“I’m like, bro, we have the numbers for Mallory, and you are the determinator.”

Two vote counts, two rooms, and both of them are wrong. Melody has seven names to keep Mallory. Kamu has five-to-seven to keep Lala, counted out with face masks on his bed, and if it ties he breaks it — Mallory goes. Neither side knows the other’s number. Then at 6:54 the whole thing quietly falls apart in one conversation: Taylor tells Jason she doesn’t think she can vote against Lala, and Jason tells her he was planning to throw Lala a sympathy vote anyway. Both of them are in Melody’s seven. Earlier, Jason explains to Lyric that his isolation is deliberate — the more ostracized he looks, the less the other side counts — and that he’s handed his whole campaign to Melody and Taylor. Drew takes the case for Mallory upstairs, pulls up the memory wall as a visual aid, and gets told his own argument isn’t valid. He comes back down and says out loud that if he and Barrett flip and don’t win the next HOH, they’re on the block. Meanwhile Kamu discovers he’s in four alliances with Devens, Haley tells him Chuk has stopped playing, and Lyric brings up Kamu herself before catching herself, three weeks after Rome.

12:37 pm Lyric and Jason Storage room
Jason: “Okay, obviously they want me out.”
Lyric: “What the hell is going on? People are acting so badass right now.”
Jason: “Obviously Kamu, Chuk, Haley, Angela, Dee, Devens want me out. That’s very clear.”
Jason: “But if I win Blockbuster, it’s Mallory and Lala.”
Jason: “And I heard that their side want Mallory out if that’s the case.”
Jason: “So obviously we need to keep me and Mallory. That’s the plan.”
Jason: “I talked to Taylor, talked to Barrett, I talked to Melody. We’re all understanding that it has to be Lala this week if that’s the case.”
Jason: “The thing is, they think they have the numbers because of Drew and Barrett.”
Jason: “But Drew and Barrett, we need their vote no matter what.”
Lyric: “To keep Mallory?”
Jason: “To keep Mallory. To keep me.”
Lyric: “Okay, but are people lying about that?”
Lyric: “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to Drew.”
Jason: “I’m letting Melody talk to Drew. I’m not even going to pick on his vote.”
Jason: “Because all I need is Yash and Barrett.”

On the power:
Jason: “I definitely feel like Devens has it.”
Lyric: “I don’t have it. I’m telling you the truth.”
Jason: “I don’t have it either. I think Devens has it, and I think that’s kind of the conversation.”
Jason: “I would imagine it’s something about changing the nominees. I don’t know what else the power would be.”
Lyric: “Or saving himself if he gets put up. Or him being good till jury, right?”
Jason: “Correct. Like, I don’t even remember what any other kind of powers were.”
Jason: “And if they’re repeat powers from past seasons —”
Jason: “So if that’s the case, I don’t see him being able to change anything tonight unless there’s an extra vote.”
Jason: “Which then, if that’s the case, then we need all three — Yash, Barrett and Drew — to vote.”
Lyric: “For Mallory?”
Jason: “For me and Mallory.”
Jason: “But the thing is, I feel like unless Barrett’s lying in my face, which he could be — I think he’s not. I think I have his vote.”
Lyric: “To stay. You know you have my vote.”
Lyric: “Because you and Mallory’s gonna win the Blockbuster. I don’t even doubt that, 1,000%.”
Lyric: “I trust you with everything I’ve got.”
Jason: “Well, it’s the same. I’m telling you.”

The isolation is deliberate:
Jason: “That’s why I don’t feel bad if I’m being by myself and stuff.”
Jason: “I’m doing it on purpose, because I also want you guys to do your thing with them, whoever you need to do it with, and to make them feel more comfortable.”
Jason: “And the more I look ostracized, the more they’re gonna think, oh, Jason has nobody.”
Lyric: “So that way, when the vote happens, they’re going to be completely blindsided, right?”
Lyric: “So I have faith. I have all faith in you that you’re going to win.”
Jason: “I have faith too.”

Jason: “Everyone’s being good with Kamu, Haley and Chuk, obviously, because they’re the ones who constantly have power. Which is good for everyone. It’s good for you, too.”
Lyric: “Why not good for me?”
Jason: “Just so that they have you on their side. They’re not going to put you up, because Kamu enjoys hanging out with you. Chuk enjoys hanging out with you.”
Lyric: “No, that’s good.”
Lyric: “But it also could be a bad thing, too.”
Jason: “I think that’s the theme this season — relationship versus game.”
Jason: “And even though there’s game being played, and I hate people in the game, the relationships are always going to be there, right?”
Jason: “Like, that’s constantly my f—ing battle here. My game keeps getting blown up, but I can still hang out and be around.”
Jason: “I’m choosing to separate myself.”
Lyric: “So that way it doesn’t look suspicious, right?”

Jason: “I’m hoping that what Melody tells me is true. I’m hoping what Barrett tells me is true.”
Jason: “But the consensus is — and Taylor, like, Taylor’s working on Yash for me.”
Jason: “So hopefully we have Yash’s vote.”
Lyric: “But if Mallory wins the Blockbuster, I think we’re keeping Mallory, no matter.”
Lyric: “Okay, but why are people telling me that people want her out?”
Jason: “Who are you concerned about? Kamu wants her out.”
Lyric: “That’s what Mallory told me.”
Jason: “Barrett told me that Kamu wants Mallory out too.”
Jason: “But Kamu doesn’t have the numbers if we have Yash, Barrett and Drew.”
Jason: “So I don’t know if you talk to Drew like that —”
Lyric: “I haven’t talked to Drew at all today.”
Jason: “Yeah, I haven’t talked to Drew game at all, ever, now at this point.”
Jason: “But that’s why I’m letting Melody handle that for me.”
Lyric: “What is Mel saying? Is she saying that he’s going to vote for Mallory to stay?”
Jason: “I know she said for me to vote for me to stay.”
Jason: “I don’t know about Mallory, but I’m pretty sure Melody and Mallory obviously are besties. So I’m pretty sure she’s pushing for that too.”
Jason: “But I was, like, trusting Melody to handle that, trusting Taylor to work on Yash, and trusting what Barrett said to me was true.”
Jason: “I’m just working on my relationships with them as people and humans. But I’m not talking game with anyone except you and Melody.”

Jason: “I have no doubt that Mallory will stay. Even if I win, I’m going to keep Mallory.”
Jason: “And, you know, I think we have to vote out Lala.”
Lyric: “At the end of the day, both of you are going to stay, because you’re going to win the Blockbuster.”
Lyric: “Like, all eyes on the Blockbuster. We don’t even want to leave it up to a vote.”
Jason: “That’s what Taylor was saying too, last week to me. And it worked.”
Jason: “So, yeah, 1,000% we have to save Mallory.”
Jason: “Because also I think Mallory — if she wins HOH, I would love for her to win HOH next week. Because she’s not going to put you up.”
Jason: “And she’s going to put up the big targets.”
Lyric: “She will. She has no mercy. I love that girl.”
Jason: “I love her so much.”
Lyric: “Thank you, boo-boo. I love you.”
Jason: “I love you more.”

Jason: “So I didn’t find the Ziploc bags.”
Lyric: “They were right here. No, but there’s no more. There’s only sandwich bags.”
Jason: “Okay, I’ll take some of those.”
Lyric: “Are you going to marinate the chicken?”
Jason: “Yeah, I was going to marinate just for like an hour. Finish my laps and then go and cook them.”
Lyric: “Do you need help, or do you want to do this on your own?”
Jason: “I can do it. It’ll give me time to kill.”
Lyric: “Thanks for always looking out for me, boo.”
Lyric: “I’m gonna go tan by Mallory then.”
Jason: “What time is it?”
Lyric: “12:44.”
Jason: “Okay, maybe I’ll cook the chicken around two. Does that sound like a good place?”
Lyric: “Two, that way we’re not super hungry for dinner.”

Where it stands

Jason has turned the thing Kamu did to him into a tactic. Kamu spent Saturday planning a house meeting whose stated purpose was to make sure Jason had nobody left. Jason now sits alone on purpose, so that the other side keeps believing it worked and doesn’t count the votes.

He has also stopped campaigning himself. Melody handles Drew. Taylor works Yash. Barrett he deals with directly, and he says he hasn’t talked game with Drew ever, at this point. The only two people he talks game with are Lyric and Melody.

The plan is the same seven from the backyard, now with Jason inside it and Lala as the agreed casualty. He says it plainly: if he wins the Blockbuster he keeps Mallory, and Lala goes.

Barrett is the reason he knows any of it. Barrett told him Kamu wants Mallory out — intel from inside the room where Kamu and Devens counted those votes yesterday afternoon.

And Devens is the third independent read on the power in two days. Jason, Lyric and Mallory have all landed on him without comparing notes.

