Tonight’s Big Brother 18 was filled with too many bogus edits but we got to see a brand new competition that I’m going to go ahead and call one of the most awesome in the show’s history. Credit where credit is do type thing.
The episode jumps in right after Victor named James and Natalie as his nominees for eviction. Victor feels great that he is again getting revenge. Natalie continues to pretend like the showmance she and James had was ever real and James is probably thinking about winning America’s Favorite Player again.
And then there’s Nicole. Who is in tears in the diary room because James is on the block. This is just more proof that Nicole and James had a preseason alliance before entering the house. Sorry, Victor, but there’s no way you’re getting your revenge on James this week. Sorry, bud. And since Paul doesn’t like Natalie, it’s not going to take much work for Nicole to get James to stay this week.
It doesn’t take Natalie long to let James know that this is all his fault. And I’d like to say she’s being a little hard on James, but she’s not. She’s 100 percent right. And they’re not taking the fall for James’ past decision, SHE is taking the fall. James will still get Nicole’s protection and more than likely a spot in the final 3 with Nicole and Corey.
Natalie apologizes to Victor and Paul and lets them know that she trusted the wrong people and that she and James made the wrong decision. Paul and Victor let Nicole and Corey know that Natalie threw James so far under the bus. So now Nicole has an even bigger case to keep James over Natalie.
It’s time for the Power of Veto competition and since Fall TV is almost here, we’ve got a CBS-mandated theme. I’m not going to promote that new fall show any more than it has already been promoted because CBS isn’t paying me to do so. Let’s just say it’s a totally unoriginal show that will be canceled after one season.
As for the competition, it’s actually a pretty sweet one. Each HG is locked in a room and have to figure out how to escape that room and two others. The person who does so the fastest wins the Veto. Natalie completes her mission in 9:06. Nicole is up next and she can’t figure it out and gets blown up. Not really blown up, unfortunately. So Natalie still holds possession of the veto. Victor is up next and just barely misses the 9:06 mark and is blow up. Natalie remains the veto holder.
James is up next, and since this isn’t an endurance competition, we don’t have to worry about him beating Natalie. Especially in this competition. He of course runs out of time and is blown up as well. Corey is up next and despite being Corey, he actually beats Natalie’s time and takes the veto from her. Paul is last and the new time to beat is 6:14. Paul does not make it. He’s blown up and that means Corey wins the Power of Veto.
That was such a great competition.
Natalie is now worried that they’ll think she’s good at competitions since she came in second and will send her home. And they kind of are thinking that. The Final Four alliance gets together to talk it out. Victor is the only one still pushing for James to go, but he’s starting to see the case for Natalie going.
The pressure gets to Natalie and she starts grilling James over whether or not he has a final three deal with Nicole and Corey. She tells him that if he stays this week and works with Nicole and Corey she will never talk to him again. And James isn’t happy with that ultimatum. So to sum up this storyline, it’s basically producers trying to control the game even more by making sure Natalie doesn’t take the America’s Favorite Player award from James at the end of the season.
Of course Corey doesn’t use the Power of Veto so nominations remain the same and Natalie will be going home Thursday night and Paul and Victor will likely again be on the outside the house majority.
Side note: Rewatch the episode and listen for the snake rattle sound effect at the very end when they cut to Nicole walking away from the veto meeting. That would make Michelle happy, I’m pretty sure.