Big Brother recap: Sarah Beth's HOH week is a true wild card for the house
I've been pretty excited for this week of Big Brother. I think this has been a solid season with some good moves so far, but I've been itching for more. As much as I love The Cookout (or, at least, most of the players in that alliance) and want to see them go far, having them run the show until the end just isn't all that captivating. We needed a shakeup, and wild card Sarah Beth winning HOH is exactly that. Let's see how her HOH week begins!
Sure enough, The Cookout is feeling the heat after Sarah Beth's win. Xavier isn't all that worried because he thinks he has a good relationship with Sarah Beth, but the rest of the alliance is positive that at the very least one of them will end up on the block by Thursday. Tiffany and Azah talk about how she's literally the last person they wanted to win HOH because it's difficult to know where her head is at. Kyland, her close ally, potential showmance, and member of The Cookout, wonders if he can subtly sway her nominations, but he's worried about coming on too strong and tipping his hand.
With that alliance heading for rocky waters this week, Big D tries to clear the air with Tiffany in an attempt to make sure The Cookout is as solid as possible. The thing is though, she doesn't seem all that interested in clearing the air with him. When he doesn't immediately apologize for running interference during a conversation that Tiffany was looking to have with Britini a few weeks back, she basically refuses to hear him out. Big D tries to keep things calm and level-headed, but this just seems like a case of two personalities that can't help but clash. They'll continue to work together in the alliance, but there's very little love here between them.
So, remember when Xavier was saying that he felt safe with Sarah Beth? It turns out that she doesn't feel the bond that he does. When she starts talking about potential nominees with Kyland, she says that she feels pretty close to Tiffany and Claire because they always talk to and listen to her, but that Alyssa, Xavier, and Derek X never really give her the time of day. While Derek X and Claire are starting to mull over potential alliances in the house and are picking up on relationships within The Cookout, Sarah Beth starts to formulate her plan. With the High Rollers Room still in play and the veto competition to come, she's considering putting two pawns on the block so that she can hopefully backdoor a bigger threat like Derek X or Xavier.
That brings us to the nomination ceremony, where Sarah Beth ends up putting Big D and Claire on the block. These nominations are mostly meaningless, and everyone knows it. There are too many powers still floating around; this week we've still got the Chopping Block Roulette, which would give a player safety, allow them to pull someone off the block, and spin a wheel to choose the replacement. Plus, there's the veto competition. In other words, a lot can change, and everyone is trying to think through potential scenarios where they might need power or end up on the block.
Interestingly enough, only one person plays the Chopping Block Roulette this week, either because they don't have enough BB Bucks or because they're saving their money for next week's most powerful advantage, The Coin of Destiny. Alyssa is the lone player, but nobody else knows that because the game only reveals the winner and not who played or how much BB Bucks the players have left.
So, Alyssa wins by default and gets to pull someone off the block, keep herself safe, and then spin a roulette wheel to decide the replacement nominee. She pulls Big D off the block because she thinks that anyone sitting next to him will go home, so she wants to give the replacement nominee a fighting chance. Then she spins the wheel and her worst nightmare comes true. The ball lands on Xavier, her only ally and closest relationship in the house.
Sarah Beth is thrilled. This takes the Chopping Block Roulette power out of play for when she's vulnerable next week, puts a threat on the block without her having to get blood on her hands, and still leaves room for her to backdoor Derek X should she choose to. Great episode, and it looks like we're in for an exciting week.
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