S17.E01: Episode 1

[Hanahope]

Ah the fun of having to explain stuff to my kids, like what "transgender" means.  Had to come up at some time.  Also explaining the twin twist.  We all think its Shelli, who liked about which sibling is her twin.

 

I'll be curious to see whether they let Meg in on the women's alliance.  I presumed Meg was doing her show diary footage at the time.

 

I am also a bit shocked that DaVonne would leave her 7 month old child for 3+ months.  Oh, this brings up a question I had, do the contestants get to go home when evicted? Or do they do a loser's lodge like they do on TAR and Survivor?  Just thinking of the milestones DaVonne could be missing, though I do not think the child will be affected too much, assuming that DaVonne had her family babysitting when she was working.

 

I admit it, it seems so strange to hear a country twang coming out of an Asian's mouth.

 

Jace sure had some moves on that HoH challenge.  I thought James had a bit of an advantage with his size, lower center of balance.

[Cutty]

Pretty generic cast outside of Audrey, though they aren't overly offensive... yet. Just give it time. 

 

I lost count of all the twists. What exactly does fan favorite entail?

 

Shelli's big fake teeth are really distracting. 

[Way Wes Jr]

Watching the day after - so I’m going to “stream of consciousness,” this episode.
---
James - comes across as fairly typical, (reality show casting version,) Southern dude.
Meg - Ex-Survivor Andrea was almost in every shot of Meg’s video.  Did she turn casting down?  I didn’t watch the pre-show interviews, I now see what people were referring to re: annoying!
Jace - Cali surfer/ skater/ stoner.  I predicted his younger brother would win the last season of The Voice.
Audrey - Arguably the most attractive female cast member this season, and she’s trans.  Casting has had to have had her lined up ahead of time.
Austin - Least useful Master’s degree on the planet.  Unless you plan on being a Professor of Medieval Romance literature someday.
Da’vonne - No real impression, she knows the lingo.  She does seem to know the game as well.
Clay - Wants a modelling contract
Shelli - No real impression here either.  They'll make the perfect invisible showmance.

 

Ah editing, trying to get my hopes up by showing a potential female alliance while the guys are talking workout routines.  Not even going to fool me once.  (But I am really hoping that they recruit Vanessa and form some version of, “the Fem Four,” alliance.)

 

Battle of the Block was NOT, and is NOT, a Fan Favorite.  Not a surprise, but not a favorite.
Why isn’t Jace being told not to balance himself on the ball receptacle?  They have in previous seasons.
“Seeing double?,” subtle, Julie, sub-tle.  So, are the “fitness twins,” on call to be the Week Five Takeover guests to do the reveal?
---
I don’t “hate” anyone yet, that usually takes a week or two of reading live feed recaps, but I am rooting for Meg to be sent home first out of this batch. (And James?  She looks nothing like Taylor Swift.)

Okay 14 guests + twin + (speculation) a Coach would make 16, right?

 

[Re: Derrick, last season]

 

Well, the houseguests let him do it. I thought he played a fairly masterful game but what I didn't like was that he was allowed to keep his true profession a secret until near the end. I think at some point the houseguests should have been clued in that he probably had training on how to read and manipulate people. Keeping that info hidden gave him, IMO, a somewhat unfair advantage.

 

Agree to disagree, it may have been a somewhat unfair advantage, but no one has to tell their fellow contestants anything about themselves.  If Derrick had revealed, (or the show had managed to do it to him,) it may have actually put a target on his back ... and ... Can we time-travel and see if revealing Derrick's true career makes last season any better, especially if they boot him early?  Vanessa and Da'Vonne seriously need to keep their professions under wraps; Vanessa, at least, has a career based on reading and manipulating people.

 

The thing I feared last year was that we were going to be stuck with it because, if you're programming the TV show, it gives you a game with real importance in the overall show in every single episode, and that's just programming gold. So I suspect that that is why we're stuck with it. It gives viewers an important game every single time out. 

