Big Brother 17

[svenden]

I guess I was thinking that they're all going to target her from this point forward. She's just too big a threat to win it all.

But no matter what she does, the real kicker is the veto. If the nominations change, then she will almost certainly be the deciding vote. That's when she's really going to make enemies. Perhaps she's thinking that she's less likely to upset John or Steve if she kicks the other out. Whereas either Liz or Austin might take it more personally if she boots the other.

I still don't understand why the house kept Liz instead of Julia. Julia and Austin would be much less of an alliance than Liz and Austin.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Maybe they wanted to keep a stronger pair in so they'd stay a bigger target.

Vanessa probably needs to win veto/HoH in the last two weeks to make it to the final. But she MIIIGHT still be able to play a team loyalty card with Austin or Liz. Or, if Austin and Liz are both in, she MIIIGHT be able to convince somebody that she would be more likely to take them to the final two than if a couple was left in. I wouldn't put it past her to Dan somebody into making a stupid move, but it'll be tough for her.

 

[fonzob1]

Johnny is a survivor like few other who have played the game. I am rooting for him.

 

[Timewalker]

Well, her choice is made, and Austin is very likely going to try to engineer the jury votes so Vanessa gets 0, no matter who she's up against (assuming she's in the final 2).

Anybody notice that whenever Steve wins HoH he never gets a full week to enjoy it?

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I missed the episode but I know how it turned out. What was the drama like in the game?

I wouldn't bet on Austin's ability to influence anyone else's opinion no matter what he says.

 

[Timewalker]

Do you mean you missed last night or tonight?

Last night, to say that Austin was pissed about his eviction would be a monumental understatement. He'd been so sure that he was safe, that he wasn't even fully dressed - he had to walk out the door in his bare feet (and arrive at the jury house that way, as was shown tonight).

 

[Danny99]

Shelli's argument was "look how good she is because we knew what she was doing and left her in the house." That's not Vanessa's doing; that's their stupidity for evicting Shelli over her back during Becky's HOH.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Ahh, I didn't realize there was an eviction last night, I just checked who the veto winner and replacement nominee were on Wikipedia before I left the house. Ha, Vanessa evicted Austin? I don't get the strategy behind that, did Vanessa comment on it? Maybe she didn't want to evict Steve because she thought nobody would bring Steve to the finals due to the adorable factor? Or maybe she wanted to create the impression that she was a good person to be sitting next to by pissing someone off (Also a Dan move).

 

[Timewalker]

Ahh, I didn't realize there was an eviction last night, I just checked who the veto winner and replacement nominee were on Wikipedia before I left the house. Ha, Vanessa evicted Austin? I don't get the strategy behind that, did Vanessa comment on it? Maybe she didn't want to evict Steve because she thought nobody would bring Steve to the finals due to the adorable factor? Or maybe she wanted to create the impression that she was a good person to be sitting next to by pissing someone off (Also a Dan move).

This is one of the reasons why I commented that Steve never gets to enjoy a full week of being HoH. Sometimes it's been all of 10 minutes.

Steve, John, and, and Vanessa agreed that the guys would each vote for one of the Austin/Liz pair, leaving Vanessa to do the tie-breaker, and it would be Austin. She did it with many tearful apologies (she should be a soap actress, the way she can turn the waterworks on at a second's notice), but it was quick.

And the look Austin gave her... well, if looks could kill, Vanessa wouldn't be here. He was furious. I think he would have understood if it had been a 2-0 vote against him, because of course the two guys would have had to consider what the final competition might be, if strength was involved. None of them could have beaten Austin in that respect, so it only made sense to take out a physical threat.

But he'd fully expected Vanessa to honor the alliance they'd made almost from the get-go, and when she turned on him (correctly surmising that it made more sense to keep the person who was both physically weaker and strategically weaker), he told her he'd make sure she didn't get any jury votes.

Oh, and we found out that Austin really loves Liz (everybody say "Awwww").

Last night they brought back Brendan and Rachel for a "surprise announcement" which I guessed right away: There's going to be a "Brenchel baby"! (everybody say "meh, who cares?").

So John was the last evictee (Caleb came back to run the final veto competition, which Vanessa won; she and John were on the block and of course she vetoed herself). Steve had to decide who to evict - Liz was the only possible replacement - and he evicted John.

I really don't think Liz deserves to win this thing.

 

[svenden]

Shelli's argument was "look how good she is because we knew what she was doing and left her in the house." That's not Vanessa's doing; that's their stupidity for evicting Shelli over her back during Becky's HOH.

I completely disagree with that. Shelli is spot on: they've all known for awhile that Vanessa was a major threat in this game but each week Vanessa found a way to evade being on the block -- either by winning a competition or persuading those in power to target someone else. She has surgically played on their 'stupidity', if that's what you want to call it.

