BB28: From Time Travel to Game play.
BB28
The second episode of BB28 had us jumping right in with the third “icon” of the season joining the houseguests. Survivor winner Dee Valladares! The competition, aptly titled “Survival of the Fittest,” was reserved exclusively for the three reality TV veterans: Angela Murray, Rick Devens, and Dee.
Their fellow houseguests were far from spectators, though. Each icon had a team holding the platform where the puzzle was to be completed, steady and level with ropes. Team members could also cheer on their icon and offer advice as the competition unfolded. Dee stayed remarkably calm, put the fire-themed puzzle together first, and secured the season’s first Head of Household. Rick was competitive throughout, while Angela never quite found the same rhythm.
Rick’s Entire Team
Because he finished last, Rick’s entire team became the first Have-Nots of the season. That means a week of slop, cold showers, and sleeping in the uncomfortable Have-Not room—which this year looks more like a medieval torture chamber than a bedroom!
One thing I didn’t love is that none of the 14 new houseguests had any chance to become the first HOH. Even though the competition itself was entertaining, I kept thinking, “The newbies are just standing there watching someone else take the most important power of Week 1.” It made the result feel a little less earned from the perspective of the cast as a whole.
Once Dee’s reign began, I found it interesting that the episode spent a surprising amount of time on the social dynamics instead of rushing through the nominations. Dee repeatedly emphasized that she wanted to make the least personal nominations possible and seemed to be searching for “safe” choices rather than making a flashy move.
Shomance
The house was also buzzing about the extremely fast-moving showmance between Rome and Lyric, which quickly became one of the funniest storylines of the episode because everyone else noticed it almost immediately. The other houseguests’ reactions were priceless! We also got our first glimpse of how awkward Week 1 campaigning can be. Some players immediately started working the social game, while others seemed frozen, hoping the nominations would simply pass them by.
One thing I think CBS did really well was transitioning from the over-the-top premiere into an actual game. Thursday felt like an adventure movie with portals, dinosaurs, and volcanoes. Sunday’s episode reminded us that beneath all the campiness, Big Brother is still about conversations, trust, and positioning.
Of course, before the episode ended, Dee had to nominate three houseguests instead of the traditional two because of this season’s format. Her nominees were Ashley Trail, Melody Morris, and Yash Patel.
Will one of these three win the Power of Veto and save themselves? Will Dee be forced to get even more blood on her hands by naming a replacement nominee? We’ll have to tune in on Wednesday to find out!
Photos CBS
