After ruling the house for weeks, the Austwins will be losing one of their own as this week on Big Brother 17, Liz and Julia are on the block against each other. The Nolan twins have had a difficult journey from the early weeks of alternating back-and-forth between who was in the house, to being associated with two of the biggest targets in the house. Now, the twins are going to be separated and only one will be playing the game as part of the final five. While it's impressive that Liz and Julia were able to make it this far without being nominated, which of the twins has the best chance of making if from final five all the way to the end?
Chances are, if one of the twins wins the final prize, they're going to split it (unless one of them decided to be a total jerk and keep it to themselves). Following that logic, the best gameplay move for them at this point is to make sure that the twin with the best chance of getting the final prize is able to get to the end, but which twin has been playing a better game of Big Brother?
Liz and Julia are the closest duo in the house, but their success has come from very different places. A lot of Liz's success is owed to her prowess at winning competitions. Liz has won two HoH's and a POV, helping her eliminate her enemies and make a name for herself as a powerful player in the house. Julia, on the other hand, has only won a single PoV competition. This defines the biggest different between the twins, which is that Liz and Julia are playing two different strategies. Liz is willing to get blood on her hands as HoH, and Julia is happy to lay low and try and float her way to the end.
Liz's competition game has been very strong (and it doesn't hurt that she has Austin wrapped around her finger), but that doesn't mean she'll win in the end. The jury decides who wins at the end of the summer, which means that whoever makes it to final two needs to have a strong social game in addition to a strong mental and physical game. Liz has been too busy spending all of her time with Austin to get to know any of the other houseguests. Julia, on the other hand, has had conversations with the other houseguests trying to get on their good side. If the jury thinks Julia is a nicer, more deserving person of the prize, then they will likely vote for her to win. Liz isn't as likable as Julia, and probably can't count on getting many jury votes.
The biggest variable between twins is "The Austin Factor." If Liz stays, she has Austin fighting to keep her in the game more than anyone else. If Julia stays, there is no reason for her to be working with Austin. This allows Julia to team up with Steve, John, or Vanessa and make a new alliance to try and make it to the end. If Julia is able to lay low and appear as though she isn't a threat, she could find herself on the winner's stand much like notable floater Andy Herren did in BB15.
It's hard to compare the twins' gameplay because, despite working together, they have very different approaches to the game. Right now it seems that Liz has a better chance of making it to the final two, but Julia might have an easier time winning if she makes it there (If she can state a good case for herself and convince the jury she was doing a lot more in the house than she actually was). Either way, whichever twin makes it past this week has to play strong and play smart if she wants to be crowned the winner of BB17.
For more on this season of Big Brother, check out Bustle's podcast The Diary Room.
Image: Bill Inoshita/CBS
