Daily BB House Stats:
HOH – Corey
HOH Nominated – Victor and Paul
Veto Winner – Nicole
Evicted – #1 Jozea #2 Victor #3 Bronte #4 Tiffany #5 Frank #6 Da’vonne #7 Zakiyah #8 Bridgette #9 Paulie #10 Victor #11 Michelle #12 Natalie

The September 11th TV show begins with the HOH Butter competition. But Corey and Nicole scheme even before the challenge. They gotta put Paul and Victor up to “make a big move” and be strategic because, “they would do the same thing to us,” …only Paul and Victor wouldn’t. It’s pretty heartbreaking, then, when Victor says he’s “Pretty stoked Corey won this HOH,” because we know what happens next. Sigh. CBS gives Paul and Victor a “clueless and naive” edit here. The also imply that Nicorey are some sort of brainiac masterminds and we no likey. It would be easier to take if their move didn’t ALSO save James. Yes, it’s a smart move and even makes sense. We just can’t stand to see James make it through another damn week sitting back and watching while everyone else busts their ass. On the September 11th feeds Paul at one point says, “Even James doesn’t know why he’s still in this house!” kudos to Paul, already able to laugh about it.

The TV show skips over alterna-topics in the episode middle; including Natalie and James as they patch things up before the live show. Then we see the funny time when Corey put salt in Nicole’s water and got wet as a result. Corey’s segment seems a tad unjust given that every other houseguest pulled this prank ages ago. But it’s not really a bit about originality anyway. It’s only funny because it backfires on Corey. Then CBS does a segment on how Victor has a thing for Nicole. Yeah, anyone who watches feeds saw his obvious attraction to her. It’s interesting, though, how Nicole never notices that Corey doesn’t mind all of Victor’s blatant flirtation right in front of him. Here’s a tip, Nicole, when a guy really likes you, he HATES that.

Right after that on the TV show Paul suggests to Victor that maybe Nicole and Corey will come after them now and Victor assures him they won’t. But Paul’s not so sure… So, he enters HOH to discuss Nicorey’s plans. After Nicole and Corey lie to him, Paul declares the Final Four the “Final Friendship,” and a collective groan sweeps the nation. Then it’s time for the big betrayal when Corey nominates Victor and Paul. He says something about how he wasn’t raised to be a bitch and this is Big Brother not Big Baby. We’re 100% certain that every non-feeds TV viewer thought Corey was mad cool to say all this but we’re less impressed. The guy can barely form a sentence. Corey got help with those lines, guys! Meanwhile after nominations Victor’s visibly angry and Paul’s PISSED. Corey’s says “Third time’s a charm,” in the Diary Room. Nicole’s like, ‘Holy crap, is this real life?” and we’re like, No – it’s a TV show.

On the September 11th feeds Nicole doesn’t use the Veto and thus we get our last few glimpses of Victor and Paul in the house together. They play poker at midnight and tell a slew of BB house jack-off jokes. Can you get a pair of shower flip flops pregnant? Only in the BB house. We won’t get to hear this stuff anymore once Victor’s gone (quiet sobbing in the corner). But OK OK, all isn’t lost. We never get what we want when it comes to Big Brother anyway. Comp beast, Janelle (seasons 6, 7 & 14) has never won a single season. Danielle got shafted because the jury saw her Diary Room sessions in season 3. What can you do? There’s only one solution and that’s watch the next season and hope for the next Dan Gheesling (winner season 10) or Rachel Reilly (winner season 13). Luckily for us, CBS All Access, current live feeds source, soon launches a new version of Big Brother to immediately follow season 18. It streams online 24/7 without any TV presence. So, you need to get CBS All Access to watch but the good news is viewers can see all the ceremonies and competitions as they happen. So, it turns out BB18 was merely an amuse bouche for the real meal to come. It premieres September 28th and they’re calling it Big Brother: Over the Top. We’ll be tweeting about it daily from @RuiningBigBro. Thus you can hear all about it there even if you don’t subscribe to CBS All Access.

