Big Brother Spoilers: “You know I’m not putting you up, babe”

1:21 AM — Melody and Drew (HOH)

Melody sets the terms before she sits down.

Melody: “I know you on three conditions. One, I drink wine. Two, you drink wine with me. And three, you entertain me while we do this.”
Drew: “I have to entertain you?”
Melody: “Yes. Is it a deal or no deal?”
Melody: “And stories.”
Drew: “Stories? You have to get stories too.”
Melody: “Okay, fine.”

He asks which era she wants.

Drew: “From what era of my life? Kid, middle school, high school? Let’s do middle school.”
Drew: “In middle school I was, like, super lame and, like, nerdy, though. It wasn’t cool at all. I swear I wore the same clothes to school, like, weekly. Like I was a cartoon character.”
Melody: “I do that now. What’s wrong with that?”
Drew: “Nothing’s wrong with that.”

Drew: “I’ve always been, like, super competitive. So in school, they do that stupid mile run. And my best friend at the time was way more athletic than me. And it pissed me off. So I would spend days training and just running as much as I could, because if you got under six minutes and 30 seconds for a mile you got a t-shirt. And I love stupid s— like that. So I just kept running and running and running and running, and then I finally did it and I was like, cool. And I got the stupid t-shirt.”
Melody: “What did it look like?”
Drew: “It was, like, neon orange. And I hate the color orange. But the fact that he got it and I didn’t have it, like, irked me.”

Melody: “Was that, like, your school color?”
Drew: “No. My school color was, like, blue.”
Melody: “The f—?”
Drew: “Yeah, but it was, like, you were the top dog. That’s what they called it. Because you were super fast. But I really wasn’t in good shape in middle school. I was, like, kind of pudgy. But it was just fun to try.”

Melody: “Did you ever get your desk taken out of the classroom in middle school? Or was that just a high school thing?”
Drew: “I was terrified to get in trouble in middle school, in elementary school. Just terrified. I was such an obedient kid because it scared me to get in trouble. Like, if you caught me with my clip on yellow — I was shaking in fear.”
Melody: “Really?”
Drew: “Yeah. Because I just didn’t want to be bad. But then I don’t know what happened in high school. I think I was just stupider.”

Drew: “Never in middle school did I get my desk taken out. So I remember I got detention one time during lunch and I was like, I thought I was on my way to jail or something. I was like, I’m going down the wrong path.”

---

Melody’s version is not that.

Melody: “I think the most trouble I’ve gotten into in school was in middle school.”
Drew: “What’d you do?”
Melody: “I don’t even know. Nothing, like, insane, but I was one of those kids that frequently got their desk put in the hallway.”
Drew: “Really?”
Melody: “Yeah.”

She checks on the wine.

Melody: “Thoughts?”
Drew: “It’s all right. I don’t know if I like wine that much. But I’ll drink it because there’s a clause, I guess. I have to follow.”
Melody: “There’s a clause.”

Drew: “So what did you do?”
Melody: “I don’t remember. Most of the time was just talking too much. But there was definitely probably — this is just gonna be such a f—ing, like, you’re gonna be like, of course. But I just had, like, beef with my teachers, bro.”
Drew: “With what?”
Melody: “With my teachers.”
Drew: “Of course.”

Melody: “I guess I just really liked to be silly. And no one was on my level. But the teachers that I did f— with, bro. Prime student.”
Drew: “That’s like the case for like every kid, though.”
Melody: “Yeah, I guess that’s true. But I got, like, in-school suspension one time. In middle school. That was ass. I don’t remember why.”

Melody: “Oh my God, I will never f—ing forget this. I don’t know if this was the reason, but at my middle school, you weren’t allowed to wear leggings unless they completely covered your butt. Like, basically went down to your knees. Like, a dress or a shirt or whatever had to be covering.”
Drew: “Oh, really?”
Melody: “And the normal shorts had to go down to, like, fingertips. No spaghetti strap, tank tops, whatever. And I always was like, this is just a load of barnacles.”

Before that there was a charter school in Colorado, and it is the best story of the night.

Melody: “I went to a charter school for, like, two years in elementary school, and they didn’t have a dress code.”
Drew: “They didn’t have a dress code at a charter school? Which is weird, cuz they don’t have uniforms.”
Melody: “Yeah, but they didn’t have, like, a dress code. Like, you could literally wear whatever you want.”
Drew: “Did you like the charter school?”
Melody: “Yes and no. It was low key, like, super f—ing fun.”

Melody: “Every time I tell people about the school and the experiences — I’m still friends with this girl that I met there. But growing up, especially as kids, we would tell other kids about that school. And it literally sounded like we were describing a fake dream that we had made up in our brain. But it was all true. It was just such a very, very weird experience.”

Drew: “Like what?”
Melody: “It was for gifted and talented kids, right? So you had to test in to even get in the school.”
Drew: “So you tested well? Wow. So you’ve always been smart? Genius child. Really? Um… what happened?”
Melody: “I know.”

Melody: “It was so, like — we do things a little differently here, like, to f—ing school. There was no dress code. I was there for fourth and fifth grade, and you would change classes for every subject like you would in middle school or high school. And it was all super advanced, so I was literally doing algebra in fourth grade.”
Melody: “I was in the super advanced reading class, which was really intense. Like, there was things that just shouldn’t happen. There’s no way that was allowed. But it was just weird.”

Then the buildings.

Melody: “They were two different buildings. There was the first building and then they moved to the second building my second year. And both of them were, like, abandoned ass. Like, I don’t even know where the hell they bought these buildings at. They weren’t schools.”
Drew: “Portables. Right?”
Melody: “No. They weren’t. It legitimately wasn’t a school. They bought something that wasn’t a school. I don’t know, like, a big-ass office building or whatever. And then they were like, okay, this is your school now.”
Drew: “It was in Colorado?”
Melody: “Yeah.”
Drew: “The hell?”

Melody: “Anyways, it was always dark. Like, it was always f—ing dark. And it was scary.”
Drew: “Inside the building? Why?”
Melody: “I don’t know why. It was just, like, dim-ass lighting.”
Melody: “And then that’s when I was in the Bigfoot Club. Did I tell you about that?”
Drew: “A little bit, yeah.”

Melody: “Yeah, I was in Bigfoot Club and… oh, I did a talent show at that school. Guess what I did?”
Drew: “Magic. Singing. Dancing. Bigfoot. What did you do?”
Melody: “I did stand-up.”
Drew: “You did? Did you crush?”
Melody: “I don’t remember, probably.”
Drew: “Checks out.”

Drew: “Why’d you go to the school? Because you were gifted?”
Melody: “It was supposed to be some new age, we-do-things-differently type of s— charter school. My mom wanted me to go to a school that I had to test in to go to so that I would excel more, I guess, because I was just bored as f—.”
Drew: “Did you excel more?”
Melody: “I mean, I definitely learned a lot, but the way they did things was weird. And then I just went to a normal public middle school after that. Where I got in a bunch of trouble.”

Melody: “I was just like, everything always pissed me off. I felt like I was smarter than what they were giving me.”
Drew: “Do you still feel like that?”
Melody: “No.”
Drew: “Are you lying?”
Melody: “No.”
Drew: “You don’t feel like you’re smart?”
Melody: “No, I do think that I’m smart.”

---

And that is where it stops being about school.

Drew: “Do you feel like you’re smarter than most people in here?”
Melody: “That are currently still here? Am I smarter than most of the people that are still here? No. I put myself on, like, an average.”
Drew: “Who do you think the smartest person is?”
Melody: “Who’s here? Me, you, Yash, Taylor, Lala, Devens, Dee, Angela, Barrett.”
Melody: “Low key, Devens.”

