September 14, 2007
The Rise of Evel
Congrats to Big Brother's incredible dynamic duo - Daniele and Richard "Evel Dick" Donato - who secured the show's first ever father/daughter final two with an impressive, if not predictable, final Head of Household victory over this season's resident lummox and Joker-clone, Zach Swerdzewski. While Daniele played a competent social stealth game earlier in the season, she absolutely dominated the all-important Power of Veto competitions by winning a record-tying total of five POVs, mostly when they mattered the most. Well done, Daniele.
On the other hand, Evel Dick's strategy was anything but subtle. This guy badgered and verbally abused his fellow competitors so ferociously that the National Organization for Women reportedly demanded CBS remove him from the show. A bit over the top perhaps, but many fans (not I) felt he may have indeed taken it a bit too far at times. Claiming his socially aggressive behavior was nothing more than strategic tactics, Dick ignored his less-confrontational daughter's requests for him to turn it down a notch and instead bullied his way all the way to the bank. Both the $500,000 grand prize and the $50,000 second-place purse will make their way into the bank accounts of the Donato family - now the most successful team in Big Brother history. And just in case they ever forget how dominant they were, they can go back and watch the BB8 DVDs on Dick's brand new plasma TV he won earlier this season. Seriously - these guys cleaned house. Eat your heart out, Chilltown.
In a season that featured a raging anti-semite, a well-intended but ultimately lame attempt at audience participation, and the token rogue's gallery of misguided hypocrites, Dick's abrasive and belittling species of in-your-face honesty was, surprisingly, a much-needed breath of fresh air.
Congrats, Donatos. You killed 'em all.