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In the end, The Prodigy beat The Best Player in Big Brother and proved this to be true once more. Tonight, Ian became the Man by beating Dan, the Man 6 – 1.

It seems only fitting that a college student who had studied the game since the age of 10 beat the high school coach who developed two completely separate yet completely successful gameplans to get to the Final Two. Ian’s defeat of Dan may come down as one of the biggest upsets in Big Brother History, but a closer look reveals that the 6-1 vote was not entirely surprising when one considers the following:

- Dan’s entire plan required him to betray 6 of the Jury members.

- Ian’s gameplay was in your face, while Dan’s strategy was to stab from behind.

- The Jury Sequester  was filled with those who Dan had managed to backstab and the brewing animosity only festered as more people entered.

- Ian’s social game had improved to the point where very few were truly upset with him at the end.

Before looking too closely at Ian’s win, one must examine the final status of Dan Gheesling’s gameplay this year. Coming in, it was safe to say that Dan was underestimated in gameplay. That he managed to sneak through to the end using his wits and maneuvering of his chess piece Houseguests speaks to a mental game that is second to none. Dan has proven to be the best player for this version of the Big Brother game, a game that took down the previous Best Player in BB History when he played it in All-Stars.

So, where does this place Dan in the Pantheon of Best Players? The argument could clearly be made that he is the best- remember, no other player has ever made Final Two twice and won once. He is the most successful financially, and is still the only player to get a 7-0 vote. He has the most successful game for the current iteration of Big Brother (the version of the game that developed following Big Brother 3), and he has former master players commending his game.

In light of this, it makes it all the more impressive that Ian managed to win Big Brother 14. Rarely has a player gone from such an awkward social position as Ian started in to grow into a winner and more well-rounded young man in general. It spoke volumes that Mike “Boogie” commended both Ian’s gameplay and his personal growth. Ian earned this commendation on both fronts.

Ian played a well rounded Social, Competition and Mental game. He was extremely competent in all fronts, and proved an excellent Mental game player. His own gameplay puts him in easy contention for a future All-Stars season, and his performance is impressive overall.

Finale Results:

3rd Place – Danielle

The most complementary thing to be said towards Danielle’s Final 3 Performance is that she looked good tonight. Danielle’s utter lack of self-gameplay earned her the most regrettable position in Big Brother – Third Place. To be fair, this may be the most deserving place she could have gotten. Danielle made some decisions on her own, true- but they were rare in a game where the most dominating voice in her head came from outside of it. She allowed herself to be blindsided, misguided and ultimately cast aside. The most telling thing about Danielle’s chances in Final Three is this- in rehearsals for his final speech, Dan was assuming he was going against Ian and sending Danielle to Jury. Her biggest “ally” proved to be her downfall, and she lost it all for that.

2nd Place – Dan

Dan’s strategy earned him a  Final Two position, but almost guaranteed no higher than that. Simply put, he had burned too many bridges and the obvious anger of the Jury towards him made it clear that no matter how smooth he talked tonight, he would not win this season. $50,000 is a considerable salve for any bruised ego he may have, and his gameplay elevated his stature in the Big Brother Pantheon. He may not have won, but he did earn props and respect tonight.

1st Place – Ian

Chief Quack himself. Ian’s abilities were overlooked early on by may Houseguests but one coach saw potential in the kid. It is very telling that Boogie – the man who was most upset with Ian upon his eviction – was so quickly shown the light in his interview with Julie and quickly became an Ian fan. Mike Malin is a student and master of the game, and his respect for Ian at the end of this season spoke volumes. Moreover, Ian maintained friendships in the Jury- witness Ashley and Britney’s clear pleasure in Ian’s win. Ashely even said to Ian during the credits “I’m so proud of you.” The young man grew up during this summer, and has earned more than $500,000 for it.

Star of the Season – Dan

Despite coming in 2nd Place, Dan was easily the star of the season. It was Dan’s world, and everyone else was living in it. His gameplay from the “Funeral” on defined the game and who remained in it, and his skill in moving the chess pieces of the House around was unparallelled. Dan was the Best Player of the season, and when combined with his BB10 performance put him as the best in BB History.

Game Move of the Season – Ian Forms the Quack Pack.

Despite Dan’s protests to the contrary, it was mostly on Ian’s shoulders that the formation and maintenance of the Quack Pack fell. It was on Ian to reunite the Quack Pack after Dan’s betrayal that sent Britney out. Ian was the lynchpin in this alliance, and his work to maintain it led to an all-Quack Pack Final Four.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Big Brother 14 falls as one of the most exciting seasons of Big Brother mostly for the second half gameplay of Dan. That being said, there were many highlights of the season from Day 1 onward. Big Brother 15 has already been announced, and this gives us 9 months to prepare for another round of gameplay, backdealings, backstabbings and fun.

It’s been a great summer, folks. See you next July.

Ian, thinking he’s guaranteed to be in the finals because of his ‘Renegade Alliance’ with Dan, was put under fire immediately after his win. A planned attack by Dan and Danielle that Dan hopes will help his chances of convincing Ian to throw the final part of the HOH to him. Dan put his plan in to motion, making an intentional slip to ‘reveal’ his alliance with Ian to Danielle.

