CITY BOY GEEKINESS

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LET'S CONNECT
The Head of Household (HOH) curse has struck again! In the course of Big Brother, many houseguests have experienced a change of power that sends them packing in the span of a week. This happens when someone wins HOH one week then is promptly evicted the next. While the "curse" isn't as noticeable when there are so few players left, viewers tend to take notice when there are several houseguests left for a change like this to happen. Unfortunately for this houseguest, she didn't see it coming.

The fourth person evicted was Ika Wong, the 29 year old hair stylist from Thornhill.

Let's Meet Ika...

Ika is the sassy and opinionated houseguest who tried her hardest to make a successful girls alliance. In the first week of the season, she was the replacement nominee and survived eviction against Anick. She won HOH in the third week and decided to nominate two weak houseguests instead of big targets, sending Paul home in the process. Unknown to her at the time, she was being manipulated by her ally Sabrina, who was a member of the First Five alliance, and when Rachelle won HOH the following week, Sabrina manipulated her best-friend Rachelle to place Ika on the block. On Day 29, she was evicted by a vote of 8-1.

Why Did She Lose?

Ika missed a big opportunity and it bit her in the end. For the majority of the first few weeks, it was plainly obvious to see that the boys were against the girls. She knew the likes of Kenny and Andrew were coming after her and winning power was her shot to finally make a big move; a chance to turn the tide. However, instead of targeting boys, she nominated two girls instead: Alison and Heather. She fumbled under the pressure and by not eliminating a potential threat, the enemies she kept around wormed their way into Rachelle's head and got her nominated. Some could say that Ika's choice in week #4 of choosing the prize money over saving the letters from home caused her eviction but by that point Ika's eviction was set. She was going home regardless and anything she did that week would be for naught. It was her missed opportunity the week before that could have shook things up and might have changed the game.

How Could She Stay?

If Ika had a time machine she would go back and nominate Kenny and Andrew. She wouldn't have played it safe and let Sabrina manipulate her HOH week. Her impending nomination was already coming down the pipes and nothing she could do could keep her off the block. If she hadn't have played it safe the week before, she would still be around.

Last Thoughts...

Ika brought the drama and she tried to do the impossible: take a successful girls alliance to the end. Unfortunately for her, some of her alliance members were in a more unified alliance that were manipulating and plotting her downfall. If she listened to Neda, things would be different but she didn't. It's a shame when someone wastes their HOH to play it safe; nobody wants to feel powerless but she knew what she was getting into by nominating Heather, Alison and Paul. Future seasons of potential houseguests should look at Ika's eviction as what not to do when you keep your enemies in the house.
A villain falls and the house rejoices. I don't think the words "too hard too fast" could describe this houseguest's gameplay - it was actually so much worse. Big Brother has a way of changing people. Some thrive in the chaotic landscape, emerging as leaders and strategists, while others falter, becoming too quiet or panicking under the pressure. It's a tough game to play and without a level head, you're bound to be walking out the door.

The third person evicted was Paul Jackson, the 43 year old motivational speaker from Toronto.

Let's Meet Paul...

Paul is the polarizing house villain who suffered a major power-trip after winning Head of Household (HOH) in the first week. His pursuit of power and controlling the game early on rubbed people the wrong way, causing the First Five alliance to plot his eviction. He was nominated in the second week against Neda but ultimately his ally Kyle was backdoored and evicted instead. Following Kyle's eviction Paul was nominated against Heather, this time by ally Ika in the hopes of appeasing the house, but a last minute change by the First Five sent him packing. On Day 22, he was evicted by a close vote of 6-4.

Why Did He Lose?

Paul suffered the same fate that many fans and viewers have early on: he played the game to win in the first week. During the first HOH competition, Paul's big move to gain power was to offer immunity to the house in exchange for targeting only those who already jumped off. Already he ruined potential connections with half the house and while in power, his ego destroyed the remaining half. He did make connections with a few friends, like Adel and Kyle, but the opposing side was too powerful and everything Paul did, from calling Andrew a racist to making hurtful comments, kept adding a new nail to his coffin.

How Could He Stay?

Nothing could have saved Paul unless he won power. Nobody was talking to him except for Adel and Ika - the latter even placed him on the block! A change in temperament and staying out of the drama could have done Paul some good. He was a lightning rod for drama. Also, if Ika had not nominated him and targeted the REAL threats, it would have bought him another week.

Last Thoughts...

Paul is the type of houseguest who decided to play a "character" instead of being himself. In the course of a few weeks, he tried to be the strategist, villain, a teddy bear, and so much more. He tried to change too much and play all these characters to survive, especially as the house villain, before it destroyed his chances at winning. Big Brother is a three month process and playing hard right out of the gate can help to define alliances but in a majority of cases, it causes many early evictions and self-destruction.
An opportunity to evict a bigger threat should never be passed up. In the early weeks of Big Brother, houseguests are evicted based on their personality, drama or being outsiders of the larger group. Rarely does a top physical threat get targeted and almost unanimously evicted early on because of their potential later down the line. It's a smarter choice that I'm happy most of the houseguests were thinking together along the same lines.

