Big Brother 4: Erika or Jack, Who Should Be Voted Out?

At this point in the game it is critical when deciding who will be the next HouseGuest that will be voted out. With Erika and Jack on the chopping block, there are several ways that this game can go. Let’s take a look at why it would be smart to keep Erika in the house, not to mention why it would be a good choice to leave Jack as well.

First, Erika. For most of the game, Erika has just hung around and laid pretty low on the radar. She was nominated against Michelle for the third elimination (second vote), after Amanda and Scott were no longer in the game, but managed to have everyone vote for the decoy without even doing any real campaigning. One would think that there is no way she is a threat in this game. But one would be wrong if they thought that. When her behind was on the line again, two weeks ago, Erika kicked it and won the HOH. Her smart move of nominating two of the Three Stooges was a good idea – one of the smartest strategic moves so far this season – but it put a target on her back. With Jee winning this week’s HOH competition it made perfect sense for him to put up Erika and Jack, which he did. They have a strong alliance at this point and need to be separated.

Is it really a smart decision for them to get rid of Erika though? We are not sure where she would stand if Jack was the one voted out. On one hand, she has told the remaining Stooges that if Jack is the next one gone, she would align herself with them. However, she has said the same thing to Jun and Alison (though Robert and Jee don’t know that). I think the problem with all of this is that if she is to stay, she could be considered way too much of a wildcard. I’m willing to bet that Erika would end up going with the women because it was the Stooges that had Jack, her friend, eliminated. Plus, let’s face it, she has a better chance to win up against “floaters” Alison or Jun than against Jee or Robert. That may not be the smartest move, though because in my opinion, Jee and Robert can be trusted more than Alison and Jun, both of whom lie every chance they get. So for Robert and Jee, it would be a smart move to have Erika eliminated, but for Alison and Jun, it may be good to let her stick around.

Jack is a little easier to predict in this game. If it wasn’t right in front of him, I think he would still believe that original alliance of eight was still alive. Jack has proven to many of the HouseGuests that he isn’t exactly the most physical player there. However, mentally, he is forever trying to think of new ways to play the game. I think that could actually come to play against him. When people see that you are constantly scheming, they tend not to trust you – see: Dana. He doesn’t seem to always get caught up in his emotions, but that may be another disadvantage, proving that he is too hard to read at times. Would it be smart to keep Jack around? Well, yes and no.

You have to look at it like this: Jack doesn’t like Alison, point blank. Alison doesn’t like Jack either, so we have a conflict. At this point, it looks like Alison and Jun are in it together. Robert and Jee have to figure that if Erika goes, Jack will align with them because there is no way he would align with Alison, who he really doesn’t get along with. I would have to think the same thing and I think it would actually be in Jack’s best interest to align with the remaining Stooges. One thing you have to remember is that you never know how things are going to change in this house. For one minute, it could be one person heading out the door, but in one hour a huge plan could develop to evict someone else. What the HouseGuests have to do is figure out who it would be better to keep at this point. Either way, someone is going to get screwed in the end because that is what always happens in this game.

But who is it smarter to keep at this point, Erika or Jack? I love Erika and as of right now, she is my favorite in the house. I like Jack too and I think he is very intelligent and knows that strategizing is the most important thing in this game. I’m glad to see that since they are friends they are not campaigning against one another. That has been a big issue this season on Big Brother – not many of the nominees have actively campaigned against one another because they have been friends.

Who do I think it would be smarter to keep around? Well, I’d have to go with Jack for Robert and Jee simply because they could count on him 100% to join them once Erika was evicted. For Jun and Alison, it would be much smarter to keep Erika around at this point because they have no chance of getting Jack to join them. Do I think they will make the right decision? Unfortunately, I don’t. I think they will both vote to evict Erika in order to stay in good graces of the Stooges. Plus, if Robert wins HOH next week and the girls voted out Jack against their wishes, he would more than likely put them up against one another.

As this game dwindles down, the strategizing will become more intense than most think. I look forward to seeing who goes between Jack and Erika because this will probably be the most important vote the house has had to make thus far. Let’s see if they make the right decision at this crucial phase of the game.

Want to keep up with important events in the house? Check out our Big Brother 4 Spoiler Page for news on who wins contests and other ongoing info.

Phil Kural is a senior at Temple University, and can be reached at pkural@temple.edu.

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