– Katherine Recap

Daily BB House Stats:
HOH – Corey
HOH Nominated – Victor and Paul
Veto Winner – Nicole
Evicted – #1 Jozea #2 Victor #3 Bronte #4 Tiffany #5 Frank #6 Da’vonne #7 Zakiyah #8 Bridgette #9 Paulie #10 Victor #11 Michelle #12 Natalie

September 10th’s Veto competition made the feeds an all day nail-biter. Victor and Paul sleep right up until we lose feeds to the five hour Veto challenge, so we’re stuck watching Corey and Nicole make breakfast all morning. Nicole whines that she’s the only girl left, though it’s reality due to her own machinations in many cases. She’s playing a powerful role at times, even if it’s often from under a blanket. In fact, today Nicole put on a sassy hot pink cape and won the Veto. The way things are headed, she could win the whole shebang. Fact is, the last five Big Brother winners were all male and there’s never been a female winner who won in a final two against a male. So, there’s a silver lining to a Nicole win. She’ll make history. We’ll cheer for that.

Now on to the sad part of September 10th. It’s time to say goodbye to the most fulfilling, fun FRIENDSHIP in the house for season 18 and possibly ever in BB history. Truth is, we never really appreciated the whole “bromance” concept. Maybe it’s because of the snarky saying, “bros before hos,” or perhaps bro teams never seemed particularly genuine onscreen before. But Paul and Victor change all that for us. We’re pro bros and proud now! These guys are the real deal. They sincerely care, stay loyal, and fight for each other.

Also, they’re just cool guys. One morning they chat over coffee and share a parallel revelation that they never really appreciated their parents. The two of them list amazing things their parents did for them and how lucky they are. We’re riveted that these two guys in their early twenties have this realization. Every parent watching hopes their own kid will one day be this awesome and grateful.

Paul’s directness and articulate personality complement Victor’s powerful physicality and emotional expressiveness. They’re a perfect bro team. To say the feedsters will miss them is a serious understatement. Memes of sadness rule the #BB18 Twitter night September 10th. At least at one point Victor takes off his shirt and we’re all grateful for the sight and use his tee to mop up our tears.

Victor’s eviction seems the most likely next scenario, although James, Corey, and Nicole did discuss the possibility of booting Paul. They think much of the future competitions are likely mental and Paul will rock those. It’s true… but Victor’s a brainiac too and they know that. Thus, saying goodbye to FitVic a third time definitely hurts the most. We’re keeping hope alive for Paul to win the next HOH and possibly a Victor return in a future Big Brother season. In the meantime, you can check back here at Fetchland.com for all the latest news in the BB House.

Funny quote of the day:

Paul: Oh my God are you still talking about that? That’s SO day 23, bro!

– Katherine Recap

Daily BB House Stats:
HOH – Corey
HOH Nominated – Victor and Paul
Veto Winner – TBD
Evicted – #1 Jozea #2 Victor #3 Bronte #4 Tiffany #5 Frank #6 Da’vonne #7 Zakiyah #8 Bridgette #9 Paulie #10 Victor #11 Michelle #12 Natalie

Calm before the storm rules the house on the AM Big Brother feeds September 9th. Nicole and Corey whisper and plot; nervous in the kitchen because they know their big betrayal lies ahead. It’s only a matter of hours before Corey nominates the other half of the Final Four alliance and thus throws shit directly into the whirling fan before them. In the meantime, Paul takes a luxurious bubble bath and listens to Taylor Swift (at the insistence of Corey – TSwift superfan) to soothe his legs from the butter HOH competition. This guy’s unaccustomed to extreme physical exertion… and falling on his ass a zillion times. Then, finally after waiting on eggshells all day and feeds down for the nomination ceremony; the Final Four attack comes to fruition at six o’clock.

Victor whizzes around the house cleaning in an angry frenzy – a BB brand Count of Monte Cristo. “Hope you win the veto because we are no longer amigo,” he sings. Paul stays chill while Victor stays PISSED. They’re a well-balanced pair and it pays off when Vaul eventually talk to Nicorey a bit later in the evening. Victor remains fearless and says he’s coming after them if he stays. Nicole shakes in her boots, baby! Paul seeks damage control first thing but we can tell there’s a big part of him that loves this side of Victor and standing aside the comp-beast. Who can blame him? At one point they discuss James and Victor says, “Laying low isn’t something to brag about,” while the feedsters watching are all shouting YOU SAID IT, SIR!

Victor says, “They were right about one thing, anybody sitting next to one of us in final two is FUCKED,” and he’s right on the money – literally in this case, $500K worth. Victor stress cleans and Paul paces as they discuss their options going forward. Blood boiling and balls to the wall, they just gotta keep playing the game hard. Surprise surprise. We love that these two never stopped playing the damn game. That’s why nobody wants to sit next to them in final two. You gotta fight to win. Paul and Victor wore targets on their backs the entire game and here they are at the end of it, still fighting.