The second person evicted was Kyle Shore, the 24 year old personal trainer from Porters Lake.

Let's Meet Kyle...

Kyle is the egotistical-turned-humble and over-confident physical threat. He developed a close alliance with Adel and house villain Paul early on in the game. He survived the first week but after both Paul and Neda were nominated for eviction, a movement began about backdooring a powerful threat. After Neda was removed from the block with the Power of Veto (POV) by Kenny, Head of Household (HOH) Andrew nominated Kyle as a replacement. On Day 15, he was evicted by a vote of 9-1.

Why Did He Lose?

Physical prowess is too much of an uncertainty when thinking about the future. Kyle is a strong houseguest, possibly the strongest in the house. Winning power is the only way to secure victory and having someone like him around who could win was the not a pleasant situation. The men's alliance saw the opportunity to place their future threat on the block and others saw the chance to remove a potential challenge winner from the house.

Plus, it didn't help that Kyle was part of the Outsiders. Paul, the house villain, left a path of destruction and anger in his wake, causing Adel and Kyle to suffer the same backlash. No one wanted to get near the pair after Paul caused too much drama. Even when Kyle was placed on the block, there was nothing he could do to turn the tide against his friend - they were in the same boat regardless.

How Could He Stay?

Kyle needed to build relationships outside of Paul and Adel. Before the house turned against them, he should have gotten closer to the men's alliance, showing his value and positioning to work with them. Paul caused a lot of drama and it wouldn't have been hard to keep the house focused on removing the drama. Kyle needed to keep playing but he sort of gave up and accepted his fate.


Last Thoughts...

Kyle owned the stereotype of being the physical threat as he walked into the house. However, the once boastful and over-confident houseguest turned the tide after he was evicted, becoming humble and compassionate. If he had shown more of those qualities to the other houseguests, he may have had an easier time winning people over. Alliances and friendships are two separate things in this game - you need both to survive and knowing when to prioritize the two can change the game. I'm happy for him that he will have strong friendships leaving the game, but one should never stop campaigning to stay. It's still a game!
The first week done and already the game experienced its first blindside. Wait...blindside or denial? When there is a unanimous vote in the first week, it's hard not to notice the writing on the wall beforehand. The first houseguest was a little ditzy and may not have realized that she would be the first to go but even in her own words, some people didn't tell her the truth. She wasn't ready to play the game.

The first person evicted is Anick Gervais, the 28 year old reiki master from Hanmer.

Let's Meet Anick...

Anick is the bubbly and spiritualist who wanted to bring the love revolution to the house. She was a little ditzy, erratic and talked constantly about vibes, feelings and energy. During the first Head of Household (HOH) competition, she was the first person to step off the ice block and Paul, the season's first HOH, placed her on the block against Andrew. He won Power of Veto (POV) and she had to campaign against Ika to no avail. On Day 8, she was evicted by a vote of 11-0.

Why Did She Lose?

Anick suffered the same fate as many before her: she was the easy evictee. Her personality rubbed people the wrong way and she was different enough that her actions could have proven to irritate people later down the road. Big Brother is a long game, it's three months in fact, and Anick was different. It could have been her fascination with energy and vibes, her bubbly personality or that mediation phase - she stood out too much in the first week to become an easy target and early evictee.

How Could She Stay?

Subtlety and playing smart would have saved Anick. If she had not been the first one off the ice block in the HOH competition and stayed in longer, the spark of attention wouldn't have gone to her. Anick's personality also already caused attention to float her way. If she had kept calm, got to know her houseguests and held off on all the spiritualist for a few weeks, she could have floated a few weeks. I don't like the floating strategy but when it's needed and done right, it is a viable option to follow.

Last Thoughts...

Anick had no shot at winning Big Brother. While Talla, last year's main Floater, almost made it to the end, Talla was well-liked and stayed in the background well; Anick only brought attention. After watching Anick's opening video, I had guessed that she would be one of the early boots and I was proven right. She seems like a really nice person and I hope she had a great time in the house. It's never fun to be the first person to go. That's Big Brother and only one person can win it.

The first season set the standard and now the house is back for another year.

Fourteen new houseguests were selected to compete in the season season of the game and they're ready to enter the house tonight. Not much about the season or its twist has been revealed, except for the fact that a secret 15th houseguest will be joining them.
 
