Finally! Five!

What this season of "Big Brother" lacks in talented players, it makes up for in ... ummmm ... well ... pretty much nothing!

Among the final five, only one true competitor remains, and her days are numbered unless she wins the next two HOHs. Hayden has won two HOH competitions but it's debatable whether either were truly earned or just lucky. Ragan has won only a single POV, and needs a win to stay in the game.

Now, Lane has won an HOH, but so far the Brigade's remaining three members have hardly turned in stellar performances worthy of their "history making" ambitions. Personally, I found Lane's logic regarding Enzo's lack of accomplishments a little ironic given the fact that he too, had not won until this week!

It's Like Watching a Rerun!

Sunday's episode began with an interminably long, boring recap of the previous week. Come on! Matt was evicted, Hayden won HOH, Brendon and Ragan were nominated, Ragan won POV, Brit was put up as the replacement nom, Brendon is gone. End of story!

Instead of an abridged version of events, we were treated to the player analysis of the events "as" they unfolded — Hayden shouted about the need to win the HOH, Enzo cheered himself on to another non-victory, and Lane expressed happiness that his "boy, Hayden" won the HOH. Definitely no surprises or insight into their strategy. Of course, maybe that is the extent of their strategy.

BB intros are like watching 15 minutes of reruns on every show!

History Making Season?

After the live show ended, the final five celebrated. I know it's an accomplishment but it speaks more to the fact that the better players could not survive without the numbers. Enzo, Lane and Hayden should be thanking Matt for his role in cementing the placement of the "Brigade" at this point of the game but they are too busy patting themselves on the back as the best competitors EVER in the history of the game!

Note to future BB players: Spend less time worrying about the perception of your game play and more time actually playing the game!

Enzo has a habit of working himself into a frenzy about the upcoming competitions. He talks a lot of crap about the other players' competitive skills but he certainly has not brought his "A" game to any of them — yet! As he promises to "bring it," he states firmly that his targets are Britney and Ragan.

Being no dummy, Lane quickly realizes he needs to throw the comp directly to Enzo. Wait, maybe that is the dumb move. It's Enzo for crying out loud — Mr. "Why Can't I Win Anything!" Lane is smart enough to realize that, if he wins, he will be between a rock and a hard place with nominations, so he would prefer that Enzo be the one to nominate Britney. Still, seems rather ambitious to trust Enzo's game skills.

Blackjack BB-Style!

Hayden emerges from the diary room and yells, "It's time for the HOH competition!" So, the four troop to the backyard where they encounter a game of "21" unlike any other in the history of the BB game. Instead of relying on the smarts of the players for a traditional game of Blackjack, it becomes more of a game of chance and a little skill. If this year's BB makes history in any category, it will be for the simplistic HOH competitions.

Britney is out first managing to score only an ace in the first round. She berates herself having already won three POVs and an HOH. But she forgets that luck factored into several of her previous wins. Of course, Mr. All Talk and No Show, Enzo, bombs round two much to the chagrin of Lane and Hayden. Enzo should have left the game a long time ago, and the fact that he remains is an embarrassment to better players that left before.

So Lane realizes it's up to him to take one for the team and knock Ragan out of contention. It was a bit of a nail biter in the third and final round though, and I was halfway hoping Lane would blow it so that Ragan could nominate two of the Brigade members because none of the remaining Brigade members have played well enough to be in the position they are in.

Lane pulled out the victory though, and then lamented Enzo's performance. Unfortunately for Britney, she continues to labor under the delusion that Lane has her back. His Diary Rooms show that his real allegiance is to the Brigade, and Britney probably is beginning to catch on that Lane is super close to Hayden.

How to Ruin a Good Gimmick!

If there's one thing to be said about BB, it's that when the producers find something they like, they stick to it. Take Pandora's Box for instance, last year, it was actually fun when money started raining down in the backyard and Kevin was caught with his hand in the box. It was mildly entertaining to watch an awkward proposal and equally awkward acceptance with Natalie and her boyfriend.

This year, however, the box seems like an albatross. Everyone is opening it without regard to their fell house mates and suffering the consequences. The first PB was intriguing. Who would have turned down the Diamond Power of Veto? But the boxes went downhill from there. Rachel and Jessie were gimmicky and really made me glad that those moments were shielded from the live feed viewers.

Lane's PB was simply ridiculous and had I been him, I would have asked for a reveal of which envelopes contained the amounts necessary to get to $10,000. He personified the old song lyrics, "If I had no bad luck, I'd have no luck at all." The end result, he traded $91.17 for three punishments.

First punishment, no utensils or drinking cups for the week. It's moderately funny to see Britney swigging directly from the two liter bottle, but aside from that, I guess you would have to be there!

A Bird? A Plane? No Enzo in a Penguin Suit!

Enzo's best moment of the game is when he left reality behind for the imaginary world of space flights. I was halfway hoping that he would find an actual wormhole and escape into another dimension.

Obviously boredom has overtaken the house guests, when someone can see a spacecraft in a weight bench, climb aboard and pretend to ride it out of the house.

Question of the day: Does Enzo know the meaning of "shun"?

Lane's Moment of Truth

Eventually, however, the moment of truth came for Lane. His choices of pawn were limited. Put up a Brigade member or put up his bff Britney. Hayden actually provided him with the reasoning necessary to place Enzo on the block — Enzo has not won anything. Lucky for Lane, he did win something, or he might be on the block this week.

Of course, no one WANTS to be on the block, but somebody has got to be. Enzo stays true to form and acts like a big baby about going up against Ragan. If he trusts his alliance, it should not be a problem. The big question though, is can you really trust two guys who shafted their one time leader?

Matt and Brendon: The One-Two Punch

OMG! This season is just dragging by! Even a double eviction failed to muster any excitement among the house guests or for that matter, the viewers.

The house guests were prepped and ready for the double eviction and didn't even flinch when Julie announced it to them. Maybe it's time to rethink the DE as a tactic of throwing off the house guests. Overused and anticipated, the DE has really lost its punch.

Strike Three for Matt

It was a given that Matt was going home this week. At some point in the future, I hope that Matt sees it was his own arrogance that lead to his downfall. Feeling safe, he threw the HOH competition and then proceeded to push for Enzo to go on the block.

After Brendon won the POV, Matt shifted gears and began suggesting Britney put his "best friend" in the house, Ragan, on the block. Why? Because the Brigade is so loyal? Matt knew that the Brigade was falling apart, so why the sudden loyalty to them? At the very least, Matt must have known that his words would get back to Ragan.

Once on the block, Matt noticed that Ragan was acting differently, so he approached Britney about Ragan. While Britney fed Matt BS about the situation, he realized that Britney had told Ragan that he threw him under the bus. Duh, Matt, of course she's going to tell him.

So, Matt's idea of damage control? Talk more crap about Ragan to the "Brigade." Stupid strategy from someone who thinks he's the best player in the history of the game and is the self-proclaimed, "super genius."

Matt could have turned Ragan's moment of revelation about the Brigade into a positive for himself by saying something like, "Yeah, we were in an alliance but not anymore. They were gonna dump me last week for Lane, so I'm 100 percent a free agent." Instead, he runs to Hayden and Lane and tells them Ragan knows about their alliance.

Matt's biggest flaw in the game is trying to think for the rest of the house. He tried to turn things by making Ragan seem like the biggest threat to the Brigade. Did he really think Hayden and Lane would vote to keep him over Enzo because Ragan was supposedly coming after them?

Ragan's Light Bulb Moment

Ragan's "ah-ha" moment was great, and Matt's reaction to it was priceless. He has some interesting "tells" when on the spot. Matt looked away immediately and maintained a half-smile that made everything he said seem insincere. Ragan actually handed him a golden rope to save himself, and Matt threw it back in his face.

Matt should have confirmed it and then told Ragan that he could not out them because they would deny. He could have suggested that Ragan tell Brit and Brendon about Enzo's slip about splitting the votes, and his theory they were in an alliance. Who knows what might have happened.

