1. Leaving my personal preferences aside, there is no question that this season is already better than its predecessor. Why? The fact of the matter is that the players are more strategic. I know many will not agree with my opinion, but don’t forget that at this time last year, we had one core alliance (Quattro) and a ton of gross and boring showmances. This year, we have the Newfie Alliance (Jon & Kenny), the First Five Alliance (Andrew, Arlie, Kenny, Sabrina & Sarah), the Mean Girls Alliance (Neda, Rachelle, Ika, Sabrina), and The Corny Corleone Family (Adel, Kyle, Paul). This reminds me a lot of my love for professional wrestling. Wrestling was at its peak in the 90’s when there were different factions and stables to root for (Degeneration X, the Hart Foundation, the Nation of Domination, the nWo, the Wolfpack etc), because fans like picking sides. The reason that last season bored me at times was because there really weren’t any major groupings. One of the best parts about reality television and even scripted television, is seeing characters struggle with themselves to make the right choice. That’s why the Big Brother All-Stars worked so well as we saw Chilltown choose each other instead of the girls that they were using. This season is already compelling because there are just so many different cliques.
2. I predicted that Kenny and Rachelle would immediately connect and see each other as the smartest players in the game. This week’s episode showed that they are connecting and I hope it continues. A Kenny/Rachelle final two is what we should all be rooting for.
3. If you aren’t watching the live feeds, you really haven’t seen much of Neda. Let me fill you in. This girl has game. It’s clear she went into the house with a clear game plan and that was primarily to align with the girls and to use a couple of guys as her parachutes for challenges. I love the strategy. The only flaw is that girls traditionally are never able to stick together (this season will likely not be any different as Sarah and Sabrina both seem more loyal to the First Five) but I appreciate Neda’s innate knowledge of the game. I also like her friendship with Jon (who seems also certain to make it to the end).
4. They say that misery loves company and players are naturally drawn to their own kind. It’s somewhat amusing that the three players who are in the worst collective position are aligned with each other. Adel, Kyle, and Paul naturally gravitated toward each other and will likely be following each other out the door in the coming weeks. On the flip side, the best players (Kenny, Rachelle, Neda and Jon) have all seemed to find each other.
5. Speaking of Paul, while I did like his brilliant move to win the first HOH, he made a lot of mistakes with it. If he had just nominated Anick/Ika from the beginning, he could have really paved a great path for himself. He could have used it to build an alliance with Andrew by saving him, and instead only incurred his wrath. Andrew’s back-to-back POV and HOH wins moved Paul from the first position to the absolute worst position and he serves as a great example of how to mess up a great move with bad decision-making. All he had to do was say “Andrew, you were one of the first people to drop out of the HOH competition, but I think you can help me later on, so I am nominating two girls instead.” Paul played too hard, too fast and it will ultimately cost him. If not this week, then the next.
6. Will anyone explain to me why Big Brother houseguests all enter in separate groups? The First Five alliance is crap because the other players didn’t have a fighting chance since it was formed before they even arrived. I don’t like it. All 14 should have entered at the same time.
7. As far as the Secret Room, there is no doubt in my mind that the 15th houseguest with either be Scott or Allison. I have a better chance of hooking up with Rachelle than Kyle does of seeing the inside of the house. The reality community at large has banded together in support of Allison and you can add my name to this list. Scott insulted my best friend AJ (from last season) and even had the guts to say that Dr. Will Kirby (the greatest Big Brother player of all-time) is overrated. While I know that former reality stars and fans make up only a small percentage of the voting public, I am hoping Canada has been watching the feeds and puts in the player who actually could do some damage. Allison knows the show very well, could join the girls alliance or flip things around and go with the boys (as she has suggested) and is hot. I really don’t understand why a vote is even necessary. Also, with her potential connections to Kenny, she would really be an interesting player to watch.
8. The player that I like the least is Sabrina. While I do not like the ‘rat’ style of play (rat is the new floater!), it is definitively effective. Sabrina is in a pretty good position. She is aligned with the First Five and also has cemented her position with the girls. I am just hoping someone realizes what she is doing.
9. Ika is very annoying. Did anyone catch how she flubbed that line about Paul being like a split end? I was surprised the DR didn’t make her redo it.
10. In every article this season, I will say that I had a lot planned for the Media Day Game this year and it is unfortunate that it was cancelled. I would have also liked to have seen the house before the game had started so I could have given you a preview. Maybe next season?
Don’t forget to check out my interview with Big Brother Canada 2‘s Anick Gervais.
Big Brother Canada 2 airs Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Sundays on Slice at 9 p.m.
