After nearly an hour delay caused by tennis, you'd think we'd get right down to new business and find out who the HOH is… but no. Not even close. First we have to get a recap of all the events from all of last week and then get the "unseen" footage from Thursday's double eviction night. None of this involves anything from the jury house, so I'm more than a little annoyed already.
We once again see GM telling Amanda to "get to steppin'" and then McCrae in the DR saying he never expected to have a showmance, and GM SCREAMING ABOUT HOW SHE GOT TO SEND AMANDA PACKING. Spencer is just grateful that he didn't go home even though he's the most nominated person in history.
As soon Amanda slams Andy on her way out the door, Elissa chases McCrae down to the backroom to ask if he's the one that voted out Amanda. I still don’t get her thinking (or lack thereof) here. Andy DRs that people weren't aware that he was playing both sides of the house. He goes to the backroom and attacks Elissa for not sticking to her word, and she laughs in his face. Andy continues to DR that he's going to have to sell the lie that Elissa is the traitor, and he's got his exterminator friends to back him up. I'd suggest a drinking game for every time someone mentions that alliance this episode, but I don't have nearly enough alcohol in my house. Andy also asks McCrae if he was the one that evicted Amanda, and the poor pizza boy just looks confused.
Then, we flashback to McCrae's HOH win where he DRs that he's got to get his head in the game. (One might argue that he should have done that weeks ago). Spencer wants to see him in the cockpit, Elissa begs that he not put her up and Andy demands that he trust him. Andy worries that McCrae might be on to the fact that he might get nominated by McCrae if pizza boy figures out that he was the one that took down Elissa. He thinks he's charming by saying it is his mission to make McCrae believe he should be trusted, but that he should definitely not be trusted, but it just makes me want to punch him in his smug face.
Elissa pleads -- well mostly just says "please" a lot -- and Andy goes on the attack telling McCrae not to be fucking stupid... in front of Elissa. Andy tells Elissa to stop lying, and she's just horrified. And then we learn that McCrae is a moron. He apparently had a strong suspicion that Andy was the one that voted out Amanda, but still put Elissa up for eviction because that's what the house wanted. Who the fuck cares what the house wants at this point in the game? That kind of crappy game playing is going to get him kicked out quickly. And I hate all this BS about "bowing down to the will of the house". That nonsense has really put a damper on this season.
McCrae put Elissa and GM up. Andy thinks that this means McCrae wasn't on to his lie, which is far from the truth. Then Judd wins veto, McCrae knows that the nominations will stick. GM whispers in Judd's ear to keep the noms the same, to prove her loyalty to the exterminators. Elissa asks Judd to use the veto, and he says that he isn't using it at all, she realizes she's doomed. She tries to tell him that she was the only person unaware that he was going home the first time. Andy and GM quickly jump all over her and say that she's lying because he begged for his life to Elissa and Helen. Elissa reminds everyone that Andy's been aligned with Amanda and McCrae since the get-go and he's way more responsible.
They see McCrae, who looks like someone just voted his girlfriend out of the house, and he's like, "What?" Judd wants him to clarify if Elissa was involved in Judd's eviction, McCrae shrugs it off, and Andy gets loud and really bossy. It's unattractive. I almost prefer him crying all the damned time. Judd quietly asks McCrae if Elissa was supposed to keep Amanda, when he nods, Judd says she's got to go.
Elissa asks Spencer what his vote looks like, and he says he's voting for her to go. At least he's honest, I guess. She then asks Andy to keep her, and he just calls her a liar. Judd doesn't use the veto, GM thanks him, Andy hugs GM in front of Elissa and says she's totally safe. Way to turn into a raging asshole in the last weeks of the game.