Instead, Matt walked out the door. He should have worked the situation to his advantage because the only one close to being loyal to him was Ragan.

Awwwwkward!

Matt's interview with Julie was uncomfortable. Part way through, it occurred to me that Matt really wanted the "full" BB experience, and in his mind that experience included a showmance. Being married, a showmance with a woman was out of the question, so he opted for the gay member of the cast instead. Why else would he call it a showmance during the interview? I think he thought it made him cool or something.

He's still in denial about the condition of the Brigade. Matt would have been better off choosing a side and sticking to it rather than playing both sides against the middle which seemed to be the way he explained his strategy.

The worst part of the interview was how cool he tried to act with Julie. It never works for a nerdy guy to try to act cool. In fact, Andrew had one of the best after interviews of the season and came off way cooler by simply being himself.

Production Working Overtime On the "KISS" Philosophy

The HOH competition was ridiculously simple. One question and a race? Come on. Well, at least Hayden played to win but the competitions this year have sucked in determining the best player.

I would love to be a fly on the wall of a production meeting. "Hey, we've got five boys playing in the HOH this week. We need a fast, SIMPLE competition that someone will win without it going to a tie breaker." So, they toss a few ideas around, remember the leftover boxes and packing chips in the basement, and presto, they have a comp that even Enzo could potentially win!

My big question: Why didn't Enzo have to wear the penguin suit? Every other player has had to wear their costume through the entire live show and up to a few hours afterward. So why not Enzo? He eats when he's on slop, does not have to wear his costume the entire time, and generally disregards the rules. Yet still no penalty nom or vote? Would a penguin suit really have hampered his ability to play in the HOH?

Through the years, I've wondered about certain things. For instance, during BB8, I wondered if Eric's name was really in the bag when they drew for veto. Or last week, I wondered if everyone's buzzer actually worked during the veto competition. But during the HOH comp, I really wondered if Enzo had any names at all in his boxes. He did not find even one of the names!

The Pawn Always Goes Home!

Brendon should have had a "light bulb" moment when Hayden, Enzo and Lane headed off by themselves to discuss strategy prior to the nominations. Hayden and Enzo, sure fine, but Lane? Instead, Brendon joined them and was told he would be the pawn. I'm sure that's how it was expected to work out given the fact that Matt had spent a great deal of time making Ragan seem like the biggest threat in the house.

So after nominating, Brendon and Ragan, it was out to the backyard once more for the veto comp. The producers switched it up a bit this year when they used the Before/After competition for veto instead of HOH. It was a bit disconcerting and seemed hugely out of place.
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Enzo needs to rethink his comments about Kathy as a competitor. First out of the comp and simply not representing Jersey! Surprisingly, Britney did not do well in the comp, although, she may have thrown it to make herself seem less of a threat. In the end, Ragan topped Hayden (I've been wanting to use that phrase for awhile now :) ).

Ragan's veto speech was just a bit irritating as he invoked Janelle's words. But at this point in the game, I'm finding Ragan irritating on so many levels. As a result, Britney was the replacement nominee, and Brendon was evicted 3-0.

It was actually a win-win situation for the Brigade as both Brendon and Britney have each claimed an HOH and three POVs, so whoever they decided to put out was a bonus for them. I'm just surprised that Enzo did not want to split up the pair of Britney and Lane.

Brendon's interview was one of the best of the season. No malice. It's a game. His indecision about whether he would still be in the house if Ragan had not won the POV was a classic moment. Maybe he was just excited to be heading to the "real bed" where Rachel awaits. Who knows?

The real tragedy for me was that this week I liked Brendon far more than I had previously thought possible. I was even starting to hope for a Brendon win.

The show ended abruptly after Brendon's interview with the HOH comp to be played after the live show.
Here's a random piece of advice for the producers: After 12 seasons of this show, the time has come to switch up Julie's scripts. Julie is just too predictable both in her segues to a new segment and her interviews.

SPOILER ALERT

The HOH comp for this week was finally played and Lane won, putting him in the position of having to nominate either one of the members of the Brigade or Britney. Clearly, Ragan will go on the block, but will Lane put up Britney, Hayden or Enzo?

Here are some possible "worst case" scenarios for Lane.

1.) He nominates Ragan and Britney. Ragan wins POV and Lane then must replace him with Hayden or Enzo. The vote splits with Ragan voting for the Brigade member, and Britney receiving the remaining vote. Lane would then be forced to cast the tie breaker.

2.) Lane nominates Ragan and a Brigade member, the Brigade member wins POV pulls "hisself" off the block, and Lane puts Britney up leaving the power in Enzo and Hayden's hands, who conceivably might vote off Britney as the bigger threat.

Worst case scenario for viewers is the final three will be Enzo, Hayden and Lane. The first round of the HOH will last about five minutes as Enzo drops out immediately followed closely by Lane. Ugggh!

The BB Bus Stops for No One!

So the "Big Brother" bus was barreling down the road, when Matt suddenly grabbed his best friend in the house, Ragan, by the shoulders and threw him under the oncoming bus! Little did Matt know, but his "good" friends and fellow Brigade members, Enzo, Hayden and Lane were lining up to throw him under that very same bus. The bus driver braked for Ragan, but solidly ran over the top of Matt!

The phrase, "throw (someone) under the bus" first cropped up a few years ago on "Big Brother" as a term for sacrificing someone else for nomination/eviction while saving yourself. Since then, it's been one of the most over-used phrases in the history of the game. I hope that next season, the house guests come up with a new catchy phrase to describe the process. Here's a few options: "He threw him out of the plane without a parachute," or "She pushed him off the train into the scrub brush." Not quite the same ring?

Who's Watching My Back?

The upshot of the episode was that the Brigade, which was irrevocably shattered this week, wanted Matt gone. Lane pitched Matt as a backdoor option Britney even before the POV. Now clearly, for her game, Matt was more important to her than even Lane, but Britney does not realize it yet. She still feels like Lane has her back.

So, when they stepped outside for the POV comp and found themselves locked in cages unable to see their fellow participants, Britney assumed that Hayden, Lane and Matt were all playing with her to keep the nominations the same. Lane and Hayden had very different ideas though. Lane jumped right on the phone call from home, while Hayden walked away with a trip to Hawaii and $5,000.

There is something flawed about the competition that allows only the first to buzz in to get the prize. Matt complained afterward that his buzzer did not work and I think he was right. Brendon could not have been that lucky (or that fast) that many times. Well, lucky, if you don't mind taking a bath in chum or getting your head shaved.

The Way It Should Have Been or Producer for a Day!

Still, how much more interesting would it have been if everyone who buzzed in would have been given the punishment and the points. Matt, Enzo, Brendon and Britney would have been penguin suit wearing, chum bathed, slop eating, bald or pink-haired players handcuffed to the person of their choosing with only the clothes on their backs left. The tie breaker could have been a real tie breaker: How much would you be willing to give up of the $500,000 prize for the veto?

Then, as they emerged from the cages and the punishments were doled out, Hayden and Lane could have felt the discomfort of the hot seat having never went for the punishments. This week would have been hugely entertaining for feed viewers and episode viewers alike.

Picture it: Britney handcuffs herself to Lane and bathes in chum hourly laying on a huge guilt trip because he gets to talk to someone from home. Enzo picks Hayden for his partner and the "Meow, Meow" complains about the penguin suit, the chum, the slop and everything else. Matt aligns with Ragan for his handcuff shenanigans and Ragan commiserates with Matt by taking a chum bath with him. Brendon would be the odd man out but how funny would it have been for Hayden to find himself cuffed to two people?

Britney's diary rooms would have been priceless as she compared her pink hair to Rachel's extensions, and Brendon would have persevered with his usual philosophical approach to the situation. I think it would have been one of the best weeks in the house. The POV ceremony would have looked a lot different — pretty sure!

Instead, we get a disappointed Britney; a happy, but smelly Brendon; an unhappy penguin-suited Enzo; a confused Matt; and two somewhat guilty Brigade members, Hayden and Lane. BB dropped the ball on this one!

