S18.E21: Live Eviction 6, Head of Household 7

[Blissfool]

I'm bamboozled every time Julie opens the envelope. Two for two I've had a mini-celebration in my living room thinking that Frank, and then Davonne, were returning to the house. When I see wording, in this case "one way ticket," I think its a good thing. I guess I expect a big red X or some other negative symbol to signify they are out for good. Yeah, but maybe its just me . It's just that I feel like a fool every time I'm hootering and hollering only to be brought back to a sad reality....wah wah waaaaah...

[K-9]

I notice some other people who post are also suspect of these Secret Room envelopes.  Here are some quotes from recent episode thread:

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So much for the rumor that Day had the RT.

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Something about the way Julie is opening those envelopes doesn't look natural. 

The Round-Trip Ticket is only in play until August 18th.  If it was truly a random draw of the envelopes by the HGs, then the odds are against it being opened by an evictee.  It belongs to someone who never gets evicted or even nominated.  But you know that TPTB won't let a huge twist like this be all for not.  How anti-climatic if nothing much comes of it except the slight paranoia.  TPTB certainly made sure that "Secret" Room was found by everyone.   Some HG will end up saved by the Round Trip ticket. 

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I don't think the Return Trip Ticket is ever going to get played, the odds seem to be against it.  That said, if anything hinky is going on in terms of game fixing, I would think that would mean that both types of tickets have to be in each envelope.  I can't imagine that TPTB would tell each House Guest which envelope to pick up in the secret room.  Therefore, if TPTB want a particular House Guest to get that ticket, that can only happen if both tickets are in each envelope.  It is just a matter of pulling the correct ticket out of the envelope after the eviction.

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Glad you said that, it's bothering me, too.  But it also bugs me how she holds those white cards, and how she turns the keys in the finale.  Perhaps I've been watching this show for far too long.

From the episode footage, I saw that the back of the envelope is printed with something like: Void If Opened.  But Julie doesn't show that on stage

Where are the HGs' envelopes stored inside the BB house?  They just appeared in Frank's & Da'Vonne's hands on the way out the door.  Were the envelopes immediately signed by the HG when they selected them in the Secret Room?  If not, maybe a HG, like James or Paul, pranked them all by mixing up all the envelopes? 

Maybe they are all One Way Tickets.  Then TPTB can slip the "Round Trip Ticket" to Julie if a popular HG is evicted.  I noticed that Julie has interview note page(s) with her on stage.  Easy for her to do a switcheroo to a Round Trip Ticket if Paulie (and the TPTB) gets blindsided in next week's double eviction.

One thing I dislike is the way that Julie opens the envelope and intently peeks inside before pulling the ticket out.  Award presenters at the Oscars and Grammys do that too, so maybe it's just what they do.  But in BB Julie's peeking comes off like she is making sure the "One Way Ticket" is showing (and making sure that the back side's "Round Tip Ticket" is hidden).  

[Eolivet]

6 hours ago, iMonrey said:

But then, when they're casting the girls on this show, I believe they are deliberately looking for this very type of girl - the ones who say they're going to use their feminine wiles on the men to get what they want, wink wink giggle giggle. 

This is why I loved Vanessa. She was no man's plaything. Of course, she also lost, so...

I can't believe that Paulie found a way to impose his will on the house and have them all think it was their idea. In that entire segment of nailing down votes and "needing to get Da' out" never once did they show Paulie. He was not privy (that we saw) to any of those conversations, yet he was the reason behind those conversations. I can't stand him, but I do respect his game. And this just from having a dumb puppy dog brother who played, not actually having a job where he got paid to fool people, like an undercover cop #ultimateringer #neveroverit

Speaking of hashtags...I love the idea of "Internet trolls" in the HoH comp -- both for the hilarity factor and for the fact that they break someone's concentration more than just hitting a giant obstacle does. You can zone out when you're just being swung and hit -- you can't when there's someone in your face, gesticulating wildly at you. Annoyingly, I can almost hear a disembodied Jeff Probst from the sidelines: "You have to dig deep!"

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Trying To Put A Good Face On A Big Brother Eviction

But has the PP alliance created a monster?

[K-9]

Wish Frank or Da'Vonne would've automatically reached for the envelope and card from Julie.  Julie's reaction would be a little telling... does she move it out of reach? Could be embarrassing for the show. Does she worry about her journalistic integrity, or has that gone out the window long ago?!

Since the HGs retrieved the ticket, the HGs should open their own tickets live on the air!  I realize this action still gives TPTB opportunity to rig the tickets another way, but makes the Chenbot at least one-step removed from the situation.

