banner day

I was somewhat surprised that they focused so much on the banner on Sunday's show.  I figured they would have to mention it, otherwise the TV viewers were going to be really confused by what was going on in the house.  But the fact that they actually showed the banner, and had everyone discussing it in the DR is one of those things that makes you go hmmm.....

It had actually crossed my mind right from the time it happened....is CBS in on the banner?  It's a little odd that they'd point the camera at it when they tell the HGs not to look.  But they probably wouldn't use the term Nerd Herd.  However, rumour on the Internet is that Janelle sent the banner...and right on episode 1, Julie brought up Will in the context of introducing the Tool.  So, if Tool=Will, Banner=Janelle, Banner screws up Tool's game....."who's the bunny now, bitch?"(©Janelle)  And Daniele/Jen/Kail/Zach (all those other than Dick who are not in the NH2) are currently dressed as a bunnies....hmmmmm....   Yeah, it's a bit of a stretch. But I still like it.

I also have to wonder if CBS isn't just as glad to get Tool out before sequester/jury.  I don't think they ever said if we get to determine his final vote, if he's on the jury.  But given how much trouble his regular votes have gotten him into, they might not want to go there.  And I've said all along, they don't want him in F2, b/c someone would surely cry "foul!"  This "twist" is getting boring, and I'm wondering if the prods aren't as over it as we are.  Also, if he gets credit for "I'd do that for a dollar" and they come up with an easy substitute task for voting (if he's nom'ed he obviously can't vote),  by my count he'll walk out with $20K.  I can't imagine they'll make the task the eviction/voting.  First place, it would be obnoxious to have AC be to get himself evicted (and he's never been an option for "who do we want nominated"), and if they make the task "evict Kail" a.) we didn't get to vote, and b.) that's stupid b/c if he leaves he automatically fails, which seems a bit unfair.  Personally, I think the question should be some form of "Should Eric confess to being the rogue voter/To whom should he confess?"

And for the record, my take on did the banner ruin the show/twist/Tool's game, is no.  Dick's been suspicious of Eric all along, and Daniele was already coming up with the theory that the mystery votes were a setup of Nick and then her.  Without the banner, she might have not been so sure it was Eric, but he really is the most  likely suspect.  Even if he weren't AP, he'd probably be scheming around the same way.  He wouldn't have done the voting or the mustard thing.  If anything screwed up his game it was being the Tool, not the banner.  But that's okay, he's being well compensated for it.  It's just occurred to me that whoever walks out this week could go to the jury.  With 8 jurors, and potential for a tie, they could let America vote.  And just vote, rather than control Eric's vote.  That way we'd get a vote whether he made it to F2 or not, and he can vote how he wants in the end if he doesn't.  And if that is the case, even if he leaves this week, he gets the full stipend + $10-20K.  I dunno, though.  Seems a little too well thought out and fair for CBS.

To finish up on the show...they're showing Dick in a harsher/more realistic light.  That angelic version last Sunday (or was it Tues?) was just silly.  One thing I found a bit interesting was that after Daniele won HOH and was hugging her dad, he said "I love you so much" and she responded "I love you too."  The show chose to drop her ILY.  Why?  They couldn't have missed it.  My theory is that they want to be able to draw out the "estranged" storyline a bit more.  They're not quite ready to go there yet.  They also left out the bit of the hammock fight where Eric admits that Dick is right, that it was E. not D. who analyzed everyone's potential as the mystery-voter.  Which was particularly odd since they showed the conversation in question.  Maybe they're saving that for Tuesday, when it becomes one of the points of evidence.

So, on to other things.  I really think Tool needs to go on Thursday.  Someone from the NH2 needs to be booted, or those drips will run the board.  No one is going to vote out Jessica or Jameka, and Dustin and Amber have each other, so that leaves Tool.  And he is playing all ends against the middle.  Jessica would be smart to vote him out, b/c he is using her.  But she could use him just as much, so she might want to keep him.  Dustin would be way smarter to keep Kail who really is his putty-puppet over Eric, who will go after him sooner rather than later.  I'm really hoping one or more of them flips.

And no matter what Zach needs to win the next HOH.  Partly for himself b/c if Dick and Dani are nominated and Dick gets veto'd, I think Zach would go over Daniele.  If Dick's on the block at all he's probably outta there, and again, Zach needs him as an ally.  It would work for Dick to win too, but I'd rather give it to Zach now, and have Dick win again later.  Zach's the only real hope of getting Jameka out.  Ever.  I don't know if it was a calculated move or not, but giving up playing the next 5 HOHs was a great move for Jameka.  Most people don't have an issue with her now, she isn't a threat to nominate anyone, she's a guaranteed vote to her alliance, and she has the sympathy factor of "don't put me up b/c I didn't have a fair chance to play HOH."  Brilliant.  Though, if she makes it to the end it won't help her b/c she will have barely played the game.  If Jen gets HOH, and keeps her word to Daniele, she'll have to nominate Dick and Zach.  Again if Dick gets veto, Zach's screwed, esp. if Jen doesn't nominate Daniele (which, if I understood their deal, she can't do without breaking her word). 

Whatever happens this week, I think Kail and Jen split next week.  If Kail goes, obviously.  But even if she stays, I think she jumps in with the NH2 and Jen goes with DDZ.  Though Jen will never be fully in with anyone except herself.  It's true she can't trust DDZ, but if she goes with NH2, she's going to be their first sacifice, so she's better off making deals with the devil (i.e. Evel Dick).  She's going to have to keep winning vetos to stay in, just like Janelle last year. D&D have a different problem in they will always be targeted together, and they can't both get veto'ed off. 

One of the big problems with the Tool Twist is that people outside the house want something very different from this game than the people inside the house.  We don't care who wins half a million dollars, we're here for the entertainment.  So, while Tool wants to get out "strong players" and has a strategy to advance himself in the game, we want him to get rid of the ones that are as dull as dirt, or frickin' annoying.  That's why the Kail/Jameka/Amber strategy of "I'm so deserving" (no one deserves to win a reality show ©me) or "I'm such a good person" (well that's nice, but hardly interesting) doesn't work with us.  And Dustin just out-tools the Tool--annoying and boring.  Zach is just Zach.  Every once in a while he does something mildly entertaining, but he's hardly what we want to watch all summer.  Jessica is cute and perky and fun, so we'll keep her around (though she'd be a lot better w/o her annoying side-kicks).   Jen plays well to the audience, with her stripper-kinis and drama, drama, drama.  And then, of course, there's Dick.  He doesn't have the eye-candy thing going for him, but he makes up for it in entertainment and drama.  And Daniele is actually playing the game pretty well on her own, but she'd be kind of a Jess-lite without the drama points for being Dick's kid.

So, at the end of the day (© Dr. Will), we (and by "we" I mean "I") say keep Jessica and Daniele for fun, and Jen for being Jen and Dick for being Dick.  They're all on their kick-Dick-kick, but the fact is, love him or hate him, or love to hate him, he is the show.