January 12, 2004
ON the last episode, it turned from House of Dreams to House of Begging, as we got to listen to sob stories and seeing the evil real estate agent go bye-bye. This time around, we'll be hearing grumbling people as they are rudely awoken by an air siren. Flor isn't grumbling though - because she's still there.

Other people are grumbling as the 15 players take their second task - building a frame. Mike is getting frustrated that he doesn't know what he's doing, Wanda is frustrated that Mike doesn't know what he's doing, and Jared is griping because he has a sunburn as big as Texas. Flor decides that Mike will be going if he gets a red hat, but Mike does manage to get the job done as the framework and supports are now in the house.

Tony realizes, thanks to the last Red Hat meeting, that him talking about his woes may not be the right thing to do, since he is now a 'threat'. He is right, as Mike wants to get rid of both him and Flor. Flor, however, can't get one because she was up for the jury on the last episode. Tony is struggling with his key - but he gets it through and he collapses on the other side of the door.

Mike also gets through - but Mark doesn't, and in a cute sequence, yells 'Wilma' as he's banging on the door. It boils down to 3 people - Naomi, Mike, and Rochelle. Naomi tries her key...and it doesn't work. She and Mark are the 2 people up for grabs and the 2 people in the same alliance are not happy campers.

Jim and Flor are also unhappy, while Jared is wondering if Naomi would do a sex for vote politic. Uh....no. Mark thinks that he's in big trouble - 'If I had to choose between me and Naomi, I'd pick Naomi'. Mark lives in a Tibetan Buddhist Shrine - so it seems like he would really need the house. Naomi jumps from NYC apartment to NYC apartment, so she could use one as well.

Mark and Naomi use the same strategies that their predecessors used. Mark plays the role of Patricia and is campaigning fo votes, while Naomi sits aside like Flor and just sees what happens. They both are the leaders in the task to build up walls. Mike thinks that they did a good job but they didn't delegate authority. Naomi gets the head job in hooking up some of the wood pieces - and she is called an official hooker. Heh. After more working and hooking, the group gets the job done and they go back to camp.

'Everybody's sad to see one of those guys go.' says JIm, as they playing drawing and pantomime games in the campgrounds. Jim wants a real home, while Naomi wants to establish a groundwork for herself. Jim is doing a favor for Mark as he is gaging who will vote for him - and who he needs to work for. Mike and Jared are lamenting about Naomi leaving, because if you get rid of her and Amy, you get rid of the hotness in the camp.

There will be hotness of a different nature, as the camp is rewarded with a beer keg. This, of course, leaves to drunk people and bad behavior. 'Mike, being Mike, needs to drink twice as much as everybody else, and Mike, being Mike, takes it twice as badly as everybody else.' says Jim, while Mark thinks that he;s the type of person at work who will get drunk and pinch everyone else's bods.

Mike is trying to go after Amy, but Amy isn't buying what Mike is selling and Matt and Joe realize this. MIke - 'If you and I were dating, I'd be very happy. Amy - 'and your point is?' Mike takes it badly, and he curses and violently goes through stuff. He finalizes it by taking a tray of salad and dumps it in the hammock where 4 people are. That's not what people want when they want tossed salad, Mike.

Mike didn't think that he's getting the attention that he wants - but he's getting lots of attention that he doesn't want - mainly, everyone else, who can't wait to see him get a red hat. Jim hatches a different strategy. 'Mike won't be around with us for much longer. We have one vote coming up. The jury's deadlocked, Mike's gone.' Hmmmmmmm...

The next morning, Mike is laying low while deciding who to vote for. Mark is confident - confident enough that he thinks that the packing is just subterfuge. Nevertheless, Mark and Naomi gives speeches. A tearful Naomi tells the jury that they have the most difficult decision, and saying that they hope the vote is done with respect, instead of a pact. Mark says that it's a game, but the people who vote will be altering lives and to vote from the heart and to get to know each other.

While Naomi and Mark are escorted out, the jury members talk about who should go. There will be no deadlock with a 13 jury panel, so there will be no person in the jury who will leave. Flor announces that the person who will be leaving is...Mark. Naomi and her hotness will be staying a while longer.

It was a close match-up, as Jim tells him that the final vote was 7-6. He also said that 'I told you not to be a dick', meaning that Mark's campaigning did him in and the art of not doing anything is now 2-0. Mark does go back to the boat - and he also gets the $5,000 consolation gift from Lending Tree.com. 'I'll be using the $5,000 to take my girlfriend Lisa out to dinner - and I'll probably wipe it all out there...I screwed up a lot of stuff and I hope that the person who wins the house will forgive me.'