Paul downgrades James too; more about how he probably negotiated with Nicorey to score this deal. But then Victor points out that James has to stay alive now while alone in the game meanwhile Corey and Nicole had all the power and still took the easy route. They’d promised to stay loyal to the Final Four and wrecking-balled it instead while Victor and Paul stayed loyal. Corey tries to play off like he did them a solid when he didn’t nominate them during the double eviction but Victor quickly replies, “I’ve been HOH three times since then!” and he didn’t put them up on the block… In fact, Nicole has never been on the block. You can bet your sweet ass, though, that if Victor or Paul win veto and the next HOH she’ll sit on the block – a veteran princess.

This week’s on a different schedule, so stay tuned to Fetchland.com for all the latest and greatest. Rather than Wednesday and Thursday, the show nights are Tuesday and Wednesday, so everything runs on a slightly faster pace. This gets the houseguests more excited and us too. One thing’s for certain, it’s going to be a hardcore battle and we can’t wait to watch!

– Katherine Recap

Daily BB House Stats:
HOH – Corey
HOH Nominated – TBD
Veto Winner – TBD
Evicted – #1 Jozea #2 Victor #3 Bronte #4 Tiffany #5 Frank #6 Da’vonne #7 Zakiyah #8 Bridgette #9 Paulie #10 Victor #11 Michelle #12 Natalie

The September 8th live TV show begins with James obsessing over his “relationship” with Natalie while the other houseguests obsess over how they’ll control James if he stays. He is, after all, the ultimate puppet/pawn. As they discuss how to manipulate James, Nicole points out to Corey that his head isn’t in the game anyway. Corey replies that it’s in the game enough that James feels guilty about betraying Paul and Victor thanks to Natalie’s battle cry about it. This makes Corey think James will come after them to try to make it up to Vaul. Corey’s not far off here, though we’re not sure if James would actually keep his promise to Natalie about putting up Corey and Nicole. In fact, we heard James on the feeds right before showtime saying he’s going to throw the next HOH anyway. And yes, as Big Brother fans this statement does make our heads explode. Why can’t James play the damn game?

After this the show gets right into the FIGHT when James goes off on Natalie after the bullhorn. Of course we don’t see anything related to the bullhorn incident… they make it seem like he’s reacting to basically nothing – her brattiness. We like that most about it. The thing about dating a Disney princess is they can get bratty when they don’t get their way. It’s just part of the deal and James knows that. But it’s honestly good for everyone that Natalie leaves tonight because this whole Jatalie scenario has got nasty ugly petty pants on and we all need a break from it, Natalie and James most of all. It’s bringing out the worst in both of them.

Jeff and Jordan pay a tiny visit to Julie and talk about their upcoming baby boy. It’s kinda silly that she tells us all about how they conceived their baby and then got married earlier than planned… some people probably wanted to know about it, though. But then Jordan makes us happy when she says Victor is the most likely winner of BB. We hope for the same thing! Jeff says he thinks Paul will win and we’d be happy with that too… But Victor would be best. Paul keeps throwing competitions and we’re just not into that kinda party in the BB house. Play the game! On the other hand, seems like Paul’s parties outside the BB house would be mad fantastic. The show shifts quickly then to the jury house where Michelle joins them. She blows their socks off when she tells them how Paul called her a C***. The best part of this Jury house visit is definitely Da’Vonne (no surprise) when she tells us how Zakiyah went back to Paulie and shakes her head in dismay; it’s classic Mama Day. Then she also gives props to Nicole for how she’s playing the game, surprising herself as well as us. Kudos to you, Da’Vonne. You call ’em like you see ’em.

Natalie doesn’t come through with her earlier claim that she’d call everyone in the house out in her goodbye speech. In fact, she plays Disney princess instead and tra la la las as tiny blue birds and butterflies carry the hem of her dress out the door. Sitting prim and smiley with Julie, Natalie says she doesn’t think she threw James under the bus and that she meant Nicole and Corey via James, which is what we also thought. Nat’s intentions were good but her communication was faulty. Then Julie asks Nat Nat about her true feelings for James and she says he’s her soulmate and she didn’t mean everything she said in the house. That house makes people crazy! Yes, it does. We see and hear it every year.

At the end of the episode we see the beginning of a butter-themed endurance HOH which involves sliding down an aisle slathered in butter to fill a bowl with melted butter. Yummy/yuck but fun to watch. The houseguests get all buttery. Whoever fills their eight gallon butter bowl first wins. It’s hard not to fall back in love with Nicole’s cuteness when she’s skittering down the butter aisle. That girl can sure cuten up a buttery backyard battleground.

