After a quick (for this show) reminder that Head of Household Russell nominated Ronnie and Lydia on Sunday's episode, Russell tells us that in addition to wanting Ronnie out, this was a move designed to tell him where people's loyalties lie. In the Diary Room, however, Ronnie thinks he already has the answer to that question: with him. As for the other nominee, Lydia, she DRs that she used to be in an alliance with Russell, but now she's up on the block. Sounds like that alliance is over, sweetie. Kevin follows her to the red room and privately assures her that he'll take her off the block if he wins the Power of Veto. He seems surprised that this doesn't seem to make her feel better, as though he's ever won anything. Lydia just needs to hope that it's a scarf-wearing competition.
Ronnie visits Russell up in the HoH room, and puts on a big, fake-weepy show of apologizing for joining in with Lydia and Kevin in talking shit about Russell, and basically throws himself on his mercy. Russell pretends that he'll think about it, but he assures us that he isn't fooled for a second. He's not even trying to convince Ronnie.
The person to visit Russell is Chima, who flirts with him and snuggles up a bit on the bed before saying she wants Lydia to go home. Russell maintains that he's got the votes to boot Ronnie: Jeff, Jordan, Kevin, and Michele. He gets a little heated, saying Ronnie has been lying and needs to go, and Chima agrees that she'll go along with whatever Russell wants. For now.
But at the same time, Natalie is having a whispered conversation with Jessie, saying she wants Lydia out. Because of how Lydia always allies herself with whoever's in power, but mainly because she's trying to "break us up." In the DR, Jessie agrees that Ronnie owes him more favors than Lydia does, so he's better to keep around. So the two of them join Chima and Russell in the HoH room, piling onto the case that Lydia needs to go before Ronnie. But Russell insists that he's done with Ronnie, and talking Russell out of something he's decided to do isn't going to get anybody anywhere. Or at least not anywhere they might want to go.
Outside, Natalie and Michele play pool, while Natalie tries to secretly line up Michele's vote to go against Russell and evict Lydia instead of Ronnie. Michele won't commit to anything, but she's not comfortable with being the deciding vote. It might cause someone to realize she exists.
The PoV competition drawing takes place. HoH. Russell and nominees Ronnie and Lydia draw Michele, Jessie, and Kevin, respectively, with Chima as the host. When they emerge from the house from the competition, all in togas and laurel crowns, they discover that the back yard has been decorated like the set of Rome, only cheaper, with a "Veni Vidi Veto" banner. Arranged around the yard are random items with large numbers of things stuck on and around them. And the players' podiums have faux-Roman versions of their names, on them, like "Kevinus" and "Lydius." I don't even want to get into it, it's too embarrassing. From a host podium shaped like a chariot marked "Chimacus," (I know, but that's the last one, I swear), Chima gives them five minutes to look over everything, so we know it's gong to be one of those Rain Man challenges where everyone has to guess how much of stuff there is. After they've had a chance to take everything in (including a rat cage you have to crawl under and stick your head up into), Chima explains the overly complicated The Price Is Right-like rules for the game, but I'm not about to sit and transcribe all that crap. The first question regards the number of jewels attached to the chariot Chima is standing in. First everyone bids, then they have to decide whether to "stay" or "fold" after hearing everyone else's guesses. Jessie is the only person who stayed with his guess, so he wins the point, even though Kevin's guess was the closest. He just can't seem to get off the ground, what with the extra weight of Lydia's hopes for her safety pinned on him.
Then they have to guess the number of arrows that are stuck in a wooden shield. Russ, Kevin, and Jessie all stay (while Ronnie continues folding, hanging back to let other people eliminate themselves), but Russell's guess is the closest, so it's his point. But Kevin's guess was the furthest off, so he's out, leaving Lydia pretty much up there alone. But then Russell wins the point, and Lydia's out. Michele wins a point in the round. Then a question about the number of rats in the cage comes up, which everyone knows is Michele's area of expertise (and Ronnie's, as Russell points out, but in a different way). Michele lowballs everyone to trick them into folding, and what do you know, Michele is the only one to stay with her guess, so she wins her second point, having bluffed Ronnie out of sticking with his higher (and more accurate) estimate. comes a question about the number of feathers in a centurion's helmet. Michele and Jessie are the only ones to stay, but Michele's guess was the closest, so she just won her second PoV in a row. Too bad she doesn't have a mud pit to dive in. She DRs about how she has the most power, being not only the veto holder but the swing vote. Ronnie's plan: figure out what it'll take to get Michele to use the veto on him. I know what it'll take: nothing Ronnie has. Still, Ronnie gets right to work on Michele in the pool room, but she's not committing to anything. Including giving him the time of day.