12:47 PM — Melody and Mallory, backyard

Melody: “This is you versus Lala, right? Me, Lyric, Barrett, Drew.”
Melody: “Yash, Dee, Angela. Maybe Haley, dude.”
Melody: “Who else is in the house? Devens?”
Mallory: “Devens said he needs to, but I don’t know.”
Melody: “Right, it’s hard to trust.”
Mallory: “Jason, too.”
Melody: “Right, Jason. You would just need one more. I think you’re good.”
Melody: “And also, to be completely honest with you, you have talked with everybody. So there’s legit nothing else you can do. Like, win the Blockbuster.”
Melody: “And if you don’t — prepare a speech. Have a pretty decent speech, because you never know.”
Mallory: “I don’t even know what I could say in my speech.”
Melody: “If it’s you versus Lala, I would just say kind of similar to something I said. Be like — I’ve loved being here. It’s my dream to be on this show.”
Melody: “Like, I really want to work hard and stay. I feel like I’m a great asset to the house.”
Melody: “If anybody needs a comp won for them — no, don’t say that.”
Melody: “I would just keep it short and sweet. Just make it a point to be like, it’s my dream to be here. I love this show. Very happy, positive vibe. Smile.”
Melody: “Like, I’m not done fighting. Maybe not that, dude. I don’t know.”
Melody: “Short and sweet, positive, smile. I think that’s probably the best thing that you could do.”
Melody: “Because who knows what Lala’s gonna say. Maybe Lala pops off or says something snarky, and people in that moment who may be on the fence are like —”

On Taylor:
Melody: “F—ing Taylor, bro.”
Melody: “And I know Taylor was trying to get me out last week, too. Like, bitch.”
Melody: “Maybe she was the vote.”
Melody: “Okay, let’s talk about Jason and Lala, though. Let’s say you win the Blockbuster, which you will.”
Mallory: “But here’s the other thing. Taylor won’t vote to keep me.”
Mallory: “Taylor won’t vote out Lala if it’s me. Why would you vote out Lala if it’s Jason? I feel like she can use that same argument.”
Mallory: “And when I was just talking to her now, she was like, I feel like with Jason, it’s like a Rome situation. He’s just gonna go.”
Mallory: “So I don’t think we have Taylor.”
Melody: “This is pissing me the f— off.”
Melody: “I get where she’s coming from, bro, but are you f—ing serious?”
Melody: “Like, bro, so you’re gonna do that? Because at that point, I’m not f—ing with you.”
Melody: “We’re cool, but you’re not my ally.”
Mallory: “Yeah, if you won’t — like, I literally will not work with you.”
Melody: “And if you need a favor done, I’m not helping you. I’m not.”
Mallory: “Yeah, because this is putting me in, like, a pickle.”
Mallory: “She has to know the risk she’s taking. Like, if it’s a tie and she sends me home, everyone’s gonna be pissed at her.”
Melody: “I’m gonna f—ing kill her. Not literally.”

Mallory workshops the warning:
Mallory: “Maybe I’ll say that to her in the nicest way. I’ll be like — because I just said, you know, do what’s best for your game.”
Mallory: “Be like, I have to be honest. Like, if it’s a tie and you are the one that sends me home, there’s nothing I can do.”
Mallory: “But I think a lot of people are going to be upset with you.”
Mallory: “So you have to decide if that’s the —”
Melody: “If it’s a tie and I go home because of that, a lot of people are going to be upset with her.”
Mallory: “I don’t know how to do that and make it not sound like a threat.”
Mallory: “Just weigh the risks and the rewards.”
Mallory: “If I end up going home because of your vote, you’re going to lose a lot of people.”
Melody: “I might tell her that too.”
Melody: “But also I don’t want to be too mouthy.”
Mallory: “If she brings it up to me again, I’ll say — because it’s not me, I’ll be like, I won’t be here, but I do just want to warn you. I think you would upset a lot of people.”
Melody: “And I get the whole loyalty thing, I do. But at the same time, this is gonna sound really mean, but it’s like — bro, it’s Lala. She’s the oldest woman in the house. She can’t win f—ing anything.”
Mallory: “She’s not even talking game with people.”
Melody: “Like, what are you doing?”
Melody: “It’s not even like — because with you, obviously I’m keeping you because you are my friend, but on a game level too, you do compete well.”
Melody: “This isn’t the Jersey Shore where we’re all just hanging out.”
Melody: “And I know she’s a sweet girl, but you’re going to be the next target then, because you obviously can’t separate relationship and gameplay. And that’s huge.”
Melody: “And if you can’t do that for me now, then what the f—? When the f— are you going to do that for me later?”

Melody: “I always see a butterfly here. It’s a good omen, dude.”
Melody: “I saw a butterfly the day before eviction for me.”
Mallory: “It’s a good omen.”

Melody: “She has to know. And maybe I’ll just explain that to her. I need to talk to Yash, too. Like, alone.”
Mallory: “But real quick, I feel like you have the numbers either way, even without Taylor.”
Melody: “But I feel like we could get Taylor back.”
Melody: “I get that everybody’s going to look bad in this game. Like, I’ve already looked bad multiple times. It’s Big Brother.”
Melody: “Did you expect to come here and people view you as the perfect player? Like, no.”
Mallory: “People vote with the house all the time.”
Melody: “Sometimes you just have to f—ing do something shitty. Like, is that not kind of the point? The whole motherf—ing game?”
Melody: “Yes, it’s fucked up, but that’s kind of the point.”
Melody: “If you Google Big Brother right now, it’ll tell you Big Brother verbatim. It’ll tell you Big Brother is a game of lying, manipulation and sabotage. Literally on Google. Like, bro.”
Melody: “Be friends with her outside of the house. Because I won’t hold that grudge. I will.”

Mallory: “Yeah, I just have to put a lot of trust in the other side.”
Mallory: “And I think they are making these deals with me because they know there is a chance I’m in the Blockbuster. So then I wouldn’t even matter.”
Melody: “Exactly. No, I see what you’re saying. I could also see them wanting to get me out now. I could totally see that.”
Mallory: “Because Kamu said he heard that I was going to put up the three icons, and I was going to put up him, Haley and Chuk.”
Mallory: “So do you think the icons think that?”
Melody: “No. Kamu would be pissing me off with that shit, bro. F— you, dude.”

The count for Jason:
Melody: “Okay, so me, Lyric, Drew, Barrett. Jason, Taylor, Yash.”
Melody: “So even let’s say the rest of the other side doesn’t vote, if we can get —”
Melody: “I know Yash is for sure on board. If we can get Taylor, we’re good.”
Melody: “And I believe Jason. Unless somehow he’s conspiring with Taylor, but I really don’t think he is.”
Melody: “He’s smarter than that, even though he’s kind of dumb sometimes.”
Melody: “And Taylor said, she was like, well, I’ll vote if we have the votes.”
Melody: “Well, we have the f—ing votes, so why the f— are you even mentioning it?”
Melody: “Sorry, I’m just so f—ing hungry.”
Mallory: “Same.”
Melody: “Nah, bruh. She better not. I f—ing swear to God.”
Melody: “No, we’re talking about Taylor. Because Taylor was like, I don’t know if I’d be able to vote out Lala.”
Melody: “But then she’s saying if we have the numbers, then she maybe could. She keeps going back and forth — which I know I am too with Jason and shit, but —”
Melody: “I’m like, bro, we have the numbers for Mallory, and you are the determinator.”
Melody: “Determinator?”
Mallory: “Determinator.”
Melody: “For sure. That’s not — I’m not even questioning that a little bit.”
Melody: “And I’m not even questioning Yash either. We have everybody except for her, and we need her. She is the deciding factor.”
Melody: “And if she is the one that gets Mallory out, because it would make it a tie and Kamu would vote to take Mallory out — I low-key would put her up on the block. I’m not even gonna lie.”
Melody: “No, I wouldn’t put her up on the block this week. But I would eventually.”
Melody: “Yeah, no, I want to put her up on the block for, like, a while, because that would just be silly. I’m just being mad right now.”
Melody: “But it would piss me the f— off as well. She would not have my vote if she was on the block.”
Melody: “If she brings it up to me again, I’ll say that. I’ll not use it specifically, but I’ll be like — if it ends up being a tie and I leave, you’re going to have a lot of people mad at you.”
Melody: “Don’t say mad at you, maybe. Be like, I feel like a lot of people are going to be really upset with you.”

