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Julie Chen Blogs Big Brother
RealityFreakWill:
Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother' week 5
WOW! What a week! Last Thursday, Andrew reveals Kristen and Hayden’s secret “showmance” to the house on his way out the door and leaves behind a hot mess. Rachel and Kristen square off in this season’s most heated cat fight; Rachel places her rival “showmance” (Kristen and Hayden) on the block; Britney snags the POV, but to Hayden’s dismay, she decides not to use it; Hayden and Kristen check their emotions at the door and resort to saving themselves; and Kristen campaigns tirelessly, but ultimately is unable to garner enough support and becomes the fourth evicted Houseguest. I think this could be a huge turning point for the season — 34 days into the game and the action continues to get more juicy by the moment.
I was disappointed when Kristen was evicted as I was eager to see what impact their relationship would have on the “Brigade” – whether Hayden would have truly picked his “showmance” over his “bromance” or vice versa. Kristen told me post eviction that she was unprepared for life inside the house. As we witnessed on the show, she admitted she was very guarded and not one to easily make friends…two personality traits that typically lead to early evictions.
MOVING FORWARD TO THIS WEEK:
Despite Rachel and Brendon being in a “showmance,” their position inside the house continues to be stable. However, that could all change pending the result of this week’s HOH. You have to think that if any member of the “Brigade” captures HOH, they will put Rachel and Brendon on the block. I’m sure the “Brigade” is eager to dismantle any and all “showmances.”
Luckily for the “Brigade” their strength lies in their numbers, because if they were forced to rely on any other element (physical prowess, strategic gameplay, etc.) they would have splintered several weeks ago. Based on their poor showings in competitions, combined with Hayden’s flip-flopping throughout the house and Ragan’s growing suspicion of an all-male alliance, you can easily see them imploding at any moment.
Kudos to all the fans who voted for this season’s next (potential) Saboteur. I think Ragan is a wise selection. He’s an intelligent, passionate player who will take the role very seriously and work hard not to disappoint. Plus, he stands to make an easy $20,000? Maybe easy isn’t the right word, but I personally think it’s worth the risk. Tune in on Sunday to see if Pandora’s Box will be opened and if Ragan will accept the job. Tell me below…do you think this week’s HOH will risk opening Pandora’s box or play it safe? If you were in the house, what would you do? COMMENTS PLEASE!
(Personally, I would open it!)
FUN FACTS:
LUXURY COMPETITION
– There were 9 obstacles in this week’s Luxury competition. The fastest time was 0:47 seconds and the slowest time was 2:18.
VETO COMPETITION (“Wizards of Pinball”)
– It would cost $1.75 to play all the pinball machines that were on display for 1 round and the giant pinball machine was 16 ft long by 20 ft wide.
HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD COMPETITION (“True Colors”)
– The diameter of the paint can in last night’s HOH competition was over 14 feet and the giant swinging paint brush was over 11 feet long.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
– I’m so excited to have two of our favorite past Houseguests, Jeff and Jordan, making a surprise visit to the house this week. As many of you probably know, Jeff is on his “Around the World for Free” tour and I’m hearing he may need a place to stay for the night. Tune in on Wednesday to see if Jeff has any “showmance” advice for “Brenchel.”
– The curse of the Big Brother costume is alive and well. Two years of evicted Houseguests who wore the red unitard, followed by Casey’s unfortunate banana suit last season and Kristen’s swift departure last night courtesy of the hippie-tard.
– I felt like this week was a coming out party for Britney. She demonstrated that she’s more of gamer than I may have originally thought. She’s successfully working all sides of the house and not just standing by waiting to be evicted.
– I think you can make the argument that Lane is one of the most underachieving players in the game from a physical standpoint? He’s a former collegiate athlete, but his performance in competitions as of late is on par with Kathy.
