Big Brother 25 (Week 3)- To Flip, or Not To Flip

While we were given a week's notice of an exciting return for Thursday night's episode, there was still a week of Big Brother to play. The fallout of Hisam's HOH reign had dire consequences for the house, leading to another chaotic week. The house was all over the place, with everyone being seen as a target. We got good episodes along with incredible live feeds for the week. After an excellent third week in the Big Brother house, there is plenty to discuss. 

Sticking to the Plan...Unless...

If you thought the talks to keep Reilly from being evicted during Week 2, Week 3 brought that same energy and multiplied it by 100. The plan with the initial nominations was to keep Hisam off the block so he couldn't play in the veto. Felicia put up Jag and Cameron with her initial nominations, carrying out the plan as it was initially laid out. Once Jag won the veto to take himself off the block, all hell broke loose as one group started to let paranoia sink in. With a virtual certainty that Jag would use the veto to save himself, Cirie, Felicia, and Izzy started to go nuts with all possible replacements. Almost everyone in the house was mentioned as a backup plan, leading to 24 hours of non-stop chaos. Even leading up to the veto ceremony, there was uncertainty that Hisam was going up. Despite the constant changes, Hisam was put up as a nominee. That didn't stop the talking. Until Thursday's eviction, there were ongoing discussions about whether Hisam or Cameron should be evicted. Felicia wanted Hisam to stay until Cory shut down Izzy, turning things around for Hisam to exit by a unanimous vote.

Cirie's Game Through Three Weeks

I love a chaotic house as much as the next guy. This was too much. Cirie has been at the center of everything since entering the house. I may have already said this during previous weeks, but I know Cirie by reputation only. I'm not a Survivor diehard who knows the ins and outs of her game during her four stints on the island. I know her simply from her reputation, as explained to me from podcasts, reviews, and other things through Rob Has a Podcast. Everyone I listened to greatly respects her, considering her to be one of the best strategists to ever play Survivor despite never winning a season. She did win the first season of The Traitors, so she's proven in one way that her reputation is warranted. I have nothing but respect for her and the reputation she has built up. 

Through three weeks, I am not buying Cirie as this season's frontrunner, even with her developed strategic acumen. There is no doubt that she has everyone in her hand. She's working with everyone in the house, or at least that's what she wants them to think. I just worry about her longevity. Across her four seasons on the island, Cirie survived 121 days, the 4th-most in the show's history. However, Survivor seasons are significantly shorter than Big Brother seasons. Her longest Survivor season was 38 days. This is a 100-day season of Big Brother. The pace of her madness has been furious when it doesn't need to be. Seven days between evictions is too long because it makes her start plotting scenarios that aren't in play. She's become the leader of the paranoia posse. 

I see four realistic scenarios for Cirie's game for the rest of the season:

1. Someone finally challenges her authority and gets her sooner rather than later. 

2. Her secret is revealed, and she becomes an instant target and is sent packing. 

3. She makes it to the endgame but can't win a competition when necessary.

4. Everyone remains blind to her gameplay, and she steamrolls her way to a win on finale night. 

Felicia's Reign as HOH

I was excited for Felicia's time as the HOH. Earning her title didn't take much skill, but she made it. She went into the week with a plan to backdoor Hisam after he upset everyone during his HOH week. However, she started to dislike her plan the longer the week went. She was part of the group that began to deeply mistrust everyone while she stayed in the HOH room. The television went from a tool to spy on the house to a weapon that would shift her thinking from every angle. Her plan was executed at the end of the week, and she got Hisam out of the house. The road there was messy and didn't reflect well on her. However, I don't think her reign will make her a target, likely making her the first HOH to survive the week after her reign. 

Thoughts on the Eviction

When the week began, I wanted Hisam out of the house. Everyone had flocked to the feeds the day he was put on the block to see if he'd blown a gasket. By the end of the week, the editors made me sympathize with Hisam, thus making me conflicted about whether I wanted him gone. I could see every side of the discussion surrounding his standing in the house. Had Hisam stayed in the house, things could've gotten interesting. He says he would have remained loyal to Cirie's side of the house despite their putting him on the block. It also could've been great for the live feeds. Hisam also would've been a colossal shield for everyone. Ultimately, he was too much of a wild card for my liking. He could turn on a dime, making him unreliable. I don't think he's a bad person. He had a lousy week in charge and got too comfortable in the house. He never saw the blindside coming, and it got him a swift exit this week. 

What Could Happen Next Week (WITH HOH SPOILERS)

A week's worth of anticipation culminated in the 2nd-longest competition in Big Brother history. I fell asleep four and a half hours in, then woke up for the last few hours. While they couldn't survive longer than Kaysar and Jennifer in BB6, Cameron and America lasted almost 14 hours before America's purple thumb had enough, securing the HOH victory for Cameron after two weeks on the block. This might provide us with the most interesting outcome because it's anyone's guess who he'll target this week. It should mean that Red and Matt are safe, while Cory should be fine. Everyone else should be worried. If I had to guess, Cam will probably put up Jag and Blue to start the week and then re-evaluate his situation once the veto is determined. I'd love to see another backdoor from Cirie's group, preferably Izzy or Jared. I think paranoia will run wild, but nothing crazy will happen. 

Updated Ranking for My Favorite Houseguest

17. Luke- He hasn't done anything worthy of redemption.  

16. Hisam- I'm not sad to see him go, though his interviews since leaving have been good. 

15. Cameron- He earned his HOH win in the Pressure Cooker, so I have to give him props. 

14. Red- His funny personality is the only thing separating him from Cam. 

13. Kirsten- Gone but not forgotten. 

12. Jared- After his dumb comments this week, he took a nosedive in my rankings. 

11. Bowie- She's hanging out in the middle for now, though no one seems to like her in her alliance. 

10. Mecole- She came up short in the HOH fight, showing complete composure during this marathon. 

9. Izzy- I'm waiting for the day she finally reveals Cirie's secret because she's screwed otherwise. 

8. Jag- He's heading to the block for the second week and can't keep up. 

7. Blue- I'm not loving her relationship with Jared, though she's still iconic.

6. Felicia- She was higher on my list until she went after Cory while watching the HOH competition. 

5. Cirie- No one is touching her right now, which is crazy considering her threat level. 

4. Reilly- I loved her exit interviews and wish she'd lasted longer because she could've been fun. 

3. America- Her friendship/flirt-mance with Cory is adorable, and she killed the Pressure Cooker. 

2. Cory- This was a big week for Cory as he stopped a flip and got some decent screen time. 

1. Matt- I'm still pulling for Matt to get his stuff together while waiting for him to do something big.