Welcome to Webtool's commentary and strategic analysis of CBS's Big brother. Key links to other coverage and photos are also listed. This website unabashedly roots for specific players while skewering others at the same time. The eviction cycle begins and ends on "Eviction" Thursdays. A person is kicked out of the BB House and the remaining people compete in a contest to determine the next Head of Household who nominates two people for the next eviction vote. Broadcasts will be on Tuesday at 9 PM, Thursday at 8 PM and Saturday at 9 PM EDT/PDT. |
Yawn, is this ever boring. In the current way the show is configured, the last couple of days including the final vote are pointless as momentum wanes, the winner is obvious and most people lose interest. During the off season I hope the readers as well as Shapiro check out my suggestions for ways to revamp the show.
Here's an analysis of the jury vote:
The game should've wound up 6-1 in favor of Roy Rodgers. Coincidently, had Drew kept Diane in the final two I think he'd have deservedly won by this same amount.
Did I see the same thing everyone else did? Diane talked herself into being a threat to beat Drew and he used that as an excuse to honor his misguided loyalty to Cowboy? What is he thinking? Unless, he just can't take it anymore and as I suggested he ripped the bandage off ahead of time.
My first guess is Drew 5-2 over Cowboy. Let me sleep on this further.
Did I see the same thing everyone else did? Diane talked herself into being a threat to beat Drew and he used that as an excuse to honor his misguided loyalty to Cowboy? What is he thinking? Unless, he just can't take it anymore and as I suggested he ripped the bandage off ahead of time.
My first guess is Drew 5-2 over Cowboy. Let me sleep on this further.
Apparently, Cowboy is the winner of the second round of the final HOH and will face Drew on friday's show to determine the winner. A winner who should take Diane as his opponent in the finals. Now I suppose Drew could take Cowboy and jettison Diane for life at this point. Like ripping off a bandage, it'd break the relationship quickly obviating the need for tediously draining encounters.
The live transcripts have me believing the contest was a question driven affair that must have involved queries presented in a style like those used previously. At least part of it utilized image morphing again. Diane had counted on winning this as she had been planning on burning off the retard at this point in the game. In fact, she still expects Drew to do just that.
On various message boards I notice people saying that Cowboy OWES either Diane or Nicotine a save here at the end. Who are these people kidding? Both have shown behind the back contempt for him and would do him at the end in a moment's notice. This should be a strictly strategic decision based on who he wants to go up against in the final HOH competition. Secondly, he could be pessimist, assume he will fail the HOH and determine if the winner would choose to go head to him in the finals. Again this is a no-brainer, he must keep his sister and evict Diane.
It worked out well huh CBS? Unknown step siblings reunited and estranged all in one show. Well, this guy is so gullible nothing should be a surprise by now.
The day closes out with Drew winning the endurance based part one of a multi-part HOH competition and Diane ready to give her blessing to booting Cowboy's sorry ass from the house.
Latest I'm reading on the transcripts has Cowboy evicting Diane. He hasn't voiced the understanding that she is likely to win the final HOH and would evict him making the decision a no-brainer. I would think the producers are coaching him on not appearing resolute one way or the other.
Clever of the producers. They must have assumed from reading BB contestant entry forms that Cowboy was the best student of the game. So they avoided physical and endurance type POVs, current information quizzes etc. as they wisely crafted a Q/A contest geared for this guy. Also if you think about it. Having him win amplifies the brother/sister loyalty conflict as he alone prepares to personally evict someone. Brilliant!
That said, COWBOY EVICT DIANE! This is the last chance before she wins HOH and SHE EVICTS YOU! Can a person die from betrayal? He's extremely emotional to begin with, something like that should be capable of tearing him apart.
Well my favorite honey Karen is no longer in the game. Trying to play fair never works. She was also trying to be reactive instead for proactive and not out to take action and push for the sequence of evictees.
It didn't matter who won the HOH this time out. The only thing that matters is the POV which Nicotine MUST win in order to remain in the game. Otherwise she will be walked out the door next.
Arrrrrgh! Diane won the POV. It was something involving cages and if it was like a contest they've done in the past, little more than a variant of the generic "Endurance" competitions. Normally this would be used as an HOH competition instead of a POV. Once again, conspiracy theorists can speculate that the producers are tampering with the show to achieve a desired outcome. Why do I suddenly think the final HOH competition will involve a lasso?
