We finished third again thanks to another final-question botch, but did qualify for the semifinals.  I was most proud of an answer from my Geography wheelhouse, but also proud of an answer in the Taylor Swift category that strangely enough no one else on my team knew.

What upcoming Taylor Swift album was promoted on the New Heights podcast hosted by the Kelce brothers?

Who was the first TV screenwriter with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, most well-known for his series that aired for three seasons starting in 1966?

Mexico and what two other countries have agreed to form a multinational nature preserve to protect their rainforests?

Forest Hill Cemetery was "a sea of flowers" after the death of what celebrity, setting a record for the most memorial flower donations?

Our final answer got submitted before a team member mentioned the obviously correct answer, so I had to performatively stomp up and down in lieu of changing our answer.

The sound effect for what movie prop was created by combining a projector's hum with staticky interference from a television?

What Hawaiian word meaning "mountain" appears before "Loa" and "Kea" in the names of Hawaiian volcanoes?

Michael Crichton's book Jurassic Park shares theme-park-gone-wrong DNA with what 1973 film written and directed by Crichton?

What FPS video game sequel was the first to be rated "M for mature" and also spawned comic books, novels, board games, and two films?

We're back!

What MLB team that plays in Oracle Park has a mascot named Lou Seal ?

A person who does what is called a librocubicularist ?

What kind of time measures the Earth's rotation relative to the stars ?

What country, whose common English name begins with a letter shared by no other, is bordered on the north by a gulf named after it and, in addition to its main export of oil, also produces high-quality frankincense?

We came back from a halftime deficit, but then botched the final question and finished third.

Gwyneth Paltrow's highest-grossing non-Marvel movie was what 1995 crime drama with the character Tracy Mills?

Multiple choice!  Used Wimbledon tennis balls are repurposed as A) tennis racket handles  B) reusable water bottles, or C) homes for wild mice ?

Chuck Mangione played what trumpetlike instrument that has a wider, more conical bore?

What comic strip, nationally syndicated in 1978, surpassed Peanuts to become the world's most widely syndicated comic strip​​​​​​​?

Don't feel bad if you miss most of these -- so did we and we still won the game.  We felt bad because the correct answers were sometimes in our conversation, perhaps after submitting a response.

What punk rock band started out with the members Jello Biafra, East Bay Ray, Klaus Flouride, Ted, and 6025?

What 14-letter word for a sequence of dream-like images was the title of a 1995 video game?

What is the last name of filmmaker brothers Josh and Benny, known for Good Time and Uncut Gems ?

What vegetable in the onion family is worn on St. David's Day in Wales?

What triply alliterative title is the only Shakespeare play taking place within the current territory of Spain?

J showed up as an alternate player today, charged with bringing knowledge of recent music.  So she studied the recent charts, and remembered just enough of them to help us answer the first challenging question.  I experienced an epiphany that revealed the final answer, even though I haven't seen the movie.  In the category of "Not Understanding the Assignment", my home seems to be suffering constant vibrations in the water pipes.  Hydraulic shock?  What do I do about it?  HWRNMNBSOL?

The music video for what gem of a song by Ed Sheeran shows the singer participating in Indian street culture?

What advertising mascot was retired in 1997 due to accusations of marketing to children?

What luxury brand, founded in Paris in 1847, has used a panther motif on its jewelry and watches?

What 1976 film, based on a 1974 non-fiction book, has a title that alludes to the penultimate line of a famous nursery rhyme?

My Favorite Team returned to their winning ways...

What country lost its Red Sea coastline when Eritrea gained independence in 1993?

What rhyming nickname refers to a 2004 brawl between NBA players and fans?

What steak dish with a woman's name was prepared tableside and flambéed?

What country hosted a Summer Olympics without winning any gold medals, and repeated the "feat" 12 years later at the Winter Olympics they also hosted?

At 37.5% of full strength, My Favorite Team slipped from 1st place at halftime to 1 point off the lead before the Final Question.  Sadly we blanked on that one, which would have been accurately answered by one of our absent members.

What baseball team's cap was worn by Pope Leo XIV ?

What Russian composer wrote The Firebird and The Rite of Spring ?

What brand name dating to 1903 is based on the French word for chalk plus a popular suffix?

What actress, mother of Sean Astin, won an Oscar at age 16 and later had a self-titled TV show?

After a rough start with the dreaded "Basketball" and "Modern Songs" categories, we made a strong comeback to win.

What is the name of the Cheers actor who voiced "Hamm" in the Toy Story franchise, the "Underminer" in the Incredibles franchise, and many other Pixar characters?

What 8-letter word starting with C means an "empty tomb" for someone whose remains are elsewhere?

What Folies Bergère star was the first black woman to be honored in the Panthéon?

What city surrendered following a 47-day siege the day after the end of the Battle of Gettysburg?

What symbol was formally added to International Morse Code in 2004?

I had the right answer for the first one listed, but my team didn't believe me :(
Oh well, we won anyway :)

What Native American was credited with saying "I will fight no more forever" after surrendering at the end of the Nez Perce War?

For what field of work is the Pritzker Prize awarded?

What rival of Mozart was portrayed by F. Murray Abraham in the movie Amadeus ?

What virtual assistant discontinued in 2023 was replaced by Microsoft Copilot?