Big Brother 25 is off to the races; but sputtering along the track. Joining the insanity that is the multiverse trend, this anniversary season is set to have more twists and turns than ever before, embellishing the slogan, “Expect the Unexpected.” 16 houseguests enter, after a LONG delay getting to know them off before going back to formula and entering the Big Brother house in packs of 4. Then with only time to say hello to their fellow houseguests, they must go to the backyard and join one of four separate games based on the party they arrived with. This continues until every group has entered their new home and found their starting marks. Due to the multiverse twist, set off by an extremely cheesy (even for Big Brother standards) set-up, the winners aren’t being picked for Head of Household (the person able to control the game that week) but instead the losers of all four games become automatic nominees for eviction. 

This new tactic showcases the players game playing rather than allowing for one person to put themselves on the line with only knowing the group of 16 for a few minutes at that point. Things go expectedly mixed with two games involving puzzle solving, one involving endurance and the final involving strength. The contestants got to pick their games, without knowing the extent of the rules but it was up to them to place themselves into their positions and for a 90 minute premiere, it was rather dull. Held back by continuous commercials and competitions that didn’t seem to have much behind their creation (with the exception of the first puzzle), this initial start worries me for what the production team has in store for us this season - especially with no writers attached. The premiere’s final twist before declaring the losers, left me personally puzzled as what began as 16 guests now has become 17.