Elissa asks McCrae and Judd if she's getting evicted, They are non-committal, and she tries a last ditch plea to Judd saying she'll work with him and be loyal and he says he's heard that before. GM is running around the kitchen pretending to pump gas and the editors are having a field day making sound effects for this nonsense. Elissa sees Spencer and asks again if he'll keep him. She says that she put him up when she was MVP (so much for that being a secret) and he's holding that against her. Andy is just in one of the bedrooms doing some double fist pumps like an idiot. As they gather in the living room, Elissa says she's always been on Judd's side, but he's never been on hers.
McCrae says he's responsible for Elissa's eviction, and she wasn't good for his game, and he's hoping that it pays off in the coming week. Aw, having his head up Amanda's ass really left him clueless as to what's going on, didn't it? Andy says that Elissa knew too many of his secrets, so she had to go… but he says it like he's the whiniest mafiosa in the world. Judd says that this double eviction was way better than the last one, and GM does cartwheels. Spencer tells her to stop, because apparently he's the grown up in the house.
McCrae just cries about his lost girlfriend… who he will probably see imminently given that he can't play for HOH this week and everyone else is on the exterminator alliance. He's hoping that he can get a fresh start in the game (with two weeks left) now that Amanda's gone. The exterminators hug, and someone has to explain to GM that McCrae can't play in the HOH, because apparently after months she hasn't figure out how this game works. There is more of them running around doing the pumping, and then GM starts break dancing. Good thing McCrae was too busy crying.
McCrae sits in a bedroom with Spencer and Andy walks in pretending to care about his well-being. Spencer's pretending to be upset that Andy cast a vote against him, in order to protect Andy's game. What the hell is this? Why would everyone go to such lengths to protect Andy's game. If he wanted to play both sides of the house, they should have let him hang himself. It would be better for their long game.
Then it is FINALLY time for the HOH competition and some brand new stuff without flashbacks. About halfway through the episode, but that seems about right. It was very important that we got to see Andy be a dick and GM break dancing, right?
The HOH comp is set up to look like video game joysticks, but then they are told they are going to be shown pixelated images and have to do a puzzle with a cube to figure out who won the HOH competition that was show in the fuzzy image. Not sure what at all that has to do with the joystick, aside from the fact that the pixelated images looked a little like those old school 8-bit games. In every round, the person that comes in last is eliminated, with the last man standing at the end being the HOH. New HOH also gets to give each house guest a special gift.
McCrae realizes that he's an outsider, and no matter who wins he's in trouble. Yup. Spencer DRs that he's happy about the double eviction, but he wants to be sure he's safe and that means stepping up to the plate and winning. Andy narrates the game some more, and explains for dummies that if it comes to veto and McCrae wins, two exterminators will be up and one of them will go home. Thanks for the annoying and not at all helpful information, Andy.
In the first Round, they are shown a picture of the baby mobile veto challenge. Andy's excited to assemble Jeremy's beautiful face. GM puts her blocks on the ground thinking it will be easier to move them. Judd rings in first, but he's got a piece of Jeremy's hair sticking out like a cowlick. Spencer quickly follows with a correct picture. Andy has like four pieces together, while GM finishes. So Andy is out. He's worried that since he's the first evicted, that guarantees him a spot on the block to McCrae.
Round 2 is the Casino competition, and it is Aaryn. GM quickly puts together her "bunny's" face. Andy wonders if he's overestimating his intelligence or underestimating hers. He thinks both. I think they are both morons. Anyway, Judd has the puzzle together, except for a wayward piece of Aaryn's golden locks. He starts screaming about how there is no way it fits, and Spencer gets his puzzle together. Judd says he should have known Aaryn would screw him over again.
Round 3 and it is the Big Brother Express comp, and they have to put Helen together. Do they just sit around and memorize this stuff at night? I can barely remember last week. Spencer makes quick work of the puzzle and gets his HOH key. He's just happy to win his first HOH and is thrilled that it means he's not going to be nominated this week. McCrae says that Spencer's win is slightly better for him, but he's not at all confident. Everyone worries about who the second nominee will be.
