'Big Brother 8'

Being a fervent fan of the summer hit 'Big Brother', I was really surpised on how this season has turned out. As it is, many of whom I thought had stood a chance at ending up in the Final Two are now sitting either in the Jury House or are sitting at home waiting for the Reunion show that will take place this coming Thursday. Needless to say, up until this point, things have really started to heat up. Is this common...in a word, yes. But, again, there are still a lot of things that have to be considered as to how the rest of the week will play out, and there are definitely a lot of wild cards in the mix.

For the last several weeks, the Denato alliance, father 'Evil' Dick and daughter Danielle, have been a extremely dominant force within the house, and now with the exit of the two current lovebirds, Eric (*who has been America's Player since he entered), and Jessica, his girlfriend, this father and daughter team-up have made their way into the Final Four. But, is there a possibility that maybe they have overextended their boundaries and perhaps made a very bad judgement call this week? Zack, the current Head of Household, has managed to hang on through the entire game while 'ghosting under the radar'. He had alliances that he had quickly made and broken, especially with the what I called the 'Ma Barker and Her Boys' alliance that he had entered with Kail, Mike, Rob, and a few others, with Kail being the ringleader. Now that Kail has left the house due to her eviction several weeks ago, Zach has had to make an uneasy alliance with the Denato's. Now, just last night, there has been betrayal brewing in the wings as Danielle and Dick had planned on making their move to take the Head of Household position. But, in a strange change of events, Zack is now sitting in the coveted position, and now the Denato's will have to do everything they can to make sure they win the 'Power Of Veto' competition this week in order to remain in control of the house. But, is there another chance that the two remaining houseguests, Zack and Jameka, his current alliance, a school counselor, can turn the tide and make sure that at least one of the family members within the powerful alliance goes home this Tuesday? Let's take a look at past 'Big Brother' shows and determine exactly what could happen, and what may end up happening with the current situation and who could end up walking away with the grand prize.

In past shows, the game has relied on deceit, betrayal, and dominance in order for one to get ahead. Many in the past who have attempted to play the game straight and pull no punches have never succeeded and have missed the chance to be in the coveted Final Four. Chicken George, from Seasons 1 and 7, has come close but has never actually made it. When he returned for Season 7, he made the grave error of getting himself caught by other houseguests of listening in on their conversations by pretending to do housework and being everyone's 'friend'. While his play during that season was admirable, he unfortunately forgot that every once in a while that subterfuge is a neccesity. We also cannot forget Dr. Will and Mike Boogie, from Seasons 1,2, and 7, who made up the dominant force known as Chill Town. These two, when they worked together on Season 7, were a duo to be contended with, as they not only knew how to play and strategize in the game, they were also master manipulators, with Dr. Will being given the infamous nickname, 'The Puppeteer', due his masterful manipulation of others. While this may be a good strategy, it unfortunately leads to overconfidence and being evicted from the house. In that season, even though Dr. Will was evicted, Mike Boogie still ended up walking out of the house with the Grand Prize thanks to the votes that he had received from his fellow houseguests who applauded Mike's tenacity and cunning during the course of the game. Many hearts were broken, of course, during the commenecement of that season. They were houseguests Erica from Season 4 and Janelle from Season 6, who had fallen deeply what they had though was ('in love'), but was nothing more than a 'showmance' that they worked to their advantage. But it was sound gameplay, though under-handed. Lastly, we cannot forget about Season 6, with King Kaysar and his Sovereign Six, who dominated the house almost through the entire course of the game until Kaysar allowed his over-confidence to be his undoing, sending other members of his alliance scrambling to make other alliances with other members of the house. This was ultimately what ended up being his downfall in the end, with his former allies voting against him to get him out of the house.

Now, as we have seen, making large alliances with houseguests within the house has proven to be an ineffectual means of keeping one within the game. So, where the Denatos made their best bet is by keeping their alliance small, with starting with only three or four at the beginning of the game, but still watching out for each other if one of the mebers should change allegiances with them and make for greener pastures. With Dick and Danielle working as a team and watching each other's backs, they have proven that a two-person alliance can be extremely effective in a game such as this. Danielle has already proven her drive, as she has won countless compettitions throughout the season and proven she will do whatever it takes to keep her and her father within the game until the end. Dick, being the brains of the operation and the outspoken one of the entire house, has never had to rely on betrayal as a weapon during this time. At least not until now. He has pulled this card as a last resort as there are only four people left in the house, giving a one-in-four chance of either himself of his daughter getting the prize. But, there are still the other two obstacles that they will have to overcome: Zach and Jameka. Let's look at them now.

In order for Zach to remain for the last week and not be one of the two final houseguests evicted, he's going to have to play it low-key for the next few days in order to ensure his victory. He already has the Denato's nominated for eviction and they are on the Chopping Block this week. Tuesday is going to have to be where he ultimately makes his move, but he's going to have to play it cool if he wants to succeed. The Veto is what he is going to need, and he's got to make sure that either he or Jameka gets it in order to at least get rid of either Dick or Danielle this week if he's going to make the Final Two. Now, if Jameka gets the Veto, it could go either way. She has already struck a deal with Dick last week that he would keep her on if she did not stand against Dick and/or Danielle, and he has ensured her that the three of them will make the Final Three, which will be decided this Tuesday at the Live Eviction show. But, there is a good chance that she may remain with her alliance with Zach. This is simply because she has already made statements saying that she 'does not trust E.D. or anything that he has to say'. With this being the case, she is going to be a wild card that the other three are going to have to take into contention when they play for the Veto. If Jameka is successful, there may be no knowing which way she will go. She's grasping at straws at the moment to stay in the game, and is willing to do anything to make sure that she makes the Final Three.

With all of this being said, he's what must be understood and what I can see as possibly happening towards the final show, which will air this Thursday:

1) Dick and Danielle could do a sweep and make it to the Final Two, but their over-confidence right now is taking over their common sense. They already believe that they have this 'in the bag' and that the two of them are going to be walking out of there with the Grand and Runner-Up prizes. It is this kind of attitude that blocks reasoning while one is trying to strategize. The only way that this can happen is to keep their heads in the game and keep the same ferocity as they have had since this 'Big Brother' has started.

2) If Zach plans on winning, he will have to overcome his smugness and self-absorbedness in order to win. Right now, he is in a calm place because he is sitting in the Head of Household position. He will have to get past this feeling, as Head of Household will only last for a short time, and it does not mean that it will immediately ensure him victory. He will have to strategize to keep Jameka on his side, and that may not take much considering the current state of affairs as well as keep a low profile for the next few days.

3) If Jameka wants victory, she's going to have explode onto the scene and stop acting like a whining baby. She has hung back for so long riding on the coattails of others that she has not made her presence known within this game. She needs to reclaim her identity to the others and make a stand if she wants to continue. In layman's terms, she's going to have to 'cowgirl up'!If it means kicking the others to the curb to ensure her chances, then a little bit of skullduggery may not be without cause at this point. Whatever she decides, it must be quick and decisive if she wants to win.

We won't know what will happen by the time Thursday rolls around. Ultimately, it will depend on the Jury and what they have to say at the Reunion show. If I had to make my bet, I would rather see Zach and Jameka make the Final Two, as they may not have made a whole lot of noise during the course of the game, they played a game that was brilliantly executed, as they still remained true to themselves. I can only anticipate what Thursday will bring. I just hope I have enough popcorn!