Riverdale: Chapter 46 and A New Master Mind Is Revealed

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Okay – I’m 35 minutes into Riverdale tonight and I am hoping that this episode is another one of Jughead’s story.  If not, we either will get answers or more confusion.  Yet, this is Riverdale and are there ever any answers?  Of course not!  That’s why we keep coming back. So, let’s get into the story and see just what happens.  By the way, Riverdale producers, did you stage the sound mess up intentionally??

Archie the Angry Drunk

Archie has decided that college isn’t for him and he wants to work with Fred.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t go smoothly as Archie’s anger and drinking get out of control.  Add to that he gets fired and Fred catches him drinking and lectures him (yeah Dylan schooling Archie on drinking is funny — 90210 reference here).  He goes to Veronica’s club and Reggie refuses to serve him because Archie had had too much already  to drink.  Josie cools him off in a cold shower and Archie tells her about the dream/vision during the bear attack.  Josie offers him an alternative – music.

Archie decides that he has to confront Hiram and goes to the hospital with a gun (don’t ask me how or where Archie got the gun or how he got it into the hospital).  As Archie gets ready to shot, a masked gunman arrives (more about this later because it’s too confusing).  Archie shots at the masked man who runs (and yes, this will be revealed later).

Archie calls Veronica who comes to the hospital.  Hiram is alive and awake and wants to see Archie (as far as I can tell since the sound messed up and I was reading captions).  Hiram thanks him for being there and saving his life.  Archie says he only wants to live in peace.  They now have a truce sealed with a handshake.  Archie goes to the club and talks to Josie.  Have we got a new romance going?  Or is he going to take her suggestion and do music?  Well he does want to “jam” with her.

Betty and Her Family’s Mystery

Meanwhile Betty is off on a new mission because she’s suspicious of all the murders.  Her take is that it is Penelope Blossom.  Betty crashes Claudius’ funeral then meets back up with Jughead.  They decide to work together but Betty gets a call to meet the coroner.  Long story short (and to make the most sense), Claudius didn’t have an autopsy performed but the coroner found Clifford’s records.  Clifford didn’t commit suicide by hanging.  He had been killed by poison (or drugs) prior to the rope  being tightened around his neck.

Betty goes back to see Penelope at her sex club, Maple.  Betty’s figured it out.  Penelope has been killing the men who have died but why not women. Penelope admits that she did the crime and only murdered men because of the Blossoms adopting her at eight and her treatment as a child.  If Betty turns Penelope in, Penelope will tell about the person Betty killed.  Betty ends up visiting her father (again) who (again) asks for forgiveness.

Jughead’s Solves a Mystery (Almost) for Ronnie

Let’s be honest! If you know anything about Jughead on Riverdale, you know he writes about everything.  He’s writing when Ron shows up and gives him a case.  She wants to know who shot her dad.  Oh, and like the Philip Marlowe stories, Ron’s willing to pay.  So Jughead has a new mystery to solve (and we begin to get clues on what the surprise is for tonight).

Some of Jug’s clues are tied to Betty’s case but not all. Jughead is very suspicious of Hermione and starts to question her.  She’s the one who will get the most from Hiram’s death but she has an alibi.  Hermione was on a call when he was shot.  Hermione is upset because she had Hiram followed and gotten pictures of him with his mistress (played by Kelly Ripa).  Betty and Jughead cross paths here, but Jughead gets the most details later.  It seems that the runoff from the drug processing plant had ended up in the  Sweetwater Reservoir.  This caused the girls to have a seizure.  Hiram’s mistress had been called in to investigate and wrote the fake report that got the town quarantined (well that’s part of the quarantine mystery, I guess).

Jughead  had had Sweet Pea watching Hermione.  Sweet Pea calls Jughead and they find out about a mystery man in her life and the plot to frame FP with Hiram’s murder.  Instead FP turns the situation around and throws it back on Hermione.  And why may you ask?  Keep reading!

AND THE NEW MASTERMIND IS . . .

Hermione.  That’s right!  Hermione Lodge may have been a party to her husband’s game but says she was against the drugs (yeah, because it hurt Veronia).  She faked Sheriff Minette’s death and they had a “cabin” in the woods.  Jughead and Sweet Pea tracked them to their tryst (read sex) and heard the plan to frame FP for Hiram’s murder in the hospital room.  Only thing was Archie stopped that.

Then the sound on this episode messed up.  From what I read, FP turned the story on her and set up Tall Boy to do the shooting of Hiram Lodge.  Tall Boy was caught and died on the way to jail.  By the way, FP had called Alice to tape the story and Hermione wasn’t happy at that.  Hermione knows that Minette failed so she goes to the cabin and shots him.

Why you ask?  Well, she wanted the money to pay off someone off for something (which was highly distorted by the sound issue).  Hermione needed the money that Hiram got for protection and the sale of the drug to complete whatever she’s doing.  With Ronnie and Reggie destroying the drugs, Hermione doesn’t have her part of the bargain for  the deal (don’t ask me about this because we weren’t told).  Now, Hermione is wanting revenge on both FP and Jughead.  And Riverdale is just Rivproerdale according to jughead.

BIG BROTHER 27:   Grodner and Meehan Need to Go!

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Big Brother!  Fly on the Wall Production Company, CBS

This is an open op-ed from a long time reviewer/op-ed writer about the downward spiral that Big Brother has taken.  For the past years, we have seen lazy production and some questionable decisions by Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan, executive producers of the program.  This year is no different.  I’ve actually spent Season 22 and 25 writing to you for change.  It never comes at the executive level, but it comes from you, CBS network, or Julie Chen Moonves as host.  Julie can only do it on stage for improper conduct.  She can’t control what goes on in production offices where the real ordeal starts. 

When I, a writer, spent both seasons 21 and 22 telling you the problems, it is bad.  It shouldn’t have to come from a fan who does op-ed pieces!  It should have been seen and called out by production.  Thank goodness that CBS took a stand and instituted a zero-tolerance policy during season 25.  I’d hate to see what the witches and non-players would have done in seasons 27.  The real question becomes why have Fly on the Wall, Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan not handled these situations before CBS stepped in and what are they trying to hide! 

Let’s start with the obvious – production bias and maneuvers.  There are many instances of Big Brother production making horrible decisions with their actions.  The excuse, as seen in the statement from the production company over Rachel Reilly’s unfair reindeer game dismissal of “expect the unexpected” may only work with  casual viewers (non-feed followers).  That may have worked once but with the use of social media and “leaks,” this is becoming harder to cover up.

This year, production hit a new low that caused any long-time viewers to tune out and off.  The introduction of the Mastermind was sunk before it began.  You don’t put that type of villain into play then forget about him for weeks.  It was only when jury came into play that Grodner and Meehan rolled him out again.  The reason, I feel, was simply to get rid of a CBS favorite, Rachel Reilly.  They knew she understood the game.  Yet, production used the old “reindeer game” drop wheel to eliminate Rachel.  This is unheard of in the history of Big Brother.  Sure people have left without a vote but never over a game.

