The death of a showmance! By the finish of the Thursday, September 8, live eviction episode, one of Big Brother 18’s actual showmances — we’re choosing to ignore whatever happened between Paulie and Zakiyah — will be kaput. Natalie and James are on the block, and one will be joining the jury. Viewers may have doubts about the couple’s future, especially after Natalie sort of threw James under the bus during the September 7 episode. Will Natalie pay the ultimate price?
Only six houseguests remain, and the stakes have certainly gotten higher. Nicole and Corey seem to have chosen the correct pair to align with because Victor once again won HOH. He then kept his word to the couple, and Corey ensured their safety by winning the surprisingly entertaining MacGyver-theme veto competition. Nice promo work, CBS!
So who will live to fight another day: Nat or James?
When It All Falls Apart
If viewers had doubts about Natalie and James, they were right to worry! Ahead of the eviction, the couple basically broke up! The two got into a heartbreaking fight when James tried to snuggle with Natalie, as per usual, and she told him to skedaddle.
To be fair, the issues began when James tried to confront Natalie about their tension, and she blew him off with a mumbled, “Oh, my God.” She then added, “I feel like I’m in a nightmare right now.” He retorted, “A nightmare, huh?” While dismissively painting her toenails, she threw in another, “Oh, my God, James.”
Soon after the awkward backyard clash, Corey and James got deep while riding the exercise bikes. James sadly divulged, “Natalie is pissed off at me 24/7.” Corey commiserated, and he later vented to Nicole about the situation: “I’m just tired of that freakin’ brat putting it on James.”
Then the bedroom fight began — Nat didn’t want to snuggle and told James, “Stop fighting with me. Let me live.” In a morbid BB moment, she added, “I can’t wait for Thursday. I can’t wait for my live eviction. I can’t wait to meet Julie.” She effectively threw in the towel, and James kept preaching a carpe diem approach, since they only had a day and a half left together. The you-know-what seriously hit the fan when James called Nat out for her past flirtations with Vic, Corey and Paulie, and James walked off when Nat said, “Who are you right now?”
The Nostalgia Factor
BB fans love a throwback, and our weekly nostalgia arrived in the form of Jeff and a pregnant Jordan. The couple met, competed and fell in love on Big Brother season 11 and have become a reality TV success story.
The married duo shared that a superfrisky trip to Mexico, where Jordan got pregnant, caused the couple to call off their wedding and opt for courthouse nuptials instead. She gave Julie Chen the CliffsNotes: “We basically had our honeymoon there. Too many margaritas for me.”
They shared that she’s pregnant with a little boy, and that they’re having a difficult time picking a name. Obviously, Chen then focused the conversation on Big Brother and the fact that three duos have somehow made it to the end. Jordan said, “Oh, I’m so surprised. I thought people had broken up by now. I didn’t think the showmances would make it this far!”
And her 2 cents about Natalie and James? “I think James saw stars in his eyes and got a little distracted,” Jordan weighed in. “He kind of lost himself in the game. If Natalie does go tonight, I think he could redeem himself.”
The Return of the Meech
Back in the jury house, the tension between Paulie and Zakiyah had evaporated. They’re back to their old games, and Da’Vonnne wasn’t thrilled about it: “Yes, girl’s right back to his ass. Bridgette and me no longer exist. Check. Bye.”
As the five played an extremely lax game of pool, Michelle rolled up in her personal BB town car. As she blew into the house, they all yelled a collective, “No!” Clearly they were all rooting for her … we guess. She quickly blamed Nicole for her downfall — which is true, since Nicole cast the tiebreaking vote — and kicked off the weekly BB viewing party.
Everyone was shocked that Paul chose Corey to play in the veto and called that they were in a secret alliance (well done, guys!), and some of the jury members talked a little trash about poor Nicole. But Paulie and Da’Vonne weren’t having that. “Nicole is running this house,” said Mama Da. “She’s doing the damn thing!”
Chopped
It was time for the live eviction, and it was a bittersweet one, to be sure. Natalie and James each gave cutesy goodbye speeches and proclaimed their love and respect for one another. Although the nature of their relationship will never be entirely clear, Natalie shared that James is her soul mate, and said, “You’re stuck with me forever.”
In a unanimous (and unsurprising) vote, Natalie was evicted from the house. In her usual bubbly manner, she hugged everyone, wished them luck and excitedly headed out to meet Queen Julie.
Romance or Friendship?
Chen finally got to the bottom of Natalie and James’ showmance! Well, kind of. With a plant in hand, Natalie teasingly dished about the couple’s authenticity: “I mean, it’s really real. I can’t make my feelings up for him. He’s such a good human.”
Nat made the moment even more adorable when she shared that he’s a boy version of her, even though “he’s country and Asian.” Chen asked if an actual romance might occur outside of the house, and Natalie smilingly said, “Honestly, it could. It really depends.”
Although she was coy, James’ goodbye message assured viewers that he’s all in for a real romance: “I didn’t expect to get in a showmance, but I took one look at you, and I was gone.” All of the swoon!
Spilled Butter
No rest for the wicked — or houseguests, in this case — as Chen kicked off the next HOH competition. This time, everybody must race down buttered Slip’N Slides while transporting gallons of butter from one end to the other. They must keep their balance while competing to fill a large, clear bucket and remove a special kernel.
As a fun twist, there’s a second smaller bucket that, once filled, will unlock a larger scoop to transport the butter. Plus, Nicole squawked every time she slipped, which was heavenly. The next HOH will be announced on Sunday, September 11.
In a schedule switch-up, Big Brother is leaving behind its Thursday time slot. Chen announced the new schedule and that two houseguests will be evicted next week: one during the Tuesday, September 13, episode, and another during the installment on Wednesday, September 14. Prepare for a wild week!
Big Brother now airs on CBS Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET. The finale airs on Wednesday, September 21.
