I've been following Big Brother pretty heavily for years now, but as someone who got into the show ahead of Season 21, there's still a lot I haven't seen. As such, it's become a tradition to watch one classic season with my Paramount+ subscription before a new one hits television, and with Big Brother Season 27 coming up on the 2025 TV schedule, it was time to finally watch Season 10, which featured Dan Gheesling.
Gheesling is often named as one of the greatest Houseguests to have ever played the game. I was already familiar with him from watching Big Brother Season 14, and his flop season on The Traitors. I expected to see the master of manipulation back in action in his first appearance, but ended up realizing that's not at all what led to his win in his first reality television appearance.
Unlike Season 14, Dan's Power Is How He Reacted To Game Moves
A good friend told me after finishing this season that Dan benefited from having a weak cast. I would push back against that slightly, because I think there were plenty of people who played in that season who definitely could've won had the dominoes fallen in their favor. Michelle Costa played a very strong game, for example, and I think in most other seasons, Memphis Garrett would've gotten the win rather than the runner-up.
At the same time, I think there's little denying that Dan Gheesling wasn't so much a master manipulator in his first season, rather than somebody who knew when to shut up and make himself scarce when things were going down. Others like Jerry MacDonald, whom Dan recently gave an update on, always seemed caught up in feuds with other Houseguests, even when there was no reason for them to be involved. Hell, Renny Martyn often seemed to go out of her way to get involved in fights!
Dan really only put the spotlight on himself when he absolutely had to, and there was no avoiding it. When he had to go back on his word to Bryan Ollie, I would say that was the most tense it ever got for him, and he was Head of Household so it wasn't really a high-risk moment. Even then, he managed to get Ollie and April's votes at the end of the day, so even that wasn't too controversial for him.
This isn't to say that Dan played a passive game, because he certainly didn't. Too many players make this mistake, and wiser players catch on and target people who try desperately to keep their noses clean at every turn. Dan was always in the mix in these situations, but he was able to remain calm, and prevent things from getting personal in a way other Houseguests struggled to avoid.
Dan's Confidence Played Into His Ability To Convince Others
One thing I will say about Dan Gheesling that I think many Big Brother fans will agree with is that he's not lacking in confidence. I've never seen a Houseguest, especially a first-time Houseguest who was so sure of his ability to win the game just about every step of the way. Even when Brian Hart blew up his game early on, Dan wasn't really worried he'd go home, even though the odds of that happening seemed high.
That early moment wasn't the first either. The infamous "Judas" comment made by Jerry also felt like a time when Dan could've easily gone home. Even then, he didn't seem particularly worried, because he was sure he could gain the sympathy to turn the tables and get a target off his back. If he'd gone home at any point in this game, I feel like he easily would've been roasted like other Houseguests as one of the most out-of-touch BB players until Daniel Durston began his famous feud with Taylor Hale in Season 24.
Weirdly enough, I think the fact that Dan seemed so confident that he was orchestrating the game actually factored into him winning at the end in a landslide, unanimous vote. He obliterated Memphis when it came to the jurors' questions, even being so confident at one point that he helped Memphis answer a question that actually played to his opponent's benefit. I'm telling you, it's truly astonishing the level of confidence this guy pushes out into the world. Those who want to see what it looks like when it blows up on him should watch The Traitors Season 2.
He Also Had The Perfect Final Two Partner In Memphis
There couldn't be more of a perfect polar opposite to Dan Gheesling than Memphis Garrett. Though the two were in an alliance, his greatest weaknesses were some of the things that Dan did best. While Dan was able to stay silent during tense moments, Memphis rarely spoke up unless he was angry enough to do so. In fact, he threatened to get physical with Jerry for calling him a "womanizer," which wasn't the best look.
Additionally, Memphis is not portrayed as the most personable individual. While his strategy in Big Brother was always on point, as he further showcased in his run in Season 22, he didn't really form a tight bond with anyone he played the game with.
Not every Houseguest is a social player, and while some can get away with that and beast their way through the competition and get votes off sheer dominance, it only works if you don't have an ally who is ready to take credit for your every game move. Even then, it doesn't always work, and had Memphis had an ability to advocate for himself more, I think he could've at least made it a closer final vote than he did.
Unfortunately, I don't even think Memphis thought he had a chance to win at the end, and it showed in his responses. He looked resigned to finish in second place, and you can't just show any weakness against a powerhouse of confidence like Dan. He let his ally walk over him, and while he tried to prevent that from happening in Season 22 with Cody Calafiore, it didn't work out for him there either.
All this to say, I don't think Dan Gheesling was the "greatest" Big Brother player in Season 10. It's a title he definitely earned in Season 14, which I didn't expect. As someone who fully believes Ian Terry deserved to win over Dan, I'm not sure I can believe both are true, but I've been trying to reconcile how it cemented Dan's legacy without diminishing what Ian achieved.
Big Brother Season 27 premieres on CBS on July 10th. There's always previous seasons to enjoy on Paramount+, and plenty of time to do so before the new season, so get to it!
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