The premiere of Big Brother 16 is just three weeks away. The 24/7 live feeds, alliances and backdoors, Power of Veto and Head of Household, expecting the unexpected and Julie Chen’s famous “But first” are all less than a month away, and while there’s no official word on what twists may be in store, one rumor seems to be dominating the Internet.
Keep in mind, this is only an unconfirmed rumor that could very easily be false, so everything from here on is pure speculation.
The popular rumor is that Big Brother 16 will be a “Relatives” season in which pairs of family members will compete alongside each other, similar to Survivor‘s popular Blood vs. Water twist. It may include veterans, newbies or a mixture of both. Some of the rumored potential houseguests include sisters (and former HGs) Rachel Reilly and Elissa Slater, married couple Daniele Donato and Dominic Briones (who met and competed together in season 13) as well as season 14 standout Frank Eudy and his dad, professional wrestler Sycho Sid Vicious.
The idea of playing in pairs is nothing new, as Big Brother has done it several times. In season 6 houseguests entered as secret partners, though the secret was quickly figured out. Season 9 started with HGs competing together and getting evicted as pairs. Season 13 began with “Dynamic Duos” in which a single duo was nominated and only one was eliminated before it became an individual game.
If the rumor is true about a Relatives season, any of those could be potential twists, either playing individually, nominating two pairs or nominating a single pair. But is the rumor exciting or nauseating.
Why a Relatives Season Would Be Good
After the obnoxious controversy surrounding Big Brother 15, bringing back veterans would be a good idea. They understand how the show works and would be less likely to say those kinds of idiotic, ignorant, hateful remarks.
There are also plenty of past contestants I’d love to see again. Daniele Donato is my all-time favorite and Frank, while annoying, was a dominant physical player. Any season with a preexisting fan base is a good thing for CBS.
It also helps that the Survivor model was so well-received. People liked the Blood vs. Water format and that show is bringing it back this fall. Using it on Big Brother would be a great way to keep the popular trend going.
Why a Relatives Season Would Be Bad
I honestly love this idea and part of me hopes the rumor is true, but there’s one major point that has me worried: Rachel. I’ve made no attempt to hide my disdain for Rachel Reilly and everything she brings to reality TV. Her voice is annoying, she cries way too much and she always tries to make everything about herself. I understand why the CBS reality casting department would keep bringing her back because she’s a polarizing figure who loves creating drama out of nothing. But that’s what I can’t stand.
Even worse, CBS has overused her. She and her husband, Brendon, have already competed on two seasons of The Amazing Race and two seasons of Big Brother. And her sister, Elissa, was on Big Brother last season, where the MVP twist once again made it all about the Brenchel Army’s fan base.
I’m not sure how much more of her I can take. She and her family have already taken up three of my last four summers on Big Brother and two of my last four springs on TAR. Giving Rachel a fifth shot at winning a TV show seems like overkill.
And the worst part is that I can’t imagine Big Brother doing a Relatives season without her. The show loves making everything about Rachel, and bringing in her sister last season was like a test case for a Relatives season.
What do you think of the idea of a Relatives season on Big Brother? Big Brother 16 premieres Wednesday, June 25 at 8pm on CBS.
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
