So we have our first show. And we’ve seen this year’s hamsters. And yes, I am in Vegas and watched from my hotel room and am now in the coffee shop using free Wi-Fi before my conference to attempt to bring you my thoughts (aren’t you lucky!). Warning – this very well could be a highly disorganized mess that you are about to read.

Forget the Coaches – my favorite twist was that one houseguest is leaving before the night is over – after the coaches had picked their team was awesome. Go right on ahead and cue those rumors and speculation that Jodi went straight to sequester because 12 competing (oops that’s really 11 now) compared to our usual numbers is a scenario ripe for someone coming back into the house.

Team Dan
Father Dan. Love Dan. Yay Dan. Um, Dan please explain why you picked a team of all women? You’ve been through this. You won this. Yes, wits, scheming and the social game are definitely requirements for success in Big Brother, but at times it also requires brute strength to get through challenges – especially say those first night HOH challenges. Did Dan forget or was he so afraid of choosing Russell’s brother Willie that he neglected to think about that?

Jodi: Like Jodi, I want to be BFF’s with Jodi. I am sad to see her go in the first night. Leaving hours after arrival is really the short end of the fuzzy stick and all. This is Big Brother, them are the breaks. She’s enough to really make me want the first group of evicted House Guests sequestered and to have a chance to return.

Kara: Ohhhhhhh Kara. Really? Lying about your job? Lying about multiple degrees? Honey – yes Lying is part of Big Brother and we’ll have to see what your plan of being sweet and innocent and playing with children does for your game. But I hate when the HG’s . Seeing your physical game, you are going to need every bit of social skills and brain power you can muster. Get thyself into an alliance ASAP!

Danielle: Ummm who was Danielle again? I have no recollection. Seriously. Forgetable. Although in this game, forgettable can be a good thing.

Dan’s team of all girls did him in, demonstrating the lack of strategy. You may be a football coach but this is Big Brother. Just like in football you need the right players and this viewer things you failed in choosing the right team.

Team Janelle
Janelle – yeah you’re a winner – of Vetoes, of luxuries. But as far as winning the game and recognizing why you got close to the end but didn’t win the game – I don’t think you can find your way out of the forest. Granted you were saddled with a season of the Nerd Herd and a second season of All Stars and got out-manipulated by the Dr. Will, Mike Boogie tandem (seriously – how could you NOT see that one coming?). I wish I were glad to see you, I am not. Go ahead and throw things at me. I’m ready for you. (No really – shoot me that feedback on how my disliking Janelle is so wrong, will make a great mailbag – I’ll honestly let you have your say right here in her defense)

Ashley: Ashley might actually have the ability to pull off a run in this. Too bad I can’t stand her. And the best thing she could come up with to show she wasn’t a ‘dumb blond’ was that she went to “a Big Ten School?” bwahahahahahahahahahaha (sorry, my University of Kansas, Big Eight, Big XII roots are showing and I find it utterly hysterical that the girl thinks that the Big Ten means academic prestige. HEE!) And then there was the line about JoJo & Kara and My Little Pony & Barbie. Child and I do mean CHILD, can we not go there? But what should a Big XII girl expect from someone who went to a Big Ten school. :P

Wil: Where DO I begin with the dislike here. Voice. Dude, you are going to drive me batspitcrazy with that voice. And the banana hammock speedo in the pool pic – ewwwwwww! (and you told us you were afraid of banana’s!) He did provide a great one liner regarding Frank’s ‘updo perm.’ And your mode of transportation is a scooter? Okay then.

Joe: the cook. Next to last picked. Do not overlook him. The man is going to camp in the kitchen. For that matter someone asked if he’d teach them to cook so a great strategy would be cooking with Joe lessons. I like Joe – but then I’m over 40 and like the more seasoned contestants these days.
As much as I wish Janelle’s team has lost and she was down a player, overall I’m not surprised that Janelle’s team didn’t lose. She’s got strategy. It hasn’t necessarily gotten her all the way she’s made mistakes in judgment and been outnumbered. But she has a diverse enough team to perhaps do something with them.

