Big Brother 25 (Week 5)- Hitting the Reset Button

It felt like this week was a giant reset. If you're a fan of The Fields Family, this was the week for you. With one family member in charge, it really meant the entire family had their hands on the wheel. There was a clear plan in place to target two houseguests, but it was turned on its head quickly. This was one of the more tame weeks in the house, so there isn't much to discuss. 

Jared's Use of a Slur

During Week 1 of the season, we saw Luke evicted from the house for using the N-word with Jared in the room. While Luke would like you to think he slipped up and didn't mean it, I'm not buying his story. This week, another incident lit the internet on fire, and the flames haven't gone out yet. After the players were picked for the veto competition on Saturday, the live feeds returned to show Cory and Jared in a heated discussion about America possibly throwing the competition. The conversation went on for quite some time, but an important piece eventually made its way to the light later in the day. While I'm unsure what was explicitly said since it wasn't shown on the feeds, Jared apologized to Cory for using the R-word. I'm not 100% sure if Jared called America that directly or alluded to the action of throwing the veto competition as such. Regardless of the context, this is unacceptable. I will die on the hill that it should never be said in any context, and you're wrong if you think it's okay to use it. 

I did love the response from Jag's family. They released a statement on Wednesday night through his Instagram, bringing to light Jared's words and calling out CBS and Big Brother for failing to address it. Jag has talked about his work with the Special Olympics in Washington, and they announced the creation of a Team Jag shirt with $5 from every purchase going to their local Special Olympics organization. It went a step further when the official account of the Special Olympics announced their support for Jag. 

It continues a concerning pattern of behavior by most of the men in the house toward America. Matt has consistently used disparaging terms about America behind her back. Jared has been less than kind to her. Cam has been very weird around her, and it's incredibly offputting. Red has called her fast and dislikes her flirtatious manner. It's gross that she is being hated for these reasons. It also continues a trend of Big Brother ignoring essential issues because they can hitch their wagon on it not being shown on the live feeds. If it had been shown on the live feeds, there wouldn't have been any way to ignore it. However, since we didn't see it, it obviously didn't happen in their eyes. They purposely edited around that part of the conversation during Wednesday's episode. It's a gross misuse of their ability to change the narrative, all because his mother is Cirie. 

Jared's Reign as HOH

As for Jared's week in charge, it was straightforward from the jump. Everyone knew that Cam and Red were going to be the initial targets. There was no doubt that they would be going on the block. Once Cam won the veto, things were a little more interesting. Target roulette would circle the house with many names thrown under the bus, namely Jag and America. It's odd that Jag was saved last week, only to be back on the block, but a lot of that is Jared's fault since he spilled the plan last week about using the power on Jag. The target eventually landed on Jag, and it looked like he would be evicted again before a significant shift from Cirie and Izzy. 

Thoughts on the Eviction

I must thank the houseguests for finally deciding that we didn't need another unanimous vote. It could've been closer if that plan had gone through as anticipated, but 8-2 is fine for me. I'm split on how I feel about Red leaving. On the one hand, his over-the-top Southern persona was a bit tiring, even if he did drop some solid sound bytes during Wednesday's episode. On the other hand, Red seemed genuine in many ways. I don't care that it was his birthday, though he was visibly touched by the lengths the houseguests went to celebrate it. Jag doesn't bring much to the game, so I wouldn't have been upset if he left. Having Cam and Red reunite to go after the large alliance might have been fun, though they would've undoubtedly messed it up. 

What Could Happen This Week (WITH HOH SPOILERS)

While I don't condone his actions or words in the house, Cameron winning the HOH this week could provide some much-needed chaos to the game...or it could be just as dull as his first reign two weeks ago. While his first turn as HOH was negated by the Power of Invincibility, I'm more optimistic he'll get to do something meaningful. He could take the safe route and nominate Blue and Jag like he did the first time, or he could throw America up there instead. It's also possible he goes rogue and starts targeting the Fields Family or Felicia. There are many possibilities for this week. I'm just hoping he doesn't go the boring route. Make Cirie work for her win. Throw some adversity her way by putting her up, Jared or Izzy. 

Ranking the Remaining Houseguests By Their Chances of Winning

12. Jag- The kindest thing I can say about him is that he's always a day late and a dollar short. He's been on the block twice and had to be saved by a power and a flip. He never knows what is happening in the house, which will be to his detriment.  

11. Bowie- After being blindsided this week by Red's eviction, her outlook isn't looking great, though she isn't the immediate target. She might survive a few more weeks, but I have no faith in her abilities to win a competition. Most people don't even remember she's in the house. 

10. Cameron- He is easily the biggest target in the house right now. The only reason he's not at the bottom of my list is because he's proven he can win competitions. It's only sustainable to a certain point, but there's no denying he has it in him to stay alive. 

9. Felicia- While she has won an HOH Competition this season, it was a crapshoot. She's starting to fall out of favor with the majority alliance. Add these two things to her age being a concern, and I don't think she'll have it in her to win competitions down the stretch. 

8. Blue- I'm still unsure what her game is because she is clearly flying blind with everything she does. She hasn't won a competition yet, and I don't think she's been particularly close. She's attached herself to Jared, but he'll cut her down when it comes down to it. 

7. Mecole- Her political background might help her down the stretch, but she has been missing from this game for most of it. There's a chance she turns it on for the jury stage. I like Meme a lot, but she won't escape the middle ground now. 

6. Izzy- The most extensive critique of Izzy's game is that she plays to help Cirie get further. She holds the biggest secret in the house, though I'm not sure how much it would change people's minds if she said anything. She's come close to winning a few competitions, so her time is coming. 

5. Matt- He's physical enough that he should be able to succeed when those competitions start coming. He also has a solid in with Cirie, so she won't be ready to cut him for a few more weeks. He's not in a bad spot to make a strong run. 

4. America- I might be too optimistic about her current position in the house, but she strikes me as someone who can get out of it. She's strong enough in competitions that she has the potential to get herself off the block. Being paired with Cory could be both good and bad for her game. 

3. Cory- The strongest opposition to Cirie and her family is Cory. He's one of the only people that understands what Cirie is capable of. The only thing he needs to do now is to start winning competitions because throwing them will hurt him. 

2. Jared- It hurts me to say this, but Jared might be in the best position of anyone in the house to win the game. The only reason I'm not putting him first is that his mouth could get him into trouble. Having his mother play the game with him will only help him. 

1. Cirie- She could look these people in their eyes and tell them she's coming for them, and they would still work with her. The mist she has over the rest of the house is unbelievable. The only thing that will keep her from winning is if she decides to lay her game down to help Jared win.