diversity

Not to sound like the BB announcer, but for the first few weeks of the season, there was basically a power alliance running the house. There were these nonsensical "whole house minus the target" alliances and a few smaller deals, some sincere, some not, but really things were being controlled by the 2 overlapping alliances, Sixth Sense and Freaks and Geeks. Vanessa, Austin and the twins were the core of each, adding Steve to F&G and Shelli/Clay to SS. Things almost got interesting when Vanessa considered putting up Austin, but we all know how that went.

At the point that they decided to boot Jason, I was afraid we were in for another season of a power group just running the table. But then James won HOH and set his sights on Clay and Shelli. Though I personally thought Vanessa or Austin would be a better target to flip the power, anything that gives the outsiders a chance is a good thing. And then when Clay decided to go all fall-on-his-sword chivalrous and tell them to keep Shelli over him, I was totally fine with him leaving. Clay was no real threat in the game, just a number for the power players. But anyone who doesn't want to really play the game should just go. And go he did.

We were still at risk for the power flipping right back to the other side, and we'd be in the same position we were, just without Clay and his somnolescent soliloquies. But then Becky won HOH. And now it seems Becky of all people is actually going to follow through and target Vanessa. At the end of last week, Vanessa set up another ridiculous deal where everyone except Shelli, Steve and Johnny Mac agreed to use a combination of those 3 as their noms. Becky started out with Shelli and Steve on the block, but had the plan all along for someone to come down and Vanessa to go up. Steve won the POV and it seems Becky's going to follow through. She's got Jackie, James, Meg and JMac all lined up to vote out Vanessa, with Becky as tie-breaker if none of the others jump on board.

I wouldn't necessarily completely count Vanessa out just yet, but it's looking likely she'll go. We then have a double-eviction coming up on Thursday, plus a hinted-at returning juror at some point. All of this is good for getting lines drawn and keeping things interesting. When BB is all kumbaya and alliances going after easy targets it's boring. But when we get power-flips and dramatic battles that's when it's fun. Especially if you really care which side wins.

We're also reaching that point in the season where even the fans start turning on each other. And while I don't want the HGs to all get along, I wish the fans could. We ought to be able to accept that everyone likes different people and different things about BB, and that's okay. Though I know it's not as bad as it's been some years, it seems somehow worse to me this year. Maybe it's because I neither love nor hate any of them this year that I'm really struck when fans get either overly nasty or overly defensive about a HG. I mean, sure, I'll make a snarky comment about any of them, but I'm not attack-dog mean (I hope!). And I'll say nice things about any of them, but I don't think even my favorites are perfect.