10 Thoughts On Big Brother 16 – Double Eviction Episode

Reviews, Top Story

So much to say about tonight’s episode. Here are my immediate thoughts.

1. That was one of the best episodes of Big Brother of all-time. I am not sure why the episode had such a profound effect on me, but I primarily attribute it to the fact that the Detonator/Bomb Squad reunion last night on the feeds was so fun to watch. This season needed a blindside badly and now I feel like the post-Devin era of the show can truly begin.

2. Derrick’s manipulation is awesome to watch. It is easy to see how he is able to sweat confessions out of criminals as he has a subtle way of making everyone do what he wants without them knowing it. While he may be a cop, he is the Big Brother version of Keyser Soze.

3. What has been extremely difficult for me to figure out is whether Zach is how to define Zach’s game. Is he a great player? A good one? Average? Terrible? Cases could be made for all of these. It’s clear he knows the show. He sleeps because he has seen other gamers do it and wants to stay out of the drama. The problem is that the sleeping strategy that he employs leaves him open to not being presented when he is being thrown under the bus. He was saved this week, but he certainly needs to participate a little bit more. The way he celebrated WHILE Jocasta was leaving and right AFTER Caleb won were the most interesting parts of the episode to me. I guess it doesn’t really matter in either scenario as the people who would hold it against him were on their way out the door and it was his way of showing his loyalty to the Detonators that saved him. I have to believe, however, that his new game plan is to be the most hated person in the house so that everyone wants to take him to the end game. It’s a strategy that has been used countless times before but is one that is quite effective if it can be pulled off correctly.

4. I absolutely loved seeing Nicole’s breakdown over the course of the show. The #1 rule of reality tv is to always be able to adapt to any situation. When the tides turn, you have to be willing to turn with them or risk being wiped out. Nicole got completely overconfident this week and that’s when her docile style of play came back to bite her. She assumed everyone was telling her the truth in a show that rewards duplicity.

5. I also loved when Nicole started throwing Christine under the bus at the end of the episode. While she has been painted as America’s sweetheart, it was nice to see her mean streak come out. We all knew that she had one and couldn’t just be the country bumpkin that she has been portrayed as for the majority of the season.

6. While I believe Donny is still the smartest player in the house (evidenced by when he didn’t agree to participate in a ridiculous Team America challenge that would have ruined his game), it was interesting that he decided to keep the veto. On the feeds, Donny swore that he would sacrifice himself for Nicole and Hayden but when push came to shove, he decided to protect himself. I loved it.

7. A few episodes in, I decided that the person who showed Victoria even the slightest bit of affection was the smartest player in the game. Victoria has no one and is an extra vote just begging to be picked up by a stronger player. Sure enough, Derrick grabbed it. Even more evidence that he doesn’t have an equal this season.

8. It is said that the best seasons of Big Brother are the ones where you invest yourself in the people. While I had a hard time connecting with some of the houseguests this season, I am now all in. I am sure you are too. That one episode changed the entire schematic of the game.

9. While I have a love/hate relationship with Christine, what I like about her game is that she is willing to adapt. That makes her very dangerous.

10. Fruitloop Dingus.

Murtz Jaffer is the world's foremost reality television expert and was the host of Reality Obsessed which aired on the TVTropolis and Global Reality Channels in Canada. He has professional writing experience at the Toronto Sun, National Post, TV Guide Canada, TOROMagazine.com and was a former producer at Entertainment Tonight Canada. He was also the editor at Weekendtrips.com.