Social games are more important than ever in the first few weeks of Big Brother. Big Brother Canada 7 was no exception. The houseguests who built relationships and blended nicely with the group’s vibe found safety in the background, while the outsiders became the glaring targets. There’s no master formula for avoiding being the first person evicted. Any little thing could place a player on the block and get them evicted. In Big Brother Canada 7’s case, it all came down to personality and targets.
Firstly, I loved the new theme for Big Brother Canada 7: secret agent. The house received a tech update that looked more visually appealing than the Big Brother Canada 6 house (the duality of bright white and dark red created headaches at times). Here, their minimalistic approach allowed the players to take focus instead of an overbearing house. And with the addition of the new rooms, the house felt more spacious and increased the possibilities for more secrets. Just think about it: what other rooms could be there beyond the archive room? I can’t wait to find out.
It’s a shame that the Big Brother Canada intro didn’t return again this season. The soap opera-like intro hasn’t been seen since Big Brother Canada 5. While it took away an extra two minutes of footage, the intro added to the fun and it helped to learn the houseguests’ names. The season opener of the secret agent mission provided a great introduction for the season’s theme, but that’s only in the beginning – we never see it again. The intro needs to return to the start of every episode.
Out of the 15 new houseguests, a few of them stood out for great reasons, while one already received the “stupid” edit. Dane, in particular, got the goofball edit. The producers went double-down on his comic failure treatment once he revealed his missing teeth in his player intro. Ever since that joke, the tone of his clips showed that he wasn’t the brightest person and that we shouldn’t take his strategic prowess seriously. It’s only the first week of the season and we should be making that judgment over time, not have it shoved in our faces from the start. People lose their teeth in sports/hockey and that type of injury shouldn’t equate to a specific edit.
Adam should start thinking of a back-up plan for his “Brigade” alliance (i.e. four men working in secret together while each controlling one person outside of the alliance). That idea proved successful in Big Brother 12, but it has failed in every season that it’s been attempted since. Plus, it’s only the first week. Any alliances created now will no doubt crumble by the second or third week. He shouldn’t put a lot of stock into the ideals of a Brigade, it should form naturally.
Samantha hitched her ride to Adam, and while it helped her in the first week to avoid nomination, that showmance could blow up in her face soon. Neither Adam nor Samantha was subtle about their friendship to the other houseguests; the perception of them being a duo/power couple grew by the day. Even Laura used her last plea to throw them both under the bus! They need to cool it and be subtle or else they’ll end up on the block together. There are still too many people in the house for them to be this open; anyone could make a move against them and rally the numbers.
Damien is a tricky case. He got the chance to enter the house first to discover the Power of Veto and learn secrets. However, he’s not a fan of the game, so the opportunity had no effect on him. Compared to Big Brother U.S., the Canadian version casts more fans and people who appreciate the game; even recruits respect the experience of being on Big Brother. So, when Damien acted like he didn’t care, that no doubt rubbed everyone the wrong way. That’s a terrible move to make in the first week. If he wants any chance of winning, he needs to make amends and fade into the background.
In addition to these four, Eddie stood out for being a savvy/cunning player, Kiera for being assertive and direct, Maki for being unique, Chelsea for being ambitious, and Kailyn for hiding her psychic abilities. Overall, Big Brother Canada 7 selected a great cast this season, which includes the first-ever non-binary houseguest in North America. Big Brother Canada never disappoints with choosing a diverse and eclectic group of houseguests that represents the country. Big Brother U.S. should take the hint and follow the lead – the change would vastly help its casting.
Advertisement
A strange choice by the writers/production team was changing the word “twist” to “blindside.” Just because people are tired of Big Brother’s exhaustive twists, it doesn’t mean that changing the word will change the sentiment. A bad twist is a bad twist. For instance, Arisa Cox revealing each houseguest’s hidden secret was a great twist since it affected everyone and shook up the house. On the other hand, Big Brother Canada forcing ANOTHER twist involving voting someone into the house was a bad twist. Producers should know by now that viewers (both Canadian and international) don’t like when people lose out on the opportunity to play Big Brother by public vote. This twist only worked on Big Brother Canada 2. Please stop this!
Laura’s unanimous eviction wasn’t a surprise, especially with all the mistakes she made in her first week. While openly campaigning against the Head of Household’s showmance partner (see above about Adam and Samantha) was a bad move, her personality toward the others didn’t help her case. Big Brother Canada 7 is 70 days and there’s a lot of downtime in between the challenges and strategies. People want to chill with those they like, but Laura didn’t mesh well with her fellow houseguests. In the early weeks, if there’s a chance to kick out someone who causes drama, players usually take the easy vote. Laura was an easy vote.
Her biggest mistake ended up being her pride. Future Big Brother Canada players could learn from Laura’s elimination with the old expression, “A day late and a dollar short.” Her not talking to Adam on the same day he won HOH and congratulating him created a ripple effect that imploded her chances. Sure, you don’t want to sound fake and be buddy-buddy to the new HOH, but you have to grovel and schmooze to build relationships. Laura wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t go against her opinion and she stood behind that faulty strategy even while talking to Arisa. Those who get to the end are those who are willing to do whatever it takes to win. Laura’s inability to try hurt her more than her strategic faux pas.
The first week of Big Brother Canada 7 didn’t break the mold of a premiere week. There was the typical unanimous eviction vote, the jock HOH, the return of a twist that shouldn’t have returned, and meeting the new houseguests we’ll love or hate. Overall, it’s nothing new and nothing we haven’t seen before. However, the cast was fun, the house looked refreshed, and the secret agent theme was primed to be one of its best yet. There’s a lot of potential here for a great season.
Advertisement
Advertisement