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House at War

In the scheme of things it was a minor skirmish, something that happens in your average highstreet on a Friday and Saturday night. Yet in the world of Big Brother, it was the fiercest and most aggressive night which the show has ever seen during it's five year run. BB fight night was a stunning piece of entertainment, and one that will ricochet around BB world for years to come.

The past week in the house

Besides 'Fight Night' there were some other important events in the past week. Nominations were scrubbed for a week, the Saturday task was cancelled, Jason continued his pursuit of Vanessa, and Michelle changed her strategy to a more stealth approach.

Vanessa - just say No!

Jason has been relentlessly pursuing his target of Vanessa since day'1, yet despite his (near) hourly advances she has kept a stern distance with him. Jason would obviously like to have an on-screen sexual relationship, but this is most certainly not the case for Vanessa. She is indeed quite adverse to even being kissed in view of the cameras, never mind doing anything more.

With Vanessa being evicted this Friday, poor Jason is going to find himself even more sexually frustrated. Will Jason move onto someone else in the house, Dan perhaps ? Is Jason really that desperate for sex, or is he trying to increase his exposure to the media ?

Just good friends? Vanessa has consistently spurned Jason

Evil BB

The whole fake eviction concept was a masterfully evil plan by BB. I can not think of a more crazy and manipulative scheme to pit housemate against housemate. Yet did BB go too far, did they really not realise the possible implications of allowing 2 housemates to watch the others for 5 days ?

The policy of waking up the housemates each morning is good. Why let them sleep in until 2pm each day ? Dan has had particular problems with sleeping at night, and perhaps BB is looking to push him over the edge ?
We can hope that there will at least be a few more 'impossible tasks' over the next few Saturdays, enough to get the prize fund below £50,000. This would at least annoy the money desperate Shell, which is always a good thing ;)

Long days of nothing

The housemates are bored stiff. As at Day'27 almost all of the housemates were in bed by 11pm, having completed a mid-week task, only to realise that the reward was a collection of cardboard boxes - Jason was really pissed at this latest insult from BB, and I can't really blame him for feeling this way. The fact that nominations were suspended for the week, has contributed to a pretty dull household this past week.

It would also appear that BB is now limiting severely the amount of booze and extra food treats that the housemates get in addition to their weekly allowance. This is not good at all, and is just going to make for dull viewing. The BB production team are going to need to pick the show up quickly, or viewers are going to quit watching. Having housemates go to bed at 11pm is not exactly great late night viewing on E4 is it?

Fight Night

C4 had provided us viewers with the ultimate manipulation of the housemates, separating Emma and Michelle from the rest of the group, and allowing them to view the rest of the group on a 24/7 TV feed. It was bound to cause some kind of conflict, although few - myself included, did not envision such a conflict occurring as quickly as it did.

Highlights Gallery - click on pic for large version

Also see: Fight Night Gallery

Who caused the fight ? I've read an immense amount of opinion across the many net forums, and it all depends on each viewers perceptions of how they morally perceive each of the housemates. Those that can't stand Marco and Emma have claimed that Jason's response to Marco's little dance was entirely justified. Conversely, those who could never tolerate Jason or Victor blame them for the conflict.

Personally, I see it like this. Emma's initial teasing of Jason and Victor was really quite tame with what she could have done. If you were in her position, and had seen 2 guys talk about you negatively, how would you have played it when you returned ? Emma could have called a house meeting that night, and told the group exactly what she had seen, particularly the 'jungle cats' alliance. It is a shame she didn't take this more adult approach, but I do understand she was not up to this level of behaviour. Instead, she took the teasing approach, something which Jason and Victor could not cope with.

Was Jason's response to Marco acceptable? No, and neither was Victor's comments to Emma acceptable.

If I was in control of the show that night, I would have booted Jason and Victor for threatening behaviour, and would have returned Emma late Thursday evening to the group. From the way I see things, C4 chose to support the bullies, and scape-goated Emma. It was a pretty gutless - but typical action, from a bunch of dumb TV executives.

C4 losing their heads.. again?

The aftermath of fight night is something that still annoys me. Sure Emma and Victor needed to be separated that night, but for Emma to be locked away from EVERY other housemate was utterly unjustified.

Lets be quite clear about matters, Emma was scape-goated by C4. Even though their press released claimed that BB did not attribute to Emma any more blame than to any other housemate, the facts are clear. Emma was locked away in the bedsit from the early hours of Thursday until sometime between late Friday and late Saturday. The exact time Emma left has never been confirmed as far as I know.

It is amazing that Emma chose to stay alone in the bed-sit at the request of BB, I can't imagine Victor or Jason finding it acceptable being locked away from the rest of the group. Yet as those who watch the show devoutly will have noticed, Emma was calm and appeared to be quite 'okay' with things by late Thursday. She had expressed regret over what had happened, which is something neither Victor or Jason ever did.