Later on the feeds Corey wins HOH and gets a pillow with his dog’s face as a gift from home. It’s not clear yet what the plan is for nominations. But we think Paul and Victor are headed to the block and Corey did hint at this late in the night on September 8th. All isn’t lost, though. Victor could win the Veto and stay in it! Also we’re at the point this season where anyone but James winning season 18 would be pretty satisfying. Thrilled? No. But it’s fulfilling to see houseguests try their hardest and play the game. Even if they were just canoodling most of the season, Nicole and Corey are definitely playing full throttle now.

Julie also tells us that next week Big Brother plays on a different schedule. The Veto episode will air on Tuesday and the Live eviction runs Wednesday night. We’ll keep you posted with all the latest and greatest with our daily posts right here on Fetchland.com.

– Katherine Recap

Daily BB House Stats:
HOH – Victor
HOH Nominated – Natalie, James
Veto Winner – Corey
Evicted – #1 Jozea #2 Victor #3 Bronte #4 Tiffany #5 Frank #6 Da’vonne #7 Zakiyah #8 Bridgette #9 Paulie #10 Victor #11 Michelle

The September 7th TV show begins as Nicole weeps. It’s apparently because James is on the block and she feels guilty; wah wah wah. Funny and beyond ridiculous given how low stress Nicole’s BB has been. She hasn’t even been on the block and barely gets out of bed. We love the amusing stuff, though, so keep it coming, Big Brother! But then the show’s primary drama starts when the Final Four alliance start shit-talking Natalie for feeling confident and happy about being a pawn next to james. They’re determined to win the Veto. Turns out, it’s a pretty rad Veto competition this week and even involves strategic thinking – cool! However,  not cool everything is cool in the BB house lately, especially not the Jatalie situation.

James gets annoyed with Natalie for not liking that he made her vote Victor out when she wanted to vote Corey out. As if Natalie should blindly forgive his bad decision without comment even though it’s the reason they’re both on the block. She then apologizes to Paul and Victor for betraying them and they see it as her throwing James under the bus. To be fair it could have been perceived this way. But when she talks about it later, Natalie says she was really talking about how Corey and Nicole as an undue and untrustworthy influence. This (according to the TV show) then seals the Final Four’s decision to send Natalie home this week. Though on the feeds it seemed like it was actually her near Veto win that sealed her fate. Maybe that distinction doesn’t matter on its face… but it shows how critical clear communication can be in the game. Natalie wasn’t clear when she spoke to Paul and Victor. If she’d been articulate about what she meant, specifically putting Nicole and Corey on blast, it could have made a difference in her game.

Speaking of “on blast” next we see the Veto competition and it’s all about Magyver, the new remix of an old show that’s launching on CBS this Fall. Natalie introduces the competition and kicks ass at the challenge, taking us through through the process one step at a time as she explains her thinking and actions. She does a fantastic job. It’s a scintillating competition that requires thinking on your feet and beating the clock with ingenuity. None of the other houseguests even come close to Natalie’s time except Corey who, of course, kills it and wins the whole shebang. This makes us think Corey is a hell of a lot smarter than he pretends. He’s playing a Natalie style game, bro! Speaking of Nat Nat, she knows right away, after the Veto challenge ends, that they’re going to vote her out.

Meanwhile the tension continues to build between Natalie and James. She confronts him about a deal with Nicole and Corey. Then she says those sad sad words, “I followed you into the dark because I trusted them and now I’m going home for it,” because she’s pissed.  James overreacts when Natalie says, “I’ll never talk to you again if you team up with Nicole and Corey after I leave this house,” deciding that she’s turned on him. After that; just to sprinkle salt in the raw wound, Paul and Victor tell James that Natalie threw his name under the bus which majorly bums him out. #SadJames now officially replaces #SadMeech.

It’s no surprise, in the end of the episode that Corey doesn’t use the Veto. If he takes anyone down then naturally, Nicole goes on the block. Thus ends this depiction of James as a victim when really we think he’s just getting his due… but not nearly as much as he deserves. The guy is a rubber band ball of winding, rubbery bad decisions – consequences just bounce right off him. Feeds stayed relatively flat on September 7th but it’s cool, baby, because next we have the live eviction. Then the new HOH competition will air on the feeds to follow the live show Thursday night. It’s gonna be a rockin’ and rowdy night. Stay tuned to Fetchland.com for the results of this next HOH and keep in mind it’s all coming down to the wire now. There are only two weeks left of Big Brother Season 18!

