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Sunday, August 9, 2015

Big Brother Season 17, Episode 21 Recap

Sunday’s episode is going to spend more time than strictly necessary covering Thursday’s Head of Household endurance competition. Consider that to be the tradeoff for the recent end of the dual HOH / Battle of the Block twist — which all of us here at Big Brother Gossip feel is a very, very good thing.

By the way, once again this is John (@uselesstraffic) writing your episode recap. Scott is in Washington, D.C. accepting the Piewlitzer Prize for Excellence in Reality Television Commentary … or perhaps did he say something about attending a family function this evening? As before, please accept my apology for no screen caps.

The announcer started the recap with the events leading up Clay’s departure and a promise to “see the shocking fight right before eviction.”

It’s Day 50, and as expected the episode begins with the HOH endurance comp (which is the one they have to transport water one funnel at a time across a slippery ramp to fill up a globe). “If I win HOH, James will be my ultimate target,” says Shelli in the DR. James counters that “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” “Sixth Sense is down to five players, and I feel like a possible target,” says Vanessa. “The only person I don’t want to win this comp is Becky. She sees me as a threat,” Steve says, which I find bewildering. Does he really feel that way, or was it a scripted line?

We’ve got the usual whistle and boingy spring sound effects as the house guests slip and fall in the Crisco-covered game lanes. “I look over and see Liz falling. I hope she’s falling as hard … for me,” smirks Austin. “I want to make a big move,” Becky tells the DR. “Meg, I think I saw a turtle pass you,” says James as the competition announcer. “You’re gonna win this comp … if everybody quits.”

We flash back to 5 hours before eviction. James and Squeaky John are talking in the bedroom, and then John goes to talk with Clay. “It’s not in my best interest for you to go,” John says, because Vanessa is targeting him. Clay goes and tells Vanessa that James is targeting Johnny Mack. So she goes to talk with James. (This was all covered on last night’s Big Brother Gossip Show, by the way, in great detail and better than I’m doing here — you really should go listen!) “Why would you tell Johnny Mack that I’m targeting him?” “No, I swear on my little girl,” James says. “Clay told me that,” V says. “I’m not gonna call your name out, but I’m gonna go tell Clay not to do that,” James says.

James goes and confronts Clay in front of Meg and John. And then Vanessa calls John aside: “Did James tell you I’m gunning for you?” “No.”

Back in the other room, “Are you gonna hit me or something?” James asks Clay, as others listen from the next room. Clay points his finger right in James’ face as they accuse each other of lying. Vanessa reenters and tells Clay, “John says James didn’t say that.” I’m getting confused as they all go in circles. Squeaky John now claims to have come up with the idea that Vanessa was gunning for him and is in Shelli’s head, but she says it isn’t possible for John to come up with that idea on his own. “It seems like you’re lying,” V says to Clay, and starts crying. “This is like the sixth time this has happened,” John says in the DR. Shelli laughs and says, “Clay wouldn’t make that up.” Clay is on the bed, with a look on his face which is a mixture of how-do-I-get-out-of-this and I-don’t-give-a-damn. Vanessa finally leaves, and the rest of them debrief what really happened. “Vanessa is a loose cannon. Her emotions can go from 0 to 80 in a second,” John tells the DR. John tells Shelli and Clay about how everybody Vanessa got pissed at ended up going home. “She’s going to take out us to save herself, every time,” John tells them.

Now we’re back to the HOH endurance comp, about half way through and Becky is in the lead. Commercial time.

“There’s no way I’m winning this comp,” Meg tells the DR. “I’m playing against Austin to see who is slowest.” I feel just slightly bad for Meg in this one, as I assume her previous knee surgery makes her less nimble — not that she’s known as a comp beast in any comp.

Becky notices her huge lead and goes for the triple play — winning the Never Have Not prize, the $5000 prize, and HOH. “I’m pretty sure the house will be shocked at who I want to send home this week.”

In the DR, Steve again worries about being targeted for being a “threat to Becky.” Live feeders know that Steve has only rarely been a factor in the game, isn’t a threat to Becky or anybody, and that if he’s nominated it’s only as a pawn, but CBS knows many viewers are ignorant of that. Shelli asks the DR, “Now that Becky’s in power, which side is she gonna go with?” Commercial break time to ponder that.

