Big Brother 26: First Impressions and Season Aspirations

It's hard to believe I'm going into my fourth live season and my third covering it through my blog. It feels like yesterday that I was watching The Cookout walk into the house, devise a plan, and execute it to perfection. Alas, we've made it to the premiere of Big Brother 26, where at least 16 more houseguests will compete for their chance to win $750k. Like everyone else, I've been doing my due diligence and trying to figure out the twists and turns of the season while getting to know the new crop of hopefuls. I've gathered my thoughts on the theme, the houseguests, and hopes for the season into this introductory piece. 

Quick Thoughts on This Season's Theme

Where the BB Multiverse might've been a symptom of its time, Artificial Intelligence is a present and prevalent part of our lives. It's hard to determine what is real and what isn't when scrolling on our phones through social media. That idea fits perfectly with Big Brother. Everything in the house is not what it seems. That being said, there are a lot of different directions the production team could take. We always risk the theme being squandered, but I'm more optimistic about this year's theme than last year's. 

Preseason Power Rankings (Based Solely on First Interviews and Overall Vibes, and Excluding the Potential 17th Houseguest, Obviously)

My Longshots

16. Lisa (33, Los Angeles, CA)

Placing someone in the bottom spot doesn't mean that I think they're going to be the first person evicted during the season, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lisa is exactly that. She gives off "Flower Child" vibes, which makes it hard for me to see her performing well in the house. 

15. Angela (50, Long Beach, CA)

I made a point when talking about Felicia last season to state that older houseguests might make it far in the game, but they hardly ever win. Sure enough, Felicia made it toward the end of the season before being cut. I do appreciate Angela's passion for the game, as evidenced during her interviews when she got emotional talking about what being cast meant to her. 

14. Cedric (21, Running Springs, CA)

Some houseguests look younger than their age might suggest, and others look older than their age. Cedric looks every bit of 21 and not a day older. As the youngest in the house, it might be in his best interest to lie about his age, though his face might give away how old he really is.

Just a Shade Above the Longshots

13. Joseph (30, Tampa, FL)

I'm really hoping that Joseph turns into the villain of the season because he has the mustache to pull it off. There is so much to like about Joseph's profile. His primary goal is to make excellent television. If this happens as the season's antagonist, I'll be all for it, assuming it isn't in bad taste. This drive to make good television could put him in the line of fire more often than not. 

12. Kimo (35, Hilo, Hawai'i)

There is no doubt that Kimo gives off incredible vibes. It's also appreciated when a player shouts out Jun or Andy as players he wants to emulate his game after. He's a persistent person, getting cast after several attempts. I'm concerned about him playing too emotionally, which gives me pause about whether or not he'll make it far in the game.

11. Kenney (52, Boston, MA)

When you come into the house name-dropping Derrick while boasting a similar career and regional alliance, it's hard to ignore. Personally, I think Kenney is shooting a little high by comparing himself to one of the better winners in the show's history. If he tries to lie about his occupation, I'm worried that he's going to give off major cop vibes. 

Cautiously Optimistic

10. Leah (26, Pittsburgh, PA)

This category seems like my "diamonds in the rough" because Leah has a profile that might be lower on my list under normal circumstances. She doesn't seem to know too much about the game, relying on her mom and sister, who are superfans. If you believe in signs and fate, she has "26" tattooed on her before the season starts. Could it be serendipitous? 

9. Rubina, (35, Los Angeles, CA)

Of the 16 houseguests, Rubina is the only houseguest that I couldn't gauge very well. I think she's going to be an interesting character in the house, and she admitted as much during her preseason interviews. She feels like she belongs on the show, but I can't say much about her from a strategy standpoint. 

8. Brooklyn (34, Covington, GA)

The court of public opinion isn't going to be fond of Brooklyn because of her possible ties to Aaryn from BB15. It's an indictment of just how hated Aaryn is in the BB community. I'm going to give her a shot to prove that she's an individual and not guilty by association. She's a fan of the show and has a clear goal to become the first married mother to win the game.

7. Makensy (22, Houston, TX)

It seems that a lot of people are low on Makensy before she enters the house. She's not a superfan of Big Brother but thinks that she is perfect for the show. She touts a self-proclaimed well-rounded game, which could bode well for her. My biggest fear is that she'll end up being like Reilly last season. She'll probably find herself in a large alliance, but could easily be early in the boot order. 

6. Chelsie (27, Rancho Cucamanga, CA)

Another excellent vibe giver, I really liked Chelsie's early interviews. She claims to be a big superfan going back about a decade, so she's likely very knowledgeable about the game. Her overall answers to some of the questions felt very generic, so I'm not sure what else there is to go off for her. She's going to be another entertaining person to watch. 

