'Big Brother' recap: Michael Bruner wins Power of Veto, outs Kyle Capener's seemingly race-rooted strategy

Big Brother featured Michael Bruner winning the Power of Veto and exposing the optics of Kyle Capener's prior attempt to form an alliance comprised of only white houseguests during the Season 24 episode that aired Wednesday night on CBS.


Michael, a 28-year-old attorney from Saint Michael, MN who currently resides in Rochester, MN, won the Power of Veto, but the Veto Meeting was not shown due to a serious conversation about a case of potential racism in the house involving Kyle, a 29-year-old unemployed cast member from Bountiful, UT.

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The Big Brother broadcast began on Day 52 after the Nomination Ceremony at which Matthew
"Turner" Turner had nominated Brittany and Taylor Hale for eviction.

Turner told the cameras how Joseph Abdin had told him at "Dyre Fest" about a Final 4 comprised of Joseph, Brittany, Taylor and Michael. Turner didn't want to tip Michael off that he was the actual target for this week.


"It probably goes without saying but 'The Leftovers' have officially expired," Turner confirmed.

Brittany, however, said in the Diary Room that she never had a conversation with Joseph about being in a Final 3 together. Brittany therefore set out to convince Turner that what he had heard was false.

And Taylor cried about how she felt betrayed by Joseph, who had stuck his neck out for her multiple times in the past. Taylor felt "hurt" and "stupid," saying a conversation she had with Joseph was ultimately manipulated into something that would get her in trouble.

Monte Taylor said Taylor's reaction to the nominations was proof that what Turner had said was true. Monte realized Joseph and Taylor were probably having conversations about working long-term with Michael and Brittany, which made him feel justified in influencing Turner to put the two nominees on the chopping block.

Meanwhile, Kyle boasted about being a member of "The Pound" alliance with Turner and Monte as well as "The Afterparty" with Terrance Higgins, Alyssa Snider and Turner. He felt like he was in a really good spot and "Dyre Fest" had changed his game for the better.


When Brittany talked to Turner, Turner explained how he thought Taylor was "the culprit" of the drama and Brittany wasn't his target.

Taylor then told Turner how she had only talked about -- and never locked in -- a Final 3 plan with Michael and Joseph, but Turner didn't care because he wasn't a part of it and looked forward to backdooring Michael.

There was some truth to the story Turner had heard, but Taylor said she wasn't sold on the idea Joseph had betrayed her and she assumed a bigger plan was in place.

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Turner then apologized to Michael for putting his friends on the chopping block, and Michael said, if Brittany or Taylor left, it wouldn't be the end of the world for his game. Michael claimed he wasn't mad, and Turner claimed he didn't even know which person was his target.


Turner tried to make Michael think they were on good terms and good for each other's game, but Michael saw through it and predicted a backdoor plan was being executed to take him out.

"The Afterparty" then allowed Monte to think he was in with them, just in case Monte won the next Head of Household. Kyle, however, said his allies felt no loyalty to Monte.

Kyle confessed to Monte as a result how he had exposed "The Leftovers," not Joseph. Kyle was trying to beat Alyssa and Terrance to the punch.

Monte was shocked by the news and thought "The Pound" was playing "dirty" and no longer deserved his blind trust. Monte ran back to Taylor, saying he thought Kyle's group was just making up a convenient story about "Dyre Fest" to keep themselves looking good.

"I think he manipulated that whole side," Monte told Taylor, before promising her that they would continue working together and he'd save her with the Power of Veto if possible.


Monte thought his best bet was to play the middle and fight hard in the upcoming POV competition.

As for Michael, he had a feeling that Kyle had something to do with the potential backdoor plan against him. Michael told Brittany there was no reason to protect Kyle anymore, as the pair had given Kyle the benefit of the doubt when he mentioned a Cookout-like alliance seemed to be brewing in the house.

"The Cookout" was an all-Black alliance that dominated Season 23 of Big Brother.

Michael and Brittany discussed using Kyle's previous conversation as leverage, saying they had nothing to lose. But they planned to see how the Power of Veto competition was going to play out first.

It then became time to pick players for the Power of Veto competition, and Turner hoped Michael wouldn't be chosen because Michael had already won four Power of Veto competitions.


"I have to get picked for the Veto. If I don't win the Veto this week, I'm going home," Michael told the cameras.

Turner selected Alyssa by random draw, and then Taylor pulled out Monte's name. And finally, Brittany pulled out Michael's chip from the block instead of Kyle's chip.

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Turner called this "worst case scenario," assuming Michael's history of winning these competitions wasn't a fluke.

The Power of Veto competition then commenced, and the winner would be able to watch an advanced screening of the new movie BROS.

The backyard was transformed into a "BB Cinema," and the PoV competition, that took place at "BB Rom-Com Fest," required each participating houseguest to fill a wine glass of rose from a tap and then slide to the other side of the festival, where he or she would pour their glass into a large empty receptacle.


There was a smaller receptacle at the end of each player's greased and slippery lane. If that receptacle got filled first, the successful player would unlock a giant wine tumbler that could be used to transport more rose with every trip.