Are You Kidding Me?

Pandora's Box needs to go. The most recent PB brought Jessie "the body" Godderz back in the house for the third season in a row. What's with this guy? Why do the producers like him so much? It's stunts like this that really make me wonder what they are thinking. If they want to bring back someone, here's some other choices: BB8 - Dick offering bartending tips or Daniele offering fashion tips; BB9 - Alex giving advice about being a DJ or Natalie talking about her painting hobby; BB10 - Dan and a "how to" speech about being a motivational speaker or Steven talking about "how to" make the most of your post-BB experience; BB11 - Michele giving advice about abandoning your pre-BB career in favor of entertainment or Lydia explaining about body art choice and placement.

Instead, we get Jessie flexing and preening for the camera - AGAIN! How lame! There have been a few times that I believed that BB jumped the shark, but bringing Jessie back again more than proves it. The producers are definitely into recycling but here's a piece of news: no matter how many times you recycle Jessie, he's still going to be Jessie.

On the other hand, the Hawaiian-themed party proves how desperate the house guests are for entertainment. I can't imagine where they found the girls for the dancers but it screamed "low budget." I suppose the food was worth it though if you were a Have Not.

Speaking of low budget, why is it that the show has been on the air for 12 seasons, and the prize money remains the same as do the weekly stipends the players get? After paying the prize money, the production crew, food bill, and stipends, the show is pretty much pure profit!

Enter the Three Stooges

But back to reality, or the show as we know it. After the POV comp, Matt suddenly swerved away from his theory that the Brigade was collapsing and decided it was time to check the bus schedule. Poor Ragan was totally unaware that his "best friend" in the house was about to throw him under the bus. First step, make a subtle hint to Brit, then tell fellow Brigade members to go full bore for Ragan.

Interesting theory that proves the fact that "real" friendships don't exist inside the house. Lane too, proves that point whenever he enters the DR and states his loyalty to the Brigade while "handling" Brit. This season could prove far more interesting for the players in the house to watch than it was for us!

What Matt did not realize is that the Brigade as he knew it, had already morphed into the Three Stooges. As things stand now, Lane, Hayden and Enzo may very well reach the end by winning only one or two comps between now and then. Some winners! No offense to Jordan fans, but the finals this year could turn out to be very much like BB11 with a lack of real players making it to the end.

Matt's fate was actually sealed several days before when Enzo's paranoia reached epic proportions. Claiming he was concerned about Matt's loyalty, Enzo initially focused on Ragan but ultimately narrowed in on Matt, who, it would seem, is the only truly loyal member of the Brigade. Enzo has a way of pointing the finger at someone else and forgetting that three other fingers are pointing in his direction.

The live eviction could be interesting if Matt chooses to out the Brigade just before eviction. What purpose would it serve? Maybe not much but it might give him a sense of satisfaction or it could lead Brendon, Britney and Ragan to realize what they have been up against since the beginning.

Meow-Meow vs. The Brain

OMG! Sundays and Wednesdays are usually the worst "Big Brother" shows, but tonight's show is in the running to take top honors for the season.

Maybe the producers should rethink their scheduling. By the time Sunday's show airs, not only have the nominations taken place, but so has the POV. So if you are a feed viewer, the only surprises Sunday, are the diary rooms, and what actually took place during the Have/Have Not comp.

Brendon's Brain

That said, here's a few thoughts about the diary rooms. Brendon's DR's come across as the arrogant, emo philosopher. Not an easy feat, but his statements about his intelligence, and that of Rachel's, is so incredibly arrogant, it's easy to see why he is not a favorite of the other house guests. Too bad Brendon is so clueless as to why he is disliked!

According to Brendon, he's smarter than just about anyone, and I'm sure he views his game play as — in the words of the other BB12 house guests — "history making," but he really is naive on so many levels. Brendon plays in the moment rather than with an eye on the future. Kristen unwittingly gave him the keys to the game with her statements about Hayden's alliance, but Brendon must still see him making it to the end with Enzo and Hayden. Brendon is playing for fourth at this point.

Will the Real Lane Please Stand Up?

Lane's diary rooms are so not Lane. I have watched the feeds and he has a few snippets of funny one liners, but by and large he's just not that funny. Yet, his DRs are the ones I looked forward to ... well, until recently, when it occurred to me that he was being fed lines and parroting them back. He's not alone in this. Hayden, Enzo and Matt are vying for the same role as the overly animated DR enthusiast! During some sessions, you can even seen Hayden glance toward the bottom of the screen as if he's got a cue card just under the camera.

Lane is also starting to sound like a "Bitter Betty" in the diary room. The tone is becoming increasingly angry, even when he's trying to be funny. It seems like he's on the verge of exploding and sometimes his DRs make no sense at all, like when he was put on the block and he said it made him feel like going into a bar, finding a pretty girl and beating up her bf. What???

I would prefer to see the house guests being themselves and really revealing what they are thinking rather than simply delivering a bunch of one liners.

My Volume Control is Broken! Wait! It's Just Hayden!

How I wish I could hear the voice of BB say: "Hayden, could you please turn it down just a notch." Not the acting, just the volume. He's over-the-top anyway, but his audio level is beyond the level I want to hear emanating from my television each time BB is on. If I could, I would vote to evict Hayden for that reason alone.

Hayden enters the diary room and shouts his confessions back to the producer or whomever he is talking to. Well, maybe not shouts, but speaks loudly. I'm sure he's been given some instruction about adding more emotion and to Hayden that means, "shout it out!"

Brigade? What Brigade?

The cracks in the Brigade are definitely starting to show. Matt's not stupid (contrary to Brendon), he had a golden opportunity to find out where he stood among the others, and he did just that a few hours before the live show. Hayden told him he planned to vote him out, while Enzo did the manly thing and rode the fence.

Note to Brigade: Not the brightest move to vote out the only person in your alliance who is actually winning! Enzo can't put together a winning competition in spite of being one of the two remaining house guests in a comp where you had a 50 percent chance of being right. Lane puts on a great show, but it's only show, and he failed to come through when he was neck and neck with Brendon. As for Hayden, show me some fighting spirit or some of the smarts you boast.

Enzo focuses a lot on how the Brigade is making BB history but how ridiculous is that? It's only an alliance. This cast needs to focus less on their history making and more on their game play! Because so far, the only "history making" moments of the show have occurred during the live eviction episodes.

The Brigade has been balancing on the cliff of their own demise for a week or so now, and Hayden and Lane are following Meow Meow, as he creeps closer to the edge. Lane needs to take notice though and really listen to what Enzo is saying when he tells him that he wants to break up the pair. Lane is as close to Britney as Matt and Ragan are. Once Matt is gone, will Lane be too far behind?

Is the Point of the HOH Reveal Simply to Embarrass the HOH?

Each season the producers offer personal glimpses into the lives of the contestants through their HOH photos. Sunday's episode made me realize once and for all that I would rather have a photoless room than expose family and loved ones to ridicule. What's up with Hayden? Brit's fiance was shown in a single photo — head and shoulders — and it's kind of hard to get much out of that. Maybe he is a Greek god. As for Lane, well, he came across as a bit jealous focusing only on Nick's scruffiness. Why pick apart the fiance?

Lane Reveals the Inner Beast

Later, Lane is shown proving to his alliance why he's known as "The Beast" as he ordered them to put on every weight available. Ummm, so Lane, if there's a comp where they lift weights, you will win, but since most require smarts or a level of endurance, not sure you proved anything. His DR was so ridiculous it actually made me nostalgic for the self-absorbed DRs of Jessie.

Frankly, if this year follows previous seasons and the final four consist of the Enzo, Lane, Hayden and Brendon, Brendon will probably win the final POV as that comp usually requires them to remember the order of who was evicted and who won the POVs. Either that, or it might become the longest competition in the history of BB as each person struggles to put it all together. Maybe the producers should consider making it the first part of the endurance challenge!

What's in the Water?

