Let's do some analysis of the season...
TV ClubHouse: Archive: Let's do some analysis of the season...
Onlyhuman | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 10:36 am     Without getting into a discussion of good and bad people, let's talk about the overall arc of this season. The more I think about it, the more I feel that the x-factor was incredibly unfair to Nathan, Dana and Jack. First, the timing of the announcement forced them into the position of aligning with a group of strangers with whom they had no real bond. Second, it left them with almost no backup plan. For instance, most of the ex's had some sort of secret alliance with their ex, which they could easily cover with the smoke screen of hatred or animosity. They didn't have to spend a lot of time trying to build up this bond because it was preexisting. They could mention it in passing and feel that they had an alternate. What's more, the exes could bond amongst themselves because they shared the commonality of being in an uncomfortable situation with their exes, something the other three could not relate to. On the other hand, Nathan, Dana and Jack had to work to build relationships, which put them in the glare of the spotlight every time they stepped outside of their original alliance. Ultimately, Nathan, Dana and Jack ended up playing the game with only one alliance partner, while their alliance partner had several options. It made a huge difference in their chances of survival. One has to wonder, if Brandon had come into the house instead of Jee, how would the dynamics have changed and what would have been the overall effect on the house? |
Spunky | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 11:09 am     But what's ironic is that it was Jack, one of the three without an ex, who seemed quite vocal in going against the exes, he saw that as a unique opportunity to create a strong alliance of 8 against 5. It would have been successful if Dana and Jun didn't desert them so early in the game. For the first couple of evictions it worked, Amanda and Michelle, but then it backfired, David who masterminded the secret eviction got the boot and from then on the original alliance was doomed. So, it showed me that this group of people could not think collectively, they did have a unique chance to get rid of the exes first but it took only two to see it differently to change the game for good. The problem with Jack is that he kept his obsession of wanting to get rid of the exes first and not seeing that he had to change tactic. Finally, only the floaters survived and it may well become an incentive for future BB players to master the skill of floating instead of making doomed alliances. |
Seanflynn2003 | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 11:13 am     One of the major problems this year was the universal weakness of the men as game players. None was a particularly good player with a strategy that had a backup plan. Except for Jack with Erika, none could figure out to treat the women in the house as equals who could help them. Nathan, Dave and Justin and to some extent Jee were decent eye candy, and thank God had more of a sense of humor than the deadly Roddy, but all were clueless as to how to survive in the game. (Justin when he was headed to the block could have approached Jun for an alliance; at that point, she might have been open for it, and totally turned the game around. He just fatalistically accepted his ouster). Robert survived as long as he did because the women thought he was weak in contests (he was -- he got lucky on winning his last HOH contest). Next year, we need men who are willing to play the game. |
Onlyhuman | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 11:23 am     Seanflynn, the inability of the men to see the women of the house as equals is a good observation. Though I think Nathan saw Ali as his equal and thought they had a strong partnership. I think Jee also thought he had a strong, secret partner in Jun, but that was obviously not true. Jack, Justin, Nathan, Robert, Jee and Dave all seemed to discount the women's ability to think for themselves. I remember Jack going to talk to Justin when Dana was HOH, which made Dana & Jun angry because the men just ASSUMED that Justin was in charge. The women were definitely underestimated by the men. |
Surreal_Badger | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 01:27 pm     onlyhuman, i agree with much of your analysis of the x-factor. for me at least, part of what i enjoy about bb is watching STRANGERS figure each other out. now, i can appreciate the producers' desires to shake things up a little bit, but i don't think the x-factor was a good way to do so. i'm not too sure that "fairness" counts for much when designing these shows, but certainly there were varying levels of "unfairness" when the exes were added to the mix. and not just for nate, dana, and jack. take, for example, amanda. i know i tend to be a bit of a conspiracy nut, but i think scott was a timebomb that bb KNEW would explode. so what were her chances?!? and michelle?!? in addition, i think the seven-or-so-year relationship of jun and jee was VERY different than, say, robert and erika's. jun quickly benefited from having her ex around, and erika was at an immediate disadvantage. certainly hgs always come into the game with different skills, different assets, different flaws -- handpicked for these characteristics by the producers. is that "fair"? probably not, but they think it makes good TV. the x-factor, IMHO, was neither fair nor particularly good TV (well, minus that early ratings boost provided by scott) |
Carrie92 | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 02:13 pm     Interesting point, Only. Never thought of it that way, but I tend to agree with you. Except that the whole forming a big alliance on Day 1 has never worked well. Remember last year when the people who were out of the tree decided to align against the people who were still in the tree? I also think Surreal might be onto something with the Scott theory. I am still trying to figure out how that would have worked... remember the show was originally supposed to end LAST Wednesday, and even with the extra week added, there would still be an extra HG. Wierd. BTW, does anyone know the story on Brandon? Was he somebody's ex? I heard he was booted b/c he contacted someone a couple days before the show started - but does anyone know if that was really the case? Seems like kind of a weak reason to boot him compared to some of the things they have allowed to go on. |
