BIG BROTHER – Let’s Play Catch Up

I’ll be honest with you. I’ve been really struggling to cover BIG BROTHER 11 this season on GMMR. It’s not that I’m not watching the show…I am. Too much.  And once again I’m having a love/hate relationship with it. (More on that in a minute).  My problem is that I’ve been religiously watching Showtime’s BIG BROTHER After Dark and so I’m a few days ahead of what’s happening on the weekly shows that air on CBS.  It’s been hard for me to write about the show because I can’t always keep straight what you all have seen on CBS as opposed to what I’ve seen on BB After Dark.  In a game that changes daily, how am I supposed to write about the CBS show when I know not only the consequences but the events that have transpired since the last broadcast.

It’s tough I tell ya.

So here’s where I am now. I thought I’d just jump in and post away. Since it’s my first BB post of the season, I’ll take a little time to talk about the game, share my quick thoughts on the houseguests, briefly talk about what happened during tonight’s POV and then fill you in on what happened behind the scenes this week leading up to tonight’s POV ceremony. (As in I won’t spoil anything outside of this episode, so no worries.)

I’ll leave it to the GMMR/BIG BROTHER fans to let me know what you want me to cover.  Do you want my thoughts on the weekly episodes? Commentary on the strategy of the players? Perhaps an update on what’s going on inside the BB house based on what I’m seeing during BB AD? Take to the comments and let me know.

Let’s Talk Game Play…
Now, getting back to my aforementioned love/hate relationship with the show.  I don’t know if I love or hate these houseguests more or less than I have in previous seasons.  The HGs got into game play mode so fast that we didn’t get a chance to know any of them outside of their catty little cliques.  BIG BROTHER was smart to separate the houseguests based on their roles in high school, because they all certainly are acting like they’re back in their adolescent years.

If you’ve read this far, I’m going to assume that you’ve actually been watching BIG BROTHER this season and therefore have an opinion on the houseguests. For me, the only HG that I am really pulling for is Jeff.  Hands down this is my guy this season.  He’s by far the most mature. The most intelligent.  And despite a few minor slip-ups, he’s doing his very best to remember that this is a game, and that people needed to be respected as human beings first and foremost.  He might not be the most strategic gamer but he’s learning fast. He just needs to be more confident and get involved in the game play a little more.

As for the other HGs, here’s my uber-quick rundown (in order of personal preference). I’m sure many will disagree, but here’s where I am.

• Jordan – A complete ditz. Not sure how she’s made it this far in life being that dumb. But she’s sweet and she means well. She’s not manipulative enough to be a big factor in this game. That could keep her around for a while.  But if she’s acting alone and seen as a loose cannon then others might want to boot her early.

• Laura – She burned Jessie’s bridge early on and that’s been her biggest mistake so far.  Jessie is ruling the house. Laura is smarter and more strategic than the other HGs giver her credit for. I like her a lot more than I thought I would when she first entered the house. I guess I shouldn’t judge a book by her humongous fake boobs.

• Kevin – Despite some early flare ups with Braden, Kevin has remained somewhat under the radar. His best move so far is also his worst – aligning himself with Lydia.  If he wants to compete he needs to step forward and stop letting people walk all over him.

• Casey – Annoying to listen to but he’s harmless.  He’s a lot of talk…I mean a lot of talk.  And I think he missed the memo telling him that his 20’s ended.  But he’s a floater. If he stays out of everyone’s way he could hang in there for a few more weeks. Too bad he can’t keep his mouth shut. It’s going to be his downfall.

• Michelle – This chick has absolutely no backbone. It’s uncomfortable to watch her because all I see is the pathetic soul that was bullied back in high school. She doesn’t know how to stick up for herself. And while I so feel for her, I also want to shake her. High School is over and this scientist needs to get a set.

• Jessie – One of my least favorite players from last season.  He’s bigger and better this time around. He’s learned from his mistakes.  First off, he’s not sleeping as much.  Ha ha!  But Jessie is using his “celebrity” status to influence everyone around him.  They worship him…especially Ronnie. Jessie us running the house and has the power to run the house to the finals if the chips continue to fall his way.

• Russell – I’m quite torn over Russell. He’s far from the smartest player in the game. He thinks he’s strategic but he’s not.  He’s clearly too hot-headed and reactionary for his own good, which is problematic with the drama queens in this house.  But on the other hand, I’ve seen some real, genuine moments from Russell that makes me thinks he’s more than just his muscle. I’m on the fence. I’d like to see him take the lead and see how he uses his power.

