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Sunday, June 28, 2015

Big Brother Season 17, Episode 3 Recap

Generally speaking, the Sunday show is the weaker of the week's trio of broadcasts. There's always a lot of filler such as the insipid "who wants to see my HOH room" segment, or showmance segments (real or fake).
The first Sunday airing of the year, though, is a huge exception. It's actually one of the most interesting broadcasts for the simple fact that it's the only look of the first seven days of the season before the feeds are turned up. Yes, there was footage from the house on Wednesday and Thursday's shows, but they were extremely limited. We saw them come into the house, followed by introductions, and then the HOH competitions. That was it.
Even after three days of feeds, there are a lot of unanswered questions that tonight's show will hopefully answer. Why are people suspicious of Steve? What happened between Da'Vonne and Clay? How did Clay end up primarily hanging out with Meg instead of the other thirsty girls? Most importantly, how did Jace turn Austin into a douchebag?
We should also get a confirmation that Liz is the twin twist for this season. Some people still have some questions about this "fact", but as I said on last night's Big Brother Gossip Show, I'm 100% convinced it is her.
Before we get to the show, though, I have a little programming note. Due to a prior commitment to help a director friend on a music documentary, I will be away from the feeds and show airings this week. Thus, there will not be recaps of this Wednesday and Thursday's shows. Sorry, folks, but I get to witness one of my favorite songwriters, Lydia Loveless, record her next album.
With that out of the way, let's get to tonight's episode! After the first airing of the brand new intro (zzzz), and the typical overlong recap, Seriously, folks, it was two minutes long. That may not seem like much, but it should never be more than 30 seconds...especially this early!
We start off with The Amazing Race guy signing off, and Day (which is what I'm going to call Da'Vonne from now on) believing this "is going to be something good for me". Vanessa says she'll "bet it means something good for me". Meg, of course, is oh so excited about everything. Jeff is disappointed that Jackie didn't win HOH, so it's important "for both of us to decrease the target on our backs".
Funky music comes on now as Jace and Austin begin their bromance. It's so disapointing to hear them talk about "bro-codes". Seriously, Austin, break away now!!! And it goes on and on and on!
Then we get to the dreaded "who wants to see my HOH room" segment. *sigh* I guess it's already time for a pee break. I guess it's a bit more interesting than normal as we get our first look at the HOH, although Jace ruins it with more bro-talk. Yeah, you're going to get the "babes" for sure.
Serious music is then heard as the two HOH's begin to plot a bit. Neither of them really know anything about any of the fellow house guests. Jason doesn't really like Steven, and he doesn't believe that Jason is a dentist. "He's a little weird, too", replies James as we get a shot at John flossing. They then talk about how Jace has a "good social game", and that he's already everybody's friend. Jason adds that his biggest threats will be the big dudes, and we get an air guitar shot from Austin and Jace. Ugh. He doesn't want to put them up right away, though, because then "I'm setting myself up for the worst game play ever". Girls, though, "take a little bit longer for their mask to slip". In the diary room, James says he has high hopes for working with Jason.
We shift downstairs to the two Amazing Race players, which is already more screen time than Jackie has gotten on the live feeds over the course of three days. She says she's cool with James....and Jason. Yep, she doesn't know their names. "Yeah, I haven't talked to anybody", she confesses. Jeff then gives a little backstory in that their relationship isn't the best these days. He's worried that they'll be targeted just because they've had a TV appearance already, and he wants to distance themselves so they don't "seem like a pair". Audrey then walks in, and the scene ends.
John is then seen talking about how he has terrible pickup lines, and Liz gives him a helpful hint. Then out of the blue, Steve asks if she's wearing "space pants". What are space pants? "Your butt's out of this world!" Oh, it's a pickup line! Good one, dweeb! The entire room laughs.
There's a quick shot then of three girls talking when we hear the dreaded "Big Brother Takeover" sound bite. They all rush into the living room, and Phil is again on the screen. He tells Vanessa and Day that on the Amazing Race there's a "fast forward" twist that allows teams to skip to the next pit stop. "Inspired by that, I'm introducing a twist called 'The BB Fast Forward'." They get immunity for the week, and Day goes nuts! They also get to pick another house guest to be immune for the week. Day's not completely happy with this. "My job was to sit back, be pretty, and be safe this week. Now I've got to make a choice." They get thirty minutes to decide.
Vanessa announces she's going into the hammock room, and people can come talk to her. She tells us that "as a poker player" (I'm going to get sick of that), she has to make "the best of the cards she's dealt", and that she wants to choose somebody who is likely to be the next HOH. Shelli is the first to come talk to her, and Shelli claims that she's a strong competitor. Clay and Audrey are the next shown, and Vanessa tells both of them that there's no way they're going home this week. Vanessa wants somebody who is strong, and she is then shown talking to Austin.
