Big Brother 24: Week 4 Recap

Last week, a new alliance was brought pulling the strings behind the scenes and it led to another surprising eviction that sent Ameerah home, much to the dismay of the girls in the house. This week, the Leftovers had more time to get their game together. The lines had clearly been drawn for the most part, with only a few players appearing to be in the middle. While there didn't appear to be as much drama, there was some love in the air, giving up our first potential showmance of the season. It was a relatively tame week in the house, but it ended with some harsh words and an eviction that left the Big Brother community celebrating. With it being a slow week, there isn't too much substance to write about, so this is going to be a shorter review. Instead, I'm going to supplement it on the backend with where I think each player stands in terms of their chances of winning.

Kylyssa...or maybe Alyssyle?

After Big Brother 23 didn't provide us too many romantic vibes, the first showmance of the season has come to light and they are on opposite sides of the house. They're like Romeo and Juliet if they were forced to be in the same place for months. The flirtation between the two had been well-documented in the first couple of weeks of the game with Kyle trying everything in his power not to give into the urge to get into a showmance. This week, he finally relented. With Daniel passed out in the next bed over, the two lovebirds shared a kiss. They've tried to make a conscious effort to not be all over each other in front of the other houseguests, but it's going to be harder to do the longer they remain in the game. 

Where I am concerned about these two together comes from a game perspective and it's more about Kyle than Alyssa. As we saw this week and despite being in opposite alliances, Kyle was very concerned about Alyssa being on the block and really wanted to take her off the block despite others in his alliance not feeling the same way. Just like with other showmance in Big Brother history, this could be a major negative for his game. There will likely come a point where he'll become a target within his own alliance because of his affiliation with Alyssa. At the end of the day, this is just a game and I'm rooting for them because showmances always make the game more fun to watch. Plus, who doesn't root for love every once in a while?

Monte's HOH Week

I hate to toot my own horn, but I like to think I called how this week was going to go last week. With Monte and the Leftovers seemingly safe this week, it made all the sense in the world that Indy and Alyssa were going to be the easy target simply because neither are in his alliance. Where I think I was off a little was that Alyssa seemed to be the main target between the two. Alyssa is easily nicer of the two and I felt that she would be the easier person to get on their side if she were to stay. Monte put the two on the block during the initial nomination ceremony and made it clear that they weren't the target. Given who else is in the house, Daniel and Nicole were two more dangerous houseguests, so they'd make for good replacements should Indy and Alyssa come off the block after the Power of Veto competition. 

This week's story really takes shape after the veto competition. With Daniel and Kyle winning, it would only take one of them using the power to pull Indy and Alyssa off the block. Many in the house had strong opinions on how the vetos should be used, including differing thoughts within the Leftovers. The easiest to understand on the surface, Kyle wanted to take Alyssa off the block and was all but pressured by her to do so. Daniel didn't want to use it to ensure Nicole didn't end up as the backdoor target. Taylor didn't want them used since she knew that would mean going on the block for the third time. The most complicated case was that of Michael and Brittany. They wanted things to remain the same because they wanted to convince whoever remains between Indy and Alyssa to join them since they felt they would be the only unprotected pair if Nicole did go home. 

The moment that will define Monte's week as HOH was when he sat down and talked to Nicole and Daniel. Monte tried to make assurances to the two of them, but neither was convinced. Daniel, who was initially not going to use the veto on Indy and Alyssa, changed his mind and changed the nominations. With Alyssa coming off the block without him making the announcement, this week's big winner was Kyle. He saves his girl without risking his game. This meant that some feelings were about to get hurt. Monte opted to put Nicole and Taylor on the block heading into Eviction Night and while we knew who the target was, Taylor wasn't a happy camper. She'd been telling Monte all week that she'd prefer not to go up even if she was safe and with the veto being used, she wasn't given any time before being thrown up there again. Monte pretty much lucked himself into his week because it almost went completely different, though it would have still benefited him in the long run. 

This Week's Eviction

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little excited that this week ended the way it did. When the Festie Bestie twist was announced, Nicole deliberately picked Taylor because she was the house pariah and everyone wanted her gone. Two weeks make an amazing difference because the roles were reversed this week. After Daniel essentially sealed her fate by using the veto and clearing the path to put his best friend on the block, it was more a matter of how many votes she would get and whether Monte would need to break the tie. Amongst those voting this week, particularly the girls that had aligned themselves with Nicole, the urgency was to be on the right side of the vote. They didn't want it to look like they were against the rest of the house, especially if there was a majority alliance controlling the game. At the end of the day, this meant that Indy, Alyssa, and Jasmine joined Terrance and the Leftovers in voting to evict Nicole. Daniel cast the sole vote to keep Nicole, but that was to be expected given that they had a Final 2 deal together. No one was surprised at all by the outcome and Nicole was sent home prior to the jury stage. Taylor escaped the block for the third time in four weeks and the house seemed to be happy. Well, almost everyone. 