– Word of advice for all future contestants — if you’re on a reality show that films your every move 24/7, it’s probably not smart to become romantically involved with a fellow Houseguest after you told your boyfriend waiting at home that you want to remain faithful throughout your time on the show. You never know where the love bug will strike inside the house.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
Britney: “If I said an f-bomb on TV, my mom would cry and my dad would have to skip a Sunday at church.”
Hayden: “I think cougar hunting is dangerous…I like to hunt young cubs in their 20s.”
Kathy regarding Rachel: “We got the devil upstairs working in the devil’s den.”
That’s it for this week. Tune in Sunday to see if Ragan will be unleashed into the house as the next Saboteur — and I hope this week lives up to the craziness we just witnessed. Thanks everyone for all the support.
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/08/06/julie-chen-blogs-big-brother-week-5/
RealityFreakWill:
Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother' week 6
THERE IS SIMPLY NO LOVE FOR THE “SHOWMANCE” THIS SEASON!
First the demise of Kristen and Hayden last week followed by Rachel’s dismissal this evening by a vote of 6-0. I felt like all the action inside the house this week centered around breaking up “Brenchel” and in the end the house clearly got what they wanted. It’s easy to sit back each week and analyze the house’s decision to evict a certain player, but in this week’s case I can see why they opted to send Rachel home instead of Brendon. Rachel is a stronger player, both mentally and physically.
Overall, I think Brendon played a pretty lousy game this week. I know some of his actions can be chalked up to “Operation Save Rachel,” but I think his tactics were too transparent for any of the Houseguests to believe. It was obvious he was trying to purposely annoy everyone in hopes that they would pick him over her. I do commend him for trying to save his lady, but question his methods.
*Or (just throwing this out there) maybe it was all a deliberate “jury” ploy to over compensate knowing that they would still eliminate Rachel, but he looks like a gentleman and gets her vote if he makes it to the end. A brilliant strategic move if that’s the case.
Rachel told me after the show tonight that she has zero regrets. Admittedly, she could have played some things differently (possibly aligning with Kristen and Hayden), but she was proud of the game she played. You have to give her credit for surviving as long as she did considering she and Brendon were targets from day one. She survived for 41 days with a massive X on her back and that’s pretty impressive. Plus, she also believes with all her heart that their “showmance” is the real thing and that she and Brendon will be together once the show ends. There was no hesitation when I asked what the future held for “Brenchel.” I wish them well.
Bottom line — I am so eager to see how Brendon exists inside the house minus Rachel. Will he take his aggression out on the game and step up in the competitions or will he crumble under the weight of a broken heart? If he can capture HOH, Matt, Ragan and Britney are in for a heck of a week. If he can’t, I think we have our next Jury member.
Comments please! Tell me how you think Brendon will respond?
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
*Britney continues to surprise me in this game. Just when I think she might be in trouble she manages to survive – snagging the POV this week was a tremendous move. If the “Brigade” ever starts turning on each other, look for Britney to be a key swing vote.
*I loved having Jeff and Jordan back in the house this week — it’s great when our show can play matchmaker! They seem to be really happy and I wish them well. Which couple will bring us the first Big Brother marriage? Jeff and Jordan or Brendon and Rachel?
*Kudos to the fans for the brilliant “True Love Conquers All” sabotage that played during Wednesday night’s show. I’m thrilled the Saboteur wrinkle is back in the game, and that particular fan-inspired suggestion was fantastic. I must admit that I felt a little bad for “Brenchel” when that glimmer of hope reappeared.
*Was tonight’s HOH competition symbolic of this season’s game or what? Houseguests struggling to escape a massive spider web of ropes in order to survive the game – just another day in the life of a Big Brother Houseguest.
*Where would the “Brigade” be without Matt? Outside of Hayden’s week one HOH victory, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen three male players (Enzo, Lane and Hayden) under perform like this in almost every competition (but it is pretty fun to watch them discuss how powerful they are).
FUN COMPETITION FACTOIDS:
*The bowling lane used in the POV competition, “Lover’s Lane,” was 40 ft long. There were sixteen balls on site and the pins were 30 inches tall.