Meanwhile, Day is talking to Shelli. Day doesn't want to use it on her or Audrey, as she also believes she's likely to be safe this week. Shelli is kind of pissed that Day isn't going to use it on one of her alliance members. Day explains in the diary room that she's not going to do that because "I don't want to blow up my spot". Audrey is not happy about this either, complaining that "I don't want to be vulnerable". Day continues to talk to people, and Steve complains that "James is avoiding me". Day tells him that he's "giving off an Ian vibe", and that scares people since Ian won. Day advises him to "up his social game". Liz is brought on, and tells Day that she promises to keep her safe. "If you take me with you, I'm going to get the next HOH and you're safe with me". John is asked what he'll do if he wins HOH, and he says he'll go after guys. She also asks if he's really a dentists, and he confirms it. She still doesn't believe him. "You want me to pull my retainers out and prove it", he asks.
Day then announces that she's chosen to save Liz, who is elated. Vanessa then says she's saving Austin, who is "not surprised, but I'm going to act like it". He's not afraid to part ways. Day says in the diary room that she chose Liz because she was the only one who promised something, and Shelli is pissed. With that we head to the first commercial break!
When we return, it's time for more bromance crap as Austin and Jace pretend to call each other. Enough!!! This is oh so disappointing!!! They're even calling each other "Shelltown"!!! NOOOOOOOO! (Although I'm a bit happy to hear Austin say that part of the reason he likes hanging out with him is that Jace's big mouth makes him a bigger target.)
Moving on, Shelli scoots herself into the indoor hammock that will be removed before the next episode of clips hits the air. Clay comes in, and Shelli's panties are immediately moist. Oh, she loves the little Texas football player. She informs him that she was once married, but Clay just LOVES older women. He then tells her how much he loves his mama, and the scent of love is in the air. Well, the scent of cougar lust. She says she completely trusts him, but shuts up as Day walks by.
Day then rushes to Audrey to tell her that she's nervous about Shelli, and she must be placed in the "outer ring" of their alliance. "Make her still think she's a part of it", because her love for Clay will make her unreliable. Day's spot on. Audrey, though, is happy that Jason is the HOH, since they're "bonded by culture". "He wants to go for big targets." Both of them are worried about the big boys, and Audrey wants Jace out first. We then see Audrey talking to Jason about what the two HOH's are thinking, and he informs her she has nothing to be worried about. Audrey really wants to go after Jace, especially since he'll be a competition beast.
After more commercials, we get Steve and Day talking together. Steve really wants to work with her, because she's quiet and observant. Also, nobody would expect the two of them to work together. He does tell her that he loves her as he walks away, and catches himself. She smiles to herself after he leaves the room.
James now tells Audrey that she has nothing to worry about, and Day interrupts them...followed by Jason. Day says that the four of them "have a good vibe", and Audrey adds that it's "diverse". Audrey asks who they have discussed, and James talks about how Jace is a "beast". Jason, though, says that he has to be a backdoor nomination. He's popular, though, so they have to go talk to other people.
First, James goes to Jackie, and tells her that "she looks really amazing in a bikini". He informs her that there is a backdoor plan in motion, but he may have to put her up to make that happen. Jason makes a similar pitch to John, who isn't comfortable with it but "will roll with it and see what happens". They both ask Meg who she wants to see evicted, and she's as wishy-washy as expected. They tell her she may be up as a pawn, though, which scares her a bit. Becky then makes her first appearance of the night, and she's in on the plan. Jason, however, is not happy that James can't keep his eyes off her bikini-clad body. Finally, Steve is approached, and he says he's afraid of being a pawn because he believes he's a target. As a Big Brother historian, he knows this is a potential mistake.
It's now nomination time, and they have yet to retire the script for this segment. The two stare at the wall, and head upstairs with their nomination boxes. They head back downstairs, and everybody is gathered around at the round table. Jason announces him noms first, and they're John and Becky, because his "personal connection" hasn't been so strong. John then reveals that his two nominations are Steve and Jackie, and he says he's "pretty sure you'll both get yourselves off the block". There's the usual diary room blather from the nominees, and Jace believes that his fabulous social game will keep him safe. Audrey and Day head into the storage room to dance around.
Steve then heads into the sauna room (or whatever it's called) to talk to his fellow nominee. It's really a nothing conversation since Jackie has little to say. She says they're going to win, and they hug it out.
Becky, meanwhile, is crying because she had too much confidence that she wouldn't be nominated. Jason brings her into the sauna room, and he tells her again that she's not his target.
It's now Battle of the Block time, and it's a high rise set. They're to "build" a new skyscraper, hauling blocks across a balance beam that involves a middle section that rotates. Oh, and there's also a "wrecking ball". Right after Jackie says she's good at this type of thing, we see her fall. In fact, there's lots of falling mixed with childish sound effects. Let's just skip ahead to the end. Steve has lots of issues, but makes a correction that helps himself. Yes, he crawls across the beam. It doesn't really matter, though, as John and Becky win. Jason has been dethroned, and the show then ends.
So how was tonight's broadcast? Were you questions answered? Do you hate the bromance as much as I? And why wasn't the twins reveal made tonight? Comment, my friends and enemies!