[stcroix]

17 hours ago, Tara Ariano said:

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Trying To Put A Good Face On A Big Brother Eviction

But has the PP alliance created a monster?

That face on Paulie!  haw!

[K-9]

I'd like to see the Round Trip Ticket given to Michelle or Zakiyah, if evicted this week.  Yes, given.

Edited August 8, 2016 by K-9

[Lady Calypso]

51 minutes ago, K-9 said:

I'd like to see the Round Trip Ticket given to Michelle or Zakiyah, if evicted this week.  Yes, given.

Personally, I don't want one for Zakiyah. She's too attached to Paulie that I doubt anything would change upon her return. Michelle, however, might be riled up enough to actually play hard at the game and get some big targets out. And I say this as a non-Michelle fan. I think her personality is pretty awful and her low self-esteem is not an attractive quality on her.

[Wings]

There cannot be 2 slips of paper in them, too risky.  If one drunk HG decides to rip theirs open to negate the entire deal, production would be caught rigging, and though we know they do plenty of that (behind the scenes), it would be disastrous for this show and CBS. 

Julie would refuse to be part of that, too.  She prides herself in operating with integrity and yes, she would have a say in that.  This is all laid out ahead before it starts. 

If it is not used they will have a jury buy back to keep the numbers on target or cancel a second DE. 

We might hear that the number on the ticket is significant in some way.  I doubt it though.  

Where they keep them is a mystery.  They must have been scattered to the wind after James did his number.   We missed an hour or 2 of them cleaning up so perhaps they had to look for them.  

I could believe that DR took them to hold for safe keeping and did some tricky business.  

[Guest]

I don't see any benefit to them to rig the game.  No one seems to like anyone in the house anyway.  They'd be courting legal and reputational disasters to what ... keep James(?) another week?  

[Porterest]

They are numbered, and each HG has a different number. Paulie, for example, has number 9, his least favorite number in the world. Wah--I feel so bad for him. 

So while that keeps the envelopes separated between HGs, I don't see why production couldn't switch out one numbered envelope with another during outside lockdown. Done and done. 

I'm not by any means saying that has or will happen; I'm just saying it could. 

[Nashville]

On August 5, 2016 at 8:38 PM, K-9 said:

Where are the HGs' envelopes stored inside the BB house?  They just appeared in Frank's & Da'Vonne's hands on the way out the door.  Were the envelopes immediately signed by the HG when they selected them in the Secret Room?  If not, maybe a HG, like James or Paul, pranked them all by mixing up all the envelopes? 

The HGs apparently keep the ticket envelope with their personal belongings in the House, and (if OTB) transfer them to their personal luggage before the eviction ceremony.  My recollection on Frank is admittedly a little fuzzy, but IIRC Frank already had his ticket in hand when he came through the Front Door.  Da'Vonne had hers in her bag; after stepping through the FD Da put her bag down, took a half-step toward Julie, then back-stepped and pulled the ticket out of her bag before proceeding.

 

1 hour ago, wings707 said:

There cannot be 2 slips of paper in them, too risky.  If one drunk HG decides to rip theirs open to negate the entire deal, production would be caught rigging, and though we know they do plenty of that (behind the scenes), it would be disastrous for this show and CBS. 

Julie would refuse to be part of that, too.  She prides herself in operating with integrity and yes, she would have a say in that.  This is all laid out ahead before it starts. 

Agreed.  While not reaching a Quiz Show level of illegality (since technically BB isn't a game show), exposure of such a degree of unethical rigging by TPTB would undoubtedly be the death knell to the show a la Last Comic Standing's S2 - and nobody (not even the delectable Ms. Moonvies) would want that stink emanating from their resume.

Truthfully, in this specific case it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Profucktion didn't employ a double-blind assembly of the ticket envelopes - one staffer stuffing them, and a separate staffer (isolated from communication with the first) stamping the numbers on the envelopes - such that not even TPTB know who has the RT ticket.  Gives the higher-up muckety-mucks plausible deniability in the event of rigging charges, and reduces the temptation for meddling by those lower on the food chain.

[Wings]

wrong thread

Edited August 8, 2016 by wings707

[laurakaye]

It's just funny to me how Julie holds the envelope so close to her, and holds her hands in such a way that no one can sneak a peek until she dramatically turns the card around.  She does this with the keys, too - holds her hands over it with her very serious robot face until she slowly turns the key around.  It's Big Brother, for crying out loud, not the Nobel Peace Prize.

I have to think that TPTB know exactly who has the return card, because what's the point if someone in the final three or four has the card and it doesn't even get played?  Although, now that I think back, I do remember some big, hyped-up twist in a recent season that completely fizzled and was never spoken of again (I wish I could remember what it was).

