
By: The Lady Cocotte (@theladycocotte)
Tonight on Big Brother, after the double eviction there are tears and congratulations. John thinks it’s now three vs three: the AusTwins vs John, Steve and Vanessa. Except Vanessa is in everyone’s final two. Austin considers throwing the Head of Household competition. He doesn’t want to have to put one of the twins up as a pawn. Vanessa reassures him that she can keep all three of the AusTwins safe. “That’s what I do. I make things happen.” Instead, Vanessa turns to John and Steve to take out the AusTwins. Steve can’t believe their luck that Austin is going to throw it. Things might actually get interesting this week.
The Head of Household competition is baseball themed. Julia is more interested in critiquing Liz’s outfit than winning. The players are shown a series of houseguest baseball cards. They have have to figure out which houseguest’s card is missing and then solve a puzzle of their face. Once they solve the puzzle, they hit a button. If they get a green light, their answer is correct and the player gets to compete in the next round. If they get a red light, the puzzle is wrong but the player can keep trying. Each round the last player to solve their puzzle is eliminated until only the winner survives.
In round one, Steve solves the Jason puzzle first. Julia is actually second. Vanessa is eliminated. Did she throw it? In round two, John rings in first with Dayvonne. Steve is struggling but Austin throws it and gets eliminated. Are the houseguest’s baseball cards cycling faster each round? It’s down to John, Steve and Julia. Pretty good odds for team Vanessa. In round three, Julia loses on the Jeff puzzle. Vanessa keeps a poker face but she’s overjoyed. In the final round, Steve and John are fighting to solve the Jace puzzle. John realizes it’s better for his game to win next week instead so he throws it to Steve. Steve wins Hoh! It looks like the AusTwins are going to get a taste of their own medicine this week.

Steve is reveling in his win. As is Vanessa. Vanessa immediately starts working on the twins. I don’t know what Steve is going to do, I’m out of the loop (ie: don’t blame me). Steve tells Austin that he knows he’s number five in the Scamper Squad. This lets Austin know that the AusTwins are in danger. Austin makes Steve a lot of promises but Steve doesn’t believe a word. Steve has been so thoroughly mindfucked by Vanessa that he thinks she is the only one he can trust. We get a lot of tough girl talk from the twins. Steve gets a photo of his nephew and a teddy bear in his Head of Household room. The twins are fawning all over him. In the diary room, John narrates our thoughts watching them kiss Steve’s ass. Vanessa decides that Liz and Austin need to go up. She informs Steve and the die is cast.
The twins think Sigmund and Freud are “the lion guys in Vegas.”
Steve runs Vanessa’s decision to nominate Austin and Liz by John for reassurance. John agrees but posits that Austin should be the one evicted. He thinks the twins will be easier to defeat and are less likely to steal Vanessa away from the Steve and John alliance. Steve thinks he owes Austin the honor of telling him before the nomination ceremony. He has to wait because Austin and Liz are fast asleep so he just sits next to them and waits. It’s another great example of Steve’s social awkwardness. Finally Austin wakes up and Steve explains that he can’t put the twins up against each other. In the diary room, Austin claims he’s going to fight for himself and that Liz will have to understand. Yeah, because she’s a very rational player. Good luck, Austin. You’re going to need it.
The twins still think they are going up against each other. At the nomination ceremony, Steve nominates Austin and Liz. He gives a sweet little speech that totally goes over the twins’ heads. Liz breaks down in heaving sobs. Austin feels pretty confident that he’ll win the veto so he’s a little calmer. Julia mirrors her sister’s tears. Bye bye, AusTwins. It was real knowing you.
Tune in on Wednesday for the veto competition. Will Austin and Liz remain on the block or will Steve have to renominate someone else?
Vanessa deserves this win. She has been in control forever. No one even tries to get rid of her.
Lady thanks for the recap, I don’t know how you keep all the deals straight. I don’t know why any of them think they can be trusted. Steve seems to be the only one with any character. I would love it if he won.
I agree Micheal. Vanessa is a very deserving winner. The entire house has played into her hand every week.
I also would like to be her IRL friend. When she isn’t deceiving everyone in a game, she presents very logical cases for two sides of an argument. I’d love to have someone who could do that. She has a very masculine thought process.
If you recall, my two choices based on press were Vanessa and Austin. I hope they make final two.
