Win or Go Home

Continuing the trend, the Tuesday episode started off with an unnecessarily long recap. This meant having to watch Zach’s awkward nomination ceremony again, and it was even more distressing to see Dick and Daniele laugh in his face the second time around.

What upset me most was the absurdity of Dick and Daniele taking such offence to Zach’s betrayal, lambasting him for “going back on his word.” They must suffer from short-term memory loss, because the rest of us remember how they betrayed loyal allies Jess and Eric only a few days ago.

Once the Donatos were finished griping, we saw Julie looking resplendent in a surprisingly professional pantsuit. Ms. Chen was in top form tonight: we were treated to a stellar “but first” early on, and several dramatic head turns throughout.

Since she obviously read my most recent post, Julie decided it was time to check in with the jury members. As always, the sequester house—tucked away in some sunny locale—looked lovely. Not only did it have a swimming pool, but it had a waterslide, which Dustin was eager to test out.

Dustin’s solitude didn’t last long; he was soon joined by Jen and the rest of the crew. The footage reminded me how much I miss Jen and Jessica, and how little I miss Amber—but hey, at least she didn’t cry.

Although they mightn’t be best buddies, the quintet in sequester look a lot happier than the four scourges back in the game. Tension was running incredibly high in the hours leading up to the last veto competition of the season. To cope with the stress, Jameka and Zach crammed like a pair of college students before the final exam. Elsewhere in the house Dick tried to build up Daniele’s confidence, but he really just agitated the butterflies in her stomach.

All the excruciating buildup culminated when the houseguests convened in the backyard. As Zach explained the rules of the veto competition, Daniele’s steely gaze and confident stance said it all—she was in to win. Not only was she determined, but she was smart too. Where’s the logic in putting the numbers on the wall before you’re completely sure you had the faces lined up?

The moment Daniele heard the ding that solidified her victory, my eardrums began to throb uncontrollably. Like an irate banshee, that girl screamed for a solid five minutes. And while I’m happy for her, I hate how Dick gets to share in the glory.

Why can’t he ever shut his mouth! Not only is Dick a sore loser, he’s a sore winner! His foulmouthed gloating prompted Jameka to say the best line of the season: “I think I’ll take some wine.”

Once Daniele won, it was clear how the episode would proceed. The only thing I didn’t predict was Daniele’s decision to use the veto to save her father. Yes, there was no risk involved, but it might foster some good will when the jury sees it. (But you have to ponder how crazy it would have been if Dick had voted out Daniele. That complete turnaround and despicable betrayal would have ranked as one of the most shocking events in reality TV.)

Since Dick isn’t that brazen, poor sweet Jameka was voted out. She may not be a strong player, but I think Jameka is one of the most endearing players of this season if not the series. Now, unfortunately we’re left with three fairly unlikable houseguests in the last week. Astoundingly Zach—Mr. “My Mind is a Samurai Sword”—is probably the most sympathetic. And I almost don’t want Daniele to win because, in essence, Dick wins as well.

The final two will be determined over the next few days. On a side note, I loathe how they conduct the final HoH competition. Best out of three makes sense, but there’s no reason why the winner of the first round shouldn’t compete in the second round. It may increase the suspense, but it isn't fair nor logical.

We’re in the homestretch. Now that jury-favorite Jameka is gone, who do you think will win this thing?