Speaking of being screwed, Jared and Mike feel that their days are numbered as they told Naomi that bringing the pact speech up in the open was a bad idea. They need to hope that they don't draw the red hat, or they feel that Flor's gang will evict them from the game. Are they right? Or will someone else take the fall? Tune in next week to find out.

January 19, 2004
ON the last show, Mike and Jared feel that they are being hunted down by the rest of the group. They are probably right - since they have gone out of the way to alienate themselves from the rest of the group. Their focus of desire is on Amy, one of their so-called 'hotness' babes in the group. Let's listen in on their lovely dialogue with them and the hotness...

Amy - I showered for the longest time last night, thanks to all of the dirt that I accumulated for the last few days.
Jared - Did you get all of the major crevices?


The opening segment is about the allures of Amy - and about the horn-dog advances of Mike and Jared, which is making everyone ill. The next segment is about working on the house, which is also making everybody ill. Mike is being careless, which the foreman is pointing out, and that leads to a lot of mistakes - mistakes to the point that once again, the group has to redo the work that they have done.

We are talking about safety first with the next house activities, which is to start nailing up aluminum siding wrapping up house wrap, and finish wrapping the lathe. Wanda is telling Mike to be careful, but Mike isn't paying attention and wanda almost gets scraped by the machines. The windows, house wrap and lathe have been completed without anyone losing a limb, so everyone is relieved.

They are much less relieved when it comes to the new key ceremony. Only Naomi, the survivor of last week, is not up for eviction - and George says that if the door is locked for her, then they really ave problems. Everyone is hoping that Michael will get one of the keys, but he is safe - and so is Flor. Jared, who also thinks that his number is up if he draws a bad key, is safe - but Amy the vixen is not and she gets stuck with one of the red hats.

Rochelle, who has an alliance with John, is safe - but John isn't and he is the other person nominated. One of the demographics - either the hottie Amy or the hunky John will be gone, and we get tears all over the place. AwwwwBarf.

We are now down to the sob stories of the group. John needs a house for his family, as he was left up for adoption. Amy, who is working as a waitress, needs a house for herself.

'If you can lose some good people, why not lose some bad people?' asks Jim, as him and Flor try to figure out how to deadlock the jury. If they can deadlock the jury, then Amy and John, instead of leaving, will decide who to get rid of. John, along with Flor, Jim, and most of the camp, wants to get rid of Mike, but Amy doesn't want to get rid of Mike and suggests someone else. This gets back to Mike, Jared and Lisa, and they are all steaming mad at Flor, Jim and Wanda. Oh, the drama...

Amy realizes that it's a game - but it's still hard. Mike is frustrated because Amy says that she can't vote anyone off if there's a deadlock. That means that Mike can't counter-attack, because if Amy and John are deadlocked after the jury is deadlocked, then both she and John go home.

Right now, the strategy is to create and apply stucco. The foreman says that the group could probably finish the house in 4 days - but 4 days is still a good accomplishment. Amy is still torn about getting rid of Mike, who now realizes that she may be gone, but by deadlocking themselves, Mike will be safe.

The red hats will be leaving their mark on the hours - or on the floor, specifically. The red hats now need to decide what flooring will be used on the house. We can see that Amy has problems making up her mind - since she's still working on the floor, which prompts John to say 'Dinner will be served shortly.' They both pick a pattern to bring up to the jury. Amy goes for the hardwood flooring with carpet, while John goes for the hidden floor with the coffee carpeting. The vote is 8-3-1 - with Mike being the exception. Mike wants to stay abstained, but that's not the rules of the game and he has to make a choice. When being pressed to make that choice, Mike says that he prefers John's choice, which is a meaningless vote, since it's now 8-4 in favor of Amy.

Amy's pattern wins, but Amy is pained that Mike voted against her. Mike is upset and realizes that although he was being honest, he wasn't playing the game and he now has one more person against him. Mike comes into the woods to sulk and Amy comes in to talk to Mike. She then tells him not to deadlock the jury and she'll take whatever the future holds. Mike doesn't necessarily want that, because if Amy goes, then there's one less person that can protect him.