– Katherine Recap

Daily BB House Stats:
HOH – Victor
HOH Nominated – Natalie, James
Veto Winner – Corey
Evicted – #1 Jozea #2 Victor #3 Bronte #4 Tiffany #5 Frank #6 Da’vonne #7 Zakiyah #8 Bridgette #9 Paulie #10 Victor #11 Michelle

High drama in the Big Brother house September 6th! At a bit after midnight (about twenty minutes) Victor and Paul play pool in the backyard while Natalie and James chat in the hot tub. Suddenly a bombastic sound emanates across the plastic grass… a bullhorn/loudspeaker. Five times the megaphone tells the backyard houseguests that James and Nicole had a preseason alliance. The look on Natalie’s face = priceless. Meanwhile Paul and Victor appear to have heard it too. Let the games begin!

But instead of this leading to Nicole and James on blast, Natalie gets the shaft. The feeds go out for us but after they come back we find out that James tried to make Natalie feel badly then trashed her to the others. Meanwhile all Nat really did (in this instance) was hear the bullhorn. James turns on her to distract from what the bullhorn said – which incriminates his ass hardcore if she focuses in on it. James goes to sit with the others (n the awkward outskirts of their comfortable conversation group. He shit-talks Nat and says he’s struggled to “keep it together for 80 days,” as if she’s been torture for him in the house. But we’ve all seen how happy he was with her, including the other houseguests. Later when James hashes it out with her, Natalie (correctly) says she never threw him under the bus. In fact, she even made herself, “look like an asshole campaigning for you to stay to Paul and Victor,” which is true. Apparently when James went off on her he dug deep and even accused Natalie of being with several other guys in the house before settling on him as the dregs, a last choice type thing. After this he claims he just wanted to apologize for lashing out at her but is getting nowhere. Natalie has flaws like the rest of us but she’d not as dumb as she pretends. She heard the bullhorn.

Many times over the summer Natalie asked James about his alliances other than with her and he’s always said there weren’t any with Nicole. In fact, he usually likes to immediately change the topic to their personal relationship. James does this time and time again. As the wee hours of the early morning are upon them, James tells the back of Natalie’s head he wants to talk about their personal relationship rather than game. Blah blah blah follows from there. I pushed you away because I’m afraid, etc. and they both speak in the past tense about, “I really liked you,” and “I really liked you too,” until it seems like maybe Natalie has fallen asleep and James is pouring his heart out to the back of a pissy cheerleader’s head. But then Natalie turns to look at him so we see she’s listening after all. James claims their personalities don’t match so well because he wants to talk stuff out and she wants to avoid relationship stuff with him. She’s been blocking her feelings, James says and, “I haven’t been blocking shit,” nervous giggle. Yeah, no kidding James. Everybody freakin’ knows about how you slipped in the ‘L’ word.

What we didn’t get to see on the feeds, though, were the specifics of how James lashes out at Natalie right after the bullhorn incident. He hurt her feelings, she says and his strategy works for awhile as far as creating a distraction from what the bullhorn said. But Natalie does bring it up at about four in the morning saying that if it’s true what the bullhorn said she’d be really sad that he lied to her. He keeps insisting it’s not true about him and Nicole… Seems like James feels pretty guilty too because he says dumb stuff about how she can “cut off one of his fingers after the show is over,” as if that’s consolation. If you haven’t got an alliance with Nicole, what’s the finger for, James? He asks Natalie if they’re broken up many many times and she only ever replies that she doesn’t know. So, James tells Nat she better let him know their relationship status in the next twenty four hours because one of them is leaving and he won’t know if he’s single or not. The horror.

More interesting fallout will follow if it turns out Paul and Victor heard the bullhorn, believe what it said, and win HOH next. If all those circumstances fall into place, it might just be Nicole and James up on the block next week. And if you look at our featured photo this week in which you can see quite clearly that Natalie DEFINITELY heard the bullhorn while Victor and Paul stand right beside her… Well, dreams can come true, folks! Stay tuned to Fetchland.com for all the imminent dramatics because CBS most likely won’t show the bullhorn incident or explain its dramatic backlash on the TV show.

