursor event is the Season 39 Second Chance Tournament (for last year's most snubbed non-winners), with its full lineup announced earlier this week.
After Season 39 Second Chance and a brief Season 39 Wildcard, the Tournament of Champions will likely air in February and will have more contenders than ever before.
In a major twist, all three-time champions from Season 39 received invitations to the annual tournament last week via their local news stations.
The lineup will now include the infamous Yogesh Raut, Jake DeArruda, and more in an unprecedented move (the tournament is usually for four-day-plus winners).
The $250,000 annual event for winners from the previous season will also feature notable super-champions such as Cris Pannullo (21 wins) and Ray Lalonde (13 wins).
Fan favorites Ben Chan, Hannah Wilson, and Celebrity Jeopardy! winner Ike Barinholtz is also set to compete.
Twenty-seven overall slots (including the four winners of the now-airing Wildcard) would make the Season 39 ToC the largest contestant field ever.
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The winner of the ToC joins a short list of legends that includes Amy Schneider and James Holzhauer.
The winner will also jump right into the next Jeopardy! Masters in May, so a fast track to fortune and perhaps even TV fame are at stake.
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