Big Brother 14...The Long Con

This is Dan in full-on puppet whisperer mode.

People who are not immune to the power of Dan allow themselves to be talked into making moves that are detrimental to their own (and others') game. A recent example of this is Big Brother's resident loony, Danielle, falling victim to Dan's puppet whispering ways and handing him the power to decide her pretend future husband's fate in the game. The result?

This is Shane tattling to Julie about what a dirty player Dan is.

And this is Danielle, clearly shocked that Dan betrayed her.

The fallout? Shane shoved Dan, who appeared to be attempting to puppet whisper him (probably trying to secure his jury vote), on his way out the door. Dan did damage control with Danielle, claiming that he acted in her best interests. And Danielle did what all good little puppets do. She gave in to the power of Dan, thus perpetuating the long con that Dan began the moment that he entered the Big Brother house.

This is Dan attempting to puppet whisper his way to a Final HOH Round 1 victory.

This is Danielle, who has clearly not learned her lesson, letting him.

And this is the celebratory hug after Danielle threw the endurance competition to Dan.

Which leads us to the inevitable questions. Is the power of Dan really that strong? Strong enough to overcome what Shane's stalker would consider to be the ultimate betrayal of her trust? Dan may be the most gifted liar and manipulator to ever play a reality game show, but I don't think that even his power should have survived a betrayal like that undiminished in strength. Which brings us to...Is Danielle really that stupid? The answer to that, unfortunately, seems to be "yes". The upside? If Princess Diminished Capacity manages to win this game, she'll have access to the best therapeutic intervention that money can buy.

This is Ian not in his hammock for a change.

Whether Dan intends for Ian to survive to see the end of his long con or not, I can't count Ian out. He's a scrappy little puppet that really, really wants to win. He could be the obstacle that keeps Dan from his check. He's capable of winning comps and he's smart enough to figure out what Dan is really up to. The probability of an Ian upset? The same as a real Danielle and Shane romance.

Only five more days until Survivor starts.