My money is on a returning Big Brother Canada player from season one or someone from Big Brother USA. Similar to previous years, I don't do a first impressions post critiquing the players as my opinions change. I've been proven wrong in the past and Big Brother 15 might have set the standard on first impressions. Until the show starts tonight, check out the list of houseguests below:
Adel Elseri, 27, Welder

Andrew Gordon, 27, Restaurant Manager

Anick Gervais, 28, Reiki Master

Arlie Shaban, 25, Unemployed

Heather Decksheimer, 23, Model Agency Coordinator

Ika Wong, 29, Hair Stylist

Jon Pardy, 23, Student

Kenny Brain, 25, Model

Kyle Shore, 24, Personal Trainer

Neda Kalantar, 22, Freelance Fashion Stylist

Paul Jackson, 43, Motivational Speaker

Rachelle Diamond, 20, Student

Sabrina Abbate, 25, Makeup Artist

Sarah Miller, 32, Mortgage Broker


History has a way of repeating itself. While other times...it just likes to close loose ends. The real story of what happened in 1919 was revealed and we finally got a closer look into what drove the Originals away from New Orleans. Death, sex, torment, and a familiar face from The Vampire Diaries made a reappearance.

This week on The Originals, Rebekah and Marcel try to flee New Orleans, Klaus sheds some 1919 history on Cami, Hayley tries to break the werewolf spell, and Elijah looks to defeat Celeste at long last.

RUN AWAY FROM THE PAIN
Klaus has called an all-out war against Rebekah and Marcel for what they did in 1919. He no longer can look at his sister without the feeling of wanting to rip her head off. Before he can even listen to reason, Papa Tunde's blade needs to be removed from his chest. Elijah, the always responsible brother, reached into Klaus' chest and pulled out the blade, much to the dismay of Cami - and everybody else watching. (Seeing the cut and blood reminded me of why I didn't become a doctor, gross.) Cami tries to reason with her friend, offering her blood up to heal him; the vervain has no effect on Klaus as he puts it, "the will to live is stronger." However, Klaus is not listening to her pleas - he will kill Rebekah and he'll use the white oak staff that he stole from Mystic Falls to do it.

THE MORE POWERFUL CURE
Celeste is an all powerful witch yet she was easily captured by Hayley? The werewolf mother-to-be kidnapped Celeste in last week's episode with the purpose of freeing her werewolf clan from the curse that was cast decades before. Celeste inhabited the body of Brin Deveraux when she made the curse and only she can break it. Elijah, planning to stop Celeste from jumping into another body, is unsure of how to eliminate his foe but his former lover is one step ahead of it. Kill her and Hayley loses the cure but keep her alive and Hayley's people will go free. Ultimately, Elijah hands Hayley the cure and will find a way to stop Celeste now that he has possession of her.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Cami is still clinging to hope that Klaus will spare Rebekah and Marcel from death, but the hybrid Original isn't budging. Instead he decides to go down memory lane and reveal to Cami the truth of 1919 and why he hates Rebekah. In 1919, the Originals reunited New Orleans to bring peace between the humans, the vampires and the werewolves; even Klaus was casually hooking up with the werewolf pack leader. Life was looking great until Mikael - the Originals' father who was called by Marcel, Rebekah and Genevieve - traveled to New Orleans to kill Klaus. Mikael not only killed the werewolf pack leader, presumably Marcel as well, but set fire to the opera house, potentially killing hundreds of people, with the plan of eliminating anyone in New Orleans who knew of Klaus and his good deeds.

WITCHY WAYS
Tiery is back but still useless as ever. He makes an offering to the Elder witches by giving them information on Rebekah and Marcel's whereabouts in exchange for something: their lives. The witches attack but Marcel easily decapitates Bastianna's head but Genevieve manages to escape. Why the attack? Marcel will not leave New Orleans without Davina and based on Monique's return after Papa Tunde died, the death of the Elder witches could resurrect his fallen friend. At this count, two Elder witches are dead!

All photos courtesy of The CW and The Originals Online
TRUE MOTIVES
Celeste is ready to jump into the next body and she can only do so by death. She's played around with Elijah and enjoyed talking with him, but she's tired of using Sabine's body. Celeste slits her throat and her spirit moves on; however, the plan backfired. Instead of traveling to a different body and possessing another witch, her spirit returned to her original body. Elijah, distrustful of his former lover, sought out Monique's help to perform a spell that would trap Celeste back in her original body. With the Elder witch back to her form, Elijah eliminated his threat, but will this be the last of Celeste?

CAT AND MOUSE
Before Celeste "died" and moved from Sabine's body, she placed a curse on the cemetery. Until the rise of the next moon, no Original could be freed if they stepped foot in the graveyard. Elijah became trapped while walking with Celeste and Rebekah unknowingly stepped inside while helping to remove Davina's body. The problem? Klaus is now in the graveyard - with the white oak stake - and plans to finish his sister off for the betrayal she has caused him.

Can Klaus forgive Rebekah? Will the cure save the werewolves? Is this the last of Celeste? Share your thoughts in the comments below.