Melody: “Okay, but here’s the thing, to go back again really quick. What if we keep Jason?”
Melody: “I feel like that could be a move, but I feel like that might be best.”
Melody: “Because I don’t trust him. Like, he needs to leave.”
Melody: “No, but I low-key do low-key want to keep Jason, though. But we would need the numbers.”
Melody: “It’s just that I’m nervous about him spreading more lies.”
Mallory: “I’m nervous about that too, but he is someone else that competes that’s on our team.”
Melody: “Like, what the f— is Lala gonna do? Be annoying and not win anything?”
Melody: “Like, bro, we don’t need that on our side. She’s basically not even our ally.”
Melody: “She’s not even necessarily a number. She’s a number for votes, but she’s not a number for anything the f— else.”
Melody: “I mean, maybe she could be the person that gets put up on the block, because she is pissing everybody off, but —”
Melody: “It’s not the end of the world either way, which is nice.”
Melody: “I think it’s gonna be really hard to get the numbers. Everyone’s gonna be scared, because if one person flips —”
Melody: “I can’t wait to eat real food and hopefully not want to pop off on every single person at all times.”
Mallory: “Same. I’m so hungry it’s not funny.”
Melody: “Okay. Me, you, Lyric.”
Mallory: “Barrett.”
Melody: “Maybe Yash.”
Mallory: “Okay, let’s just lay out the numbers.”
Melody: “We need seven. So in a perfect world, we would need me, you, Lyric, Barrett, Drew, Yash and Taylor.”
Melody: “The people that I’m concerned about are Yash, Taylor and Drew. That’s f—ing three people.”
Melody: “I mean, I have the rest of the day, maybe. But I don’t think Drew’s gonna budge.”
Melody: “And if we don’t have Drew, then we can’t, right?”
Melody: “No, we can’t without Drew. Because then it’s six.”
Melody: “Motherf—er.”
Melody: “I mean, I’ll talk to Drew again, but I don’t think he’s gonna budge.”
Melody: “I’ve talked to him, like, several times, and every single time he’s not having it with me.”
Mallory: “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Melody: “I’m so frustrated.”

Where it stands

Two different counts are running in the same conversation and only one of them works.

For Mallory against Lala, they think they’re fine — Melody rattles off nine possible votes and tells her there’s nothing left to do but win the Blockbuster. For keeping Jason, they need seven and they can’t get there, because Drew won’t move. Melody has been at him several times and says he’s not having it with her, and without him it’s six, which is a tie Kamu breaks.

Taylor is the hinge on both, and she’s told Melody she’d only vote out Lala if the votes are already there — which Melody points out is not how a deciding vote works. Melody’s answer to that is to start planning a nomination three weeks out.

Mallory is trying to write a warning to Taylor and can’t find a version of it that isn’t a threat. She says so out loud. Melody’s contribution is to soften “mad at you” into “really upset with you.”

The sharpest thing Mallory says all afternoon is about the other side. She thinks the deals they’re making with her only exist because there’s a chance she wins the Blockbuster and the deals never have to be honoured.

And Kamu’s story has grown. He told her he heard she was going to nominate the three icons and also him, Haley and Chuk. That’s six of the eight, from one rumour nobody can source.

1:22 PM — Lyric, Drew, Melody and Mallory, backyard

Lyric: “Hey, when we were in the hot tub yesterday, that whole cute thing — is that true?”
Drew: “What happened?”
Lyric: “Kamu thinks I’m cute.”
Melody: “Everyone in here thinks you’re cute.”
Drew: “Everybody thinks you’re cute. You’ve probably got like a fan page already outside of this.”
Lyric: “No, give me the tea. What’s the tea?”
Drew: “Chuk probably thinks you’re cute, too, right?”
Lyric: “No. Does Kamu genuinely think I’m cute?”
Melody: “Bro, yes.”
Lyric: “I know, but still, I can’t tell.”
Melody: “It’s a dumb-ass question.”
Drew: “Do you think he is or something?”
Lyric: “Well, like, yeah. I mean, I think you’re cute. You know what I mean?”
Drew: “Right. Now everyone’s cute all of a sudden.”
Lyric: “I think all the guys are cute.”
Drew: “Who’s cuter, Chuk or Kamu?”
Lyric: “Let me see. Kamu’s more my type.”
Drew: “Are you going to go for it?”
Lyric: “No, the guys have to go for it. It can’t be the girl going for it.”
Drew: “Okay, but if Kamu were to make, like, a move — would it be reciprocated? Or would you be like, uh-uh?”
Lyric: “No, I think — like, obviously, I think he’s an attractive guy, you know?”
Drew: “That was a really good dodge, but that’s not what I asked at all.”
Drew: “Would it be reciprocated?”
Lyric: “What would he even do?”
Drew: “I have no idea.”
Lyric: “She can’t predict the future.”
Drew: “Yeah, but we can assume what would happen.”
Drew: “Kamu pulls you up. Hey, yo, let’s go upstairs. You want to eat some of my snacks? That’s my last night at HOH. What are you doing? You saying yes? You saying no?”
Lyric: “Yeah, I’m down.”
Drew: “You say, I got to think about it? I got to go ask my mom if I’m allowed to go? Like, what are we saying?”
Lyric: “I got to go ask Drew. I got to ask my parents, Drew and Melody.”
Drew: “So, let’s pretend. Go ask us.”
Lyric: “Yo, would it be okay if I go up to have snacks with Kamu?”
Drew: “Oh, God, of course. Kamu’s such a good, bright young man.”
Lyric: “He’ll put me back in my pod at 11, I promise.”
Drew: “Make it 10:30 and you’re good to go.”
Drew: “And then what would you do?”
Lyric: “Yeah, I’d go.”
Drew: “And what if he’s like, hey, let’s go eat snacks in the bed?”
Lyric: “Why not? It’s not like we’re making out or something.”
Drew: “And then what if he puts his arm around you, though?”
Melody: “Then I come in. You don’t have to answer these, Lyric.”
Drew: “You can, though. You don’t have to, but you can.”
Lyric: “But I don’t want to put myself in a position again where I’m in, like, a showmance. You know what I mean?”
Drew: “You could do a flirtmance.”
Drew: “Was Rome a good kisser?”
Lyric: “Yeah. 100%.”
Drew: “You think Kamu would be better?”
Lyric: “I have no idea. See, I haven’t even been — I don’t know. You know what I mean?”
Lyric: “She never even thinks about that.”

On Chuk:
Drew: “Wait, Lyric, you’re close with Chuk. Why don’t you just get Chuk to keep Mallory?”
Lyric: “I didn’t really talk game with Chuk today. Like, we were only talking about weightlifting.”
Drew: “Well, the day is still young.”
Melody: “But have you guys talked game, period?”
Lyric: “Not really.”
Melody: “Really? But what is not really?”
Lyric: “Like, not really. Like, he was like, you know, I feel like we connect really well. And I was like, yeah, I agree.”
Lyric: “And he was like, we have to separate, like, personal with game. And I was like, yeah, I get it.”
Lyric: “So tell me, we good or we not, you know?”
Drew: “What did he say?”
Lyric: “Nothing. That’s the thing.”
Drew: “He said nothing.”
Lyric: “No, he’s just kind of —”
Drew: “It wouldn’t surprise me, but yeah.”
Drew: “What’d you say?”
Lyric: “Well, I was like, you know, obviously, I like hanging out with you and things like that.”
Lyric: “And then he just went into how, when Rome was here, he was afraid to — whenever it was Rome meeting him in a room, he could tell that Rome was, like, upset.”
Lyric: “And now he’s like, I’m glad that Rome is gone, kind of thing.”

Drew: “Hey, listen. We’re forgetting who else was there.”
Lyric: “Yash?”
Drew: “Yash was also saying some stuff. Well, he said some stuff while I was sitting there with you.”
Lyric: “What did he say?”
Drew: “You’re like, Drew, you’re the problem. But Yash was sitting right there next to you. He was saying the same thing.”
Lyric: “I know. He was saying that. How rude. F—ing rude.”
Drew: “But we did it because we care about you.”
Lyric: “Yeah. I get it.”

Melody: “Y’all should be pissing me off with the f—ing me and you thing.”
Lyric: “I know.”
Melody: “Like, shut up.”
Drew: “Like, we’re just joking.”
Melody: “And he was talking to me, and he was like, yeah, I know you guys aren’t, like, a showmance, but it’s just, I’m just having fun.”
Melody: “I’m like, I don’t give a f— at some point. I mean, it is, it’s fine.”
Melody: “It’s just, it is week three. But bro, Drew is just — I feel like I have the most in common with Drew out of everybody else.”
Melody: “Like, bro, I want to hang out with Drew. Like, leave me alone.”
Lyric: “Literally. Girl, I get it.”
Lyric: “Like, when Rome was here, I wanted to get to know him. You know what I mean?”
Lyric: “But then there’s a target on your back. Because then you’re associated with him.”
Lyric: “And then he tells Devens his whole game and it blows up in his face. Bro.”

Mallory: “That’d be sick if I made butter, as I have not.”
Melody: “You’re not allowed butter.”
Mallory: “If I made butter. That shit’s hard.”
Melody: “You’re still not allowed it.”
Mallory: “But I made it myself.”
Melody: “It’s still literally written on the sheet. Butter. Don’t eat it.”
Melody: “Butter, don’t eat it.”
Mallory: “I bet if I made it myself, it would be allowed.”
Melody: “This dude is asking for a penalty vote.”
Mallory: “Well, I would ask before. I’d be like, I made this butter. Can I have it?”
Melody: “And they’re going to be like, no.”
Mallory: “And then I won’t eat it.”

