BB day 38

New complexities introduced !  We love that !  Have to wait and see what happens after the feeds come back up later today.

Big Brother 19: Nomination Anticipation In Week 5
July 28, 2017 Matthew Boyer Big Brother 19 129 Comments

Nominations are coming up later today in the Big Brother 19 house, but things are going to play out a little differently than we’re used to and there are going to be plenty of surprises for the HGs as well.

Paul Abrahamian on Big Brother 19

Paul’s plan for nominations didn’t take long to be revealed last night on the Feeds. Alex and Jason were speaking privately and assumed Paul would be going for Mark and Elena after Jessica’s announcement that she and Cody were safe with her Temptation power. Paul walked in and declared he’s calling BS on Jessica’s claim and he’s going to test it by putting Jessica and Cody on the Block.

And this concludes our Nomination Anticipation column for the week… Just kidding. It won’t be nearly that simple.

Before we even get to find out who is going up on the Block there’s the Temptation Competition twist waiting for the HGs. Starting today and for two more weeks the HGs will have the chance to compete for total safety each week before the Nomination Ceremony.


Whoever wins this new weekly challenge will be protected from nomination, but it’ll be up to each HG as to whether or not they participate since the downside is the loser will be sent to the Block as the third nominee that week.

Well obviously Cody is going to accept this challenge. “I was born for this.” “No one can beat me.” “Superior genetics.” Yada yada yada. There’s no way Cody will turn down this opportunity. And when he competes I’d say he’s got a great chance of winning. He’s a heck of a competitor so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him come out on top. If he does then he can’t be nom’d and that’s going to force a surprise shift on Paul. That just might save Paul some trouble this week.

Paul wants Jessica and Cody on the Block because he thinks Jessica’s claims that she and Cody are safe for three is weeks is crap. He’s right. Mostly. She can only use the power once and it only protects both her and Cody if they’re on the Block together. This is also her second to last week to try and use it.

If Paul gets them on the Block and they stay there until Thursday night then Jessica will use it. She already promised Cody she’d use it this week even if it’s just him up there after the Veto. Forcing Jessica to use it up instead of stringing the HGs along with it isn’t the worst thing in the world for Paul or the rest of the HGs. Eliminating this power from the game wouldn’t be a wasted HoH, but I’m sure he’d be upset at no one leaving under his watch.

But, say Cody wins this Temptation battle, maybe Paul will say he’d rather have a whole couple on the Block. In that case he’ll nominate Mark and Elena. Paul has already said they are his Plan B in case Jessica’s power really prevents them from being put on the Block. Then Mark will be the target and Paul could avoid seeing no one go home on his HoH.

It’s also possible for Paul to decide a split ticket isn’t that bad after all, especially since he really wants to test Jessica’s Temptation claims. He’d probably just put up Mark against Jessica if Cody is protected by the challenge win. Then if Jessica comes down from the Veto Paul would put up Elena and target Mark.

This really does have a lot of potential for a fun week. There’s a new competition for extra spoilers later today, Paul is willing to try and challenge Jessica’s claims, and we’ve got a decent chance of her using the power by the end of the week for a shocker Thursday live show. This is good stuff and there are some good Live Feeds ahead!

Reminder: Temptation Competition will likely play out midday today (Friday) with Nominations Ceremony held later tonight.



Does the 'Big Brother 19' Temptation Competition Fix the Problems with the Old Twist?
Friday, July 28, 2017

Derek Stauffer

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

The Den of Temptation is no more on Big Brother. The advantages that were delivered to the houseguests by viewer vote have been replaced with something new, The Temptation Competition. According to the rules set out by host Julie Chen, The Temptation Challenge will see the houseguests volunteer for an extra competition where a special reward will be up for grabs. Anyone can compete and possibly win the temptation.

The catch is that the person who comes in last in the Temptation Competition will be forced to put themselves on the block as a third nominee. This rule is what takes the twist from alright to legitimately great. Unlike the Den of Temptation which was messy and poorly thought-out, this new twist greatly enhances the game of Big Brother 19.

Big Brother 19 Recap: Week 4 Eviction and the Next Curse Revealed>>>

A Real Temptation

The big problem with the Den of Temptation is that it was a temptation in name only. Though a curse did befall the house if someone chose to pick up a temptation, the curse never (except for the first temptation) negatively impacted the HG who received the temptation. Christmas, who received the second temptation, even got to choose who received her curse giving her a double advantage. The Temptation Competition reverses it and restores things to the way they should have been all along. Now there is a real downside to going after a temptation.

If you win the Temptation that's great, but there are so many other ways things can go wrong. (It'll be especially interesting if, like the Den of Temptation, the houseguests don't even really know what they are receiving until they accept the challenge.) It's no longer a popularity contestant where the viewers pick the houseguest they like the most or want to protect the most. Now it is just a contest of skill and a contest where the potential downsides are much greater than the benefits.

