(Spoiler alert: Do not read on if you have not yet watched Thursday night’s live double eviction episode of “Big Brother.”)
The Bomb Squad/Detonators — or “Bombinators” as the “Big Brother” announcer dubbed them — have been calling the shots all summer long. But with the latest double eviction, it was time for them to finally turn on one of their own.
But first, there was the matter of Nicole and Victoria, already on the block when the hour began. The logical and safe choice would be to eliminate Nicole, as the bigger game threat. For Derrick in particular, she was a personal threat because she’d acknowledged the impressive quality of his game mastery.
Afraid of being exposed to the rest of his alliance, who thought they were in control of the alliance, he orchestrated her demise as he’d eliminated Donny. And, as it has gone for him all season, Derrick decreed it so it came to pass.
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He then found himself in an even more powerful position when he became the new Head of Household in record time. Julie Chen presided over another true and false panel session, but it was decided after a single question and suddenly the usually packed broadcast found itself with extra time.
Derrick had a chance to make a big move, but that’s not the kind of game he’s been playing. Instead, he was able to make it look like he was just doing the will of the house by nominating Victoria and Christine. Victoria has been on the block as a pawn so many times over the summer, but she probably thought this was really the end for her.
Christine jumped on board the Detonators alliance early, and has seemingly played one of the least strategic games of the summer by blindly following their every lead. How she could have deluded herself that she was anything but fifth in this all-male alliance is mind-boggling. Tonight, she was so angry after they sent her packing that she walked out of the house without a word to anyone.
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But it’s hard to feel any sympathy for her. Christine had plenty of opportunities to turn the table, but instead she did things like vote her personal ally Nicole out the first time and then attempt to throw a competition to help the Detonators eliminate Donny. All of these were smart and strategic players who could have helped her get further, and instead she was duped into doing Derrick’s dirty work for him.
At this point, “Big Brother 16” is Derrick’s game to lose. He has not been nominated even once all summer, and no one seems to have noticed. He’s been quietly running
Perhaps his biggest challenge at this point is going to be convincing the jury that he was the puppet master behind everything that happened in the house. If he played his game too well, they may not acknowledge his mastery and instead reward Caleb, who’s been playing like a bull in a china shop.
And so, it is Victoria who remains as the last woman standing and it’s a wait until Summer 2015 to see if an all-woman alliance can ever happen on this show. Women have done well on “Big Brother” in the past, but they’ve never managed to band together and stay loyal the way the Detonators did. And even though Christine was a member, she was always expendable to the guys as proven by her abrupt boot this week.
This season was a particularly poor showing for the women shown by the ones that were left. Six of the first eight people evicted were women, including Nicole’s first elimination. Christine was a loyal lapdog to the original all-male alliance evicted when she no longer served a purpose and Victoria has been dragged along because she had basically no game at all.
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In fact, Victoria stands a fantastic chance now of making it to the end, because she’s unlikely to garner any votes at all from the jury.
The dominance of the guys and the “Bombinators” has made for a somewhat boring summer, but now there’s nothing to do but watch them duke it out for the $500,000 prize. Derrick and Frankie are the favorites, as well as the last remaining members of Team America. They’ve played wildly different games, but both could make a case for the win should they be seated side by side at the end.
It would be more difficult for Caleb and Cody to argue that they’ve outplayed Derrick or Frankie, which is why it would be in their best interest to vote Team America out of the game as quickly as possible. But with Victoria loyal to Derrick, it’s unlikely to happen.
What’s more likely is that we’ll finally get to see Derrick and Frankie face off in the house. One is outspoken and overt in his gameplay, while the other is quiet and behind the scenes. Both need the other out of the house before the finale, so they don’t have to face one another. Who will slip first and join the jury?
See video: ‘Big Brother’ Live Double Eviction Exposes Masterminds as One Houseguest Explodes
Next week promises a potential game changing twist with the “Big Brother Rewind.” There’s a chance that next week’s entire game can be reset and undone. This could be devastating if alliances are shattered and trusts broken. The game can reset, but the deceit and lies will still stand exposed.
More than likely, the Houseguests will not be told what the button will do, making it a new twist on Pandora’s Box. Or perhaps there will be a reward teased if they press the button, without revealing what would happen on next week’s live eviction episode when the game is reset.
A reset could potentially destroy the game of anyone in power in the house, because it could throw a wrench into all of their plans by exposing duplicity. Nicole coming in the house had the potential to do that for the Detonators, but Christine proved loyal to a fault and Nicole had no chance to redirect the course of the summer.
Now, a Detonator will win the game — sorry Victoria. Which one will emerge victorious from what has arguably been the most successful alliance in “Big Brother” history.
To make room for football, “Big Brother” is shifting its schedule slightly. For the remainder of the season, new episodes will air Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8/7c.