Matt's confession that he dreamed of a shirtless Hayden must have made his wife feel great considering he admitted to being in a "homosexual showmance." Confused much? Matt seems to be as he says the house plays games with your head. The house? I doubt the house influences whether we suddenly find ourselves attracted to someone of the same sex or not.

Drink Up!

The Have/Have Not comp was entertaining — for the first round. Lane's reaction was the best because he always looked like he was savoring the after taste. Ragan's "poker face" was embarrassing to watch and was old almost before he started. Hayden, Enzo and Brendon, showed a real lack of imagination as they tried to emulate the "Enzo face." Personally, I don't think Hayden had any room to criticize Matt's poker face.

Not surprising, the Have Nots were not that gracious about their additional food items. Bean dip and broccoli may not seem like much but it's substantially more than slop eaters used to get.

The Role of the HOH is to ...

Brit deserved to win. The only female in the house, she needs to take out someone big to survive next week. Her nominations of Enzo and Brendon are a great first step. Personally, I really want the Meow Meow to go this week, one way or another.

In fact, if Ragan, Britney and Matt team up, they have won the majority of comps and could easily take out Lane, Hayden and Brendon.

Kathy Leaves By the Window!

Another great live show! What "Big Brother" fails to deliver on the feeds and the other two weekly shows, it's making up for with its live shows. A little behind the scenes manipulation always helps!

But it does leave me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth as the realization sinks in that Kathy was not backdoored; she was pushed out a window! I felt a little sorry for her as she took her spot on the couch, gave her speech, and then was unceremoniously voted out, 5-0.

Que Sera Sera - Whatever Will Be, Will Be!

Somehow or another the Diamond Power of Veto had to be used or it would have been a waste of another twist, so Matt had to be on the block to ensure it would be used. Had the original two nominees remained, I think Matt would have kept the broken down POV in his pocket and none of his housemates would have ever known. Sure, it would have meant sacrificing what was arguably his closest ally in the house, but that's the game!

Matt was too cool for his own good, though. Hayden and Enzo had decided to vote him out but worried that he might have some "power." Of course, it did not help that Matt discussed the "power" often and speculated that someone might have it. A few people wondered how he could be so calm about being on the block. Matt really did not try to campaign, although he did find out the "pecking order" of the Brigade when his suspicions lead him to wonder about Hayden and Enzo's loyalties.

Decisions! Decisions!

Only one question remained: who would Matt put up in his place? Brendon was out simply because he was HOH, and Ragan could not go up either because of the POV. So realistically, there were only a few choices: Enzo, Hayden, Britney and Kathy. Of those, only three of the choices made sense at this point: Enzo, Hayden and Britney. Taking out one of his Brigade members would have been risky but could have paid off big time as it would have eliminated someone who is gunning for him.

Enzo would have been my choice to leave because he really picks apart the other members of the Brigade and has done nothing to help the situation. Plus, Enzo has grown noticeably close to Brendon and Hayden. He's also cruising toward the end of the game without having to win or get blood on his hands. His goodbye message to Rachel ensures her vote if he's up against anyone but Brendon. Enzo leaving might have brought Hayden back to the Brigade, as he and Enzo are undeniably close.

Hayden is another viable choice. The good guy. The All American. Sitting alongside him in the final two would result in a second place finish for Matt. Plus, Hayden's only victory was week one when it was down to the wire and he was simply the last one left on the red team. He's hardly a big help to the Brigade.

The biggest problem with nominating a Brigade member is that it would have split the alliance once and for all. On the other hand, the alliance is crumbling and likely will fall before the final four, it's just a matter of time.

Next, there was Britney. She's a definite winner with knowledge of past BB seasons. She's got a head on her shoulders and has proved that more than once in the past few weeks. In addition, she's definitely a threat to go all the way with a little luck, and I wouldn't want to sit next to her in the final two.

In fact, there are only two candidates that Matt would logically want to have sat next to in the final two: Ragan and Kathy. Ragan because he's regarded as a floater by many, and Kathy, well because she's Kathy and not one of the jury would want to lose the entire season to Kathy.

Instead, he nominated Kathy for eviction. Kathy? Really? The D-POV could have and should have shook up the house but it turned out to be just a typical eviction of a less than average player.

Time to Re-think the D-POV

I actually have a few problems with the D-POV. First, it should be played a little earlier in the week, like during the POV ceremony itself. Ragan could have played his, and then Brendon could have nominated Matt, who could have taken his place, and then as Ragan announced the close of the meeting, he could have stood up and played his power. I doubt Kathy would have been on his radar at that point or maybe she would have been, but at least she could have campaigned.

Second, the D-POV should have been announced to the cast so they were aware it was in play and what the power was. The coup d' tat was announced to the house guests two weeks prior to its actual use so no one was totally caught unaware. Announcing it would have the added bonus of stirring paranoia amongst the players.

Lastly, this power, like the coup, is totally unfair to the replacement. No chance to campaign. No chance to pack and prepare mentally for eviction. Instead, boom, pow, Kathy you are on the block. Arguably, the best part was Matt's speech although calling Brendon a "big dummy" on live TV was a little ridiculous. Also, like the coup, it basically negates the HOH, leaving that person wondering what the point of the entire week was if someone can switch it up during the live eviction.

Lastly, the D-POV should be a power that is available to everyone. Maybe a super aggressive veto competition with all house guests taking part and allowing it to be used at any point up to the final four. The strategy would have been incredible. If I were HOH, I might consider putting up the holder to flush it out and take the consequences while I was safe from nomination. On the other hand, why bother putting someone up if you knew for sure that it would be used to take them off? How about the campaigning that would occur by the two people on the block each week? Not only could they try to negotiate for the regular veto but if that failed, they would still have time to try for the D-POV.

My Two Cents!

As it was used in this game, it totally changes the playing field of an otherwise strategical game. Let's say the D-POV is rolled out during All Stars and someone like Jeff is given the opportunity (producers could have selected any PB for Matt, but they chose the D-POV for him) to take the D-POV. Hardly the most strategical player, but he's given the chance to get rid of the biggest threat of the game. So let's say, in a house with competitive past players where people are striving to win, Jeff (or some other D-POV) could play the veto and put a more deserving player out of the house. How fair would that be?

Good Riddance, Saboteur!

In one of the most painful twist redoux, the saboteur failed to deliver time and again. The messages that kept the cast up all night were mildly amusing but hardly worth $3,333.33. By my count, Ragan had already completed his three tasks for the week by the time he "selected" the note for his "final" act.

Why did he perform this task at the last minute when the money was already his? Ragan had already counted his "chickens" when he won the POV, so this task was a little odd but it served a few purposes.

First, he chose to put the note on Enzo's bed, arguably the most paranoid member of the house, outside of Brendon (who talks to himself on a regular basis). "I know your secret" must have made Enzo concerned that he was about to be exposed.

Second, the note provided "proof" to the house guests that a "real" saboteur existed in their midst not just BB playing tricks on them.

Third, it pacified the viewers who were claiming foul because Ragan never had to leave the diary room to accomplish his tasks.

Finally, and most importantly, the note cast suspicion on an innocent bystander. Earlier in the day, Kathy took time to straighten the room and made Enzo's bed in the process. Then, by whatever quirk of fate, Kathy was asleep in bed with the lights on. Normally, the lights would have been off making the discovery of the note possibly more difficult. Then, Kathy awakens and asks him what is up and Enzo shows her the note and tells her what it says.

Enzo proceeds to go through the house rousting the others and brings them together to discuss it. At no point does ANYONE question what Enzo's secret might be. Instead, they simply start going over who had access to the room, and a possible timeline. Poor Kathy! Her fate was determined by a note left by the saboteur. All attention focused on the bumbling, 40-something member of the household, her lack of skills during competitions, her supposed acts of betrayal.

Even Matt mentioned that Kathy was a potential replacement nom simply because of the saboteur spec. It was a little strange that Matt did not mention that fact during his nomination speech. In my opinion, Kathy was BB's sacrificial lamb. Easily expendable, and not likely to ruffle too many feathers among the viewers.