My Favorites

5. T'kor (23, London, UK)

I like a houseguest that comes in with a good story and isn't afraid to fight through some adversity. T'kor seems to exemplify that. She's a self-made woman who knows what hard work looks like. I don't have many doubts about her ability to work well socially, though her competition ability is going to be her biggest wild card. I think most people are going to be enthralled by her accent on the first night. 

4. Cam (25, Bowie, MD)

Now we start getting into the players who I think will be able to use their physical attributes to dominate if need be. Cam doesn't know much about the game, but his prowess as a former Division I football player and as a social media personality could make him an early favorite to be in an alliance. If he's able to win competitions and learn the game along the way, he's going to go far.

3. Tucker (30, Boston, MA)

A lot of people seem to be very high on Tucker's chances to win the game. While he's not at the top of my board, I also think Tucker is built for Big Brother. He's a big personality who boasts a lot of life experience and a decent knowledge of the show's history. Tucker reminds me a little of Enzo as the friendly, larger-than-life Italian who will try his best to befriend everyone.

2. Matt (25, Loganville, GA)

Few in the house give off the physical presence that Matt does. It's very fitting because I was very high on a different Matt last season, listing him as my favorite to win BB25. This season's Matt has the greatest potential to be a comp beast. Notably, he's going to target superfans of the show, and potentially setting up an anti-superfan alliance with him at the helm. 

1. Quinn (25, Lawton, OK)

After looking at everyone's interviews, I believe that Quinn is the most well-rounded individual in this season's cast. Quinn is a former college athlete with a seemingly vast knowledge of Big Brother, claiming to be a superfan since BB11. I also liked Quinn's analogy to describe the four types of players in the game. I like the prospects of a Quinn win this season. 

5 Things That Will Make BB26 a Good Season

1. Competition Equity- The biggest sin a reality competition show can commit is to provide boring television. The end of BB25 was painful to get through because the same two guys were winning almost every competition. No one looked forward to what Jag and Matt would do because it never provided any excitement. All we really want as fans is good television. We want to see players like Felicia take charge of the house because it provides a much-needed change of pace. Steamrolls are never fun to watch. Making every competition equitable to provide random outcomes is best for the game. 

2. Few Unanimous Votes- Going hand in hand with competition equity, it gets boring when every blindside gets announced right before the vote. There were only four dissenting votes during BB25, and two of them came from Cirie, including her refusal to vote against her son. We want dramatic votes. We want to see the shocked looks on people's faces after a blindside takes place. Part of what makes BB20's pre-jury phase so much fun to watch is seeing how one alliance was clearly one step behind at every vote. Last season's cast had such loose lips that nothing exciting was ever able to happen. Once the plan got out, everyone was terrified of not being part of the majority. Play your own game. Vote how you want. Make us want to watch you play the game.

3. Hide & Go Veto and/or Pressure Cooker 3- I don't ask for much as a fan, but I'd be incredibly grateful if we got at least one of these two competitions this season. The Pressure Cooker made its long-awaited return last season, providing one of the best nights of the season. The next big competition that needs to return is Hide & Go Veto. While we wouldn't be able to see it on the feeds, it would be so cool to see the aftermath and edit of the competition on the show. It's said that Brett basically ruined it during BB20 with his strategy, and the house does always end up being turned over as a result, but it would be nice to have the production team listen to us about something many of us want desperately. 

4. Keep it Simple, Production Team- There is an incredibly small likelihood that this happens because Big Brother's production team loves to overcomplicate a twist that ultimately falls flat. Hopefully, they won't run into the same issues as they did last season as they tried to bloat a season to 100 days. We don't need the twists to be convoluted because those are the ones that often fall flat. With an AI-themed season, I'm sure there is a treasure chest full of ideas to unleash this season. We already know there is a vote that is coming to potentially introduce a 17th houseguest. This isn't a new twist, but its execution will likely give us a glimpse into what the production team has cooking for us this summer.

5. Good, Clean Drama- Part of what makes reality television so appealing is the drama that it produces. In recent years, Big Brother's drama has been trashy at best. Most of it has centered around racism, sexism, and other issues that plague society today. Some of the fights were the results of differing strategies, but most of what recent seasons are remembered for are the hateful and unbelievably senseless words spoken by the houseguests. That type of behavior doesn't belong in the Big Brother house. The drama needs to be rooted in the gameplay of the houseguests and not in anything about them physically, spiritually, or psychologically. Give us a show without making us hate the people.