Alex Trebek's Final Week Of 'Jeopardy' Episodes Opens With A Powerful Message

Alex Trebek’s final week of “Jeopardy!” episodes started with an endearing message from the late host. During the opening moments of one of his last episodes, the host addressed viewers and urged them to become a “gentler, kinder society” amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its drastic effects on the lives of millions of people.

The late host opened Monday’s episode of the long-running game show with an emotional message of togetherness during such tumultuous times. Trebek taped the episode in late October, weeks before his death on Nov. 8.

“You’ll recall that a month ago, I asked all of you to take a moment to give thanks for all of the blessings that you enjoy in your lives. Now today, a different kind of message: This is a season of giving,” Trebek said in a video of his message posted on the official “Jeopardy!” Twitter account.

He also encouraged “Jeopardy!” viewers to go “one step further” and help those who are struggling to start their livelihoods once again due to the global health crisis.

“I know you want to be generous with your family, your friends, your loved ones. But today I’d like you to go one step further, I’d like you to open up your hands and open up your heart to those who are still suffering because of COVID-19, people who are suffering through no fault of their own,” Trebek noted.

The clip ended with Trebek saying that we can build a “gentler” society if everyone does their part and lends a helping hand.

“We are trying to build a gentler, kinder society. If we all pitch in just a little bit, we are going to get there,” Trebek concluded.

The clip was shared on social media just a few hours after the show’s executive producer, Mike Richards, told the “Today Show” that Trebek was an “absolute warrior” who fought through the pain to shoot the final episodes of the game show.

“He was an absolute warrior. And what he was able to do by giving himself back to the set, to tape those final episodes — and we didn’t know it was going to be his final episodes, and neither did he. But it was herculean,” Richards said during the interview.

Trebek died at the age of 80 on Nov. 8 after battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer.