The Companion

I am now actively rooting for production to let her speak. DO IT, PRODUCTION.

I think this is what drove me the most insane. Why assume she is lying? She clearly came down upset that Bayleigh told her this news. I think it is clear that Tyler at least has relationships with both sides. The most obvious answer was that Bayleigh lied (though I actually think Bayleigh just misinterpreted what Tyler said when he was asking whether she would put Angela up, presented in a bit of a statement form). Even if you think Rachel should have seen through that, her alliance mates shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that she was lying. Why the hell would she make that up. What would casting doubt on Tyler, who had the veto, accomplish? The most obvious answer was that she was told something and believed it. To then treat her like some lying liar who went off the rails (while ignoring that Brett is actually a lying liar who may say all sorts of shit at these ceremonies) was obnoxious. To be a complete and utter bitch on top of that was even shittier. Knowing how strongly the internet feels about this topic, I was laughing my ass off when Julie brought it up.

Shut up, Angela. I love how she justified that they needed someone stable who wasn't going to go off the rails. Someone like Brett, who has literally made shit up on the block twice? I felt really bad for Rachel. She seemed like a pretty cool person and her biggest sin was being worried for the person she thought had her back. I am not sure I can think of anything more awkward than the Swaggy C meeting. That was awful. It is going to be hard to watch Angela this week.

This. I don't have a strong Southern accent most of the time but there are certain words that give me away (naked, mama, y'all) but if I am tired or drunk or upset, it gets more pronounced. My father is from a very small town in Louisiana and his accent is nonexistent until he talks to someone from home. Suddenly airplane is air-o-plaaaane. That is how accents work. I think that is just how speech works. Our speaking patterns change based on the situation. Oh man, if you ever hear your full name slowly drawled by a Southern Grandma, you will know true fear. *shudder*

I am a little horrified that she is a year younger than me as well, but considering I constantly get carded for drinks and treated like a college student unless I use my lawyer voice, I am going to hope I am good as well. :)

Maybe she has some news she wants to give him in person . . . . Actually, now that I think about it, if she is pregnant BB might bring him back for the drama of it all.

This would be the best thing ever. She would have a complete meltdown.

Until she said the personal things during her week as HOH, I think she was playing an almost perfect social game. Even now, it seems that everyone sees her as non-threatening (despite doing really well in an endurance comp) and useful in the house. I think she has done a good job cultivating her relationships with most of the house and I agree that she could be a sleeper. Doubly so if she ever decided to do something treacherous (because I think it would be unexpected). ETA: I really admire all of the crafts she has come up with. I always think I would go stir crazy in the BB house with nothing to do. She has kept herself entertained. On the 2 weekiversary of her child's birthday? Who could possibly do such a thing.

People get really funny about drinking. I have given it up for lent and abstained during taking certain medicines and during fertility treatments. Just declining never seemed to be enough for some people. In fairness, it goes both ways. There are definitely non-drinkers who judge the hell out of drinkers as well. I thought it was a good move strategically to try and show some act of faith with Rachel. It gave her some credibility (which clearly worked because Rachel was ready to take her word on other things). However, it was monumentally stupid to tell her exactly what the powers was. Why not lie about it? That being said, I agree that she doesn't come close to approaching one of the worst players ever. There have been a lot of bad players. I do think this is the downside to telling Rachel (and especially to telling Rachel the truth). Regardless of who goes this week, the information could provide a powerful way to drive a wedge between Bayleigh and her alliance. If someone tells her alliance about her power before she does, it could be played as if Bayleigh was making a deal against her alliance or has otherwise been lying to her alliance. With the paranoia ramping up in the house, it could sink her.

I mean, maybe it is strategy and maybe it isn't, but I have seen worse strategies for getting the HOH on board with you. Also, it doesn't seem to be so far out of Sam's personality as to be really offputting to me. She is constantly doing stuff around the house and making things for people.

So . . . Plausible with this group?

I half believe that production had to pull the comp out if its ass because Kaitlyn was going to be told she gets HOH upon winning and returning to the house.

I am in the club too. Honestly, while I don't like some of the things she has said, I also hate every reality contestant who has ever relied solely on flirting (bonus hate if they start by telling us how they have this brilliant plan to flirt with boys in their intro video), so that may be part of it. I also just like her frank personality and sense of humor. Kaitlyn would make me stabby to be stuck in a house with. She is so whiny and needy and narcissistic. I cannot believe she will not stop talking about Tyler's father. I would lose my shit, y'all.

I am a sucker for an origin story. As always, some great laughs (I had to rewind after the debutante carrot line). I also missed D'avin because I like the dynamic of them together, but I loved the "still feeling each other out" phase and Dutch (squee at the explanation for her name) as a vulnerable badass is always awesome. As with last season, the cuts between two stories were a little awkward and took me out of the story, but there was a good payoff last year for that and I imagine there would have been dissatisfaction from a lot of people if no acknowledgement of the cliffhanger was included in the episode. I didn't recognize Big Joe from the prior episode but I am now sad we don't get more of him. His deadpan was brilliant.

The thing I always think is ridiculous is that it has any effect at all on people. Even if one is the type of person who takes these things seriously and has some sort of strong moral objection to lying or swearing oaths(side note, this also is a sign Big Brother is not your game), you still need to have the self-awareness to realize that a lot of people are going to be willing to lie to you and to swear on anything you want to keep themselves going in the game. Lies, misdirection and omissions are a huge part of the game.