*The ropes used in tonight’s HOH competition, “Oh What a Tangled Web,” were 200 feet long and weighed 25 lbs.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
Enzo on Kathy
“The fish don’t even want to make an alliance with her…they’d rather die.”
Brendon on Romance
“I’m going to have the ‘Armageddon’ song playing in my head when I walk out.”
That’s it for now…this week could be one of the most interesting so far in terms of strategy and confrontations. Brendon’s honor is on the line and he’s eager to exact revenge for the dismantling of his “showmance.” Tell me your thoughts on the week below! Thanks everyone.
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/08/13/julie-chen-blogs-big-brother-week-6/
RealityFreakWill:
Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother' week 7
THE “BLINDSIDE” HEARD THROUGHOUT TEXARKANA!
Wow, what a night! Matt shocks the house by using the Diamond Power of Veto, pulling himself off the block and putting up Kathy. Kathy sits motionless as her fate is determined in a Live vote that results in a unanimous eviction of 5-0 — thus concluding one of the most exciting weeks this season. Why Kathy you ask? It could have simply been a numbers game or she might have fallen victim to the speculation that she was the “Saboteur.”
But first…let’s recap what led us to this point.
Brendon avenges his ousted lady by out-roping his enemies en route to a victory in this week’s HOH. His first order of business is putting Lane and Ragan on the block. Ragan shows his grit by capturing this week’s POV. Rachel re-enters the house anticipating a reunion with Brendon, but instead discovers Brendon has left the house courtesy of “Pandora’s Box.” Rachel leaves a pretzel message for Brendon, but inadvertently adds to the “Saboteur” speculation surrounding Kathy. Ragan saves himself in the POV meeting — Brendon then puts Matt up on the block, but Matt remains calm as he’s secretly holding the Diamond Power of Veto. Which brings us back to Kathy.
I spoke with Kathy after the show tonight and she was clearly shocked by her swift and sudden departure. However, she told me that she felt as if something was off this entire week, chalking it up to a gut instinct. She added that she was disappointed to have left the game, but pleased that she was able to survive in the house for this long with her morals intact. She also told me that the one thing she will take away from this experience is a new appreciation for her family and her hometown. I personally think she handled a disappointing scenario with a lot of class.
Moving on to this week…I can’t believe Britney is the last woman standing! I would have never predicted that earlier in the season. Following her victory this evening in the HOH competition, my initial thought was that Brendon is toast unless he’s able to capture the POV. However, after further consideration, it could be an interesting strategy for Britney to keep Brendon in the game. Why not keep someone around that everyone truly dislikes in hopes of taking that person to the end to make it an easy decision for the jurors? Its game play 101…keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Look for a crazy week ahead as alliances could be restructured – namely the “Brigade.”
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
*When Rachel returns to Vegas she should run – not walk – to the nearest pit boss for a lesson in knowing when to fold em. Clearly she had no idea she was squaring off with a college professor who makes his living giving lectures, but you would think after their first heated exchange she would have reconsidered coming back for more. Conversely, I’m sure Ragan took pride in leaving Rachel speechless, but it’s safe to say he’s down one juror vote.
*Lane, Enzo and Hayden could be forced to do some serious schmoozing this week as the balance of the “Brigade” lies in Matt’s reaction to knowing Enzo and Hayden actively selected to keep Lane instead of him. Does the “Brigade” remain four strong or will they split apart and start fending for themselves? Matt thinks he’s smarter than everyone else in the house while Enzo and Hayden doubt their ability to beat Matt in the end. What do you think? Comments please!
*How classic was the Zingbot 3000? My favorite zing was “Hayden, Justin Bieber just called…he wants his hairdo back. Zing. Zing. Zing.”
*Kudos to Ragan (and the fans who voted for Ragan) for a terrific stint inside the house as this season’s second “Saboteur.”
QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
*Matt’s thoughts on campaigning: “I want to sleep the day away, sleep the night away and wake up on death row and see what happens.”
