Jeopardy! recap for Wed., Jul. 1

 Here are today's contestants:

- Ben Crockett, a director of data analytics originally from Laurel, Washington;

- Robyn Masella, a victim advocate from Corvallis, Oregon; and

- Richard Nguyen, a research attorney from Placentia, California. Richard is a one-day champ with winnings of $20,801.

Jeopardy!

AN OPERATIC DEMISE // INTERNAL RHYME WORDS // DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE! // ENDS IN "Z" // MONEY // DOESN'T GROW ON TREES

DD1 - $800 - AN OPERATIC DEMISE - In a Verdi opera, Radamès is condemned to be buried alive, & this heroine joins him in the tomb (Richard added $3,000.)

Scores at first break: Richard $4,000, Robyn -$600, Ben $800.

Scores entering DJ: Richard $8,400, Robyn -$600, Ben $2,200.

Double Jeopardy!

EPISTOLARY NOVELS // WORD ORIGINS // SCIENCE // FILM & TV CAMEOS // CENTRAL AMERICA // BOXES FULL OF BOXES

DD2 - $1,600 - WORD ORIGINS - This word first appeared on 16th century Dutch maps has the name of a whirlpool in the Arctic Ocean (With $600, Robyn lost $2,000.)

DD3 - $2,000 - FILM & TV CAMEOS - Martin Scorsese directed this De Niro film & makes a creepy cameo as a disturbed passenger plotting to harm his wife (On the next clue after DD2, Robyn again lost $2,000.)

Robyn quickly found both DDs in DJ and missed them, while Richard stayed in comfortable control into FJ at $18,000 vs. $3,800 for Ben. Robyn wound up in the red at -$1,400.

Final Jeopardy!

NAMES IN ENTERTAINMENT - Among his numerous accolades are 3 Tonys, 3 Emmys, 5 Grammys & a 2016 Pulitzer Prize

Only Ben was correct on FJ. Richard dropped $2,000 to win with $16,000 for a two-day total of $36,801.

Final scores: Richard $16,000, Robyn -$1,400, Ben $6,000.

Judging the writers: For a clue about soccer, there was a reference to "a certain TV show", making it seem like even the writers are acknowledging the excessive number of times they've mentioned "Ted Lasso".

Correct Qs: DD1 - Who is Aida? DD2 - What is maelstrom? DD3 - What is "Taxi Driver"? FJ - Who is Lin-Manuel Miranda?