I feel like she said something about thinking she might not be able to get pregnant, so it could have been a reference to that. Maybe it's because this is how I would feel, but I would be really annoyed with people always being up in the HOH room and wanting to sleep in my bed when I won some time to spread out in my own space. I would also be really irritated if people ate and drank all the stuff that I got as a prize. It's one thing if it is offered, but HGs seem to feel entitled to it and will just come up and munch on your favorite damn cookies that you have been saving without asking. I have always felt like the one on ones are a little more HOHitisy, for lack of a better term. Yes, I will deign to speak with you, mere commoners, so that you can plead your case. No thanks. As noted upthread, this is not a great idea. Perhaps she should have paid a little better attention to Hamlet so that the lady doth protest too much concept would be fresh in her mind. They are going to end up with plastic and silicon if they can't stop damaging pans every year.

That is the face of regret.

Every year since they started stuff like this, people always seem to think the voters can't possibly like the person they voted for. Surely, America loves me and can't have voted for someone else . . . .

My husband has green eyes, but he is right handed. So close.

True, but he did get 5/6 on the alliance and we will see if he puts it together when he thinks about the fact that Tyler was in Kaitlyn's ear. Ugh! Also, how are the houseguests so clueless that they dont realize it's a freaking play so reading it aloud should be about that length. The inadvertent blowing up of Winston's game was hilarious. You can't expect Sam to know you want something secret unless you tell her. I am excited to see Bayleigh playing on her own and I was glad she didn't mope around. She really seemed to get it together and push forward, which was nice. So often, the houseguests act like those voted out are immediately executed. Her power app is really strong, if she uses it correctly. I am left handed, so I got a kick out of that entire conversation. The majority of my immediate family is left handed, so I didn't actually realize how rare it is (though not nearly as rare as those two seem to think).

My husband asked if there was someone keeping count of the literallys and likes. It was bananas. I thought the same thing. Yeah, that was interesting. I have no idea where his head is. The Swaggy interview with the opposite strategy was amazing. Some intern probably remembered it and couldn't wait to dig it out. Kaitlyn's goodbye message was so obnoxious. Oh, the greater good? Let's see how she feels when she gets booted. Rachel killed that competition until the math. You could tell she knew she didn't have it.

Here is what I think is the original meme. The idea is basically that when you have someone you don't like, even innocuous things drive you nuts. I think that is also consistent with her request for a hug immediately after telling Faysal she was going to do something that upset him.

I really meant she may have trouble holding on to friends because she seems like the type who constantly causes drama and then makes herself out to be the victim. Maybe I just don't like her. She could be a BEC for me. I find crying during the nominations annoying any time anyone does it. I find crying so hard you can barely get words out and flouncing onto the bed like a 13 year old to be supremely so. Maybe I am a product of the 80s or maybe it is being a woman in a male dominated field, but I tend to lock any crying down to the maximum extent possible. Oh, maybe that's why I liked Cody. :)

I laughed about this myself. Girl, not that I can't see why you may have trouble holding on to friends, but you have known this dude for less than a month. I really enjoyed this one, and I was happy that she accepted it with a side of humor. She was so hurt when she got the Crap App, and it was nice to see that she didn't take it (or herself) too seriously. Heee. I was like, um Kaitlyn, you may get some very surprising responses to that personal ad. Unless that is your thing. I'm not here to shame anyone. I know I have an unpopular opinion, but I actually like Jess and Cody. Cody's flat affect never bothered me, and his responses last year when they would try to get him enthusiastic about something were my favorite. They made a really good TAR team, too. They are both really calm under pressure. It was a refreshing departure from dudes who try to run in front of their girlfriend while screaming "BABE. BABE! HURRY UP!" Also, I feel his pain. I am not touchy feely around strangers. You have to be a pretty close friend for me to willingly let you touch me and invade my personal space. Maybe a hand on the shoulder and an "attaboy" but hugging random people? No thanks. YES! Own your damn decision. It was your plan and you wanted to do it all freaking week. Don't start crying and turn this all about you. She is the friend who makes out with your boyfriend then starts crying and making it all about her and saying things like "you just don't understaaaaaaand" and "I said I'm sorry" and "you don't have to be so meeeeeeean." No thank you. Between the crying hysterically about something she had 100% control over and the vaguepology to Faysal followed by a request for a hug, my eyes cannot roll high enough. Hilariously, her dumbass inability to keep her mouth shut and/or articulate her reasoning may come back to haunt Tyler. Everyone was blaming him. While he is probably the better target, she managed to basically divert their attention. That being said, Tyler is doing such a good job smoothing over rough edges when they arise, he can probably have them all thinking he was the one manipulated by the time everything is said and done. Poor Bayleigh has been getting a lot of use out of that shock face. I know it's worst case scenario in her mind to lose Swaggy, but I think Bayleigh may actually have a better chance if he gets voted out. She seems pretty good at reading people, and I think her social game would improve substantially without him to distract her. Kaitlyn played her alliance all wrong. She either needed to do a full flip, explaining that she realized when she heard Swaggy's comments that she was expendable, or she needed to try to get them on board. Instead, she waited until the last possible minute, freaked out and told everyone, and failed to provide even a modicum of reasoning. Faysal was FUMING during that veto ceremony. I didnt' need to read auras to tell that one.

She should retitle it: How to Lose a Guy in 20(?) Days.