Rena’s Questions
What was your strategy coming into the game, did you have to alter it once you got into the house/met the house guests (and if you did, how so)?
I think going into a competition like this you’re only hurting yourself to enter with a set strategy. I knew going in I wanted a close group of trustworthy people, and I wanted to always be aligned with 1-2 people who’d be seen as bigger targets than myself. I wanted to let my gut be the deciding factor on people. I am really good at picking up on who gives me good vibes and who doesn’t. If you made a really good impression on me, I wanted to pursue an alliance. The only thing that I personally feel differed in reality is the fact that my “inactiveness” week 1, hindered me from really being able to feel people out the first week, so I more so had my alliance fall into place due to the house circumstances rather than actually picking them myself.
Ryan’s QUestions
1) Greg, all personal feelings aside, you were the catalyst for a lot of the drama during this season. You stabbed quite a few people in the back, betrayed a lot of people’s trust, rallied volatile house meetings, and pissed a lot of people off. Keeping in mind that jury votes are an integral part of the game, why do you think you should win over Amy, who has an immaculate social game on par with Jordan Lloyd?
Because of every single thing you stated above. I played the game to the fullest extent (maybe arguably a little nasty sometimes, too) but I got away with it, and after it was said and done people still thought I was a really nice trustworthy guy. I won competitions and backstabbed at least one person every week essentially. I had bonds with nearly everyone in the game, in my own opinion, I was in a nearly perfect position the entire time. Yet I was barely targeted. Nobody never would’ve thought comparing us two, because you were always some god of the game. I never even got nominated. I know you said you saved me from that, and kept my record of going un-nominated, but yeah. That’s it, I got everyone to do that. The one time I didn’t know someone was rallying for my nomination you, my ally, saved my ass for me. I did all of those volatile things, yet people still liked me and wanted to keep me around. The fact I did all that, and won competitions may overshadow my social game, but it was there and without sounding arrogant I think it was damn good.
2) Greg, during the final HoH eviction, you said multiple times that taking Amy to the final two would be an “easy win” for you. Why are you so sure that the jury would never vote for her?
I never once said she was an “easy win”, I did say I’d stand a better chance against her. It’s the truth too, and I stand by it. Everyone and their grandmother knows if you made it to the final round, you’d win! I don’t think that the jury would never vote for her, especially if people are still hurt by my actions. Nevertheless I do see myself as having better odds against her, considering I’d have no chance against you.
3) Greg, please detail the three biggest/coolest moves that you made in the game.
A) Without sounding like I’m blowing smoke, I think evicting you was one of the biggest of the season. You were destined to win this game, we were all extras on your show. Against ANYONE, you would’ve had a clean jury vote. People had tried to do it all season long, and I finally was able to kill the immortal beast. Which trust me, was by far the HARDEST thing I had to do in this game hands down. You may or may not like to hear this, but it was also a long time coming. I hope that doesn’t make you feel betrayed even more, but I knew I had to do this at some point in order to win. I made a deal with Olivia and Hailee when I was originally going to evict Kevin in the fourth week. I did that in hopes of keeping them around knowing they’d target you - getting you out without the blood on my hands. It quickly became apparent that the house was splitting down the middle so I had to shelf that plan for the time being. I needed you because you were strong, and a vote. Don’t get me wrong I think we made an AMAZING duo, but if I wanted to win I needed you out of this game. I removed my heart from the game long ago, and I’ve been trying to play like a robot. Once Nate won the veto and Rena was for sure leaving, I formed an alliance with Nathaniel and Amy. All trying to take you out so we’d stand a chance. Our strategy was to make you feel as safe as we could, that was our only option. Hence me not nominating you. Remember when you told me Nate was coming to you and being fishy? That’s because I told him to corner you into directly saying “yes” to a final 2 deal with him, in hopes you might be crazy enough to throw the veto not wanting to back stab a jury member so close to the finals. I’m sorry if reading that hurts you but that was by far the biggest move I made, or really I think that anyone has made. A lot had lead up to that, including a bunch of small little details I can’t even remember to list. I think you’re amazing, and we made a great team. But this isn’t a team game and when I play - I play to win. I hope you can understand that, that is just the nature of the game, nothing personal.
B) Teaming up with Olivia in the fourth week of the game also came as a huge benefit to me. I loved Olivia and out of any of the housemates, I felt like she was the one I’d most likely be friends with in my outside life. I LOVE and RESPECT that girl so much, but unfortunately our deals were always second rate to me because of what I had with you and Amy. The way she carried herself after I nominated her proved to be very interesting to me. It showed me she was a bigger player than I made her out to be. She gave me her word, and for anyone out there who hadn’t played with Liv, when you got that you were golden. Unfortunately, I wasn’t playing in the same manor. This allowed me to constantly fuck her over. Our deal wasn’t supposed to continue if Hailee was evicted - it did. When Kevin was relaying information back to her while playing both sides I had to do major damage control. Not only did I get her on my side but I finally convinced her to turn on Kevin. Then we formed the Nate/Ryan/Olivia/Greg alliance which was perfect timing due to her winning Head of Household. Even then I clearly put Liv & Nate against each other round 1 of the competition trying to take them out first. But she still trusted me! She was amendment about taking Amy out, but obviously I couldn’t have that. May I reference Big Brother 10 when Keesha & Libra pulled the rug out from under April. They rallied the votes and got them to evict Jessie, while April was under the impression Memphis was gone. That’s exactly what we did with her when we evicted Sam (that move alone probably ranks 4th in my mind). She was PIIIIIIIIISSED, but STILL was willing to give me her word. Ultimately I feel so terrible for all the shit I put her through, but aligning with her was the perfect scenario for me. I used her unbreakable trust to really help my game out. The week she won HoH I for sure would’ve been nominated. I think Ryan would’ve been sent home, but that would’ve been just as bad for my game. I picked the right time to align with the right chick who ended up becoming quite a power player in the middle weeks of the game. I think had I have been against her I would’ve had a lot bumpier of a road to get here and I did.