Saturday, June 27, 2015

Big Brother Gossip #502: Ride Or Die

The first two shows have been aired, and we've sat through two full days of live feeds. Tonight, Mike, Colette, and Scott discussed everything that's happened so far, including emotional breakdowns, idiotic alliance names, a few bad words, and a house full of parnoid houseguests.
Go download this now at iTunes, stream it at Stitcher, or...

CLICK HERE TO STREAM OR DOWNLOAD!!!

Thanks to Mike and Colette for all their work on tonight's show. We had some technical issues, but I guarantee this is one of the better ones!

The Audrey and Da'Vonne Show!!!

So we had our first full day of feeds, and I couldn't be more confused!
To tell a bit of the story, you have to go back to the first CBS episode. Remember when Audrey and Da'Vonne (along with Shelli) made their super-powerful girl power alliance? Well, technically it still exists but the two don't trust each other as far as they can throw them.
Actually, neither trusts anybody, and there stems the problem. Friday's feeds started with Audrey planting some bugs in Clay's ears, while at the same time Da'Vonne was doing the same with Austin and Liz (or her twin sister, which is why from now we're going to call "them" Jiz). The Da'Vonne conversation is the more interesting of the two, as she admits that she wants to get Audrey out of the house, but doesn't want to be the person who nominates a transgender.
Otherwise, it's a typical boring morning in the Big Brother house. A bunch of them do a little yoga, and the feeds go down for the POV. The hopes for the POV is for Steve to lose, and Jace to believe that Jeff will be the replacement nominee. Then he'll be shocked to be backdoored! (And it would be a true backdoor, as he didn't participate in the POV.)
The plan sort of backfired, as Steve indeed won the "technotronics" competition by spelling "trombonist". This is when the house went nuts.
You would think that since nothing is truly set in stone, Audrey would remain quiet and just skate through the week. Oh no!!! She begins questioning everybody. First, it's Jeff and Clay, and then she runs upstairs to confront Jason and Da'Vonne. From there, she's downstairs with Austin and Jace. There's talk of a house meeting, but Austin and Jace talk her out of it. James and Jiz are also brought in.
There's also an interesting little subplot in all of this that's a bit disturbing. Steve has been missing from almost all of these conversation. In fact, he seems to just awkwardly be bumbling around the house all day, trying oh so hard to make friends. Well, Hurricane Audrey told Da'Vonne that it was him that was spreading rumors of Da'Vonne talking trash about Audrey.
Da'Vonne confronts Steve, who hems and haws that he has no idea what she's talking about. Later, Audrey is informing him of a few things, and just as he mentions that people had spread a lie about him and Da'Vonne, she walks into the room. She gives him a little stinkeye, and is back out of the room as quickly as she entered.
All of this carries on throughout most of the night. Audrey questions this person and that person, inlcuding Da'Vonne once again at some point. A few dozen different alliances are created, and they get to share six beers and two bottles of wine. Steve gets interrogated again at 3:30 am by an angry Jace, and it's a disturbing conversation.
So that's a short version of the day. Listen to us talk about all of this tonight on the Big Brother Gossip Show at 9 pm ET!!!

Friday, June 26, 2015

The First Night In The Big Brother 17 House

Its just after midnight and the feeds have been on for all of three hours.

We already know so much that won't be revealed until Wednesday at the earliest.  And some things that may not be revealed for weeks. 

Here are the basics as I know them.  For me its 3:30 in the morning so excuse me if its a bit sloppy....

The HGs are getting ready for the POV competition tomorrow or Saturday so we need to catch you up on who is where and won what.  It turns out James nominated Jackie and Steve and Jason nominated John and Becky.  Then apparently John and Becky defeated Jackie and Steve in the Battle for the Block so they were saved and James became the official HoH.

Today James got to pick the Have Nots and it looks like he selected five (these 5 are definitely not in the big alliance that has appeared to form): Jace, Austin, Vanessa, Liz and Davonne.  The Have Not room is designed to look like a dentist office and the Have Nots have to sleep in dentist chairs.


The Power of Veto competition will take place Friday or Saturday.  It turns out that the majority of the house wants Jace gone. Jace appears to be clueless and thinks that the house is going after Steve - or if Jace has his way - Jason. 

It appears to me that the house currently (loosely) shakes out as follow if I had to divide them up.

Jace and Austin seem to be very tight - over the top tight.
Liz, Vanessa and Davonne are also have nots and all Have Nots seem to be NOT in the main alliance.

Steve is nominated and if Jackie is to be believed he is the more likely to be voted out before her.
Not sure where John falls or Becky.

Jackie and Jeff are working together.... and Jackie appears close to James, Shelli, Jason, Clay, Audrey and Meg

Thats all 16.... We will know much more in the next day or two.

(Follow up - Davonne was in a HoH conference with many in the big alliance so looks like she might be a part of that alliance too)

Jace and Austin are so overconfident in their situation.  If things go as expected Jace will be stunned and Austin really mad when Jace is voted out - assuming he gets nominated.

On the mystery twin front -  I am now solidly in the camp that thinks its Liz (and her twin Julia) - I think they may have even switched tonight as I noticed Liz's bandanna completely change (I realize Liz may have just reset it but we are looking for any clues.

Here she is on the left around 9:20pm and then about two hours later. Could this be two different people?



Tell me your first impressions and of course please sign up for the live feeds if you haven't already by clicking on a link on the site!!

Big Brother Live Feeds now part of CBS All Access. Sign up here for exclusive content and more! 1 week free trial.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

And We're Live!

At exactly 9 PM Big Brother time, the live feeds were flicked on, and just as last year the house had a little surprise for us. Everybody gathered in the living room, and proceeded to individually jump around and throw shout outs to everybody. And I mean everybody. It went on and on and on.
As always, it was a bit of a mess. Besides Jace and Austin's screaming, various other people were just babbling nonsense. After a bit, though, "Jaustin" (ugh) broke it down for us. Jason was dethroned as HOH in the BOB, which means James is HOH. Steve and Jackie are his nominees. Austin is safe from eviction because Vanessa's "reward" for sitting out the HOH competition was the power to grant a person safety. (BTW, Vanessa also had a breakdown tonight as she misses her boo.)
In between even more shout outs, the pair talked about wanting to backdoor Jeff because he's "shady". There was also talk about bringing James, Clay, and Audrey into their groups. Or maybe Liz. If I had listened longer, it probably would have included almost everybody.
Meanwhile, at almost the same time downstairs the talk was to actually back door Jace. James, Shelli, and Jackie want him gone, mainly because he "thinks he runs the house'. Well, I'm sure there are more reasons, as he's annoying as hell, but that's what Jackie said in the discussion. They are also worried about his physical capabilities.
Otherwise, it's mainly just hanging out so far. It's a night of small talk...and shout outs. Please, Big Brother do something about it. I may take a break for awhile.

Big Brother Season 17, Episode 2 Recap

After the mixed feelings of last night’s premiere, I’m very skeptical about tonight’s broadcast. Who wasn’t disappointed about the return of Battle of the Block and the promise of a twins twist tonight? On the other hand, we got the brilliance of Austin and the intriguing story of Audrey. In fact, outside of the dreadful cheeriness of Meg, I didn’t mind any of the original eight inductees.
So tonight we get at least six more people, but the various rumors indicate we will probably end up with eight. There’s also a few more doormats due to be introduced tonight, but we get the brilliance of the “rock star dentist”. I’m so excited for him.
(By the way, there was a short feed leak before tonight’s show. A few spoilers were revealed, but I won’t spill the beans!)
So let’s get rolling! Just like last night, it starts off with an intro from Julie. Well, of course it does as that’s how all the episodes begin. Julie promises a special guest for the first “BB Takeover”. Then we get an overlong rewind of last night’s show before Julie makes fun of the fact she doesn’t have time for a “but first”. Oh Julie.
Now it’s time for the rest of the cast reveals. We start in Miami Beach with Liz doing some yoga in the sand. She says she’s feisty and stubborn, but can control it. She hates jealous bitches, though, so don’t look for her to be in a girl’s alliance.
Jason is shown stocking groceries in a Massachusetts store. It’s not his dream job, and we get a glimpse of his awful basement bedroom. “Deep down, I’m a very shallow person.” He’s a feed watcher; in fact he’s a historian.
Then we get professional Vegas poker player Vanessa. She’s won over 4.5 million playing cards, and she says that Big Brother is similar to playing poker. She has studied “game theory”, and says “I’m going to be rolling on my high IQ”.