As agreed, Danielle jumped down Ian’s’ throat, taking him to task for making a deal with the devil who, to Ians knowledge, has screwed Danielle over and over again in the game. She threatened to do her best to taint the Jury against him should he choose to take Dan to the finals instead of her. Promising to make Shane vote against him, and would try to get Ashley on board as well.

So far, things are going along according to Dans plan B – plan A was Danielle winning part 2. Ian is nervousing, Danielle is playing jilted ally, and Dan is sitting back laughing. On the inside, of course. Now he’s got to use his mist once again, convincing Ian to throw the HOH to him, ostensibly so Ian won’t have to cut Danielle himself, thus avoiding the tainting of the jury. However; Once a Coach, Always a Coach, and if Ian does succumb to Dan, he’ll be throwing away his chances of sitting in the Final Two.

We’ll find out what happens, live on Wednesday night, when Ian and Dan battle it out for the last HOH, and someone will win half a million dollars.

“You gotta admit, I played this stinkin’ city like a harp from Hell!”

- Penguin (Danny DeVito), “Batman Returns”

The best villains in classic literature often tend to be those who don’t reveal their true ambition to the hero until the final act. If one were to look at this season as literature or a story written out, then Dan has proved to be the season’s Iago. Seen as an ally to the “heroic” couple of Danielle and Shane, Dan fully revealed his true intentions to the heroine in the final act. With his move to get removed from nomination and then to eliminate the one remaining power couple in the house, Dan has paved his way to victory by placing himself in a safe position to make the Final Two. His diabolical plan to subvert his main ally is complete, and his move seals his fate as one of the biggest villains in BB History.

At least, that’s what you’ll learn if you ask Danielle tonight.

Seen from a separate and objective view, Dan has masterfully played one of the finest social games in Big Brother history. He has now been responsible for the entirety of the Jury House being placed there, and has maneuvered himself to having a Final Two deal with the two other remaining Houseguests. He has completed the conversion of Ian in totality to his side, and has shown again and again that he can place himself back in Danielle’s good graces. Even those whom he has been responsible for evicting (save for a still-bitter Frank) acknowledge his ability to win this game.

Tonight’s eviction could only go down after two months of play and setup. Shane’s departure was never assured until Dan convinced Danielle that he felt weak in the nomination chair, and this play on Danielle’s ego (based upon her position of power in the game at that point) was brilliant. After that, it was merely a matter of time for “Captain America” to get the boot. Shane’s post-eviction interview revealed a lot of hurt and betrayal in his mind, a fact that may hurt Dan in the Final Two depending on whom he is next two in the vote.

This season has ranked high in terms of surprise moves and blindsides, and there is still a high possibility that Dan may end up being the seventh juror. There are still three parts to the final HoH competition to be played out, and a win by Danielle may turn out to be the final straw for Dan’s game. Time will tell.

Week 9 Final Results

Eviction #11 – Jenn

In the end, Jenn’s game moves were what cost her a guaranteed Final Two. Had Jenn continued to lay low, her weak game play would have been seen as a perfect second place partner for any major game player. Her moves simply painted a target on her back that Ian was more than happy to aim towards. It wasn’t a great game play, and ultimately Jenn retreats to the same area of former Houseguests that were ultimately forgettable.

HoH #12 – Danielle

Danielle’s HoH reign was short, and catastrophic. In terms of personal game play, Danielle made the mistake of not considering where her guidance was coming from in the house. Had she kept the nominations the same, she was set for a Final Two. Now, she is forced to fight for her life in the game.

Eviction #12 – Shane

Shane’s mistake was in letting others do the work for him. Shane played hard early, and this made him a target. For several weeks now, he had been coasting on other players’ moves. Ultimately, this led to a complacency that made it easy for him to trust the one man who  should never be trusted in Big Brother. This more than anything led to his visit with Julie.

Star of the Week – Dan

It’s becoming a bit of a pattern, but once again the man who managed to save himself for one more week did so with amazing game play. Dan has all but assured himself a Final Two position, and did so with only a few minutes’ worth of convincing.

Loser of the Week – Danielle

To have two major alliances fall apart in one week is one thing. To have it happen because your ego was stroked into this position is yet another. Danielle has had blinders to Dan’s game the entire season, and this time it cost her a Showmance alongside a key ally. Her look of abject shock at Shane’s eviction was all that was needed to be seen.

Game Play of the Week – Dan convinces Danielle to remove him from nomination.

All it would have needed was a moment’s thought of “wait, how does this really benefit me?” Had those words crossed Danielle’s mind, she would have not made the move that sealed Shane’s fate. Instead, she went ahead with Dan’s plan and ultimately saved him, removing Shane in the process.

Having previously had a plan together to take out Shane before the final three, Dan could use that to sway Danielle. It could already be the plan. Even so, Danielle is known for being emotional, and her attachment to Shane could override her day-one alliance with Dan.

If she plays the game emotionally, she’ll keep Shane safe, and he’ll most likely vote to evict Ian. If Dan can work his way off the block, he’ll be the only vote and would probably evict Shane. It depends on whether Dan can use his Mist to have Danielle work to evict her ‘boyfriend’. It would end up being a feather in her cap come the final two, having made a big move to take out a dangerous player. However the same could be said if Dan or Ian were to go.

Really, it should come down to who she thinks she’ll have a better chance against during both the final three-part HOH, and if she’s sitting in the final two. We’ll find out her decision tomorrow night, during the live Veto Ceremony.