Let’s review the situation.  The houseguests get called to the living room and outside.  Ava won the advantage and had to set the wheel in motion.  Rachel knew what was coming.  She’d seen that wheel before during “Reindeer Games” (another stupid Grodner move).   Reilly knew that wheel was hard to move (harder if it was set to be difficult which I expect happened).  She wanted to go first but Ava chose Vinny of all people.  Vinny then chose next and his allies Lauren and Morgan played.  By the time Rachel got a shot, the time to complete the task was so far down in minutes.  .  She was eliminated to jury without a nomination ceremony, Power of Veto play, or house vote. 

This is not how Big Brother is played.  Not only did the show insult Rachel with what appeared to be a production planned elimination, production set things in motion that showed the houseguests as petty and, frankly, stupid.  The cast is primarily younger players (some who didn’t know the game) whose jealousy came out.  They wanted Rachel gone day one because she had won and was an older player who knew the game.  They should have wanted her to stay but no, she’d take the prize.

From the start, Kelley threatened witchcraft, and Ava insulted her and discussed sending her to jury first so she’d be alone on her wedding anniversary.  Good hearted players right!  Petty, childish, jealous, idiotic is more appropriate.  Also consider that Rachel, a former Worst Cook participant, ended up cleaning and cooking for the house. 

With this decision, Fly on the Wall faced backlash.  Did Grodner or Meehan speak.  No!  They left it for an unsigned production assistant to say “expect the unexpected.”  They honestly thought live-feeders/updaters wouldn’t notice the elimination.  Social media riped Grodner to shreds over it.  Now, production again did it off camera with Keanu.  At least he did get an hour to work out a way to stay.  With Vinny, Keanu knew he was gone and finally told Vinnie what he thought of Vinnie’s loyalty.  Once again, Grodner and Meehan thought we wouldn’t notice.  And this is why all live feed followers know you want to kill the live feeds. 

Now, I know I television history.  Believe it or not, it was taught in a college history class with the Groucho Marx show as an example.  I have some television trivia for you.  Did you have that “reindeer game” rigged?  To me, Rachel had a harder struggle turning the wheel than the others.  But I’ll be kind and not point out how it could have been done.  Let’s go to production’s attitude.  Allison, you should have addressed the public.  That would have worked much better than the message from production which talked down to viewers.  Lazy, much!

But let’s move on to other issues, shall we.  I’m going to give a few examples from the past.

The physical conditions.  Hello Grodner and Meehan!  Who thought it was a good idea to put at least half of the house outside for a week under a blistering sun and extreme heat.  This show isn’t done in a cold climate but sunny, hot California.  Plus, there have been bad storms that causes rivers to rise. Isn’t the Big Brother house near a ravine that fills with water?  Jankie’s World was cute but taken to violent extremes when you killed Jankie off.  Of course, you had to rectify that when viewers complained.

At least the 27 cast didn’t have to deal with extreme weather conditions.  Their problem was a “Mastermind” which wasn’t well thought out.  Just put Boston Rob in his Traitor’s costume and let him handle the guests inside the house.  I know Clue is a new game show in development, but that is what should have been played.

Live feeds have always been a sore spot with producers.  In years past, we had to pay for the right to see them only to find you blacked them out with “be right back” when something you (a) didn’t want us to know or (b) wanted only to use when the shows aired for ratings.  I understand that.  You need fresh material. 

I think that the live feed issue goes much further than that.  Live feeders (and those who keep track of the show from them) want to know what goes on in the house.  This year, the long duration of outage and the dull Big Brother Unblocked program  show that you are moving toward what Canada did – eliminating the live feeds entirely.  Did you ever stop to think that will turn fans against you more Grodner?  Live feeders have called out misconduct over the years. Without us, who will tell the truth about the houseguests.  Certainly not you.  And without complaints, CBS can’t act since you don’t relay problems to them. 

Viewers also noticed that production favors certain players (mostly ingenues and hunks).  The “favorites” are allowed to break rules at will and suffer no punishment.  This was most noticeable during Season 21 when Jackson Michie (the ultimate recruit winner) would eat watermelon and other food while a “have not.”  When called out on it by social media, the rumors started that his mother complained and said he had a eating disorder.  Yet, others had to be a “have not.”  Let’s face it!  For anyone who has food allergies, slop (steel grated oatmeal) could cause health issues.

Next issue is the attitude of entitlement, harassment and bullying caused to the non-Caucasian and LGBTQ communities.  Season 15 was the first most noticeable case with Aaryn Gries.  She was an equal opportunity insulter.  Not only did race come into play but the LGBTQ angle  was an issue also.  She showed her disdain through words (Aunt Jemina) and actions but was never ejected from the game.  GinaMarie Zimmerman and Spencer Clawson were just as bad that season.   GinaMarie made comments while Spencer offended with Adolph Hitler comments.  No ejection or comments from Grodner or Meehan.  Julie Chen had to do it!

Then Big Brother 21 happened.  Jack and Jackson formed Gr8teful who took it upon themselves to show the outsiders how they felt.  Jack was aggressive and mouthy.  Jackson used  his power as HoH to target outsiders and make comments.  With the social media outrage, the network or production intervened, and both FINALLY got called out.  While Jackson took it to heart and laid low (with his girl friend), Jack was finally voted off the show. 

Moonves didn’t let them off easy.  Aaryn knows what the fan base thought and she lost her job.  Julie Chen Moonves is the only one who called them out publicly.  Aaryn looked shocked when Julie turned up the heat.  Jack tried to play if off as a joke and the heat of the moment.   Jackson, the eventually winner, seemed to fade into the background as soon as he could after Julie had words with him. 

Season 25 finally saw the ejection of a houseguest for a racial slur.  Luke Valentine, who had ‘sensitivity issues’ was caught on live feeds making a racial slur.  I congratulate CBS for expelling him and starting a zero-tolerance policy.  The question is:  Would production have done it without live feeders talking about it and CBS’s intervention? 

Production (especially Grodner) hates social media for getting the facts out to the public.  She hates the leakers even threatening The Spoiler Girl on X with legal actions.  Is this the way to run a show!  Production should “expect the unexpected” from viewers.

Other issues that need addressing are the showmances which Grodner loves.  Granted some have found their soul mates because of Big Brother (Brendon/Rachel and Jeff/Jordan), but girlfriends and boyfriends are left humiliated.  Production plays it off as a love story.  Fans see it as wasted space. 

One last issue is bullying.  This came to an all new high with the isolation of Taylor Hale.  At least the Cook-Out realized what was happening and protected her.  That doesn’t happen often on a show where the producers bully participants. CBS, I could go on.  I’ve faithfully have watched since season 6 and remember those incidents.  Never were any of recent) as bad as the knife incident of season two. 

Please consider a change to the show.  If you want a reality show that is a sociological study of people living together, let them interact.  Go back to the book, 1984, that the show drew on with voices telling them what to do.  Don’t use fake games (like with Rachel and Keanu) that deprive us of seeing what happened.  Get rid of the “have-nots.”  Make sure that favoritism isn’t in play.  Yes, we know production really wants Vince t win this season.  We’re watching how you manage to pull this off.  Watch you step!  You better “expect the unexpected” from viewers and sponsors.

