Julie and her sleeveless green jumpsuit (!) welcome us to the show with an introduction that's so non-specific it could be used any week. To remind us which one it actually is, we go into the black-and-white flashback of the Veto ceremony shown last night. Afterward, Jeremy says that Nick's replacement nomination doesn't matter because Elissa's going home. Spoken like someone who's about to be kicked in the tits. Elissa DRs that this is her second nomination (in two weeks), but she's hoping her housemates will figure out that Nick is a huge threat. Nick is still confident, which means Elissa is probably right. And Helen DRs that she's taking it upon herself to get Nick out instead of Elissa. Even though it's not like Helen's in any danger either way.
In the bathroom, Amanda and Candice discuss the week's vote. Candice says the women need to stick together so it's not all dudes at the end like usual, apparently forgetting how two years ago it was Rachel's sister, some other chick and a total nonentity at the end. Amanda seems to be on board, saying they're among the few people who can trust Elissa.
Candice meets with Elissa in the Have-Not room and they tally up the votes it'll take to boot Nick: Candice, McCrae, Amanda, Judd and possibly Howard, who Candice will work on. Apparently they've forgotten about the Moving Company. As Helen joins them, they figure Jessie is too beholden to the cool kids and Spencer is not trustworthy, but at least they're going to find out his allegiances this week. Helen later chats with Andy, who seems torn and worried that the other side of the house is going to come after them.
Late at night, Elissa makes a whispered pitch to Jessie in bed, warning her that if Nick stays they're all screwed. Jessie DRs that she's having doubts about her determination to vote out Elissa. Or maybe she's just swayed by the few people who are actually paying attention to her.
The morning, Helen follows up with an even harder sell to Jessie, saying that Jeremy and Nick are no match for the people Helen's claiming for her side, including Elissa, Andy, Judd, McCrae, Amanda and possibly Howard, all of whom Helen claims would be willing to keep her safe week as if she's on their radar anyway. Jessie's sold and Helen says that's six votes, enough to evict Nick. And if not, she'll know that people are lying. Of course, at that point, there won't be anything she can do about it.
While McCrae and Amanda cuddle in the hammock, Howard gets nervous about what this pairing could mean for the Moving Company. "Women know stuff and they figure stuff out," Howard frets in the DR. So he takes Nick aside to express his concerns that McCrae doesn't have as much sway over Amanda as he claims. Nick has concerns of his own, namely that "the girls go crazy and they think that there' a guy alliance and they vote me out because of that." Yes, that would be crazy, to act rationally based on a totally accurate conclusion. Spencer takes Howard's place for a one-on-one with Nick, and he also has concerns about Amanda. They decide a come-to-Jesus meeting with McCrae is in order. So when Spencer and Howard approach McCrae with their concerns regarding Amanda, he gives them assurances that he's on their side and will cut Amanda loose the second he gets a whiff of anything. Spoken like someone who doesn't expect that to happen.
While McCrae and Amanda cuddle in the hammock, Howard gets nervous about what this pairing could mean for the Moving Company. “Women know stuff and they figure stuff out,” Howard frets in the DR. So he takes Nick aside to express his concerns that McCrae doesn’t have as much sway over Amanda as he claims. Nick has concerns of his own, namely that “the girls go crazy and they think that there’ a guy alliance and they vote me out because of that.” Yes, that would be crazy, to act rationally based on a totally accurate conclusion. Spencer takes Howard’s place for a one-on-one with Nick, and he also has concerns about Amanda. They decide a come-to-Jesus meeting with McCrae is in order. So when Spencer and Howard approach McCrae with their concerns regarding Amanda, he gives them assurances that he’s on their side and will cut Amanda loose the second he gets a whiff of anything. Spoken like someone who doesn’t expect that to happen.
So later, Amanda and McCrae lounge together discussing their move. Amanda tips her hand, saying she doesn’t trust Nick and they need to get him out. McCrae plays it cool, but in the DR he admits that he’s torn between following the wishes of the Moving Company and his girlfriend. Poor McCrae and his tiny little balls are back in the vise. Again. Not an enviable position for someone whose entire strategy is to do what other people want him to do.
Julie raises the houseguests on the living room viewscreen and starts out with Jeremy, congratulating him on winning the PoV but asking why he wasn’t worried about his nomination to begin with. Jeremy says he was excited to compete, but it’s possible that Julie might have gotten the others thinking a bit. If they were thinking people, that is. Julie’s question is about showmances, which she directs to Jessie, one of the few unwillingly single people in the house. Jessie’s answer is not particularly edifying, except for how Nick sighs wearily as she’s talking. Julie then asks Amanda how long it takes to forget there are cameras and microphones recording everything, which obviously a number of them have. Amanda makes a lame joke about having forgotten she was even on Big Brother until Julie showed up, but says more seriously that she forgets all the time. Julie directs the question to Aaryn, who claims to be a “very open person” in general, so everyone knows all about her. “Yes… we all do,” Julie says dramatically. Indeed.
After closing down the viewscreen connection, Julie abruptly gets serious, saying, “The insensitive remarks made by a few of the houseguests have stirred up a controversy online and have made national headlines.” She says that while they don’t all know its effect on their lives outside the house (like Aaryn and GinaMarie having been fired, I’ve heard), it’s getting to them inside the house.
Cut to some clips from earlier this week of some of the houseguests hanging out in the back yard talking about Aaryn’s most recent racist remarks, this time about the behavior of the black and white fish in the tank. Howard tells his housemates and the DR how it’s affecting him. Amanda makes excuses, saying it comes from ignorance, but the others aren’t buying it. So Amanda ends up taking it upon herself to go to Aaryn in the HoH room and privately warn Aaryn that she’s coming off bigoted, especially to the non-white houseguests. Aaryn’s reaction is predictably mature: “That’s the most obnoxious, annoying thing I’ve ever heard.” Okay, so keep doing it, then, and see what happens. Aaryn points out that the others call her blonde, which is totally the same thing. “I wish that I cared more about this but I don’t,” she says. Well, I guess that tells us all we need to know.
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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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After one last break, we're back in the studio while Julie flogs the upcoming week of shows, as well as the live feeds that have caused the show so much trouble. Then it's the closing eavesdropping sequence, which unsurprisingly has a lot of bleeping. More surprisingly, Helen is comforting a disconsolate GinaMarie and promising to help her win HoH week, while everyone else mills around the yard awkwardly. Well, I guess that's one way to avoid being surrounded by well-wishers after an HoH win.
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.
Think you've got game? Prove it! Check out Games Without Pity, our new area featuring trivia, puzzle, card, strategy, action and word games -- all free to play and guaranteed to help pass the time until your show starts.