Oh, (Big) Brother!

[Danny99]

You know what an interesting twist would be? Finding a way to eliminate the backdoor voting process. It's no fun watching the better houseguest's sitting like lame ducks. Ever since Nakomis came up with the revolutionary, at the time, it has become the norm and frankly, boring.

 

[Spot's Meow]

Yeah, Frank's behavior leaves a lot to be desired. What they didn't show in the episode is that Frank originally wasn't too keen on apologizing to Day, but Paulie sat him down and had a talk with him about how he shouldn't be treating the girls that way, and it was only then that Frank mellowed out some. He's mostly stopped with the touching now but he's still just plain mean. He's a very emotional player, changing his mind about who he's targeting next based on who irritated him the most that day.

As for the others, I'm surprised that they seem to have forgotten about wanting to get out Paul and Bronte. Those were the number one targets only a week or two ago, and now they seem to have forgotten that they're even in the house. Goes to show you that just surviving each eviction is a big deal, because things can really change in one week.

My least favorites at this point are Frank and Bridgette. Paul annoyed me at first but now I don't mind him. In the first week Bronte was a real mean girl, talking crap about people and acting like she had control of the game. Jozea's eviction really brought her down a few notches and now she is much more bearable. Being in power (or thinking they are) really doesn't suit some people.

I am really liking Da'Vonne and James this year. I also like Tiffany, and hope there's a way she can stick around this week. I like Natalie because, well, how could you not? She is a genuinely sweet person who clearly has a thing for James. An unexpected but cute pair. Corey is just boring, and Paulie and Zakiyah are also not that interesting to me. I really liked Nicole in her last season, and I still do, but she is starting to get on my nerves a bit. She is making the same mistake of attaching herself to a guy in the house. She's also playing a very insecure game, constantly second guessing everything. Michelle is an odd one, I really don't know how I feel about her yet.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I agree the backdoor has gotten tired but I don't know how to eliminate it without eliminating the drama of the veto.

Da'Vonne might have the title of 'most improved player'. She seems like the only player who learned from her past mistakes. Tiffany hasn't had a chance to make any real big strategic moves yet this year.

The thing about Paul is, there's no better spot to be in in Big Brother than the last survivor of a 'Big bad' alliance. You start to get seen as the default pawn who has no power and can be got out any time. Since Victor and Jozea got out before him, he might have life in the game yet.

My favorite recent twist is battle of the block, it made for more risk and more complex nomination strategy.

 

[Danny99]

I've liked all of Jozea's alliance since he was voted out. They have toned it down and began bearable and even fun. Victor was a dead man walking, but Paul has taken full advantage of the situation and made himself the "last survivor" or the "perma-pawn."

As much as I dislike Da'Vonne, she has improved her game by not flying off the handle. I still don't want her to win, but I get her props for learning from her mistakes.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I'll be honest, I really hated battle of the block. It just made things so confusing and led to people being nominated only so that they could throw the battle of the block competition. The two HOHs would get together, decide a target, then one of the HOHs would nominate the real target with someone who would throw the comp, while the other HOH would nominate two strong players to win the comp. I think it was designed to force more people in the house to get blood on their hands and make enemies each week, but instead the collusion factor would lead to nobody getting blood on their hands at all.

I actually really like the new twist this year, the Roadkill competition. It didn't play a huge factor in the first two weeks, but I see interesting potential for two reasons: 1. Having three nominees makes for an interesting vote, because you're not just voting to keep a particular person, you have to make a real choice. And split votes could mean that someone goes home that wasn't the true target; and 2. If the RK winner truly stayed anonymous and nominated someone unexpected, that could cause some chaos.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

That's what I liked about Battle of the Block, it made it so the HoHs had to really think about what they were going to that week, it made it so you had to have a better social game and really have a handle on what everyone was doing.

Roadkill competition seems okay, it's certainly better than MVP. But IMO it doesn't add much additional strategy to the game.

 

[Danny99]

Any predictions for tonight? Tiffany or Bronte or Paul?

 

[Timewalker]

My least favorites at this point are Frank and Bridgette. Paul annoyed me at first but now I don't mind him.

I loathe Frank and Bridgette. Her aren't-I-just-the-cutest-thing-evar body language and facial expressions are nauseating. Honestly, I really can't stand her. Tiffany called that partnership perfectly.

And yeah, Paul seems to have toned down his arrogance quite a bit. Now if he'd only take up that email suggestion that he get rid of the beard, I might even be able to stand looking at him.

I am really liking Da'Vonne and James this year. I also like Tiffany, and hope there's a way she can stick around this week. I like Natalie because, well, how could you not? She is a genuinely sweet person who clearly has a thing for James. An unexpected but cute pair. Corey is just boring, and Paulie and Zakiyah are also not that interesting to me. I really liked Nicole in her last season, and I still do, but she is starting to get on my nerves a bit. She is making the same mistake of attaching herself to a guy in the house. She's also playing a very insecure game, constantly second guessing everything. Michelle is an odd one, I really don't know how I feel about her yet.

I'm still going to give Tiffany a chance, although she's already shown that she's nowhere near the player that Vanessa was.

And Da'Vonne also gets a second chance from me. I couldn't stand her last time, and was glad to see her gone. Her social game is much better this time around. But I wish she'd stop with the screeching in the Diary Room. Doesn't this woman have an indoor voice that she can use when she's emotional about something? Her voice and accent are really ear-hurting.

I'm still having trouble telling Michelle and Natalie apart. They need to get rid of one of them, because to me they're pretty much exactly the same.