From there, we get the rock star dentist! Finally. John is the best. When he’s not pulling teeth, he “rocks out on the guitar”. He says that unlike the rest of his dental school pals, he wasn’t in there to “make smiles”. He was there to “make money”. Love him! He adds that he hasn’t had a lot of luck with the ladies because there’s too many golddiggers looking for dentists.
Then it’s on to Denver and the annoying Becky. She loves the outdoors. “I’m fun. I’m friendly, and people can always trust me.” Yeah, right. Her segment is extremely short (thankfully).
FInally, we get Steve, a New York college geek...I mean student. He’s also into music, but is madly in love with his erector set. I will refrain from the obvious jokes here. He’s also a superfan, and in the fourth grade drew himself with a Big Brother key.
Just like last night, we then see themselves all pack for their big summer. It’s useless, except when John says he hates superfans but Jason responds that it’s ridiculous to hate superfans. Ok then. Becky wants a showmance. Ugh. So does Liz. Of course she does.
And again to repeat the previous night, these six are now magically on the stage with Julie. They’re informed that eight people are already in the house, and Julie then tells them about the idiotic Battle of the Block and Takeover twists.
Liz, Becky, and Steve are then allowed to walk in...and it’s the usual screams and chaos. Steve is in a dream, and he proves how great he is with numbers by counting the house guests. Meg tries to make a joke that she must be the first girl he’s ever talked to.
Liz immediately falls in love with Clay, which hopefully means we’ll have a later catfight with the also-thirsty Shelli. Becky is insulted when Jace calls Colorado “Rado”. Um, ok.

The other three are then brought in, and it’s another wash rinse repeat situation. Austin says he now feels like Seabiscuit, and Jason is his jockey. John is the last person to walk in, and he’s all hugs with everybody. Vanessa immediately wants to know what’s happened so far, and is asking about the previous night’s HOH. We also get our first hint at the twins twist, as Liz babbles about how “things aren’t always what they seem, and people aren’t always what they seem”. We get it.
They all gather at the dining room table for champagne. Da’Vonne believes John is lying about the dentist story. “He gives off the not-a-dentist vibe.” Liz says she just broke up with her man, and Jace is extremely excited by this news. It’s left to Clay to point out the obvious comparison between Steve and Ian. Vanessa says she’s a DJ, but leaves out the poker side of her life.
Audrey then tells the rest of the house her transgender story, and they all applaud. “Props, girl”, says Vanessa. James is in love with all of these women, as he wants to share the HOH room with “any of them”.
But wait! There are two empty places at the table. “It could be something awesome, or it could be something bad”, says James. It’s commercial time!

When the show comes back, Julie introduces this week’s BB Takeover. Phil Keoghan from The Amazing Race comes out as this week’s special BB Takeover host, but I came close to falling asleep during this promo for a show I’ve never seen. Seriously, do we have to see Jeff and Jordan’s appearance on that show? Or Brendan and Rachel? No. He then introduces Jeff and Jackie from The Amazing Race, who will be the final two participants in the season. Who gives a shit?
The “Big Brother Takeover” theme then goes off, and Keoghan announces that he’s “taking over”. He then introduces Jeff and Jackie, and they all act excited. But, really, do these people know Jeff and Jackie? I call bullshit on this. There’s more chatter before we go to another break.
Julie calls everybody into the living room to announce the second HOH competition. Once again, one of them must sit out. Jackie doesn’t want to sit out, as she thinks she’s already a threat. Vanessa finally volunteers, because she sees it as an “edge”. “I’m willing to take the gamble.” Clay says that she should be immune from nomination, just like last night.
They then head outside, and it’s an alien cornfield. John loves it! Once again, it’s tied in to this idiotic BB film silliness. They have to hold on tight to their “stakes” and not be sucked into the “spaceship”. It’s actually kind of cool, despite the super cheap special effects.

Jason really wants to win this, as he said in his preseason interviews. Slime is then dumped on them, and Becky begins whining. For the most part, I could do without the diary room play by play, as it’s as scripted as ever.
Steven is the first one to be pulled off his stake, and he’s then tossed into a pile of hay. Jeff is shocked that this comp is so easy for Jason, but he decides to throw it to show he’s not a threat. John is the next person eliminated, and after we hear about Becky’s outdoor skills she’s also gone.
After another set of adverts, it’s between Liz and Jason. Funny thing is just how comfortable Liz appears to be with her legs wrapped around a long hard object. Eventually, she’s sucked up (another common occurrence, I’m sure), and it’s obvious that Jackie has little time left as she’s at the top of the pole. Jason promises to not nominate her, and after a bit of thought she lets go. In case you forgot, he joins the hayseed Asian as co-HOH’s. In case you still forgot, it’s repeated at least two more times.

