'Big Brother' recap: Josh Martinez crowned new HoH, nominates Kevin Schlehuber and Alex Ow for eviction

Big Brother crowned a new Head of Household, Josh Martinez, who then nominated Kevin Schlehuber and Alex Ow for eviction during Sunday night's Season 19 broadcast on CBS.


Josh won the Head of Household competition and then put Kevin and Alex on the chopping block; however, he hasn't ruled out the possibility of backdooring Paul Abrahamian this week since he's such a huge threat.

The Big Brother broadcast began with a flashback to drama and strategy that went down during last week's live double-eviction episode.

On Day 79, shortly after Jason Dent's eviction, Paul was thrilled because his plans were being executed by others perfectly. But Alex was upset because Jason had left the house unsure of whether she was one of the people who had betrayed him. Alex was distraught that Jason exited the house without even giving her a hug.

Alex assumed Raven Walton and Josh -- who was openly emotional and apologetic about the eviction -- voted Jason out, but she still trusted Paul. It also helped that Paul and Josh faked a fight following Jason's eviction, making Paul seem innocent and blindsided in the situation.


Paul wanted Alex to think he had been loyal to her so that they could continue working together. Paul told Josh and his closest ally Christmas Abbott that the scene would convince the house that the three of them weren't tight and aligned.

Paul told Josh and Christmas that by remaining close to Alex, he could protect the two of them going forward by guiding Alex's moves, but Josh felt the plan only protected Paul. Josh didn't appreciate that the burden of Jason's eviction landed heavily on Christmas and himself, but at the same time, he felt he had to continue trusting Paul in order to advance further in the game.

Before the second eviction of last week's live broadcast on Thursday night, Paul told Alex to nominate Kevin and Raven for eviction, not Christmas and Josh as revenge for Jason.

Paul bragged to the cameras about how his alliance took out Alex's "ride or die," yet neither individual in the trio was going to end up on the chopping block. 

Alex tried to remain on Josh's good graces, and once Josh won the Power of Veto competition, she suggested that he keep nominations the same so that the house could take out Kevin.


Everyone except Paul wanted Kevin out first, but Paul argued that Raven was clearly the stronger competitor since she had finished many competitions in second place, or close to second. Josh, however, vented to the cameras about how Paul and Christmas could take a shot at Raven and get blood on their hands but he wasn't going to follow suit.

Josh therefore wanted to split the votes between Raven and Kevin so that, similar to Paul on the Jason vote, he could come out of the next eviction "looking pretty." That's why the vote for Raven turned out to be 2-1, because Josh had voted to oust Kevin from the Big Brother house.

Once Raven departed the game, Alex worried she was next. Alex was blindsided by two votes in a row, but she needed to keep allies and not make waves with any of her fellow houseguests.

Meanwhile, everyone was lamenting about the losses of Jason and Raven, and Alex was sad because she had lost control of the game. Josh was bawling, and then Paul entered the room crying in front of Alex and Josh. Once Alex left the room, however, Paul started laughing, and it was clear he was faking the tears.

Josh thought Paul looked like "the devil," especially because the veteran player immediately got back to business and started strategizing again. Paul told Josh that Kevin was going to throw the next Head of Household competition.


Paul wanted Josh to win the next HoH competition so that he could take a shot at Alex, keeping blood off Paul's hands again. Paul needed Alex out because she was the biggest threat left in the house and he refused to finish as a runner-up again this season.

Paul told Kevin to throw the upcoming HoH competition first in order to let Christmas win, but in reality, Josh was going to win it. Paul simply didn't think Kevin would go along with the plan if the goal was to give Josh more power, and he was right.

Kevin said in the Diary Room that Paul's word was "solid as a rock," so he was onboard with throwing the competition. But Josh didn't want to win Head of Household and be responsible for Alex's ouster. Josh initially refused to do it, but Paul said he signed up for Big Brother and blindsides happen.

Josh called the plan "genius," but once again, noted the strategy would protect Paul and expose his own game. Josh said if he won HoH, he'd do things his way, and he told Paul and Christmas that he definitely wouldn't be blindsiding Alex.

Josh thought it would be smart to take out Paul now, but Christmas didn't want to hear it. At every opportunity, Christmas defended and protected Paul, and Josh just didn't understand why. Since Josh went rogue on the Raven vote, Christmas was worried he was going to do his own thing, and she said that wasn't acceptable for their alliance.


It then became time for the Head of Household competition, which was designed to honor "BB Comics Week."

The players -- minus Alex, who as the outgoing HoH was deemed ineligible to compete -- were required to answer questions about The Revengers trailer Big Brother host Julie Chen allowed them to watch.

The answer to every question was a superhero in the trailer, and every time a person guessed correctly, he or she would earn one point. The houseguest to receive the most points by the end of the competition would become the new Head of Household. Paul hoped Christmas and Kevin were going to throw the competition so that Josh could win.

Meanwhile, Josh wanted to win but told the cameras that his fellow houseguests didn't know which way he was aiming.

Kevin decided not to throw the competition because he wanted to receive letters and pictures from his family, but after thinking about how Paul had never done him wrong about halfway through, he decided to throw it.


In the end, Josh was crowned HoH, and Paul couldn't believe he pulled off yet another extravagant plan. Meanwhile, Alex hoped she wouldn't be viewed as a threat by Josh, and Kevin was angry that Josh's victory meant he'd automatically be in the Final 4.

"Paul has managed to get people to throw competitions about six times already. It's bizarre to me," Josh said in the Diary Room. "He's kind of like a mastermind who's turning into a monster. I know Christmas and Paul want me to take a shot at Alex, but this could be my only chance to take a shot at Paul."

Josh had to decide between taking a shot at Paul now and risk Christmas turning on him or waiting to get rid of him at the Final 3 and risk losing to Paul in an upcoming competition. Josh knew that if he went to the end with Paul, he would lose, so he acknowledged that taking Paul out sooner rather than later was best for his own game, as well as Christmas' game.

Josh knew there were jury members who were mad at him, but he at least thought he had a good chance to beat Kevin in the end. Without a doubt though, Josh said Paul had played the best Big Brother game by far this season. Josh loved Paul, but he was ready to separate what's personal from playing the game.

At the Nomination Ceremony, Josh nominated Kevin and Alex for eviction. Josh said he nominated Kevin because he floated through most of the game and played under the radar. Josh pointed out that he wanted to see Kevin really play and compete.

Josh then explained that he put Alex on the chopping block because she's "a beast and badass competitor." Josh also wished both nominees good luck in the upcoming Power of Veto competition.


Alex called the move "a slap in the face" since she had a chance to nominate Josh for eviction after the Jason betrayal out of revenge but opted out. Alex didn't retaliate against Josh, so she was surprised he was going after her. Alex told the cameras that if she survived this week, she'd be gunning for Josh at the first opportunity.

Meanwhile, Kevin regretted not trying hard in the previous HoH competition, and he said he was going to put all of his effort into the next PoV competition.

Paul, on the other hand, felt safe no matter what and said that nothing could go wrong. But Josh said he had a lot to think about because Paul might be his real target this week.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski