Big Brother 17: Final Four And “Winning Out”

Only four Houseguests remain on Big Brother 17 and we’re just a few more hours away from having the latest eviction results revealed. For those surviving Houseguests they’re about to face several more tough decisions on who to keep and who needs to go for their best chance at making it to finale night’s F2.

Vanessa and John discuss their eviction options
Vanessa and John discuss their eviction options – Source: CBS All Access

Several of the Houseguests have discussed the concern of falling in to a “winning out” situation so while we wait for tonight’s special eviction show, I thought we could take a look at what that means and who could be in trouble.

Vanessa and John had debated the issue of bringing the showmance, Austin and Liz, on to F4 and beyond because of the challenges it’d create when neither opponent in a F3 would consider keeping the third wheel over their partner. In that case it’d be a battle of winning nearly every competition in front of them to get to the F2. That’s “winning out” and here’s how it’d work.

Let’s start with John as the example. Say he voted out Steve in the F5 eviction which would leave us with Austin, Liz, and Vanessa. Vanessa wouldn’t be competing for F4 HoH and maybe Austin or Liz would target Vanessa, but that’s a big risk for John to take. He’d need to either win that HoH or the following Veto to secure his safety and a spot in the F3 where he’d need to keep winning.

At Final 3 we reach the last HoH competition of the season which is made up of 3 rounds. Round 1 winner faces off against the winner of Round 2 in the third and final round. The winner of Round 3 then decides who he or she will face in the F2 and at that point the comps are over.

If John gets to F3 against Liz and Austin, should Austin have survived eviction, then John would have no choice but win either Round 1 or Round 2 and Round 3 to get to F2. So from F4 stage John would face up to five competitions and have to win three specific comps out of the last five to reach the end.

The great thing about this mix of F5 players is most of them should be fearing a “winning out” requirement for their chances to get to the end. Of course if the showmance remains at F4 then those two basically double their chances with a backup player fighting on their behalf. Should it just be Liz, as I’m expecting, then she’ll be on her own, kinda.

A Final 4 of John, Liz, Steve, and Vanessa may split up in to teams of John and Steve vs Liz and Vanessa. Maybe. Vanessa probably thinks she can win in F2 against any of the three, but if the others have that same thought they may be putting her high on their target list and really, they should.

John told Austin and Liz, during his pitch to flip and vote Steve out, that they needed to target Vanessa next in F4. I think there’s a good chance both he and Steve could take a shot at her if she doesn’t win Veto in F4. Again, they should, but this season has had so many “really?” decisions that maybe they’ll surprise us on that one.

Vanessa and Liz would probably target Steve out of fear that he’d be a comp beast in these final rounds where you have to recall events and competition results. Those aren’t easy but Steve is one very smart guy and knows how those comps work so they should be worried about him.

We’ve got a fun last few days of Big Brother ahead of us no matter how tonight goes, but clearly these HGs risk making things even harder on themselves if they keep that showmance intact. Think they’ll take the “winning out” route or split them up before fighting for F2?

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106 Comments

  1. IF Austin is gone, what are Vanessa’s chances in F4? If John wins HOH, his noms would be Liz & Vanessa. Steve as HOH = same result. Liz as HOH = Less clear, though probably John & Steve. Either way, the final POV is the most important win of the season, as always.

    • I think her chances are better with Austin gone. Liz won’t put her up and fight alone, I don’t think. If Austin was there, Liz and he might feel bold enough to put her up but even then, who knows?

      Who knows about this season at all. Up is down. Down is up. I give up/I give down. I don’t know. I don’t yes.

    • This is what is going to happen. Austin is gone. Steve will win next HOH. Liz and John will be nominated. My girl Vanessa will win POV. John will be replacement. It will be Steve and Vanessa in final 2 because Liz will be last one to be evicted. Finally, representing my group of Lesbians, Vanessa will take home the 1/2 million and be the first Lesbian to win BB like I have said for months. My girl and I have the champagne ready for Sunday. Peace out.

      • This game has been fix for that nast bully and so you can’t say this is a fare game its not its for her to win and that’s all to it what a waste of time when they need real players not fake ass people who have millions of dollars that’s my opinion whether you like it or not

    • If she was dumb and kept Austin, then i don’t see her getting to final 2. With Steve she has a better chance but him and Johnny mac also are a possibility.

  2. I can’t believe you think Liz would work with Vanessa, I see her being emotional & going against her, especially if she has no power.

    • Without Austin, Liz is rudderless. Vanessa will get in her ear and convince Liz her chances are better now that Austin is gone. And Liz will cling to her, as a substitute for Austin.

      • Perhaps. IF Austin is gone, Liz will be without her shell. Initially, since it was Van that sent Austin home (in this scenario), she will be furious. But then it really depends on how the aftermath of Austin going is handled.

        Another key thing we don’t know… Did Austin and Liz talk about a possible blindside. Austin is a good player and if he gave Liz “back-up” instructions should he go – then that is what she would do. I wouldn’t be surprised that Austin would tell Liz to work with Jmac or Steve to F2 if he had gone since Liz is more likely to win votes over those 2 than over Van.

    • lol, well you would think Liz would be emotional and blame Austin eviction on Vanessa. however, Vanessa has been able to convince Liz of so much this season, who knows. I’m hoping all are targeting Vanessa at F4.

  3. Assuming (hoping) Austin got the boot, if Liz wins HoH she puts up Steve and JMac with the deal that whomever wins the POV Vetoes himself so she can backdoor Vanessa. If JMac wins he puts up Van and Liz. if Steve wins he makes a stuffed animal out of a pillowcase, names it Mr. Fussy Bottoms and nominates Mr. Fussy Bottoms and Liz.

    • Gotta love it. That should go viral. Everybody should create a stuffed animal out of a pillowcase, name it Mr. Fussy Bottoms and send it to Steve.