Emma: Unjustified solitary confinement

Suspending the eviction of Vanessa last Friday was not at all necessary. The reason BB gave to justify it's decision that it was in the 'interest of housemates' is stupid. The pace of the show has now been seriously tinkered with too much. The added cancellation of the Saturday evening task was similarly a crazy decision. Viewers effectively have been denied two of the central events of the week. I just wonder what sort of paranoid BB executive is making these decisions, and how much they are being paid. Perhaps members of the production team are consuming too much of the white fairy dust, it would help explain a great many of their recent stupid decisions.

Housemate Assessments

Ψ Ahmed: Another pretty quiet week from this housemate. He practically slept through 'fight night', and stayed well clear of the argument. I suppose this is to his credit.

The amazing thing is that not only has he survived the first month, he looks likely to perhaps survive to week 8, which would be an astounding achievement considering how he was perceived in week 1' by both housemates and viewers.

Ψ Dan : The Diplomat, the saviour of Emma ? Dan is the man isn't he, what a stunning example of professional behaviour he displayed on fight night. Literally picking up and taking away Emma, and almost single handedly preventing Emma from attacking Victor or Jason.

Dan will just make it to the final night, but despite his charm and his friendly personality he will not win.

Ψ Emma : She was indeed my original favourite to win the show, and sadly she is no longer in the running. Her past week in the house was perhaps the most bizarre any housemate has ever endured. The fake eviction was a first for BB, Emma ends realising she is not going to be booted after all, and along with Michelle stays in the grubby room for 5 full days.

A farewell to you dear Emma, many will miss you.

War weary: Emma's BB5 win was not meant to be.

Ψ Jason : Scheming, sly, letchey, vain ..... that's what Jason is. For a few weeks this has been entertaining. I'm all for game players in the house, it is what has added some extra spice to this years show.

Jason's constant attentions on Vanessa are pitiful though. He looks like some horny 14yr old, who would beg for sex if he thought it would get him some. His letchy hands on Vanessa have at times been sickly to watch, although at least Vanessa has made it quite clear nothing would ever happen inside - or outside of the house. Poor Jason hasn't a hope of love/passion with Vanessa. Haha.

I noted in my initial impressions of Jason there is something of 'Jonny Regan' in him. I said, just him a little time and he may well slip into the same depressed and moody state that Jonny' BB3 did. Over the last few days this is exactly what has happened. Jason has become very distanced from the other housemates, complaining about all sorts of things, and generally has been in a right old moody.

Jason is going to get seriously booed when he leaves the house, but I'm sure he'll cope very well with what ever the crowd might throw at him (literally). Jason destroyed his chances of winning as a result of fight night.

Boiling up : Jason was outraged at the return of Emma and Michelle

Ψ Marco : The happy clappy seal continues to evade eviction, despite his somewhat provocative behaviour on fight night. Now that Fight night is almost a week in the past Marco is starting to get a bit rowdy again - much to the annoyance of Jason. Marco remains an important element in the group, but with Emma gone and Michelle fading away into the background, he is going to find daily life a lot harder.

Marco remains a secondary eviction target, he'll last for 2-3 more weeks, but can't possibly win BB5.

Ψ Michelle : She is playing a shrewd game isn't she? Like many of the other housemates during fight night, Michelle's behaviour illustrated her new strategy. She is going to play the 'Stealth approach' - one of being very quiet, and trying not to annoy anyone if at all possible. As ever, she is desperately clingy to her beloved chicken (bless her), although that in itself separates her from others in the group.

Despite being in the bedsit, Michelle is going to reach the final night.

Clinging on tight to her Chicken- Michelle

Ψ Nadia : Dear Nadia, she is an interesting character whom I do like. The whole transsexual thing has been very much over discussed. It is getting dull to continue hearing about her life change. What is the big deal after all ? Surely all the other housemates - even Ahmed, are now well aware of Nadia's past. I certainly don't blame Nadia for keeping quiet about it, it is nobody's business but hers.

Nadia remains one of the lights of BB5, however she will not make the final night. Unlike some of the other housemates, Nadia is not enough of a game player to survive into the latter stages of the series..

Ψ Shell : She is playing the game quite well. With the loss Vanessa - arguably her best friend in the house, Shell will need to take a place in the middle of the group. She has lately been spending a lot more of her time with Nadia and even Marco.I actually quite like Shell, she has a long list of annoying traits, but she is certainly more polite and respectable than many of the other housemates.

Shell will reach the final night of the show as I originally predicted, but she still lacks the character to win. Why would the public vote for her ?

Ψ Stuart : Cowboy Stu-pid is becoming something of a dullard. He seems to be getting more and more dull with each passing day. His reactions to Michelle's daily attempts at seducing him are indeed funny to watch. Is Stuart a virgin ? Hmm, I would propose that he may well will be. He is certainly the most anxious of the group, just watch him when it comes to the Saturday night tasks - the guy is terrified !

