James :
Deep-Sixed
James, the latest ''Big Brother'' evictee, talks to Josh Wolk about being betrayed by both of his alliances, season 6 and then the Legion of Doom, and how Chicken George might get his final vote
When, oh, when will people stop trusting Chill Town? Will and Mike Boogie carved another notch on their headboard of death when they betrayed their Legion of Doom and evicted James Rhine. We talked to the surprisingly calm former season sixer (although after Howie's blustery exit, everything seems calm) about what it's like to be betrayed by two alliances.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Were you surprised when the votes were announced?
JAMES RHINE: I wasn't. I was surprised the vote was 3 to 1. I figured that Janelle, just for good strategy, would have given me a vote, because I was up against a person who had eliminated Howie, and it's always good to cover your ass. But I knew this week, based on how people were reacting, that they were telling me what I wanted to hear, but they weren't planning for the future. When people say they're going to keep you, but then strategy talks diminish, and you don't study with them for HOH competitions, you know you already have the cancer, and it's your turn next. And when I was talking to Will, you know he's lying when his eyes move back and forth. He tells you what you want to hear, but he's trying to read you to see if you're falling for it and to see how far he has to go.
When did you figure out that the eye darting was Will's tell?
I've been reading him when I talk to him, and he's someone you can't read by looking at gestures and body language. He is such a good liar and manipulator that he doesn't give you the signs because he knows he's gonna work you over; he doesn't have to think about it. He just knows people are going to fall for it.
Everyone knew coming in how smart and slippery Will was. For the love of God, why have people kept him in the game?
In the first four weeks, I wanted one of Chill Town gone, preferably Boogie, because then I knew Will would be forced to find someone else to attach to. With Kaysar appearing scared to nominate them for whatever reason, and then Janelle doing all she could to protect them, I was like, all right, if these people are being protected, and I can't use the season 6 alliance to go after them, maybe I should grab Dani and see if we could work with them.
When did you realize that you had to leave the season sixers?
At the point where Janelle, Kaysar, and Howie lied to me and told me that if I put up Jase, they would put up Chill Town the following week if they got HOH, and then Janelle did this idiotic move by putting up Diane. At that point they had declared war on Chill Town verbally, and declared war on the floaters physically, so they had decided to take on the entire house with only three members who actually do something. Howie was actually nonexistent as an ally.
Why did Janelle target Diane so feverishly?
Janelle talked a lot of crap about Diane [on the show] last year, and I had said some bad things about her also. I talked smack, that's what I do. I found out when I got out that I'd really hurt Diane's feelings. So I got her number from Danielle and called her from a party at Mike and Kaysar's. I felt like the biggest ass. I apologized; she accepted my apology. Janelle was there and saw I was apologizing to Diane, she jumped on the phone: ''Oh yeah, I'm sorry, blah blah blah,'' but would then continue the conversation with somebody else, and it was a slap in Diane's face....The thing about Janelle is she's a great player, she's incredibly manipulative, but her stuff only works on guys, because girls see right through it. So she couldn't leave an independent thinker like Diane, Nakomis, or Danielle.
Had season 6 gone after Chill Town at the beginning, do you think they would have made it until the end?
Completely. But when Janelle went after Diane, I was like, I can't afford to have them lie to me anymore because it was screwing with everything. And when Janelle chose to save Marcellas by picking him for the veto competition and not Kaysar, that was the final selfish act. This is not an alliance, this is one girl using these two other guys, Howie and Kaysar, to further her own agenda. They went home, she's still there. I tried to warn them, but they wouldn't believe me, and s--- happens.
All this season, Kaysar was pegged as this game genius, and yet now he's been evicted three times in two years. Why does he still get the reputation as a mastermind?
The thing is, his whole ''I sealed your partner's fate'' move last year? It was my idea to get rid of Eric. He wanted to get rid of Ivette, and I had to convince him to go back on his word. If they want to peg him as a genius, that's fine. But there were a lot of people who made some stupid mistakes this year.
It did seem like you were always odd man out in that alliance, just like you were last year.
Completely. Like when Kaysar was nominated next to me after Janelle won the veto, the entire alliance went up and hugged him and left me in my nomination chair. And after George nominated me, there was no solace or anything from Janelle and Howie. Howie actually went over to George, shook his hand, and said, ''Jedi alliance.'' I'm not stupid.
So that alliance crumbled, and then so did the Legion of Doom. It seems like any alliance can only last so long before someone has to make a move to destroy it from within. Had you stayed in the house, how long would you have waited to turn against Chill Town?
Unless you have something going on the side, it's not a good idea to go against your alliance. Unless Mike and Boogie are working with Janelle — and she definitely saved them enough for me to think that's a possibility — I would not want Janelle and Danielle coming after my ass. Those are the two baddest women in Big Brother history. There must be something else in the works. I'll see when I watch the tapes.
If you had gotten that last voodoo doll in the veto competition and not Janelle, what would have happened?
Janelle would be out here talking to you. Whoever was up against Chicken George was going home. If those people had left me in the game over Chicken George, they would not have been all-stars. You don't vote out the dishwasher when you have the chance to vote out the Veto King, or whatever they call it.
Do you think George will make it to the final two?
I really, really hope not. In my opinion, this man does not deserve to be in the game, because he played a different game. For the first Big Brother, they just sat around kissing America's ass all season. And this is the same guy who didn't nominate Janelle because she was popular. You don't want to sack the quarterback because it's Joe Montana? You just have to play the game, and you can't play it wondering whether America's gonna like you or if you're gonna be popular. You have to be ready to cut some throats.
Are you surprised he's made it this far?
No. Everyone just keeps thinking, ''I'll take him to the end and beat him.'' The guy's on slop for 60 days, you get into a longevity contest with him, it's obvious that this is his last chance. He will park himself on whatever it takes, and he'll be there until next season. If it gets down to that point and he makes it, you know what, he can possibly have my vote.
Will it be tense being in the sequester house with Marcellas and Howie?
No. Marcellas and I are friends outside the house. But I am way done with Howie's booby talk and the Jedi crap. Howie might not come back from sequester if it continues.
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1333983_3_0_,00.html
