Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 19 Game and Show Rankings for Week 12-13

Tom's Take

Huh, Paul made some pretty serious mistakes in these 2 evictions, and his path to the end is now in serious doubt for the first time in months.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 19 Game and Show Rankings for Week 11

Tom's Take

Paul's march to winning BB19 continues.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 19 Game and Show Week 10

Tom's Take

The last pretend resistance to Paul is gone. I'm considering not giving anyone gameplay points any more. They're all so fucking stupid. You almost have to root for Paul at this point.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 19 Game and Show Rankings for Week 8 and 9

Tom's Take

A double eviction brings us down to 9 houseguests, while also cementing Paul even further in control of Big Brother 19.

Tom's Take

Jody has finally split up. Congrats Jody haters and Paul fans. Now we got....Paul Paul Paul.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 19 Game and Show Week 5

Tom's Take

Nothing happened this week.....
But a lot happened this week.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 19 Week 4 Game and Show Rankings

Tom's Take


Do you guys have any idea how hard is to root for someone when every move they make is wrong? Oh man. This week was tough to watch. But also hilarious. So let's get to it.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 19 Game and Show Rankings Week 3

Tom's Take



Week 3 was actually a pretty solid week, as there was a lot of maneuvering being done. Paul refuses to slow down, so the entire show continues to revolve around him, which is irritating for those of us who don't love Paul, but he is putting on a show. It'll be interesting to see if he can pull this thing out.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 19 Game and Show Week 2

Tom's Take




Week 2 is in the books, and while it was mostly boring, there were some emerging characters and some interesting gameplay to discuss going on in the background.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 19 Game and Show Rankings Week 1

Tom's Take





What a week in the BB19 house. Cody made a move that probably sounded smart on paper, but he executed it so poorly that he turned the entire house against him.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 19 Cast Preview

Tom's Take




Here we go!!!

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Putting Big Brother Canada 5 to Bed

Tom's Take

I'm going to go through every member of this cast, giving some final points, giving them their grade, and then ranking every BB winner by gameplay, and every Season of BB by my enjoyment.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother Canada 5 Weeks 12 and 13 Game and Show Rankings

Tom's Take

We have to say goodbye to the Queen, but not before her most impressive week yet.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother Canada 5 Game and Show Rankings for Weeks 9-11

Tom's Take

I underestimated Ika this season.






I was really rooting for Dre and the Newbies to pull this thing out, but horrible gameplay from Dre which was both instigated and taken advantage of by Ika lead to her downfall, and the game now being a battle between Kevin and Demika, with Dillon being

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother Canada 5 Week 8 Game and Show Rankings

Tom's Take

So, before we head into what I'm sure is going to be a devastating Triple Eviction Week that'll prove me completely wrong about everything. Let's talk about the last week, that saw another attempt at reconciliation among The Six

Five Drinks Into Reality TV Big Brother Canada 5 Game and Show Rankings Week 7

Tom's Take

Welcome to Big Brother: Ika's Queendom. Where Ika rules over us all, and we bow to #TeamPetty.

So...how are the rest of the peasants playing?

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother Canada 5 Game and Show Rankings for Week 5 and 6

Tom's Take

After a huge Double Eviction, the entire BBCAN5 house has been shaken up. Let's try and break down how everyone played through these two evictions, and where I think everyone will go next.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother Canada Week 4 Game and Show Rankings

Tom's Take

Gary's gone, and BBCAN5 has decided that Neda is the villain of the season. I don't entirely agree, but that's the story the editors are going with, so I guess that's how it'll play out.

Five Drinks Into Big Brother Canada Week 3 Game and Showplay Rankings

Tom's Take

We're about to start backwards week, where Gary will inevitably leave. But until then let's mourn Queen Cassandra, and the most entertaining HG of the show.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother Canada Game and Show Rankings 5 Weeks 1 and 2

Tom's Take

Here are my rankings on these BBCAN5 players for the entertainment and gameplay they provided for the first two weeks of BBCAN5.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother Canada 5 Predictions

Tom's Take

Out of some misguided effort, the BBCAN producers have given us fans vs favorites, and while I love some of the favorites, my general distaste for the format is really coloring my feelings on this cast. But let's talk about it!

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: My Pitch for Big Brother: Rivals

Tom's Take:

While we all wait for #BBCAN5 and #BB19, most fans take a break from Big Brother. I've even heard that some go outside. For me though, I can't help myself but speculate and do stupid things like cast hypothetical allstars seasons that will never happen.

Hopefully you get some enjoyment out of this futile exercise.
Below is my pitch for #BB19 to be a Rivals season, inspired in large part by the Shelby and Jason rivalry from #BBOTT.

