The downside of all the stuff that happened Thursday night has a downside: it means there's a lot to rehash from Thursday night. We're starting with everyone's reactions to Michelle's eviction. Dan just hopes his alliance remains unscathed, Jerry is conscious of his increased vulnerability as his alliance dwindles, Renny and Keesha feel bad about having to vote Michelle out, and pre-evicted Ollie promises that Michelle will be avenged. He'd better hurry. Memphis, on the other hand, isn't sorry to see the back of Michelle.
Then we rehash the final tie-tie-breaker question in Thursday's Head of Household competition, which Memphis was certain Keesha was going to screw up. And she kind of did, but Jerry screwed it up more so Keesha ended up winning HoH. As you may recall, she nominated Jerry and Ollie, both of whom felt their backs against the wall. And moments later was the Power of Veto competition, which Dan won and then commented in the Diary Room that after winning two PoVs and an HoH, his "I'm a weak player" strategy is kind of going out the window. We also see that after the PoV, Dan pulled Memphis and Keesha together and confirmed that they would vote to evict Ollie. And then in the house, Dan pulled Renny aside to tell her what the shot was, and Renny agreed. Meanwhile, Ollie sat on his bed and pouted instead of spending his time in a more productive way, like packing.
We again see Dan declining to use the veto, after which Ollie said to Jerry, "We don't get a week to campaign, do we?" "Life is short," Jerry chuckled back, despite being living proof to the contrary. We also see Ollie's exit, and Dan gloats about how well it's going for his final-four alliance. Jerry sees the writing on the wall, and he begs the other four to just talk to him over the week. Only five players left.
Unfortunately, the first person Jerry decides to have a talk with is Renny, who can't stand having a conversation with him. She ends up back in one of the bedrooms with the other three, who promise to try to keep Jerry away from her while he putters around alone in his bedroom with his luggage. And in the living room later, the other four feel bad for Jerry, until Renny remarks that he could still win the game. The other three warn her not to jinx it. Too late!
It's eight o'clock Pacific Time in the Big Brother house, while Renny insists to Dan and Memphis that it's six o'clock back home in New Orleans. Indeed, she gets rather heated when Dan keeps trying to explain how New Orleans is two hours ahead of them. Eventually she at least realizes her mistake and has the grace to laugh at herself.
There's a hallway shot that shows the presence of a globe right there in the house that would have come in handy a minute ago. This leads to a filler montage making fun of Keesha's laugh. Which isn't included in most of the broadcast edits, and after several iterations of a piercing squeal that sounds like a dolphin with its nuts in a vise, I can see why. Yikes.
Now it's time for the HoH competition, which Jerry realizes he has to win in order to survive the week. Outgoing HoH Keesha dresses up as a carny to host the skee ball themed competition in which the players will be asked on what day an event happened, and then have to aim for that numbered slot with their skee balls. The one who's off by the least total points at the end will be the new HoH.
The first question is which day Jerry called Dan Judas (it was day 35). They have different kinds of difficulties, from not remembering what day it was to not being able to aim their ball (like Renny, who is off by the most days of everyone, although not, in her defense, by the most days possible). The second question about aliens in the house (day 14) leaves Dan with a commanding lead. The third question is about Brian's sixth-day blindsiding at a PoV meeting, and Dan extends his lead. Then there's a question about when the past houseguests showed up with news from the outside world (day 32), and Jerry starts to close in on Dan, off by six fewer total points than Dan is. Dan says something grinchy in the DR about Renny sucking, and how it's up to him and Memphis (who admits that he sucks at it too). For the question about the earthquake that hit on day 22, Jerry nails it but Dan is off by four, shaving his lead to two points with two questions left. The penultimate question is about which day Jessie was evicted. Dan's ball takes a bad bounce, allowing Jerry to overtake him, with Memphis still more or less out of the game. And the final question is about the arrival of the lollipops on Day 39. Dan manages to nail it, but he's still only going to win if Jerry missed by seven. Dan ends up with a total of 31 penalty points. But Jerry was off by only four days, so he wins the HoH competition with 29 penalty points. Jerry gloats in the DR, and Dan is pretty sure he's going up this week. Back in the kitchen, Jerry hangs with the other houseguests and claims that he has no idea who he's going to nominate. And in case anyone didn't pick up on his implicit invitation to make him an offer, he makes it pretty explicit.