Showmance or No-mance?

The live eviction shows have turned into a segment of "This is Your Life." I figured that Lane's family/friends would be featured, but did not see Britney's as being part of it. Maybe BB assumed Britney would be the replacement nom but for whatever reason, we were treated to small town southern hospitality, where Moms support their daughter's potential relationship while the fiance sits in attendance.

It was a little bizarre. Lane and Brit do flirt and the package of clips they used would have to be difficult for Nick (the fiance) to watch, but so far they have not crossed the line. I doubt if they will, at least while they are in the house together. On the outside, who knows. The trouble with flirting is, how much is too much, and when does one of the two decide to push it a little further. Lane will take whatever she offers and will try for more, so Britney needs to set the pace.

It might be Britney's strategy to flirt with a man, and Lane seems nice if a little chauvinistic in his approach to women. But Brit may be rethinking her relationship with Nick a bit as she does have a tendency to swear on it when she has no intention of keeping the promise. Whatever the case, I hope she waits to make a decision until after the show ends.

Oddest HOH Comp of the Season!

Every year, they seem to have an odd HOH competition based on something that happened in the house. This time, it was a bizarre game of "Big Brother Says." A variety of commands were given, including a group hug, and doing a handstand. Then, during the HOH comp the group was asked a variety of true/false questions about the commands. The questions were so "specific" altering just a single word in the original command. Ragan and Hayden left during the first round, hard to say if it was nerves or them throwing the comp but at this stage it's stupid to throw a competition.

Matt on the other hand, definitely threw the competition. There is no way he wanted to be in the position to nominate Brendon and one of his allies, so he threw it.

As the players dwindled to just Britney and Enzo, it seemed that Enzo's every hesitation was due to him concentrating on whether or not Britney had moved her game piece to the true or the false. In the end, Brit came out on top, and it was a good place to be.

I predict Brendon and Enzo on the block this coming week. If Brendon wins the POV, I look for Hayden to go up to take out Enzo.

Will the Real Zingbot Please Stand Up?

Zingbot for the win!

Finally, BB put someone in the house who not only exudes personality but is willing to put themselves out there. Unfortunately, Zingbot was only in the house to host the POV, and then departed after hugs with Brendon.

For a brief moment, I wondered whether or not Brendon was hoping the sharp-witted man in green was another reincarnation of Rachel as he declared his love. Fortunately, Zingbot was just another character in the saga of BB12!

But the diversion was great while it lasted. Not only did the Zingbot "zing" Lane about the size of his brain, but got off a good shot at Enzo too, as his lack of competitive triumphs resounded like a grenade!

The Zingbot also gave Ragan and Britney some additional ammunition for their DRs. "Zing!"

Brigade's Grenades!

During the POV, both Matt and Brit got in some great punches at the expense of the alpha male members of the Brigade. Brit's faith in the nominations staying the same lay in the hands of Enzo and Hayden, along with Kathy. Well, of course, Kathy is really a no-brainer. The only comp she did well in was the bowling competition. Otherwise, Kathy has been a non-factor in every challenge. Still, Matt's impression of Hayden, Lane and Enzo looking to each other for help was really very funny.
While not personally a fan of Ragan, I really wanted him to win more than anyone for the simple reason that I wanted to see Matt on the block to use the D-POV. It was an added bonus that Brendon kept looking to Ragan for guidance on his puzzle. Brendon's logic of doing it faster must come from his nights with Rachel! He professed that his strategy was to copy Ragan but do it faster. Ummm. Does not compute! Zing!

Rachel's in the House

Brendon is a walking example of "Be Careful What You Wish For!" Now at this point, if anyone still thinks that BB has no influence of the game, consider this: Would anyone else have gone for the Pandora's Box reward except Brendon? I'm sure they would have figured out some other way to bring her in the house, but still, the whole PB seems a little suspicious!

So with Rachel at her most sexy (insert vomit here) and Brendon looking love sick, BB asked him to make a decision: go on a trip and meet Rachel (as insinuated by the invitation for two and her photo) or refuse Pandora's Box. Of course, he goes for the trip and spends at least part of his time looking for her. LOL.

Meanwhile, back at the house, the doorbell rings which is rarely a good thing in the house that Allison built. Ragan opens the door on a not so humble Rachel, as she announces with her own flair: "I'm back bitches." So much for acknowledging her defeat!

What ensues is a battle between Ragan and Rachel that reaches it's peak as Ragan declares her chin pimples the only "real" thing about her. Round and round they went in an endless battle of one-upsmanship. But there was really so much more to the whole visit which only the feed viewers witnessed.

Her departure was pure and simple Rachel, leaving behind a message in pretzels for Brendon. The message: Matt. Brendon returned from his spa visit refreshed in spite of his lack of Rachel release, saw the message and knew immediately that it was from Rachel.

And the Gnome-On-A-Knee is...

But who to nominate, Matt or Brit. Hayden and Enzo to the rescue throwing Matt firmly but squarely in front of the BB eviction bus. Of course, Brendon assumes they are on his side, so he's got to keep his new allies happy, not to mention honoring his lover's request.

Out of all this though, is the rather emotional reaction of Ragan who seems to have fallen somewhat "in like" with the scrawny super villain, Matt. He cries that he has to use the veto and cries about Matt's wife, but he's really crying because he's losing Matt — or so he thinks.

BB tries to edit for suspense but there really is only one choice in Brendon's mind, and that's Matt. But it had to be Matt, otherwise, we wouldn't be assured the Diamond Power of Veto would be used.

Rachel's Man Takes Home the Victory!

Okay! That's it! The saboteur has got to go. In terms of a twist, the saboteur is an epic fail!

There's a story floating on the Internet that Ragan actually turned down the producers, who were horrified because there was no provision preventing him from telling the rest of the house of the offer. So, according to the rumor, the producers renegotiated the terms of the deal to: 1.) Allow Ragan to be the saboteur without risking anything; and 2.) Make it seem that money wasn't the issue but instead that he wanted to pacify America.

Annie took risks, as she actually did things in the house. Ragan, on the other hand, has merely had to record a few messages with his face and voice scrambled to ironically sound just like Annie! What's the point?

During the most recent show, he turned down the tasks that would have required him to do something in the house, instead opting for yet another message. He tied back to Annie's days as saboteur by accusing two members of the house of being in a pre-show friendship. The part that I don't like is that he threw Kathy and Britney under the bus by saying it involved a female and male. Britney, unfortunately, becomes the obvious choice along with Lane. I really dislike this twist!

Whatever Happened to True Endurance?

As is often the case on Sunday's show, BB spent nearly half the show reviewing the HOH "endurance" comp from Thursday. This year's endurance comps are totally ridiculous and hardly merit dedicating more than three or four minutes to the outcome. The Diary Room "revelations" aired between segments are laughable. These "insights" are recorded as if house guests are in the middle of the competition rather than having the contest already decided. This technique lends an artificial air to the entire process leaving me to question: Is it really necessary?

There are a few things worth noting, however. First, this competition was tailor made for the big strong guys. Kathy and Britney stood no chance of winning this as hauling the rope around must have been tiring. Second, where is the Brigade? I'm with Matt in his assessment that the Brigade is nearly worthless in competitions. Only Lane managed to hang in there close to Brendon, but he should have been driven by the same passion. Maybe being on the block will light a fire under him. Finally, Enzo is an embarrassment! He fell so far behind that his only competition was Kathy for last place!

If I were the Brigade, I would want to get rid of Enzo first because he's playing for the "good guy" vote. So far, he has no blood on his hands, and he's apparently committed to leaving goodbye messages that smooth any ruffled feathers. He's by far the most dangerous person to have facing the jury and saying, "I didn't put any of yous up and would like to have worked with all of yous."

The Man Who Got Between Everyone Else and Victory!

Brendon pulled out the win, and Matt was less than happy to turn the key over. Really though, was the outcome ever in question? Brendon was clearly the odds on favorite for this comp!

