I’m at a total loss for words. After Sunday’s episode of Big Brother, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Dan was following Boogie out the door. But all it took was a Power of Veto competition and 24 hours in solitary for things to take a complete 180, stunning everyone in the process. And now I don’t know who to root for!
I’ve seen people all around the internet call Dan the greatest Big Brother player of all time, and I guess he really proved that tonight. After being Frank’s number one target for a couple of weeks, especially after blaming him for Boogie’s eviction, he had the perfect opportunity to get rid of the guy. I mean, yes, he took out your last two allies, but more than that, he’s won the game already. He knows how to play the game, and he knows how to manipulate people so he can win again. Even poor Danielle was ready to throw herself on a sword so Dan could stay in the game this week! Seriously?! I guess people really do start to go a little crazy when being cooped up like this.
So we ended the last episode with the perfect scenario for Frank to basically win the game. Dan was toast. It was in Frank’s best interest, it was in the Quack Pack’s best interest. Just as much as Frank is a threat because he’s a beast in competitions, Dan is a bigger threat because he is the master manipulator. And he’s so good that no one realizes it! He played hard to win the veto when he said he was going to throw it so a Quack Packer could hopefully win and keep them all safe. Britney was so flustered by all that she couldn’t even think straight so she could win. Then Frank, who had the competition locked, helped Britney with an answer which was a total violation of the rules and got himself eliminated from the game … after enduring punishment after punishment just to keep nominations the same! Out of the blue, Jenn comes from behind, wins Veto and, again, Dan’s fate was sealed.
But Dan had his own punishment that placed him in solitary for 24 hours. Just enough time for him to concoct probably one of the biggest loads of BS we’ve ever seen on Big Brother. Upon his release, Dan held his own funeral, turned on the tears, said some nice things to his fellow House Guests … except Danielle. He totally used her emotions on everyone else by telling them that she did something that he could never forgive her for and he would not talk to her for the rest of the game. No one knew what hit them. Had Dan lost his mind? I didn’t for a minute buy his tears, but I really felt horrible for what he did to Danielle. Even if it was for the good of their game, it was still awful to watch.
And while I have to grudgingly give it up to Dan for a masterful performance, I want to smack Frank and Jenn upside the head for falling for it hook, line and sinker. How can they put any faith in Dan now, especially after selling out Britney and Ian as the masterminds of the Quack Pack? Dude completely sold out his alliance to stay in the game, and Frank trusts him now to be in an alliance with him and Jenn (with Danielle tagging along as well)? Frank! Let’s not forget Dan was also part of the alliance that sent Boogie home. He still cast that vote! Did the chum bath and the carrot costume completely turn your brain to mush? Do you not realize Dan played you all to stay in the game … and he pulled it off? And now, I have a feeling that Frank’s secure feeling in his alliance with Dan the snake is going to be short-lived. I don’t see how anyone could trust Dan at this point, and I think Frank just handed him the $500,000 check. Unless …
Ian or Shane can pull off an HOH win this week. We know Britney is going to jury — she’s not even campaigning for votes — and the two remaining Quack Packers are going to be seeking revenge. If either of them do win HOH, you can bet Frank and Jenn will go on the block. Frank prophetically said this move could come back to bite him, so if he does end up on the block he’s going to have to convince Ian and Shane that Dan completely sold them out, someone will have to win veto who will take Frank off the block and Dan will have to deal with Britney in the jury house. Unless that happens, you can bet Dan and Danielle are going to steamroll over everyone to the finals. But does Dan deserve to win now for his masterful performance, or should he be evicted for selling out his alliance?
UPDATE: There is some great, spoilery information from Wednesday night’s live feeds that could ultimately impact the eviction.
Danielle has told Ian and Shane that Dan’s “funeral” and his treatment of her was just “for show.” It’s unknown if she’s trying to keep them aligned with her or if this will blow up in her face if they both go to Frank and tell him the truth. Should be interesting.
Clacked by Chuck Duncan 
on Aug 29, 2012 @ 23:07 EST5EDT
Chuck,
What you just witnessed is now the greatest player in the history of Big Brother. He’s always been a solid strategic player, but this definitely puts him over the top. A brilliant move in order to save him. Fantastic!
*POST AUTHOR*
Yes, it was a brilliant move. I just figured Frank had a little more brain power, but he went from being Boogie’s puppet to Dan’s puppet. The only difference now is that Boogie would have taken Frank to the end. Dan only has one person to take to the end with him and that’s Danielle. It would be too risky for Dan to take Frank to the final two because now he’s burned too many bridges with his Quack Pack betrayal. Going against Frank, I’d bet Britney, Ian and Shane would end up voting for Frank, Ashley and Jenn for sure, and possibly Joe would vote with them. Dan’s only sure vote would be Danielle. He has a better shot at winning against Danielle, because all he has to do is get up there and talk about how he coached her all the way and how he made this one game changing move. Easy win (of course, the same speech could give him a win against Frank because it would make him look like a fool for falling for that performance). But if Frank thinks he’s going to the final two with Dan, he really does have rocks in his head.
