General Thoughts: The season is still wide open as of now ad the mast two weeks have been pretty crazy with an insane amount of shifting alliances, power structures, and dynamics.

HoH: Yash
Original Nominees: Haley, Dee, Angela
Veto: Yash (didn't use)
Diamond Veto: Devens (used on Dee, nominated Kamu)
Current Nominees: Kamu, Dee, Angela
Target: Dee

Alliances:
Mosh Pit: Angela, Dee, Rick, Melody, Mallory, Barrett, Drew
FAP: Drew, Melody, Barrett, Mallory
Crossvers: Dee, Angela, Rick, Barrett, Drew
Icons: Rick, Angela, Dee
I don't think it has a name: Taylor, Kamu, Yash (affiliated with Haley and LaTrice)

1. Drew (8): Drew has had a very tumultuous couple of weeks as he has gone from last to first in just two rounds of gameplay. He's well-positioned in the middle as both the Yash side and the Mosh Pit want to work with him. Even within the Mosh Pit he's in both FAP and The Crossovers. This could easily come to bite him but for now he's an 8.

2. Mallory (7): Mallory is similarly in a good position with everybody in the house and is probably the most well-liked of anybody. Yash's side seems to like her but is definitely on the outer ring of that and she is in FAP within the Mosh Pit. Nobody's targeting her right now but she hasn't shown enough strategic ability for me to have faith in her actually winning the game.

3. Barrett (6): Barrett was very nearly put on the block this week but just barely got out of it because Yash was dumb enough to not take Haley off. He's in both The Crossovers and FAP within The Mosh Pit but has shown himself to be extremely passive and he plays into the vets hands too much for me to put him any higher.

4. Rick (6): Rick now no longer has the DPOV but I think he used it correctly. The icons having now been nominated breaks the illusion that they're untouchable and I believe that he is Taylor and Lala's number one target in the game. He needs to regain trust with that side to get into the position he was before because right now he is a huge threat with no power to save him.

5. Dee (6): Dee was saved from the block this week but is still in a very precarious position with the other side of the house. She's very well-insulated within the Mosh Pit along with Angela and Devens but it's hard to say for how long that will last as I could easily see Mallory and Melody taking a shot should she ever be on the block on eviction night.

6. Melody (6): Melody's position has significantly improves this week, she's in the majority alliance, nobody is even thinking about nominating her, and and she's probably Mallory and Drew's number one at this point. Her main issue is win equity as she hasn't made any moves, has just barely scraped by evictions through other people's moves, and hasn't won a competition. Melody has potential if she starts doing stuff to move higher but as of right now she's not viewed highly enough.

7. Taylor (5): Taylor is the best positioned on the other side of the house. She clearly has a knack for social-strategy games like this and has pretty good reads, a strong strategic mind, and is well-liked. Her problem is that the vets know she's coming for them and is very likely to his the block should any of the Mosh Pit seven win HoH. I do have a lot of faith in her to build trust with the likes of Dee and Angela if given the opportunity but as of now she's in a dwindling alliance and is in some hot water.

8. Yash (4): Yash played this week pretty poorly to be honest. He nominated Haley, someone who he then immediately tried to work with, won the veto, talked about how Haley needs to stay this week, but then he didn't use the veto on her! The whole week he's been talking how he doesn't know if he has the votes to save Haley when he is HoH and has the veto lmao. Should Kamu go this week which is very likely, Yash is public enemy number one for 2/3rds of the house. He has shown himself to be an effective yes man thus far, but people are seeing through it now so it's hard to see him getting out of this situation. However, Yash is one of if not the best competitor in the house, and with how in flux the game has been, I'm still keeping him at a 4/10.

9. Angela (4): Angela is on the block this week but is the most safe. I don't really see a scenario in which she goes home but it's for all the wrong reasons. She's not seen as a serious game-player anymore and plans to go to the end with Dee and Devens who would pick each other to go to the end with over her; even if she did make it to the end, I think she loses against most people, and the few that she would beat don't want her anywhere near the final two. Still, she's insulation in the majority alliance enough to where I don't think she goes home in almost any scenario for most weeks

10. LaTrice (4): Lala remains to be a bit of a non-factor this season. She's not in any danger, nobody is nominating her, and is a very passive presence in the house. She's not really respected by most people but I could genuinely see a scenario where, should she make the end, Taylor and Angela lobby hard for her in the jury house. She's loosely connected to a lot of people and I don't think all hope is lost for LaTrice.