Mallory, on the guy back home:
Mallory: “I have my hoe at home.”
Drew: “You have a hoe at home? What’s his name?”
Mallory: “I don’t want to say it.”
Drew: “Does he know he’s your hoe?”
Mallory: “He knows that I like him, but I don’t know if he knows that I would call him my hoe.”
Mallory: “Here’s the thing, though. You want a guy who worships the ground you walk on. If he can’t see how amazing you are, thank you, next.”
Mallory: “He knows that I like him, so he likes to really let that feed his ego. So he kind of pretends he doesn’t like me back.”
Mallory: “I’m so sick and tired of that game shit.”
Mallory: “We’re 24, 25. This is the time when you start looking for a forever person. If you’re into me, tell me. Don’t play games.”
Mallory: “I hate this chase thing, but I low-key love it. So let’s do it.”
Mallory: “Yeah, that’s how he keeps me addicted. He gives you just enough.”
Mallory: “He’s actually not the type that I’ve been describing at all. He’s smart. He’s super smart.”
Mallory: “He went to high school with me. There’s a little something there. It’s already a spark. This is, like, years in the making.”
Drew: “It’s like a will they, won’t they. I think they will.”
Mallory: “Yeah, we’re probably going to get married. We have a deal to get married.”
Drew: “What’s the deal?”
Mallory: “If we’re both single at, like, 30.”
Drew: “It should be 25.”
Mallory: “That’s what I said.”
Mallory: “I’m scared that while I’m gone, he’s going to get a girlfriend.”
Mallory: “I think me being gone for a period of time and not giving him the consistent validation he gets from me is going to make him miss me more.”
Drew: “You never know what you have until it’s gone. You’re gone right now.”
Mallory: “Yeah, he’s never had to worry about me not liking him, so —”
Mallory: “Everyone says I have to be more nonchalant. I just can’t.”
Melody: “I felt so much better when I became, like, mean as f— to men.”
Melody: “You just need to seriously take a step back and realize that men are genuinely awful.”
Melody: “Like, yes, there’s good guys out there, but at a baseline, they are awful people. And that’ll really help.”
Mallory: “But it’s usually him, because I wait. Because I’m nonchalant.”
Drew: “Because you’re the prize. And he needs to f—ing realize that.”
Drew: “Maybe that’s why you like him, because he’s dumb. Because it sounds like he’s dumb.”
Mallory: “He’s secretly dumb.”
Drew: “Like, how is he missing this catch right here?”
Mallory: “Thanks, Drew.”
Drew: “Dude, no problem. Like, this guy’s an idiot.”
Mallory: “He is an idiot, but I think he’ll come around.”
Drew: “I have faith in him. I’ve never met him. Don’t even know what he looks like, but —”
Mallory: “And now, if he doesn’t come around, there’s going to be 10 other guys.”
Mallory: “Well, we’re going to get married. Like, I just know it.”
Drew: “Can I go to the wedding?”
Mallory: “Everybody can go.”
Drew: “I don’t need to be a bridesmaid. I just want to sit, like, not in the far back. Like, I’ll sit kind of middle.”
Mallory: “Yeah, I’ll have, like, a BB section. Open bar, obviously. It’s going to be a lit party. Bloody Mary fountain. I have, like, fire twirlers.”
Mallory: “I would rather have, like, a huge wedding and no honeymoon.”
Drew: “But the honeymoon’s like the fun part, because you get to go on an adventure.”
Mallory: “I’d rather buy a house.”
Drew: “She could teach you a few things tonight. She’s the queen of I don’t know.”
Mallory: “Me?”
Drew: “Yeah.”
Mallory: “That’s a good thing.”
Drew: “It is a good thing. You keep them guessing.”

Drew: “You live rent free in people’s head.”

Where it stands

Lyric has a Kamu problem and she brought it up herself. Three weeks after the Rome showmance made her the biggest target in the house, she’s asking Drew whether Kamu genuinely thinks she’s cute, saying Kamu is more her type, and then stopping herself — she doesn’t want to end up in a showmance again. Drew’s suggestion is a flirtmance.

The Chuk thread is the one with teeth. Lyric asked him straight out whether they’re good, and got nothing. What he did tell her is that when Rome was here he was afraid to be in a room with her, because he could tell it upset Rome, and that he’s glad Rome is gone. She asked for a vote and got a confession instead.

Drew and Yash both told Lyric to her face that she was the problem, during the stretch when Rome was still here. She heard it again today from Drew and called it rude twice. His answer was that they did it because they care about her.

Melody said the other thing out loud. She’s tired of being teased about her and Drew, and her reason is that she has more in common with him than anyone else in the house and just wants to hang out with him. She said that an hour after he refused her on Jason for the second time.

And Mallory spent twenty minutes on a situationship back home, with Drew running the interrogation. She wouldn’t say his name — twice — and compared it to handing over her social security number. She says they have a deal to marry if they’re both single at 30, that he keeps her addicted by giving her just enough, and that she’s scared he’ll get a girlfriend while she’s in here.

3:06 pm Kamu and Haley

Haley: “I think Barrett’s gonna flip his vote.”
Kamu: “That wouldn’t be good, though.”
Haley: “I know. You’d have to do, like, the tiebreaker.”
Kamu: “No. Let’s break it down. I was just doing this.”
Haley: “Oh, you have face masks. How cute.”
Kamu: “Should we rock them tonight? Face mask party?”
Haley: “That sounds dirty.”
Kamu: “All right, here we go. Ready? So this right here will be for Lala. This right here will be for Mallory.”
Haley: “They’re trying to keep Jason, by the way. So do whatever you gotta do.”
Kamu: “Who’s they? Barrett?”
Haley: “No, Taylor. Went up to Angela and Dee today and asked if they were cool with Jason.”
Kamu: “Interesting. She just told me that. Not that interesting, though, because I know that she’s cool with Jason. She’s super cool with Jason.”
Kamu: “In the case where we have Lala, Mallory, okay? Chuk, he’s gonna vote with us, obviously. Same with Angela.”
Kamu: “You can’t vote. I cannot vote. Taylor — these are all votes to keep Lala.”
Kamu: “Barrett is gonna be Mallory. Devens will be with us. Mallory’s on the block.”
Kamu: “Jason, I think, votes to keep Lala over Mallory. And then we have Dee, that’s six. Then we have Lyric.”
Kamu: “And I think Drew will probably vote with us, but let’s say he doesn’t. Let’s say worst-case scenario.”
Haley: “Melody’s gonna keep Mallory.”
Kamu: “I added her.”
Haley: “And Yash is going to keep Mallory.”
Kamu: “I don’t think so. I think I could talk to Yash. I think Yash would vote with us.”
Haley: “I want to know what Taylor’s spilling to him.”
Kamu: “I think we got Yash. I’m not worried about Yash.”
Haley: “I think it’s Melody, Lyric, Drew, Barrett. I think Jason will turn on Lala.”
Kamu: “You think he’ll turn on Lala? You think he’ll keep Mallory?”
Haley: “Mm-hmm.”
Haley: “I think Taylor’s campaigning against her. It’s weird.”
Kamu: “I talked to Taylor this morning. Taylor wants to keep Lala.”
Haley: “Keep Lala? But she would keep Jason over Lala, though.”
Kamu: “I think it’d be five to seven for Lala to stay.”
Kamu: “And I think it could be more. I think Drew could end up voting with us if he sees the writing on the wall. And same with Yash.”
Kamu: “If Drew votes with us — and I’m sure I’m going to have a conversation with him later — Melody could very well vote with us too, because Melody does not want to be on the wrong side of the votes.”
Haley: “I know, but I don’t feel like she’s voting with us.”
Kamu: “And neither does Lyric.”
Kamu: “We saw how Lyric reacted when everyone thought that she voted to keep Rome. She freaked out.”
Kamu: “So I can have a conversation with Lyric and say, hey, look, this is what people are saying. Obviously, I can’t vote, but I can tell her — Lyric, I would love to keep Mallory, but I have to tell you what people are saying.”
Kamu: “I’d prefer not to have to do that, because she could very well go back and tell Mallory that Kamu said whatever. And I’m trying to be as cool with Mallory as I can right now in case she wins HOH.”
Kamu: “I don’t want her to turn around and throw me back up.”
Haley: “Yeah, Barrett seems like he wants to keep Mallory.”
Kamu: “Which is not surprising, right? Because you have Drew, Melody, Barrett, Mallory.”
Haley: “But I think Taylor would rather keep Jason or Lala.”
Kamu: “That makes sense, honestly. Because Jason at least is a competitor.”

