House of Dreams, Episode 12: The Final Redhats

Before getting started on this week’s review, a recap of the remaining builders:

1. Flor, formerly a lawyer and the owner of a really evil laugh;
2. Viveca, the “circus arts performer” (read: juggler);
3. Naomi, an artist (“photographer/pillow-maker”);
4. Mike, our brash young party-boy who is desperately trying to mature.

On with the show! To avoid gaining momentum too quickly, it begins as usual with a recap of the previous episode. We are reminded that the two lads (Mike and Matt) wore the red hats and provided spa services to the ladies. Let’s just say they gave a new meaning to their locale of Harmony, Florida. It all ended with an Eviction Ceremony when, in another 2-1 vote, Matt was eliminated.

OK, on to this week’s activities and let the games continue.

Day 42:

We begin as usual with reactions to being in the final four. Suffice it to say, they’re all so close they can smell it and taste it. Mike is particularly impressed with the cars.

At least Mike and Flor are strategizing, we don’t see it as much from the others. Although Mike feels, “if you have a deal with the Devil you’re going to get burned,” he adds, “Forget it, I’m shaking hands now with anybody.” He offers the idea to Flor that they need to go together against the Grand Jury. There’s no doubt that Mike is playing as hard as he can now, and he’s analyzing all possible endings.

Well, it’s time to get that house built. Foreman Joe Bukey informs our hardy hardhats that the house is about 90% completed, and the next building tasks are to clean the house interior (to be ready for carpeting), and to pour concrete for the sewer cleanout. Upon completion, Joe tells them, “Fine job, we’re ready to put carpet down.” Gee, I wished they cleaned the floors before my carpet went down, it feels like Jimmy Hoffa is under there.

This brings us to the weekly Key Ceremony. As George approaches the stairs yet again I’m thinking, “C’mon Joe, build the poor man a ramp before we lose him in this Florida heat!”

George is all business this week, you can tell they gave him a lot of lines to say. Goody, it must mean a twist! And sure enough, there is.

He tells them, “This will be the final Key Ceremony. Yes, you heard me correctly. Today’s keys are more important than they ever were before. As usual, at the conclusion of today’s festivities we will know who our two red hats are. But, the twist is, that the red hat that escapes eviction this time will proceed to the finals and gets to choose which of the two yellow hats will join him or her in facing the Grand Jury. Only two of you will move on to the final round.”

Wow, the first part of the game had no twists to build their complacency, and now we get one every week! Mike is amused, the rest seem shocked,

On to the keys. Mike is called first to try his key and as he approaches the door, George goads him, “Go for the three-peat!” It’s prophetic, and Mike, brought to his knees and banging his head on the door, reluctantly claims his red hat.

Next, Viveca gets through the door successfully. Flor is next up, but she has the second bad key and ‘wins’ the second red hat. For reasons I’m not understanding, George makes Naomi use her key to get through the door. To no one’s surprise, it works. Everyone trundles back to camp and Mike says goodbye to the door. Cute.

Alas, if they only knew of the LendingTree.com presents in the bye-bye barge, their pain would be lessened. OK, maybe not so much.

It seems to me at this point that Flor is dead and it’s up to Mike to pick his opponent (and the winner of the House of Dreams). However, I notice there’s a lot of show left yet so I wonder how the Flor factor will affect how it all plays out.

If you’d been watching the previews last night more carefully than I, you would have known this was coming as the last preview showed the four of them standing in front of the house and sure enough, Mike and Flor had the red hats. Way to go, A&E, you just spoiled your own show! Two weeks running!

OK, back to this week’s episode. At camp, Naomi says she’d rather be a red hat. Mike is still bemoaning the fact that he’s drawn a bad key three times in a row. I agree it’s an unfortunate turn of events for him, all three of the ladies would probably take him to the final if that choice were available.

We start to hear a lot of people’s thinking. Naomi is still in shock and needs to think things through. Viveca, however, shows she’s in the game by stating that although her original thoughts were to keep Flor, she must make her decision based on which player would be more likely to keep her. Viv realizes that whatever benefits Naomi hurts her, and whatever hurts Naomi benefits her. She’s got the concept, but now she needs to translate all that into a voting selection.

In the next segment, Flor realizes that her deal with Mike is invalidated by the twist as one of them will be eliminated at the next Eviction Ceremony. Separately, Flor says she doesn’t want Naomi to have the house, and Naomi doesn’t want Flor to win.

Mike doesn’t think he can beat Naomi but might have a chance against Viveca. He approaches Viveca in the swing and makes her an offer: if she doesn’t vote him out, he’ll take her to the final! She gulps and pauses, but finally she realizes this is exactly what she wants to hear and agrees. Why the delay, was she holding out for additional backrubs?