Given how greedy everyone is in the Big Brother house it is likely that a handful of people are going to compete in the challenge every week. If there are four or five people going for the Temptation, not coming in last might seem like an easy feat. There is a very real possibility though that only two people could end up going for a Temptation so if the houseguest doesn't win the Temptation, they are on the block and likely stuck in the very situation they were trying to prevent. The risk and reward balance to the Temptation Competition is wonderful and so unusual for Big Brother, which either gifts the houseguest and advantage or cruelly try to throw an obstacle in their path.

The Perfect Curveball

The most exciting thing about The Temptation Challenge is that it will add a whole new layer of strategy to the game. This is something that is desperately needed in Big Brother 19. Paul is running the house to an insane degree because of his knowledge of the game and the fact that, for whatever reason, a lot of people trust him completely. The Temptation Competition throws a total wrench into the works because it really is a whole new dimension to the game, not just an old twist with a new name and a slight twist to the rules. Paul and his allies aren't prepared.

Is There Anybody Worth Rooting for on Big Brother 19?>>>

The Temptation Challenge is going to throw everyone for a loop. Participating in the Temptation Challenge won't be just a way to receive an advantage, it can also ensure that other houseguests don't get that advantage. The alliance lines are really starting to be drawn on Big Brother 19. One side of the house is going to want to win the advantage as much as they will want to prevent the other side from getting it. Every week The Temptation Competition will add something new to the game. An alliance in power deciding to go after a Temptation will be just as much of discussion as who they want to target that week.

There are some potential downsides to this twist. No one may want to compete in the challenge since it is optional. If no one wants to risk it, the twist will be a big ole dud. On the exact opposite site of possibilities, the same person (assuming there are no limits to how many times you can win an temptation) can keep dominating the competition. If Cody wins a temptation every week that would not only be awful to watch but the balance of the game will be way off once again. For most part though, there is a lot of reason to be excited about this new twist.

But what do you think? Are you excited? Do you think this fixes the problem with the Den of Temptation? Do you ever think there was problem with the Den? Do you think people will take the bait of Temptation Competition?

Interesting statistics but how accurate they will be this season depends on how 'smart' the other HGs are and how many 'smart' ones will survive long enough to threaten Paul.



Friday, July 28, 2017
Does Winning 2 Early HoHS Hurt Paul's Chances of Winning 'Big Brother 19'?

John Kubicek
Senior Writer, BuddyTV

Paul has won his second HoH competition on Big Brother 19 in the first five weeks, once again controlling the house. But is this a good thing?

The short answer is "No." Paul's early competition dominance is usually a very bad sign because it will only set him up as a huge target later on. Throughout the history of the show, there have been 13 other times that someone has won two of the first five HoH competitions, and it rarely ends well.

Is Anybody Worth Rooting for on BB19?>>>

From that list, more than half of them didn't even make it to the Top 6. Season 17's Shelli Poole became the first member of the jury, being evicted in 11th place after winning two early competitions (and finishing second in another, just like Paul did in week 1). Six of the HGs on this list finished in 7th, 8th or 9th, which definitely makes that the sweet spot for where these types of players usually end up.

Rachel Reilly in season 13, another returning player, is the only one to do this and win the game while Janelle Pierzina on All-Stars and season 17's Vanessa Rousso are the only other two-time early HoHs to reach the Final 3.

Does the Temptation Competition Fix the Old Twist?>>>

Here's the complete list of all the HGs who have won two of the first five HoH competitions, and how they did in the game.

1st: Season 13's Rachel Reilly
3rd: Season 7's Janelle Pierzina and season 17's Vanessa Rousso
4th: Season 2's Hardy Ames-Hill
5th: Season 16's Frankie Grande
6th: Season 9's James Zinkand
7th: Season 12's Matt Hoffman and season 14's Frank Eudy
8th: Season 15's Aaryn Gries and season 18's Paulie Calafiore
9th: Season 11's Jessie Godderz and season 12's Rachel Reilly
11th: Season 17's Shelli Poole

The other problem for Paul is that the person who wins the week 5 HoH competition has NEVER gone on to win the game. Interesting, this statistic also holds true for the person who wins the week 2 HoH and the week 2 PoV, both of which Paul won as well.

Looking at all of the statistics and all of the numbers, it definitely seems like Paul is heading for a crash and burn in 4-5 weeks.

I don't think Christmas is nearly as 'nasty' as Matt thinks. Yes, she is in the 'Paul camp' but most are and at least she is more enjoyable to watch as compared to Kevin whom Matt thinks is some kind of clueless genius (a pretty accurate description though). But I get bored listening to his stories of the NJ mob from back in the day. But his cluelessness about BB history in general is sometimes funny.



