Big Brother 17 has seen more twists upfront than ever before. There was the return of the “fan favorite”, but actually dreaded, Battle of the Block. The addition of the new weekly twists, The BB Takeover, which has proved to be interesting so far. Then there is the third twist, the Twin Twist. The Twin Twist is like many Big Brother twists, good on paper but in execution terribly disappointing. Revealing the twins as Liz (and her sister Julia) couldn’t even save it, if anything it made it worse.
The Audience Should’ve Known
Turning the newest season of Big Brother into a reality TV version of Sister, Sister sounds like a cool idea. It’s undoubtedly gimmicky and weird but so is nearly everything on Big Brother. The point is it had potential as a social experiment by adding an interesting layer to the human fishbowl aspect of Big Brother. This is all dependent on the audience knowing more than the houseguests which until very recently wasn’t the case.
The twist only works if the audience knows who the twins are from the start. When we know the secret we are directly involved in them trying to maintain their cover. Obviously from this point forward Liz/Julia’s diary room segments will probably involve them fretting over their secret being revealed, but it’s too little, too late.
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This Season Doesn’t Need More Twists
Big Brother 17 has been insane with a new alliance forming every episode and multiple fights over things as mundane as people walking into rooms. According to the Live Feed watchers there has been even more craziness that hasn’t made it to air yet. By comparison the reveal that one contestant is actually two people is dull.
Last season was bone dry of intrigue and drama so the Twin Twist would’ve been welcome. It would have given the audience something to be invested in rather than watching Big Brother become the Frankie Grande show. In a season as busy as this one it’s just overkill. The problem is that so far, the Twin Twist has relied on Liz and Julia being engaging characters on their own and they’re not.
Why Liz and Julia?
It might be unfair to judge Liz and Julia this early in the game, but I have a pretty good handle on every other houseguest. It’s not that they’re unlikable but being likable isn’t the same as being watchable. Big Brother could’ve purposely been downplaying Liz and Julia because they didn’t want to reveal the twist. Liz and Julia could be the victims of a bad edit but I doubt it. The most interesting thing about the twins is that they are twins, there’s not much more to them. Compared to the larger than life roommates, Liz and Julia just come out short. They weren’t even an alluring enough personality for Audrey to recruit into her massive alliance.
It would be one thing if a big personality like Audrey or Da’Vonne were a twin. It would also be interesting if Shelli and Jeff’s twins were in the house seeing as they have already started potential showmances with other houseguests. Since Liz has been so much in the background, the fact that sometimes she is her twin sister does nothing. There might be hope going forward but for now the Twin Twist is about as underwhelming as one of Kathy Griffin’s jokes. Zing!
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But what do you think? Is it still too early to judge? Could the Twin Twist make a rally and be a compelling part of the next three weeks (or until Liz is evicted)? Would you rather Big Brother chose another houseguest and their twin? Or do you just want to see who Audrey recruits to her alliance next?
(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.