People hate to hear I told you so, but that's what you get for leaving a strong "Endurance" player around at the end. Now Diane will be saving Drew, Karen is the only possible substitute leaving Diane and Drew to cast eviction votes. So we'll be treated to a week of Karen going crazy prior to her certain demise on Thursday. It'll be interesting to see how often she gives Diane and Drew the Adria "Plague" treatment in a futile attempt to hang on.
The current thinking is Nicotine is the next eviction target made easier by the fact she can't compete for HOH this week. Then Diane and Drew assume it's a foregone conclusion that they will be able to take out Cowboy to remain as the final two. Didn't we just suffer through this scenario on Survivor All-Stars? Hello CBS, you're giving us boring reruns again!
Things moving fast on Big Sister right now. Nicotine has won the HOH and under heavy urging from Karen (remember she was pissed at Adria nagging her?) nominated Cowboy (with a sister like this who needs enemies?) and Iago ... er Drew.
So here's the current player configuration:
Now Nicotine want's to remove Drew now and barring that Diane. Diane wants to win POV for herself, save Drew and thereby Diane and Drew would be evicting Karen. If Drew saves himself, then Nicotine will most likely wind up breaking a tie between Diane and Cowhoy. This leaves her in the awkward position of having to evict her brother if she wishes to faceoff versus Diane in the final two.
Anyway my rooting interest, Karen has to seriously try and win the POV otherwise she's on the block. In reality, there's an excellent chance she's gone.
Today is the tragic denouement day for Big Brother's Twisted Reverse Othello. In this version Othello, the black grave digger played by the Marvin, has succeeded in instilling jealousy in Iago, played by the budding shyster Drew over the ugly Desdemona played by Diane the ... well ... the gal's a cocktail waitress. I'll bet you miss old Bidet Boy and Crazy Jase about now eh?
Anyway as we join our story this tragic day, Iago ... er Drew has accused the ugly Desdemona ... er the gal giving him the handjobs of infidelity with Othello ... er the sexual harassing misogynist Marvin. Iago ... er Drew no more I promise from now on, in retaliation has nominated both of them with the thinking it is important to get Othello, sorry ... Marvin out of the house before he wins another HOH. He co-nominated the ugly Desdemona, ok ok I enjoy calling this woman ugly, Diane so that she couldn't vote against the character opposing Othello, er Marvin. :)
Naturally, to dispel what little suspense is left, Diane wins the POV, uses it and the virtuous Emilia, the poorly cast Nicotine, inherits the position of Othello's, er ... Marvin's co-nominee. The penultimate scene has us witnessing the slaughter of Marvin on the altar of poor reasoning. Whew, this is tragic!
Lastly, baiting the audience for sequels, Emilia ... er Nicotine wins HOH again! Awesome, you can't write this stuff. *Wink Wink*
What do you expect this old strategy maven to say? GET RID OF A WOMAN AT THIS POINT. NOMINATE TWO OF THEM AND REPLACE WITH ANOTHER IF NECESSARY. SO IN ANY CASE THE MEN HAVE SEIZED CONTROL! Marvin's dead in a final two competition and therefore your only competition is Cowboy if it goes down that way. None of the men deserve to win. Long live BIG SISTER!
Well the unfair twins twist is no more and safe to say will never be repeated I'm sure. Still not convinced of what I'm saying? Do you really think the twins will vote for separate people in the final vote? Hell no, Adria as much as named the perferred winners versus the shit-list nominees.
Certainly seemed to me that both Nicotine and Diane tanked the HOH competition. All easy stuff for people who should have their heads in the game if they expect to win. They didn't even make it to the bottom of the staircase of questions necessitating tonight's tiebreaker question which was going to be how many cc's of seafood blender gumbo did Marvin drink before quitting the food competition? *Wink Wink*
Remember the last time Drew was the HOH? His nominations began the downfall of the men. Fittingly, he's in a position to rectify that by simply putting Diane and Nicotine on the block. Anyone else smell wood burning?
So after cooking up a bag of marshmellows, it appears Diane and Marvin are on the block. Did I say Diane? Trouble in paradise that's for sure. No more handjobs for you buddy! Reading transcripts I find his primary target is Marvin. Guess this means he feels she would be voting for him had she not been nominated herself.