Enzo lamented the sub-alliances of Matt and Lane, while maintaining that he and Hayden had no one. But is that really true? Nope. He and Hayden secured their sub-alliance with Brendon shortly before Rachel was evicted. So, Enzo's words just fell flat. I predict that the Brigade will implode before this week ends!

The segment featuring Britney and Lane was the highlight of an otherwise pretty mundane show. They actually have the best "showmance" of the season - one part flirting, one part teasing, two parts mutual attraction, and two parts mystery.

As for the nominations, the only question was what possible combination of Ragan, Matt, Britney and Lane would be on the block. I have to say I respect Brendon's decision to put non-players Ragan and Matt on the block as opposed to Matt and Britney who have won comps and worked hard to stay in the game.

Big Brother Gripes and Grievances!

Midway through the season, and I have more than a few gripes and grievances.

First, the Diary Room sessions seem scripted this year, maybe it's the delivery, but they are definitely not just talking to the camera. For the past several episodes, Lane is far more animated and funny in the DR than he is in the house. Matt, Enzo and Hayden all seem to be "delivering" lines too, albeit Hayden is delivering in a loud, almost confrontational way.

Rachel's diary rooms were forced and unbelievable. Even she could not muster the necessary tone to make her a more sympathetic character.

Second, the competitions this season are lacking in every way. How many skill-level comps can you have in a single season? What happened to the hours-long endurance comps that kept feed viewers on the edges of their seats? Where are the good, old fashioned food comps? It's like they are running out of ideas or originality.

Third, where are the competitors? So far, the HOH comps have been won by just three individuals — Hayden, Rachel and Matt; the POVs have been won by just two people — Brendon and Britney. No one seems to want to win!

Finally, why bring back a twist that was unsuccessful from the start? Why put in a twist at all? BB10 was good because it did not have twists to begin with. Eventually, producers brought in the America's Player twist, and gave Dan a day with a juror member. Still, it was relatively twist-free at the beginning. Season 12 is just a mess with the saboteur and pandora's box.

Just play the game!Q

Goodbye, Farewell, and Don't Let the Door Hit You in the Rear!

Life's a bitch and so is Rachel. Sorry to any Rachel fans out there, but she's truly in a class by herself when it comes to bitchy behavior. Demanding apologies and acting like a prima donna when on the block is one of the most ridiculous, self-centered strategies in the history of the game.

Her best line of the game was: I feel like road kill (as she grins through her fake tears). All the road kill I've ever seen is most definitely dead and devoid of any feelings.

An Idiot By Any Other Name is Still an Idiot!

A close second in the bad behavior category is her drama queen boyfriend who chose to sacrifice his chance for a half million dollars to save a woman who he met for the first time six weeks ago.

Brendon is a piece of work, seriously. First, he goes on the attack during the veto speech, followed up by random attacks on Ragan and Britney, and tops it off with the half million dollar question: Am I an idiot? Yes Brendon, you are in fact, an idiot and on so many different levels too, which makes you a monumental idiot!

Brendon's ex-fiance confirmed that the Brendon in the house is pretty much the Brendon outside the house which I suspected all along. Brendon is needy but he's also very controlling. He doesn't want the "Vegas" Rachel, he wants his own version of Rachel. Their interactions are sometimes forced and uncomfortable, and outside the house neither is going to tolerate a relationship where they are not the sole focus.
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His attacks on his fellow house guests were embarrassing and he came off as a bully. Brendon tried one last time to keep Rachel in the house with his eviction speech. He managed to sound like a whiney little girl when he compared his experience in the BB house to that of the so-called witches in colonial Salem. I must have missed the feeds when his fellow house guests burned him and Rachel at the stake.

Everyone Came Between Her and Her Man!

But alas, Rachel was evicted 6-0, and it must have been some consolation to Kristen that Rachel was evicted just one week after she was. Britney's goodbye speech may come back to bite her if she makes it to the final two, while Enzo took substantial steps toward gaining her vote.

The only disturbing part was Julie's hint that Rachel might not have seen the last of the BB house. Good lord, really? Haven't we suffered enough? My guess is that it will be a Pandora's Box twist of some kind where Brendon will be offered the opportunity to spend time with her in exchange for something bad happening to the rest of the house. (I say, if that's the PB question, merely having her back in the house for a short time should be punishment enough for the rest of the house guests!) What if the twist was that Brendon would be given the chance to trade places with Rachel? Uggggh ... gotta think about something else ....

How Do You Spell Lame: S-A-B-O-T-E-U-R

Lame to begin with, the saboteur twist is getting lamer as time goes on. Ragan is doing nothing to sabotage the house except for some ill-conceived messages which spread little or no alarm, distrust or fear among his house mates. The messages are a brief diversion and that's hardly lethal.

Ragan should have to go to his housemates and spread discord by saying he heard such and such, or so and so said something. Instead, he records the messages in the diary room and does not have to worry about actual exposure. The next tasks had better require him to physically do something in the house, or I will demand my money back. Well, maybe not my money but someone should get their money back because he's not sabotaging anything!

What's up with all the physical HOH challenges? Let's see a before or after quiz, true or false or "Which Evicted House Guest said..." Maybe the producers know there's small chance the guys would actually win a purely mental HOH.

The House Guests Get Some Balls!

Rachel is a lot of things but sincere is not one of them. Stuck on the block with her showmance partner, Rachel seems to have spent the majority of the past few days sitting in the Diary Room crying fake tears as she laments her fate.

She knows instinctively that she is the obvious choice to go to the jury house, so she spends a lot of time mourning her own loss. There's a certain irony though that she can't manage to muster a few real tears for her dilemma. She makes crying-like noises but can't even maintain a sad expression which makes me wonder if she's had one too botox treatments.

Rachel and her man have no one to blame but themselves for their current problems. They chose to throw their fellow allies, Annie and Andrew under the bus simply because of Rachel's inexplicable jealousies. They chose to isolate themselves from much of the house spending time alone together under the covers. When they did socialize, Rachel tended to be obnoxiously self-centered while her male half was unbelievably boring.

The fact that they lasted this long in the game is an amazing feat in itself and is due to two HOH and two POV wins between them.

So, understandably, they went into the veto competition with some confidence. The veto comp featured a bowling game with a smaller than average size ball and pair of pouty players. Oh, and Jeff and Jordan were in the house to host the comp called "Lovers Lane."

Rachel was first up and scored six out of 10 in 45 seconds. She chose to bowl against Kathy, who scored a two for one knockdown to eliminate Rachel with a score of seven. Kathy's relatively minor celebration would come back to haunt her.

Brendon followed with an unbelievably sucky performance of just three and even threw the ball in anger in the general direction Jeff and Jordan. A few moments later, Britney managed a four to knock him out. Once he was gone, the party started with the remaining players laughing and joking, and having a great time. For the third time, Brit donned the veto medal and control of the game.

Mean time, Rachel sulked and refused to comfort her man as he sought her out following his dismal performance. Later, Rachel confronted Kathy because of her celebration after she eliminated Rachel during the POV. Rachel demanded an apology saying that she had no morals or character for celebrating. Hello Rachel, this is your conscience speaking, by your own standards, you have no morals or character because every time you have won, you have celebrated. For the first time in the game, Kathy showed a fire that might get her further in the game. I was cheering her on as she confronted Rachel the Barbarian!

At this point, her man hatched a plan to be her knight in shining armor to keep her in the house. I don't know what's in the water this year but there's been some incredibly dumb game play this season. His speech was off the charts stupid and ranks up there with Andrew's veto speech.

On another note: the saboteur tasks were a little on the ridiculous side with the exception of turning Rachel and Brendon against each other. He accomplished the task without having to even attempt it in the house proper. What's up with that? A few well placed words face-to-face would have definitely went a long way in accomplishing the distrust.

The saboteur should have to work on the inside of the house doing things which change up the game in subtle ways. Saboteurs don't always need to be blowing up bridges, sometimes the subtle sabotage is the best.

Rachel Faces Her Man on the Block!