Drew: “Who’s the least smart? And save yourself.”
Drew: “Me?”
Melody: “No, but I don’t believe that. I don’t think anyone still left in this game right now is dumb. I don’t.”
Melody: “I think Dee’s a little dumb, actually. She’s definitely not the brightest. But it works for her. It works for her. Or maybe she’s a genius.”

She talks herself back the other way inside a minute, and lands on a reason.

Melody: “Even me saying that — she’s obviously still very smart. She won Survivor.”
Melody: “If we put all of our intelligence added up, did some averages, I’d probably fall in the middle of everyone left.”
Drew: “What do you think Barrett would fall?”
Melody: “I don’t know.”
Drew: “I don’t know either.”

---

Drew takes his turn, starts a story, and then declines to tell it on camera.

Drew: “Is it my turn to have a story?”
Melody: “My story wasn’t me doing anything. It was just about my weird-ass school I went to.”
Drew: “So, like, one time I went to… I don’t know if I want to out this one. No, I don’t think I’m going to out this one. But it involves my mom. And a car.”
Drew: “Anyways, I’ll tell you when we’re done here, because it’s pretty funny. It’s such a good story too.”

He tells a different one.

Drew: “My dad plays a lot of music and sometimes I get to go with him. So we went to this place called Lone Pine. And Lone Pine’s where they used to film tons of old cowboy movies. And he was playing there with some orchestra band. And they’re playing between these rocks where they filmed the Lone Ranger and stuff. So it was really cool. And I remember running through the rocks, and I was eight, probably.”

---

The jobs come out next.

Melody: “I worked at Palm Beach Tan for one f—ing day, and then I was like, I’m not doing this anymore.”
Drew: “Why?”
Melody: “Cuz they wanted me to wear shorts.”
Drew: “They want you to wear shorts, and you’re just like, no? Why?”
Melody: “Not a shorts girl.”
Drew: “Do you wear shorts in here?”
Melody: “Yeah, because I live here. I mean, I guess I wore shorts at Twin Peaks, too. And Hooters. But it was different, though.”

Drew: “But you wore my shorts today. You’re posted up. True fit.”
Melody: “True fist.”
Drew: “True fist.”

Drew starts a running joke about the letter D that will come back later.

Melody: “You can’t say Melody without D. And you can’t say D without Melody. Because that’s how that works.”
Drew: “That is how it works.”

Drew: “Do you like it, though? The wine. Is it everything you wanted?”
Melody: “Yeah. Tastes like home.”
Drew: “Tastes like home?”
Melody: “I drink a lot of wine, and it’s almost exclusively cabs.”
Drew: “Really? How often?”
Melody: “Depends on the week I’m having. If it’s a really good week.”
Drew: “What does that mean? If it’s a really good week, what?”
Melody: “I just like to celebrate with wine.”

Drew: “It’s not like a daily thing, is it?”
Melody: “If it’s a bad week.”
Drew: “Or is it like a nightly glass?”
Melody: “If it’s a bad week, then.”
Drew: “You need to get through the week.”

There is a wine bar at home she has clearly been thinking about.

Melody: “This one’s more of just like a cute little hipster-ass wine cafe, but they do happy hour every single day until five and it’s six-dollar glasses of wine, anything you want, and six-dollar pitchers of any beer you want. Used to be five dollars.”
Drew: “Inflation’s a b—-.”
Melody: “Bulls—.”

Melody: “I like to hang out there because the people are really cool, and it’s pretty in there, and the wine’s good, and the food is really good too. Usually all the locations have floor-to-ceiling windows. I like to go and read.”
Drew: “Floor to ceiling and you just read.”
Melody: “Or write. It’s a vibe. Lots of fun memories at that place. I think I’ve probably been to that place more times than anywhere in my entire life.”

Melody: “And they do this thing on Mondays and Tuesdays — they’re, like, bruschetta boards. You know what that is? It’s like these little mini loaves of bread. When I say mini, I mean legitimately mini. And then they put different toppings on it. On Mondays and Tuesdays you can get a whole bruschetta board, which is four of the little thingies and an entire bottle of wine. For 25 bucks. Any bottle you want.”

Drew: “Do you frequent?”
Melody: “I used to a lot in college. Me and my friends would just go and each of us would get an entire bottle of wine and just close up and hang out. But usually now I’m just by myself. Like, all my friends moved away.”
Drew: “Do you miss having them close by?”
Melody: “Macy is my closest girlfriend from college and she moved away at the end of May. She lives in Chicago now.”

---

He asks her to walk him through an ordinary day, and she does, in detail.

Drew: “What’s your normal day consist of? Like, you wake up, what time?”
Melody: “It depends, but I guess on average, maybe, like, 9, maybe 10.”
Drew: “Damn. You sleep in?”
Melody: “I can. My jobs go late.”

Melody: “My schedule’s all over the place. I could have a shift at my waitress job at, like, 10:30 in the morning, so I probably would get up at, like, 9:30, leave a little bit after 10. Realistically I’m there till, like, three, maybe four.”
Drew: “Get good tips or no?”
Melody: “Yeah. And then I go to my game show job from, like, six to, like, whenever.”
Drew: “Do you hate running to two different jobs in one day?”
Melody: “I wouldn’t say hate, but it definitely isn’t the best. Sometimes it is, because I’m like, I really need money, so it’s fine. But other times my friends are doing stuff and I want to go hang out with them but I can’t.”

Drew: “What time are you coming home?”
Melody: “Averagely, probably like 10, maybe 11.”
Drew: “What do you do?”
Melody: “Watch TV.”

Drew: “What do you watch?”
Melody: “Some silly show.”
Drew: “Like?”
Melody: “Suburgatory.”
Drew: “I don’t know what that is.”

Melody: “Sometimes I’ll only go to my game show job. Those are my favorite days. My favorite is when I have it from, like, one until, like, nine. That’s, like, perfect.”
Drew: “Why? Is it just you enjoy doing it more?”
Melody: “Yeah, I enjoy the game show job a lot more than my waitress job. It’s more fun. It’s less demanding. I low-key make more money.”

Drew: “What do you do that’s so, like, memorable?”
Melody: “Um… be the youngest person working there. I think the second closest age to me is — how old is this dude? I don’t know, maybe late 20s. But everyone is around, like, 30s, 40s. Mainly 30s.”

Melody: “It’s mainly side hustles for everybody. And it’s really cool, because the whole reason I got that job is because I do stand-up. Mind you, there’s not a lot of people that work there. There’s, like, ten employees. So three or four are comedians. And then a couple people are film people. And then a couple people are actors.”

Drew: “Are you going to work there when you come back?”
Melody: “Maybe. I’d be down. I asked them if I could come back. They said yeah. But they were low-key pissing me the f— off.”
Drew: “I would love to meet somebody who hasn’t pissed you the f— off.”
Melody: “Probably impossible, but I always have valid reason. Like, they were being mean to my coworker. And I love her and she’s so sweet. I hope she’s okay. She was the first female referee for the NFL. She’s hella cool.”

Before the game show there was LensCrafters, for three years.

Melody: “Towards the end of my time working there I low-key never showed up to my job, dude. It was, like, bad. Like, Jenny, my manager, just gave me way too much leeway, because I’d have a shift at 9 and I would pop the f— in at 1 p.m. and be like, hey. And she’d be like, dude, just go home.”
Drew: “Really? They don’t even want you there? Why would you show up so late?”
Melody: “Usually I was hungover. To be fair, I was, like, 19 through 21.”

Melody: “People would come in and be like, I want to work with the girl that I was with before. And they’d be like, who? And they would describe me. And one time this guy came in and was like — small blonde girl, blue eyes, really deep voice.”
Drew: “Really deep voice.”
Melody: “I was like, bro, what the f—?”
Drew: “I don’t know if I’d describe you as having a really deep voice.”
Melody: “I wouldn’t either. That’s why it was so offensive.”

