As much as I hated the BB Rewind twist, I was perfectly content with the way things went down on Tuesday night's “Big Brother,” with both the elimination and with the results of the Head of Household competition.
It may not have been a great “Big Brother” season, but surely it's all coming around to a satisfying end, right?
Click through and follow along in case things somehow go pear-shaped because this is “Big Brother” and ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
8:00 p.m. Oh right! I forgot that this is also Eviction Night.
8:03 p.m. When did Julie Chen decide that “black” was the color to wear for Eviction Night? We're getting a Live PoV competition tonight, which will make a big different for Victoria, Cody and Caleb. Derrick's in power, so it probably doesn't matter much to him.
8:04 p.m. We flash back to the emotional moments before last night's show, with Frankie begging Derrick for reassurance that he isn't going home. Derrick tells Frankie the truth, as melodramatic music plays. The other men reassure Frankie that he's a beast and this is a sign of respect for him. But Frankie tells them all that by booting him, they're making him into The Kingmaker. “You're looking at the person who will single-handled pick the winner of this game,” Frankie says. Caleb laughs. Cody tells him he isn't Jesus. Derrick stays wisely quiet, as Caleb rants, raves and tells Frankie that he'd beat him head-to-head in a finale.
8:07 p.m. Frankie gone, I'm waiting for Cody and Caleb to eventually realize that Derrick may be unbeatable. Caleb certainly will never realize it.
8:07 p.m. Oh my! Derrick gets a “Holla” from his daughter. It's a genuinely shocking and vaguely haunting moment. Even the other hamsters are pleased by the variation to their “Holla” routine. This is a slippery moment for Derrick, because he has to convince each of the other three that they're going to the end with him. Victoria is an easy pick, because she and Derrick are “feuding.” She's giddy to go on the block for him. Brilliantly, Derrick tells Cody that he'll let him choose whether or not he's going up. Hitmen forever, or something. Caleb is the complicated one. Derrick has to convince Caleb to volunteer to go up, something he's done before. Circularly, he gets Caleb to realize that it doesn't matter who goes up or who does. “I don't care man. You can put me up if you want to,” Caleb says. That was glorious psychological gameplay. If I don't like a season of a reality show, a lot of redemption can come from a worthy winner and Derrick would easily fulfill that mandate.
8:12 p.m. Derrick nominates Victoria, who nods, and Caleb, who jumps up and Judy-Chops him, gamely. All three Non-Derricks — Caleb and his “apadres” –are comfortable.
8:17 p.m. “Is he running the House or simply running his mouth?” Julie Chen asks, before cuing up a montage of delusion. Caleb has dreams of a movie producer wooing him or a recording contract or a fitness deal of some sort. But what has Caleb's family thought watching him? “He really is like that. Caleb has been a beast his whole life,” his father says. Cut to another montage of Caleb self-love. Papa Paul says that there's a degree of truth to nearly all of Caleb's stories, other than the one about his father's dog breeding operation. Even Papa Paul doesn't get that. Caleb's mom thinks Caleb should go to the end with Victoria.
8:25 p.m. Power o' Veto Time! The PoV challenge is built around CBS' desperately horrible new drama “Stalker.” If Caleb can't win a competition built around a show called “Stalker,” what's the point? He's a natural. Caleb also thinks the series sounds “sick.” All three remaining hamsters are relieved that Derrick has their back. Alas, the competition doesn't require actually stalking somebody, so Caleb is utterly flummoxed. Victoria is reasonably confident and Caleb is hoping to win by luck. Cody ends up winning, which Caleb figures means Victoria is doomed. And Derrick is giddy that the blood will be on Cody's hands.
8:37 p.m. Cody is drunk with power, instigating a three-way man-hug. But one of the three of them is over-confident. “I'm hoping the guys that I've proven my loyalty to prove the same kind of loyalty to me,” Caleb says. “Obviously Caleb doesn't really get it. There's only one person I need to stay loyal to and that's Derrick,” Cody sneers.
8:44 p.m. The hamsters can't hear Julie. It's awkward. She asks them if they can read lips. They cannot. Cody giggles nervously. “We have proven to America that we are live,” Julie says, as tech fixes the gaffe. Final Statements: Victoria is proud to be part of the Final 4, telling Cody there will be no hard feelings either way. Caleb gives God all the glory and the troops all the respect. Caleb reminds everybody that “loyalty” is much more than a word.
8:47 p.m. Cody-on-the-spot. Cody says that his loyalty has been with Derrick since Day 2. He tells them about The Hitmen. Yikes. Should he be spilling all of this? Derrick is entirely unreadable. Victoria is also hard to read. “It kills me dude and you know I love you Beast Mode,” Cody says, before sending Caleb out the door.
8:49 p.m. The crowd likes Caleb. I think this also presages huge ratings next week for “Stalker.” “You have to expect things of this nature,” Caleb acknowledges. He admits that he's kinda upset that Derrick has been lying the whole time. Caleb felt like he and Derrick had something special. Does he regret evicting Frankie? “No, not at all,” Caleb says. He felt that Frankie tooted his own horn and didn't give the respect people showed him.
8:51 p.m. Farewell messages. Victoria enjoyed her time attached to Caleb as Adam & Eve. Derrick reassures Caleb that their relationship was genuine, but also talks about his early alliance with Cody. “There's a lot of back-end stuff that's been going on,” Cody tells Caleb, instructing him that there's more to the game than just comps.
8:57 p.m. Cody, Derrick and Victoria are popping champagne. I can't tell if Derrick wants to kill Cody and if Victoria wants to kill Derrick.
Did Cody just ice Derrick's game? Or does it not even matter?