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.