Drew: “Was there any other girl that was blonde?”
Melody: “That was the only blonde that worked there.”
Drew: “Damn. And you are a super small, short, blue-eyed blonde girl. So it has to be you.”
Melody: “Deep voice is f—ing crazy, bro.”
Drew: “You do have a deep voice. You can’t spell deep without D.”

---

She does not laugh. He notices.

Drew: “God, sometimes you just don’t laugh at my jokes. You never laugh at my jokes. I see you laughing at everybody else’s.”
Drew: “There once was a girl named Melody…”
Melody: “That’s not what it started off like.”
Drew: “Who hopes to be in the veto… veto? Called spelling bee?”
Drew: “Swing and a miss. She’s 0 for 6.”

She corrects the number, and then counts them.

Melody: “Five. I played in Pipe Queen Veto, Hippie Veto… Poison Veto…”
Drew: “Today’s.”
Melody: “Today’s veto. And then what was the other one I played in? Oh, OTEV.”
Drew: “So, five? Or six?”
Melody: “I think five.”

Drew: “Wow, you’re so cool. Think about all the costumes you have.”
Melody: “It’d be cool to win… one.”
Drew: “Dude, honestly, I think that’s a good idea. You should probably just win one.”

He asks whether she wants the next Head of Household, and then plays both parts of the answer.

Drew: “You wanna win the next HOH?”
Melody: “Yeah. I was right there.”
Drew: “Dude, that jerk took it from you. What a douche. I hate that guy. That guy sucks. The good thing is everyone doesn’t like him, so I don’t think he’ll be here that long.”
Melody: “That’s weird. He has, like, five people here backing him out of nine.”
Drew: “Who are the five?”

She does not answer that.

Drew: “Can’t say I’m the biggest wine drinker, to be honest with you. It kind of always just makes me want to sleep.”
Melody: “Rookie.”
Drew: “Yeah, sorry I’m not seasoned like you are, auntie.”
Melody: “Is that too far? I’m the second youngest person in this house.”

---

Drew describes his evening.

Drew: “It’s so funny sitting up here with Taylor and Yash. Because I was like, it’s just us, guys. Me and the people I put up.”
Melody: “Did you say that?”
Drew: “I told both of them sorry.”
Melody: “I know, but did you say what you just said?”
Drew: “No. I was like, guys, I hope you know, I don’t want either of you to go.”
Melody: “Buffoon-ass f—ing whatever, bro.”

Drew: “Should I not have said anything?”
Melody: “No, it’s just funny. Like, if someone who put me on the block said that to me, I’d be like, bro, f— you.”
Drew: “Yash was cool about it, but he still could probably put me up.”
Melody: “Well, you put him up. Like, what do you want him to do, bro?”
Melody: “What did he say?”
Drew: “He said this classic Yash. Like, let’s run it, bro.”

Then she tells him about her afternoon.

Melody: “I started getting really bad anxiety, because when I came in from outside and everyone was chilling, waiting for the food or whatever, I saw Barrett and he looked hella worried. He looked so stressed out. And I was, like, tweaking.”

She had assumed it meant she was going up.

Melody: “I’m winning the f—ing next HOH. I want a letter, and I want my music. And everyone needs to get f—ed.”
Drew: “Hey. Not everybody.”
Melody: “Everybody except for you and Barrett.”
Drew: “Really? And probably Yash and Taylor.”
Melody: “Yeah.”

---

Field trips.

Melody: “What was your favorite field trip you went on?”
Drew: “I remember a really cool one that my parents paid for. It was middle school. I went to D.C.”
Melody: “Dude, I’m so jealous. My school did that too, but my mom couldn’t afford to send me.”
Drew: “Yeah, my dad made it, like, a huge deal. He was like, you have to go see the world. My dad’s really into art and s— and traveling and stuff like that. But I went to D.C. and Philadelphia, which was cool.”
Melody: “That’s so cool. I’m so f—ing jealous. All my friends went on that trip.”

Drew: “Oh, and we went to New York. Have you ever been to any of those places?”
Melody: “I’ve been to Philadelphia. And technically been to New York, but I was, like, five. But never went to D.C. I went to Philly for a week for a rave, my first rave. And the whole reason we even stayed a week was because we were gonna go to the rave and then go to New York City. And I got really sick and didn’t leave the bed the entire week. It sucked.”
Drew: “You had, like, the flu or something?”
Melody: “I had COVID. I slept for, like, 17 hours every single day, and I sweat so much. I sweated through, like, three comforters.”

Melody: “I think my favorite field trip was Outdoor Ed. I don’t remember what grade it was. We went to the mountains and we stayed in, like, a cabin, and they taught us different outdoorsy stuff. And then it was, like, a few days, so we did all that and then it would be, like, fun time too. Roller skating. There was a campfire one night.”
Melody: “It’s actually one of my favorite memories ever. And my teacher took a picture of me in the snow, and it’s one of my favorite pictures of me ever. I look so cute. I’m just in this snow outfit, and the snow’s falling down, and I’m in the middle of the woods.”

Melody: “And me and all the other people there were just buffoon-ass people. They were, like, in the dining hall just making random concoctions of drinks.”
Drew: “I think I’ve seen something similar. It’s called Astro Camp.”
Melody: “Did you guys go to space?”
Drew: “I went to space. Fun fact. I went to space. Let’s just say it’s all it’s cracked up to be.”
Melody: “Did you see the Mars rover?”
Drew: “I did. It’s real. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.”

Drew: “We all lived in, like, dorms, pretty much. We were all in elementary school. And they’re like, boys have to be downstairs, girls have to be upstairs. It’s elementary school, so you know it didn’t happen. We were just running around. Going upstairs and downstairs.”
Melody: “No, I feel like mine’s cooler, though.”
Drew: “Probably.”
Melody: “Well, at least mine was Outdoor Ed. We went outdoors. And we learned about outdoors. And it was in the woods and s—. And you didn’t even go to space.”

---

He asks what competition she would want to see, and it produces the hot dog bit.

Drew: “What do you hope the HOH is that you’re going to win? Like, what would call to you? If you saw it, you’d be like, that’s mine.”
Melody: “I have no f—ing clue.”
Drew: “I thought you were going to win the balance one, because you seem so like — you’re like, I love the balance.”
Melody: “Please don’t remind me of that bulls—, bro.”
Drew: “Why?”
Melody: “Just a stupid-ass mistake. I just should have tried. I put my faith into something that wasn’t supposed to have faith in it.”
Drew: “But you’re still here.”
Melody: “Yeah, but Mallory’s not.”

He lets it go, and she goes back to the question.

Melody: “I don’t know what would call to me. Maybe… hot dog selling cup.”
Drew: “Bro, you didn’t even commit. Can you do like a mini one right now? You don’t have to yell.”
Melody: “I’m going to yell.”
Drew: “No, you’re not.”
Melody: “Hot dog. No, hold on, that’s not good. Hot dog, no.”
Drew: “Yeah, that one’s good.”
Melody: “Hot dog, come on, get your hot dog. Okay, stop.”

Drew: “Why are you covering your eyes?”
Melody: “I can’t look at you.”
Melody: “Hot dog. Get your hot dog. No, that’s not right either. I have to yell. It’s not going to come out right.”
Drew: “What are you on?”
Melody: “I would be good at that, though.”
Drew: “I mean, you did crush Lady of the Latrine.”
Melody: “I was just about to say that.”

Drew: “Hot dog, get your hot dog here. It’s because your voice is too deep.”
Melody: “I know. That’s why it would be good.”

---

Then she builds a jury.

Melody: “Could have been a better jury. Could have been a worse jury.”
Drew: “What would have been worse?”
Melody: “Me not here. You not here. Barrett not here.”
Drew: “Nice save.”