Friday, July 28, 2017
Is There Anybody Worth Rooting for on 'Big Brother 19'?
Derek Stauffer

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

Big Brother 19 has just begun but given the aggressive level of game play (and the high number of evictions) the season has felt much, much longer.

Between all the scheming and the blindsides, Big Brother 19 has been more active than most seasons, especially in the early going. Yet with all that excitement no true hero has emerged. Big Brother 19 might be exciting but it is hard to touch down on who, if anyone, the audience should root for this year. Yet that might not be the worst thing.

Big Brother 19 Recap: Week 4 Eviction and the Next Curse Revealed>>>

Monsters and Morons

When it came to casting big "characters" Big Brother 19 really did hit the ball out of the park. Between the comedy gold that is Kevin and the liveliness that are people like Josh and Paul, this season doesn't lack personality. Even Cody who has described his experiences with emotions in a way that is akin to a serial killer has created some fabulous TV moments. The problem is that Big Brother 19 hasn't much in the way of decent or likable people. Everyone is either a caricature or as dull the new coat of paint that has just dried on the house.

Josh's emotional outbursts, the aggressive or weepy kind, might be exhausting but they ensure he is never boring. The same goes for Paul. Paul is seemingly unable to tell a single truthful fact in the house but the rest of the contestants' slavish devotion to him is rather fascinating. It's not much better on the other side of the house. The amount of fun that Big Brother has with Cody's Diary Room sessions and the overall editing makes him seem like a total sociopath but Cody's eyes are far too soulless for him to ever be a "fan-favorite." Jessica has not been nearly as unemotional or loud as the guys but her (incredibly close) association with Cody means that she takes on a lot of his negative qualities.

On the flip side, there are people like Matt, Raven and Mark. They are just kind of there. Raven and Matt might think they are playing the game but besides him wearing the same sleeveless shirt all summer and her trying out the most childish hairstyles, their contributions to the season have been less than nothing. Mark has been slightly more active than either one of them but he is still a bit too clueless to really want to see him succeed.

While those three are the worst offenders of just being plain boring, there are other houseguests who fall into this camp. Jason has won a fair bit of competitions but he is too under Paul's thumb to really feel like he is playing the game or deserves to go far. The same holds true of Alex, who seems like she should be an amazing player, but has really become Paul's lackey though she believes them to be partners.

So Who Is Left?

There are just a handful of houseguests who seem to fall outside those two unfavorable camps. Christmas has received a very favorable edit on Big Brother 19. Whether it is because of her broken foot, she has some level of celebrity or something else entirely the show seems to love Christmas. Christmas seems like the hero of the season but the live feeds tell a different story. Christmas is much nastier on the live feeds than in the broadcast episodes and far more willing to go along with and even support Paul's obnoxious behavior.

Who Is the Villain of Big Brother 19?>>>

Elena is another houseguest who seems like she could blossom but she has gotten so very little screen time so far. Elena is playing how most people would in the early going of Big Brother laying low and building personal connections. Since this season has been so much more aggressive than usual, it just seems like she is sitting out of big decisions and doing nothing. Elena could recover in time but after being so badly duped by the latest blindside and Jessica revealing her temptation, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot that Elena can do to save herself.

This just leaves Kevin. Kevin definitely qualifies as one of the big characters of Big Brother 19. Kevin makes for wonderful TV because he is so expressive and weird but he never has the same negative energy about him like Paul or Josh. Kevin calling Ramses, "the little kid with the glasses" is along the same lines as Josh calling everyone a "meatball," except it is genuinely funny and not nearly as gross. It's hard to call Kevin the fan-favorite still. While Kevin is not as clueless about the game as he appears, he is playing both sides of the house and doing it well, Kevin is still no real mastermind. Kevin is going to go far in BB19 but if he makes it to the finale it is going to be hard to argue that he deserves to win. Kevin might be the most likable but a real "hero" of the season should be someone who the audience wants to win and also deserves it. Kevin doesn't really fit that bill.

The Fun Being Bad

Even if the Big Brother 19 house does seem to be full of some hard-to-root-for people, it hasn't stopped the season from being enjoyable. There is not a high level of emotional investment because pretty much anyone could go home and it wouldn't be that sad. At the same time, the fact that no one is really that likable means that scheming and strategizing is boiled down to its purest form.

Why Jessica Needs to Dump Cody If She Wants to Win Big Brother 19>>>

In the battle between Paul against Jessica and Cody no one seems like a deserving winner. Paul is egomaniac but so is Cody. Both sides are equally horrible. It is still enjoyable to see how they manage to navigate and circumvent one another. I don't want either side to win but it is fascinating to see how they attempt to one-up each other. For the first time in awhile this season is truly just Big Brother. It's not personal. Big Brother 19 might not always be fun to watch but it is still worth watching.