My summer Super Bowl (Big Brother) has revved up again, and once again I've been sucked in. This year my obsession has reached epidemic levels as not only am I watching live on Showtime's Big Brother After Dark, but now I've upgraded to stalker-levels with the Big Brother live feeds. O, boy....what have I gotten myself into?
First, several observations about this season:
1. Overall the cast this season is tolerable, mostly cuz there's some big characters at the top: The "Brenchel" (Brendon + Rachel) alliance, love'em or hate'em, and most people (like me hate'em) have a tremendous impact on the house, and they put on a good show. The arrival of the evil genius Matt (the best game player this season, btw) and the continuously snarky comments by Britney + Monet (evicted) keep some of the drama going. However, it's like Major League Baseball: there's cream at the top (Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals), but down at the bottom it's REALLY bad. Casting realy did us a disservice by casting some clunkers like "Haven't said anything interest all season' Lane, "Possibly the worst competitor but game player ever" Kathy, and "Who????" Kristen. These guys literally have no impact on the show whatsoever and are just taking up space. I expected better.
2. It seems like Big Brother this year REALLY wanted to give the HGs a BB history lesson , and most of the cast seems to know a lot about the game, but it's like they know TOO much: instead of creating genuinely new terms and catchphrases that define the season, they COPY from other seasons or allude to past houseguests like Brendon referring to people as "Ronnie" or Matt calling out "Natalie sucks!" in his eviction speech. Nice to know they know a bit about the game, but geez louise tone it down a bit.
3. Per usual, some HORRENDOUS early-season gameplay by certain HGs this season already. I actually think Matt has made correct moves so far (I question volunteering to be a pawn), but keeping the Brigade a secret for 3 weeks is impressive, and targeting Kathy and Andrew instead of Brendon and Rachel is effective as long as Brendon and Rachel keep their word to protect him after this week. Otherwise, it is ABSOLUTELY in Matt's best interest to get out one of the "other guys" who might put him up, as Kathy and Andrew have both expressed and use the backdoor as the alternative. The backdoor was mathematically correct because (I've crunched the numbers) there was a 9/16 chance (roughly 55% ) that BOTH Rachel and Brendon were excluded from playing for POV and thus ensuring the backdoor.
Rachel + Brendon = horrible game players.
Annie = horriblly overplayed herself the first week. As Eric from BB8 prudently suggested, the first week of BB is time to go outside, do some tanning, play a little golf, and as long as it's not you, don't do anything. For a professed BB fan, Annie really screwed up.
Ragan = the REAL floater, he is on best terms with Matt and Rachel, who are on opposite sides of the house. Each week, he jumps to be each side's best friend = epitome of a floater.
4. As this is BB12, we're due for a Houseguest-returns-midseason situation. Get ready for someone to come back. So even if Brendon + Rachel get evicted, one of them might come back, like evil reincarnated.
5. To me, the reason people loved Jeff + Jordan and HATE Brendon + Rachel is the Brenchel showmance seems so forced....like they were both LOOKING for somethign like this, and thus the predictability and awkwardness akin to the Bachelor. Jeff + Jordan was like watching a rose arise from the soil slowly and blossom into a genuine summer romance, while Brendon + Rachel is like having some guy from 1-800-FLOWERS show up at your door with an artificial rose and demanding $10 for the service. O, and Jeff and Jordon were much more mellow, much more likeable individual personalities. Rachel has Chima's "OMG stab my ears now!" laugh, and Brendon, beyond the all-American good looks and swimmer physique, is kind of full of himself. Urg. It's almost as bad as if Jessie were back for his 3rd straight season.
Anyway, despite my obvious preference for BB11 in favor of this season, I'll still watch Big Brother 12 play out til the end, and there's still a lot of hope for the season.
What really has my attention this summer, however, is a TV series to top all TV series, the show that people in all circles admit to being the #1 TV show of all-time, objectively. I'm talking about the Wire, yo. Man, when I first started watching this show, I had no idea what was going on, what with Stringer Bell sitting in the courtroom, D'Angelo Barksdale released from prison, McNulty trying to initiate an investigation, it was like "HUH?" I'd just finished watching 24 Season 2, which hits you in the face with the storyline so that you can't miss it, so The Wire was just completely different. But congrats to me for sticking with the show, cuz it's as addicting as the heroin some of its characters peddle. I go more into why I love the Wire.........next time on this blog.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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