Who wants to be the next HOH? The answer is no one who studies Big Brother. That could mean that others will throw it to John. Whoever wins the next HOH (F4) can’t compete for the F3 HOH, and that’s the crucial one to control since it leads straight to F2. It would be predictable to throw it to John. Oh, and Sigmund & Freud of Las Vegas took me right off the couch.
Everyone plays in the F3 HoH, including the outgoing HoH.
Lady Cocotte I vote you get the BB17 prize money for your endurance for being able to tolerate watching & recapping this after week 8. You’re awesome!
Awww thanks! It’s been challenging at times (I knooooow-uh) but I’m almost at the end of TT bootcamp! Doing this twice a week definitely makes me appreciate what Tamara does on the daily even more…
Thanks for the recap Lady C. Vanessa should win. Blech.
Vanessa really does deserve to win. Do I want her to no I like Johnny Mack for the prize. But she has played the best game. I think she threw this weeks hoh cause she knew she’d be safe this week. She knows she’ll need the hoh farther down the road and making enemies right now is not good for her game. Only make a move when you have to. Now Steve and Johnny are gonna be targets for the other side. She essentially has guarenteed her spot in final 4. She’s using her poker skills to win her this money. She will never take Johnny to final 2 because votes. She’ll take Steve because he never made friendships because of his social skills. Can’t take any of Austwins cause the other 2 on jury can’t risk that. She has played them all like a fiddle.
Thanks for the update, Lady C.
Vanessa was my pick from day one, but I’m waiting for Austin’s beheading.
Really there are moments when I wonder if Vanessa is playing as some sort of massive production twist , only to reveal it all at the end, since she comes from a background of pro poker and game theory and has dominated so successfully. But Derrick ran his season beautifully too, like a benevolent dictator. In fact, he accomplished everything so smoothly. Austin is no dummy (about the game, I mean) and has been entertaining, but not in a way which flatters him. Naively, I fantasize that Vanessa refuses the win and the prize money, turning the jury on its head. I imagine her saying, ” I’ ve proven to myself what I wanted to prove, but please give the prize to Steve, everyone. First of all, he can really use the money for school. And secondly, he had to put up with me all summer.” My fairy tale ending. Anyhow, it’s not over til it’s over; still time to be surprised!
@Bouji Here, here!! Couldn’t have said it better.
My main complaint is that Vanessa has not been owning her game as an emotionally unstable manipulative liar in the Diary Room. I would be less frustrated with her if she says openly in the DR that it is my strategy that I’m doing this & that. But NO.. instead she comes across as a totally indignant delusional hypocrite.
Well this weekend I read an update about the feeds where Vanessa told Steve that she never tells the truth in the Diary Room because the DR will spin it to create a story for TV. That is basically true, but it seems that she’s trying to con production with providing as little information as to her REAL thoughts & intentions in the game so that she can be in control.
This past week Vanessa had to write her HOH letter that is posted on the CBS website. In the letter she expressed that when the game is over she wants to write a blog/book about analyzing the details and strategy of her BB game play Personally I think that is bull shit because when she comes out of the game, she will know what all the criticism is about her, and she will spin it in a way to cover her ass. So this plan of hers seems rather disingenuous & self serving.
Last year Derrick was a BIG ASS LIAR in the DR as he pandered to America. To this day there are people still calling him out for his revisionism about what we saw & heard on the feeds, and what he said in the DR that aired on national TV.
I strongly suspect this will be the same kinda of post BB drama that we’re gonna get from Vanessa. Since she’s a professional gambler trying to out smart, out bluff, and out play others, I think she thinks she has the finesse and skill to do this.
If she makes it to F2 she deserves to win, but I hate the way she is playing this game. I don’t even think I like her anymore either.
I just spent 20 minutes writing a very interesting & detailed commentary about Vanessa…. I hit the submit button and now the comment is lost somewhere in the ether.
I found out something very interesting this weekend, but I will come back later to try and share again since my comment was swallowed up whole by the comment monster.
Thanks Lady C! Ive enjoyed your recaps, youve done a great job. Just remember to “expect the unexpected”. Hoping Judas goes, after reading the letter, hes a user loser. UF glad you clued us in on it!
We did a betting pool this season, i took Vanessa. Its made a boring season better. Bring on Survivor, Kelly, the rat is coming back!!!!
After reading what letter? Sorry- have read all posts but don;t know this piece of the deal.