Melody: “A perfect jury would be — and by perfect, I mean my perfect scenario, selfishly. What, there’s seven people? And then two finalists, so let’s name nine. Me, you, Barrett, Mallory… Jason. Devens.”
Drew: “Devens is still in it? Why?”
Melody: “I like Devens.”
Drew: “You like Devens?”
Melody: “Yeah, I like Devens. Why do you want to put him up so bad?”
Drew: “Bro, it needs to be done.”

Melody: “The last two are super interchangeable between Taylor, Dee, and Angela.”
Drew: “You would want two Icons in here still?”
Melody: “No, not really, but the options are just so slim.”
Drew: “Who would you sit next to in the nine?”
Melody: “In a final two? Me and Mallory. Me and you. Me and Barrett. But I’d lose to probably you, or probably Mallory and Barrett.”
Drew: “Yeah, I definitely feel like we all lose to Barrett. And Mallory. And definitely Mallory. Honestly, I think everyone.”

Drew: “I think everyone should take me to the end.”
Melody: “Is that, like, your f—ing page?”
Drew: “Uh, yeah, because everyone doesn’t like me.”
Melody: “You have all three Icons.”
Drew: “And they still put me up.”
Melody: “Yeah, and you’re still standing by them. Isn’t that weird?”
Drew: “Super weird, right?”

Melody: “Shake your head really quick. Let me know if you hear rocks.”
Melody: “You don’t hear anything. Well, that explains it.”

The nightmare version is shorter.

Melody: “Nightmare jury would have been… Haley, Chuk, Kamu. All three Icons. Me. Lyric. And Lala. That would have been worst case scenario. Like, genuinely.”

Then the thing she has evidently been holding.

Melody: “I genuinely don’t trust anyone in this house, including you and Barrett.”
Drew: “You should trust me and Barrett.”
Melody: “But I am forced to trust you and Barrett. I don’t really have anything else to go off of.”

Drew: “Well, me and Barrett need a redemption arc.”
Melody: “Yeah, you guys should probably figure that out. Your redemption arc is, like, non-existent right now.”
Drew: “I have to start it.”
Melody: “Yeah, so when is that going to start?”
Drew: “When I put you up as a renom. Duh.”
Melody: “Do we know what redemption means?”
Drew: “Uh, no. It means dig yourself further into the hole, right?”

He is going through her hair while he says it.

Melody: “Are you looking for lice?”
Drew: “Yeah. We’ve hit the gold mine. Your head’s so pink.”

---

The veto comes up, and it is the first time either of them has said anything about it out loud.

Melody: “I wish I won the veto.”
Drew: “That’d be really cool. What would you have done?”
Melody: “Probably… keep noms the same.”
Drew: “No, you would not have. You told me you would use it.”
Melody: “Yeah, I would have. On who, not completely sure.”

Melody: “When I’m HOH, if you win the veto, are you going to use it?”
Drew: “Depends. Who’s up there?”
Melody: “Only time will tell.”
Drew: “I’m only using it if it’s me.”
Melody: “Is that true?”
Drew: “If I’m up there? Yeah, I’m definitely going to use it if I’m up there.”

They wonder aloud whether the winner will keep the nominations the same. Melody’s guess is that it gets used on Lala.

---

Then he asks her a question about the end of the game, and the night turns.

Melody: “Stupid-ass f—ing question, bro.”
Melody: “Ew, I f—ing hate you, because looking back, I’m like — everything else now, too, is like, you were literally full-on in a f—ing alliance with Devens. When he won HOH. And you’re f—ing asking me some bulls—-ass question, and then I went up on the block the next f—ing day. Like, f— you.”

Drew: “Yeah, I don’t know why he put you up.”
Melody: “He said because I wasn’t his f—ing partner. And then also I was in the Four Seasons, which was really baffling to me, because so were you. And then I remember being like, that’s weird. That’s weird. I was, like, not involved in any of this. I should have said something at the time, but whatever.”
Drew: “You hate me?”
Melody: “Yeah.”
Drew: “You do?”
Melody: “I’m just kidding.”

Drew: “But I’m in a redemption arc.”
Melody: “When the f— is that starting?”
Drew: “Well, I gotta put somebody else up.”
Melody: “And that’s your redemption arc? You should have started with that. That’s not a redemption arc.”
Drew: “What should mine be then? Write it for me?”
Melody: “No, I’m not going to tell you what to do.”
Drew: “Well, I can’t tell you what to do, so you tell me what to do.”
Melody: “I can’t tell you what to do. You don’t listen.”

Drew: “Of course not. I barely listen to the rules to each game.”
Melody: “That pisses me off. Because, like, why aren’t you listening?”

She goes back to the competition she nearly won.

Melody: “I was like, bro, I’m about to win. Like, f—ing chill. I was literally so close.”
Drew: “You were. Dee was two away.”
Melody: “Dee probably would have taken them all off. They’re hella tight.”
Drew: “Yeah, they’re really cool. I don’t want anybody to leave this week.”
Melody: “Who do you want to leave? Lala? Taylor? Which? Me?”
Drew: “It’s going to be a lot easier if you weren’t here.”

He hears himself.

Drew: “That was f—ed up.”
Drew: “You’re, like, the biggest comp threat in here and, like, your social game is unmatched.”
Melody: “One of those is true.”

Melody: “It’s definitely not unmatched, but I mean, I haven’t won literally anything and I made it this far.”
Drew: “Do you think it’s because your social game?”
Melody: “What else would it be? It’s definitely not comps. It’s low-key not strategy.”
Drew: “Why is it low-key not strategy?”
Melody: “I mean, maybe it is. I don’t know. It’s hard to look at when you’re in it. I definitely think it’s my social game. I knew that was going to be my thing before I even got here.”

Drew: “What do you think my thing is?”
Melody: “Your social game.”
Drew: “Is it? How?”
Melody: “Mr. Play Both Sides pisses me off that you made it this far doing that. I’m not going to lie.”
Drew: “Why?”
Melody: “Because you deserve to go home for that. Playing both sides never works. Why did it work for you?”

He tries to spread it.

Drew: “It worked for Barrett, too.”
Melody: “Yeah, f— both of you guys.”
Drew: “I feel like you target me and blame me for so much when Barrett was doing the same thing.”
Melody: “Because Barrett was never my number one ally. Like, what part of that don’t you f—ing comprehend? Barrett never sat down and was like, we’re number one allies.”

Drew: “Yeah, but you’re still here, and I’m still here.”
Melody: “So?”
Drew: “Now you’re in my HOH room, and you’re not on the block. I still look like a great ally.”
Melody: “Bro, you did the correct thing. You did one thing correct. Do you want a f—ing medal?”
Drew: “Are you offering?”
Melody: “No.”
Drew: “Oh, well then, if you were, yeah, I would like one.”
Melody: “You wouldn’t get one. They don’t give out stupid-ass medal awards.”

Drew: “Oof. They don’t give out participation trophies either.”
Melody: “Well, they kind of do.”
Drew: “Really? How?”
Drew: “For five vetoes?”
Melody: “The proof is in the pudding.”

Drew: “I still think you should take me to the end, though. Because I do not have a lot of votes.”
Melody: “Bro, what?”
Drew: “I don’t know, dude. I don’t know if they’re gonna vote for me. They probably think I’m an idiot.”

Drew: “You know who has the best shot at winning at the end? Just take a guess.”
Melody: “Devens.”
Drew: “Maybe. That’s not who I would have said.”
Melody: “Barrett?”
Drew: “I think Barrett. Because Taylor, Lala, and Yash would vote for him. And he was always closer to the Icons than I was. Clearly, because whenever they won, they put me up and not him.”

Drew: “Hope you don’t hate me. Not much, at least.”

---

She has been laughing at nothing for a while. He works out why.

Melody: “Why is it so f—ing funny?”
Drew: “Because you’re mad at something. Because you always do that when you’re mad.”
Drew: “What is it? What did you think of?”
Melody: “You voting Mallory out. That was some f—ing bulls—, bro.”

