Big Brother Spoilers: Is Voting Out Cliff Really Jackson's Best Play?

Jackson Michie Big Brother CBS

Spoilers ahead for Big Brother Season 21.

With Jackson Michie officially winning the veto and being the sole vote in the upcoming eviction ceremony, it appears it's curtains for Cliff Hogg III. Cliff is headed to the Jury House over Holly Allen, unless he and Nicole Anthony can come up with a plea that would convince Jackson to send off his showmance partner. The odds of that happening seem low, but with that goal in mind, is it really in Jackson's best interest to keep Holly over Cliff?

To start, let's talk about jury management. Nicole is guaranteed a spot in Big Brother 21's Final 3, and given her great social game, she's going to be tough to beat on votes. That's especially true in the case of Jackson, who has jury members like Jessica Milagros, Nick Maccarone, Christie Murphy, and Tommy Bracco likely ready to vote against him. Tommy may have even swung some additional Michie votes away from the HouseGuest after talking about Michie's recent lie that led to Tommy's eviction.

The anti-Michie campaign will only continue if he evicts Cliff, who will be more fuel to the fire that Jackson has consistently manipulated HouseGuests and broken his word. He needs someone to spin the story in his favor with the jury, and Holly would definitely do that for him. Jackson has an almost surefire shot at Final 2 against Nicole and Cliff, so the only thing standing in his way of $500k is poor jury management.

Of course, in Jackson's mind, keeping Holly in the competition increases the odds that the two of them will walk away with the prize money. The couple seem to be operating under the idea that the money would be for both of them and their futures, though their collaborative decisions seem to help Michie's game more than Holly's. In either case, if it's Jackson and Holly in the Final 2, Jackson's going to consider that a win.

And it may be, although recent tension between Holly and Jackson may be a hint that this romance won't last long after Big Brother 21 is over. The two have had their fair share of blow ups, and Holly was recently heard saying that she did not see a future with Jackson outside of the show. Jackson could be going to all this trouble to keep her in the game, only for her to peace out once that prize money is in her account.

Assuming Holly's talk of she and Jackson going their separate ways after Big Brother isn't just an elaborate ruse to maintain they "don't have a final 2," Jackson may be better served to get her out of the running, especially at a point in the competition where he doesn't really need a partner to get to the final stage of the competition. So Jackson has two very good reasons to get rid of Holly, and getting rid of Cliff may only guarantee he's around long enough to be heartbroken in the finale. Remember, Jackson: this is chess, not checkers.

Who Has The Best Chance At Winning Big Brother 21?

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Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.