Big Brother 25 (Week 4)- The Pressure is Building

The anticipation of this week began when Julie Chen Moonves announced the return of one of the most beloved and clamored-for competitions in Big Brother history. The epic battle would take place on the live feeds, with everyone waiting for the marathon to end. Once the war ended, the week that followed was a significant letdown. It will go down as the least eventful week we've seen thus far. There was still plenty to discuss, but the week lacked the talking points we've had during previous weeks.

The Revenge of the Pressure Cooker

When the Pressure Cooker was first introduced in 2005 for Big Brother 6, I was only seven years old. I was also 15 years away from being a fan of the show. Even though I didn't watch the initial competition, I learned about its history and significance to the legend of Big Brother. To provide some context, fan-favorite Kaysar was voted out of the house during Week 4 of the season while sitting next to his closest ally, Janelle. One week later, America voted Kaysar back into the game. This was just in time for him to participate in the Week 6 HOH competition, the Pressure Cooker. Kaysar and Jennifer lasted nearly 14 hours, but the competition ended when Jennifer struck a deal with Kaysar that would keep him off the block. Jennifer stuck to her word, nominating Janelle and Rachel. However, Rachel won the veto competition, took herself off the block, and Kaysar was right back on the block next to Janelle for the second time in three weeks. Once again, Kaysar was sent packing as the last person evicted before the jury stage. 

When Big Brother announced the competition would be back with a Scary-verse twist, everyone's minds went wild with all the ways this could go sideways. I'd hedged my bets that the competition wouldn't last nearly as long as the 13-hour, 53-minute marathon that'd taken place in 2005. There were many ways this could've gone horribly wrong. Instead, we got everything we were promised. While it lacked anything that made it too scary, opting for darkness, flies, and loud music during some periods, they followed the original design well. Nothing jumped out to force the competitor's hands off their buttons, and nothing was overly physical to provide a distinct edge for specific players. It was a test of endurance and willpower that lasted almost as long as the original. I stayed up until 2:30 am EST, and only three people had dropped by then. By 9:30 am EST, only three more had fallen, meaning I didn't miss much overnight. It lived up to the hype, a rare occurrence for the Big Brother producers. While it shouldn't become a regularly played competition, we can't go 18 years before seeing it again. 

The Showmances Are Heating Up

Two pairs have begun to take the house by storm. One of them I like. The other I dislike to the point that it has temporarily ruined my opinions of both players. Naturally, I'll start with that pair. Jared and Blue make me want to throw my phone, laptop, and television off a bridge. Blue was one of my favorites in the house for the first few weeks. Her personality is over-the-top, and her diary rooms during the episode were some of my favorites. Jared isn't winning any votes to be a fan favorite, so things began to go downhill once she started fooling around with him. They've consummated the relationship on the loft couch and cleaned it with some Clorox wipes. Jared has spilled his secret to her, but I'm not convinced she connected all the dots that it's Cirie and not Felicia.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have the flirt-mance between Cory and America that is quickly becoming a little more. Cory has made it clear there are lines he won't cross, especially with his mother watching. America has been pushing the boundaries a little bit, cuddling with Cory almost any chance she gets. I love the innocence of their relationship, though it feels like it will go from flirty to full-blown soon. I would fully support the two of them. 

Cameron's Reign as HOH

Say what you want about Hisam's reign as HOH two weeks ago, it might be hard to mess up as much as Cameron did this week. If we're being honest, the introduced twist was destined to ruin him once it was placed in the hands of Cirie's alliance. Had Red used the veto to backdoor Izzy, like they had discussed earlier in the week, the power still would've been used to keep her. It did make the nearly 14 hours he stood in the Pressure Cooker pointless to a certain degree. Cam and Red are in the crosshairs of Cirie and her family, so this was not a great week for either of them. He barked up the wrong tree so the writing could be on the wall. 

The Power of Invincibility (Did Matt make the right choice?)

Votes involving the fans are almost always destined to fail. While they lend themselves to the houseguests getting a wake-up call that they might not be as popular as they think, it tends to favor one side of the house. For this new power, the four top vote-getters would compete in a secret competition to earn "The Power of Invincibility," allowing the holder to save an evicted houseguest at one of the next two evictions. America voted, and the four finalists were Cirie, Matt, Cory, and Jag. The competition was where you had to guide the ball down a course, and while it was close, Matt won the power by eight seconds over Cory. After Jag was evicted unanimously, the houseguests were shocked when the Comic-verse bubble started blinking, and a message said that the power had been used to keep Jag in the house. A wave of relief came over Jag, and Blue was in tears with her best friend staying in the house. 

Was this the right move for Matt? I think it was because it keeps someone in the house who might be going after Cameron and Red. Was this a good move for Cirie since she's just as big a part of this power being used? Not really, though it's better after the HOH competition was played later in the night. Not having the power would have made her side more susceptible this week. This could hurt Cirie in the long run because Jag might be able to connect some of the dots and change the power dynamic in the house. It makes for a more exciting week because the power doesn't have to be used now to get a normal week of Big Brother. 

What Could Happen This Week (WITH HOH SPOILERS)

It sounds like the competition was a knockout variety, and it came down to Izzy and Jared. While an Izzy HOH reign would've been fun, Jared came out on top and is the 5th HOH of the season. Red and Cameron should be considered the targets, with the latter being the frontrunner to be out the door this week, though Jared is more of a wild card. He fought a little with his mom about the decisions that needed to be made, stating that he wanted to play his game, not Cirie's. While it's likely that Cam and Red will be on the block after the initial nominations, America could be in line to go up as a replacement nominee if either comes down. 

Updated Ballot for America's Favorite Houseguest

17. Luke- Boooooooooo!

16. Red- The Chill Billy is too much for me to deal with at the moment. 

15. Cameron- He's woefully unaware of how screwed he is this week if he doesn't win the veto.

14. Jared- It's good that he's finally won something, but it doesn't make him a better person in my eyes.

13. Hisam- His apology tour won me over a little bit. 

12. Kirsten- I wouldn't judge you if you forgot she was in the house at one point. 

11. Blue- The largest drop of the week, she'll only jump up if she turns on Jared and gets him out. 

10. Bowie- I don't understand the hate for Bowie Jane.

9. Izzy- After coming very close to winning the HOH, I wonder if Jared would consider taking her out.

8. Mecole- Meme is starting to play the game a little more after taking the first four weeks off. 

7. Jag- He's been given a second chance to play the game, and it would behoove him not to blow it.

6. Reilly- I still hate that she isn't in the house. 

5. Felicia- Though she complains about people staying up late, it's hard not to love Miss Felicia. 

4. Cirie- I might need to come to terms with the fact that she'll be here for the endgame.

3. America- I wouldn't consider myself an "Americory" stan, though I do like their chemistry. 

2. Matt- He used The Power of Invincibility, giving us a feel-good moment to finish the week. 

1. Cory- There's a new leader in the clubhouse as Cory jumps to the top.