UF found a letter Austin had written to his Girlfriend on the outside, TT posted it. I did hear Liz say to him he had to something of the sort about his girlfriend. UF, did you catch what Liz said to Austin concerning his outside girl?
The letter was posted by Austin’s girlfriend’s sister on social media. It’s not like I found by sleuthing or anything.
I really haven’t watched the feeds in weeks except for a few minutes here or there. I have to say Vanessa & Austin have made the feeds unwatchable for me, so I personally haven’t heard anything recently that Liz may have said about the girlfriend.
Liz has acknowledge that Austin has a girlfriend, but the way Austin explained it to her made her think she was an ex-girlfriend. I don’t think she fully understands that he came into the BB house with a girlfriend.
Austin talked about his girlfriend during his interviews on cast release day, he talked about her on the feeds during the 1st two weeks in the house. All of a sudden boom, he doesn’t have a gf anymore and he is in love with Liz… Hilariously Julia has called Liz a homewrecker to her face a couple of times.
Looks like veto ceremony is happening. Awaiting U. F.’s post from out of the ether even more than whatever happens when Liz makes her speech and Austin removes himself from the block.
My frustration with Vanessa is that she hasn’t been owning her game in the Diary Room. She hasn’t hinted at any acknowledgment that she is emotionally unstable game and a manipulative liar.
All of this is fine in the context of the game, but Vanessa is very indignant to the fact that this is how she played & controlled the game. You remember how she reacted when James told her she plays the game to hard? She freaked out on his ass. She is quite delusional, or is she?
*****This weekend I read a feeds update about Vanessa telling Steve that she NEVER tells the truth in the DR because she doesn’t want them to spin it into a story line for TV. Ummmm isn’t that the purpose of the show to entertain with story lines? She scoffed & laughed at him when he told her that he does tell the truth in the DR.
Last week Vanessa wrote her HOH letter that was posted on CBS website. She expressed that when the game is over she wants to write blogs or a book about a detailed analysis of her game/strategy.
It seems to me that Vanessa is waiting to leave the BB house to find out how her story line/image was spun by producers & feedsters. For sure she is gonna rewrite history and spin every move she did in that house based on public perception. She is a fast slicker talker in the house, and she will be the same after the BB. Vanessa is not owning her game or telling the truth in the DR because she wants to spin it & revise her history as it best suits her post BB. It’s very disingenuous and self serving. This bitch wants to stroke her own ego when she gets out to sell herself as a very deep strategist. In reality she is just lucky because she is playing w/ dumb asses, just like Derrick from last year.
Last years winner Derrick also has been accused of LYING in his DR, and he is still getting crap on social media and BB forums about it. He forgets that feedsters watch & hear everything. I’ve watched him engage in twitter fights with people who call him out. He has turned into a HUGE ego maniac on social media, and I expect the same from Vanessa.
Vanessa is after all a professional gambler. She is skilled at lying & stoicism in her profession, despite the ADHD drug fueled mania & crazy eyes that we have seen from her for the entire BB game.
She has been open on the feeds about her daily use of Strattera. The after effects make her act like a crack head meth head junkie. If you watched the feeds you understand what I am saying. To me she has become unwatchable. I don’t know how anyone hasn’t told her to STFU yet.
Just like Derrick in his season, Vanessa is lucky to be with such a dumb group so that she can outsmart them. But aside from outsmarting, she is also ruling by fear because she truly is bat shit crazy. Poor socially awkward Steve is terrified of her, but continues to be her little puppet & information supplier. Steve thinks he’s playing good, but he is not.
Personally I don’t want her to win, but If Vanessa makes it to final 2 she deserves to win. These BB17 idiots are so clueless that they are writing a $500,000 check to a multi-millionaire, and they still have to go back home to living with their parents.
I am a die hard BB fan, and I LIVE for the post BB drama the HG engage in after the game, and Vanessa is going to be one insufferable ego maniac with delusions of grandeur filled with her repeated declarations of integrity.
Wow! awesome comment! I have been a little disappointed that people now WANT her to win. I just can’t support the way she has played the game. masterful or not. On a personal level, I just don’t like manipulative people.
Thanks for both amazing comments, UF!!
I agree with everything that you said, especially the stuff about Derrick.
I hated the way that he would pander in all of his fake glory and bullshit in both the diary room and to the feedsters.
I can’t stand any of the houseguests this year. Each and every one of them has something about them that repulses me.
