Is Austin Playing The Twins On 'Big Brother 17'?

Austwins have been a weirdly unstoppable force in Big Brother 17. I still don't understand how it happened, but up until this week, Austin, Julia, and Liz have dominated Big Brother 17 . Now that it's really getting down to the wire, the houseguests finally have the nerve to put a dent in the strangely powerful clique, and it's about time. Many fans have wanted to see how this would go down for some time now, but I can't be the only one who was surprised when Austin seemed totally cool with his beloved twins being the target during Steve's HoH reign. A lot of fans saw this as a red flag and wondered, is Austin playing the twins? Why would he be so OK with this?

Despite his apparent low-key reaction to the news of their nominations, I don't think Austin is pulling a fast one on Liz and Julia. Why would he make himself look like such a love-stricken fool if it wasn't genuine? Austin came into the house with a girlfriend and then started a showmance with Liz, which lead to some questionable decisions in the name of protecting her. None of it made him look good to fans, and I doubt he would come off this way on purpose.

Austin has been ride or die for Liz, and even declared himself a winner many times, saying that he won because he found her on Big Brother, no matter what happens with the actual game. So why did he not care if the twins were going up on the block? There was just nothing he could do. There are only six people left in the game and this limits the options for replacement nominees. Plus, just because the twins are on the block, that does not mean they are both going home. It means that one of them will be saved and that is really the best case scenario at this point in the game.

In the beginning, Austin really had his eye on making it into the jury house so he could have some quality time with Liz free from the reality show cameras, but now that he's so far into the game, he has realized how much winning Big Brother could really change his life. He has even said that if he or Liz wins they would both benefit if they remain together.

Even though I have not been the biggest Austin fan throughout the run of this show, it really seems like he is thinking about the future. He wants himself, his family, and Liz to benefit as much as possible from Big Brother, and that's why he is really in it to win it. Unfortunately for him, that means he has to beat the twins.

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

Image: CBS