And split votes could mean that someone goes home that wasn't the true target; and 2. If the RK winner truly stayed anonymous and nominated someone unexpected, that could cause some chaos.

*snicker* Split votes are how Canadian politics works, at least most of the time. Since we've got three main parties, it's not unusual for two of them to go after each other and try to tear the other apart, while the other one sneaks up the middle and sometimes ends up winning. That's why Paul came out of this with 0 votes. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut and not do anything annoying.

Any predictions for tonight? Tiffany or Bronte or Paul?

Holy crap. Tiffany's speech was one of the most obnoxious - and honest - speeches I've heard on any Big Brother episode. She obviously assumed that she'd be the one to go, and therefore she had nothing to lose by calling Frank out for being the dictator/manipulator that he is, and Bridgette for being his "Cabbage Patch Kid" - in essence, his plaything.

I'm not sure if her speech tipped the balance in her favor, but I'd be curious to know.

 

[Timewalker]

Um... "the enemy of my enemy is my temporary ally?"

This episode was just plain weird. Tiffany's meltdown continued - not surprising, if the rest of them all shunned her by clamming up or leaving if she walked into a room. So I can understand why she might decide to turn on them by telling everything she knows to the one she was ranting at just a short while before.

The Roadkill competition was a bit confusing. Why were some of them throwing the air freshener things on the floor near the lines they were supposed to hang them on, when the instructions clearly said that any of them that hit the floor were out of play and wouldn't count?

 

[Timewalker]

Um... "the enemy of my enemy is my temporary ally?"

This episode was just plain weird. Tiffany's meltdown continued - not surprising, if the rest of them all shunned her by clamming up or leaving if she walked into a room. So I can understand why she might decide to turn on them by telling everything she knows to the one she was ranting at just a short while before.

The Roadkill competition was a bit confusing. Why were some of them throwing the air freshener things on the floor near the lines they were supposed to hang them on, when the instructions clearly said that any of them that hit the floor were out of play and wouldn't count?

 

[Sto-Vo-Kory]

The Roadkill competition was a bit confusing. Why were some of them throwing the air freshener things on the floor near the lines they were supposed to hang them on, when the instructions clearly said that any of them that hit the floor were out of play and wouldn't count?

The houseguests had to put the fresheners up in a certain order, but crawling all the way over for the greens was knocking more of the other colors (and even the greens) over, so some of them just tossed the greens on the ground (since they weren't staying on anyway after the bathroom "flushed") to follow the required sequence without actually bothering with the attempt. I thought that was pretty clever on their part.

I'm always surprised that Natalie is such a genuine and sweet person. I originally thought it was a facade, but she seems authentically kind and compassionate. Not many people would be such a thoughtful and attentive listener for Tiffany after being pulled out of bed, but she was there for her 100%.

Good to see Da'Vonne has the self-awareness to see that she was repeating her mistakes from last season and trying to become a better player by learning from her mistakes. Being the adult while talking to Tiffany was the right move and it seems to have paid off.

 

[Timewalker]

So tonight's episode was pre-empted for political blathering on the American channel. Thank goodness for Canadian simulcasting, which had the actual episode. Not sure if anyone else here was able to see this episode, so I won't say anything about it.

But I do have to applaud Paul for discovering a new talent.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I wonder if a 'Big Brother reset' is coming after someone reenters the house.

I don't know who I would want to get back in. Out of the four out so far, Bronte is the only one I'm neutral toward, actively disliking the other three. So I guess I have to root for her.

 

[Timewalker]

The episode was pre-empted on the American channel, so thank goodness the Canadian channel was carrying it. I hope the US viewers here are able to keep up somehow - it's available on cbs.com, isn't it?

All I have to say is this: Frank and Nicole, you are a couple of hypocrites, with that "I tried to save you but I just couldn't swing the votes" BS.

And Da'Vonne: it's not nice to gloat. You can leave any time.

 

[Sto-Vo-Kory]

As much as Da'Vonne has learned from her previous season, she still backslides into her old habits of not playing her cards close to her chest or lacking awareness of her audience when talking game. Telling James (who's hip-deep in a showmance) that they need to break up the other showmances, but, hey, don't worry, James: You and Natalie are low priority targets. For now.

Dumb, dumb move on her part.

Who do you guys think will win the BattleBack? My money's on Victor.

 

[Timewalker]

It depends on what kind of competition it is. If it's anything remotely physical, Glenn will definitely lose. I loathe Jozea, so I hope he doesn't win. Victor is a nitpicky misogynist, so hopefully he doesn't win. I hate Bronte's squeaky little-girl voice, so hopefully she doesn't win.

The only one I hope does win is Tiffany. Whether she will win is anybody's guess, since we don't know what kind of competition it is.

 

[Timewalker]

Well, that didn't go as I'd hoped.

Paul and Paulie seem to have decided to be twins. Blech.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I didn't want to see Victor go back in but he's hardly worst case scenario.

Victor will occasionally be open to discussing topics unrelated to himself being awesome. And he has a fun-ness about him. I think the group he got placed in brought out the worst side of him.

 

[Timewalker]

Who would have been the worst case scenario for you?

I was hoping Tiffany would go back. I could have tolerated Glenn, because they would have just gotten rid of him in the next eviction anyway. l loathe Jozea. I can't stand Bronte's voice. Victor's a jerk, with all his nitpicking. He and Frank are not a good combination.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Jozea is worst case scenario. I can't stand him being on screen for two seconds, he might actually be setting a new record for narcissism by a Big Brother contestant, and that's a difficult accomplishment.