As a Survivor fan, I find myself often wishing that the show would go back to basics for a season or two, and let the fans remember what it was like before all the twists and turns.  I feel the same way about Big Brother.  There are so many twists that I find myself ignoring most of them because it's all too damn complicated.  I wonder if production comes up with these things on the fly, or is all this stuff pre-planned before the season even airs?

[Guest]

48 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

I do remember some big, hyped-up twist in a recent season that completely fizzled and was never spoken of again (I wish I could remember what it was).

Last season's BB Takeover?  http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2015/08/bb17-bb-takeover-what-happened-julie-chen/

[Silo]

On August 5, 2016 at 1:58 AM, Rosebud1970 said:

Wait. Paul lives with his Mommy? Mr. Tough Guy with the baaad tats, the douchebro haircut and the beard glitter lives with his Mommy? 

I die.

[mic drop]

Yes. In a mansion. In Cali. I like Paul, but he needs the money the least of anybody.

[laurakaye]

Yes, that's it...I knew it was something recent!

[K-9]

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Does she worry about her journalistic integrity

Thinking about what I posted above:  Julie was attached to the show during BB15 Aaryn's dark spewing and other seasons' ugliness too, but Julie didn't intervene (or, at least, refuse to be the face of the show) even though she knew some HGs felt powerless to stand up to it.  Julie kept right on with the show, even though most of 'America' found those certain HGs' reign truly vile.  Yet Julie's reputation has not been tarnished.  So, I don't think that Julie's credibility could be hurt if she has first hand knowledge of TPTB shenanigans with a fix of the Secret Room envelopes.  "Expect the Unexpected."

Edited August 10, 2016 by K-9

[LoneHaranguer]

14 hours ago, K-9 said:

Julie was attached to the show during BB15 Aaryn's dark spewing and other seasons' ugliness too, but Julie didn't intervene (or, at least, refuse to be the face of the show) even though she knew some HGs felt powerless to stand up to it. 

What stood out for me was that when Julie confronted Aaryn with the three quotes, you could hear hatred for gays in Julie's voice, whereas Aaryn had only had a dismissive attitude. Being married to the boss gives you some leeway.

[Lamb18]

I wonder if Paul lives in the Beverly Hillbillies' mansion.

[K-9]

TPTB: Double dog dare you to give Paulie the Round Trip ticket.  You didn't intervene for some of the other deserving evictees.  No need to get involved now.  Paulie has burned his game, you showcased it for maximum effect, and you've got (millions of) satisfied viewers.  Let Paulie go to the Jury House, if that is the vote of the HGs.  But then again, maybe you'll take the dare.

[K-9]

Shenanigans!  Julie/TPTB announced the order that the HGs were to open their sealed envelopes; they purposely had Paul wait until the end to open his.  TPTB probably slipped the RT ticket to Paul just before broadcast.   Since they didn't need to use it yet, the TPTB attempted to create a satisfying bookend to this empty twist by demonstrating that Paul held it all along and he was the first to discover the Secret Room.  Kind of like when a magician tries to show the audience after the trick is over that nothing fishy went on.  Not buying it.  

[Nashville]

16 hours ago, K-9 said:

Shenanigans!  Julie/TPTB announced the order that the HGs were to open their sealed envelopes; they purposely had Paul wait until the end to open his.  TPTB probably slipped the RT ticket to Paul just before broadcast.   Since they didn't need to use it yet, the TPTB attempted to create a satisfying bookend to this empty twist by demonstrating that Paul held it all along and he was the first to discover the Secret Room.  Kind of like when a magician tries to show the audience after the trick is over that nothing fishy went on.  Not buying it.  

Sure this shouldn't be in the Conspiracy Theory thread?  ;)

[Jesse]

The Making the Sausage podcast here on this very site had a guy recently who makes up challenges for Survivor, and he was pretty clear that they run under game show rules, everything is designed way in advance, etc. I would assume that BB has the same rules as Survivor. For what that's worth. 

[LoneHaranguer]

On 8/19/2016 at 1:36 AM, K-9 said:

Shenanigans!  Julie/TPTB announced the order that the HGs were to open their sealed envelopes; they purposely had Paul wait until the end to open his.  TPTB probably slipped the RT ticket to Paul just before broadcast.

The producers knew which envelope had the RT ticket because they're the ones who put it there before Paul picked it up. So, they knew what order to have the HGs open them for a "dramatic effect" that was actually rather predictable (and boring) if you realized what was going on. Even though the producers have to be fair to the contestants, they have a lot of freedom to screw with the viewers for entertainment purposes.