Team Boogie
For a friend of mine – YAY BOOGIE. I like Boogie. Yes, he won All-Stars, but he did so at the machinations of Dr. Will Kirby (who else remembers the infamous bathtub scene that season with the ducks being knocked off? I don’t even have to go YouTube that. It is still firmly embedded in my mind. And it was brilliant. But I give much cred to Dr. Will for pulling off that win over Boogie. But do not disregard Boogie. Mike Boogie gets the social game. He understands the need for alliances and to manipulate. As a total aside, Boogie’s nose reminds me of WitchiePoo from the old H.R. Puff’nStuff show (yes, I’m fully aware that I am dating myself)

Frank: THE HAIR – and I love that Boogie picked him because THAT HAIR reminded him of Dr. Will. But crimeny the exercising on the beach and his attire doing so was a bit oish. I am hoping he doesn’t pull that look out in the house.

Ian: WHERE’S WALDO!!!! Yes, I am still thinking that when I see him. The image is hard to shake. Ian cracked me up every time he came close to squeezing at the Coach’s arrival. He’s a fan of the show. He is smart. I worry that I keep having Ronnie the Rat flashbacks where he is concerned. If Ian understands Ronnie’s mistakes and follows Boogie’s coaching on the social aspect of the game, he has a chance. But then right now everyone has a chance. He is going to have to tone down that he is an extreme fan or he’s going to get bumped quickly. Ian gets points for figuring out very quickly that Willie is Russell’s brother. And, as far as I could tell, he didn’t give away what he knew. Meaning he may actually demonstrate the ability to keep (and perhaps use) secrets.

Jenn: I like her. She’s fun. She doesn’t blend in, which here could be a downside. However if she pulls off a Nakomis she might actually be able to ride Boogie’s coaching through.

Team Brittany
I started out not liking her during her season and wound up loving her. She gives good diary room. And it appears that she knows exactly what went wrong with her run toward the end. Understanding her own mistakes in the game will help her team. She also demonstrated strategy and the ability to read people by making wise choices with her team.

Shane – House Flipping Hottie. Excellent first pick by Britt. He’s easy on the eyes and possesses obvious physical abilities. We didn’t get to see the full interaction so I am hoping that Britt got the impression that Shane has social skills. If he has game, if he makes the right alliances, and if Britt gives good coaching advice – then he has a shot. And frankly – this girl wants a bit of man candy to watch on the feeds, please and thank you.

JoJo – She’s a tough one, yet a girl. She’s going to bring game. While I see potential for her playing the boys, I don’t necessarily see her playing them the way we’ve seen some girls do in the past. I, for reasons I have yet to understand, like her. Yes, she came close to collapse on the first challenge but that girl did NOT give up. And I think she is an excellent fit on Team Brittany.

Willie – I saved my personal favorite (so far) for last. Best line from him was during the introductions of them at home and Russell was giving him advice and he replied “So I shouldn’t play them game like you did.” That right there tells me that while Willie may play an aggressive game – he is not going to shoot himself in the foot by forgetting the social side. He knows from watching the nefarious Russell on survivor that he not only has to get himself to the end, he has to have the votes to be able to win against the person sitting next to him. And perhaps realize that he has to have the right person sitting next to him as well. He did a poor job in handling the coaches figuring out who he was. But he also realized they all knew who he was. Meaning there is the chance for him to do damage control. I find it interesting that Britt – while resisting picking him initially – chose Willie over Shane as the first HOH. And yes, I see the first HOH as something you really don’t want. But Britt’s a smart cookie. And this will force Willie to create an alliance and make some decisions. He wanted to make big moves. He gets the chance to show us rather quickly if he’s really going to follow through or not.

My amusement of the evening was our love triangle. No, wait, there’s too many sides for that. Forget the shape. It was like something out of a soap opera. And WHY do these girls come on her hoping to find LURVE? Blech. Ashley is attracted to Ian (Waldo? She thinks WALDO is cute? Okay different strokes), but Waldo er I mean Ian likes Kara. But wait Kara already has eyes for our house flipping hottie Shane. Will Shane return Kara’s affection or does he have a sweetheart at home? Will Ian see the light and turn from Kara for Ashley? Or will Jojo come storming through like the Brooklyn Bomber (wait, Brooklyn was the Jenn) nix that, sailing in like the Staten Island Ferry to steal all the boys for her own personal alliance and win it all? Only the upcoming weeks will tell us.

And that’s it. At least until I return from my short vacation/writer’s conference.