Haley: “What has Lala said today?”
Kamu: “Lala came up and she just asked me, hey, are you hearing anything? And I said, yeah. I said there seems to be a split.”
Kamu: “But when I go through the numbers, there doesn’t seem to be a world where you go home.”
Kamu: “I said, if you’re sitting next to Jason, I think Jason is gone. And if you’re sitting next to Mallory, I think you have the numbers to stay.”
Kamu: “I said, so I think you’re okay either way. But just go out there and try to win the Blockbuster.”
Kamu: “And then it’s kind of funny, the timing, because then she left and Yash came up here.”
Kamu: “He just is going to go with the house. He even told that to Lala, because Lala said, Yash, if it’s me and Mallory, how do you vote?”
Kamu: “And he told her — I don’t know. It kind of seems like the house is going to keep Mallory. So I might just vote that way.”
Kamu: “And Lala told me that he told her that. I said to her, well, at least he’s honest. Even if it’s the hard truth, at least he’s honest.”
Haley: “Damn. I think it’s going to be tight.”
Kamu: “Worst comes to worst, I’m the tiebreaker. I’ll vote to evict whoever I think is best.”
Kamu: “And if it’s Jason and Mallory, I vote out Jason. If it’s Lala and Mallory, I vote out Mallory.”
Kamu: “If they know they’re gonna be on the losing side, boom, boom, maybe even boom, I think they’re gonna vote with us.”
Haley: “I think they would do it to save face.”
Haley: “Barrett just seemed really, really sad today. He’s like, this just sucks. It was my two closest people.”
Kamu: “Who were the two closest?”
Haley: “Him and Jason were close, and him and Mallory are the closest.”
Kamu: “You know what’s crazy about Jason is that he was never on my radar.”
Haley: “He wasn’t, until he threw my name out there.”
Kamu: “And I was like, what the f—? And then even after that, I was like, okay. But then I started hearing it again. And he was still throwing our names out.”
Haley: “He’s kept his distance from Angela today, too. Last two days.”
Haley: “He’s cordial and cool. Like, yeah, cool, good morning, whatever. But he immediately — if it was us in the backyard, I didn’t see him out there. And he walked inside. I was like, oh, bye, buddy.”
Kamu: “He’s been the same way with me.”
Kamu: “Of course I can’t vote. So I have to just count on my people to make sure that we’re all staying strong.”
Kamu: “It just comes with the people who I’m shaky about, like the Drews and the Barretts.”

On Angela:
Kamu: “I was just thinking about how you just blew up our alliance to Angela, and you’re sitting here like —”
Haley: “To be very fair, three of us were on the same page and you were the only one that said —”
Kamu: “There are four other people in the alliance.”
Haley: “I know, and three of us said yes.”
Kamu: “So then that means what? That two of us were not?”
Haley: “Well, Devens was cool about it and you went —”
Kamu: “Nope. Devens agreed with me.”
Haley: “He said he didn’t care when I apologized.”
Kamu: “He told me that, when you apologize, he was like, I don’t care. Neither did I. I didn’t care about her being in an alliance with us. I just wanted to start a new name.”
Kamu: “Because then it makes it feel like she’s in on ground level, not that she’s being added to a pre-existing alliance where she may be on the bottom.”
Haley: “She also felt like she already knew that, which kind of made me feel a little bit better. But she’s like, I know I’m not going to win this game, and I will put you guys first.”
Kamu: “I believe her when she says that, actually.”
Haley: “1,000%. And I also told her, I know that you want this so bad. If I had a veto, I’d use it on you, too.”
Kamu: “I can’t believe how much I like Angela. I can’t believe it. It’s so crazy to me, because I did not like her.”
Haley: “She literally, almost to a T — same hobby, same bulls—, everything that my mom does.”
Kamu: “I don’t remember exactly, but I want to say that I even said, if there were people that I didn’t want to play with, it would be, like, Rachel and Angela.”

Kamu: “What do those Facebook moms have to do with us? They can feel whatever they want. They can be upset all they want. We’re here to win a game.”
Haley: “Kamu, this is a game. There’s still life outside of this game.”
Haley: “Do I have to keep you grounded too? Because I have to keep that bitch grounded as well.”
Haley: “She starts panicking. I’m like, listen, it’s a game. Relax. Every day it’s something. And I’m like, Angela. I don’t want to hear it today.”
Kamu: “I freaking love Angela. Mama Ange. I love her.”

On Drew:
Haley: “Who are you most skeptical about guy-wise?”
Kamu: “Drew, unfortunately.”
Haley: “Do you think he’s your biggest competition?”
Kamu: “No.”
Haley: “Who do you think your biggest competition is?”
Kamu: “Jason.”
Haley: “And Jason’s gone after this week.”
Kamu: “I feel like right now it’s definitely Jason. I think if Jason’s out of the house, I think I’m in a much better place.”
Kamu: “Drew — I love Drew. Seriously, he’s one of my favorite people in the house. I love hanging out with him.”
Haley: “I think he knows he’s kind of f—ed up, so he’s trying to relax a little bit.”
Kamu: “I wish I could trust him more, but I do feel like he’s playing both sides.”
Haley: “Have you said that to him? Not yet?”
Kamu: “No. I don’t want him to doubt me, or I don’t want him to think that I doubt him.”
Haley: “I know, but I think he respects you so much that he would shape it up. But until Melody’s out, he’s not going to shape it up.”
Kamu: “That’s why it’s not worth that conversation. Because let’s say somebody on that side wins power, and then it’s like, man, Kamu doesn’t even trust me anymore. I don’t know how much I can work with him.”
Kamu: “It’s better for me to just kind of act like everything’s good. I do love the guy. I genuinely freaking love the guy.”
Haley: “He’s incredible. I just hope Jason goes home. It’s going to be a tough week if he wins HOH.”
Kamu: “It would make for good TV, though.”
Kamu: “You and me are going up on that block. 100%.”
Kamu: “Unless he tries to backdoor me, then I wouldn’t go up at first. He would give me the same treatment that I just gave him.”

Haley: “But he knows that he told Dee, who was the only other person he told, that he’d put us three up next.”
Kamu: “He denied that to the bitter end.”

Kamu, rehearsing what he’d say to Jason:
Kamu: “I wanted to work with the icons. I’ve never said I want to swing at the icons. I want to work with the icons. And Kamu, you’ve never been my target. You’ve never once been my target.”
Kamu: “Okay, well, fine. I did say Kamu, Haley and Chuk, but that was jury, bro.”
Kamu: “You can’t even keep up with who you’re telling what.”
Kamu: “You openly admitted to all three of the nominees that you would not have used the veto on them, after you told them that if they picked you to play, you would.”
Kamu: “You openly lied to them.”

Haley: “Are you at all worried about tomorrow at all?”
Kamu: “No. What good will that do me?”
Haley: “I’m not saying worried, worried, but are you at all like —”
Kamu: “It’s just business. I really want us to win power. Yes, absolutely.”
Kamu: “I’m not relaxed until I know that we have the power next week. I’m not relaxed.”
Kamu: “But I can’t sit here and stress about it.”
Haley: “Why are you pacing?”
Kamu: “I always pace.”
Kamu: “I just know that if Jason doesn’t go home and he wins an HOH, there’s an 11 out of 10 chance I’m going up on that block.”
Kamu: “You know, I realized that he never talked to me when I was HOH until I called him up. He never came up here for a one-on-one until I called him up and I made that deal with him.”
Kamu: “And I said, hey, man, I’m not putting you up on the block. And he was like, what, dude? I’ve been sick all day. I felt like I was going to barf all day long. I was 1,000% sure you were putting me up.”
Kamu: “The good thing is, every week it’s just one less person to talk to.”
Haley: “The separation last night I feel like was pretty extreme. You could kind of see it.”
Haley: “One side of the house went to this side of the backyard. The other side went over there. Devens sat on the other side.”
Kamu: “I know. I saw that. But I think there was cross.”
Haley: “Well, there was cross after there was nothing else to talk about.”

Kamu on his day job:
Haley: “What would you be doing on a regular day if you were back home right now?”
Kamu: “Today I’d be coaching at the gym. I’d be getting there at about three.”
Kamu: “I don’t do personal training like that, like weightlifting. It’s MMA.”
Kamu: “I’d be coaching MMA practice for the fight team. 16, 17 and up.”
Kamu: “And then I coach an open Brazilian jiu-jitsu class.”
Kamu: “Or I’d go OneWheel. I love OneWheeling.”
Kamu: “And then I used to produce a podcast every week, but their last episode was our first week in the house.”
Haley: “So what do you want to do after this?”
Kamu: “Go on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Go on Ruslan KD’s podcast. Go on Theo Von’s podcast.”
Haley: “Do you want to be a podcaster?”
Kamu: “No, no, no. I just want to do a tour of podcasts.”
Kamu: “I want to hit up James Gunn, who’s a fan of Rick Devens. And then I want to get in some movies.”
Haley: “I actually believed it.”
Kamu: “No, all that’s true. But I also want to get back to coaching. I love coaching. That’s my passion.”
Kamu: “I want to coach my guys. I want to get my guys into the UFC. I want them to make it further than I ever did.”

