That being said, I did follow Big Brother through til the end, and I was extremely happy that the one dude I was rooting for throughout most of the competition ended up in the Final 2.
Ladies & gentlemen...Meet Memphis:
Memphis was a pretty quiet guy inside the Big Brother house this summer. He didn't do much to rock the boat, he was laid-back, and seemed to avoid getting in the middle of any big dust-ups (which are extremely hard to stay away from in there).
The only time I ever remember Memphis getting hot under the collar was when he found out Jerry, the senior citizen in the house, had been calling him a "womanizer". Memphis took it personally, and roared at Jerry to never call his character into question like that again when he didn't even know him as a person.
It struck me at that moment that, despite watching him for weeks, none of us really knew Memphis as a person. And on a show like Big Brother, with cameras on the contestants at all times, capturing all their conversations, it's unusual for the audience to know as little about one of the competitors as we knew about Memphis. All we seemed to know was that he was a "mixologist" - which he insists is different than a bartender, but what the heck is it really? He had that mysterious, cool vibe going for him, and I think that drew me in even more.
A week or so ago, after his good friend Dan had put him up on the block to throw their remaining house mates off the scent of their alliance, we finally got a sneak peek into "the real Memphis". Big Brother cameras sought out his long-term girlfriend Ashley in LA and she opened up a bit about the man she's been dating for over three years. She spoke of how Memphis had a bad relationship with his father, and that he tried very hard to be the exact opposite of his dad, so that was why he was so upset when Jerry called him a womanizer. She claimed him to be a faithful and loving boyfriend, despite his party animal instincts. And then Memphis himself told Dan that he loved his girlfriend very much, and that being in the Big Brother house made him realize how he'd been taken her for granted and how he wanted to make things better with her when he got out. He said he was ready to take the next step with her and make more of a commitment.
OK. I swooned. Not just "hot & mysterious". Now add "sweet & loving" to Memphis' character profile, and I got me the perfect man!
I was thrilled that Dan & Memphis were able to keep their "Renegade" alliance a secret, and through careful planning and a bit of luck, it was the Renegades going up against a jury of their former peers last night, each trying to prove they deserved to win the half-million dollar prize money.
Unfortunately, Memphis never won an HoH in the game, and Dan won three times, and that seemed to play big in the jurors' decisions. At the end of the night, Dan was handed the cheque for $500,000 - and I wasn't surprised after listening to what the jury had to say. They had made up their minds that Dan deserved it more because he won more.
I still think that Memphis played more intelligently, and the fact that he was able to keep the blood off his hands by getting Dan and others to do his dirty work was a better strategy. The fact that he actually admitted to throwing competitions just shows how far one can get in the game without actually being in power. He was wise, stealth, and cunning, and he won the Power of Veto on several clutch occasions.
Alas, the jury decided to reward the schmoozy, schmaltzy Dan instead. They didn't even throw Memphis one measly vote. I was a little disappointed. While I didn't dislike Dan, I'm certain that if I knew both of these guys in real life, Memphis would be the one I'd rather have as a friend. Dan was over-the-top, could get theatrical, and his speeches annoyed me. Memphis didn't have the gift of the silver tongue, but in my mind, he was more genuine and straight-up.
Oh. And, did I mention...HOT?? ;)
So yet another of my favourite summer shows is now over. What a relief to know that training camp started today. At least there will be some hockey talk coming up.
And last but not least - good luck to the Quyon Flyers tonight in their Game #5 vs. the Stittsville 56'ers. If they win, they'll be headed to the GOFL finals against Team Easton. Go get 'em!!!
