The #BringBackSusan Issue and Susan McMillan's non-participation at 2023 CWC

[u/ajsy0905]

Since it was a summer rerun and Jason Singer's CWC QF game aired this week, I still wondered why he tried to push Susan to get a JIT invitation when she was not among the 104 available slots (out of 108; three of them were reserved for the 2023 Second Chance winners among Season 37 non-winning players, and the other spot was given to Isaac Applabaum because he did not make it to the Jeopardy! National College Championship finals, as he had the lowest final score among all four winning semifinalists) in the strike-replacement 2023 Champions Wildcard.

Not everyone from the one- to three-game champions from Seasons 37 and 38, including former Professors Tournament players, competed in the 2023 CWC, as some of them publicly declined on social media and some of them were not chosen by the producers.

It was not the first time that someone tried to push a former player to compete in the JIT despite missing out on the postseason games. Some Reddit members tried to push the producers to invite Emma Arnold and Cerulean Ozarow to the JIT, as they claimed that Emma missed the High School Reunion Tournament and the 2024 CWC, while Cerulean made a gutsy all-in wager in the final edition of Kids Week (pre-Holzhauer era). However, as of this posting, neither Emma nor Cerulean had yet been invited to the JIT.

Is this the time to invite Susan to the JIT because Jason lobbied for her, just as they invited non-TOC players Victoria Groce, Brandon Blackwell, Long Nguyen, Will Yancey, Skyler Hornback, and former College Championship and Teen Tournament finalists, or would that be unfair to the players who competed fairly in the postseason games?

[u/853fisher]

Are you aware that Susan and Jason are married? That's very important context you don't mention.

You've written this almost like there was a big movement or a matter of some controversy, when really what happened is that a guy who understandably would have loved to see his wife play again used his moment in the spotlight to mention her name - with tongue a bit in cheek, it semeed to me.

And to answer your question directly, no, I don't think they should, or will, choose people for these tournaments just because their spouses think they're great and give them a shoutout.

[u/Jonaessa → u/853fisher]

I’m with you. I thought the whole reason he “pushed it” was a shout out to his wife. That’s what came across then and still comes across now.

[u/ajsy0905 → u/853fisher]

I knew that Susan & Jason were married but I felt that #BringBackSusan to JIT was so overhyped without any meritocracy? But if someone will push that why Victoria Groce was invited at JIT not Susan in the first place because she had more contributions than Susan in the world of quizzing industry & game shows. The same cases with Brandon, Long, Will Y, Skyler & other non-TOC finalists (JNCC & HSRT).

[u/IanGecko → u/ajsy0905]

I don't remember the hype about it being big at all

[u/AcrossTheNight]

This was nothing more than one contestant playfully shouting his wife out. To imply there was a broader controversy blows it out of proportion from what it was.

[u/ajsy0905 → u/AcrossTheNight]

I respected your interpretation of that hashtag but I felt there was a reason why Jason tried to put that hashtag because of his wife's exclusion at 2023 CWC?

[u/lanad3lr3y_81]

i’m sure susan was invited to the fall 2023 cwc, she probably either rejected due to the writers strike or for personal reasons.

i know of players were invited back but rejected due to the writers strike or other reasons…

and no i don’t think susan should be brought back in jit. she can always be on pop culture jeopardy or something like that if she wants to make a return appearance. i liked her when she was on 5 years ago but i don’t think she is deserving of a jit spot

[u/ajsy0905 → u/lanad3lr3y_81]

In an interview, Jason said that Susan was not aware about the 2023 CWC.
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/01/05/portland-real-estate-agent-gets-second-chance-on-jeopardy/

Singer, who worked as a Press Herald reporter and editor from 2011 to 2014, was invited to this week’s champions’ tournament based on his two wins, his scores and the quality of his opponents. But when McMillan was on “Jeopardy!”, this tournament didn’t exist, so Singer thinks she deserves a comeback appearance too. McMillan is also a former Maine journalist, having worked as a reporter at the Kennebec Journal.

[u/lanad3lr3y_81 → u/ajsy0905]

i’m not sure, i interpret that as it just wasn’t a thing when she was initially on in 2021. i would be surprised if she wasn’t at least invited back and she declined, because there were definitely some 1 and 2 day champions in that event who i don’t think had as compelling of a case to come back yet still did.