‘Big Brother 27’ week 7 review: Katherine’s game catches up with her

Wasted potential has slipped through the fingers of another Big Brother houseguest. Week 7 of CBS’s Big Brother 27 was a round of missed opportunities and missed gameplay. As some players pushed hard to make a big move, others pushed harder to keep the momentum the same. This week is what you would call a “filler week,” a round where the house evicted an easy number that didn’t rock the boat. While the decisions of others threw things for a loop, the evicted houseguest went out with a whimper instead of a wonder. Hey, even Big Brother 27 would eventually get a filler week!

So emotional.

Vince’s Head of Household (HOH) win was the embodiment of messy. We called it weeks ago that all of his wheeling and dealing would eventually come back to haunt him. Having his many alliances and final two deals isn’t sustainable – eventually, the cheques will need to be paid. On one side, the Judges alliance pushed him to target the other side of the house; someone like a Kelley or Mickey, which he did. And then on the other side of the house, they begged and pushed him to target Rachel, which he didn’t. Finally, once he was forced to make a grand gesture, he chose the very safe option of nominating Katherine after the Power of Veto (POV) was used.

The problem with Vince’s game has been his consistent choice of the cowardly, safe option and then playing the emotional victim. Why is he constantly crying about every decision he makes? Did he truly think that Kelley, Lauren, and Keanu wouldn’t take his betrayal seriously? It’s one thing to play in the middle out of safety, but it’s another to damage your gameplay. Vince will need to rebuild his trust equity because others have noticed him being slimy and weak. Even Ava is publicly calling him out as “Vinny the Lip” because of his lies, manipulation, and deals.

Don’t get me wrong, making the big move might not have been the best yet. Vince has chosen to side with The Judges, so he reaffirmed those relationships for the future. However, he needs to adjust his approach to how he interacts with everyone. Like, continually betraying Kelley has backfired on him, and even Rachel knew he was contemplating putting her on the block. Vince has to start thinking strategically and what his decisions will mean in the long run.

A battle of gameplay.

Speaking of Kelley and Rachel, their gameplay strategies varied drastically during Week 7. Rachel played a strategic masterclass because, on any other week with a different veteran, they would’ve been nominated. Instead, Rachel assessed her barrier and strategically knew how to chip away at any potential for nominating her. For instance, staying with Vince until the last possible minute so that no one, especially Keanu, could convince him to nominate her was a smart move. She knew how malleable Vince could be, so she forced herself as the final word. Plus, fighting fire with fire against Keanu was the right ammunition against his gameplay style; he tends to back down when someone challenges him.

Kelley, on the other hand, relies too much on winning challenges or playing the victim. If it weren’t for the POV or the BB Blockbuster, Kelley would’ve been evicted a long time ago. Sure, she survived the eviction vote against Jimmy, but the house wanted him gone way more due to Mickey’s betrayal. During Week 7, since Mickey won the POV, Kelley was the sure-fire target to go home – everyone wanted her gone! This was due to her competitive prowess and her messy social game with much of the house.

Case in point, “Winegate”. Kelley has a habit of playing the victim and spreading lies, including ones that should get her in trouble. (Let’s not forget she used Production as a strategy, which is a big no-no!) All Rachel did was drink more wine during Lauren’s birthday celebration; Kelley blew that scenario out of the water, like she’s done many times before. Rachel may not be the most tactful, but she has a right not to be around, let alone be hugged, by someone she doesn’t want to be. Winegate exposed Kelley’s strategy on a much grander scale, showing her to be untrustworthy. Her days are numbered, especially if she doesn’t win a challenge.

A brewing relationship storm.

Week 7 introduced a few new interesting dynamics and challenges. Firstly, the “Wine to Die For” POV competition was so much fun! It’s a simple game of bluffing that could easily be replayed in the future. I loved how the houseguests got into the spirit of the “poisoning” motif and acted during each confrontation. The game didn’t require anything more than just bluffing and convincing the other to drink the poisoned wine. However, sometimes a simplified game opens itself up to more gameplay and humor, which this one did.

Elsewhere in the house, has anyone noticed how close Morgan and Vince have gotten? They’re allies and BFFs, but something felt like it shifted in recent days. There’s a strange blending of allyship and showmance, one that could prove messy down the line. Morgan has spent a lot of time up in the HOH room with Vince, even more so than his other allies, like Lauren or Keanu. They’re part of The Melting Pot alliance with Mickey, but at this point, that alliance seems to be over. Instead, what has formed is a duo that’s built on shaky ground; at least, for one of them.

Out of the pair, Morgan has a lot to lose if she gets caught up in Vince’s bubble. She’s more of a competition threat, and she’s more straightforward vs. Vince’s emotional tactics. And with Vince’s untrustworthiness, he’s not the most loyal person to stand behind. We could see a world where Morgan puts all her trust into Vince, only for him to prioritize his survival and backstab her. Let’s face it, that’s exactly what’s going to happen!

A queen without power.

Katherine’s eviction during Week 7 was a culmination of bad luck and bad gameplay. Arguably, was she even playing Big Brother 27? For much of the season, she spent most of her time hanging out with Rylie, prioritizing their showmance instead of building alliances with anyone else. Sure, she had a close friendship with Lauren, but besides Lauren and Rylie, Katherine didn’t connect with anyone else. It’s not just an issue about playing the game and making connections – it’s that she didn’t want to.

We’re now at the end of Week 7, and we can sum up her time in the house through those two alliances, as well as one POV won. That’s not a good thing. After Rylie got evicted, Katherine finally had her chance to create her path, and she started fostering some connections. However, by the time of her nomination, she didn’t have enough time to truly establish anything. She had a chance against Kelley, but there was no way she was surviving a vote against Ava. Ava was far ahead of her with house friendships and connections.

In another world, Katherine had the potential to play the game and cause a lot of exciting drama. Week 1’s “Showergate” was spurred on by a simple conversation she had with Ashley and the rest of the house. Instead, Katherine let the game go on without her and retreated into her summer vacation bubble; she didn’t try until she was forced to. If she hadn’t gravitated to Rylie, she could’ve focused on Big Brother. This eviction is a case of another houseguest with so much wasted potential that it amounted to nothing.

Overall.

Week 7 kept the game moving with a filler round. Was it the most exciting eviction? No, there were bigger targets that could’ve been eliminated. However, sometimes the chips fall where they may, and it was Katherine’s week to go. The houseguests maneuvered their way around Vince’s gameplay inconsistencies, but there’s still hope for more upheaval down the line.

Big Brother 27 airs new episodes on Sundays, Wednesdays & Thursdays on CBS.

Images courtesy of Paramount