Drew: “I agree. But also, like, I told you Yash wasn’t going to vote to keep her.”
Melody: “Okay. You could have still f—ing done that. Like, that’s so f—ed up, dude.”
Drew: “No, I agree. That’s, like, my biggest regret in this game.”
Drew: “Do you think I’m telling the truth?”
Melody: “No.”
Drew: “Why?”
Melody: “Because you’re a liar.”

Melody: “It was just sad. It broke my heart. She was so upset. She knew she was going to go home before the show even started.”
Drew: “Me and Barrett were pissed.”
Melody: “You were not pissed enough.”

Melody: “Mallory deserved to be in jury.”
Drew: “And not me?”
Melody: “You did too.”
Drew: “You were going to vote me out.”
Melody: “If you’re up against Mallory? That’s if Taylor won.”
Drew: “Yeah.”
Melody: “You would have been here if Mallory won.”

---

Drew: “Who do you think doesn’t deserve to be here?”
Melody: “I guess everybody does. They obviously all did something correct.”
Drew: “Who do you think deserves to be here that’s not here, besides Mallory?”
Melody: “I don’t know. I can’t really say.”
Drew: “I’ll say Kamu.”
Melody: “Yeah. That’s a good one. I agree.”

Melody: “I remember when I was like, I want to keep Kamu. And you said no.”
Drew: “Yeah.”
Melody: “So he could have been here?”
Drew: “Mm-hmm.”
Melody: “Why do you think he needed to go?”

He tries to trade information and gets nowhere.

Drew: “Who do you hope leaves this week, and then who do you hope leaves next week?”
Melody: “I don’t know if I trust telling you this information. You tell me first.”
Drew: “Never mind.”
Melody: “Seriously? That’s why you’re f—ing — you’re done.”
Drew: “I should have said the same thing about you. You just hit me with the same thing.”
Melody: “Yeah, because that’s not fair. And you’re the HOH.”
Drew: “Yeah.”

Melody: “So who do you hope leaves this week and who do you hope leaves next week? Dude, what the f—?”
Drew: “I don’t know. It depends on who wins HOH next week.”
Melody: “Buffoon-ass answer.”

---

Something outside sounds like rain.

Melody: “Does it rain in Jamaica?”
Drew: “During the spring, yeah. During winter too. You just hear it. I like it. I’ll take my dog out. She likes it. She’s definitely, like, a water dog.”
Drew: “Has it ever rained in Arizona?”
Melody: “Yeah. We have monsoon season.”
Drew: “Do you like it?”
Melody: “The rain? Yeah, I like it. Well, it’s really hot in Arizona, so it definitely cools off when it rains. It smells good. I like puddles.”

Drew: “Why do you like puddles? Just jump in them?”
Melody: “In middle school, I used to walk to and from school. It was in Colorado. And every time there was a puddle, it did not matter what I was wearing. I would jump in it.”

Melody: “At my apartment I had a hammock and a little patio balcony thing. I was on the first floor so it wasn’t really a balcony, but it was covered, and it would rain and it wouldn’t get in my patio, so I would lay outside on my hammock.”
Drew: “How cool was your hammock?”
Melody: “Not as cool as the one we have here.”
Melody: “I actually threw it away when I moved because I was so f—ing over my moving process. I was like, it’s too hot out here to deal with any of this. I’m throwing this the f— away. But it was old. My parents had it for a while. They gave it to me. I saved the actual hammock. I just need to buy the poles.”

---

An hour and a half in, Zingbot.

Melody: “Can’t believe we got zinged yesterday.”
Drew: “Yeah, right? Isn’t that wild? I think that’s my favorite part.”
Melody: “Of the whole thing?”
Drew: “I like the comic book stuff.”
He means BB Comics, the cover-reveal competition the show has run every season since 2014.

Drew: “Did you wish you got to compete outside in that random mess?”
Melody: “No.”
Drew: “You’re glad you didn’t have to? You looked genuinely scared.”
Melody: “I was.”

Then Angela, and a thing Angela said that Drew does not like.

Melody: “Angela — that night it was me and her right before you gave her the stone, and I was like, we’re gonna be okay. And she was like, Drew loves you so much. And I was like, yeah, he’s cool.”
It is the read the rest of the house has settled on, and it is the oldest story the game tells — the showmance that is never quite a showmance.
Melody: “He loves me so much. And her f—ing Angela-ass, like, about-to-cry face.”
Drew: “It worries me that they think that.”
Melody: “It shouldn’t worry you.”
Drew: “It worries me.”
Melody: “Because you’re aligned with them and I’m not.”

Drew: “Why did you even say that? For what reason?”
Melody: “I was like, he’s using it on you, bro. Like, he probably loves you more than me.”
Melody: “That was the deal I made. Get out there first. Whatever, bro. Deals are meant to be broken.”

And then she puts it together for him.

Melody: “Just how we had a deal that we weren’t gonna f—ing go against FAP, and then you voted Mallory out.”
Drew: “Mallory was leaving anyways. But I do wish I gave her a sympathy vote. Especially knowing that it didn’t matter.”
Melody: “Just s—ty.”
Drew: “Out of everything that’s happened in this game, it’s the one thing I regret the most.”

Drew: “So why would Angela say that?”
Melody: “I honestly don’t know. Like, what was the context? I think we obviously knew that you were going to use it on her. And then the plan was to save me next. And I think that’s why she just said that.”
Melody: “But I was just like, I’m worried. I was like, I do not feel safe right now. Because how f—ed up would it have been if Haley won and then totally just didn’t save me?”

Drew: “I would, like, pray that Barrett won.”
Melody: “That would have sucked. If Barrett and Mallory went home… no words to be spoken. I would low-key go with the rest of the season.”

---

It is close to three in the morning. He says the thing he has been circling for an hour and a half, and this time not as a joke.

Drew: “You know I’m not putting you up, babe. I’m not joking with you.”
Melody: “Please don’t.”

Drew: “Angela today. Calling you a doll. You’re not one of those ugly ones. Or the chubby one.”
Melody: “I’ll take it.”

Melody: “I don’t want to get up and go downstairs and brush my teeth.”
Drew: “I’ll throw you over there and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
Melody: “Yeah, but then I still didn’t brush my teeth.”
Drew: “That’s one night.”
Melody: “Go back to when I didn’t brush my teeth for a whole day.”
Drew: “You’re hella gross. Dude, check how cool this blanket is though, genuinely. I like how weighted it is.”

Melody: “This reminds me of my comforter at home.”
Drew: “Dude, I know, right? Well, I don’t know, but it’s pretty cool.”

Melody: “Pretty late.”
Drew: “Maybe three.”
Drew: “I was mostly joking.”
Melody: “What if I fell asleep?”
Drew: “I would have let you have it.”

Melody: “Good night. Good night. Do you want me to turn this light off?”
Drew: “No, do it.”

9:30 AM — Drew, Barrett, Yash and Dee (Balcony)

Sunday morning on the balcony, and they are still working through what Zingbot said.

The zing they keep coming back to was aimed at Devens. It called him old and leathery, told him to “wear sunscreen,” and finished by telling him to give up on the gym, “because it’s not working.”

Nobody in the group can get over the last part. One of them says he did not hear it live at all — “he just freaking kept going” — and another describes his reaction as “jaw on the floor,” adding “no f—ing way that was all said.” A third runs through it in order: “oh, this was really good. No, this was better. Wait, wait, this is the best.”

They decide the gym line is wrong on the merits and say so, loudly — the gym is working, he is crushing it, and they are going to run him until he passes out again.

Devens apparently missed it in the room, which the group thinks is the better outcome. He will get it the way the audience does.

---

Then they try to work out how any of it fits into a television episode, and accidentally lay out the week’s running order.

