|
|
Techtite's TV Reviews! |
"the "twist" this season was...there wasn't one. When you think about it, it's pretty brilliant." ---from the review
------------------ Sidebar :: ------------- No Sidebar Comments for this review. Yet. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Big Brother 10
In Big Brother 10, the biggest twist was that there were no major twists. That, in Big Brother terms, was the surest sign of brilliance this season. In a game where the psychology of it all is the biggest entertainment, it was actually entertaining to see most of the house guests get all worked up from their own paranoia, wondering where the "twist" was...and there wasn't one. When you think about it, it's pretty brilliant. Even more brilliant; a return to some of the show's best features. This series has tried so hard to reinvent the wheel most seasons, it's left behind many really good ideas from yesteryear. Here's one simple idea that never should have left: the theater audience on Thursday. Even the first evictee got a round of applause as they left, with later guests getting hoots and cheers from their adoring fans. Such an audience doesn't just ease the loss of a favorite player for us; it eases the tension for the contestants as well. Keep the live audience...always! Though what about the contestants? Well, this time around I'll throw the first evictees a bone, and not "review" their performance. They didn't get to play the game long enough to pass judgment on how entertaining they would have been, had they stayed in the house. So let's narrow judgment to, say, the final ten. Let's get started: The "Techtite" ratings system, in order (icon version):
----------------------------------------------- Jesse Best
One-Line Summary : The most well known non jury member this
season...and all thanks to America. In
Short Summary: So why "review" this sole contestant that wasn't in
the final two, nor in the jury house? Because he's the guy that changed
this whole season around...all thanks to America. The week Jesse was up
against Memphis, America was given the sole twist this season: the
chance to vote for one house guest as America's Player. They chose
Dan...and the house's paranoia went into overdrive. Not only was Dan
supposed to boot Memphis, though it more or less made this whole season
worth watching. While I had nothing against Jesse he was part of the
alliance that was pretty much, well...annoying. April and Ollie's "showmance"
wasn't half as alluring as either thought it was, Jerry's foul mouth
made him into the "Ruth Gordon" of the house (and not in a good way),
and with the house tied and Dan in the middle, someone from the
April/Ollie/Jerry camp had to go. America voted for that person to be
Jesse, and while I would've probably gone with one of the other
three...hey; it meant that the opposing alliance was in power, and from
a viewer standpoint, that made the whole season worth it. Booted Off:
Fourth. Opposing
Nominated Evictees: Memphis (veto never used). HOH
that week (nominations): April (believe it or not!). High
Point : Here. Low
Point: Suffice to say that whatever reason led to the ladies in
the house not liking Jesse, was probably the same reason the ladies of
"America" voted for him to go as well. Something to think
about before returning for an all-star season. Rating :
Libra Best
One-Line Summary : Casualty of passive war. In
Short Summary: This week was as "horrible" as this season got,
which, fortunately, isn't saying much. Michelle for some reason liked
Jesse, and she was now HOH. So she nominates people for eviction who she
felt orchestrated his eviction last week. She chooses Libra to go. Why
Libra? Because Libra argued with people. To be fair, it takes two to
have an argument, and the people she was arguing with were shouted at
for justifiable reasons. Yet when everyone else in the house was
"staying in the shadows" and Libra was the one speaking up, who do you
think "had" to go this week? Booted Off:
Fifth. Opposing
Nominated Evictees: Keesha (Veto not used). HOH
that week (nominations): Michelle. High
Point : To be fair she had every right to shout at Jerry,
especially when he, in turn, shouted right back at her. Low
Point: Yet when all the shouting ended she really didn't "sell
herself" well to the others in the house, and since Keesha had better
success in that department, she'd stay and Libra would go. Rating :
April Best
One-Line Summary : So in hindsight; maybe a women's alliance
would've worked better than a showmance, huh?. In
Short Summary: This season's showmance was between Ollie and
April, which is a hard moment to critique, because while I would dare
say they are the most likely Big Brother "showmance" to lead to an
actual relationship out of the house, as tv show "contestants" they just
weren't terribly entertaining. That's saying an awful lot when, without
getting into too many details, April got worried in the house when she
was "late" one month, if you know what I mean. Yet in the end April
