Devens Pulled the Trigger
SPOILER ALERT: this post covers Big Brother 28 live feed events from Monday, August 17, well ahead of what CBS will air on Wednesday. If you only watch the broadcast, stop reading now.
It happened. Rick Devens deployed the Diamond Power of Veto at Monday’s ceremony, pulled Dee Valladares off the block, and named Kamu Kirk as the replacement nominee himself. Yash Patel, the Head of Household who spent the weekend believing he controlled every piece on the board, had no say in any of it and no idea it was coming.
The final nominees for Thursday are Kamu, Angela Murray and Haley Thogmartin. Our overnight spoiler post laid out this exact plan hours before the ceremony, and it played out almost move for move.
How the Ceremony Actually Unfolded
The sequence matters here, because it is what made this a blindside rather than a negotiation. The standard veto meeting ran first. Yash, holding the Power of Veto he won in Saturday’s OTEV competition, announced he was not using it. That should have ended the meeting and locked Haley, Angela and Dee in as the week’s three nominees.
Devens interrupted before the meeting was gaveled. He produced the medallion, handed it to Dee, and named the replacement himself. Because Yash never used his own veto, he was also never asked to name a renom, which meant the Head of Household of the week made exactly zero decisions at his own veto ceremony.
Where the Diamond Came From
Devens won the Diamond Power of Veto through the Time Capsule twist back in Week 3, and it carried a six week shelf life. He sat on it for roughly three weeks and told exactly one person: Dee.
The storage room conversation where he revealed it has been circulating again since the ceremony. “Not golden power of veto but DIAMOND power of veto,” he told her, before explaining the terms. “It’s for six weeks. So it’s yours, it’s mine, if either of us needs it. BOOM!” Dee’s answer was four words: “Thank you for trusting me.”
He Knew Exactly What It Would Cost
What separates this from a panic move is that Devens talked himself into it out loud, repeatedly, with a clear view of the bill. Sunday morning he was still weighing it with Dee. “I think this is the right move, but I’m still selfishly like, damn, I’m in good with Yash and Kamu,” he said, before landing on the only version that worked. “I can’t save you and be with them. I’m gonna save you. That’s beyond the doubt.”
By Monday morning he had stopped hedging. A couple of hours before the ceremony he said, “We’re about to turn this game on its head all over again,” and then, plainly, “I know full well that blowing up this game today, I could be gone next week.” The line that has traveled furthest since: “You can’t play these games scared.”
The Mosh Pit Is the Real Story
Devens did not walk into Monday without cover. Over the weekend he merged the Crossovers into FAP, and on Sunday night the combined group formalized itself as the Mosh Pit: Devens, Dee, Angela, Barrett, Drew, Melody and Mallory. Seven players, which in a house of twelve is a controlling bloc.
Big Brother Network reports the seven found themselves alone in the backyard, ran through several names and settled on the Mosh Pit. The same outlet flags the structural problem sitting inside it: four of the seven come from FAP and only three are the returning vets, meaning FAP holds the majority within the majority. That is the kind of arithmetic that looks fine in August and decides the season in September.
What the Ceremony Broke
Several groups did not survive Monday. The Primaries, which paired Devens with Yash, Kamu and Taylor, is finished. The Bermuda Triangle of Devens, Kamu and Yash is gone with it. The Dapper Dans, Devens with Yash, Barrett and Drew, has been swallowed by the Mosh Pit.
Haley is the quiet casualty. She has been on the block all week, she is now sitting next to the house’s actual target, and Big Brother Network’s read is that nobody seems eager to bring her back in.
The Reactions, and the One That Is Missing
Kamu took it better than anyone expected. Big Brother Junkies logged him telling Dee at 1:26 p.m. Pacific, “I am so glad that we finally cleared the air,” with no blow up recorded since. Drew and Barrett were less restrained, posting up minutes after the ceremony with a verdict on the whole thing: “The mosh pit lives another day thank you Rick Devens.”
Here is the notable gap. As of this writing, no outlet has published a single direct quote from Yash since the ceremony, and none from Angela either. Big Brother Junkies reports Yash is now scrambling to save Kamu and floating a six person counter alliance, but that is one outlet’s account and no second source has confirmed it. If you see a dramatic Yash reaction quote going around on X right now, nobody has actually verified it.
The Math Heading Into Thursday
Twelve houseguests remain following Chuk Anyanwu’s eviction in Week 5. Subtract Yash as Head of Household and the two nominees who are still on the block after the BB Blockbuster, and nine people vote Thursday. Five evicts, and nine is an odd number, so there is no tie for Yash to break.
The Blockbuster is the wrinkle. All three nominees compete, and the winner removes themself from the block, which means Kamu still has a live exit route. If he does not take it, the Mosh Pit alone controls six of the nine votes without needing Taylor or LaTrice, and Kamu is the clear target across every outlet covering the feeds. Wednesday’s episode airs the ceremony. Thursday decides whether Devens bought himself a majority or just a very expensive week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Yash use the Power of Veto?
No. Yash announced he was not using the veto he won in Saturday’s OTEV competition, which would have locked in his three original nominees. Devens interrupted before the meeting ended.
Who is on the block now?
Kamu Kirk, Angela Murray and Haley Thogmartin. Dee Valladares was removed by the Diamond Power of Veto and is safe this week.
How is the Diamond Power of Veto different from a regular veto?
The holder removes a nominee and personally names the replacement, which strips the Head of Household of any say in the renom. Devens won it through the Time Capsule twist in Week 3 and it was valid for six weeks.
Who is the target this week?
Kamu. Every outlet covering the live feeds has him as the clear target, and the seven person Mosh Pit alliance controls enough votes to send him out without help.
Can Kamu still save himself?
Yes. All three nominees compete in the BB Blockbuster on Thursday and the winner takes themself off the block. That is Kamu’s only route out.
When does this air on CBS?
The veto ceremony airs on Wednesday’s episode, with the live eviction following on Thursday, August 20.