Mike, meanwhile, is now making a play towards Rochelle - but his mind is towards his son, who he is trying to win the house for. He needs to set his mind more towards the final application of stucco, since that is what's going to be going on. John is upset at Amy, because Amy isn't going to change her mind - but he's still campaigning on Mike's safety issues - something that Sherrill and Wanda are concerned about.

We now have counter strategy, as Jared and Mike try to convince Amy to convince John to get rid of someone else in the deadlock - someone like Jim, who's the strong male in Flor's camp. They think that if Amy can stick to her guns, and force John to say Jim or no deal, then John will have to do it, because he does not want to knock himself out of the game - which is what will happen if he doesn't agree with Amy's choice. Amy doesn't know if she will go through with it - and I don't know if John would do it either.

We are at the night of the jury - and it's a dark and stormy night. The jury talks about strategy - and Amy, for her speech, tells them all that she is still under construction. John says that this is the hardest thing for anyone to do. George reminds everyone about a deadlock, and Sherrill suggests it. So does Mike, and that brings concern on the faces of Flor and Jim.

George asks who they think will go if they are deadlocked, and Mike rises his hand, Jim asks why, and Mike says because it's a game and he wants to leave with Amy, one of his partners, brandishing the dagger. A suspicious Jim isn't buying what Mike is selling and him, Flor and Wanda go immediately after getting rid of Amy. Matt wants to see Amy leave, just so that he wouldn't be harassed by anyone else here. Jim agrees and Mike and Jared stare daggers at both of them.

Meanwhile, on the pier of red hats, John tries to play oneupsmanship with Amy, but she isn't buying it either as she wants to keep her cards close to the vest. Amy and John come back to camp and it turns out to be an academic thought from John - Naomi tells them that John can stay and Amy has to leave. Mike had a good idea, but the gambit does not pay off and his group is now down one member.

Mike tells Amy to call him when she gets home, and she gets the obligatory speech and the bonus $5,000 check from Lendingtree.com. Amy cries when she reads the check and she uses it to pay off some of her debt. She is glad that the jury didn't deadlock, because she believes that she wouldn't have been able to go with Mike's plan.

According to Sherrill, 'We got back into camp, and all Hell broke loose'. Matt says that he got rid of her because he didn't want a weak vote, but Mike and Jared go after him and accuse him of setting them up and wonder how he got the info that Amy was reluctantly hanging out with them. They continue to bicker as the episode ends. a That was a nice taste of brimstone, but according to the next episode, this is when all Hell breaks loose. At that point, we'll see who is holding the pitchforks.

January 26, 2004
The last few ceremonies were uneventful, with people talking, and then letting the stress dissipate. This time around, Matt created a little firestorm that will not be so easily rectified. He is happy about getting it off of his chest - but that changes when the subjects of his ire - Jared and Mike, go right after him when they come back to the camp.

SO how do you dispel hidden alliances? By not making them hidden! Mike and Jared do what they can to save their own bacon by letting everyone know that Jim, Flor, Matt and Wanda are in - gasp! - a pact. Jim, rightfully so, turns aroubd and says that the head of the Salem Pact trial, Mike is actually in one himself - with Jared. I do have to hand it to Mike to at least find any way that he can to improve his position in the game - but where was this wherehe was turning Flor and Jim into salad plates?

The sky, apparently, is sharing the mood of the camp, as the builders are greeted with rain as they go after their next assignment - hanging up the doors. As much as Jim received points when he rebuffed Mike, he is losing them now when he tries to take control of the house - which I guess you need to do when you have Mike and Jared breathing down your neck. Unfortunately, that does alienate voters - like Sherrill, who is starting to wonder if he made the right choice by aligning with them to start the game. Hmmm...

Will any of this come into play when we have the Red Hat Ceremony? Well, the first red hat is......Matt. Well, I guess that answers that question - D'oh! The second person who gets the Red Hat is Lisa, someone who lives in the house of Jared and Mike. Well, this ought to be a really interesting eipsode to see who really does hold the power at camp.

Lets meet the 2 nominees to be afterthoughts on the show. Matt, a counsellor for at-risk youths, wants to give the house to one of his students. Lisa wants a sense of identity for her and her family. That seems to be the same ideals that did Amy in an episode back...

Lisa decided that she wants to do a Q&A session with everyone so they can all get to know everybody. Before that happens, Mike and Jared talk to Lisa and tell her that she is in trouble because she is hanging out with them, which infers that the only way that she has a shot is to be in an allience with them. This is, of course, coming from the man who is calling out alliances. Well, at the Q/A, he gets called out by Jim and Flor, who accuse Lisa of starting this whole voting pact arguments in the first place. This leads to more voting squabbling and the Q/A gets thrown right out the window.

