KEN Jennings has wasted little time getting re-acclimated to the Jeopardy! podium.
The host, who returned Monday to replace Mayim Bialik, got snippy with the returning champion.
Heading into the week, champ Ilena Del Toro was back to defend her surprise victory.
But Elliott Kim, a television editor from Los Angeles, California, gave her a literal run for her money.
Maybe being so far behind for so much of the game got to Ilena, as when she made a simple mathematical mistake, Ken, 49, took the chance to sarcastically snap at her.
Under the category No Cap in Double Jeopardy!, the top line, $400 clue was: "There's no upper age limit for U.S. President; Some want one set at this age that Joe Biden blew past in 2012."
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The year 2012, more than a decade ago, was the key to the question. President Biden right now is 80 years old, so the correct response, when considering 2012, would be 70.
However Ilena guessed: "What is 80."
"No I'm sorry," Ken snarkily shot back with a smirk. "The president's not in his early 90's yet."
Ken then gave the correct response: "What is 70."
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STAR TREBEK
In a Reddit chat room, fans felt sympathy for the incorrect response.
"I think Ilena momentarily forgot the 'in 2012' part of the clue,
one person commented. "But Ken's snarky response made me chuckle."
Another defended: "Being in the top box, anyone's first response when they see 'age limit' + Biden will be 80. I had to rewind to see the writers had snuck that '2012' in there."
"I loved that. Felt very Trebekish, in a genuine way. Chiding contestants for making mistakes without being cruel is a tough balance to strike, and Ken's finding it," one said referring to late host Alex Trebek.
In the end, it didn't matter, as Elliot entered Final Jeopardy! with an insurmountable lead of $27,200.
Second place Sarah Daily had $4,000 while champ Ilena was doomed with just $3,200.
No one had the correct answer for Final Jeopardy!, and Elliot ended up taking the crown with a total of $24,000.
WELCOME BACK
Meanwhile, fans were happy to find Ken back as host, replacing Mayim for the end of the current season.
"Finally we can watch again!" one person remarked. " I know the host shouldn't matter so much, but Mayim really does make the show unwatchable."
Another added: "I don’t dislike Mayim, but I enjoy watching so much more with Ken hosting. He’s just objectively better at it in every aspect."
While a third bashed: "She is getting on my nerves more and more. She's probably talented for certain things, but definitely she is awful as host of Jeopardy with all her mimics, wiggles and bad timing.
"No improvement….she is a lost cause."
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced on May 1 that it was going on strike after weeks of talks with Netflix, Amazon, Sony (Jeopardy!'s parent company) and more - fell through.
Picket lines assembled the following day as writers protested over their contracts and pay.
Mayim bowed out of hosting the last week of Jeopardy!'s current season in a show of solidarity, which Jeopardy!'s decade-long writers thanked her for on Twitter.
Writer Mark Gaberman wrote: "Mayim, This means more to us than we could ever say. Thank you so much. #WGAstrong."
Longtime writers Billy Wisse and Michelle Loud, striking as well, also recently told Variety: “Our words are on the screen every night.”
“There is no ‘Jeopardy’ without writers. Without us it’s just an empty blue screen.”
Jeopardy! features a small staff of WGA writers, and the clues were theoretically also written well in advance of the strike.
Ken was supposed to be off the board until the next season begins in September- and Ken has been criticized on social media for returning to the set as a result.
PICKING A SCAB
In May, just after the strike began, Ken sent out an ill-timed promotional tweet for a trivia book he wrote.
The game show millionaire also shared the cover of his new trivia book under the tweet, while prompting his near-500,000 followers to buy it.
The tweet wasn't received well by many fans, who called Ken a scab for stepping back in during the strike.
One person replied at the time: "You’re a writer? Interesting."
Another wrote: "Oh man. You should have waited until AFTER it came out to scab. Literally turned thousands of potential readers like me onto someone unable to support it."
More than a month later, Ken finally defended the controversial move, insisting that the show's episodes were "already locked."
He tried to diffuse the bitterness, complementing the picketers to the Desert News: “You would not believe the work our amazing writers do, and they’re Emmy Award-winning.
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"We cannot wait for the strike to be resolved so we can get our writers back.
"We’re just hoping the writers get the fair deal they deserve [and] we can get back in time to the fall.”
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