That evening, Michele invites Russell up to the HoH room to "hang out," which makes Natalie and Jessie suspicious. Upstairs, Russell and Michele discuss how they're in the same boat, without partners. They seem to realize their shared problem has an obvious solution. Of course, only one of them is telling the truth, because it's not like Russell is about to tell Michele about his super-secret alliance with Jeff. They watch on Russell's monitor as Jessie and Natalie come up to play chess right outside the door, amusing Russell with their impotent worrying. All his ex-fellow Athletes can do is fret to each other while Michele and Russell cement their alliance. "He's not that interesting, nor is she," Jessie whispers to Natalie, getting paranoid that he's their target.
Natalie's only other move is pushing Ronnie to make his case to Michele to use the veto on him. Sharp move, Natalie. I'm sure that never would have occurred to Ronnie on his own. Although he's already asked nicely, Ronnie tries a new approach, basically threatening Michele with the people who will be after her if he leaves. I think Ronnie overestimates their loyalty to him. As for Michele, it's harder to tell what she's thinking. If anything.
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Russell comes into the kitchen from outside, just as Ronnie, Natalie, Kevin, and Chima laugh. "Schemers," Russell mutters, and there's some tense calling-out between Chima and Russell over who's friends with whom. Chima even appears to be onto Russell's alliance with Jeff. Russell DRs that Chima's turning into a possessive girlfriend. He heads back out and reports this to Jessie and Jeff (and Lydia, when she joins them). He tells them that he's so annoyed with Chima right now that he's regretting not nominating her. I like Russell better when he's not unstable.
Later, Jessie's up in the HoH room, without Russell for some reason. Chima comes up as Natalie leaves, and Jessie recounts an abbreviated version of what Russell said to him about Chima earlier. Chima's not sure what to think, but fortunately Jessie is there with his incisive analysis: "This can turn into something." Whatever that means.
Chima then goes to Ronnie to ask his opinion, and Ronnie makes it about him, saying Russell may have convinced Michele to use the veto on Lydia, so he can nominate Chima, Jessie, or Natalie as a pawn against Ronnie. Ronnie talks some shit about Michele, and then about Russell, which, you would think Ronnie would have learned his lesson about by now, what with being on the block right now for doing just that.. Because Russell is not only listening outside, he also sticks his head in just to let them know he's there. Natalie pops in to tell them Russell's onto them, but they both claim not to care: Ronnie because he's going home, and Chima because according to her, Russell's a paranoid [censored] who lies to everyone anyway. Seeing an opening, Jessie materializes out of the very ether to say that now the real Russell has shown himself. "There's nothing we can do," Jessie shrugs as he and Natalie leave. Chima resists the urge to go confront Russell, but it won't do her any good, because Russell DRs that she's already shown she's not on his side and doesn't care about keeping her around.
In advance of Michele's PoV ceremony, she says she's got to make some strategic moves. It'll be interesting to see what Michele's version of that is. Ronnie, Jessie, and Russell are all worried about what Michele's going to do, for various reasons. When Michele calls them in, she does the thing where the veto holder gives the nominees a chance to speak. "Ronnie, I'm going to give you the chance to lie first. I mean, speak." That would have been a good zinger if it hadn't been delivered so limply. All she did is telegraph what she's going to do anyway. Neither of the nominees makes an argument. And neither of them gets vetoed. There you have it, folks, Michele's strategic move: nothing. Russell smirks at everyone.
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After the meeting, Michele DRs that she has at last declared her allegiance to her team, and Russell DRs that he's happy to have her on board. Lydia is only holding out hope that Ronnie doesn't get the mystery power, and Ronnie, never the defeatist, DRs he still has some moves left. But you can tell he's scared, because he didn't come up with a Star Wars reference to illustrate it. Not even a simple boast about a "fully operational battle station." Weak.
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, follow him on Twitter, or just e-mail him at m.giant[at]gmail.com.
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