could've allied with the ladies of the house like Keesha and Renny, and
instead stuck to Ollie like glue, along with his boy's club of Jerry,
Jessie, and Michelle (who's no boy though also stuck to the boy's club
like glue). Not much else to say about April except that when Renny was
HOH, out of all of April's alliance of boys, Renny chose April to be on
the block...and April left. So maybe an alliance with the ladies
would've been better in hindsight, eh? Booted Off:
Sixth. Opposing
Nominated Evictees: Jerry (Veto Not Used). HOH
that week (nominations): Renny. High
Point : Hey; unlike many people who "shomanced" in the house,
April has no extremely embarrassing photos of her spammed all over the
internet, so no matter what she did with Ollie; she kept it rather
low-key. Low
Point: Yet on the other hand; when someone plays the game
that low key,
they are also relatively boring as contestants. Sorry... Rating :
Michelle Best
One-Line Summary : The sexist tomboy in BB history. In
Short Summary: Michelle seemed like a tomboyish kind of house
guest. She never giggled and jiggled like Keesha, never "shomanced" her
way through the game like April, and never wore wigs and flamboyantly
strutted her stuff like Renny did. Yet for some reason out of all the
ladies in the house this season, Michelle was extremely memorable, and
one of my picks for an all-star season if they were to have a second
one. You can't help but feel sorry for Michelle a few weeks ago, when a
veto competition left so many house guests with money and trips and a
"slop pass" for the week, while Michelle got stuck with that infernal
running gag from BB8; the "tight red leotard for the week." Hey, if it's
any consolation Michelle; seeing you in that leotard probably led to
many a junior high schoolboy reaching puberty. Though I digress.
Michelle's only real mistake in this game is that she bet on the wrong
horse, which in this case was Jesse way back on week one, when by all
accounts she should've allied with Dan/Keesha/Memphis/Renny, who jumping
ahead are now the alliance of power in the house. Speaking of which;
among all of the antics of Dan in-house, you have to feel sorry for
Michelle's eviction the most, when Dan did that foolhardy "nomination
roulette" trick during the POV ceremony, and against a promise he made
to Ollie (more on that next week!), he nominated Michelle, in a manner
which appeared to be, by all accounts, a very coolly orchestrated
"joke." Michelle deserved to be evicted with more respect than that. The
other evictees? Not so much. Booted Off:
Seventh; the first of two "double evictions." Opposing
Nominated Evictees: Jerry (veto was used to replace Memphis with
Michelle). HOH
that week (nominations): Dan. High
Point : During happier times she played hide and seek with the
other house guests which was frankly one of the more fun and
entertaining moments of Showtime's "Big Brother After Dark" shows this
season. Low
Point: In the end there's little "bad" to say about Michelle
except that she bet on the wrong horse even when that horse was doomed
(namely, Ollie). Rating :
Ollie Best
One-Line Summary : This season's "let's make a deal seconds before
I was about to lose anyway" victim. In
Short Summary: Much like last season, there was an endurance HOH
with a lot of controversy the prior week. In it, Dan and Ollie were the
last ones standing (or sitting; it's a long story!). With artificial
rain falling on both periodically, they were both nearly frozen and
ready to quit, though Dan was clearly the winner no matter what. Ollie
made a "deal" with Dan at that time, which included the following
peculiar luxuries; Ollie gets to choose who Dan nominates, he gets to
choose if Veto is used, and furthermore, who gets put up if the veto is
used at all. Add to that the fact that Ollie agreed to the deal seconds
before he was about to lose anyway, and you have one of the most
obviously bogus "deals" in BB history. Yet to be fair to HOH Dan; he did
live up to his bargain for the most part. Ollie was not nominated,
Memphis was put up per Ollie's wishes regardless of his secret alliance
with HOH Dan. Then Dan wins HOH and puts Michelle on the block. Ollie
was understandably upset, and started pushing and topping things all
over the house, even if, to be fair, he should've seen this coming from
a light year away. So Keesha wins HOH and in an attempt to not make
additional enemies in the house, she puts up Jerry (who nominated her
before) and Ollie (who was pretty much a loose cannon by this point). If
it's any consolation; Ollie was the last member of his alliance to leave
the house. Jerry...? Oh; he jumped ship and allied with Dan and Memphis
this week. Ouch. Booted Off:
Eighth; the second of two "double evictions" in one night. Opposing
Nominated Evictees: Jerry (veto not used). HOH
that week (nominations): Keesha (though she was only HOH for about
45 minutes). High
Point : Unlike some showmances Ollie was very happy to reunite
with April (and vice-versa) and it looks like they'll be boyfriend and
girlfriend out of the house. Awwww!. Low
