Now that Metta is gone, there’s no one in the Celebrity Big Brother house who’s not playing the game and playing it hard. Even if Mark and James are mostly clueless, they at least think they’re playing some type of brilliant game. Yet the famous houseguest who is playing the game the hardest is, undoubtedly, Ross Matthews. A superfan of the game, Ross desperately wants to win and is trying to do everything to make sure he gets there. However, Ross might be playing far too aggressively to actually win.
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Playing All Sides
Ross has set himself up in an extraordinarily good position in the game because people like him. Ross is playing very aggressively but he hasn’t made it personal. Ross has what other determined players of regular seasons, mainly Paul Abrahamian, lacked. He knows how to work people. Ross is making friends with everyone and he’s so beloved that no one but Omarosa is thinking of him as the threat he is in the house.
The trouble with Ross’ gameplay, and it may end up being the fatal flaw, is he’s making deals with everyone. Ross is transitioning his likability into deals that ensure he gets to the final four or farther. It’s what he needs to do to win the game but at the same time Ross has pledged allegiance to two conflicting groups. Unless he’s incredibly lucky he’s going to have to backstab one and that’s going to get him into trouble.
To Ross’ credit, he seems to be truly loyal to one person, Marissa. Everyone else, though, is up for grabs. Unlike Marissa, who does want to work with Brandi and Ari to get to the end, Ross seems content to pick whichever side of the house will get him the farthest. It’s not a bad strategy for people who understand and know Big Brother, but it is very dangerous in Celebrity Big Brother when the contestants seem so touchy and emotional.
The Fickle Nature of Fame
The CelebBB house has been dedicated to the game but they’re also ruled by their emotions. James (and Mark) have blinders on to get Brandi out of the house, not because she’s a huge threat (Brandi has done nothing) but because she’s been rude to them. Likewise, everyone’s terrified of Omarosa because she’s been stirring the pot and spreading lies but everyone has also agreed she can’t be trusted. If Omarosa were credible she would be a threat but really she’s just an annoying, pathologically lying gnat.
Ross is playing a game very similar to Big Brother 15 winner Andy Herren. Like Ross, Andy played the middle all the way to the end, was full of a house of emotional players and got people to vote for him because he was likable. However, Andy positioned himself behind bigger and more unlikable threats all the way until the finale. Andy never felt like a power player, whereas Ross has been a key part of all the big decisions and evictions in the house. It’s going to be impossible for Ross play the innocent and sweet guy at the end (like he tried to do with Shannon as she was evicted) considering how obviously integral he was in the house.
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In addition, if Ross does make it to the end, the entire house is going to be able to watch the season and see that when they believed Ross was their closest ally, he had deals with about five other people. If Brandi and Ari go first and Ross sticks with James and Mark, the girls, especially Brandi, are going to be very hard-pressed to vote for Ross to win. James and Mark might be a little more forgiving but it’s a really coin toss. As for Omarosa, she has been very clear about wanting a woman to win and if Ross is up against Marissa (which is likely) she’s not voting for him.
It’s not just the current houseguests Ross has to worry about either. Metta is a wild card, but Shannon has already been adamant about the fact she won’t vote for Ross. Keshia has been just focused as Omarosa in wanting a woman to win the game. Chuck might vote for Ross but even so Ross has already lost the votes of half of the current jury.
Ross isn’t in a hopeless spot. If he takes someone who’s backstabbed more people or been totally unlikable (like James or Omarosa) he’s still stands a good chance at winning. Yet if he’s up against Marissa or Ariadna, which seems to be something he wants to do, he’s going to lose. Ross has a very tricky road in the last week of Celebrity Big Brother but not an impossible one.
What do you make of Ross’ chances to win? Would the jury vote for him after all the deals he made? Will the jury be bitter and emotional or fair and rational? Who do you think is playing the best game to win it all?
Celebrity Big Brother airs Fridays, Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 8/7c on CBS. For more updates, like BuddyTV’s Big Brother Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