Their guess is that the episode leads on the medieval competition, ends on who won Head of Household, and then teases Zingbot for next time. Somebody points out the problem with that: Zingbot came before the Head of Household, so a preview would be out of order, and there is no clean way to show that on air.

The tone problem bothers them more than the chronology.

“That would be such a weird way to end such an intense” episode, one of them says. Another: “it’s, like, intensity and then happiness. Like, funny. That makes no sense.”

Which leads to the only conclusion available: “Damn, so they’re really gonna do the medieval and Zingbot in the same episode? That’s crazy.” The answer offered is “must be a longer episode,” followed by a piece of scheduling speculation nobody asked for — whether the show moves to Monday nights once NFL football starts.

---

The last of it is pure fan appreciation. This year’s Zingbot came with a time machine and a theme they refer to as him going through the years.

“He changed the future. Or he changed the present.”
“Zingbot through the years.”
“He crouched down on our time machine.”
“He tapped his ass.”
“Yeah, he was tapping his ass. The breathing was crazy.”

10:14 AM — Devens and Angela (Kitchen)

They are making breakfast burritos. Devens is also arranging to go on the block.

Devens: “Lala just said she wants to take over for Haley as our extra number.”
Devens: “I said, I might be up there with you on the block.”

He has decided not to fight it, and he explains the reasoning.

Devens: “My whole thing with that is, like, obviously I’d rather not be up there. But I was like, the more I push against it, the more it makes it seem like I don’t trust them.”
Angela: “Yeah.”
Devens: “And the numbers make — like, if the numbers were different, I wouldn’t necessarily.”

Then the actual play.

Devens: “The more I’m not pushing, and Melody is pushing, I feel like that juxtaposition will make it be like, I’m the better ally for sure. I’m the — you know, they should put her up.”

Devens: “So if you guys want to push, I’m all for it.”

He is doing it with his whole chest — all hey, I got you, I got you — and he keeps it up even when Barrett comes up.

Devens: “I’m fine. For one, I can beat them in the Blockbuster, and we’d have fun trying. But I believe I’d come back. And if I don’t…”

(What the f— buddy you got the DPOV and now you think you are going to have two lives in this game. This is Kraken)

Devens: “I’d rather not do that, but I wouldn’t — for the rest of my days or anything like that — be like, okay, they got me. But I don’t think they would. And I think the less I push, the more likely it is that they will keep me.”
Devens: “So that’s where I’m at with it.”
Angela: “That makes sense.”

---

Having taken himself out of it, he hands the job to everybody else.

Devens: “So he’s got that in his head. I’m not even doing anything with it anymore. You and Dee definitely can. And talk to Barrett too. Because Barrett’s into that idea.”
Devens: “So if it’s coming from all of you all — and don’t get me wrong, I made it very clear.”
Angela: “My argument would be, is that you?”

Production: “Angela, please center your microphone.”

Angela works through the case that Devens has never done anything to make Drew distrust him. Devens supplies the receipt: he put Rome up for them, and Melody would have put him up.

Devens: “As a renom, and I would definitely never put him up.”
Devens: “And don’t get me wrong, I’ve made it clear to him, I would love to see Melody go up. I know you don’t really wanna do that, and that’s fine.”
Devens: “So if that’s the case, you got me, I got your back, I wanna make things easy on you. But definitely to me, it’s like, let’s put up the person. So I’ve made it clear.”

Angela: “I got you. Yeah. I got you.”
Devens: “Yeah, thank you.”
Devens: “And again, like, not the end of the world. Not something that we want to get them tweaking about or anything like that.”

---

The burritos are nearly ready and the conversation goes somewhere else entirely.

Devens: “I can’t believe we’re in that position at all.”
Angela: “Oh, my God. I know.”
Devens: “I mean, this must be so different than your…”
Angela: “If I can just stay longer than sixth place, I’m a happy girl. It’s so different. But I’d love longer.”

Devens: “It’s so different from my positions, too. Like, I’ve gotten deep, but I’ve never with a group. Like, I’ve always been, like, the last one standing, fighting for my life.”
Angela: “Which hurts. And it’s sad.”

Angela: “This has just been a really nice experience for me. Of course, it’s had its ups and downs and some of it self-sabotaged. But nonetheless, you know, I’m kind of trying to learn from those things and move forward.”
Devens: “Totally. Totally.”
Devens: “I’m like, I only got seventh on 50. And it’s like, we’re almost there.”
Angela: “That’s amazing, by the way. Congratulations on that again.”
Devens: “Thank you.”

Angela: “It’s amazing to be in the kitchen with you cooking. If you’d have told me I’d be in the kitchen cooking with Devens from Survivor…”

Angela: “Have you guys been to the Bahamas?”
Devens: “Yeah, I went there on a cruise. I was only there for a day, and I was pretty young, so I don’t really remember too much about it.”
Angela: “I love it, though. So cool.”
Devens: “It is.”

Devens: “We are so close to breakfast, too. And this is going to be bomb.”
Angela: “It is.”
Devens: “I’m psyched.”
Angela: “Are you doing a burrito or a skillet?”
Devens: “I’m going to do a burrito. You got me sold on this burrito thing. How close are we?”
Angela: “Because I can start heating up tortillas.”

Devens: “I think we’re really close. I put it on broil now just to crisp them up.”
Angela: “Oh, I love that you did that.”
Devens: “So they’re still soft, but they’re definitely cooked.”
Angela: “All right, I’m going to heat up some tortillas.”
Devens: “I could probably double broil here.”

Then, out of nowhere, the only complaint he makes all morning.

Devens: “I can’t believe I’ve only gotten one veto all season I’ve gotten to play in.”

11:42 AM — Drew and Devens (Gym)

They start on Taylor, who has not got out of bed.

Devens: “I guess Zingbot didn’t get to Taylor too bad. She’s still in her bed.”
Drew: “She was talking upstairs. She was like, I don’t care if I’m boring. And I’m like, that means you care.”
Devens: “Like, I don’t care that he called me — it’s like, yes, I do. I wish people would stop bringing it up.”
Drew: “Dude, I’d be so mad if boring was mine.”

Then they give her some credit, which turns into the opposite of credit.

Drew: “I still think that from her perspective, she’s like, I’m playing the game really well right now. Like, you gotta give it to her. The one week where she was for sure the main target, she won the veto.”
Devens: “Yes.”
Drew: “And, like, if she’s up there against Lala, like, we’re voting Lala out.”
Devens: “You gotta give her credit for making herself — she is such a low threat. So little of a threat.”

---

And that is the bridge to Melody.

Drew: “Same goes for Melody. She was telling me, she’s like, I have such a good social game. And I’m like, I think it’s because you’re not.”
Devens: “I don’t think she has a good social game. I don’t think she’s especially well liked, even.”
Drew: “No. I think the only people that like her are me and Barrett. And, like, Yash.”
Devens: “I think maybe so.”
Drew: “Like, I don’t think Taylor’s the biggest.”
Devens: “I think she’s mean.”

Drew brings up something Barrett told him about the handoffs in a competition, and Devens has clearly been waiting for the chance.

Drew: “Barrett was telling me that she had this whole, if there’s handoffs this week, I’m not doing it. And you were like, no, you have to do it.”
Devens: “It’s like, I’m not doing it because I want to drink wine.”

Devens: “To see their faces when I came around that corner, they were like — not what they wanted at all. Not at all. I was like, uh-huh, I see it. Y’all just gave yourselves away. S—. Could you be a little bit more obvious? F—.”
Devens: “Putting her out there first, thinking that she was just going to do it.”

Devens: “It’s like, grab two balls. Grab three balls, like one at a time. It’s like you’re just trying to make a point to somebody. I don’t know who. But none of us.”
Drew: “You don’t care.”

Drew: “She was telling me, she’s like, I got such a good social game. And I was like, okay. She always tells me how bad I’m playing, too.”
Devens: “I’m like, okay. It’s like, I guess it’s easy to not make anyone upset when you never have to make a decision.”

