James might win this game
I know it’s too early to really call the game at this point (that siren could always go off again) but I think James has played a very smart game and managed to balance strategy and relationships.
His strategy is unlike any I remember in the game so far. I think he’s playing the way they expected Kaysar to play after returning to the house in Big Brother 6. Instead, Kaysar made a critical error that proved to cost him the game just seven days after he was voted back into the house by America, winning over 80% of the vote. I would imagine that BB expected Kaysar (clearly America’s favorite player from that season) to return to the house, win the HOH and/or Veto and ensure that someone from the “good” side of the house won the entire show that year. Instead, he let go of the button too early in the endurance HOH comp and two of the most hated people in the history of the show ended up sitting in the final spots.
By contrast, James knew that if he didn’t win HOH this week, he was out for sure and Matt would sail on into the finals and probably win the game. I could not have been happier when Natalie finally gave up and James took the title this week. Then, by winning the veto, he proved that he was a tough competitor and could end up flipping the Matt/Ryan power dynamic on it’s ass. As Dean said in his comment on the last post, “What was more impresive, James got the veto or that he used it? I have to respect James for what he did. He had total control over the week and he is doing what he wants. Not many HoH’s are willing to do that.”
Speaking of strategy, I think James’ plans this year have shown a whole new idea for how to play the game. It’s not the cold calculated strategy of Dr. Will and it’s not the reign of terror of Evel Dick, it’s something that rarely works in this game (and is probably only working now because of twists). James is playing like another James, James Rhine from Big Brother 6 and Big Brother All-Stars. He’s making big strategic moves, showing that he is a silent threat, and (at least before his nomination last week) had been playing both sides of a polarized house while remaining safely in the middle.
If you think back to BB6, you’ll remember how James and his girlfriend Sarah were originally members of the Sovereign 6 alliance, which included All-Star players like Janelle and Kaysar. James was very sneaky and began forming sub-alliances with members of the opposite side of the house, the Nerd Herd, or FriendSHEEP as they were sometimes called by BB fans. In particular, he had very close ties with Ivette, who went on to place second in that season. His two-faced game brought him far, until the 6 realized he was a mole for the other side and nominated him.
Crazy James has been playing a very similar game. His early “operations” only solidified his place with the boys alliance, forming a powerhouse of strong players. Then, on the other side of the house, he had close ties with Josh and Sharon and maintained a partnership with them. And beyond that, he also had Chelsia to think about as their relationship blossomed from “showmance” to actual romance. It seemed that neither side knew exactly who he was with until last week when he pushed for Matt’s eviction and ended up back-doored by his former allies. This split the house and, upon his return, he did exactly what the audience (and producers) wanted and went for revenge, putting Ryan and Matt on the block.
Like I said in the beginning of this very long post, it’s still too early to call the game, but I’m hoping James makes it to the final four (if not the final two) because he proved that he’s not afraid to make some big game moves, to lie to people who betrayed him, and to flip the power structure of the house. Twists and turns that do these things are what makes BB so entertaining. It’s no fun when one group controls the entire house going into the finals (see BB6) because it doesn’t matter who wins at that point. Just like last year’s final HOH, it’s best when the people you like can go head to head with the people you don’t and emerge victorious. To put it plainly, revenge is good tv.
I liked James from Big Brother All Stars but what I think was his undoing was his poor performances in competitions. He was a great leader but when his team needed him the most he could not finish the job. James, while I think these are his only victories this season, this past week he came up clutch unlike James in All-Stars (didn’t see BB6 so I don’t know if that was a different story). It might be too early to tell but if he is indeed a strong player in competitions, then he is a mixture of Janelle and James. He has Janelle’s winning ability and James mind for the game. The other strong players in the house (based on your synopsis) are Ryan, Matt, and Natalie. All three have one component (Ryan and Natalie are good in competitions, Matt is a leader) but do not have both like James does. All that said, I think it could either way for James.
If the other players pick up on how strong James is, they might once again target him next week. But the weak outnumber the strong in the house. The weak might look to James for protection and might keep him around, like Erika of Big Brother All-Stars, a bit too long. I think after next week’s nominations, it will be much clearer what James’ chances are of winning the game. I think his chances are good to stick around. I see only Josh being a legitimate threat to taking him out because from what I had seen earlier in the season, he seems like a pretty bright player.
James was the Veto King in BB6 for winning all the Vetos’s. He says he threw comps in All Stars which was stupid, IMO