Matt is HOH and has nominated Kathy and Andrew, much to Andrew's chagrin. Andrew has no idea how this game works and doesn't understand the whole pawn concept... and frankly even though Matt is a BB fan, he seems to have misunderstood how that whole backdooring strategy should come together. His master plan (which is not approved of by his idiotically named Brigade alliance) is to get Brendon out by not letting him win POV. The remaining Brigade members would have at least like to have seen Rachel get nominated since she ruins iced tea for everyone and called Matt out last week. In the self-proclaimed genius' brain, the showmantic duo aren't after him and just exposing his secrets isn't a good enough reason. I can't see the future like Enzo could in those genie pants during the POV competition, but I think that Matt's game play is going to get him out the front door shortly after my calendar page turns to August.
Anyway, the POV competition is where Kathy and Andrew have the opportunity to win and take themselves off the block. Matt's master plan relied on Brendon and Rachel not being able to play... but the genius didn't account for the random draw as he pulled Brendon and Andrew pulled Rachel, leaving only Matt and Lane to represent the Brigade's best interests. The houseguests had to basically make educated guesses about how many of a particular item were placed in front of them, and then decide if they wanted to stay with their guess or fold. Closest wins. Lane says it's just like Texas Hold 'Em... but it's only vaguely like that. (Lane suddenly got chatty this week, talking about poker and shooting poor innocent turtles and/or his friends in a very interesting sounding "game.") Anyway, Rachel is the worst guesser ever. I guess that physics degree doesn't translate at all to calculating the volume of something. But Brendon is surprisingly good/lucky at this and wins the POV. He naturally decides not to use it, since he isn't a total idiot. Andrew still gives his speech, in which he essentially tried to tell the house that he was going after Brendon for not using the POV on him... only it came out all wrong. Andrew's not much with the strategic planning. When even Britney realizes your statements are confusing... you know you are in trouble. -- Angel Cohn
So on Sunday, HoH Matt nominated Kathy and Andrew for mysterious reasons of his own, and on Wednesday, my DVR declined to record this episode for reasons of its own as we catch up on Day 21. While I'm grateful to Angel for covering for me in the interim, I think we're more likely to learn Matt's motives in the hour than those of my DVR.
Reactions to Matt's nominations in the Diary Room: Rachel's glad she and Brendon weren't nominated, at least for now; Andrew's worried about going home even though he's the pawn; Matt's alliance-mate Hayden doesn't know what Matt's doing, and neither does Kathy. Matt himself says he doesn't care what anyone thinks, which is always a solid long-term strategy.
Andrew grumbles to himself in the Have-Not dump, then walks in on Brendon and Rachel's little celebration. Brendon offers some lame encouragement. Enjoy that, Andrew.
Kathy asks Matt to chat with her in the HoH room, and assures him that she only voted for him to leave because she knew he was safe. Matt offers her some lame encouragement, and DRs that he doesn't believe her, although they part with a hug.
Hayden and Kristen come talk to Andrew, and assure him they knew nothing of it. Hayden even goes so far as to promise to rescue Andrew if he wins PoV. With that, Andrew leaves, so now Hayden and Kristen can make out some more. You know, now that they mention it, they do look a little alike. That must be why Hayden thinks she's so hot.
Andrew discovers that Rachel put peaches in the iced tea, which effectively makes it off-limits for the Have-Nots. So he goes and growls loudly in frustration. Kathy goes to talk him down, but he hates Rachel so much at this point that he's frustrated with his only friend Brendon for liking "this thing." That segues into a discussion of how the house is an "idiocracy," for which Matt's nominations are only one piece of evidence. Andrew, ladies and gentlemen, demonstrating the "stopped clock" rule.
Early in the morning, the rest of the Brigade buttonholes Matt outside to talk about his plan. He claims that whoever wins the PoV will change the nominations, allowing for a backdoor of Brendon. Unless Brendon or Rachel wins, obviously, but what are the chances of that? Matt calmly says that he'll probably go that way. "Everything always works out for us," Hayden says, and I suppose I have to credit them for scoffing sarcastically.
Montage of Andrew being the only one who cleans. There's one every year.
Time to pick the PoV players. It'll be HoH Matt and nominees Kathy and Andrew, who draw the names of Brendon (the Brigade, mentally: "argh"), Lane, and Rachel (the Brigade, mentally: "ARGH!"), respectively. Nice orchestrating, Matt. He DRs that "The plan to backdoor Brendon is in serious jeopardy." That's because the plan was shite from the get-go.
Up in the HoH room, Matt and Lane bemoan their lack of luck and how they always seem to stumble into their worst-case scenario, listing off all of the other names that would have been better picks (i.e., all of them). "We can still win it," Lane says. "Give me some Pop Rocks!" The conclusion of all this: "Green apple isn't very good." And this is the alliance that hopes to run the house.
In the storage room, Matt assures Andrew that the plan is to get Brendon out. Andrew wonders what the plan is if Brendon wins PoV, and Matt says Kathy will have to go. "[Matt's] plan is blowing up in my face," Andrew DRs, and tells Matt that they're screwed if Brendon or Rachel wins.
On PoV day, Matt, Enzo, and Lane joke about the science-based competition that's probably in the offing, given their run of bad luck against the alleged scientists they've been trying to get rid of. Then they get distracted by the monitor showing Andrew praying while wearing a prayer shawl. Lane quite seriously DRs that the nice thing about being on Big Brother is getting to learn about other cultures, like how Jewish people pray in "ninja outfits." Oy. Vey. The Brigade pins their hopes on Andrew winning so they can backdoor Brendon. Good luck to them with that, because they're nothing if not lucky.