So it has made it super easy for me to judge them on gameplay only. Based on gameplay Vanessa is the only one out of all of the houseguests this season that deserves the win. I’m afraid that her bat shit crazy attitude has made so many enemies that I’m scared that a bitter jury full of recruits (who have zero respect for the game) will vote for whoever is sitting next to her in the final2. If she makes it to the end she will be the Russel Hantz of BB.
I missed that Van and Steve conversation that you mentioned, so thank you. I wonder if Van is not only worried about how her dr’s are edited for tv, but maybe she is also worried what the producers might tell or hint to the other houseguests?
You have the CBS live feeds you can flashback to see the conversation. The time stamp is 9/5 8:57 p.m.
I have been too busy to go back and watch this, but if you do please update us w/ your opinion.
Everything I posted above is just my opinion, but for sure I suspect that Vanessa is trying to maintain an upper hand w/ editing…. and honestly so far her tv edit is a lot sweeter than the reality of her emotionally unstable & delusional game play.
Great perspective.
My long ass comment is in moderation hell. As soon as TT gets to work she’ll post it.
Oh Lawd I think both my long ass comments ended up moderation hell. I look crazy now.
Just now? ?
Veto ceremony results: Austin saved himself, and Steve put up Julia. I keep hoping that some well-meaning individual will send Liz a copy of Freud’s short book, Totem and Taboo, to help her to avoid any Austin characters in her future, as well as to cheer her up about disentangling from this big Sasquatch bump in her romantic road. But it’s sooooo boooringuh, she’d only read a few pages.
So finally a twin will go home? I hope it is the one Austin is with. Then he and Vanessa will probably be final 2.
It will be interesting to see who V chooses, either Steve or Austin.
If it were not for my desperate desire to find your long assed comment, UF, I would have never solved (I hope) a technical issue.
And then I came here to read both comments slowly. So far reading that has been the best part of my day. 🙂
Wow,UF.! Thank you for these posts. Fascinating stuff, thought provoking, spicy tea.
Exactly- thanks much!! Where do we find the after game discussions between HG’s?
I really love this blog, I get to laugh and that makes me feel better. TT is there some way everyone could meet online, see pictures of how people look. That would be fun! I know that sounds crazy!
Vanessa continues her mind games. Sigmund AND Freud was hysterical along with their obvious fawning over Steve.
I dont want Vanessa to win except i have her in the pool! BB was a better show when they had a diverse group, young, old, gay, geek, pretty, smart.
Yes. More diverse is better.
When Liz goes, there will be one less individual who thinks that she is young, smart and pretty in the house.
Austin and Julia have admitted to each other that each has a Final 2 agreement with Vanessa. Now all three Austwins feel that Liz, as the stronger competitor, ought to stay. They’ve been planning a trap to expose that V. has F2 deals with every single person left. It could be too late to save Liz. However, Vanessa is in the doghouse. What took so long, may I ask? Unless she figures this out and does a lot of damage control with everyone, V. is going to get bit in the backside this week.
Sounds like V reached a wee bit too far. Thanks for the update, Bouji.
How did that conversation come about?
The move is on by the Austwins to get Vanessa to flip her eviction vote and keep Liz. Vanessa gave them a three-pronged set of demands that they must promise to meet before she votes to evict Julia and keep Liz.
The three points that Vanessa demanded from the trio include a Final two deal with one of them. All of this began when the twins noticed all of Vanessa’s Final 2 deals and decided that they as a threesome had to strive to get Liz to stay. Finally, all of this led to offers and counter offers between Vanessa and all three Austwins. Now they are strategizing as a foursome about bombing John and Steve to the jury house. Meanwhile, today Vanessa told Steve that she, he and Julia have to be the F3. God only knows what she told JMac, but she told Steve that JMac’s gotta go.
What I’m trying to say here is that sugar plums are dancing through everyone’s heads as each individual refreshes their unique agreements with Vanessa, who has run around like a Dirt Devil all night. This has been funny as hell, watching everyone turn from mistrust and thoughts of vengeance to being a band of happy little piggies, each feeling safe in Big Mama’s keeping. And the earth only rotated once.And all is well…until it isn’t anymore.
Ooh one last newsflash – Liz wants Vanessa served on a tray to her like a pig at a luau.
I wouldn’t mind seeing that too.
For all of the machinations over the last two days, I’ ll be surprised if Liz stays.The only person who can really use her (ha-ha!) is Austin.