Why Did Vanessa Nominate Austin On 'Big Brother 17'? The Decision Stems From Big Changes In the House

We're in the final stretch of Big Brother 17, and in these crucial couple of weeks, every decision is important. Despite some fans predicting Vanessa would throw this HOH (to compete in the final four HOH and, upon winning, guarantee herself a spot in the final three), she must have felt insecure about her position in the house because she committed to that competition, despite how easy it would have been to throw it. Stuck between two alliances, Vanessa nominated Steve and John for eviction on Big Brother 17, a somewhat questionable decision. Leading up to the POV competition, Johnny Mac had agreed to throw the competition if Austin and Liz would vote to evict Steve. Everyone seemed to be on board with that plan — besides Steve, obviously, who didn't know what was up — but that went out the window. John later told Steve that throwing the competition was only his backup plan and in the end won it, causing Vanessa to nominate Austin as the replacement.

With John off the block, Vanessa's only choices for replacement nominees were Austin and Liz. At first, it looked as if it didn't matter who Vanessa put up, because Steve was the target at that point. So how did Austin end up on the block, and who was the real target after that? Here's the sequence of events that lead to Vanessa's big decision.

Steve Swears On Something Significant

It seems like the first person to really talk game with Vanessa after the POV competition was Steve. During this conversation, Steve swore on his mother's life that he would not get rid of Vanessa in the next eviction. Then, Vanessa told Steve that she couldn't get rid of him because she needs him in the game and that they'll be together for the final two. I don't know how sincere she was about any of this, but it did seem to open the door for what came later.

Liz Throws Austin Under The Bus

Later that day, Liz told Vanessa that Austin should be the replacement nominee instead of her because he's closer to John. She reveals that she's nervous about going up against Austin in the final two, which almost surely is an act... right? I don't know anymore!

Austin Sacrifices Himself

When Vanessa talks to Austin, she tells him that she's not sure what to do but points out that Liz was just on the block for a whole week. This seems to prompt Austin's chivalry, and he says he's fine with going up as the replacement nominee instead of Liz.

John & Vanessa Target Austin

In a move that made all the Steve fans ecstatic, John and Vanessa agreed to evict Austin instead of Steve. Is Vanessa feeling more secure against Steve after he swore on his mother? It seems likely!

Unless someone managed to change Vanessa's mind since all of this happened, it looks like Tuesday's special eviction episode will see Liztin get split up as Austin heads to the Jury House — finally.


Image: CBS