September 11, 2008 (Final Eviction)
Well, gang, it's been a long 66 days, but we've made it to the Final 2. After a predictable and pretty thrill-less final HOH competition, the final jury member was set when the new HOH sent him packing, sealing the deal for the two remaining houseguests. Who pulled out the win and who got the boot? Let's find out!
As one would expect, Jerry didn't last very long in the first leg of the HOH competitions. Endurance just isn't an older man's game, unfortunately for Jerry. But it couldn't have worked better for the Renegades, who we learned were very much still aligned, despite Dan overplaying (yes, I agree with Memphis) of his anger over Keesha's eviction. But the plan had Jerry fooled, so I guess it was working pretty well. With Jerry out of the way, Memphis held on for a good while to give the appearance he wasn't throwing the competition, before ultimately falling off, giving Round 1 of the HOH battle to Dan.
Dan got his bye to the final round, so Memphis and Jerry faced off in a boxing-themed mental and physical challenge that involved "punching out" the incorrect houseguests, leaving only the HOH and final nominees standing in each of 10 rounds, one for every eviction. (Again, I found it hilarious that Big Brother used a rip-off of "Eye of the Tiger" - and a rather bad one, at that - rather than the real deal.) Memphis and Jerry both got off to a decent start, and both had some missteps, especially Jerry. But I never would have guessed that he was out in the back yard for nearly an hour! That's right, Memphis slaughtered Jerry with a time of 8:53 to 51:22. Jerry was embarrassed (rightfully so), and I was embarrassed for him as the camera inexplicably stayed on him in his underwear after the competition.
Before we got down to the final competition, we were treated to Keesha's entrance into the jury house, and the reaction of the other evictees. As expected, Renny was thrilled to see her (if sad that she lost the game) while Michelle and April were their usual catty (and classless) selves. (Anybody else notice that April and Ollie were missing from the card game? Those two are animals!) Michelle tried to drop the "Dan took me on a trip" bombshell, but Keesha quickly revealed that she already knew. While her actions suggest that she knows Dan had his part to play in her eviction (
read more about her thoughts in my interview with Keesha), she and Michelle both agreed that Dan is playing a really smart game. Looks like his plan might be coming together!
So Dan and Memphis go head-to-head in a glorified guessing game. (Those "how did the houseguests finish this sentence?" games always have some answers I just find odd, so it's tough to predict. It was tight for most of the six rounds, but in the end, Dan pulled away to win his third and final HOH. Being a fan of Dan's for most of this season, I was glad to know that he had secured his place in the finals, and quickly wondered if any shenanigans were about to go down. (I had previously worried that Memphis might flip on Dan, though I didn't think Dan would do that to Memphis). And he didn't, as he quickly sent Jerry out to meet Julie.
For what it's worth, I never really hated Jerry, but I did think his Judas speech was uncalled for. I feel a little bad for him making it so close only to go away empty handed. (Though I think he might win America's favorite, since t hey already gave him a call from his wife. Call me crazy!) I give him credit for hanging in there with the young crowd, when I completely expected him to be gone about four weeks ago. But Jerry was smarter than many gave him credit for, and he is on to Dan and Memphis' alliance, despite it being pretty obvious at this point.
As for the Renegades, I was disappointed that they didn't whip out the bandannas until after Jerry was out of the house. I know they talked about the reveal in earlier episodes, so I was expecting some sort of "moment." Also, though I did worry that Memphis might flip on Dan, I believe Dan should have lost the last competition to make Memphis again be the bad guy by "betraying" his deal with Jerry. I think Dan's rationale to play up the fact that Memphis never won HOH is decent, but I think Memphis can turn that rationale in his favor by showing that he made moves in the house, without ever being in power (a la Dr. Will.) Plus, Jerry would have left with a sour taste in his mouth against Memphis, not Dan. I still think Dan will be our winner, though. Memphis rode a lot of coattails and made and broke several deals, while Dan has won competitions and played a tough, smart game.
So, what do you think of the Final 2? Who do you hope pulls it out? If you have questions for Jerry, pop 'em in the comments and I will try to ask them tomorrow. Share all your thoughts on tonight's happenings, and check back Sunday for more and next Tuesday for our special finale recap! -
Adam
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