Big Brother All-Stars Recap Season 22, Episode 16: Epic Fight, Eviction

They dubbed themselves “Black Girl Magic,” a power duo intended to make it to the end of “Big Brother All-Stars.”

Then, in a moment of vulnerability — and naivete — Bayleigh opened up to Christmas about Da’Vonne being her “untouchable” in this game.

That was all it took and within a week or so, they found themselves on the Block together facing eviction. It’s a huge loss for them, obviously (even the one that stays), but also a loss for America.

While this season has proven again problematic with subtle issues related to race — and more direct issues related to mocking Ian for his autism — they could not have asked for stronger advocates than Day and Bay.

They proved it definitively in their eviction night speeches, with Da’Vonne powerfully evoking the Black Lives Matter movement. Bayleigh echoed those sentiments, adding that she was so grateful they could show that two Black women could co-exist and not be against one another.

It is those types of negative stereotypes that clearly weighed heavily on them in their last week in the house. Well, if we’re being honest, we suspect it weighs on them all the time.

Never are they not aware that they are Black while playing “Big Brother.” That’s never been an easy thing, usually resulting in ostracization and early elimination, if not outright nastiness.

It’s very telling that in the same extended argument with Christmas this week, both women separately and unaware the other was doing it had moments where they questioned how they were “allowed” to act and respond to attacks before they were seen as that “angry Black woman” stereotype, or “crazy” or “out of control.”

Or, as both women had already been told in the house, in need of calming down. And yet, they felt fairly confident no one was going to feel the need to tell Christmas to calm down, nor did she have to worry about how she responded and reacted.

At one point, she was clapping and shouting at Bayleigh in a very condescending manner, and yet Bayleigh rightly said that if those roles were reversed and she was the one doing the clapping, she would be seen as a “ghetto Black girl.”

When Da’Vonne stormed off after finally reaching her boiling point with Christmas, the latter shouted after her, “Don’t worry, my door will be locked.”

What does this mean? Is there context we’re missing, or is she actually suggesting she fears Da’Vonne would break into the HOH room and attack her? Or is she just saying that she’s no longer open to talking to her.

These things are hard to watch, but “Big Brother” is an accurate microcosm of our society and our society still has ugly issues with race and perception. Bayleigh and Da’Vonne both worrying how them having an emotional reaction will be perceived is indicative that we have a problem in how we judge and look at Black women who are expressing an emotion.

It’s not coincidence that they would both have these concerns. It means it’s coming from somewhere. They’ve been judged for expressing their feelings. And they’ve been judged in ways their white counterparts have not.

That they’re both worried about it — and cognizant of it even as they’re emotionally upset — shows just how large this concern looms in their lives. It never goes away, always wondering how they’re being perceived as Black women feeling something.

That’s a reality they could not hide in this fight and it’s something America needs to see because it is society at large that created this fear or concern in them. And it’s not just them, either. We are two for two in Black women in the “Big Brother” house who worry how they’ll be unfairly judged for feeling, so how many outside the house worry about this, too?

How many have good reason to?

In the end, a new chapter started in the game for Da’Vonne after Bayleigh was evicted. However, that chapter may prove short-lived if The Committee continues to dominate in the game. Considering they’re basically winning everything we’ve no reason to believe anything will change.

What could help Da’Vonne, though, is that she is no longer seen as an immediate threat due to Bayleigh being out of the house. But if someone outside The Committee doesn’t win HOH, we’re going to get more of the same and she’ll go sooner rather than later.

Truthfully, the only threats in the house right now are The Committee. The five evicted Houseguests so far have won a total of one competition between them, and that happened Week 1 when Kaysar and Janelle were the only two to compete for the Safety Suite … so one of them had to win.

So the stage is set for a very boring season as more than half of the remaining Houseguests are in the same alliance and they’re the strongest competitors in the house (except Nicole).

And, as we’ve also seen in seasons past, they appear to be some of the meaner players as it was four of them involved in mocking Ian’s autism. So we continue to reward hugely problematic people because they’re physically strong.

Their strategy is about picking off the weakest players one by one by one until none of them are left. The next five evictions should be pretty straightforward then: Ian, David, Da’Vonne, Kevin and Enzo — pick your order.

If one of them gets HOH, there’s still a good chance The Committee could disrupt their plans enough through Veto or powers to save themselves. As they’ve survived Memphis going wild and Dani’s big mouth already, they’re clearly going to just stay strong until they’re the only ones left.

Tyler Crispen manages to come out of every situation smelling like roses. He’s now refocused after nearly quitting the game, and even Bayleigh admitted he has a Final 2 with everyone in the house. He’s one of the best players yet to win this game. Grade: A+

Christmas Abbot, Cody Calafiore and Memphis Garrett can just continue to ride the safety of their power alliance, so long as one of them lands in power — which is incredibly likely every week. Christmas was a bit aggressive this week, but she got her target out and should come out of it all unscathed: Grade: A

Nicole Franzel and Daniele Briones are on the bottom of this alliance because no one trusts Dani (somehow they seem over Memphis going rogue Week 2) and Nicole is a former winner, and that will become a factor eventually. Grade: A-

Enzo Palumbo is on the outside looking in at this point. Unless he can convince some members of The Committee to turn on their own to his benefit, he’ll have to settle for seventh despite a very strong social and physical game. It’s just a matter of not being a part of the random grouping Memphis came up with early on. Grade: B

David Alexander, Kevin Campbell, Da’Vonne Rogers and Ian Terry are all expendable to The Committee at this point. They will all be eliminated one by one, simply because they have to be. Nicole will try to protect Ian, Tyler might fight for David and Da’Vonne because he believes in their cause, but none will survive the next month and some change unless they win something. Grade: C-

Bayleigh Dayton was a victim of trusting Christmas to hear something from her and immediately not make her pay for it in the game. A power duo is dangerous, but not necessarily up against a power sextet. Regardless, she would have gone soon enough anyway. Grade: F

• “There’s no way I’m going to put somebody who is so close to me in this game up to go home.” –Christmas (why she didn’t put Tyler up)
• “I’m upset because we were absolutely tricked.” –Bayleigh (doesn’t think Tyler’s offer was sincere)
• “I can’t put myself in the crossfires for somebody else’s situation … this would absolutely destroy my place in this game one hundred percent.” –Christmas (to Da’Vonne)
• “If Bayleigh is upset, let her have her moment. You don’t get to dictate how she’s feeling or when it’s over. She’s pissed. Rightfully so.” –Da’Vonne (Christmas grumbling about Bayleigh being emotional)
• “There’s no such thing as personal game information.” –Christmas (to Da’Vonne)
• “Don’t worry, my door will be locked.” –Christmas (as Da’Vonne walks away — what does that mean?)
• “Talk about the worst possible time to need someone to get you a towel.” –Ian
• “She’s talking to me like I’m her child and if I respond to that I’m going to look crazy. I”m going to look like, there goes Da’Vonne, that’s the eruption we were waiting for.” –Da’Vonne (after exchange with Christmas)
• “If I was clapping in somebody’s face, I’m a ghetto Black girl. She does it and she’s fine.” –Bayleigh (about Christmas)
• “It’s being viewed the same way.” –Tyler
• “Do not leverage this to make me look like a bully … and I”m not going to do her dirty work to get Tyler out no matter how much he wants to go home. They want him gone, they can do it themselves.” –Christmas

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