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In the bedroom, Keesha and Memphis and Dan talk about how much this sucks for their alliance, and speculate about who Jerry will nominate. Dan thinks it'll be himself and Renny, but all Memphis knows for sure is that he's not going to be making any deals with Jerry. I think we can take this to mean the Memphis will be making a deal with Jerry.
Jerry gives the tour of his HoH room, and of course everyone has to suck up to him, which he knows full well they're only doing because he's HoH. Not that this stops him from letting them. One of his items from home is a stuffed snake, which apparently has a story behind it. Which he wants to share with them all, of course. "I gotta listen to another story of Jerry's," Memphis carps in the DR, "which is more than likely not gonna be exciting, or make any sense, or be funny." Naturally, Jerry delivers as promised.
In the bedroom, Keesha and Memphis are finally facing the cold reality that no matter what happens short of Jerry having to rush home for his wife's funeral (or, let's face it, his own), one of their alliance of four is going home this week. For now, all Memphis and Keesha can do is agree on how they want to get to the end together.
Filler scene in which Renny sleepwalks and eats chocolate in bed. The morning, Renny is restless and wondering how an Almond Joy got into her bed. Downside of this stage of the game: fewer players=more filler.
Later, Keesha and Renny talk about the likelihood that Jerry will put up the two of them together. And Memphis and Dan talk about the likelihood that Jerry will put up the two of them together, which leads them to discussing the possibility of Memphis making a deal with Jerry. Memphis is coming around to the idea, just to keep Jerry from putting up both of the remaining guys. Because, if you recall, Dan and Memphis are "the Renegades," and thus must be protected at all costs. Eventually Memphis does indeed go up to Jerry to make him an offer. Jerry says he wants to go to the final two with Memphis, and Memphis says he's fine with that. "I would rather battle the best person in this game," Memphis sucks up, "and right now, Jerry, it's you." Jerry says his plan is to nominate Dan, and then leave him up if either of them wins PoV. Memphis claims to be on board with that, reminding Jerry that Dan nominated him and all. Memphis holds his nose and they shake on it, all for the Renegades. Has Jerry forgotten that he needs a second nominee? Or does he even care at this point?
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So now it's already time for Jerry's nominations. Memphis is feeling safer after their talk, and Dan says he'll be shocked if he's not one of the nominees. Which makes about half a million of us. Renny doesn't know if she'll be nominated, but she does know she'll go home if she is. And Keesha has a "gut feeling" that she'll be the other nominee. The crazy thing is that they might all be right.
And at the nomination meeting, the nominees are Keesha and Dan, with reminding them that they've both nominated him in the past. Plus he adds that he doesn't trust Dan, and he calls Keesha a strong player. He says at in the end, whoever wins PoV will get to determine who goes home, and adjourns the meeting. He then DRs that his goal is to get Dan out, and his other nominee was Keesha because Renny would vote to keep her and thus short-circuit any potential shenanigans from the alliance. Dan thinks that this could work out well for him and the Renegades, if he or Memphis wins PoV. Keesha platitudes something about how it sucks to be nominated, the PoV is huge, game on, blah blah. At least she doesn't laugh at the end. Memphis DRs that Renny's the only person in the house he doesn't have a deal with. so he needs to get her out this week and he'll be in good shape. Dude, how did we just go from the midpoint to the endgame in two episodes?
And I just want to say that I don't care when Renny goes home; I'm just really hoping she has a town to go home to. Hang in there, New Orleans.
M. Giant is a Minneapolis-based writer with a wife, a son, and a number of cats that seems to have settled at around two. Learn waaaay too much about him at Velcrometer, or just e-mail him at m.giant[at]gmail.com.
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