Haley on hers:
Haley: “Well, I do the clinic. And it would be really silly for me to give it up. I have incredible health insurance.”
Haley: “Like my heart surgery is 120 grand and I only had to pay 500.”
Kamu: “That is incredible health insurance.”
Haley: “And my stepdad owns an insurance company and it’s through his stuff.”
Haley: “I don’t know if I want to run the whole thing. Like, I do all of it. HR, licensing. I do all the hiring process. I run every department.”
Haley: “And I run the team of doctors. Like, I’m their go-to.”
Haley: “There’s days that I’m on call from six to ten, because the last consult’s at 9:30.”
Haley: “I don’t want anyone above me, which the only person above me is my dad.”
Haley: “I’ve done all of the firing, hiring. I’ve had to fire probably four or five.”
Kamu: “Was that hard?”
Haley: “No, because facts are facts. Sometimes a level of respect kind of goes down a little bit, especially when I was, like, 25 having to fire.”
Haley: “I’m also writing a book. I’ve been writing it for three years now.”
Haley: “It’s called The Other Side. All the odd numbers are the younger version of me telling the story. So it starts at, like, six, seven. And then the next chapter is me at 26.”
Haley: “So it basically tells two stories in one, and it’ll come together.”
Haley: “For Christmas one year, my dad got me a publisher and an editor. So I haven’t finished it yet, but it’s taking a lot of time. I’m on chapter 11.”
Haley: “I took about six to seven months off of writing because the breakup thing was just tough.”
Haley: “And then I want to do something with my dog, because I dress him up and I do all this stuff.”
Haley: “I believe in the emotional support of a lot of stuff and mental health. I’ve always wanted to be an advocate for that.”
Haley: “Because a lot of the times people don’t really give the dog the life that they deserve. You are the reason the dog has the life that they have.”
Haley: “And then I’ll probably do like a fishing platform, because I already kind of have that. Could you see me with a cute little pink fishing boat? A sparkly pink, light pink?”

On Chuk:
Haley: “I think he’s stopped game playing. I feel like the last week he’s just trying to coast again, which is totally fine.”
Kamu: “Right now he has the luxury of being able to do that.”
Haley: “He wants to keep himself under the radar because he knows that you’re the hot seat. Which is smart. Which is completely smart.”
Haley: “But I’m like, after this week, what are you going to do?”
Kamu: “Are you going to try to win the HOH? He’s not. He said that.”
Haley: “In a roundabout way. Which I’m like, that kind of sucks, you know?”
Haley: “But I think he talks about floating a lot, other floaters. But you could see him doing it too, a little bit. He does not want to rock the boat.”
Haley: “He came in, and I only had a towel on. He made a comment, and the girls kind of go crazy about it.”
Haley: “He’s like, no, if I can just sit and chill. Like, I’m friends with everybody. He’s kind of like a Yash, in that sense.”
Haley: “And he was like, I don’t really want the heat on me at all. He goes, obviously I want to see my family, but —”
Haley: “You still have to kind of gun for it. It’s part of the game.”
Haley: “Taylor was right here. You were here and Angela was here.”
Haley: “Angela had made a comment about like, you didn’t even stick up for your girl. Kamu, stick up for her.”
Haley: “He goes, well, what was I supposed to say?”
Haley: “And it’s kind of like that fight — like I already told you in the beginning, he has no dominance in a lot of that stuff. So I see him kind of corralling backwards a little bit.”
Haley: “And it’s kind of like, you would let somebody else take a shot at somebody like your closest ally and not do anything. And that’s what makes me weary.”
Kamu: “Well, it’s like, bro, if you’re not trying to win HOH, then that means that you’re okay if the other side wins.”
Haley: “Well, he obviously doesn’t want them to win, but he doesn’t want any blood.”
Kamu: “Well, but then how does that benefit the alliance? It doesn’t. That’s my point. It doesn’t.”
Haley: “And I told Angela and Dee, I was like, him not speaking up and saying a damn thing shows me —”
Haley: “In the game, you at least could have spoke up and said something, but you were too scared because he had your name in his mouth.”
Haley: “And so that’s what really kind of rubbed me the wrong way. But I do appreciate you saying something.”
Haley: “He kind of kept saying — him and Yash keep saying bulls— around me too.”
Haley: “Like, that’s your girl, go get your girl. Like, that’s your wife. And it’s fun banter between them.”
Haley: “But I’m kind of to the point where I’m like, I’m over it. Please stop. I just walk off, but it’s every f—ing time.”
Haley: “And then I know his feelings are getting in the way of a lot of things, as they already have. Because he’s come up and he’s like, I know I flirt with Lyric, but I don’t want you to feel bad.”
Haley: “And I’m like, I don’t care what you do. And I keep calling him a good friend. You’re a good friend. You have great quality.”
Haley: “I’m not going to downplay anything else and make it look like I’m shutting him out. Just like how you are with Lyric, or whatever you’re doing.”
Haley: “But it’s also just to the point where it’s exhausting trying to keep that up.”
Haley: “And then seeing him cower down because he doesn’t want blood. But I know I would be somebody that would put my hand out.”
Kamu: “Right. And that’s what I struggle with. So I think at the beginning I might have misjudged it just a little bit.”
Kamu: “It’s just one of those things where it’s like — bro, are we all in this together, or are we all just shields for you?”
Kamu: “I love Chuk, by the way.”
Haley: “I know, me too.”
Kamu: “But dude, it is your responsibility as a member of our alliance to gun for HOHs, bro. You cannot be like, no, I’m not going to try to win.”
Haley: “Drew and Barrett told me they didn’t want it, by the way.”
Kamu: “When?”
Haley: “In the last couple days.”
Kamu: “Drew told me yesterday he did want it.”
Haley: “He has to say that.”
Haley: “So, I don’t know. I feel like I’m in, like, a sticky spot. And Angela has seen it too. Because she’s just like, his feelings are in the way of what he’s trying to play.”
Haley: “And I know he’ll protect me to the end at 1,000%.”
Kamu: “How, though, if he has no power?”
Haley: “I think he’s trying to be so friends with people to where, like, you can’t put her up.”
Haley: “But we’ve spread out so much. That’s why I don’t talk to you in public, and that’s why I don’t talk to Chuk in public as much now. Because it’s to the point where they see us all together, and then what happens?”

Kamu: “Drew told me yesterday, because I said, dude, honestly, do you want to win it? And he was like, yeah. I’m like, you’re going to be gunning for it? He’s like, yeah.”
Haley: “See, I think he would put me up.”
Kamu: “He says, I’d put up who you put up.”
Haley: “He’s such a f—ing schemer.”
Kamu: “He’s like, I’d put up Lala, Mallory, Jason — depending on who stays and goes. And Lyric.”
Kamu: “I’m like, bro, you’d put them up? Because I’m sitting here thinking, bro, you spend the most amount of your time with them.”
Kamu: “And he’s like, yeah. And then maybe Melody as a backdoor. And I’m like, you’d put up Melody? See, that’s the stupid s—.”
Haley: “See, he’s backed off from it all because he’s trying to be so cordial.”
Kamu: “Chuk and I had a conversation yesterday about the hammock. We talked for maybe like 10 minutes or so. It was a good talk. It was about game. It was probably the first time in, like, a week and a half.”
Haley: “But it was all agreement of everything you said, wasn’t it? Or did he come with his own opinions?”
Kamu: “No, he did warn me about Drew. This was two days ago.”
Haley: “Because Dee came up to me and she’s like, you’ve got to talk to Kamu.”
Kamu: “Well, Drew never gave me a reason to not trust him until that night at the hammock.”
Haley: “Yeah, you had to see it. You needed examples.”
Kamu: “Not that I didn’t trust you guys, but I just didn’t have any examples of why you guys were leering at him.”
Kamu: “But seeing that, I’m like, dude, the only reason somebody would fight to keep Mallory over Lala like that would be if they were in an alliance with Mallory. That’s literally it.”
Kamu: “But if Mallory wins tomorrow, great. If she doesn’t, though, Drew and Barrett are gonna have to decide, like, right then and there — dude, which side of the house are you working with?”
Kamu: “Because it’ll be very telling.”
Haley: “I gotta get my coffee. I tried to leave here four times.”
Haley: “We’ll do a face mask tonight.”
Kamu: “Sweet. It’s a party.”

Where it stands

Kamu counted the votes with face masks on the bed and got five to seven for Lala to stay. Devens, Chuk, Angela, Dee, Taylor and Jason on one side; Barrett, Melody, Lyric and probably Drew on the other. He thinks Yash comes to him and he thinks Drew follows the writing on the wall. Then he said the part that decides the week if it ties: Jason and Mallory, he evicts Jason. Lala and Mallory, he evicts Mallory.

He also has a plan for Lyric, and it’s the same one Drew has for Taylor. Lyric panicked when the house thought she’d voted to keep Rome, so Kamu intends to tell her what people are saying and let the fear do the work. The only thing stopping him is that she might repeat it to Mallory, and he’s keeping Mallory warm in case she wins HOH.

The bigger story is Chuk. Haley says he’s stopped playing, has told her in a roundabout way he won’t gun for HOH, and is coasting under the radar because Kamu is the one in the hot seat. Kamu’s answer is that it’s his responsibility as a member of the alliance to gun for HOHs, and then the line the whole conversation was building to: are we all in this together, or are we all just shields for you.

Haley has a second complaint that isn’t about game. Chuk made a comment while she was in a towel, Angela told Kamu he should have stuck up for her, and Chuk’s answer was to ask what he was supposed to say. She says he and Yash won’t stop with the that’s-your-girl banter, that she walks off every time, and that keeping it all up is exhausting.

And Drew told Kamu he’d nominate Lala, Mallory, Jason and Lyric, with Melody as a backdoor. Kamu’s read is that nobody fights that hard to keep Mallory over Lala unless they’re in an alliance with Mallory. If Mallory doesn’t win the Blockbuster, he says Drew and Barrett have to pick a side in the room, and it’ll be very telling.

