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.