*Ragan on life inside the house: “I’m in a prison of starvation and heterosexuality.”
*Enzo to Matt: “You just got ‘sabobitched.’”
That’s it for this week. I haven’t looked forward to a week inside the house this much in awhile. I’m dying to see how Brendon responds to Britney calling the shots and what happens with the “Brigade” now that we’re starting to see some kinks in their armor. See you next Thursday for our double elimination!
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/08/20/julie-chen-blogs-big-brother-week-7/
RealityFreakWill:
Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother' week 8
I’M EXHAUSTED! What a night. Here’s a quick recap for anyone who missed day 55 inside the Big Brother house. We sprung the news about last night’s double eviction on the Houseguests at the top of the show — I do love the excitement and chaotic nature of the double evictions. The Brigade implodes as Matt becomes the first casualty of this season’s most dominate alliance and leaves the house by a vote of 4-0. The remaining Houseguests compete in a HOH competition in which Hayden narrowly edges out Brendon; Hayden places Brendon and Ragan on the block; Ragan captures the POV and removes himself from the block; Hayden places Britney beside Brendon on the block; Brendon is sent packing by a vote of 3-0.
*I need to pause for one second before I proceed in order to comment on Enzo’s performance in the competitions this evening. It’s almost comical how poorly he’s competing each week. Either he’s throwing the competitions (which I doubt) or he’s simply one of the most uncoordinated competitors we’ve ever had on the show. Although, having said that, the “Meow Meow” has positioned himself well within the house to make a run at the $500,000. He’s a likable guy, who seems to be a straight shooter — a characteristic that typically proves useful come finale night.
Back to the action — it’s Matt and Brendon making their way to the jury house this week. I can’t say that I’m surprised by either selection. We knew the writing was on the wall for Matt this week, despite several last ditch attempts to sway the house towards Ragan. I spoke with Matt after tonight’s show and he actually told me that turning his back on Ragan (if only for strategy) was his sole regret from his time inside the house.
With Matt’s departure, it’s easy to see how the three remaining members of the Brigade (Enzo, Lane and Hayden) could maintain a steady control over the house if they can keep winning. But one can only wonder which one of them will be first to flinch and set off on their own to form a new alliance outside of the Brigade. It’s clear that Lane and Britney have formed a bond over the last couple of weeks, but where does Ragan fit into the equation?
Tell me who you think is in jeopardy this week…is Ragan the odd man out, or will he be just the swing vote someone needs in order to pull a major power shift inside the house?
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
Way to go Britney! I know I keep saying it, but I’m shocked at her maturation as a player inside this game…she’s not just floating…she’s established herself as a power player. And, oh yeah, she’s the last remaining female. This could be a huge week for Britney depending on how the HOH shakes out and whether or not the Brigade remains three strong or continues to splinter.
In my opinion, I believe Britney and Lane are playing the best games inside the house. Britney is a feisty survivor who is using her sweet, southern charm to stay alive while Lane is playing the most quiet game ever for a strong, athletic competitor. Either one of them could be tough to beat in the end.
For all future Big Brother contestants – ease up on the “shout outs.” I know everyone misses their friends and families, but it seems that this cast in particular has to say hello to their mom or girlfriend each time before pleading their case to the house as to why they should not be evicted. Although, I did like Enzo’s anniversary wishes to his wife…nice touch “Meow Meow.”
Despite tonight’s eviction, I commend Brendon for his staying power. I can’t remember a Houseguest being this targeted since day 1 and being able to muster up just enough each week to survive. And he actually wears the bald head look well.
We might establish a new record for PDA inside the jury house this week with the impending “Brenchel” reunion.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
Britney regarding her allies: “I like what I see from my army.”
Lane regarding hecklers: “I wish we had hecklers. We did have them — Rachel and Brendon.”
Brendon on life inside the house: “It’s a really nice version of prison.”