FINALLY! Insight into Kathy's strategy! She's losing on purpose so that no one considers her a threat! Ahhhh haaaa, so that's it! Well that's Kathy's version of her competition performance anyway, but to me it's really just an excuse to save face. Kathy has been colossally bad in nearly every competition from "Have/Have Not" to HOH.

FYI Kathy, with Brendon, Hayden, Lane and Enzo, among the men, and Britney and Rachel, among the women, I doubt if you were even a blip on the radar of potential physical threats in the game. Her "deal" to drop first and become the only "Have Not" was laughable at best because no one saw her move as "taking one for the team." Instead, they simply saw it as another failure by Kathy to compete.

Endurance? What Endurance?

The "True Colors" endurance competition was anti-climatic, lasting less than an hour. After Kathy dropped, the rest followed within a short time making it one of the shortest endurance challenges in the history of "Big Brother."

It's ridiculous! Enzo seemingly wants the blood on the hands of one of the other Brigade members. Lane too seems less inclined to win and more inclined to be the good guy. Britney and Ragan willingly admit that they throw the HOH competitions. Too many are playing the social game as opposed to the strategic game. To make the season interesting, it's got to be a little of both.

Rachel's man was really trying but being a "scientist," he should have recognized that switching positions was going to seriously impair his efforts. After the first dose of paint, the railing had to have become slippery, and the best chance was leaving your hands where they were to increase your ability to grip the bar.

Round and round they went, with Rachel shouting encouraging words to her man much to the annoyance of the others. When he finally dropped, it was Rachel's turn to be annoyed as her man joined her on the side and whined to her about the unfairness of it all. His voice took on the inflection of a child seeking approval when she tells him that he better win POV. "Don't say that Babe!"Hahahaha! His feelings were hurt but Rachel spoke the truth, and she knew it! Their only hope of staying off the block was a win by her man.

Once he was gone, it was just a matter of time before the rest felt no pressure and dropped to the mats claiming fatigue and muscle soreness but in reality, choosing not to be the one to put the showmance on the block. Ragan and Matt again faced each other as the final two but Ragan did not feel a shred of fear, and therefore, did not even bother with a deal to keep himself off the block as he opted out the competition.

If looks could kill though, Matt would have been dead. The look on Rachel's face was nothing short of hate as Matt claimed his second HOH victory. There's no doubt, if Rachel had been part of the competition, it would have lasted for hours rather than minutes. She would have fought for her life in the game as well as her man's life.

BB needs to consider doing something else with HOH reveals. Just once, I would love to see the new HOH take the key and go quietly to their room. Rather than shout, "Who wants to see my HOH room?" Really? Not me. The fake excitement and clapping by the other house guests is overdone and old. No one really wants to see the room, especially the second time around.

The only highlight is that Brit and the rest of the gang are mocking Rachel's reactions. Again, Britney nails her impression of Rachel, as the latter stands a few feet away oblivious to it all.

Re-Enter the Saboteur!

So the saboteur is back. The producers had to do something to revive the twist that fizzled during the first week. After all, an entire ad campaign had been built around the saboteur twist. But, how do you guarantee that the HOH would "unleash the beast" back into the house. Offer him something he can't refuse, obviously!

The Diamond Power of Veto allows the holder to remove either of the two nominees and (very important "and") choose the replacement. Prior to this year, the DPOV has made only one other appearance - during season four. But how to introduce it ... of course, time to recycle Pandora's Box from season 11.

Matt arrives in the HOH to find himself presented with the PB challenge. Now here, I want to interject that BB must have done something to distract the remaining house guests from disturbing Matt as he's rarely been alone in the HOH since he took over. Seems a little fishy that he would have had that much undisturbed time to think it through.

So, Matt sees a photo of the DPOV. He knows there's a consequence to go with the reveal but chooses it anyway, claims the reward and then proceeds to make up the lamest lie in the history of BB to cover his tracks. (Yep, even lamer than Natalie's lie about her PB reward.) Matt decides to recycle his $1 card from the first HOH, telling his house mates that he won only a dollar and that something bad is now going to happen. Why not just say he was guaranteed to play in a future competition of his choosing?

His lie makes everyone, including Brigade members Enzo and Lane suspicious. If Matt isn't careful, he will find himself in the same position as Natalie was last season.

Ragan is an unlikely saboteur. I'm surprised "America" chose him for the task. He's smart but lacks the cunning that is necessary to really pull off great acts of sabotage. His reaction to his selection is pretty typical of Ragan, honored but skeptical. The offer is simple: complete three tasks each week for two weeks in exchange for $20,000. It's similar to "America's Player" a few seasons ago except his votes are his own. Not too surprised that he accepted the challenge.

The hissing of the video screen the living room alerted the house guests of the saboteur's reappearance. To his credit, Ragan seems as surprised as anyone. Matt seems to regret his decision open Pandora's Box. Enzo is all about ferreting out the saboteur even if it means going after someone in the Brigade.

In spite of these reactions, I feel like the whole twist kind of fell flat. I still think the twist is lame and lacks imagination. With America making suggestions, the saboteur's tasks are likely to be more like sophomoric pranks, than actual acts of sabotage. Also, if history repeats itself, Ragan will be privy to information about his fellow house mates in terms of who is liked or disliked by fans. I think it kind of gives him an advantage in the game.

Grossmance Hits the Block!

Finally, FINALLY Rachel and her man are on the block. This time, instead of messing around with a backdoor plan, Matt went straight for the jugular and put them up against each other. Not since week one have I been so happy with the nominations! I'm sure the house guests and BB producers are thrilled by making me happy!

Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, this is a game of personalities. If it were purely based on the best game play, Kathy would have been up and out of there first week, and Rachel would be among the finalists. But it is not. She's treated people poorly from the start of the game, stepping on toes without concern and only apologizing when her man suggested she do so. Yet, Rachel is clueless as to why people don't like her.

Rachel's man suffers from the old "guilt by association" nomination. Sure, he's boring, and needy, but his main fault is falling into a showmance with the lead villain. I'm not sure what the big attraction is. Okay, I know what the "big attractions" are, but really, was the relationship worth a half million dollars?

Hayden and Kristen were right about the impact of a showmance on their game. It puts a target on your back, and the size of the target directly correlates to how strong of a player you are. Win some challenges, and your entire body may as well be tattooed with a huge target if you are involved in a showmance.

In putting them on the block together, Matt did give one of them the opportunity to win the POV but will either of them have the tenacity to win?

Kristen Pays the Price for Coming Between Rachel and Her Man!

I hope as we are about to enter the fifth week of nominations that Hayden and Matt take a moment to consider that there have been opportunities to get both Brendon and Rachel out, and they have allowed them to slip through their fingers.

Hayden had both on the block week one, but Brendon got the POV, and some fast talking led to Annie being put up and out of the house. Week three saw Matt win HOH, and his backdoor plan backfired in a big way, which lead to the ouster of Andrew!

This coming week is pivotal. ...

Testing! Testing! Is Anyone Listening?

But first, Kristen campaigned hard to stay in the house, even going so far as to confront Rachel's man (I think that's how I will refer to him from this point forward as Brendon has really ceased to exist in the wake of Queen Rachel). Thanks to some encouragement from Hayden, she fought hard to stay in the house, and, at the end of this game, a lot of people may look back and wish that Kristen had stayed over Brigade member, Hayden.

Actually, Kristen made a lot of sense to anyone who was really listening. If Rachel's man feels that he can use Hayden to his advantage later in the game, he's mistaken. Same with Ragan, who is arguably closest to Matt and who will ultimately be stung once the Brigade is revealed. To her credit, she started putting together Hayden's lack of campaigning with the his relationship with Enzo, Matt and Lane. It's not rocket science that these four might have something on the side, but the rest of the house is so focused on Rachel and her man, that they can't see the forest for the trees.

If I were Kristen, though, I might be a little unhappy to get out and find that the person I was closest to, had a side alliance. I also might not be too thrilled that Hayden encouraged me to campaign after he secured his fourth vote ensuring his safety.