As things are, with the loss of Emma after fight night...Stuart is now the obvious likely winner of BB5.

Sheriff Stu-pid : Now the likely winner of BB5

Ψ Vanessa : Her 1 week stay of execution was not justified, and it annoying she is still around. Her behaviour on fight night was a right mixed bag. Many will not have seen what happened prior to the main argument, where she was crying with Shell and Dan. Later of course, we have her 'pouncing' on Nadia - why she was annoyed with Nadia, no one has really discovered.

Farewell Vanessa, we won't be missing you.

Ψ Victor : Public enemy no'1 ? Whatever you may think of him, Victor has had an highly intense week in the house. Surprisingly he actually tried to diffuse the conflict that was beginning to erupt on fight night, and for that he is to be commended. Yet generally, he is a very unbalanced and hostile housemate.

His recent argument with Shell about the shopping list is typical of Victor. He will take a very small disagreement and hold onto it, and make it into as big an issue as he can. It is as though Victor thrives on being aggressive. He has now been called into the diary room a number of times for breaking the rules - his protests on the roof, nominations talk, and his behaviour during 'fight night'. If anyone deserved to be booted for breaking house rules, it is Victor.

Angry Clown : Victor is now Enemy No'1

For his behaviour and attitude during 'Fight Night', Victor will not win BB5. When he does get evicted - which appears likely to be next week, he could well get the most blood thirsty crowd reception any housemate has ever received.

Group Dynamics

Let us take a quick overview of the remaining 9 housemates, assuming that Vanessa is already gone.

Group 1: 'the children': Marco, Nadia
Group 2: 'middle people': Ahmed, Dan, Michelle, Shell, Stuart,
Group 3: 'the cats' : Jason, Victor

Post fight night, the group remained literally split for a number of hours. Even once they were all back together, the tension is still there - even though they are masking it. Sure, they can all sit together and watch a mute version of the Football on TV and act happily, but underneath there remains some serious splits in the group.

With the eviction of Vanessa ( a certainty) and the forced eviction of Emma ( the travesty !) the group balance has altered a fair bit. Arguably, Jason and Victor are now in a class of their own. Dan and Michelle are now in the middle group. Just consider how Michelle has played the game since she returned from the bedsit. She was far more aware of the Jungle cats 'alliance' than Emma was, yet she has chosen to be essentially mute. Further, Michelle and Stu-pid are now a couple unto themselves, they rode out the storm of fight night, and have been pretty quiet ever since - and it would seem likely this will continue until the final night of the show - I continue to expect both of them to reach the last night.

As for the remaining children - Nadia and Marco, it seems likely that they will both continue as ever - although without Emma to give them an emotional boost they will probably be a lot quieter than they initially were. The loss of Michelle to the 'middle ground' will also see them further exposed as eviction targets.

With the perceived loss of Vanessa, Shell has already begun to associate herself more with the children - much to the annoyance of Jason and Victor. Similarly, Dan is also spending increasing time with housemates he initially stayed clear of.

One final note, is the case of Ahmed. He is proving to be a surprisingly resilient housemate, and now looks quite secure for a further 2-3 weeks within the house. He is the 'wandering housemate', very quiet, going to bed at 11pm, and seems to be maintaining a relatively 'okay' position within the group. The issue is will he start picking on Marco again?

My final 4, having taken into consideration the loss of Emma

For those of you that disagree, please remember this - NEVER under-estimate the power of the teenie texters. They are a key voting component, and usually have the casting vote in deciding who will win. Stu-pid will win BB5, there is little doubt of this now. It will be weird though if the final two are the 'couple'. Dan will get third place, with Shell getting very few votes - much like Steph did in BB4.

Looking ahead

Barring more shock decisions by BB, Vanessa will get the boot this Friday evening. It appears that many of the housemates are already resigned to the loss of Vanessa. Vanessa herself claims she will be evicted because she is a girl with blonde hair, haha. Maybe she should revert to her original colour then, instead of trying to portray her current fake persona.

It would seem likely that Jason and Victor will be up for the boot next week - with Victor going. Actually, if next Friday Big Brother does give the order for him to leave, will Victor refuse ? Would he dare to stay, and risk the group losing even more money from the remaining prize fund ?

The reception for Victor from the baying mob outside could be very interesting to watch. Will Victor need an armed escort -not only in order to meet Davina, but to protect his ass for the foreseeable future ?

What now needs to happen in BB is to get things back on track, weekly public evictions MUST become standard again, and if there is going to be a rule banning nominations talk, then BB should damn well enforce this rule.

It would appear highly unlikely that the remaining housemates are going to get as rowdy as they did on 'Fight Night', but then again....you never know in the world of BB.

Enjoy the show

yours...

Calrissian : Waving a farewell to Emma.