'Big Brother 18': Is Paulie and Zakiyah's Showmance on the Rocks?

Culture

Paul has one goal during his stint as Head of Household on Big Brother's 18th season: to send Bridgette packing and out the Big Brother door. But his name twin and close ally Paulie, who offered to be a pawn on the chopping block next to Bridgette, is on a mission to send Da'Vonne home. 

On Wednesday's episode, Bridgette calls her nomination a "slap in the face," while Da'Vonne doesn't understand why Paulie is the pawn. "I don't like to be out of the loop," she said, with no knowledge that her name is floating around in the HOH room.  

Paul once again reassures Bridgette, telling her that Da'Vonne is the real target, even though he is actually gunning for Bridgette. Why does he do this? It's a win-win situation. If Bridgette goes home, oh well. If it's Da'Vonne, he can run to Bridgette and say, 'Told you, you can trust me.' 

A showmance on the rocks

Paulie and Zakiyah have been getting closer and closer — literally — over the last few weeks. But recently, Zakiyah has noticed that he's being distant, and she's quite right. "I feel like I can't breathe," Paulie told Paul. "There is trouble in paradise." 

Paulie and Zakiyah then have it out, with Paulie saying that nothing's wrong. Instead, he's just trying to focus on the competition. He leaves when she starts to cry and says in the Diary Room, "I don't deal with drama. She might have to go sooner than later." 

This just about sums up the fate of Zaulie:

Power of Veto

Corey, Victor and Natalie play alongside HOH Paul and nominees Paulie and Bridgette in this week's Power of Veto competition entitled "Ready, Set, Whoa!" 

In the track-themed competition, contestants have to start at one end of a track and hold down two buttons. When the screen says, "GO," they have to run to the other end of the track and hit one of five buttons. If they let go of the buttons too early or are the last to hit a button at the end of the track, they're eliminated. 

Corey lets go before the screen says "GO," so he is eliminated first, followed by Bridgette and Natalie. Next out is Paul, leaving Paulie and Victor in the competition. Paulie ends up winning the Veto. 

Veto Ceremony

Before the Veto Ceromony, Da'Vonne goes to Bridgette and asks her what she thinks their plan B should be now that Paulie will likely take himself off. She throws Nicole's name out, but Bridgette doesn't want to hear any of it. "I don't want to be involved," she says in the Diary Room. "Screw you." 

Zakiyah and Paulie seem to have made up and are discussing who will be going home this week and next. She tells him that they should get Paul out. Paulie, aka Paul's BFF, goes right to him to tell him what Zakiyah said. 

We don't know what's worse: Zakiyah trusting Paulie in the first place, or Zakiyah believing she should talk shit about her sometime beau's bestie. 

Paul, who seems to be the only one really making an effort to play the Big Brother game, decides to warn Da'Vonne that she might be the next "pawn" to be put up for elimination next to Bridgette in case she has a Round Trip Ticket from the secret room twist

When Paulie officially takes himself off the block, Paul names Da'Vonne as the replacement nominee. Viewers will learn who is evicted Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern on CBS. Until tomorrow, Big Brother fans. 

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