So, our final three is Andy, Spencer and Gina Marie. Who deserves to win? Good question. I think who you’re rooting for at this point just depends on what you consider strong game play. Or, if you don’t think any of them demonstrated exactly that, maybe you just toss up your hands in despair or pick a name out of a hat or something.
Given that Andy is the one of the trio who hasn’t said anything hugely offensive, that may be enough to give him an edge with the jury. However, his reliance on crocodile tears (and his flair for backstabbing) could, as McCrae says, come back to haunt him. Spencer’s ability to visit the hot seat a record eight times, well, that’s got to count for something. I’m still amazed he managed to be the only hamster to survive the Moving Company. As for Gina Marie, as abrasive and nutso as she could be, she did manage to take out Amanda, a move no one else had the guts to do. Unlike Andy, she wasn’t afraid to get blood on her hands. Alas, I fear that if she wins, she’ll just use the money for stalking Nick no matter how hard he tries to hide. So hard to choose!
Anyway, this is one of those not-entirely-necessary flashback episodes. I understand why CBS feels the need to pump out as much reliable summer filler as it can, but really, nothing happens in this episode. Nothing. But I guess it’s nice to remember way, way back to the beginning of the summer, when we were young and naive and didn’t know that Amanda was a grade-A monster.
First, we flashback to Andy telling McCrae the truth about the Exterminators prior to his elimination. McCrae finally knows he was played, and there’s nothing he can do to save himself. He gets up and walks around, and Andy feels that this moment of truth was necessary because the Exterminators had such respect for McCrae, and they’re pretty sure he won’t go all Judd on them. Alas, McCrae is now thinking he’s going to campaign against Andy when he gets to the jury house, given that he’s been blindsided. While Helen seems to respect Andy’s game play despite having been stabbed in the back by him, I’m not sure if everyone else is so Zen.
Downstairs, the final three have French toast, eggs and champagne awaiting them! Yay, it’s time to reminisce! Remember the good old days? All this show needs is that watery flashback effect and woozy transition music straight out of a 70s sitcom to really dress this up.
Gina Marie is the first to toast her fellow Exterminators. Andy opens the door to flashback-o-rama and asks Spencer about the Moving Company. We watch Jeremy and Nick plot against the rest of the house, then pull the Moving Company together. Remember when they felt all-powerful? That was so cute. Anyway, McCrae felt amazing being in the Moving Company! Because he hadn’t yet felt how amazing Amanda felt! Spencer thinks there was a side to Jeremy that was hard to be around. Then, there’s bagging on Jeremy time.
Ah, the red wine scandal, which reminds us why Jeremy and Aaryn became so loathsome so quickly. As Andy points out, Aaryn was the head of the snake and Jeremy was the hulking body of the snake. Andy was very good for the color commentary, wasn’t he?
Then, we move on to the Rachel Reilly-is-Elissa’s sister scandal. Next, a round-up of hook-ups. Jeremy and Kaitlyn. Howard and Candice. Aaryn and David. Amanda and McCrae and Amanda’s boobs. Then, the wedding in the backyard. You know, everyone did a pretty great job of creating formal wear with bed sheets. And Andy’s cape is pretty fabulous, really. Seriously, whichever hamster was truly in charge of the dresses might have a second career in design.
On to Judd. Judd hooked up with Jessie and Aaryn? Huh, I guess he did, although the hook up with Aaryn seemed strategic at best, desperate at worst.
Oh, great. Now we get to remember Nick, or really, the teary, hysterical aftermath of his eviction. Oh, yes, that’s the Gina Marie I remember. “You guys are scrubs! Bring it! You all hiding cuz you’re shook and you’re scared!”
More montages. Angry Candice is followed by Angry Amanda bullying Elissa, which even Gina Marie still finds disgusting. Andy finds it hard not to feel emotional with so much going on. Was he the only guy to cry in the diary room? Oh, yippee, a crying montage! Lotta tears. It’s actually cut together exceptionally well, especially the use of Gina Marie sobbing into the mysterious red shorts as a framing device. “Dude, this is friggin’ lame,” David says at the very end, which might be a better summation for clip shows in general.
Spencer defines the best fight of the season as Gina Marie ripping into Amanda. “You’re a dirty dirtbag who-or,” Gina Marie says, while Amanda sidesteps, shrieks, then walks away weeping.
Initially, Amanda seems almost insane in comparison. I love how everyone else in the house just stares at their hands until Judd steps between Amanda and Gina Marie when they seem close to blows. Then, we watch Amanda cry and while McCrae listesn to her bitch about how he didn’t defend her. I honestly didn’t need to relive this. “You’re like a little boy!” she whines. “I love you!”
Thankfully, we get a break from old home week with a plea for us to vote for our favorite house guests, which is free on CBS.com and not on your phone, FYI.
The Exterminators have one last pump and a high five before heading into a disco-themed challenge. Gina Marie is thrilled. Disco, disco, disco! It’s part one of the three-part HoH competition, and for this they must skate while holding on to a rope. Andy and Spencer already seem to be having problems, so I think this challenge could Gina Marie’s to lose. Of course, I’ve thought hamsters who take an early lead might win before, and I’ve been proven wrong. As usual, it’s probably anyone’s game.
Who are you rooting for to win? Who do you think the jury will champion and who will they turn against? Do you think Amanda has settled down now that McCrae is in the jury house, too?