Drew: “That always makes me laugh.”
Devens: “I would take your game over her game a million times out of a million times.”
Drew: “I mean, I’m having fun. Like, it was cool to be involved in s—.”
Devens: “I mean, if you and her were final two, it’d be, like, easy peasy.”
Drew: “Yeah, but I don’t think I’d still win against her. Like, there’s a lot of people…”
Devens: “Oh, you would definitely win against Taylor, Lala, Yash.”

Drew: “It’s seven people, but who knows?”
Devens: “No, man, I think you’re in good shape. Especially if everyone gets to the end.”
Drew: “I think we all are, though.”

---

Which is when Drew says the thing the rest of the house would want to hear.

Drew: “It’s just incredible that we — like, genuinely, if all of us don’t win and we’re all in the jury house, like, we still choose who won.”

Drew: “And there’s only one person in this game that I’d be okay with losing that’s not in the Crossovers. It’s probably Yash. He’s the only dude that’d be like, all right. Because the only way he could get there is if he just f—ing whoops our ass for the next four weeks.”
Devens: “Totally. And he’d be a baller.”
Drew: “You just have to give him credit.”

Devens will not even go that far.

Devens: “I just don’t see myself giving someone outside of that group a vote. It doesn’t matter if it’s like — I know what they did.”
Drew: “Me neither.”
Devens: “Like, I get from your perspective that you did a lot of cool things, but I know what the five of us did. And that’s incredible. From the beginning.”
Drew: “No, I’m only saying, I would consider him if there was no other option.”

Devens: “If he got there, he’d be the impressive game. And if he’s against any of them, I think he’d clean sweep. Taylor and Lala vote for each other. Outside of that…”
Drew: “But I would way rather prefer it to be legitimately any one of us.”
Devens: “Dude. Totally. And ideally two of us, and just make it tough on ourselves, of course.”
Drew: “Yeah, make it super tough. But that’s what we want. But then Taylor, Lala, and Yash would be the deciding factor. Which would be crazy.”

Drew: “Well, actually, it wouldn’t be, because they could have the perspective of the other members of the group, like, who they think played better.”
Devens: “Totally. But we’re so close to being the final five. That’s such a realistic thing at this point.”
Drew: “And I still believe in this. I’m still rocking with that.”
Devens: “Oh, 100%.”

---

Then they run the block through next week.

Devens: “Especially if it goes down to two, I don’t think anyone puts up anyone that’s in the five. Maybe Angela — she would want to put up a pawn instead of a Lala, if we have the votes.”
Devens: “But even then, if it goes down to two instead of three, we’ll be chill. I would tell her, like, please don’t — because if she wins it, then there’s two of us sitting up there.”
Drew: “If Lala wins the veto and pulls herself off.”
Devens: “Oh, right.”
Drew: “Oh, but then the replacement would just be… I don’t know.”

Drew: “When there’s two people, it’s just like, dude, just put two people that are in the group, and then there’s nothing they can do.”
Devens: “Well, you know, you can set the tone.”
Drew: “I guess you’re right.”

Both of them wish last week had gone differently.

Drew: “I was really hoping it was going to be two this week. I would have never let Yash play.”
Devens: “That would have made everything so much easier. Because I feel like you never know what those Blockbusters are. At some point he’s going to lose something and go home, or he’s going to win his way to the end.”
Drew: “I was just begging for her to put him up.”
Devens: “That would have been a good spot.”
Drew: “But I get it. From a personal game, it’s better for him to be here for her.”

Devens: “And last week’s the type of thing where it’s just like, I get he’s real smart, but there’s no inherent advantage in that type of challenge. Like, you took a risk. And you won. You would have taken the risk. He’d have been waiting and he’d have been home.”

---

Drew: “It is rad to be up here with five still.”
Devens: “It is. And still hold the majority. Dude, every time I’m stressing about anything, I’m just like — it’s better to be us five than anyone in the game.”
Drew: “We’ve proven it so many times. With me specifically, like, I’ve sat on that block. You guys keep going, like, all right, guys.”
Devens: “Million percent. Million percent.”

Drew: “I haven’t given you the chance to not vote for me, because I try to not even risk that, you know what I’m saying? Like, with the Blockbuster, I’m like, just f—ing do it. But I believe if I was sitting there, I would be like, all right. It’s fine.”
Devens: “Totally. But, yeah, always best to just win, win, win. And you’ve been doing that. Save it for the key moments.”

Drew is on a machine. The talk turns to how sore he is.

Devens: “How long do you go on there?”
Drew: “Just 30. I should probably put the resistance up, but… I can’t lie, my legs were sore.”
Devens: “Oh, I would think so. You took a lot of trips back and forth on that balance beam, and then having to teeter it. Flex them both. You guys got that down to a science there after a little bit.”
Drew: “Dude, D — well, then Yash, but D at one point was just, like, balling.”
Drew: “I’m still pissed a little bit.”

---

By 11:55 they are on next week, and on who the house is actually hunting.

Drew: “I really hope one of you guys wins HOH. That’d be really sweet. Because out of the five of us, I truly think you, me and Dee are — I think they’re headhunting us now. Barrett and Angela, they’re, like, whatever. Especially Barrett.”
Devens: “Lala thinks she’ll put up Barrett. She told me this morning. I guess because he was on the other side of the vote.”
Devens: “She’s just so out of the picture. She just has no idea what’s happening in the house.”

Drew: “I just put Lala up.”
Devens: “No, she thinks you’ll put him up as the renom tomorrow.”
Drew: “Yeah, that’s what Taylor thinks, too.”
Devens: “It’s like, you guys haven’t seen Drew and Barrett together this whole game? Because they think Barrett is with them.”
Drew: “They still think Barrett’s with them. Barrett is playing the best social game out of everybody in this house. With 100% certainty.”

Devens: “Well, again, he’s never been HOH. He’s never had to do anything. But he’s just, like, his personality too.”
Drew: “He’s just super mellow and chill. Super lovable.”
Drew: “Like, Yash would put me up over him. I don’t know about Melody, but part of me feels like she would, because I voted Mallory out. As, like, a lesson. Taylor would put me up over Barrett. Lala 100% would.”
Drew: “I’m not putting Barrett up. Like, that’s crazy. They just have zero idea.”
Devens: “Even at this point in the game, they’re not connecting dots. It’s wild.”

---

Then they work out where that leaves the two of them, and it is not a comfortable place.

Drew: “I feel like if I ever sit on the block against Barrett, I’m cooked.”
Devens: “You and me both, dude. 100%.”
Drew: “I don’t see them keeping you or me over him.”
Devens: “Definitely not. But Angela and D might want him out more than us, because we’re easier to beat.”
Drew: “Yeah, we definitely are the two easiest people to beat at the end right now. Which is, like, a good thing and a bad thing.”

Drew: “I’m definitely f—ed if I get down there. My own alliance puts me up. They’re not giving it to me. So I just have to go as far as possible and shoot for second.”

Devens: “I think you’re in better shape than you think. But I definitely think that you and I are in the most perilous position. We’ve had to upset some people along the way. But Dee — so has Dee, and somehow people aren’t mad at her. I think she upset us more than she upset them.”
Drew: “I was telling you on the hammock — I think sometimes I feel like there’s only a few options left for you or me to win this thing. But also, there’s so much game left to play. Anything could happen. People could piss each other off. The next person could be HOH and just change the whole game.”
Drew: “But as of right now, our stock is pretty low.”
Devens: “Good time to buy.”

Drew: “I’m super stoked I won this HOH, but I’m also like, damn, I can’t even play next week. All I’ve got is the veto.”
Drew: “And if it’s double eviction on Thursday — Barrett thinks it might be — it’s going to be, like, an hour. You only have an hour to play and then your game’s over. Which is crazy.”
Drew: “But it’s a power too, man, to be disliked.”
Devens: “Every positive’s a negative, every negative’s a positive.”