– Katherine Recap

Daily BB House Stats:
HOH – Victor
HOH Nominated – Natalie, James
Veto Winner – Corey
Evicted – #1 Jozea #2 Victor #3 Bronte #4 Tiffany #5 Frank #6 Da’vonne #7 Zakiyah #8 Bridgette #9 Paulie #10 Victor #11 Michelle

We’re just gonna come right out and say it, September 5th lacked excitement. But there’s lots of positive stuff to say too. One notable element of Big Brother season 18 is the relative cleanliness of the house. Mainly because Victor remains, the house stays spic and span. Usually at this point in the season (only about two weeks left) the house has succumbed to the housekeeping habits of average twenty-something bros – not typically the tidiest bunch. But because of our beloved Puerto Rican Sensation, the only exception to the neat, orderly BB house is the Tokyo room, Nicorey’s habitat.

While Nicole chats in the Diary Room, Corey puts salt into her water for a prank, giggling to himself like a little kid. Just moments before she’d jokingly called him a “baby” and thus, this silly revenge. But turns out the joke’s on Corey when they’re playing dominos a bit later and she takes a sip only to blast him with her saltwater spray reflex.

Not much else happened on September 5th. James did a lame “commercial spot” for the new TV show Macgyver because BB gave them a pizza box covered in an ad for it. He didn’t get the memo that nobody wants an endorser clad in sunglasses. How can we trust you when we can’t even see your eyes? But it did have a plus side when James reads from the Macgyver pizza box that, “No man has done more with less,” and Paul chimes in, “Except me in my sex life,” ha ha. We love Paul’s self-deprecation.

In other James news, he confronts Natalie about the “tension” he feels between them. But she’s not really into talking about it anymore …and who can blame her? Of course there’s tension. They’re both on the block and he freakin’ said, “I love you,” so this leads to lots of taut feelings and maybe even an eyeroll or two. Just let it lie, now James. You made this bed so you gotta deal with the consequences. At the absolute minimum, they became great friends and had a lot of fun this summer. That’s no small accomplishment given their circumstances.

In other showmance news, Nicole and Corey talked a lot of game on September 5th. Well, it was mostly Nicole talking and Corey nodding. They agree that Natalie will go home this week but they’re keeping it hush hush from James so he’ll think he’s on the way out. This is their arrangement with Paul and Victor so their Final Four alliance stays intact. But it’s an epic fail. James and Natalie pretty much know the plan because Natalie figured it out… all the more reason to evict her. No matter who they evict, though Nicole has a crucial revelation right before she goes to bed. Nic does the juror numbers tally and realizes she can’t win this game.  Best Nicole can hope for is second place because none of the ladies in the jury will give her a vote. The jury is almost ALL ladies. Nice job, Nicole! But hey, it’s a grand achievement to make it as far as Nicole with veteran status. She’s never been on the block and is likely to make it to final three. That’s nothing to sniff at.

– Katherine Recap

Daily BB House Stats:
HOH – Victor
HOH Nominated – Natalie, James
Veto Winner – Corey
Evicted – #1 Jozea #2 Victor #3 Bronte #4 Tiffany #5 Frank #6 Da’vonne #7 Zakiyah #8 Bridgette #9 Paulie #10 Victor #11 Michelle

The September 4th TV show starts as James and Natalie find out that Meech is going home last Thursday night and thus realize they’re a lone duo in the game. For some reason this is a shocker to them and, of course, sends Michelle into the land of tissues and tears. It’s all Meech’s doing, though. She talks to Nicole, campaigning for the first time since being nominated, about an hour before the live eviction show and, surprise surprise, it’s too little and too late. This TV show edit is pretty on the mark, unlike some of the other ones in this September 4th show. We gotta admit that we were disappointed to see Corey’s sleep-talking get a segment when Victor’s nature watch bits with are so funny and entertaining. Hopefully Wednesday’s show will give Victor’s nature watch talents a spotlight.

The HOH competition stays pretty close but it’s slow going and everybody’s frustrated and shredding their digits throughout. Victor keeps his momentum going best. He’s a steady player… and the best! James, meanwhile has tiny fingers and works diligently but gets nowhere, like a comedy pratfaller making zero progress for nearly the entire competition though he’s clearly trying his best. The other players, though, are all getting closer to the win at about the same rate despite Nicole making silly egg puns the whole time. Soon after James gets his first letter Victor wins it all and becomes the next HOH, as we already knew. Speaking of already knowing stuff, James and Natalie predict right after the comp that they’re going on the block the next day. Correct, sir and lady!

