Entertainment

Steve May Be Responsible For Vanessa's 'BB' Choice

by Marenah Dobin

In all honesty, this season of Big Brother has been pretty predictable when it comes using the Power of Veto and eviction votes. I've been pretty shocked by many of the Head of Household winners, but that's been the only part of the game that has consistently surprised me this summer. That's why I was so excited when something actually unexpected happened this week, as Vanessa didn't use the Power of Veto on Big Brother 17, and now I need to know why.

With everyone, especially Austin, talking about wanting Vanessa out of the house, I expected her to be sitting on the block. So when that did not happen, I figured that the poker player would have made some big game move by convincing HoH Austin to nominate one of her many enemies in place of either John or Steve. She could have tried to use the PoV to have James or even Meg put on the block, but instead she did nothing and left the nominations the same. While I'm disappointed that there wasn't a shake-up this week, there is one simple explanation for why Vanessa may have chosen not to use the Veto: Austin may have used her as the replacement nominee. Maybe she's finally realized that not everyone is so willing to follow her plans anymore, and saw the potential for her own eviction if Steve or Johnny Mac was to be taken off the block.

At this point, there aren't many players left in the game, and Steve may actually be one of Vanessa's bigger targets, which would give her another incentive to keep the nominations the same. Johnny Mac presented her with some information, revealing the secret five-person alliance between him, Steve, Austin, Julia, and Liz, which had goals to eliminate her from the house. Vanessa and Steve had a pretty close bond, she was really taken aback by Steve being disloyal. Plus, Austin and the twins were her closest allies, so that must have been a major blow to her ego. This made Vanessa want Steve out of the house even more.

Vanessa and Steve even had a pre-ceremony confrontation over the five-person alliance, which further angered Vanessa as she declared that she was going to vote Steve out of the house.

Ultimately, I think Vanessa left the nominations unchanged both to save herself, and to get Steve out for both his betrayal and threat as a player. Plus, I doubt she would've been able to convince enough people to actually evict James or Meg if one of them was put on the block. This seems like the best move for Vanessa's game, especially since she has manipulated John and Steve into sharing crucial information with her. Vanessa always has a plan, and this latest decision just proves again that she should not be underestimated on Big Brother 17.

For more on this season of Big Brother, check out Bustle's podcast The Diary Room below.

Image: Sonja Flemming/CBS