Lane talks about wanting to open up a drive-in liquor store. That turns into a discussion about driving around with guns in the truck, getting drunk, and shooting at eyes in the dark, a practice called "spotlighting." If nothing else, Texas is a slightly safer place this summer.
Oh, here we go. Enzo, chosen by Matt as the host for the PoV competition, enters the living room in a cheesy genie outfit and leads everyone out to the back yard. It's one of those things with random items laid out for everyone to study for ten minutes. They start counting, although Matt the genius says that he's not so great at counting. That's more of a "Rain Man" thing, he says. But not to worry, his alliance-mate Lane is quite astounded at the sight of a horse with "a horn grow[ing]out of its forehead." Oh, the Brigade has this in the bag.
"The Amazing Enzo" explains the rules. It's all about counting, to nobody's surprise, but with the added wrinkle that you get to "stay" or "fold" when everyone reveals their guesses. The person closest to the right answer who stayed wins a point, but the person with the guess that's the farthest off gets eliminated. The first person to score three points wins PoV. After everyone DRs about why they want to win, Enzo asks how many fortune cookies are in a giant bowl, compared to a nearby bowl of 25. Everyone reveals their guesses, and only Matt and Lane didn't fold, so they're up against each other for this round. Meaning one of them is out, and it's Lane. Smooth move, Brigade, but at least Matt has scored the first point in the game. Somehow the Brigade fails to hail this as a major victory.
During the question, which is about candles, Rachel DRs that her strategy is to stay in without knocking out Brendon. What else is new? She, Matt, and Andrew stick with their guesses, but Andrew earns that point and Matt's out. "I don't know what's going to happen," Matt DRs unhappily. What, you didn't orchestrate this? Now it's the two nominees versus the showmance. The question is about the length of a black spiral on a turning wheel. Rachel throws the point, so this round is down to Brendon and Kathy. Kathy's out.
Then they have to guess how many "tarrot" (that's Enzo's pronunciation of "tarot") cards are in a house built from them. Brendon and Rachel both fold, giving Andrew a second point by default. Hayden thinks this means Brendon is about to get backdoored. Keep hope alive, Hayden.
For the last question, they have to guess how many ounces of "magic potion" (actually some bubbling yellow crap) are in a bowl. Rachel and Andrew fold, giving Brendon the point by default and putting him and Andrew each one point away from the win. For the last question, they have to guess how many eyeballs are in a glass. All three players stay with their guesses, but we're not going to find out who was closest until after the ads.
When we come back, we learn that Brendon's guess was the closest, even though Andrew was the one who stuck his whole arm in there before the competition. Brendon triumphantly holds up his little PoV medal in the DR and announces, "This house is being taken over by Brenchel." Okay, that's a declaration of war. With me.
"Matt, you idiot!" Hayden DRs. Lane calls Brendon a "PoV MVP," and says he hopes he doesn't "clone hisself."
Brendon and Rachel make out briefly before saying they have to make sure Andrew stays. And make out. And talk about Andrew. And make out. Andrew really is the third member of this showmance. Except he's pouting in the Have-Not dump right now and not making out with anyone.
Matt and Enzo do a quick post-mortem, which is more like a lot of post moaning. Enzo DRs that Matt isn't the brains any more. "He's just a gremlin now." All Matt can say is they're due for a break. The ads oblige.
Andrew chats with Matt in the HoH room, and Matt assures Andrew that he wants to keep him, but he wants the vote to be 4-4 so Matt can cast the tiebreaker. Why Andrew doesn't just hit Matt right now is beyond me. Matt admits that he made a mistake, and wants to win Andrew's trust. So arranging for Andrew to be one vote away from eviction is Matt's way of doing that? I don't think "trust" means what Matt thinks it means. Andrew still doesn't get it: "Everything that Matt has tried to do has blown up in his face." So the last thing Andrew wants is for Matt to go campaign for him. Which is probably the smartest thing Andrew's said all season.
That night, in the Have-Not dump, Andrew quietly makes a deal with Brendon in the dark: he's going to put on a little show so nobody knows they're together, but Rachel can't know. Brendon agrees to this for some reason, even though it makes him nervous. As it should. Everything even tangentially associated with Andrew should be nervous, including the science of podiatry.
Pre-PoV, Brendon says that he doesn't want to see either Kathy or Andrew go home, but if he saves either one of him, Rachel could get backdoored. And not by him, waka waka waka! Kathy's praying for a miracle, and Andrew DRs that he's taking matters into his own hands, because he's got nothing else to lose. Which is when you want Andrew handling your shit, after all. Except for how Andrew has anywhere from five to nine votes to lose, if you count the potential tiebreaker.
Brendon calls the Veto meeting and puts Kathy and Andrew through the charade of pleading their case. Kathy says she doesn't need it, "but thank you for asking." Andrew congratulates Brendon, and talks about what went on between Brendon/Rachel and Matt last week, where they went after each other but all emerged unscathed. "So I'm gonna try that strategy. Brendon and Rachel, I'm coming after you. And Brendon, I would like you to give me the Power of Veto and save me." Everybody looks around in confusion, while Rachel stares at Andrew with obvious suspicion. She really may not be as dumb as she looks. Brendon, of course, is not using the Veto, and he ends the meeting.
Andrew DRs that he needed to make a bold move. As Jim Halpert once said about Michael Scott, "Is bold the right word?" Kathy says Andrew gave her the miracle she asked for. Britney wonders if she's in the Twilight Zone. Rachel's just shocked that Andrew's "such a hater." Okay, she's almost as dumb as she looks. Brendon thinks Andrew pulled it off. But Matt says nobody was fooled, and finds it pretty hilarious. For once, Matt is right about something.
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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