Next we see a flashback to Victor and Paul calling their bro alliance the Sitting Ducks. But the true sitting ducks are James and Natalie, their partnership starts to crumble as James says things like, “You don’t have to like me back,” and then she comforts him that she likes him for who he is and no other reason. This isn’t exactly an accurate rendition of the Nat/James dynamic this week or even how Natalie talks to James. She’s much more of a mixed message type… and that’s putting it kindly. One minute she’s calling him her “soulmate” and next she’s saying they should just be friends. James then explains to Victor and Paul that he betrayed them the week before because of his final four deal with Corey, Nicole, and Natalie… but just as he’s making his point Corey and Nicole come into HOH and interrupt the conversation. So, James sucks it up and leaves. This is typical of James who is far too passive. Why didn’t he just ask for a minute to talk with Victor and Paul? It’s not that difficult to do. But no, he just gives up. He goes to Natalie resigned and she says, “What am I gonna do without you?” James replies, “You’re gonna win,” and she knows he’s right; (for once) Nat’s gotta play the damn game for herself. Oh yeah. In fact, from that moment forward she really starts detaching herself from James and the comments are far more on the, “Let’s just be friends,” trajectory these days. One of them is leaving the house and she’s prepping herself for being James-free. It’s actually pretty smart.

In the nomination ceremony Victor keeps it simple with his speeches. All he says is that Natalie is the pawn and James was the deciding vote that got him out. So, it’s all pretty clear and makes sense. Paul and Victor are happy. Then in the Diary Room James makes an idiotic comment about how he’s responsible for Natalie being on the block and wants to win the Veto so he can take her off and make it up to her. Why James wants to sacrifice his (non) game for her makes no sense. C’mon, James. Everything was making sense for a second there! Why’d you have to go and ruin it with your silly remarks. Are you channeling Marcellas Reynolds (from BB Season 3) now?

 

The September 4th feeds begin with a bang even though Victor and Paul are calmly sipping coffee outside. Natalie comes to join them and immediately says she wants them to vote her out and keep James. At the same time James says to Corey that he wants to be voted out so they’ll keep Natalie. Paul responds by asking Nat what she’ll do if they kept her. This stuns Natalie. She doesn’t want to answer other than saying that of course she would fight for herself. But then Nat says, “It’s just really hard being on the block with your best friend,” which really bugs them because she put them on the bock together. Victor was even evicted as a result. Victor and Paul joke about it for the rest of the day. Corey decides to integrate all of this “strategy” into his Veto speech, “Well, since you both say that you want to leave this house, I don’t see much point in using the Veto to take you off the block.” Ha ha. It might actually make a semi-interesting Veto ceremony for the first time in Season 18.

Later in the evening we get some freestyle rap from “el douchebag “(Victor’s self ascribed rapper name) and it’s hilarity in the kitchen. Certainly more fun to listen to than Nicole’s whining or Jatalie’s bickering taking place in other rooms. The rappin’ mostly involves Vic engaging Paul across the counter with raps like, “Inside his beard/ is another beard/ and inside that beard …” And he even says, “Mic check on Mr Jenkins” at one point. Mr. Jenkins, being, of course, the basil plant that Bridgette had to leave behind when she was evicted. Thank you, Victor, for the endless reams of entertainment.

– Katherine Recap

Daily BB House Stats:
HOH – Victor
HOH Nominated – Natalie, James
Veto Winner – Corey
Evicted – #1 Jozea #2 Victor #3 Bronte #4 Tiffany #5 Frank #6 Da’vonne #7 Zakiyah #8 Bridgette #9 Paulie #10 Victor #11 Michelle

Most of what transpired September 3rd in the Big Brother house happens in the evening and off the feeds. The Veto competition starts in late afternoon. So then, inevitably, ends late as well. The challenge then lasts more than five hours. Corey wins the Veto while Natalie takes second place. The houseguests look like they were trapped in a mine for several days in filthy faces and ripped, dirty costumes. The effect is particularly funny on Victor, who comes out looking like Jesus – appropriate since he’s the savior of BB18 as our beloved underdog. That is until he puts his red baseball hat on and ruins the whole messiah look. If Jozea was still in there he would have fixed that pronto – Off with that cap, savior boy! … and here’s a sweep of bronzer on your Adam’s apple while we’re at it.

After the challenge Natalie and James “get real” with each other for a bit. We know historically this means Natalie tells James what’s actually going on in the house that he can’t see while he refuses to acknowledge it for an eternity. It was like this back when she convinced him they needed to evict Paulie. The circle of BB life continues to spin and loop on the feeds as Natalie tells James over and over that because she played so hard in the competition they’re coming after her. This is, of course, completely 100% the case and currently happening upstairs in the HOH. Natalie knows in her gut. But James stays clueless as she gets increasingly frustrated until finally Nat Nat says that if James teams up with Nicorey after she leaves she won’t talk to him again. That gets his attention and James finally starts listening because he’s hurt. Natalie apologizes but it’s obvious she’s pleased that he’s finally hearing her. She’s frustrated, Nat explains, “because I followed you into the dark,” and got screwed. It’s pretty true. Especially the part about him being in the dark.