Austin's eviction was delicious! I still think Vanessa should have backdoored him weeks ago when she had the chance, so I'm glad to see it finally get done - and so spectacularly so!

So depending on who wins HOH, who do y'all think they should take with them? Here's what I think:

• If Steve is HOH: Liz, because I think they're pretty even on gameplay, but he wins out on likeability.
• If Liz is HOH: Vanessa, because she doesn't stand a chance against Steve due to the likeability. But she could hope that Austin and Julia can sway some votes against Vanessa.
• If Vanessa is HOH: Toss up? Liz has two votes locked up already, so that alone would concern me. But Steve also has no enemies in the jury except perhaps Austin and Julia.

 

[Timewalker]

So depending on who wins HOH, who do y'all think they should take with them? Here's what I think:

• If Steve is HOH: Liz, because I think they're pretty even on gameplay, but he wins out on likeability.
• If Liz is HOH: Vanessa, because she doesn't stand a chance against Steve due to the likeability. But she could hope that Austin and Julia can sway some votes against Vanessa.
• If Vanessa is HOH: Toss up? Liz has two votes locked up already, so that alone would concern me. But Steve also has no enemies in the jury except perhaps Austin and Julia.

I think Vanessa deserves to win. She's played a spectacular game (albeit an unlikable one at times).

I'd be okay with Steve winning if Vanessa's not in the final 2.

Steve should take Vanessa, because Austin and the twins would be a 3-person voting bloc, and they're too emotional to reward gameplay over likability. Therefore, Steve's chances of winning would go up with Liz on the jury. Yes, he and Julia don't like each other, but Julia would vote however Austin and Liz tell her to.

Vanessa should take Liz, because it's probable that if Liz were on the jury, she'd vote for Steve.

Liz should take Vanessa, because Vanessa on the jury would be a vote for Steve. Vanessa is the sort of player who respects good, strategic gameplay, and Steve really came into his own these past couple of weeks and made some game-changing moves.


Has anyone here voted for the "fan favorite" to get the $25,000?

 

[JirinPanthosa]

If Steve wins HOH and takes Vanessa it could be freakishly similar to how BB14 ended.

So, we have three players left. Vanessa is Dan, the backstabbing manipulator who aligns with everyone and wiggles her way out of things. Steve is Ian, the quiet rational loyal player with no social game but high adorable factor. Liz is Danielle, the game less player who put all her trust in the manipulator. You can even compare the way Austin left to the way Shane left.

Deja vu.

 

[fonzob1]

If Steve wins HOH and takes Vanessa it could be freakishly similar to how BB14 ended.

So, we have three players left. Vanessa is Dan, the backstabbing manipulator who aligns with everyone and wiggles her way out of things. Steve is Ian, the quiet rational loyal player with no social game but high adorable factor. Liz is Danielle, the game less player who put all her trust in the manipulator. You can even compare the way Austin left to the way Shane left.

Deja vu.

The one big difference between Ian and Steve is I think Ian won more comps (HOH in particular).

 

[Timewalker]

So we leave off with everyone sitting on giant candy apples, getting slammed into a wall. I hope they have medical staff on hand to check the contestants for concussions.

Some of those clips were hilarious, especially Audrey's Diary Room scenes. Just a grey triangle sitting in the chair, completely wrapped up in a blanket...

 

[svenden]

It was fun to see so many of James' pranks in a row. If I were in that house, he'd be my hero for keeping it fun.

I think there's a very good chance Vanessa wins the first round. She doesn't have much competition for the physical comps, and she's proven resilient before.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

So we leave off with everyone sitting on giant candy apples, getting slammed into a wall. I hope they have medical staff on hand to check the contestants for concussions.

Some of those clips were hilarious, especially Audrey's Diary Room scenes. Just a grey triangle sitting in the chair, completely wrapped up in a blanket...

Phase 1 was the exact same phase 1 that Dan won in season 14.

 

[Danny99]

Vanessa's game to lose now. I think she only loses if she doesn't get to Final 2 or goes super condescending in her jury responses.

 

[svenden]

Vanessa's game to lose now. I think she only loses if she doesn't get to Final 2 or goes super condescending in her jury responses.

Do you think it would be smart for her to kind of own up to all the backstabbing she's done along the way? I kind of worry that she genuinely believes she's played an honest game, and that she'll get all defensive with the jury questioning. If I were in the jury, I'd want to just hear her admit that she lied and schemed her way to the final two, because that's how you win this game.

 

[Timewalker]

She's got to refrain from crying. People who cry in front of a jury don't win, because it's the people who own what they did who get the votes.

And please let her wipe the phrase "get blood on my hands" out of her vocabulary.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Yeah, every single time a backstabber tried to act morally righteous and entitled they lost badly. But when they own their game and explain their strategy factually and humbly, they win maybe 75%.