• Ronnie – Smart people don’t constantly need to tell people they are smart.  Just because Ronnie is a self-proclaimed dork doesn’t mean he has the brain capacity to win something like BIG BROTHER. I’d take Jeff’s logic and street smart combo over Ronnie’s supposed book smarts any day.  Ronnie’s biggest downfall is his ego. He’s a student of the game and therefore overplays every hand he’s given. I can’t stand the houseguests that start playing the minute they enter the house. The smart ones quietly observe and then start figuring out who to align themselves with.  Ronnie has struck up alliances with everyone in the house. To date the houseguests have given him too much credit…but the tide may be turning.

• Chima – Ugh. This girl gets on my nerves!  She and her plastic, melting face needs to be booted from this house.  She’s all drama.  She runs her mouth but says nothing.  I’ve been over her since Day One. Someone vote her out…but not before…

• Lydia – I had hoped Lydia would be as cool as she presented herself.  No such luck.  Lydia rivals Chima for the house’s biggest drama queen. She’s so reactionary. And the attitude has just got to go.  Talk about spooning it out and not being able to take it?  Maybe she was an “outcast” in high school because she thought she was better than everyone else.  At least that’s the way she acts in the house.

• Natalie – Last and most certainly least is Natalie. With her presence I’m wondering why BIG BROTHER didn’t offer us the “bully” clique this season.  That’s what she is. She’s a bully.  She uses intimidation to get what she wants. She’s arrogant and egotistical. When she’s on the screen it takes all my energy not to hit the mute button.  But Jessie is infatuated with her, so I think she might be sticking around for some time.  Oh thrill.

Tonight on BIG BROTHER…
Last week we saw Ronnie put Laura and Jeff up for eviction. In tonight’s POV ceremony, Jeff won the golden power of video and took himself off the block.  Ronnie named Jordan as the replacement nominee. It will either be Jordan or Laura going home on Thursday night.

Here’s what you didn’t see…
Ronnie, Chima, Kevin and Lydia ALL agreed that Russell would be backdoored this week.  Ronnie went as far as bringing Jordan in on the discussion, making her promise that she wouldn’t tell Russell or Laura about their plan.  Jordan was to tell Jeff that she was going on the block, knowing that Jeff would freak out and go see Ronnie.  That would be Ronnie’s chance to fill Jeff in on the plan.

All was said and done until…

Chima opened her big mouth and told Natalie of the plan to backdoor Russell.  The idea was to keep it from Natalie as long as possible because (a) she’s so hot headed that she might blurt it out and (b) given that Russell is on her team she might try to save him.  But since Chima let the cat out of the bag and told Natalie, the plan went awry.  Natalie told Jessie and Jessie talked Ronnie and the rest of the group into keeping Russell and ousting Laura.

The entire conversation infuriated me.  Some of the houseguests are so taken by Jessie’s “celebrity” that they have lost the ability to think for themselves.  It was until later in the week, when Jordan was already on the block, did someone actually question Natalie and Jessie’s motives for wanting to keep Russell.  The guy is on their team! Meaning that if he wins HOH he can’t put them on the block. The Athletes have four members in their group which means that if an Athlete wins HOH, there are fewer people to choose from to go up on the block for eviction. Why “the brains” of Ronnie and Chima couldn’t figure out how they were being played was beyond me.  But I will say this for Jessie, he’s a better player now than he was in his season.  He’s keeping his cool and for the most part trying to keep his ego in check. And by doing so he’s coming off as someone who is just there as a guide to the BB11 players.  He’s sharing his wisdom as someone who’s ‘been there, done that’.  Hes’ not relying on his muscle to bulldoze and intimidate the other houseguests…he’s got that annoying twit Natalie for that.

Ronnie made some interesting moves tonight. I don’t want to say too much about Ronnie’s game play other than STAY TUNED!

There was a lot of back and forth about the replacement nominee.  It wasn’t going to be Jordan since Ronnie gave her his word he wouldn’t put her on the block (not that his word is worth anything), so it was going to be Casey.  But then Jordan and Ronnie exchanged a few unpleasantries when she found out he once again backed out of a plan, and Ronnie used that exchange as a reason to get Jordan on the block.

At one point Lydia was shooting off her mouth saying that it was Jeff’s fault that Jordan was on the block.  He shouldn’t have used the veto.  Oh ok.  Jeff should have kept himself on the block? That would have been one of the dumbest moves in BIG BROTHER history.

So much more has happened, but that’s some of the background details behind tonight’s POV ceremony, couretsy of BIG BROTHER After Dark.

Talk to me BIG BROTHER fans.  How are we going to attack the show on GMMR this season?  I need to hear from YOU!!