SinceBig Brotherbegan airing in 2000, fans of the game have witnessed some boneheaded decisions. While nothing will beatMarcellas Reynoldsnot using the Power of Veto on himself during Season 3, one recurring theme is playersvolunteering to go on the block. Unless you know there is a sure-fire safety protocol that will keep you in the house on eviction night, it’s simply not worth it.Pawns go home.And yet, in week 1,Kelley Jorgensenhas seemingly forgotten this golden rule and could be this season’s first evictee.
WhenAshley Hollis, the queen at the center of ShowerGate,won thePower of Vetoand thus removed herself from the block, Kelley foolishly convinced her #1 ally and current Head of HouseholdVince Panaroto use her as a pawn as the replacement nominee. With a civil war brewing betweenJimmy HeagertyandKeanu Soto, he could have put the heat on them. Instead, Kelley’s willingness to keep more blood off Vince’s hands may result in her sitting across fromJulie Chen Moonveson theseason’s first eviction night.
Kelley Convinced Vince and Hersef Her Idea Was for the Best
Kelley came to her conclusion of volunteering for the block not as a smart, educated player of the game, but as someone whoforgot the rulesof howBig Brotheris played and its rich history. Though her intentions may have been well-meaning,her belief that going up as a pawn to throw the scent off of her and her ride-or-die was misguided.Vince was aware that it wasa potentially unwise move, but in the end, his gut told him to do it. Vince’s hope was to eliminate one of the physically strong men first. WithZae Fredrichalready a nominee, placing Keanu up next to him would increase his mission’s success. Instead, he and Kelley misread the house, which seems willing to punish the poor play.
The BB Blockbuster puts the HoH in a difficult position as it forces the HoH to nominate three players a week, so there is logic in Kelley’s madness.Vince was simply too afraid of pissing off Keanu or Jimmy.Though after Jimmy’s explosion of calling Keanu out at the conclusion of the PoV meeting, featuring his recycledAviva Drescher’s infamousRHONYmonologue, Vince had an out as both players’ targets increased. But alas, he went with thesafe and wrong choice.
It’s disappointing to see superfans continue to make thismistake over and over again. Is it the energy and confidence that players feel inside the house?The only way to make it another week onBig Brotheris not to be evicted.And the only way to not be evicted is to not be on the block. Kelley will learn this the hard way. And Vince? Well, he might be joining his friend at his parents’ house to watch the rest of the season real soon.
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The History of Pawns Going Home
There is a richhistory of pawns going home onBig Brother.Or, at least a perceived history of such. Like many other strategy competition games,numbers are crucial to long-term success.You need to have the majority when it comes to voting out your rivals. If one of your allies walks out the door, it weakens the advantage you have. Risking that during the first week of the game, as seen now, cantruly destroy any semblance of hope at victory.
The “pawns go home” mindset saw its first majorexample in Season 6, whenHowie Gordonmade a boneheaded move and allowed the Friendship to evict one of his alliance’s crucial members,Sarah Hreja. It was a turning point in the game as theMaggie Ausburn-led Friendship walked to the end and earned her the victory.Big Brother 13saw one of the worst moves inBig Brotherhistory unfold asLawon Exumwas certain acomeback twistwas in the works, leading him to wish for a nomination, which ultimately resulted in his eviction. It gave Marcellas a run for his money! BetweenKaitluyn Herman,Fessy Shafaat, and the entire FOUTTE alliance,their willingness to put their allies on the block severed their chances of winning, as all it did was dwindle down their numbers into nothing.
Just last season, with it fresh in thecurrent cast’s minds,after using his advantage to hijack the HoH,Quinn Martinwatched as his ally,Cedric Hodges, walked out the door and thus destroyed his entire alliance’s chance of winning the season. Thanks to the BB Blockbuster, there is still a chance that Kelley and Vince’s terrible decision can keep her alive should she win. And if it does,it should serve as a major wake-up call not to risk it all for literally nothing.
Big Brother 27airs Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays on CBS. All episodes and theBig BrotherLive Feeds are available to stream on Paramount+.
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