Of course, we know that everyone is in some sort of a pact, as Jim admit hh nFlor rvti otr but only as friends. Right. Wanda says that the alliance is just a few friends that happn o be voting the same way. Riiiiight. John, meanwhile, loses a bet with Flor - and the stakes are that he has to streak around the campground. He's not going to do that, so they compromise and John decides to run around in a bikini. Oh and by the way, he's not in an alliance with them either. Riiiiiiiiiight...

While we continue the 'alliance or no alliance' conversations, the red hats Matt and Lisa lead the troop into working on the exterior doors. As that is going on, we see that one of the doors frames is the wrong size. That error belongs to...Joe the headworker. Oops. Joe apologizes and quickly moves to fix it while the rest of the group works on.

After the work is done, the scheming continues. Remember at the beginning of the game, when the people were cvampaigning for themselves? Well, mike decides to campaing for Lisa, and he tries to get Sherrill's vote. Matt, meanwhile, doesn't campauign, as he thinks that he has enough votes already to stay in the house. Maybe Mike forgot what happened to the people who wound up campaigning for themselves...

To get everyone's mind off of the campaigning, Jared organizes the The grou for a little sing-a-long by the fire. American Idolists, they are not, but they do get a senve of togetherness - which promptly ends once we get to the day of the jury. A desperate Mike and Jared try to come up with any way that they can to keep Lisa on, which includes creating a Salem Witch-hunt type atmosphere to get people like Wanda to admit that they are in an alliance. Wanda denies it, staring daggers at them all the way, and that's one more enemy that the Mike/Jared camp have made.

Mike seems to have made an ally in Sherrill, who says that he wants the house to go to someone that has worked on it Ð not a stranger who would be given the house by some of the people working on it now. Can they secure any move votes to save Lisa?

Jim and Flor hope not Ð as they see them using her as a pawn to try to get numbers against them and their alliance. They will find out rather quickly as they get to the dock for the eviction ceremony, Matt talks about helping others, while Lisa talks about a place that she needs to call home.

Remember when on the last episode, Sherrill wanted to vote in terms of causing drama? Well, he does so this time around, as he joins Mike and JaredÕs cause and votes to keep Lisa Ð and also makes himself a target for FlorÕs group. Jim tries to play damage control and say that there are no alliances, but once again, Mike and Jared are not buying what Jim is selling Ð and that only makes them vigorously campaign more for them to keep Lisa on.

After the campaigning, the votes are taken, and the group decides to keepÉ.Matt on. FlorÕs group wins yet another battle, and Lisa is asked to leave the group. She does find the $5,000 check from lendingtree.com, and a joyful Lisa says that the money will indeed go towards a new house for her and her son.

In the aftermath, Sherrill, now realizing the folly of his public voting, knows that he is running out of allies. Mike is noticing that his hut is running out of bunkmates for him and Jared. We will see on the next episode which personÕs time in the game has run out.

February 9, 2004
You can look at things 2 ways - either as the cup being half-full - or half-empty. In the tribes case - you can either look at it as Flor's group gaining numbers - or Mike's group losing numbers.

Nevertheless, the loss of Jared will help Flor's group, as Flor is happy with where she is - and where she is in position to Jim rubbing her down. Jim says there is nothing going on between him and Flor - and he says that his wife is perfectly fine - while he is rubbing down Flor, who says that Jim needs to be worried about his marriage. Infidelity, anyone?

The rest of the group is worried about cleaning up the house, and Mike, who has lost his best friend Diggy, is ready to go home - but it's not his time, as he does not select a key that doesn't open the door. Neither does Flor or Sherrill, who are exempt from the selection and wait on the other side. Mike, as he goes through, stays as far as he can from Flor and Sherrill, who in Mike's words, are, 'two lying backstabbing pieces of dirt, who don't deserve a shed, let alone a house'. Well, this says 2 things - 1. he isn't happy with Sherrill, and 2. Who's he to grouse, since he organized the try to get a deadlock in the first place?

Jim, who thinks he's toast if he gets stuck, gets through - but Wanda gets stuck. The person who'll be joining her in Red Hat land is...not Naomi, but she stands all the way with Mike as we see some alliances forming into view. Everyone gets through - except Rochelle, who, by process of elimination gets the other hat.

