Besides making history, Amy Schneider's winning streak has brought a sense of calm to Jeopardy! at the end of its most chaotic year

The Washington Post

Schneider, the first transgender contestant to make the Tournament of Champions, hasn't attracted the kind of controversy that Matt Amodio had with his streak. "Schneider performed in plays for years and is very comfortable on-screen, and her strategy is essentially to not have a strategy so she can stay 100 percent focused on the game," said The Washington Post's Emily Yahr. "Plus, as a longtime viewer, she tried to be conscious about not behaving in a way that viewers find irritating." Schneider being transgender hasn't been brought up on Jeopardy! Last week, she wore a transgender flag pin because she wanted to show support for the “disproportionately high number of trans people” who are estranged or cut off from their families during Thanksgiving. “The fact is, I don’t actually think about being trans all that often, and so when appearing on national television, I wanted to represent that part of my identity accurately: as important, but also relatively minor,” she wrote on Twitter. “But I also didn’t want it to seem as if it was some kind of shameful secret.” Schneider says the reaction from viewers has been overwhelming positive, with a few exceptions. “I get the impression that people are feeling that this has been good for Jeopardy!” she said. “I hope that’s the case, and it’s extremely gratifying. The show has meant a lot to me … and if my run is good for the show, that’s all the better.”