4:50 pm Deven and Kamu

Kamu, recounting his conversation with Yash:
Kamu: “And I was like, hey, but we’re gonna need numbers, so who are you thinking?”
Kamu: “And I said, dude, I think that we should go with people who are battle-tested. People who are willing to play the game, they’ve won competitions.”
Kamu: “One of us threw your name out, and then dude, he was always like, I love Devens, I would love to work with him. He’s awesome, he’s willing to make big moves.”
Kamu: “And then he’s totally on board.”
Kamu: “But he was the one that mentioned your name. And when he said it, I ran with it.”
Kamu: “And I did that on purpose, because I wanted to see who he would throw out. I didn’t know if he was going to be like, Drew, or whatever.”
Kamu: “I said, dude, who else? We need more numbers. Who do you think? He mentioned you.”
Kamu: “Because I wanted to see, in his head, who he believes he’s tight with.”
Kamu: “And then he starts talking, and I was curious if he was going to say Drew. He never did.”
Devens: “That’s who I would have guessed that he’d say.”
Kamu: “Me too.”
Kamu: “And that’s why I was a little bit hesitant to even talk with him today.”
Kamu: “I was actually gonna ask you if you would talk to him. Because I didn’t want him, depending on how close he is with Drew, to go back and tell you that Kamu approached me and left you out of it.”
Kamu: “So I was thinking it might be safer if Devens brings it up and then includes me somehow, and then we talk afterwards.”
Kamu: “But what happened was, Lala came up here, and then after Lala left, freaking Yash came up here. The timing was perfect.”

Devens: “Oh, a suitcase.”
Devens: “Oh, dude, I was in the storage room when he came in to get his suitcase. Awkward.”
Kamu: “Yeah, dude, I was like, hey, what’s up, man? How you doing? He’s like, hey, I’m good. How are you? And just took his suitcase.”
Kamu: “Dude, we haven’t talked, bro. And I’m okay with that. But it’s like an extremely cordial hello. Thank you for dinner. That kind of stuff.”
Kamu: “Doesn’t need to go any deeper than that. It really doesn’t need to. And I actually don’t even have a desire to go any deeper than that.”
Kamu: “I don’t trust a word the dude says.”

Kamu: “So I said, Devens won HOH.”
Devens: “And veto.”
Kamu: “And veto. I said, Dee won HOH. I said, bro, you won the Blockbuster week one. I said, all three of us have proven that we’re good under pressure. We know how to stay relaxed.”
Kamu: “And he was like, dude, I totally agree. He goes, here’s the thing though with Dee. He goes, I don’t know exactly where her game is at.”
Kamu: “It sounds like he’s locked in with you, he’s locked in with me, and he’s like, I don’t have that kind of relationship with Dee yet.”
Kamu: “He’s like, not that I don’t trust her, I just don’t know.”
Kamu: “He goes, what we should do is, we should sit down with Devens, and not give our opinion about Dee. And just be like, hey, Devens — because he goes, I think that Devens would be willing to rock with us.”
Kamu: “This is good news for you. He goes, my perception of Devens is that he kind of seemed like a little bit of a free agent. Like he’s not really working too closely. Ready to be locked in.”
Devens: “That’s great.”
Kamu: “I’ll take that. Absolutely.”
Kamu: “And so he goes, maybe what we can do is, the three of us can sit down. He goes, I think that Devens would want to work with us. And we could just ask him, hey, what do you think about Dee?”
Kamu: “Because I said, man, if we bring Dee on board, that’s a solid group of four.”
Kamu: “I said, plus Dee is close with some of the women. So maybe she could get information and bring that back to us.”
Kamu: “I’m like, dude, she won Survivor. We’ve seen that she’s been loyal to her people. Same with Devens — always loyal to his people.”
Kamu: “And he goes, if Devens is on board with Dee, he’s like, I trust you guys. I would totally be down to work with her.”

Kamu: “So my thought process is this. You, Dee and myself are already in the Red Corner alliance.”
Kamu: “The three of us are already in the Tool Shed alliance.”
Kamu: “If we’re in this alliance with Yash —”
Devens: “I was going to bed last night going, I think I’m in four alliances with Kamu.”
Kamu: “I want that. Because I don’t ever want to be in separate alliances where this alliance wants to take a shot at you.”
Devens: “Right, exactly. And it blows everything up.”
Kamu: “So my thought process is, I think that we should be in — I don’t want to say as many, but I think that we should be in the same alliances.”
Kamu: “That way our alliances are never taking shots at each other.”
Devens: “Yeah, I think that makes total sense.”
Kamu: “Because then if you’re in one alliance and I’m in another, and then our alliances want to take a shot, we have to pretend like we want to go along with that a little bit.”
Kamu: “Like right now, Drew. It’s what’s happening with Drew.”
Devens: “Right, he’s in everything and they’re going at each other, and it’s like, you gotta pick a side, bro.”
Kamu: “Exactly. And I don’t ever want to be in that situation with you.”
Kamu: “So we have Tool Shed, we have Red Corner, and then we can lock in this alliance with Yash.”
Kamu: “And the Taylor one.”
Kamu: “The Taylor one, I feel the least confident in.”
Devens: “Oh, for sure.”
Kamu: “Because she’s just very — dude, she’s trying to rally the troops to keep Jason right now.”
Devens: “Oh, to keep Jason and Lala?”
Kamu: “In the case Jason doesn’t win the Blockbuster. To keep Jason over Lala.”
Kamu: “That’s what I was told earlier today. Haley told me that.”
Kamu: “I guess that she’s like, look, if it comes down between Lala and Jason, she’s trying to rally the troops to keep Jason.”
Devens: “Which is weird, because you’d think I would have been in a conversation with her about that by now, if we’re in this group.”
Devens: “And myself too.”
Kamu: “We were in the backyard today and she asked me — in the case of Lala and Mallory, who do you want to go?”
Kamu: “And I was like, I think that we should take out Mallory and keep Lala. Which is true, but it’s also the safe answer, because I know she’s really close with Lala.”
Kamu: “And I said, do you agree? And she’s like, yeah. She goes, I agree, but I trust you. I want to vote however you would want us to vote.”
Kamu: “So I don’t know. I’ve also heard that she’s talking to Chuk and other people too, so I’m just a little bit —”
Devens: “It’s fine. It’s good. If she wins, she won’t put us up. But she’s not my top priority by any means.”
Kamu: “I would put our lines with Yash above that.”
Devens: “Oh, yeah.”
Kamu: “Me too. No joke, dude. I dig Yash. I freaking love Yash. And he is down for the cause.”
Kamu: “He was talking about the nomination ceremony last week, and how you were the one that trickled everything.”
Kamu: “He goes, because he was like, dude, Devens blew up Rome’s game.”
Kamu: “And he goes, it was because of that. He’s like, you told me that Rome was trying to take me out if I didn’t win the Blockbuster.”

Where it stands

Kamu has a doctrine now, and he said it out loud: everybody he’s aligned with should be in all the same alliances, so that none of his alliances can ever shoot at each other. Devens answered by saying he’d gone to bed the night before thinking he was in four alliances with Kamu. Tool Shed, Red Corner, the Taylor three, and now Yash.

The Yash alliance came out of a test. Kamu asked him who else they should bring in, specifically to see whether he’d name Drew. He didn’t — he named Devens. Devens says that’s who he’d have guessed too. Yash’s read on Devens is that he looks like a free agent who isn’t working closely with anyone and is ready to be locked in.

Dee is the proposed fourth, and Kamu’s pitch for her is partly that she’s close to the women and could bring information back. Yash won’t commit until Devens vouches for her, and the plan is to sit down with Devens and ask his opinion without offering their own — which is happening right now, one conversation early.

Taylor is the one Kamu trusts least, and he’s not wrong to. She’s rallying to keep Jason over Lala, she told Kamu she’d vote however he wanted, and Devens noticed the problem immediately: if the three of them are an alliance, why hasn’t she mentioned any of this to him?

Kamu also admits his answer to Taylor was calculated. He told her he wanted Mallory out and Lala kept — true, he says, but also the safe answer, because he knows how close she is to Lala.

5:30 PM – Drew, Melody, Mallory and Barrett, backyard

Melody: “What are you even doing?”
Drew: “I went upstairs.”
Mallory: “You look so tan.”
Drew: “I actually do look tan, right?”
Melody: “Yeah, what did you do upstairs?”
Drew: “I was trying really hard to convince everybody that you’re not gonna go for them.”
Melody: “Oh, and what did they say?”
Drew: “Yash was there.”
Drew: “They’re scared of you. A lot. Kamu specifically.”
Mallory: “Really?”
Drew: “Probably should be.”

Melody says they have the numbers.
Drew: “I’m worried me and Barrett are going to get blown the f— up.”
Drew: “Because we are the swing folks. So, you know, be ready for it.”
Drew: “Like, we have to go and win it.”
Barrett: “Oh, yeah.”
Drew: “Because I think us flipping on them, because we’re upstairs, is going to put us — make us bigger targets than her and Jason.”
Drew: “So if we don’t win, we’re sitting on the block next week. I hope you know that.”
Drew: “If they come into power —”
Barrett: “I don’t really care. I mean, I do care, but —”
Drew: “So my whole game is to make sure that everyone’s on board.”