Mkcantjump | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 02:17 pm     Sean. I thought I was the only one to find Roddy deadly. You probably ment that, game wise, but he honestly gave me a chill, as did Dani. I always found it odd that they were game enemies as I found them to be very much alike. This year much has been said of certain HGs but I found those two really disturbing for the fact that they were mature adults. Just what I was thinking though, could be wrong. |
Seanflynn2003 | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 02:26 pm     Roddy's Achilles heel last year was the same as the men this year - he did not know how to deal with smart assertive women. It cost him, as it did all the men this year. He and Danielle could have been a great team, but he never could figure that out. |
Spunky | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 02:30 pm     But the idea of 8 against 5 was good at first and may have succeed if all 8 stuck together. Go with the majority and target the 5 one by one... You're 8 and they're 5. Well, it seemed logic at first. But losing Scott left them with 7 against 5, then 2 of the 5 are eliminated quickly, still leaving them 7 against 3.... until 2 broke away from the 7 and it crumbled from then on. The floaters were in the best position and it is any wonder that they are now the finalists. |
Cameramanbob | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 02:40 pm     As this is a thread about the overall 'arc' of the show and not about a 'discussion of good and bad people', I find it interesting that no one thread here has discussed Jee's overall performance in the game. (This is keeping with the men-as-lost-players topic.) Jee is SUCH a sociable and community based person. Habitually considerate and aware of 'fairness' issues in the group(s) as well as habitually interested in 'full disclosure' as to what is being planned and what has happened. Big fault in this game. When the Dream Team razzed him endlessly on the theme of him being 'soft' (to the point where he pleaded for them to stop seeing him that way), Jee started playing very hard - yet without strategy. He just got out there and won everything he could, without any discrimination or deception. Again, the guy just acted out whatever actions he could to impress upon the group who he wants to "be." This, to me, was when the DT failed him and when he failed the DT. Not very clever on the guys part - and very telling about Jee's real insecurities in himself. Still - he is an incredibly aware guy - just easily fooled. The X factor (Jun's deception) really hurt him, but fairly. Finally you have to give credit to CBS for one thing - the X factor is some creative thinking for a new twist on an old game. Too bad it soured so soon. |
Onlyhuman | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 02:55 pm     Surreal, I STILL find the whole Scott thing highly suspicious, partly due to the fact that the timing of the show did NOT allow for 13 players and because the AS interviews I saw before the game indicated that they thought someone might leave as a result of the x-factor. Carrie, I agree that jumping into a big alliance on day one has not been historically effective. If it was a pure majority rules game, it would be one thing, but HOH makes it so any side can take over the power in any week. Since you can't trust anyone in your alliance, you don't know who is going to betray you the minute the power shifts. Part of the problem I also see with the x-factor is that the exes didn't come looking to be on the show so they weren't as invested in the game and they all were the weaker strategists. Amanda, who was very familiar with the show, didn't try to stay AT ALL and Michelle was just out there playing. Justin & Jee were both last minute additions to the cast and they played like it. Ooohhh...I had another idea and now it's gone. Don't you hate it when that happens? |
Chippy | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 03:00 pm     I admit I was excited about the X factor initially. I didn't realize that some would not have exes in the game. I think that made it unbalanced from the beginning- some in a good way and some disadvantageous to each group. Certainly those with a history at least knew more about each other at least. I'd agree with Cameraman's thoughts on Jee. He was impulsive almost to a fault sometimes. Winning everything in that one week while punishing the other hg's really put the nail in his coffin IMO. He didn't even need to win the luxury challenge in order to eat. I must say though when he hesitated on pushing the finish light, Ali was goading him on to GO GO GO. I never understood that unless she knew it was a fatal decision. In looking back over some of the "memories" posted on another thread, it seems to me that Jack's analysis of each hg was pretty much on the money. Trouble is, he never could convince anyone but Erika. So many times, I've thought- if only they'd listened to Jack (I'm not saying 100% but nearly). He tried so hard to remain the levelheaded nice guy that it knocked him out of the game. Justin too to a lesser degree. He never did much to save himself the week he was up and ousted. Kinda fun to look back, eh? |
Mkcantjump | Monday, September 22, 2003 - 03:05 pm     I found the Scott thing very odd too. At one point, in mid rant I saw him lower his head and smile in a very normal way as if to say " is this what you want" to the producers. It wouldn't surprise me if I found out he, Amanda, and Dave were hired for the program. Now Jee's downfall was the way he viewed women, just like Roddy. Jee's father was very controlling according to Jun. I saw this in Jee as well. I don't think it dawned on him that all the men could really be bested by two women. He underestimated the women. |
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