Big Brother 4: Point/Counterpoint on the Show and Remaining Contestants

Alison: She really is a smart player. She may be a ho, ho-ish, ho-esque, but that doesn't make her stupid. She's won a mental HOH comp, she managed to get Nate to pull her off the block (at the end of the day, shame on him for falling for it), she has successfully gained a pseudo-ally in the head of the Stooges (her ex-boyfriend, Justin) while maintaining a nodding acquaintance with the Alliance. She is also smart enough to know that at some point, remembering various facts about the players, games, and events throughout the season will come back in a competition (and probably an important one), so she is constantly quizzing herself to make sure she is fresh on these facts. Ho-ish, sure. Stupid? Nuh-uh.

Justin: I actually kind of like Justin too. He's doing what he has to do to survive, and he is trying to play the game based on who lied to him (as David Bloomberg said in his recap, Jack only did it once, but he IS on the other team). He's not using personal vendettas, emotions, or any of that in his decision making. Looks like the game is about to catch up to him, but if he can save himself, I wouldn't be too bothered if he won.

Jee: A part of me thinks Jee is an idiot. I say that because Jun is leading him by the nose. While they have something of a secret alliance, she would slit his throat in a second if it served her purpose, and I don't know that he wholly understands that. He's also allowed himself to be Curly by letting Robert and Justin tease him relentlessly – and sometimes it's just downright MEAN. How can you be in an Alliance with people who don't respect you? But then he shows you that he may not be as dumb as he looks. Jee has shown he has some self-preservation mechanisms in taking Erika's deal in the cage, but then was so wracked with guilt over it (or pretended to be), he confessed it to the Stooges. He was so remorseful, Robert and Justin spent more time consoling him than remembering that he kind of did them in. Jee could just win this game.

Jun: She is something, ain't she? She is clearly a very smart woman (works in the financial world, went to college on scholarships), but she has a rather inflated view of herself. And her game plan seems to be to ride on the Stooges’ coattails while feeding info to both sides. It really bugged her that she was excluded from things during Justin's reign, and then declared herself true to the Alliance, much to the Alliance's surprise. Maybe Jun has decided the Stooges are history, but it may be a bit early for that. She thinks her cooking in the house (smart to entrench herself in the role) will make people reluctant to put her up, and that may have been true for a while, but her day of reckoning could be coming. The simmering Ali/Jun war will be brutal! Robert has issues with her too, and he has shown a propensity for smiling in your face and planning your demise simultaneously. What I like most about Jun is that she does understand IT'S A GAME. And while she may take tattling to a whole new level, I never get the feeling it's personal for her.

Robert: Waste of flesh. I don't even like seeing him on my feeds. How did he even get picked? Was Erika that compelling to have that BB was willing to drag this driftwood along?

Jack: Is on the verge of playing himself. He has quietly tried some maneuvering that always seems to blow up in his face (his attempt to get rid of Dana is what led her to put him up the first time; he tried to keep Ali swung the way of the Alliance, and that went way wrong; tried to sway Jee, no dice). While he tries to lay low, he's not made that way. He's obviously a threat and everyone knows that. If I were on the show, it would be job one to get the ex-FBI guy out. Even Erika has made a contingency plan in case Jack falls. Too sharp, too savvy. He really has to win HOH to stay alive. But his performances in the competitions have been so bad, the Stooges think he's throwing them! He isn't, he is very aware of his position, and the benefit of not winning the competitions (you're not seen as a threat) does not apply to him. I'm not sure that even winning HOH will do any more than buy him an additional week.

Erika: I was in the Erika camp till I saw those electric green pants. I saw the pink J-Lo boots on a live show, but I dismissed it as a momentary lapse of judgment. Those electric green pants tell me she may not be sane. Besides, her tendency not to speak is unnerving. You're talking right to her: she doesn't uh-huh, she doesn't nod, she says nothing. She is giving you no ammunition to use against her and how can you trust that completely? While you are talking about your plan, she may be thinking of her own plan that's gonna work perfectly now... or mess her up... or that you are about to make a huge mistake... argh! Erika has opened up a bit more during her HOH reign, enough to show the others that she is competing and not just gravitating in air. Erika is very sharp, she and Jack's scenario planning often leaves my head spinning, but she matches wits with the smartest guy in the room very well.

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Paris Cosby is a Canadian mother of three. You can send her fan mail, hate mail, or junk mail at pariscosby@hotmail.com. Sting7 can be reached at stingseven@yahoo.com.

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