 

Yeah, the traditional Sunday competition (Food, Have/Have-Not,) never really added to the drama in the house.  But now they have "game" related comps every episode: Sun.-BotB, Wed.-Veto, Thurs.-HoH.

 

My one complaint is - STOP forming alliances the minute you walk into the house!!! Just because your bunk is across from someone, that doesn't mean you need to form an alliance with them. Wait a minute. Meet the other houseguests. Feel people out. I don't know why, it just drives me crazy. 

 

This used to be my favorite complaint about Survivor as well.  But, I don't think you can take all of these first day alliances as set in stone.  After all, "If someone asks if you want to be in an alliance, you. Say. Yes."  (I forget who I'm quoting, but I know it has been said.)

[ottoDbusdriver]

What exactly does fan favorite entail?

 

The return of the 'Battle of the Block' is the fan favorite twist.  Seriously.  But it's just awful and should never have been brought back.

[Joimiaroxeu]

If Derrick had revealed, (or the show had managed to do it to him,) it may have actually put a target on his back

Probably. I haven't watched every BB season so I wonder whether there's ever been a cop/detective in the house before and how they fared in the game. Houseguests could have all kinds of personal reasons not to want to be living with someone in law enforcement. Seems to me the only way it could work is for BB to let the person keep it a secret.

 

Just thinking of the milestones DaVonne could be missing, though I do not think the child will be affected too much, assuming that DaVonne had her family babysitting when she was working.

Odds are they're recording everything the kid does and putting it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Of course it's not the same as being there but at least Da'Vonne will be able to see a lot of what happened after the fact.

[Cutty]

Last year's cast was so awful Derrick could have told them he was Jason Bourne and they wouldn't have thought to get rid of him.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I like that they only had the first 8 houseguests on the first ep.  When they introduce them all at the same time it's too many names to remember and people to get straight.

But, why didn't they do two it 7 & 7, instead of 8 & 6? Especially when they only had room for 7 in the game. Speaking of which, I don't know why they did it, but I liked seeing them dump the 4 remaining players onto the ground.

 

 

And James?  She looks nothing like Taylor Swift.

My thought was sitcom actress, but I don't recall who or what show.

[mojoween]

When Meg smiles I think she looks like a young, pre-plastic surgery Renee Zellweger.

[dolphincorn]

Only with the 1997 Courtney Love bob haircut.

[Skittl1321]

 Speaking of which, I don't know why they did it, but I liked seeing them dump the 4 remaining players onto the ground.

 

They had tilted the platforms at least once before everyone fell. But I think with the tomato paste, it was just too slick.  I don't think the intended result was "they ALL fall down"

[Madison]

Joining the consensus re: displeasure over BotB. I didn't like it last season and I can't see why that would be different this season. I feel like it would make a lot more sense if the audience knew all the twists ahead of time; yes, that would hinder the "surprise" factor but it would also eliminate all the suspicion and anger over producer manipulation: this is what will happen, this is when it will happen, and it doesn't matter who is left in the house when it takes place. 

 

I agree that it was helpful in terms of keeping contestants straight to break it up into two different entrances but am also of the opinion that the 8/6 split makes no sense and it appears to leave the 6 at a disadvantage. At least if it was 7/7, even if everyone in both groups agreed to stick together against the other group, it would have to take some maneuvering to Pagong the other side. In this particular scenario, there are already bonds and alliances formed. It sort of reminds me of when Survivor does the random regrouping of tribes and inevitably someone gets separated from their whole alliance and stuck in a large group of people who have been together the whole time. That doesn't necessarily make for interesting TV. It's often frustrating and predictable. Hopefully it won't turn out to be the case here.

 

I really liked all the contestants they introduced last night, though. They seem like a dynamic, energetic, interesting group and I didn't really feel that way about anyone in the dominant alliance last season. Only Caleb and Frankie were interesting, and even then only because they were too obnoxious for words (in totally different ways!). Cody and Derrick have to be two of the most boring contestants ever to be cast; yes, they ruled the game. No one can deny that. Doesn't mean that I wasn't falling asleep half the time as I watched them do it. 