Point: Though he had every right to be upset; toppling plants and
exercise equipment and whatnot last week was a bit over the top. Rating :
Renny Best
One-Line Summary : When she started playing "as herself" she was a
lot of fun this season. In
Short Summary: To be honest, it was clear in the first weeks that
Renny was afraid to simply be herself. From her wigs and her dresses she
acted like quite the character, and while at least half of that was
Renny, the other half was seemingly a character she was playing. Yet
there's a very fine line between character and caricature, and as soon
as Renny found a few friends in the house (Keesha in particular), she
was more or less "playing as herself," which frankly was the moment she
became one of the most enjoyable to watch house guests this season. She
may have been flamboyant, full of energy, and very outspoken, though
that's what makes for a great house guest. She also never, to the best
of my knowledge, never attacked someone personally, which made her even
more enjoyable. Nothings more annoying than someone who gets hot under
the collar and begins to insult every race/creed/religion in the house,
like (and I can't believe I'm even mentioning that @#$% again) Evel
Dick. In short Renny was one of the most entertaining house guests this
whole season. 'nuf said. Booted Off:
Ninth. Opposing
Nominated Evictees: Keesha (after veto was used to replace Dan
with Keesha). HOH
that week (nominations): Jerry. High
Point : Even when it came down to the wire and she was up against
"BFF" Keesha, she never did any underhanded lobbying against Keesha so
Renny could stay in the house, which is one of many reasons their
friendship was fun to watch this season, and will most likely last well
after the season's over. Low
Point: Sure it's no secret that she and Jerry weren't terribly
good friends in the house, though maybe if she kept that fact more
secretive she wouldn't have been on the block at all. Rating :
Keesha Best
One-Line Summary : Her boyfriend hasn't proposed to her
because...why?!? In
Short Summary: Many a female house guest "hated" Keesha. Well, by
"many," I mean April. After all; April by all accounts needed a bottle
to get the same color hair Keesha got naturally. Okay; that was
catty...and we're talking about Keesha, after all. Suffice to say that
the saddest elimination each season is the one that was evicted for one
simple fact: nobody could compete with them in the final two. if Keesha
was in the final two, she'd win half a million, end of story. Okay;
maybe not. Dan and Memphis are smooth talkers, after all. Yet in the end
Memphis didn't think he had a chance to win against Keesha and chose her
to stay over...Jerry? Jerry??? The same guy who called Memphis a
"womanizer" and sent Memphis into a furious tail spin just a few weeks
ago? Whatever. The good news for Keesha; whatsoever April had against
her, "America" sure didn't. When asked who their favorite jury member
was, they voted for Keesha, who won this season's $25,000 "third place"
prize." Not bad, eh? Now the only question is when Keesha's boyfriend
will finally propose to her. Seriously dude; procrastinate much? Get the
ring today. Do it now! Booted Off:
Tenth. Opposing
Nominated Evictees: Jerry (after Memphis used veto on himself
forcing Keesha on the block). HOH
that week (nominations): Dan. High
Point : Showmances are for losers; Keesha's friendhship with
Keesha is probably one of the most likely friendships to last outside
the house in all of BBB history. Low
Point: Hey, I liked her, so...none! Rating :
Jerry Best
One-Line Summary : Ruth Gordon's Grandpa. In
Short Summary: I know I'm announcing my age when confessing my
knowledge of 1970's cinema, though near the dawn of R-rated films there
was a seemingly nice old lady called Rush Gordon who'd always be cast as
the "swearing grandma." The idea was, oh gee, what a sweet old lady, and
giggle, did she just say a naughty word? That pretty much describes
Jerry this season; a guy who tried to sell himself as the patriarch of
the house who was a retired Marine, though...well, how do we put this
delicately? Suffice to say that even if Jerry was 25, he would need to
tone down the F-bombs more than a bit. He also, as confirmed online, was
honorably discharged from the Marines in 1957, which isn't a bad thing
at all, though it's saying something when a great-grandfather is still
clinging to a memory from 1957 as if nothing he's done in the past 51
years can compare to it. Then there's how he touted his Marine code in
the first week, and how he'd never boot a fellow soldier, only to do so
in the very first week because the house commanded it. Strategy or no
strategy; that's just wrong. Even worse is when Dan basically goes
against his word just a few weeks later and Jerry calls him out on it.
Hello? Mister Pot? This is Mister Kettle...and dude, you are black. Too
cryptic? Let's put it this way; the only reason Dan back stabbed Jesse
is because his vote was America's Choice, and Dan had no choice at all.