The last set of commercials air before we go back to more promos for the next three episodes, including a mention of the twins .Yet we’re not told who it is (Liz). There’s just some audio of Phil giving them a “tease” of what’s coming up.
Oh wait, this is interesting. Phil says that the two people who sat out the game having something coming up. “With risk sometimes comes reward.” Hmmmm, interesting.
We’re done! What did you think of this episode? Do you like the new people? How about the Amazing Race folks? Did you like the competition? Tell us what you think!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Big Brother Season 17, Episode 1 Recap

Beware, my friends, as I’m in a mood.
I realize I should be the happiest boy in the world, as tonight marks the return of Big Brother. But excuse me for a bit as I run down exactly why I’m ready to throw stuff all over my house.
First off, I’ve been dealing with an awful cold. I finally went to the doctor yesterday, but still got almost no sleep last night thanks to a hacking cough. It’s a miserable feeling.
Then my plan for a nap before tonight’s broadcast went right down the drain as I began preparing for the show. You see, I use a Slingbox to grab the screen caps that accompany these reports. I don’t really use that gizmo during the offseason, so I had no idea that there was a potential for any problems there.
Well, there were inevitable problems. For some reason, the ethernet connection wouldn’t work, and the reset button on the box also didn’t work. In what I thought would be a smart move, I ordered a new one for pickup online at Best Buy and drove through rush hour to pick it up, only to find out that the order has not yet been processed. Damn you, Best Buy!!!
I have an alternate method to grab these shots, though, but I must warn you that they won’t be as precise as what you may be used to seeing on this page. I’ll be doing the best I can, though, and tomorrow night you should see a vast improvement.

(Note: My planned method to grab photos didn't work, but I was bailed out by the wonderful @RamblingMonkey. Thanks so much!)

So here we are now, ready for the show to begin. You’ve seen the interview videos, and (hopefully) heard our opinions on the Big Brother Gossip Show. You may even be aware of the promise of the “twistiest twisty twist season of all time” with special guests and surprise contestants. Let’s see how this all plays out.
As always, the season begins with Julie Chen inside the tacky house, bragging about the “twistiest twist”. After a bit of fake applause, she continues to wander through the set telling us about all the cameras, microphones that will “capture another summer of Big Brother”.
Back on her main set, she again brags about the three twists. One is a “fan favorite” (ugh), another is one that only us viewers will know about, and the third is “one that will shake up the game each and every week like never before”. It’s called the “BB Takeover”.
Now it’s time to meet the new cast, and we get the obligatory “surprise” shots as they get their keys. James is an Asian hick from South Carolina who loves fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities. He was adopted, and he’s “tough, very competitive”.
Meg is a city girl. We know that because we get glimpse of New York City skyscrapers before she over-enthusiastically introduces herself. She claims to be “always on the move”. We’re also introduced to her “gay best friend, also known as my ‘gusband’”. She claims to “love to be manipulative”, but her “bubbly personality will be an asset”. Not sure about that one.
From there we head to Venice, California, and the pseudo-hippie/hipster Jace. He’s “inspired by Indiana Jones”, and is a born again Christian. He skates, surfs, jumps out of airplanes, and probably also can leap over tall buildings. I still think he’s a Dave Matthews fan, no matter what Colette Lala said in response on our podcast.
The next pair are then introduced, starting with small town girl Audrey. She’s from Villa Rica, Georgia, but “I am not a small town girl”. After an enticing shot of her legs, and some comments about how she’s a girlie-girl, we’re...not told the big secret. Interesting.
We then move on to former WWE wrestler Austin, who has a darker alter ego named Judas. He says he’s usually judged by his appearance, “but I have a much deeper side”. You see, he has a Masters in “medieval literature”. He says that his wrestling background will make him this season’s winner.
The next trio kicks off with Da’Vonne, from Inglewood, California. She’s a mom, yo, that’s also a poker dealer. She doesn’t mind “being covered up to her neck in blood”, but, again, she’s a mom.
From Da’Vonne we head east to Texas, and former football player Clay doing chores on his farm. Of course, he tosses a football minus his shirt, and believes his football background will help him in the house.
We move even farther east to Atlanta home decorator Shelli. She’s admittedly a girlie girl, but one that is not afraid “to take things in my own hands”.
With the first eight introduced, they’re supposedly informed that they have to head to the Big Brother stage NOW!!! Da”Vonne doesn’t even have time to kiss her baby. We get some more background information as they pack, and Shelli is a complete idiot. She’s a cougar at 33, and wants a showmance. Badly. The only entertainment in this segment is Austin/Judas packing his top hat. Oh yeah, Da’Vonne does remember to tearfully say goodbye to her little brat.