Back in the house, it is gift-giving time. First he gets to give the gift of friendship, and he doles that out to GM and McCrae. It means they are tied together with a friendship bracelet for 24 hours. McCrae is bummed because having GM tied to him means he can't talk game at all. Spencer gives the gift of wealth to Andy. Guess he's done pretending that he's mad at Andy for voting against him? Andy will have a chance to win up to 5000 dollars. Spencer gives the gift of health to Judd. For 24 hours, there's a drill sergeant who will blow a whistle and force him to do exercises, and make fun of him. It starts immediately with 15 push-ups
Spencer pulls GM into a room to tell her that he's sorry for saddling her with McCrae, but he thought if Judd was tied to him that Judd might flip. GM is mostly mad because McCrae is dirty. She's also worried about who the second nom will be, and he just says it is going to be McCrae… and one of them. Obviously.
Then we see GM and McCrae tied together by about 4 feet for parachute cord. She DRs that he (while sitting to her) just lost one ball and chain and got another. She finds this hysterical, he clearly doesn't. She asks about his routine for the day and he says will need a shower. Andy thinks they are cute. And then we see then trying to figure out how they can sleep in the same room without choking each other with rope.
Spencer's HOH room time. We see pics of him without the beard. Andy thinks he looks a lot better without it, and for once I agree with him. Spencer starts reading his letter from his girlfriend, but it is interrupted by the drill sergeant. It's like being played off by the orchestra at the Oscars.
GM does her makeup, with McCrae sitting and asking who is going up on the block. He tells GM that he'd like to take her to the final two, and that this "gift" is a blessing in disguise. Though he admits that he is on to the final four deal with the exterminators. She says that's not true, but she's not a particularly good liar.
More footage of Judd being tortured, including while he's in the DR. There's a scene in the living room that bothers me though. GM is there, but McCrae is not, while Judd is being told to do 50 jumping jacks. So either they weren't tied together for 24 hours, or this was edited out of order and this set of jumping jacks happened before they got their friendship bracelet. Spencer says that Judd and the drill sergeant is the funniest thing ever. He says it’s the best thing he's done all season…or the only thing. The drill sergeant says maybe he'll lose that "J U Double Chin". I really want this to be a part of the have-not punishment year.
Andy gets his gift of wealth, which means that everyone dons protective eye wear to watch him smash three out of about 50 piggy banks. Given the pathetic way Andy smashes the ceramics, I'd say that the goggles are more than a little unnecessary. His first pig earns him 85 dollars, the gets him 9 and the last gets him a whopping .83 cents. It's a $94.83 total. I laughed pretty hard at this.
McCrae and GM devise a system where they can lock one outside of the HOH room, while the other talks to Spencer. GM is up first, but Andy shows up with his towel and sits to McCrae. She tells him about the final two deal. She thinks that Spencer needs to make McCrae feel safe so that he won't try too hard. And how bad does McCrae smell, because GM also mentions that she needed some fresh air.
Then its McCrae's turn. Well, first Andy tries to sneak in to take a shower, and McCrae just asks for a minute and Andy looks annoyed. First of all, I hate when people think that the HOH room is totally at their disposal. If I was HOH, I'd be like shower downstairs and leave my giant tub alone. Second, Andy saw there was a line and should have just waited his turn like a decent person. Spencer says that he's close to McCrae but he wasn’t to keep that on the DL. So he has to put him up with GM. And if she comes down, he'll put Judd up. Andy will vote and Spencer will tie-break and save McCrae. Spencer says he wants McCrae to feel confident, and says there's no scenario that he's going home. McCrae can't possibly believe that… I hope. He thinks the other guys are working together, and he could be in trouble.
Nomination time, Spencer's speech is interrupted by the drill sergeant. After a short key pulling (only two keys!), it's announced that GinaMarie and McCrae are up on the block. GM really sells the sad thing. She's not a good liar, but she can turn on the waterworks when she needs to. They co-DR that they are both going to fight hard for the veto. The boys all interview that they need to get McCrae out.