JEOPARDY! contestant Jackson Jones has opened up about why his win on Friday's High School Reunion Tournament episode meant more than meets the eye.
He got to beat his former foe Avi Gupta, whom he lost to in 2019 via an "incredibly painful" tiebreaker.
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Mayim, 47, is hosting the 14-episodeHigh School Reunion Tournamentfeaturing 27 former Teen Tournament contestants who first duked it out in2018 and 2019.
The Vanderbilt University junior's semi-finals win means he'll advance and will be joined by the two other top students in the finals this week.
The eventual winner will get $100,000 and a slot in the2023 Tournament of Champions.
The poetic justice of Jackson's rematch victory was not lost on him - it was as close to "redemption" as Jeopardy! gets.
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'I DIDN'T THINK I'D GET REDEMPTION'
On Monday's podcast Inside Jeopardy!, longtime producer Sarah Foss interviewed Jackson after finally beating Avi.
Jackson originally lost to Avi in the 2019 Teen Tournament in an extremely rare tiebreaker.
Avi went on to become the 2019 Teen Tournament winner by winning the finals.
Producer Foss brought up what happened in 2019 and said: "They had a tiebreaker, and that is just such a tough way to lose.
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"Avi had beaten Jackson in that tiebreaker many years ago, but this was Jackson's day.
"He was brought to tears, and was very emotional when he [Jackson] got that win."
Jackson shared on the podcast: "The way I lost last time in a tiebreaker that is on the internet for everyone to see was incredibly painful."
He also revealed that before getting contacted for the never-before-done new tournament: "I so desperately wanted some sort of redemption and I didn't think I'd ever get it."
Producer Foss replied: "Redemption with a runaway [win]! that had to feel pretty good."
Jackson gushed: "Yes it did. It was a really good feeling."
WILD WAY TO GO DOWN
In 2019, in their first semi-finals faceoff as teenagers, Jackson and Avi both had the same scores before and after Final Jeopardy, they both wagered everything; $19600.
They wound up with $39.2K a piece in a wild sight, and Alex Trebek announced: "Jackson, Avi pick up your signaling devices."
"The first one to ring in with the correct response will be a finalist."
A tiebreaker entails the two remaining contestants answering a bonus clue; and whoever buzzes in correctly first wins.
Alex read: "Types of it you could find in Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773 include souchong and bohea."
Avi [seen above] buzzed in near immediately with "tea" and Jackson looked distraught as if he knew the answer as well.
He could be seen clicking the device to no avail and tossing up his hands in helplessness.
THE SECOND TIME'S THE CHARM
Jackson trounced Avi in Friday's rematch four years later in the exact same round; the semi-finals.
He picked up such a solid lead that when he landed on the last Daily Double of Friday's game - he had $19K and some fun with it.
He told Mayim: “I’ve always wanted to say this…” as the crowd paused in anticipation.
Gasps and "No's" could be heard as it seemed people were worried he was going to bet the farm.
"$200," he announced after quite thepause, and theactressdoubled over at her podium and the audience just lost it as well.
Jackson was correct, and by the end of Double Jeopardy, he had a runaway victory so Final Jeopardy wasn't something he had to fight for - he was near tears and declared as advancing this time around.
One fan tweeted: "Amazing semifinal win for Jackson Jones at the #jeopardy HSRT! The kid was so emotional.
My heart broke for him when Avi was quicker on the buzzer on the tie-breaking clue in the 2019 Teen Tournament semi."
Another posted: "I tend to not root for or against any one player - but remembering Jackson’s heartbreaking loss on a 1 question tiebreaker to Avi, who eventually won the tournament that year…
Well, let’s say Jackson’s my sentimental favorite going in."
CLASS IS IN SESSION
The other semi-finalists of Mayim's tournament will begin duking it out on Monday to join Jackson in the finals.
They areCaleb Richmond- who had a huge first outing in his quarterfinals game -Tim Cho, 2018 Teen Tournament winnerClaire Sattler,Stephanie Pierson,Justin Bolsen, andMaya Wright.
There will be two more semi-finals until four of the remaining students are dismissed, then there will be a two-day total point affair finals ending on March 9th.
Thehosting schedule for the rest of the seasonwas recently also announced the show'spodcast.
KenJennings, 48, will be back after Mayim'sthree-week tournament, but not for very long.
"Ken Jennings will be back on March 10th and then he will continue the rest of his syndicated run which will take us through April 28th.
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"Then Mayim will take over on May 1st and she’ll take us all the way through the summer."
Ken-leaning fans are excited he'll be back for a month and change but after May 1st, we won't see him on the regular game show until Season 40, or September 2023.
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