Five Drinks into Reality TV: Putting Big Brother 18 to Bed

Tom's Take

BB18 is over, and while it was a marathon that overstayed its welcome, the season was one of the most dynamic I have ever seen, with power flipping around every week. I called Nicole as the winner very early on, but the journey there ended up being very unpredictable. Pre-jury was marked by the Frank/Day/Tiffany civil war, the early jury had the excitement of Paulie's downfall, and then you had the tragedy that was Jatalie trying to seize control of the game by backstabbing Victor, only for a buyback and James' laziness cost them, leading to a brutal f6 where 3 couples took turns brutalzing each other, and ending the season with the closest f2 vote in BB history.

So while this season was exhausting, I think it is actually a pretty strong season, and I am curious if it will be more revered in the future, especially if we get another BB16. Below I am getting into my final Game and Show point giving, going through the jury votes, ranking the season and the winner, and giving every member of the cast a letter grade.

And then this season will be put to bed.

Five Drinks Into a Big Brother Blog "I've Sheltered you from this Game"

Tom's Take:


I am a huge Natalie fan, and I thought her and James were cute together, and would make an adorable real life couple. That said, I do need to vent about something. There's this idea online, and in the game that Nat used James, and James carried Natalie. That simply isn't true. While I don't think either James or Natalie ever intentionally hurt the other's games, James DID on several times cause Natalie to be in MORE danger in the game.

More so, during their final fight James' words "I sheltered you from this game" betrays his patronizing attitude, and is actually another way of saying "I lied and kept secrets from you in this game."

I'm not saying James never helped Natalie in the game, both strategically and personally, but below is a list of ways James "sheltered Natalie from the game". (or in other words, hurt her game.)

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 18 Weeks 13 and 14 Game and Show Rankings

Tom's Take

Nat for America's Favorite!!!





Natalie was the best this year. She was the most fun to watch, because she practically radiated positivity for most of the season, she was surprisingly strategic, her showmance was adorable, her heartbreaks were gut wrenching, and she fought her ass off this season. Watching her learn BB and fall in love with the game was probably the highlight of the season for me.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 18 Game and Show Week 12

Tom's Take

This week, I'll give some rankings as soon as I"m finished with my love letter to my favorite HG of BB18.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 18 Game and Show Week 11

Tom's Take

Well, this was a shitty week, especially because as a Natalie fan, I usually want to try and defend her. But, I just can't defend her lack of gameplay this week, other than to shift blame on to James and Meech for also not playing.

But here are some rankings, I guess.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 18 Week 10 Game and Show

Tom's Take

Well the week that should have been the best week ever, ended up being a bit of a clusterfuck, for me and my fellow Natalie fans. That said, there was some excellent gameplay, and I think it deserves some dissection. I'm  writing this late, and I know who came back, and I'm just writing off the other jurors. There was a great scene of Paulie getting his comeuppance, but otherwise they all fell apart.

Five Drinks Into Big Brother 18 Game and Show Week 9

Tom's Take

Big Brother 18 has gotten real good. We've actually got a game on our hands, with multiple people playing pretty strong games. Prior to two weeks ago, it looked like Paulie might run away with the game, but now it really looks like its almost anyone's game.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 18 Game and Show Rankings Weeks 7 and 8

Tom's Take

Holy crap. We've got a game everyone! I know this DE was disappointing for a lot of people who wanted the immediate satisfaction of Paulie getting evicted, but although Bridgette leaving is very disappointing, it sets up a divided house with a real battle to go through. So let's see how they got there.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 18 Week 6 Game and Show Rankings

Tom's Take

Big Brother 18 has become pretty much unwatchable. I barely watch the episodes, that said I can give you a quick synopsis of what is happening. Paulie is running the game, Paul is playing Vice President, but with some small chance of upsetting him, and James is letting them all get away with it despite Natalie trying to open his eyes.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 18 Game and Show Week 5

Tom's Take

The First Vet has been taken out. And the game has shifted. Big Brother 18 is becoming a shit show, and honestly its unpleasant to watch most of the time. My only solace is hoping Natalie can skate through and shock people.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV Big Brother 18 Game and Show Week 4

Tom's Take

Week 4 is in the books. We got our battleback competition, and I guess congratulations Victor. I dunno, I'm pretty frustrated with the BB game right now, but let's get into talking about it.

Five Drinks Into Big Brother 18 Week 3 Game and Show Rankings

Tom's Take

Week 3 is in the books and despite the shocking way that Production has prevented any real house flips, the house has managed to find a way to flip. I'm annoyed with production, but thankful to the frankly awful gameplay of these houseguests that have kept this game interesting.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 18 Game and Show Rankings Week 2

Tom's Take

Week 2 is in the books, and despite a very boring week of gameplay on the surface, there was a LOT that happened under the surface thanks largely to Da, riling the hamsters up!