Big Brother 27 – Grodner and Her Privileging Forces

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Big Brother, I see you.  Maybe you never thought someone who worked with a sociologist would get on your case.  Look, I’m always watching and calling out bad behavior (especially yours).  Your minions have brought you down this time!

In case you missed it, a message came out from the show that tried to paint the Rachel incident in a good light.  In the Daily News’  article, “Big Brother Production Team Speaks Out on Rachel Reilly’s Elimination:  ‘It Was All Planned” (shownewsdaily.com), we read: 

[quote]“Now producers insist the twist was intentional – and that fans may not like the truth.

},,, ‘It was all planned,’ the team wrote.  ‘Big Brother has always been about expecting the unexpected.  This season, we wanted to remind viewers and houseguests that the game can change at any time – even for a champion.’ “[/quote]

No comment except it was the worse unexpected twist ever.

This brings me to the sociology impact. This show was set up as a sociological experiment.  I edit books for a professor named Thomas Arcaro, a sociology teacher at Elon University (no relation to Musk).  Tom wrote a book entitled Confronting Toxic Othering which teaches his students about “Privileging Forces” through the use of the heads of the mythological Hydra.  The heads are the privileging forces that sociologists see in life.  Let’s see how many Allison and her band of crazies have included in this “unexpected” game of Big Brother.

The eight heads are:  patriarchy, race/ethnicity, paternalism, hetero/cisnormativity, classism, ableism, ageism, and anthropocentrism.  I can easily see some of these heads at work.  I’m not going through all. Let’s just look at the ones that Big Brother has a fixation on.

Let’s start with “Ageism.”  Ageism has come into play often on this program.  Sure, they cast one or two older players but the hope is that they can’t do the competitions and leave early.  It’s a tribute to Rachel and Will that they made it to jury.  How many other players (besides Chicken George (seasons 1 and 7) and Angela (season 26) make it that far?  How many win?

Ableism is the next.  While the physical aspects of games are important, most are geared to the young, athletically prone people.  In the event of an injury is where Big Brother makes the mistake.  Let’s look at Will and his leg injury which made it hard for him to play Power of Veto.  No help.  Yet, Christmas, a younger player in season 19,  broke her leg while joking around and they allowed a stand-in to play for her.  This shows that Big Brother just changes a rule to protect the players they want to win.

Race is the next one.  While this season hasn’t really had many racists comments except from Kelley, the past seasons (Jack/Jackson in particular in season 21) has been very much in evidence.  While the producers “talk” to the offending player, nothing really stops it.  There is no penalty. In Kelley’s place, it is apparent that she can say anything and not even get warned.

In Big Brother, patriarchy and class go together.  We have really had very few women who win.  Taylor won because she overcame obstacles.  Others, like Rachel and Jordan, have won against the odds just because of their determination and help received from their allies.  Always men dominate the show.  And production allows them to break rules (again Jackson with eating while a have-not) and never punishes them.

The last one that I will deal with today is the hetero category.  Yes, they have LGBTQ people on Big Brother.  Yes, a few have won but let’s look at how they present themselves.  While most tell their sexuality, times started to change after the appearance of Frankie Grande (season 16). He came across as being over the top.  If you don’t flaunt it, Big Brother shows you as existing.  If you are flamboyant like Frankie, you become a star and get asked back.

I could go on but I’ll stop there.  I owe Thomas Arcaro a big thank you for allowing me to use his teaching guide today.  I’m one writer who always puts Big Brother on the hot seat.  Now, Tom has given me more items to pick at the executives about.

BIG BROTHER 27:   The Aftermath of Rachel’s Exit

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Big Brother!  I started with an article on the history planned.  I changed to the dynamics in the house.  Yet, I realize that both are tied to the Rachel situation. More importantly, the situation is tied to the outcry on Twitter and X.  So why all the hate directed at the show’s executives.  Here we go!

Big Brother fans, you know the rules that began the show.  Originally established by John (Jon) de Mol, Jr. as a Dutch show in 1997, the premise was a social experiment.  I call it the mouse experiment that some sociologist use for illustration.  You put people who don’t know each other in a house.  You create one Head of Household (HoH) by a game.  You give the HoH the power to nominate two people for eviction.  They play a game with the HoH and three other people.  The game, the Power of Veto (PoV), begins the end of the present HoH’s reign.  If the PoV is won, they can save themselves or another nominee.  Campaigning begins to stay.  Vote by the housemates determines who leaves.  Simple, right.  Yeah, until this production company, Fly on the Wall, decides to incorporate Big Brother Reindeer Games without telling anyone.

Reindeer Games had mixed reviews.  It was a filler show for CBS one December.  I’ll be honest.  I saw Frankie Grande and ran.  I decided I’d rather watch the Hallmark Channel.  Nothing against Frankie.  I just didn’t need his over-the=top behavior as I prepared a church Christmas program.  Since that was such a short season, they played it with competition games, eliminating one at the end of each round.  Hmm!  Maybe that’s why I hated it so much!

Now, let’s get to the root of the problem: this year’s edition of Big Brother.  The powers-that-be, Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan, decided that a feature from a previous season was a hit (it wasn’t really) and incorporated it into this year’s game.  HoH now had to chose three.   The “Big Brother Block Buster” added a new game for just those three.  The “Block Buster” saved one person but the other two remained on the block.

This twist is fine only as long as you have more than 10 in the house.  When it gets down to 10, the players in veto are more limited and the social game goes out of the window.  I’m sure it was a way to stop the nine and ten member alliances but it causes new headaches when the cast is full and controlled by one player.   There can be no true alliances when the player joins all and takes out who he chooses.  When jury comes into play, the  real problems begin.

Add to that the old “Mastermind is going to cause mayhem and one will be eliminated tonight.”  This was not related to the house mates prior to entering the game as we learned from Will.  It was a complete surprise.  Rachel, who knows how the Reindeer Games worked, recognized what was coming.  The maze wheel is hard to turn and she knew the time limit wasn’t fair.  Add to that only five (or six) people could play with the best time becoming HoH.  Not completing the game in the time limit meant automatic explusion. 

As Ava (the preliminary winner) tells it, Rachel “grabbed and pulled” her into the room.  Rachel wanted to warn her but Ava got mad and wouldn’t listen.  Her attitude,  “No  one touches me” didn’t seem to apply to the rest of the season.  Ava just didn’t try to understand the dynamics.  Rachel saw it as a way to make Vinnie work for his place in the game.  Ava started the daisy chain of six with Vince who then took control of the picks.  He chose Lauren and made her promise to choose Morgan.  Morgan was to chose Kelley (another Vinnie favorite) but went against his orders and picked Rachel.  Rachel had  a little over three minutes which made the game harder.  She didn’t finish and was out. 