Jerry's choice to boot a fellow soldier was his and his alone. Yet week
one is so last year in Big Brother terms, ands Jerry nearly won
America's Choice for third place, and that's not too bad. Booted Off:
Eleventh; the seventh jury member to just barely miss the final two Opposing
Nominated Evictees: Memphis (technically; only 3 left in house
and Dan was HOH) HOH
that week (nominations): Dan. High
Point : He obviously respects his military background very much,
which in today's political climate is refreshing to see... Low
Point: Okay, dude; Dan made a promise and didn't keep it. Who does
that sound like? It sounds a lot like the dude who went against his word
in the very first week. Furthermore; insulting Dan's religion was crossing a line...especially when the house
guests did not once throw your own "Marine code" in your face when
booting Brian. Rating :
Memphis Best
One-Line Summary : His smartest ally was all thanks to America.
You're welcome, Memphis. In
Short Summary: At the start of this list, around week four,
Memphis seemed doomed to eviction. To be fair he was only being evicted
because he argued with Jerry, and for some reason Jerry was able to
convince at least half of the house that Jerry had to go. Then along
came this season's sole twist: America got to vote for America's Player
for a week, and they chose Dan, who as the tiebreaking vote, kept
Memphis over Jessie. The amusing part of all this is: Memphis
understandably felt a kindred spirit in Dan from then on, thinking Dan
kept him in the house for his own reasons. Yet the truth was Dan kept
Memphis in the house because America voted for him to! Jumping ahead;
it's clear America is pretty pleased with themselves this season. The
man they wanted kept in the house was final two. The other man who they
chose as America's Player was also in the final two. What's not to like
about this finale? Oh, right; only one could win the half million, and
it went to Dan. Though hey; Memphis gets 50 grand and a car. That's
pretty cool. Booted Off:
Never; the 50 grand second place winner. Opposing
Nominated Evictees: None. HOH
that week (nominations): None. High
Point : From the onset Dan and Memphis felt that their pairing
would get them to the final two just like last season's Adam and Ryan,
and they were right! Low
Point: While Jerry got under everyone's skin at some point; why
was Memphis so infuriated over being called a "womanizer"...? Sure, it
was a gallant argument, and yet...what was up with that, Memphis? Rating :
Dan Best
One-Line Summary : Tried to be the next "Doctor Will." Did he
succeed? Well...it was close. In
Short Summary: Dan was a schemer; that's for sure. No sooner did
he get voted as America's Player for all of one short week, then he
takes the bad blood he received that week, and just ran with it. So
America forces him to boot Jesse when the sheep in the house was ready
to all go "Baaaaah!" one more week and boot Memphis. What's a guy to do,
when the sheep suddenly act like they grew a pair (isn't that always so
cute?) and act like Dan "betrayed" them? Why not; Dan simply played the
part. The act worked like a charm. His "friendship" with Memphis lasted
until the very end, with Memphis never suspecting that the only reason
Dan kept him in the game was because he was forced to. Ouch! Yet how far
is "too far" when playing the part of "the next Doctor Will in 'Big
Brother' history"...? Some might say his little stunt when booting
Michelle was the deal breaker, when he said rather crassly that her ally
Ollie made the wrong bet and his friend in the house is next to leave in
the house. Yet the most painful moment to watch was when Keesha is
booted instead of Jerry. HUH?!? What in the black hole Dan calls a brain
made him think keeping Jerry in the house for the final three was a
bright plan? The whole Jury was against Dan and Memphis. They know how
much Dan or Memphis would turn a beet red if their #1 house enemy won
half a million. Dan nearly gave Jerry half a million dollars. Though hey; nice strategy in the game
until then, Dan, and lucky for you Jerry lost the final
HOH, so...no cry, no foul. Booted Off:
The unanimous 500 grand winner! Opposing
Nominated Evictees: None. HOH
that week (nominations): None. High
Point : Being America's Player arguably screwed up his whole game
yet earned him $20 grand, which given how that's pretty much all he's
going home with, isn't too bad. Low
Point: Dude, I know it's boring in the house, though making the
resident house spider into a pet and feeding it live moths is going too
far. Rating :
If just for entertainment value this season: a marginal
Opinions? Speak your mind in Techtite's Letters Page!
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Burnout
Near
Miss
Small
Crater
Large
Crater
Deep
Impact
