Big Brother Shenanigans: BB14: First Night on the Feeds

Friday, July 13, 2012

BB14: First Night on the Feeds

Last night, as usual, the first night of the feeds was crazy. It always happens in the first few weeks of Big Brother. You don't know which feed to pick, developing a feed-induced A.D.D., trying to figure out what's going on, who's scheming against whom, who's pulling the strings, who's in a shaky position, who's fun to watch, who's a hot mess.

Well, we got it all last night!

Game Strategy

While Janelle and Britney have teamed up against Boogie and Dan (I have a feeling that's all Janelle's doing because she rightfully has a BB score to settle with Boogie), Willie who was crowned HoH by his coach, Britney, doesn't seem to be falling in with the game plan, after the nominations.

Frank and Kara are on the block: one member from each of Boogie's and Dan's teams. That's no doubt Britney's and Janelle's doing; but somewhere along the way in the 5 days since they entered the house, Willie has developed an alliance with Frank. They both seem to feel that they need each other to keep the targets off themselves for a while in the game. So, despite the fact that Britney and Janelle are pushing for Frank's eviction, Mr. Hantz ain't playing.

Another focused target is trained on Ian as well. For a reason we yet don't know that involves a Coach's Competition, he is immune from nomination this week; but Janelle is jonesing to get rid of him. Why you ask? Simple. Janelle is a smart woman who recognizes a threat in Ian. He's smart and he knows the game. While he most likely will not be a threat in physical competitions (he said so himself in his preseason interview), he is definitely a threat in mental and possibly endurance comps. He's also a part of Boogie's team (unfortunately) which adds a layer of motivation for Janelle.

Janelle has been busy using her gift of gab to undermine both Boogie and Ian with the rest of the house. She made sure people know all of Boogie's shady and public past, while turning others against Ian because of his eccentricity. Britney is following the plan with statements like, "The second the feeds came on, he (Ian) decided to act remotely normal" (around 2 AM BBT), proceeding to imitate him, in Britney fashion, as he paced manically waiting for the feeds to go live. (What superfan wouldn't?)

Meanwhile, Boogie is working hard to get Willie on his side and keep his and Dan's teams in tact, by suggesting Joe as a replacement nominee should Frank be taken off the block. Dan, on the other hand, was laying low last night, being sociable and not aggressively talking game; but that's Dan's style.

Meltdowns and Squabbles

Ashley dropped her Snow White strategy of sunshine and love because of a massive pain in her back caused by the torturous metal beds in the Have Not Room that she shares with Danielle. She spent the entire night on the HoH bed while streams of visitors came through, the women minus Danielle for a "girls' night" consuming alcohol because they decided to distribute it nightly by gender (though WIl got to drink), and then various pods of HGs to discuss strategy or to mingle.

Wil was incensed most of the night because JoJo took some of his beer and then laughed about it. He talked about this in detail to anyone who would listen.

Kara had a meltdown and started crying in bed because she's on the block.

Danielle, after confiding to Dan and Kara about her abusive childhood and extremely troubled father, tried to navigate those feelings. (This conversation happened in the Cabana Room around 12:30 AM BBT.) When Superpass sets up the flashback, later today according to them, check it out if you missed it. It was both horrifying and sad to watch, because no matter what went down there, it was no doubt traumatic and a difficult experience to live through.

Thoughts

Although I'm enjoying the new layer that's been added to the game with the coaches; and I do enjoy to watch Janelle, Boogie, Britney and Dan in action, I'm not liking this twist at all, so far. It throws a monkey wrench in the flow of the game forcing the newbies into alliances they would probably not pick for themselves, jeopardizing or boosting people's games because of the luck of the draw.

I have been saying this for what seems like years now, but since season 10 with Jesse Godderz' return, I want Big Brother to be unsullied by returning houseguests. They had their chance, won, lost, almost made it or bombed. Start fresh with a new group and let them have at it. If the producers want to introduce coaches into the game, they can set up scenarios where the houseguests can win a coaching session with a reigning champion. Or they can have another All-Stars and even out the playing field all together.

I'm a hard core fan of the show and I wouldn't even threaten to stop watching, but I really wish this mingle of new and past would stop.

What to expect today: PoV Competition

The feeds will be going to trivia sometime in the BBT afternoon for the PoV competition in which Willie, Frank, Kara, Wil, Danielle and Shane are playing and JoJo is hosting. Depending on the results of the competition, the game will change again. Gotta love it!

Stay tuned for some highlights and thoughts on today's shenanigans! :)

Big Brother Lexicon

There are certain terms that have been used in the course of this show that should be clarified. Here is a list:

Team America: Yet Another tool for production to manipulate the game. Three players will be placed in alliance by "America" and will be given tasks that apparently will change the game. So far, it didn't change Joey's game, first member of Team America slated to be evicted first.

Battle of the Block: The 2 nominees of each of the 2 HoHs will battle each other. The winner duo save themselves and dethrone the HoH who nominated them, throwing them back out of power at risk of being a renom.

AGP: Allison Grodner of Fly on the Wall Productions which is the company that has been hired by CBS to produce the show.

PoV: Power of Veto. This allows the holder to save one of the nominations for eviction. The last PoV of the game is the most powerful, as it determines who will be evicted.

HoH: Head of Household. Along with getting a primo suite, a letter from home, pictures and treats, this person decides who will be nominated and renominated should the veto be used.

Floater: This term is often misused. A "floaters" strategy is legitimate way to get through and win the game. A prime example of this is Jun Song (BB4). This strategy allows the player to switch alliances when necessary, win when necessary, but always work under the wire. It doesn't mean just going with the power in the house (let's call those floppers). It means manipulating the house, ergo having the power. In later years, the term has been misused for players who do not make any moves in the game but work for whoever has the power.

Backdoor: This strategy is used when the true target for eviction is not initially nominated, does not get a chance to play PoV, is subsequently nominated and evicted.

Blindside: When a player is evicted without even suspecting that he/she is the target.

Pawn: This is a person who is nominated but is part of the HoH's alliance and is used as a decoy, to ensure that the other person nominated gets evicted. It has often happened that the pawn has been blindsided.

America's Player: This is a player in the game, chosen by the viewing public, who is told how to act and vote in the house. They do this for a separate monetary reward.

Fast Forward: When there are two evictions in one week. Typically they tape an eviction on Tuesday followed by a quickie HoH. They have nominations later that night, followed by a PoV competition and PoV ceremony the next day. The second eviction and HoH comp for that week happens live on Thursday.

Double Eviction: On the live show on Thursday, there is an eviction (sometimes pre-taped), followed by a quick HoH comp, immediate nominations, a PoV competition, PoV Ceremony, followed by another Eviction, culminating in the second HoH comp which is usually a physical skill or Endurance.