Thus Vinnie, the one who has controlled the game, controlled who left.  I honestly place the blame on Ava for not reading the room.  She had the chance to get Vinnie out but didn’t take it.  Vinnie knew he could run Lauren’s and Morgan’s  HoHs and made the choice  with the stipulation of order of picks.  The only good thing was Morgan had a spin and picked Rachel who didn’t have the time to finish.  Get the picture.  Once again, a competition was played  that kept Vinnie (who most people dislike) in control of the game.

Rachel has been the only one who tried to play the game as it was written.  She studied.  She calculated.  She helped weaker players.  But most of all, Vinnie was scared of her.  By eliminating Rachel at this point of the final three weeks, we have a bunch of whiners (I mean potential winners) left in the house.  What was really upsetting no campaigning, no vote.  Hey, they did promise us a “Julie interviews Rachel” for Thursday night.  Wonder if that would have happened if the negative posts on X and Blue Sky hadn’t come into play/??

Why was Ava motivated to chose Vinnie?  Cerrtainly not the volunteer element.  Ava says it is because Rachel almost yanked her arm off.  From what I saw, Rachel had her clothes folks.  Ava chose Vinnie because she thought he was a good one to keep her safe.  Vinnie has been anti-Rachel all game.  He, at least, has some sense of the game.  Ava, meanwhile, has gone the “Mean Girl” route and called Rachel terrible names (which I won’t repeat).

Truth!  This version of Big Brother will hurt the franchise.  It was designed because they didn’t have the time or were too lazy to do a triple elimination.  And, once again, we see the tendency of “favorties” winning.  I don’t know why they love Vinnie so much.  My zing for him is that the 1920’s want their moustache back!

Big Brother goofed this year.  The Hotel Mystere could habe been a fun game with clues and competitions centered around a hotel with victims eliminated by the jury (house mates).  I won’t call it Clue as I understand that is in development.  Yet, all the old tendencies are there.  The Taylor Hale win was a fluke that the powers that be didn’t want.  Other recent seasons have had winners that met the executives’ plans. 

CBS, please make Fly on the Wall return the game to its roots.  There are other ways for the mean alliances to fail.  Please listen to fans.  Viewership will fall if the show continues to take this tack.   I’ve watched since the Four Horsemen.  Is it right that I leave due to the Reindeer Games insertion?

BIG BROTHER 27: RACHEL’S DEMISE

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Big Brother 27!  I had such hopes for you.  The Rachel edition made the show a illustration of how a returning player can teach a bunch of “losers” how to play.  Of course, some of these people aren’t losers but they’re not enjoyable either but let’s get to the heart of the story, shall we.

At midnight last night, the story broke that live feeds were back.  To only television viewers, live feeds are what gives you the true story.  Television only reflects what production wants you to believe happened.  Live feeders expected two things:  some would be living outside and someone would already to voted out.  The outside living for part of the cast has happened before with terrible results (Joseph leaving Taylor) but a vote off camera has never happened and should not be labeled an eviction.  Instead we got an off-camera “elimination” from a game not played on feeds or air.

Feeds were down for over a day.  When they returned, we learned that not only did the White Locust come into play while we were left twiddling our fingers but by results of said event, Ava had eliminated Rachel Reilly for grabbing her arm.  The results of a game?  Grabbing an arm.  No HoH nomination on camera?  NO PoV?  No Big Brother Block Buster.  Just Ava, who comes across nice, saying virtually bye Rachel.  You grabbed my arm!

This is not Big Brother as we know it.  It’s not even Big Brother in the book 1984 (as I remember it), this is Logan’s Run but without giving Rachel the chance to flee.  It’s going back to new school where petty grievances could more than game play and strategy.

This is my note to CBS.  This show could have been a dud except for one thing – Rachel Reilly.  She breathe life into the show due to the fact that she agreed to return.  She knew the game, and it was the hint of old school.  Sure, the younger players hated her.  Sure, she could see the pattern of the players better than anyone.  Rachel did not coddle the players.  She didn’t go easy of them.  She played the straight up Big Brother game that had been missing from before season 20.

Rachel knew that you had to show people what it means to go against the HoH.  Lauren hated her for that.  She took someone down and lost her ally.  Ava, who sent Rachel out, got mad because she wasn’t in the alliance, yet she was always sitting around with her eyes closed and afraid to make a move.  Rylie and Katherine created a bad showmance which to live feeders equal to domestic violence.  Production didn’t care.  They had what they wanted – a showmance.  Rachel didn’t send Rylie home due to that.  She put him up because of his treatment of Catherine.

This game was supposed to be a “sociological experiment” on how people who didn’t know each other lived together in a house.  This game was supposed to be on how people interacted.  Instead, the game has steadily evolved into what the world is becoming.  Instead of strategy, it’s bullying.  Instead of finding and helping your allies, it’s become the game of alliances falling apart in the first week.  Instead of villains you love to hate, it’s become a show of hunky guys, ‘mean girls,’ crying for advancement, people who always get what they want, and fear.

Rachel with her knowledge saw this.  She tried to counter it but the spite came into play.  The smartest person seemed to be Keanu because he finally figured out that strategy beat bullying.  Vince and his tears, the new showmance, and power control always seemed to me to be a plant from Perils of Pauline.  Lauren seemed to be a dumb child who was never taught that actions had consequences.  Will and Ashley seemed to get that the game isn’t built on power but knowledge.

I just found a quote from the live feeds.  It sums up what Big Brother has become.  Morgan gave us the speech from Rachel as she left the game.

“You have to get blood on your hands to win.  Congratulations newbies.  You have to win once to be a two time winner.” 

Ava replies to Morgan. “Well, you’re also a two time loser.” Let’s see how Ava feels when she sleeps her way to a nomination!

As I write this, Blue Sky (my favorite) and X are blowing up at what they view as an unfair elimination.  People are calling for CBS to wise up about the show.  It’s not the first time that CBS production has faced fall-out.  I’ve been doing it for years due to people who were racist (Jack/Jackson) and bullies (the Taylor incident).  Then, we get a glimmer of hope only to find that all but a  few were the same from the past few years — bullies, showmances, crazies, and wimps.  Rachel was what kept the audience coming back!

Since Rachel is gone, will viewers still watch?  For me the answer if simple.  If I have a strong dislike for the players, no.  This year I can only still watch and root for Will who is an older, sane player and Ashlee.  Ava had potential but it seems she is the one who eliminated Rachel due to Rachel grabbing her arm (don’t get this but whatever).  Grabbing your arm and not making you the center of your world Ava is not how Big Brother is played.  At least she didn’t isolate you.  I don’t want the Vince/Morgan showmance rammed down my throat due to no chemistry.  Kelley, with her antics, is driving us crazy.  The sad thing is that Kelley didn’t know we were seeing them 24/7 and doesn’t seem to care. The only other one with any potential to cheer for is Keanu and he makes dumb decisions.

