Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother': Season 11, Elimination #2

WOW! I don’t know about you, but I have mental whiplash trying to keep up with all of this week’s events in the Big Brother house. I thought about a monster recap, but so many websites already do that (thank you, BB viewers and fans!), so I’ll go in a different direction. More observations and some recaps, but I'm also including actual quotes said by the Houseguests over the past week…example:

CHIMA on RELATIONSHIPS: "Never leave a relationship without a handbag."

What can I say…that statement is so off the charts that it made me laugh. Okay, overall, let’s face it…the clock was ticking on the amount of time it was going to take for Ronnie’s House of Cards to fall apart.

It was nice to see Big Brother 10 winner, Dan, back again to host the “Have/Have Not” Competition. I’m told he’s still living in Michigan and has been very responsible with his winnings. He’s looking at possible real estate opportunities, hoping to support their local economy…good for him! Regarding the competition, when Casey and Chima won the opportunity to screen the upcoming feature film, “The Ugly Truth,” I think the baby kicked when I saw all those sweets and could only imagine the sugar high those two must have been on! Personally, I haven't had any unusual cravings during my current pregnancy, but I think that's because I've always had a healthy appetite, and now is no different. Seeing those sweets, however, DID make me want a jumbo pack of red Twizzlers and a giant box of Milk Duds with an ice cold glass of skim milk.

Ronnie certainly laid the majority of his cards down after nominating Laura and Jeff for eviction. But, it didn’t take long for two members of Ronnie’s current alliance, Lydia and Russell, to have their own screaming match, which then caused some to petition to backdoor Russell. (PING!) But, Natalie and Jessie appealed to Ronnie and Casey became the new replacement target (PONG!) That is, until Jordan jumped in and went after Ronnie for playing both sides of the house. Ronnie considered her “dead to me,” and decided she’d be the replacement nomination, if necessary (PING!). Just before the Veto Competition, Ronnie’s back to being excited about back-dooring Russell (PONG!). Meantime, after it’s determined who will play for the POV, Jessie, Natalie, and Jeff (yes, you read that right!) briefly met in the red room where they reached an understanding that Casey and Laura must not win…HUH? Jeff was conspiring with Jessie and Natalie? I guess it makes sense since they are still the Athletes’ Clique, but that was unexpected, to say the least! Anyhow, Jeff won and took himself off the block. Despite Ronnie’s desire to backdoor Russell, he apparently hadn’t gotten over the blowout with Jordan, so she ended up on the block (PING!).

JEFF to JORDAN: “I’m trying to carry you. You are getting heavy.”

JORDAN on RONNIE: “He is a rat.”

JORDAN on naming the Great Lakes: “Is there a bay or something?”

It’s hardly far from over, but, first…for those who are wondering about Lydia’s sudden change of appearance (no makeup and sports shorts/T-shirts)…she lost a bet with Natalie after a game of pool and had to dress in Natalie’s clothes and go without make-up for a day or so. Lydia, a professional makeup artist, was unhappy about it, to say the least! This, too, did not go without its own drama. Natalie was upset that the other girls were in her face about not being “girlie” enough, which caused certain tension amongst themselves.

LYDIA: “C’mon, Shrimpy Shrimp, we’re gonna get you in skirts and heels by the end of this!”

NATALIE: “Uh…no.”

Back to the game, the biggest blowout came when Russell and Laura confronted Ronnie for being a liar. After another dizzying round of confrontations, a light bulb went off within the entire house and everyone finally realized the extent of Ronnie’s lies. All of a sudden, the Houseguests, sans Ronnie, became sunshine and smiles when they realized that Ronnie was the source of all their problems (PONG!)…everything from misunderstandings, shortage of food, clogged toilets and the brief power outage in the house…it’s all Ronnie’s fault!!

Ronnie then spent the better part of two days barricaded in his palatial HOH room…alone (well, unless he had to come out to go to the Diary Room and Russell was there to follow him around as he berated him until Ronnie could once again hide behind closed doors…but was that just an act? (Lydia’s the first to think so!!!).

Oh, then there’s Jessie, who snuck up to Ronnie’s HOH room at one point and told him to lay low…they have his back…but, do they??? (PING!)

CASEY on RONNIE: “I’m a hustler and he hustled me.”

MICHELE: “I’m seriously scared for my sanity. I have no idea what’s real anymore.”

As the hours unfold, Ronnie’s clearly The Plague of the BB House. Or is he??? Some of the Houseguests have begun to lick the wounds inflicted by the master gamer, Ronnie, and have started to rethink their strategy (PONG!).

Jessie winning the Head of Household competition is going to make for one heckuva week in the BIG BROTHER House. If he doesn't nominate Ronnie he'll have a lot of explaining to do to the others and will risk putting a target on his own back. Jessie still seems to want to work in secret with Ronnie…but now that he's HOH, he's got to play this hand carefully. Can’t wait to see what unfolds this week!!!

The live HOH competitions are always a challenge. We always have to "expect the unexpected" and plan for all the "what ifs"…from technical difficulties to an electronic game breaking down/malfunctioning…to freak accidents…all while watching the clock and realizing we MUST be fair AND have a winner before the clock strikes 9. Yikes.

READER QUESTIONS:
When will you be back on Iron Chef: America?
I don't think I'll be on Iron Chef America for a little while. They tape in September typically and always in NY…and I'll be in LA finishing up Big Brother and be getting ready to deliver baby! Plus I think with my food restrictions due to my pregnancy, I probably would be a tough judge to have on the show. But once I've delivered…I'll be ready to try it all!

Do you and Allison condone cheating on this show?
One reader was "really disturbed by hearing Jessie and them plan on cheating in the next HOH competition." We certainly do NOT condone cheating on the show. That's why we're Big Brother. We're always watching.

How come you didn’t take down Braden for calling you a derogatory name?
First, I didn't know at the time if it was true. Second, even if it was, it's not relevant to the game. The interview should be about how that houseguest played the game and how he/she played with others in the house. But when I did a 12 minute interview with Braden for the CBS website, I did ask him who is the most important woman in his life and what would she say about his behavior in the house? His response was very telling. He said his mother was the most important woman in his life but that he also doesn't speak to her much. That was enough to satisfy my curiosity on IF he had used a derogatory word against women to refer to me and the WHY part? It didn't even matter. His response made me feel sadness for him.

More Big Brother:
Big Brother recap: Ronnie Dangerously
Must List Live!: Should Big Brother's cliques be broken up?