 

Poor Meg. She's so hated already. She didn't really rub me the wrong way but I can see how that energy would be annoying if you were exposed to it 24/7. At least she has self-awareness! 

[LoveLeigh]

The "twin twist" was twitch inducing ten years ago. And my guess is the HGs will "out" that foolishness in five minutes, thus thwarting AG and her silly ideas. 

[Skittl1321]

Poor Meg. She's so hated already. She didn't really rub me the wrong way but I can see how that energy would be annoying if you were exposed to it 24/7. At least she has self-awareness! 

Yeah, it didn't take 24/7 for me.  It took .01/1.  Wow, I don't hate the girl, but she is 100% full of annoying from the moment she was first shown. I can't imagine what the houseguests must think.  Maybe living with her is actually better than the edited version.

[iMonrey]

Actually I loved the twin twist in Season 5 . . . until it was revealed to the HGs, at which point things got ugly really fast. Up til then, though, I thought it was hysterical. If these people were smart (I know, just go with it) and compared notes, they'd probably figure out the twin twist pretty quickly because more than one of them has a twin. In S5 both Diane and Drew had twins too, so it was obvious production had been scouting for twins that season.

 

Can you actually get a Masters degree in Medieval Romance Literature? At what college? Can you get a Masters degree in, say, Game of Thrones? Or Harry Potter?

 

Never in a million years would I have pegged Audrey as transgendered. I know it's probably not politically correct to say so but if I'd had to guess I would have guess Shelli was the transgendered woman. She's got kind of a severe jawline and overly bleached teeth.

 

People who start out by saying "I'm not going to tell anyone what I really do for a living" bug me right off the bat. It's such an egotistical give-away, thinking they're so important everyone will gun for them because of their occupation. Nobody would give a shit that Clay played college football or that Ja is a poker dealer. Give me a break.

[ghoulina]

People who start out by saying "I'm not going to tell anyone what I really do for a living" bug me right off the bat. It's such an egotistical give-away, thinking they're so important everyone will gun for them because of their occupation. Nobody would give a shit that Clay played college football or that Ja is a poker dealer. Give me a break.

 

The poker dealer one might worry me. They must learn to read people very well. A mental threat like that would cause me more concern than a physical threat a football player MIGHT pose. 

[Madison]

Actually I loved the twin twist in Season 5 . . . until it was revealed to the HGs, at which point things got ugly really fast. Up til then, though, I thought it was hysterical. If these people were smart (I know, just go with it) and compared notes, they'd probably figure out the twin twist pretty quickly because more than one of them has a twin. In S5 both Diane and Drew had twins too, so it was obvious production had been scouting for twins that season.

 

Can you actually get a Masters degree in Medieval Romance Literature? At what college? Can you get a Masters degree in, say, Game of Thrones? Or Harry Potter?

I also liked the twin twist in S5, but I really loved S5 in general. 

 

And, no, you can't get an MA in anything that specific. I have an MA and am almost done with my PhD in English literature. Sure, you have to pick a speciality (mine is Victorian), but you can't even get a PhD in anything that specific. You can get both MA and PhD in one of three things for English: literature, rhetoric & composition, and creative writing. So perhaps he wrote his MA thesis on Medieval Romance Literature but it was a ridiculous statement. And also, I fail to see how an MA or a PhD in just about anything at all--much less something as random as Medieval lit--would help AT ALL in the game of Big Brother. Also, though, I now really want a PhD in Game of Thrones. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

The poker dealer one might worry me. They must learn to read people very well. A mental threat like that would cause me more concern than a physical threat a football player MIGHT pose.

 

What if the poker player comes in the house and says that her occupation is .... second-grade teacher ? Then both Da'vonne and the poker player would be suspect.  And it would be hilarious.

[lilabennet]

Austin- If you are going to go to the trouble of getting an MA in Medieval Romance Literature, then you might as well have gone for the PhD for all the good that Master's will do for you.