Since everyone plays in the POV game this week they're is a 1/3 chance either Diane or Marvin win their own POV thereby altering the vote tally. I'm assuming the substitute nominee will be Nicotine. It would appear that Drew has some sort of an alliance with Karen.
Having just seen the Tuesday show I learned that Diane made a deal with Marvin regarding next week's nominations on behalf of the others! If they cannot properly assess this as an out-of-control situation where you can identify Diane as a strong player who must eliminated immediately, then the others do not deserve to win this game.
Any one else notice the men stopped consulting each other on issues, like say WINNING THE GAME? Bunch of milquetoasts the lot of them. Perhaps the Thursday HOH game will break the pattern and feature a physical activity involving some ball bouncing game BB has put in the backyard. Nonetheless, even if Drew or Cowboy win HOH, I expect Marvin to be the upcoming target.
I don't think Marvin's aware of how he's blowing the game. Most likely the others will look to take him out next week. Apparently, Diane (which implies her sex slave Drew as well I presume) and Nicotine are thinking of throwing the HOH Karen's way. Everyone presumes (dangerous in this case) that she beats Cowboy in the upcoming mental HOH contest. I think they're trying to sell her on the thought that she will be given the honor of ushering Marvin out the door!
This would be a rather dicey move from those taking a dive because at that point they'd be handing Karen a free shot at nominating them. I only hope she'd be smart enough to avail herself of the opportunity to split up the two headed hydra Diane and Drew.
Another supposition I'm making is the Diane/Nicotine alliance. I now believe Diane has figured if she gets the game down to Diane, Drew and Nicotine she'll be guaranteed inclusion in the final two no matter who wins the final HOH. So Diane needs Nicotine to avoid an earlier nomination, should the latter become HOH again. Earlier I thought Nicotine was the best bet to remove Diane. Now it would appear only Karen and Marvin stand in her way.
Oh "Big" Brother! what is Marvin doing? He's violating every sensible strategy that I know of. Targeting Adria and turning Cowboy, the other independent housequest against you by using him as a pawn? People should begin to consider that if Adria is so despised by the housequests in general, then she's an excellent opponent in the final two vote since she'd lose.
Even more then that, at this late stage of the game he's making an alliance with Diane? How reliable is that going to be when push comes to shove? It would appear the budding soap star pictures himself in the final three with Diane and Drew, then ultimately going head to head with her one has to presume. May as well play the lotto.
Karen has won the POV and will not use it. So Adria will be the evictee this Thurs. Unfortunately, Karen cannot use the POV otherwise Nicotine will go on the block and be sent packing next week. The only positive thing is the balance of Drew-Diane, Nicotine-Karen and Cowboy-Marvin remaining after this week. I'm wondering if they will all realize this?
Reading the live transcript boards this weekend I've learned a motivating factor behind Marvin's poor nomination decision is a pledge he made with Will that either would avenge the twins eviction of the first one out between time if possble. I know the Bible doesn't mention Karma Boomerangs but I'm certain these gals will be acquainted with Buddism after this show!
Excellent, the gravedigger with the crop circles haircut wins himself 2 more weeks! More than likely, a gal will get her walking papers next Thursday bringing the game back into alignment. Shame on the women for not seriously preparing for this week's HOH competition. Absolutely no reason a woman could not have won this.
If the reader has been following patterns the likelihood is next week's HOH competition is a purely mental exercise. This necessitates that Nicotine be the primary target for eviction. As already detailed, Diane has to be reckoned with as soon as possible. Adria's threat has dropped with her sister's ouster whereas Drew's has risen since he gave serious consideration to keeping Natalie. The remaining two, Karen and Cowboy remain a third tier priority for the moment.
There's one fault with the above. Examining the current player configuration:
it might be advisable to nominate Diane and Drew in order to guarantee one of them goes putting these 3 groups in balance.
Nicotine nominated the twins as expected instead of going for my Hi-Priority Target which is Diane. Unfortunately, Adria won the POV and it's expected she'll save herself. Needless to say, it's ADIOS time for Natalie which I don't feel bad about since this BFD scheme of the producers wasn't fair in the first place. Speaking of Karma Boomerangs, if Adria takes the next HOH the goth princess is going to experience a flashback immediately!
