Big Brother 28 Episode 3 Recap: Emotional Manipulation, Veto Win Reshape Week 1

Dee’s first Head of Household reign settles into focus in the latest episode of Big Brother 28 as the fallout from nominations gives way to the season’s first Power of Veto competition. While one nominee takes a strategic approach and another struggles to keep emotions in check, a shocking act of emotional manipulation steals the spotlight before the week ends with a new houseguest taking a seat on the block.

Oh, and we also get a visit from some true Big Brother legends.

The episode begins after Dee nominates Mallory, Taylor, and Yash for eviction. Yash is especially upset because Dee had promised his group they would be safe this week. Even though he is disappointed, he handles the nomination much better than Mallory does. Mallory has a complete meltdown and, in the middle of it, starts naming people she believes should have been nominated instead while standing in front of a large group of houseguests. That kind of reaction is never a great look.

Taylor, on the other hand, has by far the best response to being nominated. Instead of getting emotional, she immediately starts thinking strategically and even sits down with Dee to discuss the possibility of working together moving forward. It may not make for the most dramatic television, but it is definitely one of the smartest ways to respond after ending up on the block.

Once Mallory calms down, she finally has a conversation with Dee about why she was nominated. Dee explains that the two of them simply have not spent much time talking, which is clearly an invitation for Mallory to start building that relationship. Unfortunately, Mallory does not really give Dee much to work with during the conversation. Dee also tells Mallory that Yash is the target among the three nominees. In the Diary Room, Dee confirms that she is telling the truth, but she also reveals that Mallory is her backup target if something changes.

Next, it is time to draw players for the Power of Veto competition. Joining Dee, Mallory, Taylor and Yash will be Barrett and Melody, rounding out the six competitors.

The veto competition features returning Big Brother legends Howie and Dr. Will. There is a lengthy backstory explaining the theme, but the important part is the competition itself. Houseguests must help send Dr. Will back to 2026 by completing what is essentially a complicated tube puzzle. The first person to correctly solve the puzzle wins the Power of Veto.

In the end, Mallory wins the Power of Veto. Considering she is literally a rocket scientist or something like that, it is hard to be surprised. This challenge seemed perfectly designed for someone with her type of analytical mind. With Mallory saving herself, Dee now has to start thinking seriously about a replacement nominee.

Ashley immediately becomes nervous because she and Barrett did not compete in the Head of Household competition, making her feel like an easy replacement option.

Meanwhile, Jason shares what initially appears to be a heartfelt moment with Angela. He opens up about recently losing his mother and tells Angela that he knew if there was a mom in the house, he wanted to work with her. This comes after the two had already bonded during the premiere over Angela talking about her gay son.

However, the emotional moment quickly takes a shocking turn. As soon as Angela walks away, Jason looks directly at the camera before admitting in the Diary Room that he was simply feeding her a story to play on her emotions. It is a surprisingly cold moment that really highlights his villainous side, and it is honestly one of the most ruthless moves we have seen from him so far.

Jason then tells Drew and Melody that he faked the emotional conversation with Angela. He also reveals that he wants Devens out of the game. The problem is that he is telling this to Drew, who is closely aligned with both Angela and Devens. Drew wastes no time taking the information directly to Dee and letting her know that Jason is targeting Devens. Dee even says that if Jason had not won safety for the week, she would have seriously considered nominating him.

Drew does not stop there. He also tells both Devens and Angela everything Jason said, including the fact that Jason admitted he had manipulated Angela with the story about his mother. Angela is devastated. She heads to the Diary Room in tears but makes it clear that this version of Angela is different from the player fans saw on Big Brother 26. Instead of blowing up or confronting Jason immediately, she says she plans to kill him with kindness and make him believe she still trusts him, all while plotting her own revenge.

As the replacement nominee decision gets closer, Ashley checks in with Dee to see where she stands. Dee is honest and tells her that she is absolutely being considered as a replacement nominee. Ashley tries to redirect the target toward Barrett, but Dee quickly shuts that idea down because Barrett is a member of the Crossover alliance.

Melody also has a conversation with Dee, but she may have accidentally hurt her own position. During the conversation, she repeatedly tries to convince Dee that she is not nearly as close to Mallory as people believe. Instead of reassuring Dee, it almost sounds like Melody is overexplaining herself, which could make her look even more suspicious. At this point, it seems like Dee is choosing between Ashley and Melody as the replacement nominee.

That brings us to the veto ceremony. As expected, Mallory uses the Power of Veto on herself, removing herself from the block. Dee then reveals her replacement nominee, and she decides to nominate Ashley.

That means Ashley, Taylor, and Yash will compete in the first Block Buster competition of the season on Thursday night. The winner will save themselves from the block, leaving the house with its final two nominees heading into eviction night. It will be interesting to see who survives, who ends up staying on the block, and whether the house follows Dee’s original plan or if the target shifts before the live vote.