Big Brother 17: The Denial and Downfall of Shelli and Clay

With no one wanting to even play the Power of Veto, let alone wanting to win the Power of Veto to take half of Clelli off of the block, the pair realized that it was most likely up to them to save themselves. Both Becky and John even asked them not to pick them if they got Houseguest Choice.

Alas, even the Big Brother Gods did not want them to remain together, as they both lost the POV to James in a prize/punishment competition. While Shelli received a grueling punishment, on the bright side, Clay won a trip to Ireland. Of course, he promises Shelli that he will take her.

Clelli after the Power of Veto Competition
Clelli after the Power of Veto Competition

After the pair lost the Power of Veto to James, they knew that the odds were against them, but they were not done fighting!

Of all the people that Clelli could have thrown under the bus, they decided that Austin was their best bet. They had already targeted him the week before and they did not want to throw Becky under the bus since she had been their good little rat (and she has already been hit by a train). They did not want to target John for the same reason (minus the train); plus he cried after they lost the Power of Veto. Who knew that nominating someone, repeatedly, asking them to put their game at risk, repeatedly, and even asking them to not use the Power of Veto on themselves, was such  a GREAT way to create a devoted ally?

After James and Meg agreed that they could use the Power of Veto as a weapon to drag information out of Clelli, Meg ran off to grab the couple for an early AM meeting with James in the HOH room. James clearly was looking for them to throw Vanessa under the bus, but it was Austin that Clelli, mostly Shelli, spilled the beans about. She told James about his alter ego, Judas and about the hinky vote for Audrey a couple of weeks ago. James thought it was compelling information so he ran off to wake up Jackie and Meg and had them come up to the HOH room as well. Unfortunately for Clelli, even in her sleep hazed mind, Jackie did not think that anything they said warranted backdooring Austin over getting one of them out.

Shelli and Clay listen to James as he explains he needs a compelling reason, with supporting evidence, to pull one of them off of the block.
Shelli and Clay listen to James as he explains to them that he needs a compelling reason, with supporting evidence, to pull one of them off of the block.

Clelli left the HOH room with hopes that they would be saved and decided that they needed to tell Vanessa that they had just thrown Austin under the bus. As Vanessa explained that, even if James uses the POV on one of them, they would still have to target James and Company, James and Company discussed how what they learned just further proved that what Audrey said was true; they have all been working together.

Jackie, being the loudest voice of reason in the trio, pointed out that they already had a group targeting Austin and it does not make sense for them to target him now. Plainly, they needed to either take out Shelli, Clay, or Vanessa, “One of those three has got to go!”  After toying around with the idea of putting up Vanessa with Shelli, they decided that it was best to keep the nominations the same.

After the POV meeting Monday, the nominations remained the same, John cried some more, Austin and Clay awkwardly avoided one another, with Clay mad at Austin and Austin mad at Clay. At some point later in the night Clelli finally kissed… Etc.

Sidebar: If Clelli really wanted to be saved, their best angle would have been to go after Vanessa and form a new alliance with Jason, Jackie and Meg. They would have John and Becky, giving them a fresh seven person alliance. Although both John and Becky warned Clelli that Vanessa had been throwing them under the bus, the duo has been very loyal to her. They refused to turn on Vanessa and one of them now has to pay for it!

While the target is Shelli for James, Jackie and Meg, the target for Freaks and Geeks (Austin, Twins, Steve and Vanessa) is Clay. Clay has mostly been campaigning for Shelli to stay, giving up his chance at $500,000.00 for a woman that he has known six weeks. He has tried to backtrack a little, but not very much.

If nothing else, one thing that both Clay and Shelli agree on is that America will be very upset that they are being split up and that the ratings for the show will now suffer because of it.

Given that they plan to go against the wishes of James and Company, it is interesting that Vanessa and Austwins (Austin and the Twins) made a deal to get through the double eviction together with them; the deal being to take out Clay and Steve. If they truly intend to keep Shelli over Clay, whatever deal they make for next week will be null and void. So, what is the point? Only Vanessa knows…

There is still a day and a half before tomorrow’s eviction and anything can happen! Do you think that Austwins will play it safe and vote out Shelli to stay on good terms with the others? Or, will Vanessa get her way (again) and get Clay out of the house?

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