What Could Happen This Week (SPOILER FOR THE HOH COMP THAT WON'T AIR UNTIL SUNDAY)

If you're a fan of the Leftovers, then you'll be happy with the result of the HOH this week. The big alliance will be in control of the game again as Michael claimed the key to the HOH room and got Brittany immunity this week as well. The two that were most concerned about their safety based on the use of the veto last week will now be the only two safe to begin the week. As for their target, it is a tough one. They could return their attention to Indy and Alyssa, though Taylor has joined them since her Festie Bestie is now gone. They could try to take out Daniel since he's going to be a one-man pity party all week. This may make him less attractive to target since his will to win is down the drain and they may opt to keep him around for safekeeping. They could go after Jasmine, who hasn't done much due to injury. The options and reasons are limitless. I would opt to take out Daniel since he's the easier target, but you run the risk of him adding a second-straight veto win. It's the last week before the jury stage begins, so it might be time to consider who will be casting vote on Finale Night. 

Who is Most Likely to Win Big Brother 24

Last week, I did my ranking for America's Favorite Houseguest. This list will be a three-tier grouping of how I feel each houseguest fares in their quest to win the $750k. I'll try to give my reasons as to why they are in this position, but my justifications might not be agreed with by the entire community. 

The Longshots (They Don't Have a Good Path to Win)

The first names that come to mind for me are Daniel, Jasmine, and Indy. Daniel has lost his safety net and best friend this week, so his will to remain in the game is going to be limited. With a lack of motivation to play and a giant target on his back, I don't see him surviving much longer. Jasmine has been largely limited by her injury. She's been unable to move around as much and while she has been HOH this season, she doesn't have a strong resume. Indy hasn't made too many friends outside of the girls she's aligned with and hasn't won anything to give me confidence that she'll last very long. The last name I'm going to include is Terrance. As much as I might like him as the oldest in the house, he doesn't get much screen time and he hasn't done anything to make him look like a threat. Unless he wins and gets in good, he'll be an easy eviction before the end. 

On the Outside Looking In (They Need Some Help But Could Get the Job Done)

This is the largest of the three tiers and features a lot of players that have played fine but face some uphill climbs to get to the win. The first two come as a package deal, Kyle and Alyssa. I think Kyle has a good chance of becoming one of the front-runners, but being in a showmance makes it harder in the long run. It's not impossible for him to separate himself as a contender and win the entire game but he'll likely be seen as a target. Alyssa hasn't done anything yet to make her look like a contender, having failed to win a competition. She's in this position because she stands a better chance of knowing what is going to happen since she's in a showmance with someone in the main alliance. If she were to win some comps and then pull a power move, she'd be in a good spot. Next in this tier is Turner. He's been HOH thus far and has been one of the nicer people in the house to this point. My fear with him is that he'll play things too nonchalant and won't be able to save himself when it comes time. Brittany finds herself in a good partnership with the Festie Bestie twist. Her partner is a proven winner, which means she can stay safe for a long time if she sticks with him. Where she will likely fall short is not being able to go it alone once the twist ends. She needs to rack up some wins on her own. Lastly, I have Taylor in this tier. Personally, I really like Taylor, but she's yet to win anything and as long as she's in the house, she's going to be a target. She's been on the block three times already, meaning it'll always be easy to put her up and it could lead to her being evicted at any time. 

The Front-Runners (The Game is in Their Hands)

There are three players that I see as being in control of their own games. Right now, Monte, Joseph, and Michael are my leaders, in no particular order. All three are part of the Leftovers alliance, so they are already sitting in a good spot. Monte has won HOH and seems to have a rapport with the rest of the house. He has the ability to win competitions down the stretch and since he might be the most physically imposing player in the game, he can likely save himself by winning. Joseph doesn't have the wins to back it up, but he might be the most liked person in the house at this point. He's gone to bat for Taylor for a few weeks and is due to win a competition. I think he'll stay around for a while and could sneak in a win or two to help his case. I think Michael is in the best spot in the house right now. He's won three veto competitions and an HOH, making him the season's early comp beast, and though he could be seen as a threat due to this alone, he's shown that he can get himself out of a tough spot. He also is a very liked person in the house and might be willing to play both sides to get to the end.