CBS, I’m begging you.  Do some damage control?  The way it was written, I doubt Rachel can return even if she wanted to do so.  Brendon apparently learned about what happened while he had their kids at Chuckee Cheese.  Rachel needs to decide her fate not CBS or Grodner.  She played to help build ratings (even if that’s not what they told her).  If she leaves, let her leave with dignity.  The house guests got what they wanted!  Rachel out to jury first.  Let her go and give us the vote.  In fact, let us have the final vote and finally get rid of Grodner. 

Big Brother 27 – Rachel Shakes Up the House

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Big Brother 27 until this week has been boring.  I don’t mean in the sense of nothing happening.  Well, on second thought, only the usual did happen.  Of course, I didn’t expect Jimmy or Zach to leave so soon but I wrote that off as a “quirk.”  The game proceeded as usual:    Head of House (HoH), three nominated, Power of Veto played, PoV used, replacement as needed.  Same old, same old.  What they didn’t count during the early weeks was target. Keanu. winning and taking himself off.  The house was so full plenty to consider. 

Well, the considering and whispering had all come round to Rachel.  Rachel is smart. She knew they were saving her for jury.  She knew Vince was trouble.  She knew to watch Mickey and Morgan as they weren’t to be trusted.  The showmance – it was nothing like hers and Brendan.  She sees the controlling nature of Riley.

So the fun begins when house target one, Rachel, wins HoH.  Now people scatter.  Mickey doesn’t think she’ll go up because – well – she’s Mickey.  Morgan is her ally so she is safe.  Vince is worried but he thinks he’s talked sense into Rachel about them. Guess what.  All three went up on the block.  At least Vince started soul-searching immediately and laying the groundwork to continue his Derek-like game.

And boy, how Mickey brain works.  She thought and still thinks she’s the boss.  Is this delusion much.  She thinks she will be saved from above (as she’s a good Christian).  The block wasn’t meant for her.  How dare Rachel make her take a seat on the couch.  Sitting on the couch with Morgan and Vince, Mickey thinks there will be divine intervention (wins) to save her.

What these three (and the others) didn’t realize is that Rachel had been clued-in to their plan.  The majority of the group wanted Rachel as first out at jury.  They wanted her away from her family and sitting alone in the house. Then Mickey believed that the rest would come in and Rachel gain Mickey votes.  How delusional. Stupid house guests!  Plans never  are secret in this house full of idiots.

Rachel hadn’t played dumb.  While no one was including her in conversations, she could float around and watch.  She could overhear conversations and read the room.  While the jury out was actually spilled to Rachel, she knew something was up.  Keanu came up and they became frenemies.  With both outcasts together it was only a matter of time.

With Rachel’s HoH win, alliances are gone.  They had to restructure because everything depended on Rachel and Keanu as nominees.  Well, Vince was on an island anyway since losing Zach.  While his chief ally went home last week, it was obvious he moved toward Mickey and Morgan.  Didn’t help.  He was on the block.  And as soon as the PoV players were picked, he started making nice to them so he’d get off the block if a non-nominee won.

Lauren, who was a floater, won the PoV and Vince went straight into her ear.  She told him she would chose him to come down if Rachel allowed it.  Then it was she didn’t want to use it.  Let’s just say this girl is like a swing.  She swings with whom she talks to in the house.  Between Vince and Morgan, they all but bullied her into choosing one of them.  Vince was the winner. 

Rachel had told Laurem to make her own decisions.  Rachel knew alliances were crumbling and people were scrambing (except for Mickey).  Mickey was delusional enough to think she was safe regardless.  Just before the PoV ceremony, Lauren told Rachel that she was going to use the PoV.  Rachel reminded her that there would be consequences and named some names that would have to go up.  Delusional floater, Lauren, thought her friends would be safe.

Let’s just say, whatever alliances were teetering on the shelf fell at the PoV ceremony,  Lauren used the veto on Vince (who maneuvered himself by arrogance into that position) but Lauren’s ally, Riley, went up.  Rachel said she was staying in the HoH room and has.  Downstairs the rest of the alliances shattered.  Mickey still thinks she can stay.   Morgan  has moved on.  Those who haven’t liked how Riley has treated Katherine is ready to vote him out.  Lauren has found herself on the outs with almost everyone because she knew the consequences and lied. The lie was found out so no one trusts Lauren now. 

This is the type of old school that many Big Brother fans love and I’m honest, I’m glad it is back.  Rachel all along knew what they planned and she had a plan to shut it down.  Last night, according to the feeders, a new alliance was born with Rachel, Morgan, Vince, Ashley, and Will.  Keanu apparently is safe for now.  Riley looks like the one to go if he doesn’t win the BB Block Battle.  But hey – it’s a new day and things can change. 

So, did Rachel play her hand smart?  My answer is yes.  She has Ava and Will in addition to a new alliance that includes Mickey’s group.  She supposedly has Vince.  Yet, I don’t trust Vince.  I see him only doing what is best for himself which is what to expect in Big Brother.  Big Brother should be good tomorrow (Thursday, August 21) night with the vote.  Mickey’s confidence hasn’t declined.  Ryley is feeling sorry for himself.  Will Katherine self-evict if the goes home?  As Julie says:  “Expect the unexpected.”

Big Brother 27: Hey Mickey We See You!

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Big Brother 27 has once again brought us a character to hate.  You know the type:  Jackson and Jack, Chima, and I could go on.  I will say I never thought I’d see another player like Chima but I was wrong.  Let me introduce you to:

“Hey Mickey, you so fine

You’re so fine  you blow my mind…”

“Hey Mickey.” (Mickey, Toni Basil)

Yes, her name is Mickey.  While watching Zach’s departure (and her melt-down with crocodile tears), I realized that she has taken this song to heart. Instead of a girl crush for a guy, she has a crush on herself. 

Let me explain why.  “Mickey” was a single by Toni Basil in 1981.   It still has a place in popular culture movies (especially 80s and cheering) but it’s about a girl’s crush on a guy named Mickey who was full of himself.  Mickey on Big Brother has adapted this song to mean her.  She’s so fine she thinks she blows other minds. Let’s look at why.

First Mickey entered the house with the Bible in one hand and her version of the scripture in her mind. She was determined to win but held that in check until she won the hidden HoH.  (She couldn’t win or appear to like the dirty events.  Isn’t it funny she’ll have to get dirty in OTEV this week.)  She on week one made an alliance with Rachel and Amy.  That was all she had but she sent Amy home.  True friend right.  Stays true to her team right. Let’s look at what else she has done.

When she won the hidden HoH, she immediately let the power go to her head.  She began working and forming a “Bad Girls Club.”  I know I said “Mean Girls” in the Rachel Reilly piece, but last night I was reminded of the show, Bad Girls Club, which put girls  into a house that got drunk and fought.  Mickey belongs there.  The only reason she hasn’t really had a knock-down, drag-out is because she controls the others in her “alliance.”  There is a sense of control surrounding her.  Don’t cross Mickey or else.

