The Final Jeopardy question (1/16/2012) in the category “English Monarchs” was:

Since 1066, the longest consecutive period when the monarch had the same name was 116 years with this given name.

New Jersey’s two-day champ Brandon Lilly returned today after being the only contestant to get Final Jeopardy right two days in a row last week. So far he’s collected $31,600. Here are today’s challengers: Mike Hatch from Gainesville, Ga. and Betsy Schroeder from Blackburg, Va. Here’s how they all made out today:

After the first break, Mike got penalized by $1,600 for adding an “s” to his Slow Hand response to an Eric Clapton clue and Brandon got dinged for $400 for leaving out a syllable in “trapezius” in that off-the-wall Dr. Masseuse Rhymes category.

Betsy finished the round in the lead with $7,600. Brandon was second with $1,800 and Mike was last with $1,200. The round ended with two clues left on the board and one of them was the Daily Double left uncovered, we believe, because of those long Dr. Masseuse clues. Aarghhh!

In Double Jeopardy, Mike got the first Daily Double in “_____ the _____.” He had $2,000 and bet $1,500. He was RIGHT.

To sternly demand hard work, it’s also something Indiana Jones often does. show

WHAT IS CRACK THE WHIP

Betsy got the last Daily Double in “The Green Pages.” She had a helluva lead going on with $13,200, over 10 grand more than the guys. She wagered $2,000 and said it was a dolphin. That was WRONG.

Victor Scheffer’s “The Year of” this mammal is a 1969 classic study on the conservation of an ocean species.” show

WHAT IS THE WHALE

Thanks to a whole bunch of ill-advised guessing, Betsy finished in the lead but only with $9,200, less than she had even after she lost that Daily Double. Mike had a mere $1,100 and Brandon was last with a measly $1,000 (although that was better than being in the hole).

TWO contestants got the Final Jeopardy question right. Over here, the first names that came to mind were Henry and George, and the second thing was “is this a trick question,” and the third thing was “I’m Henry the Eighth I Am.”

WHAT IS GEORGE?

Now for some names, dates and a royal house: In the House of Hanover, George I ruled from 1714 to 1727. He was succeeded by George II who ruled from 1727-1760. George III ruled from to 1760 to 1820, and George IV reigned for the next 10 years  So the George reign went from 1714-1830, and they are all listed under British monarchs in wikipedia, not English monarchs.

Brandon picked Henry, bet it all and ended up with zero.

Mike got it right and bet $550 ending up with $1,650.

Betsy initially wrote down William, crossed it off and put George. She bet $3,000 and won the game with $12,200.

Congrats to Betsy. She was, for the most part, an “I mean business player” today so maybe tomorrow she’ll cool it with the guesses and maybe they won’t have a category with clues so long that we lose a Daily Double!