 

Shelli- I am not sure if her teeth are really SUPER white or if they just look that way due to her Emergency! I am going to be on the TeeVee! spray tan.

 

Jace and Meg are probably really exhausting to be around all day, every day.  They would be my first targets if I was playing, purely for self preservation- wouldn't want to blow up on them and put a target on my own back in the process.

 

I think they started with the 8/6 split instead of the more logical 7/7, because the choice of who sat out the HoH may create some drama later.  I was definitely surprised that Da'Vonne volunteered, because I thought that she would know to lay low the first few days since she seems to be a big fan of the show.

Edited June 25, 2015 by lilabennet

[JudyObscure]

It seems like every year someone pretends to be a "second grade teacher."  Usually it's some moron who thinks her real job of  waitress to the stars will be too impressive for anyone to deal with.  I think they believe that second grade teachers aren't as educated as, say, fourth grade teachers.

 

I like Da'Vonne's talking heads and would have picked her for my favorite, but making a seven month old baby lose her primary caregiver?  The one  whose face, smell, voice and touch she is tightly bonded with for her sense of security and trust?  I don't understand people.  If a young mother dies everyone talks about how tragic it is for the child, but if the child suffers the same loss for a game show?  No problemo. She might win money!

[Hanahope]

The poker dealer one might worry me. They must learn to read people very well.

 

I suppose in general they might learn some things by watching others play, but I'm not sure it would be to the same extent as say a poker player, who's livelihood depended on being able to read people.  A poker dealer doesn't really have a stake in the game and might not pay attention at all to who's bluffing or what tells they have.  At least I would think.

[Donny Ketchum]

I think Meg is a little too excited for her own good, she may be a hot mess after a while but I'm on her team too.

 

Shelli reminds me of... Daniele Donato, facially. Esp. with her hair back in the DR. That's going to drive me crazy.

Facially, and a little bit vocally, Meg reminds me of Brook Roberts, second-place-finisher (with Claire Champlin) in TAR17.  And I agree with the Daniele comparison regarding Shelli.  That was the first thing I noticed about her, from certain angles!

 

I actually had a feeling they were bringing back the Battle of the Block shit when they only brought in half of the houseguests again last night.  Not glad to hear about that.  And seriously?  The Twin Twist again?  Well . . . it hasn't been done in twelve seasons, so I guess enough time has passed that it's not that bothersome.  (Plus, I never saw BB5, so . . .)

 

We've had a lot of Asian women on this show, but up until now, BB4's Jee had been the only Asian man ever to be on the show (unless being Iraqi counts as Asian, in which case, fine, add BB6/7's Kaysar).  So at least James is finally our second (or third).

 

So far, I don't hate any of the castaways.  I think Clay has the most potential to bore me, and Jace might annoy me after sometime, but I like Da'Vonne, Shelli, Meg, Audrey, Austin, and James.  I think it'll be just like last season, when I like the first half of the houseguests who enter, but am not interested in the second half.

 

I hope this Audrey/Shelli/Da'Vonne alliance could actually work and doesn't blow up in week one like El Quatro did.  Audrey's right that the girls need to run the house for a change.  Nearly every single season, they get so catty and go after each other, so I'm hoping they actually work together.  And I agree with Audrey in finally wanting a woman to win again.  Rachel's BB13 win was the last time a woman won, and it was so obviously handed to her, it wasn't even funny.  BB15 looked like it was on the way to having a woman win, especially given how many guys got tossed pre-jury, but once the jury phase started, they majorly self-destructed.  BB16?  I largely blame Christine for the women's constant evictions.

 

I'd love to see a woman win this season who actually earns it.

[mccartygirl]

I like Meg so far. Shelli's teeth are really, REALLY white. Please tell me I'm not the only one who noticed that.

 

She does have bright white teeth but they are also huge. Why do people cap their teeth like that? 

 

Meg is really, really annoying. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

I suppose in general they might learn some things by watching others play, but I'm not sure it would be to the same extent as say a poker player, who's livelihood depended on being able to read people.  A poker dealer doesn't really have a stake in the game and might not pay attention at all to who's bluffing or what tells they have.  At least I would think.