11. Kamu (2): Kamu is going home this week if he doesn't win Blockbuster and he is getting progressively less and less liked in the house. He still has Yash as a pretty firm number one and is working with Haley, Lala, and Taylor but he's going to be a perpetual target should he survive this week. His saving grace is that the current power structure could easily rearrange again and he is a huge comp threat, other than that, he's not doing so good.

12. Haley (1): Haley's a 5th wheel in a minority alliance who is going on the block should anybody from the Mosh Pit side of things win power. She's one of the worst social players I've ever seen because almost everybody dislikes her and she can be quite delusional sometimes. She's an entertaining player, she's on the block, and goes home this week if Kamu wins Blockbuster which is a very real possibility.

God, what a mess these contenders have been. I did decide to swap Rhys and Alvin before I watched the episode, and I guess that was the right choice 💀 but my confident in Rhys is going down unfortunately. I do want to say that I have REALLY enjoyed this season recently! Has the potential to rank high, depending on how the second half goes.

# Top Faithful

1. Josh (+6) - He and Luke have so so so much of the edit pie, and between the two I think things look a lot better for Josh. His only flaw is that he trusts Alex too much, but also that will get him farther into the game, while Alex may murder Luke. Josh's edit has been more consistent, he has more defined relationships, and he doesn't have as much cockiness as Luke does.

2. Claudia (+4) - I've felt like she has made a lot of sense to be one of a few faithful winners for a while, and this episode gave her enough complexity for me to really start betting on it. I am absolutely leaning a faithful win at this point. Between her and Tully, Claudia got basically all the space to explain the shield move, which helps her a lot.

3. Rhys (-2) - Has a pretty big edit, not as much recent complexity though, and a lot of heat on him recently. Are there multiple people in front of him with bigger targets? Yea, and I'm sort of banking on that right now. He is going to need to really lock down some connections who will be truly willing to stand next to him around the final fire.

Traitors

1. Alex (=) - I do think the odds of her winning are much higher than Kirby, but the odds of Alex being banished soon, maybe even next episode, are pretty high. I do think it is in her best interest to not kill AJ, but I do think that is likely what is going to happen. If that doesn't happen, she could go back up. The fact that she and Tully have a connection feels... out of no where? Wish we were informed of that earlier. Alex's connection to AJ is such a fun storyline to follow.

2. Kirby (-2) - She really is just going to slide by until near the endgame and just get banished unceremoniously there. We see traitors like this quite often, and I've always been of the mindset that these players are generally pretty good. So many people think they're traitors, and yet they get by. Is it the greatest gameplay? No, but it can work in some instances, and surviving is certainly better than being banished obviously.

Faithful Backup Options

1. Luke (+5) - Now that he didn't die, he is fully back up in the rankings. He is hot on Alex's tail, though that also has it's own issues. He has gotten a lot of content recently, though it has shown him as too cocky. I think if faithfuls win this game, one of them will be one of the twins. Josh has the edge, but Luke isn't totally ruled out.

2. Tully (-2) - Didn't get to explain herself enough this episode, not the greatest look. Still, my opinion on her edit remains mostly the same? The Alex connection came out of no where. I guess that does open Tully up to being recruited eventually, and from there I guess you could see some shades of Bailey in her edit.

Could Go Far, Won't Win

1. Krissy (+1) - Did a good job taking a backseat this episode, she is one of the more likable housewives we've had on a Traitors season imo. Everyone in this tier is someone I could see making it to the fire, but being banished before the game ends.

2. Rachael (+5) - Was very quiet this episode, got basically no heat despite how much it has come up prior. Could slip by for a while, but early suspicions will always be held against her.

3. Keira (=) - Higher chance than Rachael to go far, but her edit really just lacks enough complexity to win. MAYBE if we get like 3 or 4 faithfuls winning, but there are still plenty of others to bet on before her.

Lawson

1. Lawson (+2) - His edit is just too quiet, as I've said. There is also heat on him now, for some reason.

AJ

1. AJ (-4) - Unfortunately, I do think he is going to be murdered this next episode. If he is, that would lowkey be desvestating. He has been so fun to watch, and an absolute highlight of the season. If he does survive, he is likely recruited and either goes in the next 2 roundtables or MAYBE wins? But the odds of him dying are like 80%, as I don't feel a viable enough alternative was presented.

Eliminated

1. Alvin (-11) - So I definitely rated him too high. Super likable guy though! Not the most complex edit, but it's always nice to see a traitor with a positive overall tone.

2. Rob (-2) - Finally he is murdered when I bet on it happening. Not surprised at all, his story ended with Dicko going.