Magically, they are now on the stage, and hoop and holler when Julie asks if they’re ready to compete for the money. She tells them that this is the “most grueling and outrageous social experiment that exists”. Can they do whatever it takes to win, including lying and stabbing their friends in the back?
The first four (Da’Vonne, Shelli, Clay, and Austin) are then allowed into the house It’s the usual squealing and jumping around. Well, from the girls, who also immediately grab beds. The two boys grab another room, and Clay describes Austin as a “giant magician. Think about if David Copperfield and Andre the Giant had a baby, that’s what he’d look like”.
The girls come into the room to introduce themselves, and Da’Vonne likes what she sees in Clay. So does Shelli, who has to fan herself as she talks about him. “Hey, Clay.”
Back on the main stage, the next four are allowed to enter the house. Wash, rinse, repeat. The Asian hillbilly gets lost looking for the bedrooms, and he says he feels like a “cow on Astroturf”. Oh boy, I can see how his diary room segments will be all season. Audrey says that it’s surreal, and adds that “this is the first time I’m going to publicly share my truth with complete and total strangers”.
Wandering around the house, Jace asks the others if they’ll be joined by “all-stars” or “another crew”. There’s no real consensus on this question, and we move on to more “this is insane” types of comments. The girls immediately note that dresses are not a good idea on the upper level. Great decorating, CBS!
The champagne is discovered in the living room, and Audrey wants them all to introduce themselves. Meg thinks her energy will click with Jace, and Clay bores them all with his story. He’s keeping his football background a secret, because obviously that will make him a target. It doesn’t matter, though, as Shelli’s ovaries are already begging to be merging with the boring studmuffin. “I’m ten years older than this guy, but I don’t think I really care.” Once again, she fans herself just thinking about him. The obsessions are matched, as Clay thinks Shelli “takes the cake”. Cue the porn music, as the two flirt back and forth. “Our hearts will be murmuring together all summer”, she says.
Da’Vonne is next, and of course she talks about her baby. She tells them that she’s a schoolteacher, because her job as a poker dealer will make her a target. Austin does admit he was a wrestler, and the boys are stoked at his story. He does play up his injuries, though.
Meg continues to annoy, but she impresses James because she looks like Taylor Swift. When James tells his story, the rest of the house giggles. Wait, he has a baby, too!
Audrey now stands up, and after giving the boring aspects of her backstory, she tells them that she’s the first transgender house guest in Big Brother history! The girls cheer, but James looks confused. They all tell her she looks awesome, and she really does. The girl has legs!!! James is still a bit confused, but believes that because he’s also always judged as an Asian hayseed he can relate to her. Hmmm, not sure about that.
After the first set of commercials, the girls are seen chatting about the cast. Audrey says that she wants “girls to do well this time”, and Da’Vonne agrees. She adds that she’s nervous about guys running the show. “There’s some fucking big guys” in here.
Meanwhile, the boys are talking about working out. Even the editors don’t last long on this shot, as we go right back to Audrey saying “I sense some really strong energy. Strong vibes, for sure.” In the diary room, Da’Vonne notes that the word “alliance” is never actually spoken, but it’s clear that’s what is happening here. So she brings it up, and Shelli thinks it’s a smart move. They promise to keep it a secret.
Now all but Austin are sitting around, and they babble about using Southern terminology. Clay then asks about how Audrey’s family took to her journey, and she talks about how they sent her to a troubled youth wilderness program to “cure” her. Wow, this sounds frightening, but she says that her family has now accepted her.
But is there trouble in paradise? Da’Vonne believes she’s adding some “salt and pepper” to her tale. “You’re spicing that up, mama.” But she adds that it’s exactly what they need to make their alliance stronger.
Julie then has the house gather in the living room to announce two twists to them. Wait a second. Wait a motherfucking second. Julie claims that last year’s “Battle of the Block” twist was a fan favorite??? Um, no. It ruined last season. It was the dumbest thing ever added to the show. The house seems to agree with me, as both James and Shelli are skeptical.
With two HOH’s in play this week, it’s time for the first competition. But first...Julie says that one of the eight has to sit this one out. Austin thinks it may be a good thing for him, but Da’Vonne says she’ll volunteer if the others promise to not nominate her. They all agree that’s fair.
A few commercials later, Julie hands off the microphone to Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier on the backyard “red carpet”. Ugh, I hate this guy. I hate ET. He’s terrible at this gig. He’s there for the “UFOh NO!!” “world premiere”, which he says is “horrible”. The cast is then brought out, and Jace is over the top in his script reading. Austin thinks Frazier is beautiful. There’s some inane interview segments, and we again get Shelli’s panties getting wet over Clay.
Finally, everybody is in their places for the competition, which is called “Flying Tomatoes”. Since the “movie” is so awful, tomatoes are going to be thrown at them. The first to catch ten of them and place them in the bucket wins, unless they fall off their platform.
James jumps out to a small lead, but Clay’s football background makes him believe he’s going to easily win. Of course, he then immediately falls, followed by Austin and Meg. Jace almost falls, but saves himself. “Blood” is then shot at the remaining players, and Da’Vonne is happy that she decided not to play because tomatoes would not work well with her weave.
Jace again almost falls, and he credits his skating background. Audrey then catches her first ball, but James is still in the lead. Jace and Audrey catch up, though, tying it at five tomatoes. Austin is starting to believe that James is a real competitor, especially after he catches his eighth tomato. Audrey believes that she has to win, though, as she’s not completely sure that people will be accepting of her transgender status.
Suddenly, though, all four of them fall at the same time. Julie says that they have to check the tape to see who fell last...which also means it’s time for another advert break.
In slow motion, it’s revealed that the last person to touch the ground was James. He’s the first HOH of 2015! “I’m not going back to Texas yet, baby!” Audrey says she’s going to have kiss his “little camo ass” to ensure she makes it through the week.
They all head back inside, and Julie informs them of the second twist. After babbling and babbling and babbling, she then tells them that every week there will be a new twist. It’s called the “BB Takeover”. Dum dum dum! It even has a dumb theme song that is their call to head to the living room. “You’ll never know who or what it will be”, followed by the insipid “expect the unexpected”.
They all excitedly talk about this, and Da’Vonne must be a fan of Big Brother Australia, as she mentions “saboteurs” a couple of times. It’s a quick segment that follows with Julie informing us that we’ll get a sneak peak at tomorrow’s episode after more adverts.
Julie then tells us that the third twist is the “twins twist”, ala Big Brother 5. The two twins will be switching in and out for the first five (or so) weeks, but playing as one person. If they make it through five evictions, they both get to play. ZZZZZZ
The show then ends with little snippets of the rest of the cast, including the “rock star dentist”!! Go John!!!
So that’s it for tonight! What did you think of the first episode? Are you pissed at the return of BOB? Or the other twists? What do you think of the cast? Tell us your thoughts!

Monday, June 22, 2015

Big Brother Gossip Show #501: Season Premiere

We're back!!!! Scott, Colette, and Mike go through this new cast and tear them apart (if deserved). Actually, we're quite nice to more than a few of this set of goofballs, especially Colette and her unrequited love for Austin and potential serial killer John.
As always, you can grab this from iTunes, stream it on Stitcher, or...

CLICK HERE FOR A DIRECT STREAM/DOWNLOAD!!!

Thanks to everybody for listening on Mixlr. Yes, there was an issue with our levels tonight, but I guarantee you that the podcast version sounds pristine as always!!!