Mallory says Dee and Angela told her they would keep her. Melody says to leave them out of it — regardless of those two, they have their four plus Taylor.
Drew: “Do we have Taylor?”
Melody: “Yeah, I talked to her.”
Drew: “They were saying upstairs that you don’t.”
Drew: “I don’t want to bank everything off of her. At all. At all.”
Melody: “I won’t either.”
Drew: “And right now we are.”
Drew: “But I don’t want to let her out either.”
Drew: “But I don’t want to put everyone’s neck on the line.”
Drew: “It’s 6v6. And then she gets voted out. And then we get a vote.”
Drew: “So if you guys fully trust her — do we really trust Taylor?”
Drew: “Because I have not spoken to her in two f—ing days. Three days.”
Drew: “Maybe even a week.”

Melody: “And I told her, I said, you’re the decider whether Mallory stays or goes.”
Melody: “Like, it’s literally all on you. If Mallory leaves because of you, everyone is going to be mad.”
Melody: “I didn’t say it like that. I was like, people are going to be pretty upset.”
Drew: “But like, at the same time —”
Melody: “And she knows that.”
Drew: “She literally told me herself.”
Drew: “What does she have to be scared of?”
Drew: “Our side hasn’t won the f—ing HOH yet.”

Drew says he doesn’t like Melody leaving Dee and Angela out of the keep-Mallory plan, because they need those votes.
Melody: “If they decide to flip, we should be good anyways.”
Melody says Devens told her he would vote to keep Mallory.
Drew: “Cool. Vibes.”
Drew: “No, she’s the one that’s not clear enough.”
Drew: “I trust what they say to you.”
Drew: “Because they hold their cards super close.”
Drew: “It’s like, you really said, let’s exclude them.”
Melody: “Yeah, because you’re stressing me out for no reason.”
Melody: “You’re the one being like, I don’t know, guys.”
Drew: “I think so.”

Barrett moves in closer and says he missed the first part. They brief him on trying to get the votes to keep Mallory over Lala.
Drew: “They are undecided. 50/50.”
Barrett: “It didn’t work.”
Drew: “I was like, Lala pisses people off.”
Drew: “And I literally stood up and turned it on at the screen of, like, the memory wall.”
Drew: “And I was like, let’s just go down the line and think who she pisses off.”
Drew: “I was like, she pissed off so-and-so. And it was like, all the people on that side of the house.”
Drew: “And I was like, the only people that she pisses off is us.”
Drew: “So her being here is not going to piss off the other side of the house.”
Drew: “And then they were like, well, that’s not a valid reason.”
Drew: “I was like, what was when you were pitching it to me?”
Mallory: “Right.”
Barrett: “Yeah.”
Barrett: “I mean, hell, pretend that Jason also pisses off everybody over here, too.”
Barrett: “And pretend that Jason and Lala would be two automatic nominees or whatever.”
Drew: “Nobody was giving their opinions.”
Mallory: “Who else was there?”
Drew: “It was Devens.”
Drew: “And Devens was trying to be like, trying to see both sides of it.”
Drew: “And I think he was also trying to convince, like — no one wants to piss off the HOH.”
Drew: “You know what I mean?”
Drew: “And then Yash walked in.”

Devens joins them and the conversation ends.

Where it stands

Drew went to the HOH room and pitched keeping Mallory, and it did not go well. He stood up, pulled up the memory wall on the spy screen, and walked the room name by name to show that the only people Lala annoys are on his own side — so keeping her costs the other side nothing. They told him that wasn’t a valid reason. His answer was to ask what it was when they were pitching it to him.

He is also the only person in this conversation naming the price. He says he and Barrett are the swing votes, that flipping makes them bigger targets than the two people actually on the block, and that if they don’t win the next HOH they’re sitting on it. He said out loud, I hope you know that.

Taylor is where it breaks down. Melody says she has her. Drew says upstairs they say she doesn’t, and he hasn’t spoken to Taylor himself in two or three days — maybe a week. He doesn’t want the week banked on her and he doesn’t want her cut loose either.

And when Melody repeated her warning to Taylor, Drew found the hole in it immediately. Their side hasn’t won an HOH yet. There’s nothing for Taylor to be scared of.

Upstairs, per Drew, nobody would state a position except Kamu. Devens argued both sides and pushed the line that nobody wants to upset the HOH.

6:40 pm LALA’s game is awesome clog the competition up with fat. Cheese wrapped in butter soaked bread wrapped in bacon.

6:54 pm Taylor and Jason

Taylor asks what happens if Lala wins the Blockbuster.
Jason: “If it’s me or Mallory?”
Jason: “You don’t have to. Right?”
Taylor: “I mean, it could.”
Jason: “You never know.”
Taylor: “You never know.”
Jason: “But in all the conversations I’ve been having, it’s me and Mallory possibly going to win the Blockbuster.”
Jason: “I talked to Barrett, and he brought it up. The thing is, I’m letting people come up to me, and they are.”
Taylor: “You’re going to what?”
Jason: “I’ve been letting people come up to me.”
Jason: “Yash came up to me, and he didn’t straight up say it, but he’s just like, you’re going to win. So don’t trip.”
Taylor: “I think that’s what everybody’s thinking.”
Taylor: “I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t think I can vote against Lala.”
Jason: “Oh, yeah.”
Taylor: “You remember the first time we talked about it, I was like, I can’t even comprehend.”
Jason: “Oh, that’s why Melody said that.”
Taylor: “I don’t think I can do it.”
Taylor: “I know. I know.”
Taylor: “It would be smart to keep her, but —”
Jason: “To keep Mallory?”

Taylor: “Yeah.”
Taylor: “Competitive-wise. But I can’t do Lala like that.”
Taylor: “It just hurts.”
Jason: “Well, in my mind, I was going to do a sympathy vote to Lala, since I figured Mallory was going to stay anyways.”
Taylor: “But I have to talk with everyone.”
Jason: “And obviously, my heart breaks to even think that I would be voting Lala out.”
Taylor: “So at this point, it feels like I’m the tiebreaker.”
Jason: “Only because I’m pretty sure Kamu is keeping Lala.”
Jason: “Which was weird, because I thought the beginning of the week Lala was the target. That’s what I was being told.”
Jason: “But then somehow it’s now switched to Mallory. But I think maybe because of the veto, because she almost won.”
Jason: “But I mean, Melody’s like, we gotta keep Mallory.”
Taylor: “And I was like, I know, I know.”
Jason: “She’s being very aggressive about it. And obviously, I understand why.”
Taylor: “I know. I know why. I know why.”
Taylor: “We tried to talk that first night. It was like, let’s not think about it.”
Jason: “Correct. And we had that conversation.”
Jason: “I’m at peace with it, because I understand it’s what we have to do. And it sucks.”
Taylor: “It’s a game.”
Jason: “It’s a game, ultimately.”
Jason: “And it hurts my heart, you know what I mean. But I think she’ll understand. And there’s a part of her that doesn’t see her going far anyways.”
Jason: “Because the way she’s kind of come to terms with it has made me feel better about the decision too.”
Jason: “Because even last week, like with Rome, I would have wanted to throw a sympathy vote for Rome for that.”
Jason: “But last time I protected my game, and I said I was going to protect my game by voting to have a big vote.”
Taylor: “Even she voted to evict Rome. I think.”
Jason: “I think it’s gonna hurt. But I think the minute she steps out with Julie, she’s gonna be so happy to have the moment with Julie.”
Taylor: “I think about it. Yeah.”

Where it stands

Taylor said it out loud, and she said it to Jason. She doesn’t think she can vote against Lala. She knows keeping Mallory is the smarter play competitively, and her answer to that is that she can’t do Lala like that, that it just hurts. She has not committed to anyone, and she says she has to talk with everyone. She also knows exactly what she is: at this point, it feels like I’m the tiebreaker.

Jason then gave up his own vote, and it isn’t the one he promised. He told Lyric at lunchtime that even if he won the Blockbuster he’d keep Mallory and Lala would go. Here he tells Taylor he was planning a sympathy vote for Lala, because he assumed Mallory was staying anyway and his vote wouldn’t matter. In the same breath he says his heart breaks to think he would be voting Lala out — which is the vote he told Lyric he’d cast.

Melody’s count for keeping Mallory has seven names on it, and two of them are Jason and Taylor. Neither one is where she thinks it is.

Jason has also read Kamu correctly. He says he’s pretty sure Kamu is keeping Lala, and that’s exactly what Kamu told Devens and Haley this afternoon. What he can’t explain is why the target moved from Lala at the start of the week to Mallory now, and his guess is the veto — she almost won it.

And one open item closes. Jason says he wanted to throw Rome a sympathy vote last week and didn’t, because he chose to protect his game and vote with the house. Whoever the lone vote to keep Rome was, it wasn’t him.