 

But I think a poker dealer will have a good eye for details, and that's a big plus for Da'vonne when it comes to comps.

Edited June 25, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[Vixenstud]

I am hoping that once the 2nd team of HG's are informed of Audrey we are done with the 'Very Special Big Brother' edit and just begin the damned game!

 

Only like two HG's, Da'Vonne (girl I hope you brought gel, 'cause them edges shouldn't be so tough looking!) and Austin (disgusting beard ponytail aside, I find him very sexy)

[iMonrey]

 

The poker dealer one might worry me. They must learn to read people very well.

 

Well, she's "free lance." Interpretation: Unemployed. I'm sorry, I don't find her "profession" the least bit intimidating. It's a shame she decided to make this "her thing" because otherwise I would have liked her but now I've got to hear her brag about how well she bluffs or how well she reads people every time she's in the diary room. She seems overly impressed with herself, and I didn't agree with her that Audrey was trying to "spice up" her story about her conservative parents forcing her to go to one of those conversion camps. She didn't seem to be playing it up for sympathy with tears, she was very matter-of-fact about it and only brought it up when someone asked her. Besides, that story is horrific enough without embellishment. It was just another chance for Da to say "Look at me, I can read people!" She pulled that out of her ass.

[Donny Ketchum]

Oh, this brings up a question I had, do the contestants get to go home when evicted? Or do they do a loser's lodge like they do on TAR and Survivor?  Just thinking of the milestones DaVonne could be missing, though I do not think the child will be affected too much, assuming that DaVonne had her family babysitting when she was working.

The first five houseguests evicted will go straight home.  Everyone evicted after that will go to the jury house until the finale, when they return to vote on the winner of the season.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[ghoulina]

Well, she's "free lance." Interpretation: Unemployed.

 

I figured that just meant she doesn't work for one casino or whatever, but I don't know how those things work. 

 

I will concede that an actual poker player could be seen as more of a threat, but I still think if you're sitting there watching people play this game for hours, you'd become a pretty good judge of how people operate. Or maybe she just deals the cards and tunes out. Way too early to tell, but I can understand why she would want to keep her profession under wraps. People are always looking for things that make someone else a "threat" in these games. 

[Skittl1321]

 

And, no, you can't get an MA in anything that specific. I have an MA and am almost done with my PhD in English literature. Sure, you have to pick a speciality (mine is Victorian), but you can't even get a PhD in anything that specific. You can get both MA and PhD in one of three things for English: literature, rhetoric & composition, and creative writing. So perhaps he wrote his MA thesis on Medieval Romance Literature but it was a ridiculous statement. And also, I fail to see how an MA or a PhD in just about anything at all--much less something as random as Medieval lit--would help AT ALL in the game of Big Brother. Also, though, I now really want a PhD in Game of Thrones. 

I think you are right that he possibly got his MA in literature,and just says his speciality (like how I say my Bachelor's is in Middle School Math education, when really it was in "interdisciplinary studies" which no one knows what that means) but it is possible that is not what his degree is. Multiple grad schools offer degrees in Medieval studies, with literature as a concentration, so he could hold that. And if he possibly went to school overseas, than the standard "rhetoric, literature, composition

 doesn't apply. He could have an MA in Medieval Literary studies.   I found a number of Medieval and Rennassaince Literature MA programs and one school that ALSO has a Romantic and Victorian Literature MA, but no "Medieval Romance Literature" ones.  I just really wish he had told us what school! Because now I really want to know.

 

Edit: His CBS bio says his degree is in Medieval History, so it is possible he has no idea what it is he studied :)

Edited June 25, 2015 by Skittl1321

[looksee]

Chiming in to say I HATE the Battle of the Block. @#$#@$#@$#@$$#@!!

