A Hingham Visit from Rosie, Mommy, and Daddy—the “Jeopardy!” Champ

May 15, 2020 by Roy Harris (Roy Harris, a longtime Wall Street Journal reporter and editor in The Economist organization, moved to Hingham from Los Angeles in 1996.)

What happens when two monumental events—one a global disaster and the other a family joy—sweep through a Hingham couple’s routine at the same time? In the World’s End neighborhood where we live, my wife Eileen McIntyre and I have been finding out.

Like so many Hinghamites, we’re basically sequestered at home, weathering that global event: the terrifying and disruptive global coronavirus pandemic. Being semi-retired, we’ve both seen the face-to-face pleasure of our work projects and social connections turn sadly virtual. (We’ve had our share of plans blow up, too, including an exciting Broadway weekend, cancelled last month when all the shows went dark.)

Meanwhile, that other event—the family one—has been filled with delights. For months now we’ve been sharing in the “Jeopardy!” adventures of Eileen’s son Jesse Laymon. His selection to be on the nationally televised weeknight game show, hosted by Alex Trebek, was a lifelong dream for him. Competing took him, in pre-lockdown days, on a trip from his New York City home to Los Angeles.

The way Jeopardy! works, Jesse’s appearance was taped in February, but not set for airing until April 30. The details of his show—including who had won—were to remain secret before broadcast. But, of course, a huge buzz arose among our extended family—a buzz that became a roar when Jesse won, to become Jeopardy! champion.

When the next show aired, on Friday, May 1, Jesse won again. And since then, his reign as champ has been extended due to an interruption in the show’s normal run: the last two weeks of all-star competitions among former all-time winners. Jesse’s next appearance, then, will be Monday (May 18^th) —locally at 7:30 p.m. on Boston’s channel 4.

As it happens, Jesse, his wife Vicki, and 17-month-old daughter Rosie, now are “double-bubbling” with us, as the Canadians call the combination of two families under one roof these days. So the four grown-ups look forward to viewing Monday’s show together, after Rosie’s been put to bed.

These times make the visit special and strange. Our long, twice-daily walks are introducing little Rosie to the wonders of our neighborhood on the edge of the World’s End reservation—which like so many places has been closed to the public of late. As she rapidly picks up new words like squirrel and chipmunk, she’s especially drawn to our wealth of avian life, from cardinals to hawks to geese—and the promise of hearing the “who” of her favorite: an owl. Just as thrilling are encounters with the dogs (“woof-woofs” to her) that our friends walk each day.

Indoors, while Daddy and Mommy work, Rosie gets time with grandma Eileen (“Marmee” to Rosie) and me (I’m “Paw-Paw.) When she’s not book-reading or game-playing, Rosie gleeful joins Paw-Paw for her first piano “lessons.”

As we await the next Jeopardy! contest, Eileen and I reflect on an interesting quirk that Jesse was a part of. The episode airing May 1 was the last one taped in front of a live audience. (Multiple shows are taped each day.) When Jesse had to fly back from New York for his second title defense—the one set to air Monday—the pandemic had led Jeopardy! to begin recording in front of an empty studio.

How did it feel for Jesse to be competing in front of only cameras? “My main thought,” he tells Eileen and me, “was how not having an audience might reduce the edge that I would have, as the returning champion.” Perhaps, he says, “a first-time contestant might feel less challenged without crowd pressure.” (When it comes to the show, it seems, for Jesse everything is a calculation.)

When the topic of his television experience is raised, Jesse seems barely able to contain his excitement. He loves talking about the show’s details—though it’s a level of joy far below that when, say, Rosie sees a cardinal at our feeder and says, “Bird!”

As we watched one of the “non-Jesse” contests together this week, I marveled at his skills. A whiz at geography and history, he excels, too, in matters of science, and even some trivia. His range is amazing. Between us it’s no contest; even in areas I consider my long-suits—like classical music—his ability to respond quickly helps him beat me to the punch. (As we watched this week, contestants were asked the more-common name for Beethoven’s Third Symphony. “Eroica,” he answers in a flash, while I’m still counting on my fingers.) He’s also a keen student of proper betting strategies, which have helped him accumulate more than $40,000 in winnings.

Underneath it all, the nervousness still can show on Jesse’s face. How could it not, with so many skilled contestants from around the U.S. raising their hands to compete with the champ?

But for sure, whatever happens on next week’s show, his double-bubbling time in Hingham serves as assurance that he, Vicki and Rosie always have a second home: here near World’s End, where all of them are winners.

For now, I’ll go back to playing with Rosie, who’s unfolding little coffee-table napkins and saying a word she just seems to have picked up: “mask.”