As the weeks evolved, we see her turn on Rachel because of the following reasons:  Rachel’s age, Rachel previous win, Rachel’s knowledge of the game, Rachel’s fame in the reality shows realm ….  It has gotten so bad that she decided Rachel should be the first target at jury.  Mickey wants Rachel by herself for a week so she could sway the votes Mickey’s way.  Then, Mickey turned the threat up a notch and said that she’d tear Rachel apart in front of her husband and kids and humiliate her to the American public.  Now, I’ve watched Big Brother a long time.  Not since Chima have I seen anyone who would go to this length.  Even Chima wasn’t out to destroy a reputation.  Sure Chima destroyed CBS property, but Grodner prevented her from going that far!  I really thought Grodner would step in.  I wonder why no warning has been issued from production.

Second, Mickey didn’t have alliances with many week one.  I honestly thought she’d be one of the first out because of her social skills.  Then she connected with Vince and Morgan (mean girl 2).  Ever since she found Vince and his crew, she’s become power hungry.  She took over Riley’s HoH and her attitude of entitlement came out in a major way.

Mickey has become convinced that the house is hers to control.   She thinks she runs all HoHs (and that’s why she’s so upset Rachel won).  Don’t cross her or you will live to regret it.  She now has decided she won’t cook for anyone but herself and Morgan.  Plus she cooked and put meat products in a dish that she offered to vegan, Kelley.

Mickey went in claiming to be a good Christian woman and the epitome of what a Christian should do.  She pulls this card out every week and uses it on the gullible.  Yet, if she’s a good Christian would she intentional want to hurt people.  Where does Jesus say be vicious to those who don’t give you your way.  I was taught in Sunday School to turn the other cheek and to pray for the offender.

Rachel is smart and has put Mickey on the nomination block.  This is going to make Mickey spiral even more.  People online are saying that she’s going crazy and losing control.  Honestly, I think it is power hunger and she knows she can’t control Rachel.  This week, she can’t claim at the finale (if she makes it) that she that she ran other HoH’s week.  She’s actually feeling the pressure. 

Mickey will seal her destiny with the competition for Power of Veto or BB Block Buster.  Morgan and others have begged Rachel to take her down if Rachel wins the power.  Rachel is smart enough to know that Mickey has no compassion and what Mickey has planned.  This may be a fun week after all!

So Mickey, in honor of your name (and your attitude), I want to give you a verse I wrote just for you in the style of Toni Basil’s “Mickey.” 

Hey, Mickey

You’ve been here so long,

Your true colors show.

When you think you’re right

America sees the wrong

You will regret your play

The tide has turned away.

Hey, Mickey. America and social media is waiting!

Big Brother 27: Hey Mickey We See You!

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Big Brother 27 has once again brought us a character to hate.  You know the type:  Jackson and Jack, Chima, and I could go on.  I will say I never thought I’d see another player like Chima but I was wrong.  Let me introduce you to:

“Hey Mickey, you so fine

You’re so fine  you blow my mind…”

“Hey Mickey.” (Mickey, Toni Basil)

Yes, her name is Mickey.  While watching Zach’s departure (and her melt-down with crocodile tears), I realized that she has taken this song to heart. Instead of a girl crush for a guy, she has a crush on herself. 

Let me explain why.  “Mickey” was a single by Toni Basil in 1981.   It still has a place in popular culture movies (especially 80s and cheering) but it’s about a girl’s crush on a guy named Mickey who was full of himself.  Mickey on Big Brother has adapted this song to mean her.  She’s so fine she thinks she blows other minds. Let’s look at why.

First Mickey entered the house with the Bible in one hand and her version of the scripture in her mind. She was determined to win but held that in check until she won the hidden HoH.  (She couldn’t win or appear to like the dirty events.  Isn’t it funny she’ll have to get dirty in OTEV this week.)  She on week one made an alliance with Rachel and Amy.  That was all she had but she sent Amy home.  True friend right.  Stays true to her team right. Let’s look at what else she has done.

When she won the hidden HoH, she immediately let the power go to her head.  She began working and forming a “Bad Girls Club.”  I know I said “Mean Girls” in the Rachel Reilly piece, but last night I was reminded of the show, Bad Girls Club, which put girls  into a house that got drunk and fought.  Mickey belongs there.  The only reason she hasn’t really had a knock-down, drag-out is because she controls the others in her “alliance.”  There is a sense of control surrounding her.  Don’t cross Mickey or else.

As the weeks evolved, we see her turn on Rachel because of the following reasons:  Rachel’s age, Rachel previous win, Rachel’s knowledge of the game, Rachel’s fame in the reality shows realm ….  It has gotten so bad that she decided Rachel should be the first target at jury.  Mickey wants Rachel by herself for a week so she could sway the votes Mickey’s way.  Then, Mickey turned the threat up a notch and said that she’d tear Rachel apart in front of her husband and kids and humiliate her to the American public.  Now, I’ve watched Big Brother a long time.  Not since Chima have I seen anyone who would go to this length.  Even Chima wasn’t out to destroy a reputation.  Sure Chima destroyed CBS property, but Grodner prevented her from going that far!  I really thought Grodner would step in.  I wonder why no warning has been issued from production.

Second, Mickey didn’t have alliances with many week one.  I honestly thought she’d be one of the first out because of her social skills.  Then she connected with Vince and Morgan (mean girl 2).  Ever since she found Vince and his crew, she’s become power hungry.  She took over Riley’s HoH and her attitude of entitlement came out in a major way.

Mickey has become convinced that the house is hers to control.   She thinks she runs all HoHs (and that’s why she’s so upset Rachel won).  Don’t cross her or you will live to regret it.  She now has decided she won’t cook for anyone but herself and Morgan.  Plus she cooked and put meat products in a dish that she offered to vegan, Kelley.

Mickey went in claiming to be a good Christian woman and the epitome of what a Christian should do.  She pulls this card out every week and uses it on the gullible.  Yet, if she’s a good Christian would she intentional want to hurt people.  Where does Jesus say be vicious to those who don’t give you your way.  I was taught in Sunday School to turn the other cheek and to pray for the offender.

Rachel is smart and has put Mickey on the nomination block.  This is going to make Mickey spiral even more.  People online are saying that she’s going crazy and losing control.  Honestly, I think it is power hunger and she knows she can’t control Rachel.  This week, she can’t claim at the finale (if she makes it) that she that she ran other HoH’s week.  She’s actually feeling the pressure. 

Mickey will seal her destiny with the competition for Power of Veto or BB Block Buster.  Morgan and others have begged Rachel to take her down if Rachel wins the power.  Rachel is smart enough to know that Mickey has no compassion and what Mickey has planned.  This may be a fun week after all!

So Mickey, in honor of your name (and your attitude), I want to give you a verse I wrote just for you in the style of Toni Basil’s “Mickey.” 

Hey, Mickey

You’ve been here so long,

Your true colors show.

When you think you’re right

America sees the wrong

You will regret your play

The tide has turned away.

Hey, Mickey. America and social media is waiting!

Big Brother 27 – The Saga of Rachel Reilly

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All Big Brother fans!  Sorry I missed the last week but I had eye surgery.  My eye surgeon gave me the go ahead to start so here I am.  Little did I know that the last two weeks of Big Brother would be so eventful. So here we go.