House guests file into the house after the comp. Shelli passes Clay’s greyed-out face on the memory wall and immediately goes into mourning. “This game sucks for me right now.” Meg comforts her in the purple room, but rolls her eyes in the DR: “So annoying!” “I don’t cry over dudes,” Shelli tells a twin in the kitchen, and, strangely, talks about going to New York with Clay to visit … Meg?!

The twins talk in the Have-Not room, talking about feeling safe. In another room, Steve and Squeaky John talk. John squeaks in the DR, “I’m so pumped that Becky won! Plus she’s pretty hot.” Oh my gawd. Do producers think that kind of commentary is going to endear him to viewers? Steve tries to talk John into seducing Becky in the jury house.

The horrid “who wants to see my HOH room” segment is next. James’ eyes pop out of his head at a photo of Becky wearing a tiny bikini. Becky got kale, brussels sprouts, and other health food as part of her HOH basket. “I’d rather eat slop,” James says. Fortunately the segment ends quickly.

“We ran the show for four weeks, and now it’s their turn,” Shelli tells Vanessa in the bathroom. “As long as we’re not on the block together, it’s okay,” V replies, but tells the DR that she’s nervous. Then in the bathroom Vanessa accidentally sprays disinfectant on her hair.

Becky talks with Meg, James, and Jackie about the plan, saying she’ll put up Shelli and Steve while telling others they’re sticking with the plan they agreed to last week (which I think was to get out the other half of Clelli) but that now she intends to switch her target to Vanessa. “We need to never say the V word, because if we do she will catch on. I’ve worked Black Friday. I know how to deal with Vanessa.”

After an ad break, almost everybody’s out in the backyard. Shelli catches Steve spacing out, waving his hand in front of a mirror in the storage room. CBS shows Steve talking to himself or dancing in various rooms while he tells us in the DR “I’m just a very strange person. I’m okay with it.” “Steve, stop that,” says Big Brother, as Steve bangs on glass vases.

Now Shelli is crying to Becky, asking about her status. “Somebody else is a bigger target than you,” Becky says. “We want Vanessa out bad.” But Becky tells the DR that she’s telling Shelli of her target to get future trust from Shelli. “I was going to keep working with Vanessa,” Shelli tells the DR, but now she’s not so sure. “I think the house would send home Shelli,” Becky says in the DR, if the noms were to stay the same. Becky convinces Shelli to pretend that she’s mad when she’s nominated.

Now Becky reassures Vanessa and Austin that if the veto is used, she’ll put Squeaky John up as replacement. Austin leaves, and Vanessa complains of her isolation to Becky, who puts her off by saying “I’m done with deals and alliances. I’m organic. I like short term, here’s an action plan. I’m ‘Basic Becky.’” Vanessa asks Becky not to tell Shelli that she knows the supposed plan. But Vanessa tells the DR that she knows she might be a target.

Commercials, and now we see Squeaky John, who is sporting a mustash-less beard, celebrating in the HOH room with Becky about being in the house one more week. Becky asks him to pretend he doesn’t know what she’s about to say, which is that she’s gonna nominate Shelli and Steve but that the replacement will be Vanessa. “She’s a really smart Audrey,” John says. “She’s smart and dumb at the same time,” Becky answers. “She’s gonna have no clue the house is after her.’

It’s time for the nomination ceremony. Becky nominates Shelli and Steve, as expected. “Shelli, it is so hard to put you on the block. It tore our hears out when you lost Clay, but there have been fights since he left and I can’t let that go. Steve … win a comp and get dirty!”

We see the usual DR entries at this time talking about how vital it is to win the POV comp, etc. Squeaky John talks about how Vanessa is getting what’s coming to her. Steve reacts to being nominated with a bunch of fake blow-hardery. And that’s the end!

The POV comp will be shown on Wednesday's episode. On Thursday, would you rather see Shelli or Vanessa evicted later this week? Who do you want them to target in the double eviction? What do you think of Becky's reign as HOH so far? Comment below or tweet me @uselesstraffic.

1 comment:

  1. I don't think telling Shelli was such a good idea...A big risk of vanessa finding out from shelli that she (V) is the real target. Never seen such a loose-lipped bunch of HG's.

    ReplyDelete

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