For 18 years and 19 (More like 21, but who’s counting) seasons, we have been addicted to Big Brother. CBS’ stalwart summer show has continued on and outlasted the imitators and pale attempts to latch onto the reality tv wave of the early 2000s, and has maintained a spot as a ratings power during the summer. With no end in sight and the series still performing strong, we anticipate as return of the show.
It couldn’t have come soon enough.
In retrospect, perhaps it should have been expected – a young upstart, brash but dedicated, upends the established and expected champion to take the crown. We’ve seen it countless times in movies, sports and entertainment that at this point it has become cliché. This time, though, it wasn’t supposed to happen. The cards had been played to perfection if you asked the people holding the hands. There was no way the young upstart would win.
And yet, nearly a month after the finale of Big Brother 19 we can look back and say that Josh’s defeat of Paul in the finale was not only one of the great endings to this show but was also one that we should have seen coming for weeks.
For several years now, I have written an analytical review article discussing the week that was in Big Brother. This season has found difficulty in analyzing a season with such poor game play, and when looking for points to analyze in terms of positive game play I have found myself lacking in inspiration. This is not the entire house, mind you – one player has mastered the game to the point that he is most likely to win unless something massive changes in the game. Paul’s game play has been exemplary in terms of controlling the game, charismatic leadership of his alliance and chess moves designed to weaken and eliminate his opponents.
It is an impressive effort that has been put forward – but one that removes the ability to see the best moves of anyone else playing the game.
For as long as the show has aired, Big Brother fans have thrived on the trope of “the clueless Houseguest.” Some of our favorite moments of the show have been the Houseguest caught unawares, not realizing what was going on until the moment was too late. In the last three weeks of Big Brother 19, the season has had example after example of clueless play and strategy based upon a lack of information.
It’s fun enough when it results in an eviction; it’s even better when it defines an HoH week.
There is an old adage, made popular by Omar Little in the HBO show “The Wire” that goes “You come at the King, you better not miss.” This, simply put, means that if you are going to make a big move you need to make sure that it will be successful as much as you possibly can. The entire run of this current season of Big Brother can be summarized by that quote, when one examines the play so far. Twice, two different people have targeted major players. In one instance, the target was removed.
The failure of the other, however, set the stage for the early part of the season and doomed Cody to an early exit.
Every season of Big brother, there is that inevitable first blindside of the season. Someone is nominated that doesn’t expect to go home, and their departure turns into a storyline that ends up with ramifications for the remainder of the season. Going into tonight’s vote, those of us on the outside knew Christmas would be safe with at least 7 votes to keep her in the House.
No one, however, told this to Cody, Jessica or Jillian.
For several years now, fans have looked forward to this time of year as the beginning of our summer pastime – the new Big Brother feeds and season premiere. We pay our subscriptions, get our systems ready and await the new season with gusto. Often, there is a flurry of information that we need to catch up on to understand the dynamics of the house once the feeds begin.
Rarely, however, has that been as important as this season’s beginnings.
Big Brother USA casting begins now for season 19. The show will start on Wednesday, June 28th. Rumors are that pre-show sequester will begin around June 5th. The BB Chatter discussion board is scheduled to open on June 19th, but may open sooner if news leaks out during the sequester period. Are you ready for the 18th year of watching foolish people do silly things on the internut? We are!
BBOTT exclusively on All Access begins September 28, all times are Pacific:
Monday 1pm: Veto comp
Monday 7pm: Weekly Replay daily recap
Tuesday 1pm: Veto meeting
Tuesday 7pm: Weekly Replay daily recap
Tuesday 7.30pm: Live Diaries
Wednesday 7pm: Weekly recap
Wednesday 8pm: Live eviction
Wednesday 9pm: HOH comp
Thursday various times: Julie QA with hamsters, and evictee interview
Thursday 7pm: Weekly Replay daily recap
Friday 7pm: Weekly Replay daily recap
Friday 7.30pm: Live Diaries
Saturday 1pm: Have-not reveal
Saturday 7pm: Safety ceremony
Sunday 7pm: Final safety ceremony/nominations
Summer 2016 has come to a close, and with it the eighteenth season Big Brother ends with the closest vote in many seasons and a historic winner in Nicole, a returning player who beat a strong new player in Paul and became the first woman to beat a man in the final vote. It saw a new America’s Favorite Player in Victor, a man whose own season was historic for his multiple returns to the house in one season. It saw the It saw the promotion of the first all-online season of Big Brother, to premiere in less than a week.
With all of this came the end of one of the least popular seasons in Big Brother, and the hope that future seasons learn from the mistakes of Summer 2016.