I’m sure you remember Rachel Reilly who met her true love, Brendan, on the show.  The powers that be at CBS and Big Brother decided to bring her back so she could have another shot at the floaters.  Remember!  She always said that floaters needed a life preserver when she came to power.

Well, the game has changed, and Rachel was aware.  Instead of strategy gamers, we get the video gamers.  Don’t worry!  Rachel is familiar with that also. She has children, remember?    She’s also familiar with the “Mean Girl” club.  She’s seen many incarnatiosn of this with the show.  The only problem is that Mickey takes the original concept and uses threats of violence.

So, Rachel spent the first weeks getting to know people.  Mickey spent the first weeks saying that she was only keeping Rachel up to jury and sending her to the jury house on week one of jury.  Why so vicious? First, she thought Rachel was too old to play the game.   (By the way, Rachel isn’t much older than Mickey.)  Mickey wanted Rachel to be alone and make her regret leaving her family to play.  Mickey also intended to annihilate Rachel in front of her children and husband on national television.  See why I say Mickey took the Mean Girls up a level.  Instead of looking just to embarrass one person, Mickey thought it would be fun to do it in front of Rachel’s family and the nation.  I’m surprised Mickey didn’t ask they to bring back the Bad Girls Club.  She’s a perfect fit!  But on with the Rachel story.

Mickey forgot one thing in this endeavor.  Big Brother is a small community.  They live in a closed environment during the game.  The likelihood of anything being said getting back to the victim is very strong.  So, it was only a matter of time before Rachel heard of Mickey’s statement and who was involved.  (And I think Mickey forgot about the live feeders.  They’ve given us a blow-by-blow, haven’t you hamsterwatch!)

Anyone who has watched Rachel play knows that Rachel doesn’t take a threat lightly.  Anything that is intentionally aimed at her family will draw her wrath.  Suddenly, Rachel had “unfriended” (as I call it) those making the threat.  In fact, the last week had the Mickey’s “Mean Girls’ Club” saying that “Rachel only cares for Rachel.”  Sweethearts!  This is Big Brother.  You only care about the cash at the end.  Anyone who says they are your friend will stick a proverbial knife in your back if you get in their way. 

Case in point is Vince.  He was really part of the scheme to get rid of Rachel at jury’s first week.  He played a game of conning everyone that he was their best friend. Time and time again he proved he wasn’t.  Rachel saw him send Amy out who had a final two with Vince.  Zae went when his buddy Vince decided to cut ties.  The straw that proved to Rachel how “two-faced” Vince was came the week Jimmy was sent home.  Rachel didn’t say a word but let Vince know she didn’t believe him.  What did he do?  Vince cried to everyone that Rachel was acting  “cold” to him.  No Vince!  She has your number.

Mickey had ordained that Rachel would go on Thursday, July 24, 2025.  Why not!  In Mickey’s mind, she has run all HoHs.  Mickey would “tear Rachel to pieces” in front of her husband and children.  To me this was a threat.  In the old days, Mickey would have been called out.  Apparently, she wasn’t because she kept it up. Rachel knew it.  She decided the time to get serious in the game play area had started.  She would win HoH and let Mickey stew.  So far, the only thing Mickey thinks will happen is her allies will go up on the block again.  Mickey thinks she’s safe (more on that in a later article). 

Vince, on the other hand, realizes that Rachel has found him out.  He went to her last night after her HoH win and told her that he would “actually” keep his word.  Oh, how sweet!  Does you “word” actually mean anything now!

So, Rachel has won a HoH putting herself in the record books.  Rachel is’ old school.’  Mickey may think she can run Rachel’s HoH like she did others and tried to do with Ava. Rachel has seen more than Mickey.  She’s seen Chima’s play this card before.  She’s not going to stand still and let Mickey run her HoH. I’m so hoping she backdoors Mickey.  It’s only fair after all.  That’s what Mickey planned.

Big Brother 27:  Did I Just Hear Grodner Scream

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It took them long enough but finally Big Brother 27 crew has alliances.  So finally, here we go!  Scheming, teaming, and plotting.  Let’s not forget that many are in multiple alliances and this always leads to conflict.  But here we go!   

Thank You Dolffica

I want to offer a sincere round of applause to the one who keeps the alliances grounded.  Dolffica Johnson  from Blue Sky, X, and Facebook has helped me out multiple times through the last few years with her charts and graphs.  If it wasn’t for her, the confusion among Big Brother fans would be even worse.  So Dolffica, THANK YOU!  Follow her with that name on the social media sites or check out her web address (ko-fi.com/Dolffica).  And with what you have done, I’m sure you have a massive headache.

The Game

So here is the gist of where we stand. Vince is right now the one in the best position.  He has alliances with almost everyone and with the exit of Zae, it didn’t get too messy.  If Zae hadn’t attacked Rachel, this could have been an ugly week for him.  Zae saved Vinny from having too much ‘blood on his hands.’

Next we have the clown prince, I mean HoH of Big Brother this week, Jimmy.  Jimmy due to his HoH status is sitting pretty.    He was in everyone’s business week one and now he has the ‘blood on his hands’ thanks to the three powers.  He’s not going to be safe for long though.  He has already proved to be untrustworthy to Kelley and who knows what else he’ll pull this week.

Rachel is the shield right now for many.  Kenau is the only one who wants her out now.  Just a little while ago, he was up in Jimmy’s ear asking for him to nominate Rachel.  Most want Rachel out as the first jury member.  That may be good for some but for others it spells trouble because that is when she’s the most dangerous.

Another one potentially safe is Zach.  He has that $10,000 he won that he can pay an HoH for safety.

Nominees and the Powers

So who were Jimmy’s nominees, you ask.  He chose Kelley, Kenau and Adrian.  He somehow knew Kenau had a power and suspected Kelley.  Jimmy wanted all the powers used.  Kenau and Kelley used their secret power to stay safe.  This means that the third power, held by Mickey as of Monday night has not been used.

Now as to the powers.  Details are found with the person who has them.  The big issue is their use.  They were to stay in place until jury.  Yet, two of the three were used in one week – the week they came out.  Thus, how mad is Grodner and how loud the screams from LA?  We’ll have to see if she has something else up her sleeve.

Kenau is the lone outsider as he’s placed himself on an island.  This not only got him nominated due to his argument with Rachel but also because he has no one he is aligned with.  He is lucky, though, because he got a power.  His power, two chances in the Power of Veto competition, gave him double the chance to win the PoV. Apparently, from Joker’s Update and HamsterWatch, he played the power and got a second player from a previous season, Kaycee (Season 20), to play for him.  He didn’t win but she did and off the block he came.

The second power was found by Kelley.  She’s not happy to be on the block again as a pawn.  She also has a big mouth and hinted to some of the guests that she had a power.  Jimmy put her up hoping to get her to play said power which she did. Again, live feeds say she won her solo PoV competition and took herself off the block.  Thus, Kenau’s plot to get Rachel nominated has begun.

