A Guide To The Current 'BB17' Alliances

I have no idea how people just watch Big Brother episodes when they air on TV. So much happens between episodes that there is just way too much to fit into three hours of TV a week. You may think you know what's going to happen next, but if you are out of the loop for just a few hours, you can miss a lot of the action, especially when it comes to loyalties. The Big Brother 17 alliances are constantly shifting among the houseguests. It's so hard to keep up with who is really "working with" who. Sometimes I wish that I could watch the show with some sort of flow chart to show the progression and deterioration of alliances on Big Brother this season.

We all know that the Sixth Sense alliance dominated the game at the beginning, and we've heard the words "Sixth Sense" so much that I wondered if Haley Joel Osment is collecting royalty checks at this point. Now that Clay is out of the house, is that alliance still a thing or is it crumbling? There's a clear divide among the houseguests, but even between the two main sides, there seem to be separate groups forming. Though it's a lot to keep up with, below is a breakdown of the house's current alliances. And for more on the shifting partnerships this season, check out Bustle's BB17 podcast, The Diary Room.

Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense was technically dunzo with Clay's departure, but its remaining members are still linked. Vanessa, Austin, Julia, Liz, and Shelli are in this crew, but it's really more of a strength in numbers situation. They are essentially using each other for votes, but are all just making game moves to look out for themselves until they need support during voting.

Goblins

Meg, Jackie, and James make up the Goblins. They are tied at the hip, constantly together and strategizing as a trio. This alliance is by far the most loyal in the house. I would be completely shocked if there was any kind of betrayal here.

Austwins

This one is just third wheeling to the extreme. Liz and Austin are not an actual couple, but they are in a pseudo-showmance and since Julia is Liz's identical twin, this means that they are all bound to each other. Liz is the nucleus of this alliance, so this is an ideal situation for her. Both Austin and Julia would do anything to protect Liz.

Shelli, Johnny Mac, & Steve

This alliance might be over before it has a chance to begin. It all depends on if Shelli survives elimination. When Becky put Steve and Shelli on the block, Johnny promised that he would do what he could to pull one of them off the block and get Vanessa off. If Shelli survives elimination, these three could be a surprising threat, but we shall see.

Vanessa & Everyone

As Johnny Mac has continually pointed out in the live feeds, Vanessa has secret deals going with everyone in the house. The only people not buying what she's been selling are Becky and Johnny Mac. Vanessa has used her skills as a poker player to manipulate people and play them to her advantage

By the time you finish reading this article, everyone I say could be wrong. Things are constantly changing in the Big Brother house and there are so many twists and turns. It will be very interesting to see which alliances crumble, succeed, or add new members.

Images: CBS; Cliff Lipson/CBS