Drama! It's been a dramatic weekend in the Big Brother house. But before we get to that, here's the obligatory spoiler warning. This article contains information and spoilers that have not been revealed in the Big Brother, including who won Head of Household, who they nominated, and who won the Power of Veto. Spoilers ahead!
Head of Household
Steve
Nominated
Austin
Liz
Won the Veto
Austin
Probable Veto Replacement Nominee
The Veto has not been used yet, but in all likelihood, Austin will use it to take himself off the block, and it seems just as likely that Steve will put Julia up as his replacement.
Following the surprise (to the Big Brother Houseguests anyway) double-eviction on Thursday night, a new Head of Household was crowned. Steve won the competition, which we'll see play out during tonight's episode. As we saw last week, Steve was all too aware that the Austwins need to be broken up. He passed on his chance to split up that threesome during the first eviction last week, but he was quick to jump on it during his Head of Household reign, and put up Liz and Austin.
From what I gathered on the feeds, Austwins thought that the twins were the target, with Liz being the preferred eviction, but conversations between Steve and Johnny Mac (and Steve and himself) suggested that they were going to push to get Austin out if they could. Assuming that's the case, Steve was wise not to vocalize it, as Austin won the Veto.
It sounds like the competition was either similar or identical to the ballerina bowling competition in Season 15, in which Houseguests face off in twos, are forced to spin around and then run up a ramp and try to knock over bowling pins with a ball. It's a knock-out competition, where the loser of the round is eliminated and the winner gets to choose who faces off next. Big Brother 10 & 11's Mr. Pectacular himself, Jessie, was apparently there to host the event.
From the drama and conversations that ensued when the feeds came back up, Julia was set up to go first, and either she asked Vanessa for advice on who to face off with, or she just looked at Vanessa and received complimentary advice. Apparently, Vanessa told Julia to face off against Austin. An odd choice, seeing as Austin is in her alliance. Why not face off against Johnny Mac or Steve and try to knock one of them out?
Vanessa spun this situation about seven different ways, and I'm not even 100% sure what the real story is behind her thinking other than that it was in Vanessa's best interest for Julia not to win the Veto, as she'd likely use it to take Liz off the block, then Vanessa would be the almost-guaranteed replacement nom. Of course, that's not what Vanessa told Julia, and maybe her intentions were genuine. From what she says, her reasoning was something about trying to ensure Julia knocked Austin out of the running so that Julia wouldn't end up on the block next to Liz.
Vanessa talked herself out of any kind of situation she might have been in with Liz and Julia over this potentially game-wrecking advice. Meanwhile, it was Austin who seemed to be in the hottest water coming out of the Veto competition. From the sound of it, Austin got it in his head that the whole house was trying to eliminate him -- possibly because Julia picked him to face off against in Round 1 -- and when he won, he made a big show of his victory, which didn't go over well with Liz.
There was plenty of fallout from that, including, at one point, Liz basically telling Austin they were over. And Austin dropping the L-word on her as he defended himself. Maybe Liz was really just mad she didn't win, but it sounds like it had a lot to do with how he acted after the won. He was very excited, naturally, and possibly didn't take her feelings into account as much as she could have. Who knows? It looks like they were pretty cuddly last night, so it seems like she's over it.
It's all but certain that Steve will put Julia up as the replacement nominee. But since the Veto has yet to be used, we have to leave a margin for the possibility that the twins and/or Austin will somehow convince Steve to put Vanessa or Johnny Mac up instead. I don't see it happening. For one thing, Steve has already fired a shot at Austwins. It doesn't make sense not to push forward and weaken them by eliminating one of their numbers. That alliance presently makes up half the house. If one of them doesn't go on Thursday, they officially have the majority. So I don't see Steve making a weird move and not putting Julia up when Austin inevitably saves himself with the Veto.
As for who will go on Thursday, it seems like the house is letting the twins decide. Or they're presenting that opportunity, likely as a way of easing one out the door without pissing off the other. The obvious choice for everyone but Austin would be to send Liz out. As it stands now, and Vanessa has pretty much said as much to both of them, Liz is playing for $500k, Julia is playing for $50k. But which of them stands a better chance of getting to the end?
Because Liz has won more competitions, specifically Head of Household comps that have given her the opportunity to make game moves, if she gets to the Final 2, she has a legitimate chance at winning the game. If Julia stays and gets to the Final 2, she'll have less of an argument to make as to why she should win... unless she can convince the house that she intentionally played a weaker game so that she'd be taken to the end (and even that might not go over well enough to secure 5 votes.).
Liz being the stronger player makes her the bigger target, which means to get to the end, she'll likely need to win a lot of competitions, whereas Julia is a smaller target and might get to the end without having to win because everyone feels confident they can win against her in the Final 2. So, do the twins go for broke and have Liz stay and go for the half million? Or do they play it safe, leave Julia in the game and increase their odds of winning some money, even if it's only second place.
In the end, I think Liz is going to go, regardless of whether or not the twins want it that way. She wins more, and competitions are too important to leave strong players in the house right now. Austin made some points to Julia about why Liz should stay, being the stronger player and all. Vanessa later countered that logic to Julia by pointing out that it's in Austin's best interest for Liz to stay, because she's a bigger target. If Austin ends up on the block next to Liz, he has a decent chance at staying. If he ends up on the block next to Julia, Austin is going.
So again, my guess is that Liz will go this week. But it's only Sunday, and there are days to go. Anything can happen.