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 18 Game and Show Week 1

Tom's Take

Welcome back! Its time to break down the gameplay and showplay of these 16 players in the first week. All I can say, is that there has been a lot of bad gameplay this first week, with some tiny glimmers of hope, and I hope to see more of that in the future. For week 1, I want to see someone kinda play the background, but make some strong connections, so that's what I will consider good strategy and social. I am sort of haphazardly giving out the comp points, and showplay is a combo of episodes and feeds. Remember this is all subjective, and you may violently disagree with me, but I'm grading what I see.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Big Brother 18 Cast Assessment

Tom's Take




The Big Brother 18 Cast has been released, and I'm pretty excited for this cast. I feel like there are some strong women, and we're getting some returnees (I'm going to go ahead and give my assessment of the 4 rumored returnees.)

So let's dive into these HG's and my predictions for them.

Five Drinks Into a Blog Update

Tom's Take:

Sorry I haven't been posting during the Big Brother Canada and Survivor seasons. I got a little burned out, but I want to give some overall thoughts on both shows, now that Big Brother Canada 4 is over, and Survivor is winding down.

Five Drinks Into Star Wars Episode 7 "The Force Awakens"

Tom's Take

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away....

I was born in 1990, so my Star Wars fandom did not begin with a story of going to see the Original Trilogy. And while when I first saw Phantom Menace, I loved it (because I was 9, which is the perfect age for Phantom Menace) that was not what truly hooked me into Star Wars. No. I am one of those rare almost mythical people you've heard of (and probably made fun of) who was a Star Wars fan via the Expanded Universe, known as the EU. My favorite characters in the Star Wars Universe were Jacen Solo, and Mara Jade Skywalker. I was terrified of the Yuuzhan Vong, and thought the coolest Star Wars villain was Grand Admiral Thrawn. I continued to read the books, even at the point where it started to feel like the quality was declining, and the characters I loved had either died or changed beyond recognition. But I still was a fan.

So when it was announced that George Lucas had sold Star Wars to Disney, who was going to make new movies, and also destroy the EU, I was devastated. I really did not want an Episode VII, because there was no way it could be good enough to justify destroying something that was such a large part of my childhood.

I was wrong. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens WAS good enough to justify doing away with the EU.

If you have not seen it yet, go do that. And if you have, you can continue reading my spoiler filled thoughts below.

Top 10 TV Shows of 2015

Tom's Take

TV in 2015 has been a tremendous gift. Alan Sepinwall termed it Peak TV in America, and I think that definitely describes what we've had this year.

Which means that my top 10 shows won't even include shows like The Affair, which I generally liked, but was flawed when compared to other shows this year which were closer to actually perfect. I also had to adjust this list to take off an excellent season of South Park, because Amezon dropped the second season of Transparent, which I loved enough to put on this list.

Seriously, a few other shows that I'm NOT putting on this top 10 list.

Jessica Jones

Orange is the New Black

Review

Man in the High Castle

All of these amazing shows, and yet my top 10 is the elite among the elite. Let's get to it!

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor 31 Finale Talk

Tom's Take:

We got our finale, and although there was kind of a snooze at the end, the start had some fireworks, and we got a deserving winner.

Five Drinks Into Survivor 31: Holiday Catchup

Tom's Take:

I'm super sorry, but I missed a few episode reviews. So I'm going to do a big catchup here. The show has been pretty great, and the two ep combo put it in contention for best season ever. The last episode was kind of a down episode, but there is still that potential for me. So let's get to it!

Five Drinks Into Survivor 31 Episode 8 "You Call We Haul"

Tom's Take:

I don't get that title. Who said that line?

Five Drinks Into Survivor 31 Episode 7 "Play to Win"

Tom's Take:

Damn. We lost Chaos Kass. How many times did I predict her as the winner? Please forget about all that.

Five Drinks Into Survivor Season 31 Episode 6 "Bunking with the Enemy"

Tom's Take:

Very fun episode, and I'm glad we found out Terry's son is healthy. I think everyone wishes him well.

Five Drinks Into Walking Dead: Glenn Rhee

Tom's Take:

Don't continue reading unless you're prepared to be spoiled on Walking Dead, both the TV Show and the comics, and anything else I might spoil in discussing the topic.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor 31 Episode 5 "Snake in the Grass"

Tom's Take:

Not a great episode, but it was fun to see a new plot, and I think we've started to set up the pieces for a 3 tribe merge, which promises to be a lot of fun.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor 31 Episode 4 "Where's the Beef"

Tom's Take:

We lost our breakout star, but I actually think this is probably for the best. As long as Jeff Varner was in the game he was going to hog the spotlight, so we needed him to go, so that other people could rise and get more screen time.

Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 31 Episode 3 "We Got a Rat"

Tom's Take:

We got a tribe expansion, which lead to some fun dynamics, although I'm worried about this new Angkhor Tribe. Its a fun way to get everyone playing at once.

Five Drinks Into Survivor Season 31 Episode 2 "Survivor McGyver"

Tom's Take:

The season of Jeff Varner continues. Jeff continues to make wild games, and now we're all just along for his rid.

(I'm going to drop the tribe names, since we seem to be getting a tribe expansion next week.)