[iMonrey]

 

I will concede that an actual poker player could be seen as more of a threat, but I still think if you're sitting there watching people play this game for hours, you'd become a pretty good judge of how people operate. Or maybe she just deals the cards and tunes out. Way too early to tell, but I can understand why she would want to keep her profession under wraps. People are always looking for things that make someone else a "threat" in these games.

 

Eh. I can't think of a single occupation that would "worry" me if I found out another houseguest did it for a living, except if maybe they admitted they worked as a producer of reality shows. Then you'd kind of figure they might have friends in production who might help them out. Otherwise, the only people I'd worry about are returned "Fan Favorites/All Stars" because you have to figure production wants them to stick around as long as possible. I can't imagine thinking "Oh no, a poker player! She'll know I'm lying!!!" Well, no more so than anyone else, if you're not a very good liar. It doesn't take special secret agent skills to play or deal poker.

 

Which falls back to a point made earlier, how do you even strategize when production has made it so blatant it intends to interfere at every turn by some new weekly "twist?" Other than suck up to production in the diary room and hope they and "America" likes you well enough to help you out?

[Ananayel]

 

how do you even strategize when production has made it so blatant it intends to interfere at every turn by some new weekly "twist?"

One of the hammies even asked this, when Julie announced the twistiest twisteroonies - he said "how are we supposed to prepare?" The answer appears to be: rely on dumb luck, the stupidity of others, and hope production likes you.

 

I've done a bit more looking into Austin, and I'm now prepared to root for him. I would like him, Audrey, and one other person, perhaps the poker player (assuming she's any good,) to form an alliance and go deep. Which of course means that the poker player will be immediately outed and voted off, Audrey and the girls will turn on each other, and Austin will be voted out as an obvious physical threat. Sigh.

[Brian Cronin]

Which falls back to a point made earlier, how do you even strategize when production has made it so blatant it intends to interfere at every turn by some new weekly "twist?" Other than suck up to production in the diary room and hope they and "America" likes you well enough to help you out?

 

Yeah, that's what I was talking about earlier - the twists screw players over and sort of forces people to play more conservatively.

[AuntieDiane6]

 

I was REALLY trying hard not to, because I like her and enjoy her DRs, but I can't get over DaVonne leaving her baby for possibly 98 days.  I have a six month old and WHAT?

 

As a 20-something, she's probably more than happy to leave the baby with grandma … I know a lot of women in their 40s and 50s who are raising grandchildren …

 

Besides, as a black woman on this show, she'll probably be gone early.  Most have gone out in the early rounds.  

[asuwur]

Grodner gets a pass on Jeff simply because he took out Jessie. Watching that eviction night will never not be hilarious. Especially watching all of Jessie's widows sobbing in the kitchen afterwards. <3

 

 

Dan, Dan the Mist Man will always be my player (followed by Dr. Evil) but that was a truly great BB moment! (although Jessie's "Your ass looks great in that unitard" almost made me sad to see him ever leave. He was unintentional comedy gold!)

 

I have hope for this cast but that's the story every year until, well, you know...

Edited June 26, 2015 by asuwur

[Lonesome Rhodes]

A freelance poker player could mean she deals for private cash games, some of which are for yooooooge dollars.  Dealers for those games make much, much more than for any casino or card club.

[gatopretoNYC]

I thought Jace was cute, until he started talking.

[ProfCrash]

I also liked the twin twist in S5, but I really loved S5 in general. 

 

And, no, you can't get an MA in anything that specific. I have an MA and am almost done with my PhD in English literature. Sure, you have to pick a speciality (mine is Victorian), but you can't even get a PhD in anything that specific. You can get both MA and PhD in one of three things for English: literature, rhetoric & composition, and creative writing. So perhaps he wrote his MA thesis on Medieval Romance Literature but it was a ridiculous statement. And also, I fail to see how an MA or a PhD in just about anything at all--much less something as random as Medieval lit--would help AT ALL in the game of Big Brother. Also, though, I now really want a PhD in Game of Thrones. 

