BB28Aug 27, 8:44 AM

Morning Update: Eviction Day

Thursday is eviction day and the board is unchanged: Taylor, Drew, and Mallory still sit. Tuesday Dee told Taylor she stays, then locked Mallory with Devens. Wednesday they told Barrett; he refused. Drew will vote Mallory if he wins Blockbuster. Angela promised Mallory the opposite. Yash still wants Drew if the pair changes. Blockbuster has not been played.

Thursday morning, eviction day, and the board hasn't moved an inch since the Tuesday morning note: Week 7, Dee Valladares is HOH, LaTrice Verrett used the veto on herself at Monday's ceremony, and the nominees are still Taylor Brown, Drew Campbell, and Mallory Aurichio. The Blockbuster hasn't been played. What did move — a lot — is the plan around those three chairs. Between Tuesday afternoon and overnight Wednesday, house time, the Icons locked Mallory as the target, said it to Barrett's face, and got Drew to promise a vote against her if he comes off the block. Here's the catch-up.

Tuesday: Dee sells safety, then locks the target

At 2:56 PM Tuesday, Drew declared he's winning the Blockbuster so Mallory stays. Barrett told him Melody would vote him out over Mallory, and Drew said he knows.

Then Dee went to work. At 3:56 PM she told Taylor that Drew and Barrett think Taylor is her target — and that she's not. Taylor asked if Angela and Haley know she stays; Dee said yes, and added that Yash has her back. Later, Dee and Mallory hugged it out, Mallory asking to squash the distrust.

The real conversation came at 4:25 PM. Dee and Devens, alone: best case is Taylor wins the Blockbuster and Mallory goes home. Devens said Mallory has to go, and that he wants to blindside Barrett and Drew and ask forgiveness after. Dee noted Haley had pushed for Taylor earlier; Devens countered that they need Haley's vote. When Devens said she didn't understand how upset FAP was, Dee's answer was she doesn't care. By 4:48 PM she'd told Angela and Yash she's leaning Mallory. Yash said he'll go where Dee decides — while also saying he wants Drew gone, and warning that if all four FAP members reach jury, they pick the winner.

Wednesday: the gym meeting and the meltdown

Wednesday at 12:39 PM, Dee admitted the blindside didn't feel right and wanted to talk to people late. Around 12:52, Haley told Dee and Devens she's evicting Taylor — Lala tension, strike the trio — but after they pushed Mallory as the bigger competitor, Haley said she'd "be down for either." That's her phrasing, not a commitment.

Mallory could feel it. From 1:19 PM she was packing her suitcase — finale dress and all — then crying alone in the hot tub room, telling Barrett she thinks she's going home. Barrett told Lala he's keeping Mallory and the house is leaning keep Drew; Lala said if it's Mallory versus Drew, she gets rid of Drew.

Then the tell. At 3:03 PM in the gym — Devens, Dee, Drew, Barrett — Devens said it out loud: in a vacuum it's better to vote out Mallory, she's coming for the Icons and she's better at comps than Taylor. Dee added she doesn't want to blindside Barrett. Barrett's answer: he's crossovers strong, he feels burned, and he is not voting out Mallory. "Why did we make mosh pit a week ago for it to turn into this." At 3:55 he relayed everything to Mallory; a minute later Dee and Devens walked off saying they're doing it, with Dee planning to tell people she's "not voting" or blaming "the house." By 4:19, Mallory was crying, Melody was furious at Drew for working with the Icons, and Taylor hugged Mallory with an offer: if it's you and Drew on the block, you have my vote and Lala's.

Wednesday night: hugs in one room, knives in the other

At 8:59 PM Barrett pitched Haley on keeping Mallory over Taylor; Haley, still feeling Mallory threw her name out, only said she'll talk. Unfinished. Then the 9:39 PM HOH meeting: Dee, Drew, then Angela, Devens, Barrett. Dee told Drew that if there's a tie, he stays no matter what. Drew — "I'm just doing whatever you guys want" — agreed to vote Mallory out if he's off the block. Devens named the group: the Crossovers are Barrett, Drew, and the three Icons. Drew was on the verge of tears; there were group hugs. At 10:25, Devens gave Yash the pair math: Mallory wins, Taylor goes; Taylor or Drew wins, Mallory goes. Yash: hope for no last-minute f'ery.

Meanwhile, at 10:30 PM, Angela told Mallory "I'm gonna keep you here" and "You're good over Taylor." That's Angela's line, not a lock — Barrett himself said later he doesn't think she's telling the truth, and that all three Icons want Mallory out, "even Drew now." Drew basically confirmed it at 11:34, crying to the cameras: the only way Mallory stays is if she wins. He hopes she wins.

And the second room never closed. From 10:34 PM, Yash, Taylor, and Barrett talked keeping "us five" safe — Taylor insisting she or Mallory has to win the Blockbuster, because they can't let Drew win. Yash: this time they find out how it feels.

Around 1:22 AM Thursday, Melody and Barrett speculated about a double eviction — Mexican food, late wake-up. House chatter, not a schedule fact. Mallory paced and snacked; the house was down by 2 AM, and feeds were still quiet this morning.

Three possible Blockbuster pairs, two stories about the target, one vote tonight. No predictions from me — the safe person hasn't been picked yet.

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