James sustains a bruised ego once he realizes she’s right because HE wants to be considered a threat. James even says to Nat that to evict her is a, “waste of an HOH,” implying that she’s no threat. But we can see clearly that, as per usual, James is wrong. He continues to say he’ll fall on a sword for her but Natalie’s insistent she’s going. As of right now she doesn’t want James to sacrifice himself for her anyway. Natalie fights her own battles… and wins more often than James.

Meanwhile upstairs Nicorey and Paul convince Victor that Natalie needs to go. It’s becoming clear that her weakness and whining are just an act (we knew this) and she’s capable of kicking ass when the chips are down. Getting rid of Nat puts Nicorey in an excellent position, Nicole especially. This whole season James has played like the ultimate pawn and also a protective shield for Natalie. He’s all talk about, “making big game moves” but the only thing James ever really does is try to please people with shoving his head deeper into the sand. The votes are against Natalie because the one person who really wants James gone (Victor) doesn’t get to vote this week. Victor has good reasons for wanting to evict James. It was James who put him up on the block when Victor was evicted. Of course he wants him out. It’s rational revenge. The minute he’s out of his Jesus digs, Victor’s ready to roll with literal vengeance. Who can blame him? Not us.

Still, the plan is to blindside James by letting him think he’s going all week and then, swift and cool, evict Natalie. This way James won’t be prepped to compete in the next HOH and will also be emotionally unsteady. It gives them a better chance to win, but really they don’t need much of a leg up. James isn’t exactly a stellar competitor. You think he regrets jumping off the last HOH willingly for Nicole yet? Our guess is that he hasn’t given it a second thought. Reason #47 why we’re not big James fans up in here at Fetchland.com. Let’s see if it stays this way until Thursday. There are several days for the dynamic to change. Considering how much it shifted just from yesterday, when Natalie was allegedly thrilled at the prospect of a Paul/Victor final two, it could be a new story as soon as tomorrow. Stay tuned here at Fetchland.com for all the latest and greatest in the Big Brother house and check out our tweets @RuiningBigBro.

– Katherine Recap

Daily BB House Stats:
HOH – Victor
HOH Nominated – Natalie, James
Veto Winner – TBD
Evicted – #1 Jozea #2 Victor #3 Bronte #4 Tiffany #5 Frank #6 Da’vonne #7 Zakiyah #8 Bridgette #9 Paulie #10 Victor #11 Michelle
Battle Back Winner – Victor & Victor (again)
Return Ticket Holder – Paul
Have-Nots – None
Have-Not Supplement – N/A

On September 2nd Victor finally makes his HOH nominations after an interminable wait. The houseguests play dominos all day while patiently anticipating Victor’s decision. Of course, he puts Natalie and James on the block, as expected. But what was surprising after the fact was their reaction, especially from Natalie who says she, “can’t wait to see Victor or Paul win $500K,” and also that she just wants to win HOH so she can put Nicorey up on the block. It’s so lovely to see that putting Natalie on the block has recharged her cheerleader bunny batteries and completely cured her HOHitis. She’s out of her slump – hooray!

Speaking of Natalie, now that she’s bright and bubbly again she can make anything fun and cute, including a solid hour of nose strip application and removal. She and James stay up late and beautify together while they talk game. Her revitalized personality shows us a crucial Nat Nat attribute. Turns out she’s one of those people who’s at their best under pressure. This bodes well for her in these final weeks. So, watch out, houseguests! We predict that Natalie’s going to be playing hard in these final days and the way James has been acting (he said “I love you” to her on September 2nd) it appears that he’d be happy to fall on a sword for her.

The consensus on Twitter agrees with Natalie that Paul and Victor deserve to be in the final two. In fact, several feedsters and updaters have commented that if they end up there they’ll be the first truly deserving final two EVER in Big Brother history. This is largely due to the fact that many great players get there by leaving their alliances in the dust, whether it’s by choice or not. These two are tight, though and will do everything they can to stay together. It doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to make it all the way to the end as a duo because luck plays a critical element in the game of Big Brother, like in most games.

Next we’ll see the Veto competition and subsequent drama confetti, so tune in to Fetchland.com for all the deets. You can also check our daily updates on twitter @RuiningBigBro.

– Katherine Recap