    • Vanessa wouldn’t let that happen. If Steve and JMac were up on the block, she wouldn’t let Liz out of her sight to do any plotting. She’d convince Liz to put herself up if she weren’t safe!

  4. I really don’t know what to think anymore, I used to want Steve to go this week as I thought and still do think he is too bonded to Vanessa but now I’m hoping Austin left. It definitely makes more sense for Vanessa and John to vote out Austin I just don’t think she has the guts to tell him to his face he’s evicted and I hate seeing John being the odd vote out as if he needed a bigger target on his back.

  5. They have needed to split them up for a long time! They need to think about the end game. It makes sense because if it comes down to F3 and it’s Austin and Liz they absolutly will not take anyone else. The only two people left that I want to win is Steve and John. Vanessa has played a good but flawed game and I think her “game theory” background is going to come back and bite her. Any of the people would be dumb to take her to final 2. Jury and people in the house are impressed in a wierd way by her. I wouls LOVE to see the freakout when she does get nominated.

    • haha….that will be a sight…Vanessa’s face as she sits in the NOM chair! Go John! Go Steve!

  6. If rumours are true everything is falling nicely into place! I’d hate to be too positive because rumours are just rumours…not as technically correct as skittles.

    • The leaks being leaked are interesting. We’ll just have to wait to see if true ( if interested, they are on Celeb Dirty Laundry”).

      • Yep, just didn’t want to spoil it for anyone regardless of whether or not the leak is true. Then again, this isn’t the best comment section to read unless you want to keep up to date even with something that may or may not be true. I see you are being thoughtful as well.

      • No idea, didn’t follow that closely last year but they moderate even regular comments before allowing them all though (I think).

      • Has your doorbell rang? I found a worm out in one of my flower beds yesterday. I saved it for your Patron. I sent it Overnight Express. If mezcal has a worm, Patron should have a worm. It should be arriving in time for the party. Enjoy! You know, it was the fattest one I found and it was a sacrifice because I probably could have caught a big catfish with it.

      • lol.I like the Patron, but the worm sounds like the worm-creature from the movie “Tremors”….anyway, I never trusted Dirty Laundry, but I have to admit, I did read the article…idk..I was humming ‘got to believe” song? …I want to. lol

      • I have never been on that website, but from all indications on this one, Austin is the rumored evictee.
        If that is true, I think he should cut off his ponytail beard during the taped eviction and give it to Liz for good luck. Snip, snip…snip it right off. How dramatic and attention-getting. Bold and the Beautiful, here I come.

    • That site reads like The Nat’l Inquirer. There are other stories about Beyonce and Jay Z “faking pdas” to hide their upcoming divorce. I wouldn’t trust that site as a reputable source.

      • I don’t trust it either, but it was something to talk about for awhile. A lot of their stories have headlines that end with a ? which means it’s just a fart in the wind story but this one had a bit more substance…although I wouldn’t bet my skittles on it.

  7. Please let Austin be gone ! Then possibly Liz /Vanessa,depending on who wins the next HOH but I’m ok with either of the two leaving !

  8. At this point I almost hope Jmac sides with Austin and sends Vanessas stupid dyke ass out the door,Then I pray next season big Brother will not have a bunch of idiots in the house.

  9. I agree with some comments that Austin needs to be evicted. Mostly to split the couple bcuz, yes a couple have 50% more chance a winning next HoH and Veto. Austin/Vanessa both be strong in upcoming endurance comps. Liz is smart but w/o Austin she may weaken, and i don’t care for Austin to win. But his strong alliance is In F5, but he that was helped by Vanessa. Hope V or JMac get to F2, if only to hear Van defend her game lol

  10. Is it true friends of bb? Is Austin really evicted and is Johnny Mac finally HOH ? Is celebrity dirty laundry reliable?

    • Murphy would not tell a lie. Celebrity Dirty Laundry, on the other hand, well, let’s just say this … this is the same site that swears Vanessa has been given inside information by production all season to keep her in the game as long as possible in order to advertise her new CBS show “Poker Face” coming up this fall. When I posted that little tidbit, posters here “spanked” (hi, Vanessa) me for quoting *anything* from this site as even marginally resembling fact. So, I’d say … trust Murphy.

      • I would rather see Vanessa have a show then that weasel Frankie. It was bad enough he was a corespondent for ET. I can’t tell you how he did because I muted my tv.

  11. On Joker’s it said to expect the unexpected…maybe Austin proposes to Liz at the door kicking him in the arse on the way out and she accepts on the condition that he shaves off that ponytail monstrosity and washes his hands.

  12. John and Steve both should have been evited a long time ago and both are horrible players it would be a bad final 2

    • That’s the rumor. If it’s true, finally a legitimate blindside (unless V warned Austin beforehand).

    • I think this is more rumor than truth. I guess we will find out sooon enough.

      I just hope Vanessa does not win veto and I hope whoever does sends her packing for good. But I think if Liz wins veto she will keep Vanessa and send Steve or JMac home.

      • Yep, Johnny wins ( I hope )
        Vanessa should have been out some time ago…what a gal! I could not imagine wanting to hang with such a schemer and loved her crying jag Tuesday. She’ll weep when she’s nominated too..heh heh

      • Liz winning veto and sending Macaroni noodle or Steve home would mean she also is HOH and they are on block, or at least one is.
        That’s assuming Steve is still in and not evicted instead of Asstin.

      • If that happens, we’d get, what TWO episodes of not having to watch Austin and Liz gross each other up. Just put us out of our misery and end this asshle of a season NOW. I’d be SO fine if they finished the entire game tonight.

  13. Man. I don’t want to watch Steve freak out once Johnny comes down. I hope that they edit that element out.

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