Back to Diane. Honestly, I've overlooked this woman figuring she didn't bring anything to the table but for some reason she's smoozing everyone except Scott and Jase of course. In others words she's doing the housemates of opposing sides at the same time and they're saying thank you ma'am for it. You cannot be up against this woman in the final two and here's another reason she's the top target.
Generally, once they get down to the final four people. Everyone knows it's time for a final "Endurance" contest of some sort. Obviously, Diane will win that easily which may make the difference in securing the final two. Intelligent players won't allow her near even the final six if possible.
Finally, after Natalie's eviction this week, the battle of the sexes will see the head count at 4-3 for the weaker sex. Are you tracking? If Adria boots Nicotine next week the men have a chance to re-enter the game. Of course I don't suspect these three men to act as a unit. Hell it's asking alot for them to stand erect during the HOH competition. Just reminding viewers of the upcoming strategy considerations. The ladies have to be careful and not get swept up in the ongoing catfight.
Ah Ha ! I was right! Nicotine was the correct target. Now you have to deal with the ramifications of her HOH victory. So expect one of the twins to be nominated as well as Diane if Nicotine plans on winning this game. Truly an enormous blunder. The one of highest priorities is to remove the competitors who can do you in next.
Most likely, the twins alliance will lose a member. They might want to pass and eject Diane at this point. If nothing else it will completely demoralize Drew. People tend to forget one of the contests nearing the end is always an endurance competition in which we have already seen Diane has no peer. Get rid of her now, which will make it easier for everyone else to win.
Adria nominated Marvin and Will after limited conversation with others. What is it with people on this show. If you're in an alliance with other people, hold a group meeting to get everyone's take on it. If there is no concensus on who the hi-priority threat is, well then people in your own alliance are probably ready to cut and run on their own. If nothing else comes of it, you've gathered additional insight on your co-conspirators. I'll never understand this.
On Saturday, she won the POV to control her own HOH decisions. Ordinarily the HOH in this case would leave their own picks alone but a new strategy has developed. "The Twins" alliance would temporarily add Cowboy and Marvin by substituting Karen for the latter. The target? Will, who since going on the block hasn't been making a single right move.
Confident they have votes, Andria and her sister (you didn't think these two could be independent did you?) leave the nominations the way they stand. Not a wise move as Nicotine is the bigger risk. I can't entirely blame her however as Will spilled his intentions to go after the twins. Oh well, this was a rather insipid gay personality as opposed to prior years' incarnations. No loss for the viewers.
Yawn, So how are you all doing after 5+ weeks of "BIG SISTER"? Still above your boredom threshold? They've now dispensed with the strategically challenged psychotics and left the viewers with the insecure, emotionally disturbed cretins. Whew! Great casting job Arnold.
Plowing ahead, the current player configuration is in three groups:
Ostensibly Marvin is the largest threat to the women strategically and a personal irritant to them. Long time BB followers realize the importance of completely killing an alliance in which case Cowboy must go next. I'm going to suggest something different.
I think it's Diane who has proposed the twins ally themselves with cowboy, for now. Coincidently, one of the twins is the HOH this week. The obvious two can wait (albeit not for long) and "The Freaks" pose a group threat. Make the primary target Nicotine who showed she can win the HOH and is now a confirmed schemer. The secondary target becomes Will. It's doubtful Karen will win the POV even if selected to complete and therefore she becomes the substitute nominee if necessary.
Unless Nicotine wins the POV, even a tie eviction vote leaves Adria choosing to give bizarro gal a taste of her own "strategizing". Since a physical HOH competition is usually followed by a mental exercise next week, this eliminates a key competitor ahead of time. Go for it Adria!
I knew something bothered me about this year's POV rules. I didn't think of this strategy which Nicotine has put into play. Since not everyone competes in the POV, don't nominate the intended evictee initially. Instead nominate and choose POV participants other then the eventual evictee who pledge to DELIBERATELY exercise the POV. As a result, the HOH can intentionally replace an initial nominee with the poor targeted SOB. This way the person you want to evict can't compete in their own defense. Clever huh? Again, totally unfair to the players.
So Jase is a goner and frankly so is most of the entertainment value. The man's a buffoon however, he provided the comic relief to the house.