The main group is not very happy, since Rochelle and Wanda are part of the same group - but this is an uneven number, so there is no deadlock option. Wanda knew that she would et the hat - so she is hoping that her friends can do something about it. Wanda wants the house because she needs security and a change.

Matt talks about the 'Circle of Friends' - him, John, Flor, Jim, Wanda and Tony. But Matt also notes that there may be some romantic sparks going on between John and Rochelle - and Matt is wondering about what the strategy would be here. John and Rochelle are hanging out on the hammock and are wondering if they could split the house. Mike, meanwhile wants to see Rochelle stay - if only to take out one of the Circle of Friends. Rochelle, who is a single mom, wants the house for her daughter, and Flor points out that as strategy, the single parent needs to go - but she also knows that John may keep Rochelle and her loyalty is questioned. She thinks that John's vote may be the decider.

As we see a four legged critter scamper around the campsite, the Red Hats scamper to try to catch fish - because what they get is the ONLY thing that they are allowed to eat. To make matters worse, neither of them have fished before. While they are doing that, the rest of the camp plays some volleyball to get out the tension - and even Mike and Jim are hanging out with each other, how long will that last, though, is anyone's guess...

It ends once Tony falls while playing volleyball and lands on his arm. Tony says that his arm keeps getting dislocated - and it costs $3,000 each time to put it back in - which is why he is unemployed and he's on this show. They are taking him out to see what the case is - and if he can stay on the show. He gets carted off to the doctors, and a game all of the sudden turns into drama.

Speaking of drama, the women are going through the drama of getting no fish - but at 5:40 pm, they finally catch a few fish and bring it back to the campground. Everyone else there is hoping for the best for Tony, who still hasn't come back. He does make his arrival after everyone is done eating - and Tony comes back in a sling. he says that he has to go see an orthopedic specialist to see if he is coming back. 'Technically, I have a red hat, too'. If that's the case, the Circle could conceivably fall from 6 (majority) to 4 (minority) in one shot.

The next day, the group is told that they have to build up the dry wall - and it has to be perfect. They should be scared about Mike, giving his past history, but the person who is really scared is Wanda, who has a resperatory problem and can't continue to work in this task. Not getting enough air in from the masks that they need to use this time (since they can't breathe in the fiberglass), she delegates her job to John, who does a good job.

Also looking on is Tony, who feels bad that he can't do anything, but the team is doing the right thing by making him sit out. He finds out from the surgeon tomorrow - the day after tonight's voting. Tony notices that some people are salivating - mainly, Naomi, Sherrill and Mike, who already says that he wouldn't give Tony the house.

It's voting time, and people are talking about strategy and who needs to go, with Jim and Flor thinking that Wanda will stay - but it's a close vote. Wanda starts off by saying that they have all bee there together - and if you don't know what she's about after 24 days, then you're not voting for her anyway. Rochelle says that this is a great experience, and you need to earn the experience, and with that, she and Wanda leave for the jury to deliberate.

Sherill says that he is voting based on who he wants to see win the house. Flor and Jim both like Wanda - but it seems like they don't have the numbers to keep her if John jumps ship - and all indications show that he will, calling Wanda resistant to change and a negative influence. Matt and John both jump ship and vote for Rochelle to stay - and that should be, in my mind, a 7-4 verdict. Sherrill tells Wanda that they have invited Rochelle to stay, and Wanda must leave.

They all hug Wanda - and she also finds the $5,000 from Lendingtree.com. She says that she's going to use the money to move out of LA and to move to Indiana to get a house. She also knew that she was gone when she had the red hat - and she promises that her friends will get her and that heads will roll. Sure enough, Flor and Jim are planning their next move - and are planning on biting back the next time around.

Will that happen? Or will the key ceremony dictate differently? We'll find out next week...

February 16, 2004
We will take a slight moment out of voting, and strategy, and all of that what-not - and focus on Tony. He is injured, and this morning is his doctor's appointment to see if he can still compete in the game. Tony feels ike he neds a home, since he has no house to live in now - while Matt feels that he's still a viable threat - even more now that he's busted a limb. Rochelle, who is starting to p[lay the game, is looking to boot out Tony too. She won't give him the house. 'Houses are not allocated based on need.'

The other focus is now on Jim and Flor - as they lost Wanda. John and Rochelle are noting that she's moody - maybe because her gameplan now has to change. Flor is indeed thinking that - and she is getting feisty - to the point that she is looking to strike back.

