HOLLYWOOD—This is one of the rare seasons where no one seems to be able to keep a secret. Everyone knows who everyone is gunning for and everyone seems to be throwing names out left and right.
We began this week with a special Friday episode for the “Battle Back” competition. Jozea wins the first round against Glenn, but Victor ends up smashing every other competition and earning the “Battle Back” belt to enter back into the house. With Victor having re-entered the game the Head of Household competition began on Sunday night. Before the competition the houseguests, especially Frank, are trying to pull Victor on their side.
The HOH competition is a dubstep themed endurance comp. The houseguests have to hold their arm up with their hand tied to a closed box of confetti while standing on a platform and stepping over a moving rope. If their wrist moves down enough the box of confetti opens, and that person is eliminated from the competition.
This has to be one of the longest endurance competitions in “Big Brother” history lasting over six hours. Seven people get covered in confetti leaving Da’Vonne, James and Bridgette determined to win. Frank tries to make a deal with Da’Vonne on Bridgette’s behalf by telling her that Nicole wants her out before Victor, which Nicole did tell Frank. Da’Vonne calls Nicole out in front of everyone, but Nicole denies what she told Frank. Da’Vonne and Bridgette come to an agreement to throw James the HOH as long as James agrees not to put them up.
James becomes conflicted, because the house wants Frank and Bridgette put on the block and Natalie doesn’t want to see one of her friends on the block. James decides to go back on his deal with Bridgette, go with the house and nominates both Frank and Bridgette.
On Wednesday, Frank tries to comfort an upset Bridgette and do some damage control with James. Frank says he is trying to get rid of this bad stigma he has, and James says he is just going with what the house wanted.
The Power of Veto players this week are James, Frank, Bridgette, Michelle, Da’Vonne and Nicole. This is not looking good for Frank that everyone except Bridgette in the competition wants him out. This week it is the well known “Big Brother” OTEV competition! This year OTEV is a DJ frog and the contestants have to find the correct record that matches the “dope track” he plays. The last person to bring it to him is eliminated. James is the first one out and everyone else gets eliminated until it is down to Bridgette and Michelle. Michelle pulls out the win!
Tempers start to flare after the competition. Frank tries to get Michelle to agree to use the POV on him, and becomes annoyed when other members of the house try to interrupt his campaign. Paul’s paranoia gets the best of him and he starts an argument with Frank claiming that Frank is trying to throw him under the bus. James calls a house meeting to get everyone on the same page. Frank says he wants Michelle to use the POV on him and for Da’Vonne to be put up. Paulie tells Frank that campaigning is not going to work, because the numbers are already against him.
Bridgette confronts Michelle saying she feels attacked by her. Michelle, not so subtly, shows that she is jealous of Bridgette, because Michelle and Frank used to be close at the beginning of the game. At the end of the episode, Michelle decides not to use the POV leaving Frank and Bridgette on the block.
Eviction night was a night of twists for the houseguests. On the TV in the living room everyone notices it says, “Clues to the secret are all around you.” Everyone scrambles around the house trying to find clues with a few figuring out that the signs in the rooms, the departure sign, the model plane and the upstairs telephone hold the keys to the secret.
Paul figures it out first by dialing “PARIS” into the upstairs telephone and opening a door to a tunnel. The tunnel leads to a Parisian room where 12 envelopes sit. Anyone who enters the room can get one envelope. Eleven envelopes contain a one-way ticket straight home, and one envelope contains a round trip ticket. If the holder who has the round-trip ticket gets evicted, they get to re-enter the game right away, but the envelopes don’t get opened until eviction night. Everyone eventually figures out the secret and gets an envelope, but the envelopes expire on August 18.
During the speeches before the votes were cast it was clear that Frank knew he was not going to get a single vote. So, unanimously, Frank got voted out, and unfortunately his envelope contained a one-way ticket.
The HOH competition for next week got started with the houseguests getting to practice rolling a yellow ball down a tricky ramp. The first houseguest who rolls a red ball into the “Perfect Shot” box at the end of the ramp becomes HOH, and if no one gets the box it goes to the person with the highest score.
The last twist for this week that the houseguests don’t know about is “America’s Care Package.” Viewers can vote on www.cbs.com on who receives an advantage in the game, but only one care package per houseguest. This week’s advantage is the houseguest can never be a “have-not.” On Sunday, we will find out who will rule the house after the HOH competition!
“Big Brother 18” airs on CBS Sundays at 8 p.m., Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and Thursdays at 9 p.m.