The Den of Temptation is no more on Big Brother. The advantages that were delivered to the houseguests by viewer vote have been replaced with something new, The Temptation Competition. According to the rules set out by host Julie Chen, The Temptation Challenge will see the houseguests volunteer for an extra competition where a special reward will be up for grabs. Anyone can compete and possibly win the temptation.
The catch is that the person who comes in last in the Temptation Competition will be forced to put themselves on the block as a third nominee. This rule is what takes the twist from alright to legitimately great. Unlike the Den of Temptation which was messy and poorly thought-out, this new twist greatly enhances the game of Big Brother 19.
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A Real Temptation
The big problem with the Den of Temptation is that it was a temptation in name only. Though a curse did befall the house if someone chose to pick up a temptation, the curse never (except for the first temptation) negatively impacted the HG who received the temptation. Christmas, who received the second temptation, even got to choose who received her curse giving her a double advantage. The Temptation Competition reverses it and restores things to the way they should have been all along. Now there is a real downside to going after a temptation.
If you win the Temptation that’s great, but there are so many other ways things can go wrong. (It’ll be especially interesting if, like the Den of Temptation, the houseguests don’t even really know what they are receiving until they accept the challenge.) It’s no longer a popularity contestant where the viewers pick the houseguest they like the most or want to protect the most. Now it is just a contest of skill and a contest where the potential downsides are much greater than the benefits.
Given how greedy everyone is in the Big Brother house it is likely that a handful of people are going to compete in the challenge every week. If there are four or five people going for the Temptation, not coming in last might seem like an easy feat. There is a very real possibility though that only two people could end up going for a Temptation so if the houseguest doesn’t win the Temptation, they are on the block and likely stuck in the very situation they were trying to prevent. The risk and reward balance to the Temptation Competition is wonderful and so unusual for Big Brother, which either gifts the houseguest and advantage or cruelly try to throw an obstacle in their path.
The Perfect Curveball
The most exciting thing about The Temptation Challenge is that it will add a whole new layer of strategy to the game. This is something that is desperately needed in Big Brother 19. Paul is running the house to an insane degree because of his knowledge of the game and the fact that, for whatever reason, a lot of people trust him completely. The Temptation Competition throws a total wrench into the works because it really is a whole new dimension to the game, not just an old twist with a new name and a slight twist to the rules. Paul and his allies aren’t prepared.
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The Temptation Challenge is going to throw everyone for a loop. Participating in the Temptation Challenge won’t be just a way to receive an advantage, it can also ensure that other houseguests don’t get that advantage. The alliance lines are really starting to be drawn on Big Brother 19. One side of the house is going to want to win the advantage as much as they will want to prevent the other side from getting it. Every week The Temptation Competition will add something new to the game. An alliance in power deciding to go after a Temptation will be just as much of discussion as who they want to target that week.
There are some potential downsides to this twist. No one may want to compete in the challenge since it is optional. If no one wants to risk it, the twist will be a big ole dud. On the exact opposite site of possibilities, the same person (assuming there are no limits to how many times you can win an temptation) can keep dominating the competition. If Cody wins a temptation every week that would not only be awful to watch but the balance of the game will be way off once again. For most part though, there is a lot of reason to be excited about this new twist.
But what do you think? Are you excited? Do you think this fixes the problem with the Den of Temptation? Do you ever think there was problem with the Den? Do you think people will take the bait of Temptation Competition?
Big Brother 19 airs Wednesdays at 8/7c, Thursdays at 9/8c and Sundays at 8/7c on CBS. Want more news? Like our Facebook page!
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