So as the sun sets and we bid good riddance to "Shitty Scott" a.k.a "Bidet Boy" a.k.a. "Chocolate Colon" a.k.a. "Draggletailed Dunghead" ... ( I'm sure you have your own favorite alliterations ) we also find ourselves mourning the passing of this year's show. How so you ask? You can't inject new players nor re-insert formerly evicted players into any of these reality shows without eviscerating ( "Chocolate Colon" you listening?) the integrity of the game. Kind of ironic the way co-producer Arnold Shapiro commenting on tonight's show said "This will be the crowning moment in the five years of Big Brother".
Now there's no question all of the men have made dumb moves. However, the producers have added to the women's ranks tonight and instead of wisely setting up a somewhat physical HOH competition ( yes they bias games when they want to ) wound up with a gal winning it. Any wonder the post show feeds show the men willing to throw in the towel?
My first take. It's Jase and Marvin on the block with Drew the alternate. Strap yourself down kiddies cause unless he wins POV, Jase will be joining Scott at the end of "The most boring week in the five years of Big Brother".
Hey Arnold! I submit the show be renamed "BIG SISTER".
Jase won the power of veto and removed himself from the nominations. Whereupon Diane replaced him with Marvin. Now there's been several discussions on whether to shift the eviction to Marvin but I still believe the gals will stay the proper course which is removing Scott. Then it's crucial for them to win the HOH again and make a second attempt to remove Jase.
Suddenly a lot of noise coming from Will. He's apparently looking to work multiple 2-person alliances having entered into ones with Karen and now the surprise, Jase! So at this point I'm assuming neither the HORSE*MAN*URE's nor GirlPower alliance will survive till the end.
Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech! That sound you hear are the wheels coming off of the HORSE*MAN*URE's game plan. Why in heavens sakes would you get rid of an ally? Holly has been a supporter of theirs since the beginning! What was all of Jase's posturing about in front of the gal's group saying the game is on? Then there's Scott. Using candy or snacks as an abstraction in your decision making process doesn't help if you can't count!
So the hot looking chick with the annoying voice is gone (this appears to please all the jealous female viewers but dismays me greatly). Diane outlasted Jase to become the HOH in what can only be described as the marathon of all endurance type reality show contests so far. So Jase and Scott can start packing their bags now. One of them is gone next thursday. If the gals are smart, they target Jase for eviction. He's the bigger threat as Scott appears to be as dumb as a fence post.
GAME OVER Beavis and Butthead.
Drew tried to play the middle of the road by picking Holly and "Nicotine". Then the tattooed goth chick goes ahead and takes the POV which she will use on herself. Most likely Drew will substitute Adria leaving the following decisions. Marvin, the man without an alliance, must either side with the men in evicting Adria or with the remaining women plus Will. The latter certainly want Holly ( why must they always race to get rid of the lookers so soon? ) gone. Should this happen, Drew winds up directly picking the evictee.
Strategy-wise, Drew and Marvin's allegiances are being tested. No matter what happens, Drew already made a mistake in the horsemen's eyes with his nominations. Marvin on the other hand is facing a commitment whether he likes it or not. Immediately save Holly for the men or force Drew to save her. In my opinion, he sides with the men once again. It may not matter, he's not long for this game anyway.
Good Riddance Lori! I'm especially glad she's gone having found out that an agent supposedly helped her get the spot on the show. I don't understand why but CBS gives the producers too much leeway thereby ruining the integrity of process. So they got what they deserved, someone who just wanted to make a quick score and get some exposure.
According to many sites covering the show, only one set of twins, Adria and Natalie are still shifting. If so that would explain Drew winning HOH. In my opinion, grabbing the HOH spot just makes it that easier to be flushed out. So maybe it's true, they were outed so only one can continue to play?
Also according to the message boards, additional houseguests maybe gay. Ordinarily I'd say no but this is one questionable batch of mammals. Apparently, the reason Scott always bathes and never showers is because he never wipes his ass after voiding. You guessed it, he figures what the hell, it all washes out in the bathwater! Say hello to new Big Brother Grossest Person Award holder. Hot Tub anyone (a.k.a. "The Fecal Frappe")?
Lastly, I'm digging this chick Karen more as time goes on. She's good looking in her own right and the cameras love her. Also she displays a wide range of emotions well (yes seems more like acting as it appears disingenuous to me). This could be your winner. No, not of the game, more like a TV contract for a soap opera.
