To be clear, I say this with the utmost respect for chaos: Big Brother has been stuck in a predictable, let’s-vote-with-the-household-results for many seasons, and it’s a treat to see the opposite happen here . But between Kyle’s reckless appearance with Alyssa, Nicole’s correct suspicion that most of The Leftovers are working together, and, of course, Daniel’s insane decision to use the power of veto and endanger his No. 1 ally, she week in the BB house has been undeniably (and wonderfully) chaotic. Let’s break down how the week ended, with Nicole unknowingly at the back door ahead of Thursday’s episode: THE STRATEGY | The veto meeting ends with Nicole and Taylor now on the block, and Taylor’s tears of frustration are understandable: She’s angry that the veto was used to save Alyssa and Eddie when she thought the nominations remained the same and the trust her appearance on The Leftovers seems to have taken a hit since she had no idea about the switcheroo. Nicole, meanwhile, is feeling “euphoric” about being on the block, so, there’s that.

But just before the veto meeting, Kyle had come upstairs to warn Monte that Daniel “100 percent” planned to use the veto. The night before, Nicole had visited the HOH’s bedroom and found six of the seven Leftovers—in other words, everyone but Kyle—hanging out in there, making her certain that those six are in an alliance. With Monte and Taylor unable to vote this week, Nicole and Daniel are under the impression that Taylor will only have four votes to stay, when in fact she will have five (Kyle is the fifth) and Monte would break a potential tie in Taylor’s favor anyway. So while it’s not ideal that Taylor sees the block for the umpteenth time, the Leftovers know privately that Daniel “played himself,” as Joseph puts it, by using the veto this time. Other highlights of the taped segments: After doing it with Terrance just last week, Nicole reveals to Indy, Alyssa, and Jasmine that he was a cop, which she seems to think was a game-changing piece of information. Kyle and Alyssa embark on one of Big Brother’s most terrifying performances (bathroom flirting! Make it stop!). and after getting word from some of The Leftovers that Nicole might not have the votes to stay, Indy, Alyssa and Jasmine weigh their options, hoping to keep Nicole but they’re much more desperate to be just on the right side of the house vote this week. They just float, these three! THE ELIMINATION | When it’s time for the eviction, Taylor gets a little snarky in her pre-vote speech, telling Nicole: “To quote Big Brother superfan Rihanna, you look so dumb right now.” (!) It reminds Nicole how smart she thought it was to choose Taylor as her Festie Bestie, not knowing that her own ride-or-die, Daniel, would ultimately be responsible for her downfall. (Nicole seems to take this all in stride, but after Taylor sits back down, the women exchange a smile that screams, “I can’t stand you!”) In the end, only Daniel has Nicole’s back: She’s kicked out by a 9-1 vote, but hugs everyone as she leaves and tells Julie she’s “not at all surprised” to learn about The Leftovers, having already correctly identified six of its seven members. He also calls Taylor’s pre-vote speech “amazing and comical” and “nothing but the truth,” considering that Nicole believed she could manipulate others, including Taylor, to keep herself in the game. And since we’re seemingly destined to never have a live Head of Household competition again, the episode ends with Taylor choosing Alyssa and Indy as her new Festie Besties. Daniel, meanwhile, goes into one of the bedrooms alone, saying he should pack his bags right away. Moments earlier, he had told Nicole in his goodbye message that he wasn’t leaving the Big Brother house without a fight… but it seems he feels a little differently now. Your turn! What did you think of Nicole’s eviction? And who do you want to see win Head of Household? Leave a comment below!