She'll be striking at the wall, because the next task is to post up some dry wall. Joe is noting that many people are making mistakes - especially Mike and Naomi - the same 2 people who want to see Tony gone. Unfortunately for them, Tony is back - and Flor and Jim just got one of their teammates back as well.

But could they be lsing one just as quickly with the Red Hat ceremony? They won't - the two people with the Red Hats are John and Viveca. This makes Flor very happy - either she gets rid of someone in the other group - or dhe gets rid of someone who betrayed her in the last episode. ButJohn and Viveca are thinking something different - they want to try to deadlock the group so they can get rid of Jim or Flor.

Viveca is a juggler - and sheis looking to juggle her life back in order. John is a police officer who wants the house for stability for his son - as he thinks that it's the key for him to get custody rights to him.

We see the alliances being drawn. Rochelle, who admits to haveing feelings for John, wants him to stay in the house. John thinks he can get Tony to vote his way too, but admits that he peorably lost Flor and Jim for support. Tony, while repairing his injury, says that G-d spoke to him, told him that John was going to get a bad key, and that he had to vote John out. That is excellent strategy for him - but he didn't need G-d to tell him that.

MOre strategy abouding - Viveca meets Mike and Rochelle - and they thisnk that Sherrill, who loves to cause chaos, will want to have a deadlock. They all agree - and they decide to get rid of Flor. UNbeknownst to this, Flor and Jim are just happy that neither of them get a red hat. Jim does mention that there could be a deadlock - but he says that he doesn't really think that it will happen. Oh really?

Getting their minds out of eliminating people - the 10 remaining people each get letters from home - but only four of the letters get to be opened - and only the Red Hats decide 2 letters each to go out to people. John gives letters to Sherrill and Tony, while Viveca selects Jim and Rochelle. Rochelle sees a visibly upset Viveca - and she changes her mind and gives her letter to Viveca. That's a mistake which she regrets, but Sherrill swaps his letter for John. An upset Mike, who didn't get picked, tosses his letter in the fire - and everyone else follows suit.

While Rochelle, pissed with herself, leaves, John shares his mail with Sherrill and Naomi. Tony reads letters from his family, and says that if he wins the house, he is going to frame them. Jim enjoys a letter from his wife while Viveca's letter is from her boyfriend. Rochelle takes her cheese and whine to Mike as they get out thrie aggression by figuring out how to get rid of Flor and Jim.

The next day, everyone goes out painting. Between that and the eviction ceremony, there are some last second plans to be made in terms of voting. Flo's 6th sense is popping out, as she is thinking that a deadlock may happen - and she and Jim talk about how to change that. Sherrill reminds the group that he wants a deadlock as they continue to plan, while Tony wants to see John eliminated. Viveca says that if she wins the house, she will rent it to one of the other competitors? Wha? Act of weirdness, or act of desperation?

It's eviction ceremony time - and both John and Viveca state their case. George reminds everyone that a deadlock is a possibility tonight - and that's becoming a major possibility as Rochelle says that she wants to get rid of someone who isn't John or Viveca. John wants to get rid of Flor - but now Sherrill, who wanted a deadlock, now wants to get rid of John. Sherill flipo-flops yet again, and the majority of the people aren't thrilled about it. Their feeling is justified - John gets sent home, and Flor and Jim are safe for another week.

John finds out from Rochelle that Sherrill double-crossed the plan, so apparently, his vote was the one that stopped the deadlock. What is Sherrill doing - besides losing friends? Well, he's either paying Flor and Jim back for them saving his bacon the last time - or he's playing both sides against each other, dwindling down their numbers so that he has a shot to win the game. That is a very effective strategy - and one that got Jun to win the whole thing on Big Brother 4.

John gets the $5,000 check from Lendingtree.com - which he says he will use to help his son. Meanwhile, Mike goes after Sherrill, now placing him up there as a bigger threat than Jim or Flor.

Just in case you are keeping score - Alliance #1 -
Jim, Flor, Matt, Tony

Alliance #2 -
Mike, Rochelle, Naomi, Viveca

Floater -
Sherill
With no deadlock looming next week, we'll see who's end is looming at the end of the episode.

February 23, 2004
'This is turning more like a strategic game - and I don't feel like I should be in this game anymore.' This comes from Rochelle, who sees their alliance with him and Mike falling apart. Matt is pleased to see that happen - but Mike wants to see Flor go before he does. As for Flor, she says that she is the king, Jim is the queen, and everyone else are pawns. Way to not be too overconfident, Flor.