Death by Showmance!

That being said, Kristen and Hayden felt the added scrutiny of their showmance this week — both from the house guests and "Big Brother" producers. Their fellow house guests were more than a little wary of the duo that had managed to keep their relationship pretty quiet all this time but that paled in comparison with the segment about their families.

Hayden's family was suspicious of Kristen's motives and were probably very happy with the vote last night; while Kristen's family and friends were incredulous that she started a relationship.

Now, there are some that think it's unfair to bring the personal side of their lives into the game but unfortunately, it is a game where there are no rules. In fact, the mere mention of their lives outside of the game makes every aspect fair game for the producers to include in the weekly shows.

It sucks for the house guests but it's not unexpected. Hayden and Kristen spent time in bed talking about their respective partners outside the house. Hayden's outside relationship was a little more fluid but Kristen most definitely talked about her bf outside the house. I understand hooking up inside the house when both people are free and clear, but it's a little less clear when one or both have partners.

Hayden has stated time and again this week that he did not come into the house for a showmance because it would screw up his game. Well, it did and it does. Showmances rarely make it to the end of the game as a pair and often times are targets. What's even more important is the fact that they rarely last outside the game. A few months is considered about average.

So my advice to future contestants would be to wait until you are outside the emotional roller coaster of the house to determine whether you want to pursue a relationship with someone.

Last night, I felt genuinely sorry for Kristen's bf, in spite of the fact that they only had two months together. From my perspective, as much as it sucks to be a house guest who has their personal lives aired on the live show, it's got to suck just as much to be a the person they left behind who watches the relationship unfold on tv.

Britney Makes the Show or the Show Makes Britney!

One of the highlights of the show was Britney, Matt and Ragan in the HOH mocking Rachel. To be honest, if I walked in on that, I would probably have been hurt and angry but not Rachel. To Rachel it's the "sincerest form of flattery"! Ummmm ... okay. Maybe it was Britney's attitude to push forward in spite of being busted or maybe and more likely it's Rachel's ego. I think she really believes that Britney might have been sincere in her imitation. Maybe she feels that Britney just wants to be like her. Who knows, but her reaction was definitely off the to the left of normal!

Britney adds spice to an otherwise very ordinary live show.

Just Another Eviction

This week's speeches lacked last week's fire. Both Hayden and Kristen delivered pretty much standard pre-vote speeches, and Kathy was once again the sole dissenting voice to Kristen's departure.

The "goodbye" speeches are some of my favorite moments of the live shows this year. Will she or won't she? That is, will Rachel accuse the evicted house guest of getting between her and her man? Annie's eviction caught me off guard. I did not see it coming. I was equally blindsided when Monet walked out the door. I had no idea that she would work it in for Andrew. But for Kristen, I had no doubt she would fit in the immortal words, "get between me and my man." Ha!

Rachel's man's speech will come back to bite him once he realizes Hayden was in an alliance just as Kristen warned him. His biggest problem is believing that no one else is playing the game.

As for Hayden, well, he should have manned up a little sooner about his alliance with the Brigade. Maybe even whispering it to her during the live show as they sat together on the block so that she's not blindsided on live TV. Of course, it was a difficult position to be in because revealing it sooner could have lead to Kristen using the information to stay in the house. I think Kristen was a little stung by his admission that he was part a four-person alliance. On the other hand, it does prove that Hayden's head was in the game.

Color Me Surprised!

This season of BB seems to be on the fast track or maybe it's just me. Five HOH competitions, and three have been skill-based. What's up with that except? Standing on a small ledge, the contestants have to hang on to a bar as the platform revolves. Periodically, they are slapped in the face by a large paintbrush. While the concept is original, it hardly seems difficult. Seems like an endurance competition that could go far into the night — if the house guests are serious about winning, that is!

What Rachel Wants, Rachel Gets!

(Ed Note: Written Thursday, Aug. 5, but for some reason did not post until today.)
Britney for the win! Kidding! But really, Britney is playing a great game, competitively and socially.

The one thing that no one can deny is that "Big Brother" is a social game. The best or better strategic player does not always win. BB10's Dan was well aware of the fact and played the game accordingly, taking Michelle on a date to solidify her vote. His strategy was great too, as he orchestrated the eviction of Keesha but managed to keep her as an ally.

So, this year we have Britney who was at war with Rachel during week two, but somehow managed to get beyond this to be at least outwardly friendly to Rachel. She routinely bites to the bullet to join Rachel in a bubble bath! Britney's diary rooms are freaking hilarious though as she unleashes her true feelings. She's in pretty good with the guys too, and even has Kathy believing that she won't put her up.

Britney also has won two POVs — both of them with an element of luck, but a win nonetheless.

Britney could go far and ultimately win, especially if she keeps the caustic Rachel in the game and faces her at the end. Right now, it's to her advantage to throw the HOH competitions so she is not forced to reveal her strategy.

One Hot Mess!

Rachel, on the other hand, is as her shirt suggests, "A Hot Mess!" Socially, the only true bond she has made is with "Emoman" Brendon. Driven by jealousy, she's made every vote about getting between her and her man, and just watch, those words will come out of her mouth during the goodbye speeches to Kristen because Kristen talked to Brendon about his vote this week.

Rachel is competitive but not necessarily the best strategist to come to the game. She wants to win HOH more to give herself alone time with Brendon then to take out strong players. Her week two nominations were indicative of her thinking. Eliminate the floaters has been her moniker but really she's just trying to get rid of the other women to ensure no one tries to steal Brendon.

Speaking of Brendon, in amongst his romantic drivel, he actually had some pretty good advice to Rachel, who apparently does not take advice well. Rachel's nomination speech was classic Rachel. Her "bring it" was unnecessary and stupid, and made the other players dislike her even more. Brendon was absolutely right but Rachel needs to think BEFORE she engages her mouth instead of apologizing after the fact.

How to Sink Yourself

Kristen's game was nonexistent before this week. Maybe her game plan was to go unnoticed until Andrew sunk that boat during his eviction speech. In retrospect, Andrew probably could have used the showmance information as blackmail to get Kristen and Hayden's votes. Actually, though, Kristen's own actions sunk her boat.

Last Thursday changed all that though, as Kristen kicked in a game plan that made Hayden look like a sheer genius. 1.) Argue with the HOH; 2.) Throw the "olive branch" back in the face of the HOH; 3.) Not go up to the HOH; and generally, not back down for anything. Kissing butt is part of the BB game, like it or not.

So far, Kristen has not played to win and it was not that surprising that, in a game of chance, she was the first to go out. Hayden was at least playing to win, and he would have been stupid not to take the veto from Kristen.

Next, Kristen relied on Hayden to orchestrate a plan for both to stay in the house. Actually, it was a pretty good plan that could have saved both him and Kristen this week, although the Brigade probably would have voted Kristen out anyway. Everything was in place: Rachel and Brendon had agreed, Britney was on board, and Hayden was anxiously awaiting the POV ceremony that would result in him being taken down and sacrificial lamb Kathy put up in her place.

Personal vs. Strategy

In her single most strategic move of the season, Rachel threw Lane's name in as a possible replacement nominee. Rachel is well aware that Lane and Britney have bonded in the house, and Britney is not quick to throw her friends under the bus. By mentioning Lane's name, she effectively eliminated Britney's option of using the POV to pull Hayden off the block, ensuring that her nominees would remain the same. It must be noted however, that Rachel's strategic move was borne out of personal motivation.

Blindsiding Hayden and Kristen was simply a bonus, as BB called Britney to the DR immediately after the decision was made thus making it impossible to warn Hayden and Kristen prior to the veto ceremony. Anything for drama!

My biggest complaint though is with BB. How long are you going to continue the unitard penalty? It started with Jen Johnson during BB8, who actually seemed overjoyed to wear it and it's been used ever since. The hippietard is just ridiculous and the fact that Kristen will go out the door wearing it is stupid as well. It's time to get some new production staff!