‘Big Brother 17’: Will Vanessa Rousso’s Revised Backdoor Plan Define Her Game? [Spoilers]
Vanessa Rousso allied herself with the right people on Big Brother 17. There was Austin Matelson; Liz Nolan and her “ghost” twin Julia; and the dynamic duo of Clay Honeycutt and Shelli Poole. But, as Rousso revealed during Sunday’s episode, something had to give in the “Sixth Sense” alliance, and due to Austin’s lies, he was set to be backdoored.
But by the time the veto ceremony came around, plans had changed significantly. Now, Vanessa is facing a new series of challenges and some of the players closest to her might become the next targets.
Warning: spoilers from the Big Brother 17 live feeds to follow.
Eight people were on board with the plan to backdoor Austin. They were James, Meg, Jason, Jackie, Clay, Shelli, Liz, and Vanessa. But after the veto competition, when Clay was victorious, Shelli began to worry that there was a competing alliance in the house targeting Sixth Sense. She was wrong. But almost immediately, she spread her paranoia to Vanessa, who retreated from the plan to backdoor Austin lest they lose a number.
At the veto ceremony, Clay took himself off the block and Vanessa named Jason as his replacement. The non-Sixth Sensers were confused and upset, and despite Shelli and Clay’s denials that they knew the backdoor Austin plan had been scrapped, it was not long before they were exposed.
Instead of backing Clay and Shelli’s denials, Vanessa told Meg they were in on the new strategy. Meg quickly told the others that Vanessa said Clay and Shelli were lying. Meg and Jackie agreed to continue to pretend to believe Clay and Shelli. According to Big Brother Network, the entire situation was enough to put the power couple at risk of going home.
At this point, Jason looks to be most vulnerable for eviction on Thursday.
This may be a turning point for Vanessa’s game, even though it is still relatively early in the season. During Sunday’s episode of Big Brother, Vanessa told the diary room cameras that she knew she had to choose between Clay and Shelli on one side and Liz and Austin on the other. By backdooring Austin, she was choosing Clay and Shelli and leaving Liz isolated, and with only Vanessa as a close ally.
Vanessa, as the reigning Head of Household, cannot hold that position next week. She’s eligible for nomination but, at this point, appears to be less of a target than her close allies Clay and Shelli.
Austin will remain in the house for at least another week, but he’s shown a willingness to “go rogue” by spreading information outside the alliance. Ironically, he told Jason about the “twin twist,” upsetting Vanessa and setting the original backdoor plan in motion.
After this Thursday’s eviction, Liz Nolan’s twin sister Julia will also earn the right to enter the game. In theory that adds a number to Vanessa’s alliance, but Julia and Liz are less fans of Austin than he thinks. Austin also told Jason that to him, Julia was disposable and he was interested in Liz for romantic reasons, and his only goal was to get to jury with her.
Just as the plan to backdoor Austin was being nixed, Liz told Vanessa that Austin asked her to lie to her. Big Brother Network said it was an important moment that proved Liz trusted Vanessa more than Austin.
The veto competition and ceremony will air Wednesday. Thursday is another live eviction. At that time, both twins are expected to enter the house and two new Heads of Household will be crowned.
Big Brother 17 airs on CBS.
[Images: CBS]