I agree completely. Frank is tremendous in competitions..probably one of the best I have ever seen, but Dan’s brilliance was in the HOH room with Frank, he made Frank feel like he had come up with the idea to get Jenn to use the veto instead of it looking like it was Dan…just brillinace on Dan’s part.
It’s funny how after Ashleigh was evicted how Frank was calling people puppets when he was Boogie’s puppet the whole time. You are correct though, Boogie would have taken Frank to the final, but Dan won’t.
This is why I love this show and it never gets boring to me!
So, yes, Dan has won the game if he makes it to the end. And America’s vote. He’s brilliant.
However, I can see how Frank & Jenn went for it. It’s probably one of the few opportunities they’re going to have to get Brittany out. She has the majority of the house on her strings, and putting her against Danielle is one of the few situations that would put the votes against her. And to get Dan out, all they have to do is spin evil Dan when they have the chance. (Not saying it’ll happen, but it’s doable.)
And it’s so in Frank’s interest. Dan will take him to the end if he can, I completely believe that. Because at max, he’ll have two votes – Jenn & Ashley. But Frank doesn’t see that. I would like to see that shock face when Dan trounces him in final votes. The only person Frank has a chance to win against is Jenn, and that’s iffy.
Ian’s face at Brittany’s nomination was heartbreaking. I like him. I don’t want him to win, but he’s a good kid. I’ll miss Brittany.
Dan for the win.
*POST AUTHOR*
I just don’t see how Frank could trust Dan as far as he could throw him. Dan was part of two alliances … one of which voted Frank’s complete alliance out of existence. Dan completely sold out his own alliance … To. Stay. In. The. Game. Frank is a bigger idiot than I thought he was because he was under Boogie’s spell and now he’s under Dan’s. His nomination of Britney wasn’t really strategic, it was revenge for Boogie (and because he couldn’t nominate Ian). The only person Dan will take to the final two is Danielle. She’s the ONLY person he’s been loyal to from day one. He has no loyalty to Frank or Jenn or anyone else. Yeah, Dan is great at manipulation and his move was brilliant. I just can’t understand how Frank could fall for it. It will come back to bite him.
1. Frank has been a fool trusting everyone. Shane, Brittany, Ian, Dan, Danielle. Joe maybe? He just wants to believe, and he’s just trying to make it week to week at this point. And he’s out of HOH contention for a hot minute. At this point, he might have the numbers on his side for the next two weeks. And Jenn? Right now, Jenn is so scared of being labeled as a floater/non-entity, she’s willing to do anything that will make her be seen as a player on the off chance she gets to the final two. And I think if the final two somehow ends up to be Jenn and Joe, I would laugh excessively.
2. I’m become a BBAD junkie, at least for a few minutes every night. Last night was Brittany going on about how she would vote for a plant over Frank because he has a horrible social game. I don’t know if that’s true, and I think he got a target being Boogie’s guy, but there is something to be said about the fact that Shane & Frank are probably close on the physical match up. But Shane has played a better social game presumably, because he hasn’t been forced to keep displaying his strength that much. But he also might not be a strategic force without Brittany, but there’s no telling.
It’ll be interesting regardless.
*POST AUTHOR*
You never know. Shane could turn out to be a Rachel. She was worthless the entire time she was in the house with Brendon, but the minute he was evicted she actually became a great game player and won. I’d love to see Shane go to work once Britney’s gone … but would his downfall be Danielle? I can see Ian kicking it into gear now. I think it would be great to see Ian and Frank in the final two and have Ian win it because he was a more strategic player, and he took Boogie out. It would have been interesting to see what might have happened had he used his veto to save Danielle. Jenn would not have had a second to think about changing her mind and Frank wouldn’t have been able to tell her not to pull Dan off. Britney would have still ended up on the block, but with Joe. Would Dan and Danielle have held to their new alliance, or stuck with the Quack Pack? Ian and Shane are going to have to really work on Joe now to keep him on their side if they want to get anyone on the new alliance out (and the funny thing is Jenn and Danielle don’t know that Frank and Dan made a final two “deal” so they’re just collateral damage in Frank’s eyes now).
Any comments on the fact that next week is supposed to be a double eviction, and Frank will not be eligible to play for HOH before that second eviction? [Penalty he took in POV competition.]
Can’t believe Frank lost POV by trying to help BRITNEY win it!!
*POST AUTHOR*
I’m hugely disappointed with Shane and Joe. They could have saved Britney, but everyone is now doing Dan’s bidding. I know who won the HOH comp, so it could be a very interesting Thursday. Frank is an idiot if he thinks Dan will take him to the end (if either of them make it that far after Thursday). Like Ian said, no one can win against Frank and Dan only has eyes for Danielle in the game. We’ll see what happens this weekend with nominations and POV competition, but with Frank out of the next HOH, he really can’t be feeling all that secure. But after last night, I’ve only got one pony in this game now — Ian.