FUN COMPETITION FACTOID:
“Big Brother Zoo” – Power of Veto Competition:
There were 11 animals in the Big Brother Zoo. 3 penguins, 1 camel, 1 ape, 1 snake, 1 turtle, 1 lion, 1 elephant, 1 alligator and 1 rubber duck. There were 16 total signs including the Houseguest’s name placards which were visible in the Big Brother Zoo. Some of the funny signs included CAUTION: PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE HUMANS. 48 bars were used in each of the Big Brother cages.
That’s all for this week. Who are you rooting for to win this week’s HOH? Will the remaining Brigade members maintain a united front till the end or was Matt’s departure just the beginning of the destruction? Sound off below.
Until next week…
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/08/27/julie-chen-blogs-big-brother-week-8/#more-93237
RealityFreakWill:
Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother' week 9
AMERICA…IT’S DOWN TO THE FINAL 4
I’m not sure which house had more drama this week — the jury house or the Big Brother house?
We witnessed some serious fireworks at the jury house when Matt came clean and told Kathy, Brendon and Rachel that his wife isn’t really sick. I’m not sure why he decided to come clean at this time as he could have easily waited till after the show or even dropped that bomb during the finale. Whatever his reasoning, I haven’t seen that many jaws on the floor in some time. It almost seemed as if Matt was harboring some guilt for that lie and needed to put it all on the table.
What do you think? Was it a questionable strategy on Matt’s behalf or would you employ similar tactics during the game to advance further? Tell me below!
Ragan put up a valiant effort to manipulate votes from Lane and Britney this week, but in the end the loyalty of the “Brigade” was simply too strong. However, he seemed to be in fairly good spirits after the show considering he was just ousted. He departed the house still suspicious of an all-male alliance consisting of Lane, Enzo and Hayden — and he assumed his BFF Matt was also associated with them in some capacity.
Looking ahead — this is typically the point in the game when strategy switches from survival mode to collecting votes from the jury members. I’m not sure Lane is making the wisest decision by choosing to align himself with Britney en route to the finale. I know she supposedly doesn’t have many friends in the jury house, but someone like Britney could always garner those “perseverance” votes. Of the remaining four, she has clearly had to claw her way to this point in the game, while the three “Brigade” members have essentially relied on outnumbering their competition. If I’m in the jury house, I might admire that perseverance.
If Lane and Enzo make it to the final two, who do you think deserves it more? Tell me below. Both have played fairly conservative games, flying under the radar from day one.
At this point it’s hard to predict who has set themselves up best among the jury members to win their votes. It’s a toss up for me…
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
* The endless dance-a-thon that took place in the house courtesy of Pandora ‘s Box might be one of the most clever punishments Big Brother has ever devised. I call for that to be a permanent rule inside the house – whenever Houseguests hear music they are required to break into dance. Unless we have to watch Hayden dance.
* Kudos to Enzo for out lasting the Big Brother “costume curse” – and for finally winning a competition. Good timing.
* I know I’ve been predicting the imminent demise of the “Brigade,” but I must give credit where credit is due. They’ve advanced to the final two weeks of the game with only one casualty to date and those are numbers you simply can’t argue. They aligned early and stayed strong throughout.
* Is it just me or does it seem that the Houseguest’s final pleas during our LIVE eviction shows are growing increasingly warm and fuzzy? I’m not sure that I could muster up the phrase “I love all of you” as they’re ripping $500,000 from my pocket.
QUOTE OF THE SEASON:
* I selected this as the quote of the season (up to this point) as it so clearly reflects the personality of the person delivering the line.
* Enzo regarding his lifestyle in the house: “I only took three naps today.”
Just a reminder to everyone that our schedule is a little different next week – eviction show on Wednesday night (Final 3 will be revealed) and as always a LIVE show on Thursday, but no eviction. And for all you crazy “zingbot” fans out there…I was just told EW will have an interview with the infamous “Zingbot” during finale week. Stay tuned for that…till next week.
http://popwatch.ew.com/
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