Michael's plan was to win the Veto, save Brittany and get Kyle up on the chopping block instead. Michael immediately started filling the large receptacle rather than the small one, but Turner and Brittany started with the small receptacles.

Kyle was rooting for Turner to win, and Brittany said best case scenario would be Michael winning so he could take her off the chopping block and also win immunity. Taylor hoped Monte would win and use the Veto on her if she couldn't win it for herself.

Monte pointed out how Michael looked like an Olympic speed skater in his lane, and in the end, Michael won the Power of Veto.

Turner didn't like the idea of having to name someone he was working with as the replacement nominee, but he figured Monte would be his best bet, concealing that he's a number for "The Afterparty."

After the competition, Michael chose Turner, Alyssa and Taylor to watch BROS with him.


Michael told the cameras how these picks were strategic and personal. His close friend Taylor had a tough week, he wanted to cultivate a better relationship with Alyssa, and Turner had proven he can win Head of Household competitions in case he's ever in power again.

In attempt to keep the four "Big Brochella" festival-goers in the house, which included Monte, Michael decided it was time to disclose what Kyle had been telling them.

Michael then sat down with Monte and Taylor and explained how during his Week 5 HoH reign, Kyle had said Monte, Taylor and Joseph seemed close, like a side alliance of "The Leftovers."

Michael mentioned how Kyle had brought up "The Cookout" alliance, who had a unifying goal that "bonds people together."

"And then he specifically said that Terrance, [Indy Santos], [and Jasmine Davis] would be more likely to go with that side," Michael recalled.

Michael said Kyle therefore pitched an alliance of himself, Kyle, Brittany, Turner and Alyssa that could come together.


Footage then showed Kyle telling Michael and Brittany on Day 39 of the game, "I'm sorry, but The Cookout alliance uniting under one cause, which was race, like, that has to play into my thought process moving forward in the game. I feel really close with you two and I feel a decent amount with Turner. As we get down closer to the seven, we have Alyssa [and] she will 100 percent join us."

Kyle continued, "Indy is a number guaranteed for the other people in the seven; Jasmine probably is too. And Terrance is 100 percent [with them], like, he's not coming to me."

Michael verified how Kyle had never said he wanted to form an all-white alliance -- but he just so happened to name houseguests who are all white.

Brittany said Kyle's strategy crossed a line, explaining to her friends, "It brings the outside world in, in a way that's really ugly, and we didn't know how to handle it."

Taylor said she was shaken by the news and "someone showed their true colors," referring to Kyle, and Monte said it's sadly the world that they live in.

Monte realized this was probably why Michael and Brittany had seemed so hesitant about working with Kyle and Turner, and Monte said he no longer had an option to work with "The Pound," aka Kyle and Turner.


"This definitely changes things, [but] I'm trying not to be emotional about this... We have a game to play," Monte told Michael, Brittany and Taylor.

Michael and Brittany proceeded to fill Alyssa in on what Kyle had said. Michael explained how Kyle had suggested the five white people need to stick together, without putting that label on it.

Alyssa said Kyle had never said anything to her like that, and she admittedly felt "confused and extremely overwhelmed." Alyssa thought she knew what was in Kyle's heart, but she felt disappointed in the case of this information being true.

"That's not something I would want to be a part of at all, and I want to make that very clear," Alyssa announced. "That's surprising and I am honestly speechless... I don't know how to move forward with him."

Michael then talked to Turner about the same situation, and Turner acknowledged how the optics looked really bad and he didn't know what to think about it.

Meanwhile, Monte told Terrance about Kyle's former plan to seemingly create a non-Black alliance.


Kyle later approached Alyssa, saying he felt very alone in the game. Alyssa shared how the house thought Kyle's previous discussions about strategy were rooted in race, and Kyle vented, "Alyssa, this is bigger than game. This could ruin my life!"

Alyssa said she didn't believe them, and Kyle insisted it was never "a race thing" for him.

Kyle didn't know what to do and claimed the allegations against him were "not true at all."

Alyssa advised Kyle to talk things out with the group, and Kyle, in shock, decided to do just that. However, Turner turned Kyle away from the HoH room when Michael and Brittany were gathered inside.

Michael told his allies how it would make him very happy to see Kyle leave the house, and Turner pointed out how he had a lot to consider.

Turner believed the allegations, but at the same time, he thought the timing of their disclosure was very convenient and ironic considering Brittany was on the chopping block.


"Although Kyle is my friend and in my Final 2, I need to seriously consider putting Kyle up a the Veto Meeting," Turner said in the Diary Room.

Michael felt he had done the right thing on a human level, but he knew his revelation would affect the game. Michael said Kyle going home would be good for his game.

The episode concluded with Kyle insisting in the Diary Room how race was never a factor for him when trying to build an alliance.

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"Never would that cross my mind," Kyle noted. "They're obviously using things that I've said and twisting them. That's a line I would never cross."

Kyle broke down into tears, and Big Brother teased "a powerful house meeting" to come, "where everything comes to a crossroads."







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