Scott's Big Brother 17 Season Preview!

Before I begin my introduction to the cast of the 17th season of Big Brother, I have a little confession to make. I haven’t been emotionally ready for this season to start. I’ve enjoyed these past nine months without the likes of Derrick, Devin, Nicole, Caleb, and that freak show of a brother whose name I won’t ever mention again.
I’ve also been extremely busy. Besides my own little weekly rock and roll radio show, The Ledge, I have other obligations for my time. I’m still writing music previews for my local newspaper, and I had a large music-related movie project land on my lap. In fact, I was in Columbus, Ohio, working on this film when the cast was first announced last week. When I returned to my air-conditioned sanctuary Saturday night, all I wanted to do was lay on the couch and begin the process of clearing out my DVR.
I can’t put this off any longer, though. After all, there is a wonderful live internet radio show called The Big Brother Gossip Show that premieres tonight, and obviously I must be extremely well-prepared to keep up with the brilliance of Colette and Mike. So I’m spending this entire beautiful summer day watching videos and taking notes.
Here are some initial thoughts one each of this year’s cast. Since I refuse to sit through any interview that involves Jeff or that redheaded monster, my opinions all come from the wonderful work of Matt at bigbrothernetwork.com.
Here we go!
Audrey Middleton (25). Talk about starting off with a bang! Audrey is a digital media specialist from Villa Rica, Georgia. She calls herself a superfan, although I’m always a bit skeptical about those claims. She wants to be the “ultimate operator, socially” that will play like Dexter Morgan, in that she has no problems getting “blood on her hands”. Hmmm. She scares me a bit, though, as she says on her CBS bio that her favorite player of all time is Rachel. I do like the fact that she does not intend to be the “next” Rachel or Janelle. She plans on innovating what a strong woman is on Big Brother. Good for her.
She’s beautiful and friendly, but as everybody knows, her interviews don’t really tell her story. Within hours of the introduction of these videos, TMZ reported that she’s transgendered. This is not discussed in any of the interviews. In fact, there’s even chatter about “cycles”. She’s going to be the big news story of this season. The stunt cast...or one of the stunt casts. Julie Chen broke down in tears on her terrible talk show discussing Audrey.
Her casting raises so many questions. Will she inform the rest of the house about her situation? If so, how will they react? Will production do anything in their power to keep her as long as possible? What will the fan reaction be to anybody who criticizes her?
Austin Matelson (30). I can’t type fast enough to list his many occupations and hobbies. The Woodland Hills, California native used to be in the WWE’s developmental league, NXT, before suffering an injury. Now he’s a post-rehab fitness specialist that wrestles in independent leagues under his secret name, Judas. He also enjoys cheerleading, yoga, gymnastics, and I’m going to guess he’s had a few instances of larping. Oh Lord, he’s also a “medieval historian who believes in true love”. I’m not sure about that aspect. He also claims to be a huge Big Brother fan since season one, and in his case I believe him, especially when he talks about how showmances have ruined many a good player in the past. While his promotional picture indicates some intense, crazy eyes, I felt a bit of a calming presence while watching him. It must be the yoga. His favorite players were Dr. Will (due to strategy) and Howie (because he was fun). However, he says on CBS that the one thing he’d like to bring into the house are his Color Me Badd CD’s. Come on. Really?
Overall, I sort of like him. He plans on making the house fun to “take the target off my back” in order to have others come to him with their game plans. It’s also guaranteed that he won’t make a gigantic alliance of the entire house less than 24 hours after entering the house.
Becky Burgess (26). This “retail store manager” from Denver is a big fan of a whole year! Yes, a whole year! She became hooked and supposedly auditioned. She believes that she’s lived a “crazy” life, and claims to be inspirational to women. Yeah, right. Honestly, I was sort of bored by her within the first minute of the interview. In fact, I walked away and grabbed a protein bar. She’s not going to make big moves early in the game, and seems to only hope to make it to jury. For some reason, she thinks it’s important to not let the house know she was a “double finance major” or that lucrative retail management gig. What? She also is dying to relive Jordan’s season, and desperately wants a showmance. Ugh. Overall, I get a bit of an Amber vibe from her, minus the struggling modeling career.
Clay Honeycutt (23). The former Texas A&M defensive back is another new self-described “superfan” who has watched eight seasons in three month. He’s also bound to be the “bro” I’m going to hate the most this season, and will probably cause me to be blocking cat ladies left and right on twitter. Yes, I’ve already heard from a certain person how hot this douche is, but he’s a dullard. A complete and utter dullard who looks up to Cody for his “big moves”. That’s right, Cody. I’m sure we’re going to hear over and over all summer about his college football experiences, although he claims that he’s not going to let the house know he’s so athletic. Yeah, right. Come on, you just know that he’s going to whip off his shirt in the first five minutes of being in the house.
Da’Vonne Rogers (27). She’s a poker dealer from Inglewood, California. This is intriguing. As much as Becky believes she can read people, nobody can top a poker dealer in this regard. That said, there are many things to not like about her, particularly the fact that her favorite player of all time is Rachel. Why??? Her roommate was a superfan who talked her into auditioning. Despite being a new fan, I did get some giggles out of her descriptions of past house guests, particularly when called Keesha a “flunkie”. However, I have a feeling her rapid-fire motormouth may grate on me quite often this summer. On the other hand, I could see her creating some fun drama even though she wants to find that middle ground between playing hard but not being seen as a threat.
Jace Agolli (23). This Venice Beach personal trainer rankled me on sight. He has a bit of the look of a Dave Matthew fan. No, let me take that back. He looks like the type of John Mayer fan who claims it is because of his blues playing and not his godawful balladry. He babbles and babbles and babbles, and somewhere in there I heard him say he’s a rapper. No, please, I don’t need to hear any beatboxing this season. He uses a lot of motivational speaker phrases, spoken at a pace that would shame Da’vonne, but which also caused me to zone out by the third minute. I’m moving on.
James Huling (32). An Asian hayseed??? Really? A retail associate (who was also in the military and had a corrections job) from Sumter, South Carolina that makes Donny seem like a city boy. He loves Taylor Swift and Zach. No. Please no. Given that all of his Big Brother references come from that awful 2014 season, I have few reasons to believe he’ll last long.


