Ep 23 Recap~
ADRIA AND COWBOY ON ICE: KAREN TURNS COLD SHOULDER
Marvin throws Adria and Cowboy up on the block, out of allegiance to Will and a desire to get a strong player out of the BIG BROTHER 5 House. He tells the gathered HouseGuests that he put the two of them up because he knows that Cowboy has Adria's back and would have played on her team in the Veto competition and tried to rescue her. It's a strategic decision on his part. When Karen later wins PoV, she elects not to use it, so Cowboy and Adria remain up for eviction.
AND THEN THERE WERE SEVEN
As the number of HouseGuests dwindles, the friendships grow tighter, the game gets more real and the conversations get more serious. Following Marvin's HoH win, Nakomis and Diane break it down in the kitchen. Diane wonders what Marvin could do that would cause the most damage. Nakomis counters, "Do the most damage or make the smartest move?" She then adds, "Most damage: you and Drew. Best option: maybe me and you."
Wasting no time, Marvin looks for assurances about his future. He immediately begins negotiating with Diane. He tells her she is safe if he can get an assurance that he is safe. He tells her, "You're hardcore." Diane is pleased to hear this from Marvin. "You're the only person who tells me my bad attitude isn't so bad. I would love to see you standing next to me at the end of this game."
Diane is feeling good about her game with Nakomis, Karen and Drew all on her side.
Later, Diane and Drew have a conversation with Nakomis, during which Nakomis shares some intimate details about her private life. Some titillate them, but some freak them out. She tells them, "I go to fetish balls." Innocent Drew asks what she means, and Nakomis replies, "A place where people wear nipple clamps and ask you to spank them." She gives them a few more details, and explains that a dominatrix is someone who, "...ties you up and beats the crap out of you," Drew shudders.
MARVIN GETS STRATEGIC
The nomination ceremony is called to order and Marvin turns the key. It's Karen who gets to breathe easy first. She thanks Marvin and goes to pull the next key, which belongs to Nakomis. Nakomis pulls Diane's key, and Diane pulls her sweetheart Drew's key. Marvin lays his cards on the table, telling Adria she has won three out of the last four competitions--both physical and mental. He claims, "I'm giving you a shot by letting you go after the Veto." He then tells Cowboy that he loves him like a "play cousin."
Cowboy visits with Marvin in the HoH room to talk to Marvin about what went down. Marvin claims he had an allegiance to Will from the time they were both on the block, and again explains his reason for putting Cowboy up for eviction.
Adria and Cowboy chat about the situation, and she speaks of herself in the third person saying, "You can't work towards saving Adria." As she and her twin had done before, she goes shopping for a Veto buddy and begins with Karen. She asks Karen point blank if Karen would use the Veto if she won it. First, Karen tries to fend her off by saying that she has been on a losing streak. Then, Karen admits that she would be a little scared to use the Veto. In the privacy of the diary room, Karen takes it a step further and says, "If I were to use the Veto, it would be bad for me."
Diane tells Drew he's safe because she negotiated with Marvin. She told Marvin that he would be safe if she, Drew, Nakomis or Karen won HoH. But later, in private conversation between Nakomis and Karen in the backyard, Karen is concerned by Diane's actions, saying, "She's playing with fire."
MICHAEL IS AMERICA'S CHOICE
A mobile phone in the middle of the living room begins to ring, sending excitement throughout the House. The HouseGuests gather as the clarion call goes out, "The phone is ringing. The phone is ringing." Drew answers the phone and says, "It's for Cowboy." He passes the phone to Cowboy, and he is overjoyed to hear the voice of his fiancée, April. She tells him that she "got the job," and that Chason got the teacher they wanted. Michael starts to cry, and when Chason gets on the phone the tears pour out. After chatting with Chason, he asks his wife if her dad is watching and what he thinks. She says, "He said if you don't stop crying, he's going to put his boot up your butt."
KAREN FINALLY WINS
HoH Marvin and block-sitters Cowboy and Adria choose their playing partners for the Golden Power of Veto Competition. Marvin chooses Drew, "the pretty boy from the Buckeye state," Cowboy chooses his sister, Nakomis, and Adria chooses Karen. It's a choice between Diane and Karen for Adria. And, while Karen is wary about using the Veto on Adria if she wins it, Adria realizes Karen is the safer bet.
Diane, as the Master of Ceremonies for this week's Veto competition, tells everybody to come and get their clothes, which happen to be jumpsuits with names embroidered on the back of them. Drew thinks his orange suit makes him look like a convict.
The HouseGuests enter the backyard to see six giant blocks of ice, and on top of the blocks are water guns for the "Ice, Ice Veto" game. The goal of the competition is to release the Golden Veto, which is embedded in the ice. Then, Diane announces that there is a twist. There is also a red T, and if the HouseGuests get to the T, they have access to a toolbox that might help them free the Golden Veto from the ice. Once they have the Veto in hand, they must then run and hit the buzzer.
The game begins, and after an initial flurry of activity, the competitors run out of water. They begin banging on the very thick block of ice with their very flimsy plastic toy guns with little success. Somebody figures out the pool is an excellent source of water, and everyone (except Drew and Cowboy) refills their weapons to facilitate greater ice destruction. As the competition speeds to its finish, Adria is almost at the T. She thinks that getting the T will help her get to the Veto faster. Karen sees Adria reaching her goal and goes into "use it or lose it" mode. Adria does get the T and fetches a toolbox, while Karen has broken through and can almost grab the Veto with her small hands. Adria busts open the toolbox and starts by throwing a shaker full of salt on the block hoping that will do the trick and melt it quickly. As she continues to try and free her Veto, Karen wriggles her hand into the block, seizes the Veto and runs to the buzzer. She wins the Golden Power of Veto.
Adria makes one last ditch effort to sway Karen, saying that perhaps she can help Karen think through the decision she needs to make. Karen just plays defense all the way. "There are two people on the block who I have nothing against, and there are other people in the House that I have nothing against. I think it's best to leave well enough alone."
Karen later calls the Veto Ceremony to order and offers Cowboy and Adria a chance to speak to save themselves. Adria, who really can't let sleeping dogs lie, says that she has had some interesting commitments in the House, and some people have chosen not to honor those commitments. As she says this, Diane just rolls her eyes and lets out a little sigh. Karen, out of fear and survival instinct, elects not to use the Veto, leaving Adria and Cowboy up on the eviction block.
Will twin number two get the boot, or is Cowboy the next target? Is this the beginning of a Karen winning streak? And what will happen when Will and Natalie collide in the Jury House? Find out Thursday night at 8PM on BIG BROTHER 5.