Drew: “We’re in the majority alliance, but me specifically, man, I feel like I’m the first to get cut from that.”
Devens: “I don’t think so. It’s who wins that HOH at five. I don’t know what Angela and Dee will do, but I know what you, Barrett and I will do.”
Devens: “So you’re good with half of it. We’re good with more than half of it.”

Devens then lays out the case Dee and Angela could build against Barrett, which is also the case they could build against anybody.

Devens: “Part of me thinks that those two are such gamers. When you’re the most liked by those other people — he could win HOH and put all of them up. Up to this point, you haven’t done as much to help the alliance. The reasons write themselves if you’re looking for an excuse.”
Drew: “It feels too early to talk about it, but it does feel like it’s coming up. But obviously, every HOH is the most crucial HOH.”
Devens: “100%. I try not to even think about it, because I don’t have to worry about it until I win that HOH. Otherwise it’s out of my control.”

---

They come back to tomorrow, and to the two of them sitting on the block together.

Drew: “And for sure we’re going up next to each other. If you win that Blockbuster, it might look…”
Devens: “Like we’re not as close as they think. And even then — would you blindside them? Would you give them a heads-up ahead of time?”
Drew: “I’d blindside them.”
Devens: “You’d blindside them.”
Drew: “Just for fun.”
Devens: “I can’t lose their vote even more. You may as well.”

Drew: “It also feels weird, like, putting you up.”
Devens: “No, it’s weird. It’s a weird spot to be in, dude.”

And then Drew says the thing that decides the ceremony.

Drew: “And I know that you want me to put Melody up, but I would really prefer if one of you guys got her out.”
Devens: “No, I totally get that. And that’s why I came to you in the first place.”
Drew: “Yeah, and you made it easy. I was like, oh, cool, I’m glad. Team player, bro.”

Drew: “I feel like you and me have been the better team players sometimes. Sometimes I feel like we’re playing for a team that…”
Devens: “And hopefully in the end they see that, if we make it that far. And obviously it’s not something I would do at all if I didn’t trust you guys.”

Then Devens explains volunteering to be a pawn by way of a sitcom.

Devens: “You haven’t seen Arrested Development. There’s one of the funny scenes. It’s like Tobias, the funny little dude.”
Drew: “Yeah, I know. He turned blue.”
Devens: “Yeah, exactly. And his wife — they’re always having marital issues. They’re talking about having an open marriage. And he’s like, as a psychiatrist, I always tell my patients, an open marriage never works. I’ve seen it time and again. It always ends in failure. It’s the worst thing you can do. It’s totally idiotic. But it could work for us.”

Devens: “That’s how I feel about volunteering to be a pawn, right? It’s like, dumbest thing you could do, never works out, always get f—ed. Yeah, but it could work. It could work for us.”

Drew: “Yeah, I think it could. I think D needs you. Angela — I love her so much. She needs us, for sure.”
Drew: “You’re making me laugh. That first question of the HOH, you’re like, this is the one. I thought the exact same thing. It was, like, everyone but Angela. I was like, oh my God. I was like, dude, we need you. This is your opportunity. There’s no balance beam here.”
Drew: “And I know she would be such a good, just, like, easy breezy week. She wouldn’t do weird s— at all. Unless she does something weird with Lala.”

Devens: “Because even last night as she was talking, it’s like, Angela, Lala’s not good for all of us.”
Drew: “Yeah, but it is good for you. Yeah, you’re right.”
Drew: “She was like, I think Taylor. Taylor hasn’t done anything. Like, I could see Taylor’s closer to Yash, and she would influence Yash’s HOH. But we already know what Yash is going to do. He can’t put D up. It’s going to be me, you, Angela.”

---

Drew describes the Blockbuster he thinks Devens would draw.

Devens: “As much as I trust you guys — the second I get on that block it’s going to be like, oh, God. My fate’s out of my hands.”
Drew: “You’ll be tripping. But I would be very surprised if you didn’t win the Blockbuster.”
Devens: “Yeah, I would hope so. It could be embarrassing. Even though Lala’s been good, I’d be embarrassed no matter what.”

Drew: “I think you would win. Mine was, like, a weird thing. I think you would get the rope. You would have to do the rope thing.”
Devens: “Yeah, what is that?”
Drew: “It’s like a cage, kind of. And there’s ropes wrapped around it, and they have a harness onto you. And you just untangle it by walking through the cage. Like a jungle gym.”
Devens: “It’s like you don’t need all the rope.”
Drew: “I don’t know if you need all of it. So you have to kind of guess.”

Drew: “Crawling is more common than climbing up something. Taylor would probably have a decent shot at it, but I would still bet on you. I would legitimately still bet on you.”
Devens: “But either way, I should be fine.”
Drew: “It would honestly be such an honor to be the vote and vote her out.”

Drew: “I would be very shocked if Dee or Angela were like, okay, we’re going to get rid of the majority. I’d be like, what are we doing?”
Devens: “The only person it would come close to making sense for would be Barrett. To jump to that side.”
Drew: “I think he’s in this all the way. I’d be shocked if he chose any other route.”

---

Drew works through who goes up if somebody else takes the next Head of Household.

Drew: “Maybe I won’t even blindside him. I’ll let him know. But the other part hopes that you win the Blockbuster and then you and me aren’t sitting next to each other on the block.”
Drew: “I think if one of them wins, you’re for sure gonna be the one that’s up there. And if it’s not Yash, it’s probably gonna be D. Because everyone’s like — Angela’s the Melody of the other side.”
Devens: “Or they want to sit against her at the end.”

Drew: “I hope you don’t worry, too. I would choose Melody over you guys. But if I do put you up as a pawn, I feel like you might think that.”
Devens: “I will, once I’m up and I’m tripping about stuff. But no, I don’t think you would.”
Drew: “Because I gave the stone to Angela.”
Devens: “You voted out Mallory. And she’d still be pissed at you probably if you didn’t win HOH.”
Drew: “Yeah, I agree. It’s very convenient.”

Devens: “It’s like, oh, I totally forgot who Mallory was all of a sudden.”
Drew: “Oh, no, she gives me s— all the time. And then she doesn’t give s— to Barrett.”
Devens: “Because he had nothing to do with it, right?”
Drew: “I’m like, Barrett knew the whole time. And then Barrett came clean. And she was still mad.”
Devens: “But not at Barrett.”
Drew: “Not at Barrett. But I’m glad she’s not mad at Barrett. Because that’s good for this.”

---

Then, without either of them going looking for it, they catch Barrett telling them two different things.

Devens: “Complicated game. I think we’re at the point where you just have to win everything, and I would bet on our side winning. And even Barrett said that he would prefer Melody go up.”
Devens: “Even he’s not trying — he has the best opportunity to keep his options open, but he’s locked in just like all of us are. As the renom.”
Drew: “Oh, okay. Maybe he was just telling me that.”
Devens: “Is that not a conversation you guys have had?”
Drew: “He hasn’t told me that.”

Drew: “Yeah, no. I didn’t hear that from him yet.”
Devens: “Sorry. I figured you guys had talked all this through.”
Drew: “No, no. That’s not what he told me.”
Devens: “Oh. He’s like, just put up Devens. It’s easy. He said so.”
Drew: “Yeah. But I don’t want to make him look bad. He’s probably just trying to make you chill.”
Devens: “Yeah. Probably so.”

Devens: “Son of a b—-.”
Drew: “Barrett, what are you doing, Barrett?”
Devens: “What you doing, Bear?”

They let it go almost immediately.

Drew: “I do feel like — genuinely, I do feel like, I think if you win, or Barrett wins, and Yash pulls himself off again, I think Melody should go next week.”