The assignment for today is to make cement and to create the sidewalk from it. While the task is going on, it is evident that Mike Naomi and Rochelle are distancing themselves from everyone else. Matt thinks that the balance of power can switch very quickly - and they think about that as they write the names of the departed people in the now-drying cement.

Who are the people who could be the newly departed? Mike wants Flor and Jim to both get keys - and he gets half of his wish as Flor gets one of the bad keys. Flor really hopes that she doesn't go against Tony or Jim - and she doesn't. She is going up against Rochelle - and they have both been red hats previously.

Flor is laughing that Jim, Tony and Mike have never gotten the red hat - but this time, she is confident - which she should be because she has the numbers on her side, Tony thinks that she is a very strong person - and she says that she is trying to think 2 steps ahead. She says that she doesn't think Rochelle will fight, because she's upset.

There will be fighting though for the next event - which is a cook-off for the camp. Also fighting is Mike, who wants to get Rochelle off of her keister and get her less depressed - and he would love nothing more to do it than at Flor's expense. After a little trash talking, Mike actually has a toast to the remaining 9 people, as Rochelle comments that even though they are all competing, that they also get to see all of the nice things about people.

That niceness ends right after dinner, when Mike does indeed tell Rochelle to get her head back into the game. Rochelle first is offended, then thanks Mike for the reality check. Rochelle wakes up to see the lovely sunrise- and she can't wait to be reunited with the family. Rochelle talks to Mike about talking to Matt, Viveca and Sherrill about staying in the house. Rochelle realizes the importance - whoever survives this vote is almost guaranteed to be in the jury -assuming that they don't get deadlocked out by someone a la Jared.

Can they all survive hanging up the doors without using the staple guns as weapons? Flor takes the upstairs, while Rochelle takes the downstairs. Flor is already screwing up as Jim put the door on backwards - and Viveca is concerned that Flor keeps bragging about not listening to Joe, who likes Rochelle much better. Could this nonchalant attitude eventually lead to her downfall? Joe likes Rochelle much better - 'Flor, you didn't do a whole lot, but you're good at directing.

Back to strategy - Flor realizes that the key to her sticking around is Sherrill - so she makes sure that he talks to her about respect. Conversely, Sherrill thinks that Flor is very good in terms of politics - and he realizes that he will need allies at the end if he has any shot to win the house. He wants to ally with the team in power - and he needs to figure out who that would be.

WHIle Flor is doing that, Rochelle is confiding with Naomi. That's a nice gesture - but she should be going after the people who's votes she needs, not the ones that she already has. If Flor stick around, that's the main reason why she will. Both people decide the type of furniture - and they like Flor's selection of the black colonial furniture.

Sherrill notices a spider - and he thinks that Flor is like it - she will get far - but she won't win, because people will notice that she has sucked too many of them dry. Rochelle realizes that she needs to go after the people who she needs votes from - but she gets the epiphany at the night of the house jury - and she may be too late to do anything about it. Flor makes her speech on the fact that she has friendship - but not a pact or a hit list - and she says that a house for her would be a great start. Rochelle counters that she is here for her daughter as well as herself 0 ad that she will vote based on how much someone wants the house - an obvious dig at Flor, who was criticized at not taking this seriously. Meow.

Jim and Tony points out that Rochelle has a hit list - with their names on it. Mike is arguing about the lack of honesty - but he started it when he and Jared began the pact of secret alliances. He's being more like a spoiled child and trying to get as much dirt out before resigning to defeat. It doesn't happen - Flor wins, thanks to Jim, Tony, Matt and Sherrill. Rochelle says that it was her being too honest that cost her to game - and Mike says that he just screwed himself right along with her. I can't argue that point.

'You didn't win (Flor, It was the other team whining and shooting themselves in the foot' says Jim, as Sherrill decides that it's safer to ally with Flor and company. Meanwhile, Naomi and Mike complaining about being an honest person. Unfortunately, Mike wasn't being too honest himself when he was getting all liquored up and throwing tossed salad on everyone. Jim comes into Mike's hut and takes all of his stuff. Mike offers to help him move out, but Jim refuses, saying, 'Don't make yourself look more pathetic than you already are.' Mike at least got one victory - he got Jim out of his hut. We'll see next week if that's the last victory that Mike is going to register.