The third power went to Mickey.  She has the best power as she can take control of someone else’s HoH.  This can be used once before jury.  So far, no sign that she’s played the power.  When she does, the HoH can question the house guests and make a guess of who took the HoH away.  I’m sure screams will be heard if Mickey uses it.  I don’t mean the house guests.  I mean Grodner and executives.  (These were Grodner’s weapons to keep fans tuning in for the season.  They went fast, didn’t they!)

So, how do the alliances stand as of 11:00 EDT July 21, 2025.  Apologies to Dolffica if I read them wrong.  I did this while having my car serviced today.

Kenau – no alliance.  He’s on an island.

Katherine and Rylie, final two

Vince and Kelly, final two.

The Heavy Hitters:  Rachel, Zach, Jimmy, Vince, Morgan, and Rylie (although I thought I saw Kathering in the corner). 

The Mom Squad:  Rachel and Amy

Girls, Girls:  Rachel, Amy, and Ashley.

Triplets, Rachel, Jimmy  and Vince

Triple Threat:  Mickey, Morgan, and Jimmy

The Bond:  Lauren, Zach, Will, Ava, Adrian, and Vince

There’s also:

Zach, Kelley, Vince

Zach, Morgan and Vince

Zach and Vince (final two)

Will, Adrian, Zach

Ava, Adrain, Zach

The real question for me is how many of these will last through this week?  Let’s face it two or three people never survive for long.  The good news is that there is no popular versus outcast yet. So I’m out for tonight!  If anything good happens Wednesday that could impact the vote, I’ll be back.

Big Brother 27 – Week One

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As they always say – “Welcome to Big Brother! Season 27 kicked off promising many surprises.  If CBS had been on Blue Sky (similar to X), they would have found long time viewers calling it “Boring Brother”.  By the way, most ot the in-the-know people are there on the Blu Sky board this season. The theme of a “Clue” type set had had promise but not with this group.  Instead of realizing that clues could be everywhere, they just socialized.  No big alliances until late in the week of viewing.

The Theme

So what about the set.  I actually had high hopes for it.  A mystery house with non-readable books.  Pictures that could hide something like a safe.  Hidden doors possibly going anywhere like a treasure room or torture den.  Typical mystery (old world) items everywhere with hidden potential. Even the addition of a mystery player, Rachel Reilly, didn’t disturb them.  Rachel has a clue. After all, she HAD played Traitors. Yet, no one else seemed to clue in on the “mystery” theme.  They just appreciated the exercise area, the outdoor area, and found it cute.  Honestly, I would have been moving things looking for clues.

Then there is the twist!  A master mind with an accomplice who entered as a guest.  Hey!  More potential but alas, the guests had to discover and name the accomplice.  Did they study what had happened?  Were they observant enough to see the accomplice hiding in plain sight?  Many just tried to get rid of cowboy, Rylie.  Honestly, I’m not sure the reason except no one could believe he was a cowboy and thought he was the ‘plant.’  This was stupid as Rachel had already made her grand entrance.  Amy did her part as the accomplice and opened the door for Rachel Reilly to join. Funny thing.  If they had watched Amy, the houseguests would have seen her pull out a clicker.  Did Amy get anything for doing this?  Not that I have heard!

The Significant Change

Instead of ending the AI Arena, they have changed the name to the “Big Brother Block Buster.”  Each week, the HoH must name three houseguests to compete to come off the block bringing the nominees to two.

The Houseguests

So, let’s move on to the houseguests, shall we?  I was going to break it down as a typical cast:  the nerds, the jocks, the “mean” girls, the big alliance.  Well, the big alliance went out the window quickly.  The “mean girls” couldn’t meet the standards set by Rachel.  The nerds and a few others all claimed to be gamers, but I only think Kelley is really a gamer.  So, let’s look at who is actually playing.  Not all are getting mentioned as most haven’t done anything noteworthy.

HOH:  Vince.  If I hadn’t known Rachel was coming, I would have thought they dressed up one of the forme men houseguest with a fake moustache.  He won the first HoH which means he has to make decisions.  Well, he thought he could keep blood off his hands but that didn’t work.  So Jimmy suggested that they start a men’s alliance named the “Burger Boys”.  This guy alliance was only five or six members.  Usually, by now, the jocks and mean girls have combined and have shields in place (9 or more).

Jimmy:  Jimmy won round two of the Big Brother first competition.  As a reward, he got to chose who would play in the HoH competition which Vince won.   Jimmy though has decided that he’s a mix of Dan, Derek and Frankie.  Like Frankie, he’s in Vince’s ear and is trying to be clown prince of the show.   He actually interrupted the Power of Veto (POV) meeting with accusations against other houseguest Kenau (I believe).  Jimmy is annoying and according to reports is the new HoH.  In many ways, his antics remind me to Zack.

Rachel:  Rachel has always been one of my favorite people.  We’ve talked online and she can be sweet and funny.  The problem with Rachel on the show is over-exposure.  She’s done The Traitors (US) and been evil on Worst Cooks in America.  To be honest, I would have held off using her for at least a year.  The good thing about Rachel is that she’s honest and calls things as she sees them.

Zae:  Okay, anyone who uses man cosmetics is problematic to me. The only one who ever pulled it off was Colin Donohue on Once Upon a Time and that was because he was Captain Hook.  Zae is the idiot who started a fight with Rachel.  He’s so dumb that he thought that that would help him stay in the house after going on the block.  This was a dumb move because everyone else wanted Rachel for cover.  So – bye-bye Zae.

Amy:  Amy was smart.  She didn’t get caught as the conspirator and she’s now aligned with Rachel (Moms Alliance).  There was no way Rachel was going to let her leave.  She really didn’t flinch that much at her nomination for eviction and showed class.

Zach:  Zach won the first part of the entrance challenge.  His prize was $10,000 which he can give to the HoH prior to jury to buy his safety.  Nice prize, but I believe the secret is out already as it was mentioned by a floater.  I’ve never seen anyone outside of a showmance cry as much as he did when Zae left.

Ashley:  Put on the block by the HoH, Ashley started making moves which is what Big Brother is about.  As the first winner of a PoV contest, she secured her safety for the week and now is determined to be a player.  She seems to like Rachel.  Teamed with Rachel and Amy, she could be an asset as the weeks go by. 

Notable mentions for potential are:  Morgan, Kelley, Keanu, and Will. 

The Coming Week:

Well, “clown prince” Jimmy supposedly won the HoH out of my feeds source.  “Have Nots” have not been mentioned but three received  a mystery power after being told that they must search for clues.  And no, we’re still trying to figure those out and their significance.  As the Master Mind made an appearance while all slept, we know he will be appearing soon.  Could it be Dan?  Somehow, I wonder if he’s already in the game as his appearance was leaked with an empty bed.

Next Week’s Update

Next week’s update will be determined on how dull the house is.  If they wake up and start playing, I may do one Wednesday in preparation for eviction on Thursday.