I have a PhD in Political Science with a specialization in International Relations and Comparative Politics. I taught conflict theory. It was great because you could show episodes of Babylon 5 or Star Trek or Star Wars and work it into the lecture. I am sure some of my friends are using Game of Thrones in their classes.

[Way Wes Jr]

Going completely off-topic here, but I must.

 

If you value your lives, be somewhere else.

[threebluestars]

I really liked the twin twist first time around, so I'm excited for it. I will never forget the look of utter defeat on Jace's face when Adria and Natalie were revealed. Best ever lol.

 

I find a good portion of these people irritating and LOUD. I like Audrey because she realizes she doesn't have to shout in the diary room lol.

[backformore]

Janelle did the same thing when she appeared on BB14. Granted, Janelle's husband was taking care of their daughter while she was gone, but it's not as though Da'Vonne is abandoning her child. I'm sure her daughter is being well-cared for by her family. 

It is a BAD idea  leave  baby that age for months.  It's terrible for their  development .  It doesn't matter that the kid won't remember it later.  Infancy is when children learn to for attachments their primary attachment is generally to their mom.   A baby doesn't have the capacity to know if Mom is coming back.  All a baby knows is that the one person they are most attached to  has disappeared.  Yes, someone else will take care of the baby.  But that's not the same thing.  Emotional attachment is very important, infants can show clinical depression when separated from their mothers - problems sleeping, refusal to eat, crying for long periods, or withdrawal.

 

And the problems don't disappear when the mom returns either.  When older  children have anxiety, depression, one of the things that is part of a mental health assessment is whether there was a prolonged separation from their primary caretaker when they were little. 

 

(sorry for the lecture, but this is my area of expertise)

[Kromm]

 Twin twist.   Where have I heard that before?  Hmmmm.  Why was Julie presenting that as if it was some new concept.  Did they forget they've actually done this before?

Well they also acted like it was some big ongoing mystery for the viewers figuring out who was the twin, when the twin blew it and told both the home audience and housemates within the first few minutes.

Battle of the Block was no one's favorite.

Sure it was.  The producers.  But viewers?  Nope.  We just have to bend over and take it.

Why did Audrey have to tell? I mean, she's a woman. Unless she plans on sleeping with someone in the house, why does anyone have to know? She's a girl and that's that.

Where does "have to tell" come from?  She WANTED to tell.  Clearly she sees this as a platform for a message.  Which since she's being completely above board that it's a motivation for her, seems pretty fair.

[methodwriter85]

Shelli is 33? I hope that we have the opportunity to vote for "Prune Juice and Werther's Originals" when feeding the have-nots this season.

 

"Shelli, you nasty aging wench!"(God, we could use an Ivette.)

 

What is with the recent seasons of the shows refusing to have more than one or two decent looking guys now? It's so weird, especially when you look at the season 3 through season 6 era that was full of some seriously hot guys. I can't even enjoy Clay because the soles of his feet look dirty.

 

I keep feeling like before he went crazy on the tattoos and long hair Austin was probably a good-looking guy. Too bad he ruined it.

 

Even time I look at Audrey, I really want to find pictures of her pre-transition. I bet she was gorgeous either way.

 

I'm actually enjoying the cast this year, so far.

 

Edited July 1, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Kris117]

Yeah, I thought it was pretty well known that fans HATED Battle of the Block.  I think "fan favorite" is code for "Grodner likes it." I mean, who is going to prove them wrong?

 

I believe I have cracked the code. By "Fan Favorite," Grodner means, "Favorite thing for the fans to talk about." If it generates discussion, it doesn't matter whether that discussion is about liking or loathing the twist.

On the other hand, after watching every episode of this show, I am well aware that those of us who are serious followers of the show can often have radically different viewpoints from those of the casual viewers.

[Nashville]

I believe I have cracked the code. By "Fan Favorite," Grodner means, "Favorite thing for the fans to talk about." If it generates discussion, it doesn't matter whether that discussion is about liking or loathing the twist.

Agree absolutely. At the altar of "there is no such thing as bad publicity", AG has definitely established herself as a devoted acolyte.