Julie welcomes us to Day 21, and reminds us that the double medical emergency shown last night really gave everyone a new perspective on the game and each other and meaning of life itself. And then Julie actually uses that stupid "Operation Condor" phrase of James's, reminding us that Alex/Amanda and Matt/Natalie are nominated for tonight's eviction, and Joshuah and Sharon have declined to use their PoV.
So now either Alex or Matt is going to leave, breaking up the big Boston/New York alliance. Alex declines to campaign against his buddy Matt. Who in turn seems to have no such compunction.
Amanda wakes up the morning, and seems to be off slop, the doctor having instructed her to eat five times today. Everyone seems very solicitous of her. Perhaps they'll even spin their eventual eviction of her as being motivated by concern for her health.
Outside, Matt secures Adam's support for the upcoming vote. And on another day, Allison sits and eats cereal while watching Matt and Natalie lift weights together. And then she realizes that Matt and Natalie are a threat, and that this might be a good chance to get rid of the two of them. And so, because Allison is such a strategic master, she goes up to the HoH room to campaign for that idea with a bunch of people who are hanging out up there. Adam doesn't want to abandon "Operation Condor," but James is only too happy to switch over to "Operation Bro-Down." Where to I sign up for "Operation Shut Up, James"?
Matt then assigns Natalie to campaign for them with Sharon and Joshuah, promising that Natalie and Matt will never nominate Joshuah and Sharon. Okay, here's what's bugging me about all these alliances and promises people keep making: there may be twelve people in the house, but since they're playing as couples, there are effectively only six players, and five by the end of the episode. Two weeks in, it's already the beginning of the end. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Anyway, Josh and Sharon are noncommittal, but as soon as Natalie leaves, Josh draws a finger across his throat, a gesture which the editors strip of any context to make us think it means something.
Ryan and Allison discuss the situation as well. Allison is still saying that this is a good chance to get rid of Matt and Natalie, and then Alex and Amanda can go week. Because long-term plans like that always hold up in this house. By that logic, Ryan and Allison would be going home tonight.
Diary Room Vote Discussion #1 features Sheila and Adam talking about which couple they should boot. Oddly, I'm not feeling any suspense.
Julie communes with the houseguests over the living-room video monitor. She asks Amanda how things are different for her in the house after everyone watched her flop on the floor like a landed trout. Amanda says that she and Allison have gotten a lot closer. Regarding Allison, Julie asks how her life-threatening allergic reaction affected...Sheila. Regarding the big fight we saw between Sheila and Allison last night, Sheila says that she confronts people when they're talking behind her back. Which Allison may or may not have been doing, because there hasn't been any evidence of that on the show. Julie gives James his props for helping Amanda and staying frosty during the crisis. Just as calm as he was last night, James says he thought Amanda was going to die and was ready to give her CPR. As for Alex, he allows that he's glad to have Amanda there. Which I believe, because the alternative is probably finishing the game with Jacob as his replacement partner.
Julie asks what it's like in the house without drinking cups and hot water, which they had taken away from them after the last HoH competition. Matt says that it's putting everyone on edge, joking that it doesn't affect him because he's a miserable SOB all the time anyway. Julie asks how Sheila's doing on slop, and Sheila says that it's the best diet she's ever been on, having lost five pounds. It looks like she's about to come up with an entertaining description of the stuff, but Julie cuts her off before that happens. Hate to have anything interesting happen!
Diary Room Vote Discussion #2 is Joshuah and Sharon, telling us very little we don't already know, except that Joshuah is afraid Amanda secretly hates him. Which is so totally unfair of her, right?
Julie wants to focus on James and Chelsia for a while, and why they're getting along so well despite being so different from each other. Which, how different can they be, if Big Brother declared them soulmates? As he and Chelsia snuggle on the HoH bed, James describes his "bicycling around the world for peace" mission; so far he's just bicycled around North America. Yeah, those oceans can be a bitch. We meet a dude from James's local bar, and Chelsia's mom. Oops, that's Chelsia's friend. My mistake. She looks like a fortyish version of Chelsia, so can you blame me? The package ends with Chelsia telling James that he should bike across the U.S. again and she'll follow, only her bike will have a motor. I might follow James on the road too, but only if I get to drive a snowplow.
Julie has the HoH interview with James and Chelsia, asking him why he went back on his word about not nominating Matt and Natalie. James explains that he only said that before he won HoH, which is not the impression I got at all. I could be wrong, of course, but if I am, it's the show's fault. Not that Julie questions James's claim in any way. Instead, she gives Chelsia a chance to air her doubts about James's plan, but Chelsia is standing by her man here. Or, more accurately, her arbitrarily-assigned partner in a game show. Julie asks James how he's adapting to being stuck in a house with people instead of on the road by himself. James says that he hates most of the people there, because of their materialism. They're only in it for the money, man. Julie actually impresses me (it doesn't take much, where Julie is concerned) by asking James why he wants the money, and he says that he wants it to inspire people to bike around the world and work for peace. Well, that should work. After all, when Eddie won Season 1, the very first thing I did was go out and have my leg amputated.
Diary Room Vote Discussion #3: Ryan and Allison: Ryan thinks Amanda and Alex have it in for them, but Allison says that Matt and Natalie have never done anything for them, so she can't respect them. Well, why should she? I know I judge my fellow human beings primarily by what they've done for Allison.
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Julie gives the nominated couples a chance to make their cases to stay. Amanda apologizes to everyone and asks for another chance for her, and especially for Alex. Who uses his turn to tout his own truthiness. When Natalie and Matt stand, Natalie says that she doesn't want to go back to "the Beaver State," which is about the fifth time I've heard her make that "joke" about her Oregon home just on the air. God knows how many times she's trotted it out beyond that. Matt does the best thing he could do, admitting that everyone has to make a "wicked hahd decision" And who would want to kick out a guy who says things like "wicked hahd," after all?
Time for the vote. Adam and Sheila go to the DR to vote first. Julie reminds us that Adam is still on board with Operation Condor, and sure enough, they vote to boot Amanda and Alex. Joshuah and Sharon go to the DR , and they vote to evict Alex and Amanda as well. So that's two out of three voting couples; the decision is made. Ryan and Allison go through the charade of voting last, and in the DR, they make it unanimous. Wow, that was tension you could have cut with a banana.
Once everyone's settled back in the living room, Julie tells Alex and Amanda that they've been voted out, 3-0. There are about twenty minutes of hugs and goodbyes (it's all live!). Julie finally tells them to knock it off, and Alex and Amanda head out the front door to meet Julie. Inside, Matt and James agree that they're even now, not that I get what Matt did to James or what James did for Matt to square things. And by the time the remaining ten houseguests get to the memory wall, Alex and Amanda are already in black and white.
Julie says that Alex blamed Amanda for the nomination, but since he didn't campaign to stay, is the eviction his fault? Alex uses the ever-popular surplus-of-awesomeness defense to explain his eviction. As for Amanda, Julie says that Amanda campaigned hard, not that we saw any of it. Julie asks if his feelings for Amanda got in the way of the game. Alex denies it. Because that's how awesome he is. Smell you later, you two.
Time for the taped farewells from the remaining houseguests. Allison tells Alex and Amanda that they never got to know her, and that hurt her feelings. Awww. Ryan tells them they had it in for him and Allison all along. Joshuah tells Amanda that she added some excitement to the house, and apologizes for the things he said. Natalie says that Amanda was her closest friend. Matt promises to avenge Alex, and to make sure the people who evicted him will be gone. I'm pretty sure they will be eventually, one way or another.
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