C) Rounding out the list, I think the way I handled my Pandora’s Box was very smart on my behalf. Things can change in this game at the snap of a finger, the person I trust now I might not be able to trust in 2 weeks time. I never told a single soul what I had really received. Obviously I needed to come up with something beneficial, but weak. I edited Julie’s message to say that I had gotten the power to nullify one vote had I ever been nominated. In reality I had received my own personal veto. I didn’t want people whispering about what I had, so I showed everyone the fake picture. It worked, to my knowledge it got dismissed! In Survivor for example, the one mistake people make is telling the wrong person they’ve found the hidden immunity idol. I wasn’t about to be that guy. I played the game always questioning those closest to me. I didn’t want them to be able to hurt my game to save themselves by leaking that information, or worse expecting me to use it on them. I was selfish, if it’s one thing I was in that game was selfish. My main fear was if I ever had to use it that I’d have trouble explaining to you and Amy why I lied, but I’d rather cross that bridge when I get there than show my cards.
4) Greg, if you were playing the REAL Big Brother game, what would you have done differently and how would your alliances have changed?
I honestly cannot say I would. I’d do everything almost the same on the show. I’d want to be aligned with a good group, and have someone else be the target opposed to myself. I’d never believe a word a person told me, because that’s how people allow themselves to be blindsided. I said in my opening speech that I played as if everyone was always conspiring against me, and that’s why I personally feel I was always on my toes. I might have hurt some feelings, and said things I maybe shouldn’t have but it still got me here. It’s just a game at the end of the day, a game that I believe is moral-less, and that’s how I decided to play it. In my life I am a very honest, genuine, trustworthy person so it wasn’t hard for myself to convey that. I did genuinely like everybody, but I played for myself only. Not for my alliance. In a game like this you got to play to get yourself to the winners circle, not your allies. On a person level I really enjoyed getting to know everyone. On a game level (without sounding too offensive) I had to look at people as tools to get what I wanted.
5) Greg, you and I had the entire house eating out of our hands from the minute we entered this game. Together we infiltrated and dismantled every single alliance, won nearly every competition, and controlled every single HoH over the course of the season (with the exception of Nate and Liv’s. And even that week we still chose who got evicted.) Now that I’m no longer in the house beside you, and knowing full well that the two of us were in control the entire game, can you think of a single reason that you shouldn’t win this game by a unanimous vote? Because I can’t.
I think one thing I have concentrated on is selling myself and my accomplishments to the jury. Let me give credit where it’s due. Regardless of any plots I might have had against Ryan at any particular time - there is no way in hell I’d be standing in this position today had it not been for him. He were like ying and yang and complimented each other beautifully. What we managed to pull off in this game was something that most people could only dream, we took no prisoners. Although without sounding political, I don’t feel right saying I don’t see a reason I shouldn’t win. I adore Amy and she played her own part in this game and saying that I should win unanimously, I feel completely takes away everything she’s done from her. On that note I’d like to think that I do deserve to win as I have worked incredibly hard to get here. But I’d just not feel right saying that while I’m against Amy. Besides that, it’s fine from someone on the outside looking in to say that.. and thank you so much Ryan. But I feel a comment like that coming directly from myself would be just arrogance. Regardless of what I may have shown there with these questions, arrogance just isn’t part of my personality. (okay well not a big part)
This question is for the both of you. If there is one thing in this game that you could go back and redo what would it be and why? And considering you both have spent a long time in this game, what do you regret the most other than what you want to redo?
I don’t really have much that I’d want to redo. I personally am satisfied with the way I played from beginning to end. However if there is one thing I wish I could redo, even though I wasn’t in control of this whatsoever, I wish I could’ve been more active the first few days. In particular the first night.
Originally I thought I might answer this with getting to know House 1 housemates better before the merge, but upon reflecting that’s a lie. I think I did the right amount of talking. I feel like what I did got me here so there’s nothing wrong with the amount of communication I had with them. I think if anything it would’ve hindered me for being more of a social threat.
The second answer to that, is not campaigning harder to Ryan to not target Joe, and that’s coming from the one and only person Joe would’ve targeted if he had of won a competition. I don’t think Joe was a threat to any of us. I think there were bigger fish to fry and it would’ve benefited us more so to go after one of the bigger players. But I mean what can I say, in all honesty I can’t complain about the outcome of that decision anyway, so. But yeah if anything, that would be the one thing I wish I could’ve changed.
