Paul is going to win Big Brother 19. If you don’t see that, you must be one of the HGs inside the house, because it’s becoming more obvious every week that he has total control over the game and all of these people are going to follow him and do whatever he says.

In this episode, Paul gives the HoH to Christmas so she can do his bidding. He’s so powerful that even the obvious target decides to use a new twist to help Paul.

It’s time for the HoH Competition. They wheel out Season 16 winner Derrick Levasseur to host the competition, which is a bracket-style quiz tournament about evicted HGs.

Paul and Christmas end up battling it out for the win. Christmas takes the prize and becomes the new HoH! It’s not really something for her to be bragging about, though, because Paul threw the completion because he knows that Christmas will keep him safe.  Christmas brags about wanting to make a big, strategic move.

After the competition, everyone is chatting about how Mark—who is now sans Elena—is the obvious target. However, Alex wants Kevin to be the back-up target because she thinks that he’s a cop because he says he knew Derrick.

Of course, this is so supremely stupid. Alex is fired up about how much she hates Kevin and how Jason shouldn’t trust him. Jason blindly believes Alex, but he asks Kevin what he did to her. Alex screams at Jason for daring to talk to Kevin.

This is all a bunch of insane chaos with Alex acting like a delusional crazy person. And the show gives no credit to Paul, even though he’s been planting seeds to turn her against Kevin for weeks.

Later, Josh tells Christmas that he kind of believes that Cody was right when he said that Alex and Jason might try to flip against Paul. He claims that Alex and Jason are really good liars, starting to set them up as the next targets. But once again, none of this matters for this week because Mark is still Plan A.

There’s also an emotional moment where Jason gets his HoH letter from the double eviction and learns that his wife is pregnant. He cries and everyone cheers.

Later, we see a segment about Josh and Christmas’ friendship, talking about wanting to be in the Final 2 together and going to the Final 3 with Paul.

Paul talks about how he’s been a huge target since the beginning, even though he’s never been on the block and none of these people are smart enough to take him out. He sees that there are three power couples in Alex and Jason, Matt and Raven (“Maven”) and Christmas and Josh, and he’s playing the third wheel to all of them. Now he just needs to turn the couples against each other and when one half goes, he slides into a Final 2 with the other.

It’s very smart and Paul is definitely playing the best game, but it only works because the rest of these HGs are too dumb to see it.

It’s time to pick the pawns. Christmas claims that her “big move” is to back-door Mark and use Matt and Jason as the two pawns.

Poor Christmas. This is, of course, the total opposite of a big move and she is too dumb to see that. If Mark wins the Power of Veto and doesn’t use it, Christmas says that Jason is the back-up target thanks to what Josh told her earlier. Paul co-signs this plan.

A new twist is released as the tree in the living room has five apples, each with a different prize or punishment. There’s “Eliminating 2 Eviction Votes”, a “Second Veto”, “Save a Friend”, “Bounty on Your Head” and “Can’t Compete in the Next HoH” options.

It’s basically a Tree of Care Packages, but instead of having America vote for them, for the next three weeks the first HG who wants to take an apple can randomly pick one and get that gift prior to nominations. Each person can only take one and it must be used in that week.

Josh claims that this will 100 percent change the game, but no one seems that interested in it. Mark knows he’s screwed and has nothing to lose, so he takes an apple. Mark picks “Save a Friend.” It’s hilarious because Mark knows he has no friends in the house.

It’s time for the nominations.

Christmas talks to “Maven” about using one of them as a pawn and Matt volunteers to protect Raven. He claims that everyone will have to take their turn as a pawn and he’s doing it now so he won’t have to be one later. Christmas explains that if something goes wrong, Jason or Kevin will be the back-up target.

Then she talks to Jason and Alex about one of them being a pawn, claiming that Matt would be the back-up target. Jason happily volunteers.

Mark makes his pitch to Christmas and Josh, claiming that he’s by himself and there are a lot of strong duos. But he knows that he’s the top target. After he leaves, Christmas claims that saving Mark is something to consider.

Dear God, how many times is the show going to do this?! Josh considered saving Jessica, but didn’t. Alex considered saving Cody, but she didn’t. Christmas considers saving Mark, but she won’t.

Before the nomination ceremony, Mark reveals that he chooses to save Paul as payback for getting a Friendship Bracelet on Night 1.

Christmas nominates Matt and Jason. She uses her speech to explain that her plan is to back-door Mark.

We will have to wait until Wednesday to see what happens next! In the meantime, head over to BuddyTV to discuss ‘Big Brother 19’ with other fans!

(Photos: CBS)