Well now it's all out in the open. It's the guys vs. the gals and the gloves are off. Marvin, the new HOH, has nominated Lori and Holly followed by Jase winning the POV. Although there are bigger fish to fry, I can't blame Marvin for targeting Lori. It's important to set the tone that one doesn't accept cash in lieu of everyone getting regular food. I'm assuming he figures Holy's a pawn that people won't vote for.
So far it's difficult to tell how many people are playing each other. Jennifer may have decided after being on the block last week to work both the men's and women's groups. Everyone's duping the gay guy Will. The boys are all stringing Michael along. Jase and Scott are using Marvin. It appears Holly's patronizing Jase and vice-versa. The exception, all sets of twins are concentrating on maintaining a low profile and therefore can't get too close to anyone.
Already it doesn't look good for my pick Scott. He's following in the footsteps of previous arrogant players and doesn't understand the seed Mike planted didn't fall on deaf ears. The others realize they must plan to get rid of him.
Steve won the POV and decided not to use it. Right now it would appear that Mike is a goner. Ostensibly, everything seems cut and dry except for the men's knowledge of the women's alliance. Everyone knows the women have a disadvantage in any heavily athletic competition which is why women understand that a viable strategy is ganging up to oust the men first. If I'm reading it correctly, it seems the men are going to gamble that they will win the HOH again and then nominate nothing but women for the second eviction.
The nominees should have been Mike and Lori not Jennifer. Never nominate a person merely because they are weird. Let's hope the housequests don't waste much time getting rid of Lori in any case. Otherwise, this sets a bad precedent for the game.
The HOH Room SPYCAM doesn't have audio? So it doesn't provide anyone with anything they can't learn by walking around the house. "Pffffft", that sound you hear is the air rushing out of an idea balloon. I wonder if during a in-house lockdown for contest preparation work by the BB crew the HOH is forced to watch a still shot of the front door like the shut-in suckers watching on the webcast. Hehehe....
Am I wrong or does every BB season start with a sacrificial lamb? Lori accepted the cash alternative and immediately forced the housequests onto a PB & J diet. Already, most of the houseguests have marked her for the first eviction. However, everyone remembers how many lead-off targets have lasted deep into the game. Let's hope the people follow through this time, losers of this ilk have a habit of throwing off the entire game.
Everyone hearing "Dueling Banjos" from "Deliverance" as we learn that Jennifer and Michael are related? Both seem to be missing some chromosomes from their DNA strands. Neither of them will last long. Speaking of DNA, no one remarked that the initial food contest apparatus resembles the same. Oh well, it's an upcoming question for certain.
Jase, Drew, Scott and Michael formed an alliance almost immediately. Pacts this large normally break down and this one will be no exception. Two members each have another person they're tied into. Nevertheless, Scott strikes me as the most intelligent male player and my initial pick as the winner.
I want you to remember you heard about this here first! Assuming all houseguests learn about the SPY capability in the HOH room at the outset, being aware of the HOH's whereabouts is imperative prior to any private conversation that you wish to remain secure. Therefore any HOH winner, reclusively holed up with SPY capabilities, will be shunned by the other guests and targeted for early eviction. So to appear friendly to everyone, the HOH will have to spend most of their time outside the HOH room. At some point, the quests will realize it'd be better for all to destroy the SPY equipment thus returning to normal and permitting the HOH winner to actually enjoy winning the right to lounge in private.
The producers latest idea, is dead on arrival. Back to the drawing board boys!
Supposedly, the Head Of Household bedroom has been outfitted with monitors to allow anyone in it to spy and eavesdrop on the other houseguests. This would change the game's dynamic because in the past, people would shun the HOH honor to appear as no threat to other players. Now, forgoing the effort to win the amenities provided also means you lose out on obtaining information that might be necessary to win the game.
While discussing boner decisions made by the contestants in prior years a friend offered the following conjecture. They said perhaps it's the "Stupid Gas" that the producers pump into the house. I had to inquire about the time the contestants spent outside the house. Like the wireless mics, they felt the housemates have portable respirators with clear tubes like a patient on oxygen in the hospital. The more you think about it, it's as good an explanation as any for the level of skill displayed in this game.