Jason Roy (25). I may be way off here, but I would bet this is the first supermarket cashier to be cast on the show. He is a true feed-watching superfan who says on the CBS site that his faves include Danielle (season 3), Diane (season 5), Danielle (season 8), Kevin (season 11), and Britney (season 12). I really can’t argue with that list. He first auditioned for season 15 (“bullet dodged”), and admits that his personality is a bit over the top. I like him a lot, but like many past superfans I could see him being one of those that wants to talk game every minute of every day. Or he could be another that somehow manages to pop in and out of every room where there’s game talk. He claims that he’s going to lay low, though, but I just really don’t see that happening.
John McGuire (27). I’ve heard a lot about this Scranton, Pennsylvania dentist before I sat down to watch his video...and everything I’ve heard is spot on. Sorry, Audrey, you’re not this year’s Dexter. This dude truly knows where the bodies are buried. Holy shit, he’s intense! I love the fact that he’s truly surprised that he was chosen to be on this year’s cast. I have a feeling his time is going to be short, but he’s going to be oh so entertaining. He is a superfan, but says he’s not going to make the same mistakes of past contestants with similar knowledge. He also claims that he’s going to make being a dentist his advantage, because apparently everybody loves talking about their teeth. Wait, what? Despite his frantic chatter, he is self-aware enough to understand that he’ll have to mellow out to succeed. Can he do that? I have my doubts.
Liz Nolan (23). As I’m getting to the end of the cast, I’m noticing that a good percentage of the females look exactly the same! How does this Miami marketing coordinator differ from the other blondes? This one is an admitted party girl who is supposedly also a “brainiac”. Her faves include Janelle, Jeff...and Frankie. Ugh. She was also recruited by Porsche. She’s a “fierce competitor” that plans on winning as many HOH’s and POV’s as possible who is also great at cooking and cleaning. At least she’s honest in the fact that she has no plans to start a Joey-ish all-girls alliance. Ultimately, my only real hope for this smoker voice twit is that she follows through on her promise of quite a few itsy bitsy polka dot bikinis.
Meg Maley (25). Hey, we are near the bottom of the list before we get our first “server”. At least she’s not a Hollywood bartender/waitress. Oh, and she adores Frankie. Ugh. She’s “really serious about the game” but is a “goofy girl” who wants to be a rare strong female player. She claims to be “drama free and chill”, which is supposed to help her get far in the game. At least she knows she’s a loudmouth, although that sort of goes against the drama free/chill description, but whatever. Once I got past her annoying, bubbly voice, though, I must admit that she seems to have given some thought on how to make it far in the game. Will it happen? I’m not so sure about that.
Shelli Poole (33). I know one castmember is going to love and obsess over this Atlanta interior designer, and all you have to do is look at her photo to know who I’m talking about. Yes, Shelli has teeth. She has the toothiest grin of the entire cast, and I’m hoping and praying that John annoys the shit out of her with his dentistry talk. While she says she’s been watching for many years, her faves are the type of those who have only studied for the past few weeks - Brendon, Rachel, Jeff, and Jordan, along with Cody and Derrick from last year. Borrrrrrring!!!! She is also a twin, which has raised some questions about this year’s planned multitudes of twists. I must say that I love her backstory on the CBS site, though. She divorced her husband, and jumped right into another relationship. When she told this new man that she wanted to apply for Big Brother, he mocked her and was kicked to the curb. Otherwise, her interview is a pretty typical onslaught of clueless planning and little self-awareness. Seriously, she believes that she’ll be able to ape Derrick’s gameplay? Doubtful.
Steve Moses (22). Is this Gouverneur, New York college student this year’s Ian? He knows his Big Brother history, which has rarely been a true advantage. This is her first year applying, though, although he says that he’s been planning on trying out for years and years. He truly is honored to have made this season, and I will always admire anybody who abhors stupid people. He claims to have Caleb’s sense of loyalty, but not truly blind loyalty. Steve is very analytical, but I have a feeling that he may be have a penchant for going overboard. It is possible to overthink everything. Can a virgin dweeb win on Big Brother? Well, it has happened before.
Vanessa Rousso (32). Ooooh, so we have a poker dealer and a Vegas poker player? This could be interesting. She has a quirky look and talks about music quite a bit on her CBS profile (she’s also a DJ), but I have a feeling that I’d be disappointed by her tastes. Vanessa also claims to be a longtime fan, and says that Big Brother is similar to poker. The main difference is the difference in time, and admits that maintaining “mental focus” will be tough. She also doesn’t want anybody to know that she’s a successful poker player
Oh wow, I just took a little break to look her up after a couple of references that people may recognize her, and she is a big deal in the poker world. She has dual citizenship in the U.S. and France, and is known as Lady Maverick in the poker world. She was a member of Team PokerStars for a few years, was in the 2009 Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, and has done commercials for GoDaddy. She was married for four years to acclaimed poker expert Chad Brown, and is now in a relationship with a woman named Mel.
I guess she’s a bit of a stunt cast, but even with her credentials she’s not exactly a household name. I think she’s really intriguing, and hope she goes far. Her only downfall in the interview is that EVERYTHING ends up going back to poker terms.
So that’s it for this season...so far. That’s only 14 people, which is impossible to spread out over a 90 day season. There are plenty of rumors floating around that Thursday’s episode will include the introduction of at least two more players, or maybe even a number of people playing for two spots.

Don’t forget to join us tonight on the Big Brother Gossip Show as we go through all of this year’s victims. The show commences at 9 pm ET at mixlr!
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