I'm Not Usually A Fan Of Former Big Brother Houseguests Returning To The Game, But Season 27 Is Changing My Mind

It’s only week three, and Big Brother Season 27 has been a mess. I mean that in the best way. We have seen sporadic game play, staged and real fights, and lovely gowns. So many lovely gowns. One of the main people bringing drama and mess is Rachel Reilly.

We knew we could expect this from such an iconic player like Rachel. However, I wasn’t expecting her to change my opinions on returning players. I will be frank, I hate returning players — not them as people, just the idea of putting someone back in the house who played before.

This is an opinion I developed from years of seeing similar storylines play out on the Big Brother Live Feeds and the episodes. Even if it’s a player I love, I don’t want to see them back… well, I didn’t until this season.

Rachel Being On The Show Reminds Me That Returning Players Can Still Be Fun In The Right Circumstances

A major reason why I am not a huge fan of returning players is that it’s often not fun to watch. The returnee dominates the game and uses the whole vet-mentor strategy to snow the newbies. The original season of Big Brother: All-Stars is highly entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, Big Brother: All-Stars 2 is one of my least favorite seasons ever. It’s boring, predictable, and just felt like it killed the joy or momentum of returning players.

This is mainly due to some of the pre-gaming that occurred even before Big Brother 22 started. After Big Brother 22, I fully committed to my returning player hater status. I knew Rachel would likely be on Big Brother 27 before the show started. I even predicted the return of players months before this season finished casting, so I was prepared to dislike this return. Nevertheless, I think the season has been so entertaining, partly because of Rachel. She adds so much to the show.

Rachel Has Been Able To Show Her Personal And Big Brother Growth, And That’s Amazing To Watch

I know Rachel as this bold character, always getting into arguments, and just being a mess, but so entertaining. That was the Rachel of Big Brother 12 and 13. We’re on Big Brother 27. That means it’s been 14 seasons since she last played. She also got married and had two children since appearing on the show. She’s experienced so much growth, and it shows.

Rachel has still caused some drama and fights, but it’s nowhere near as intense as her past seasons. She has mellowed out. Naturally, with life and experience, people change and grow, but it’s interesting to watch that happen from the lens of such a unique series as Big Brother. I think Rachel is a great Big Brother winner, but I have never been a huge fan. I didn’t love or hate her, just wasn’t a personality that I connected with in past seasons.

However, Big Brother 27 has really endeared me to this version of Rachel. It’s also made me admire and appreciate her love story with Brendon. Hearing her talk about her life with him and their love story shows how deep their connection is and was. I could only learn to appreciate it now, hearing how it has stood the test of time. It’s a real-life romantic movie.

It’s Not The Rachel Show

Another thing that often bothers me about returning players in a sea of newbies is that the newbies often become background characters to the vet. Rachel is a major presence on Big Brother 27, but she’s not the only one occupying a lot of screen time. There are so many big personalities and players who want to be seen.

If Rachel is evicted, the season won’t struggle to find new characters to focus on, because there are plenty of them. I know players like Jimmy, Kelley, Keanu, Ava, and Vince just as well as Rachel because they have been featured on the episodes plenty. And as an avid Live Feeds watcher, I know the people stirring the game like Mickey, Zach, and Morgan, even if they're not featured as much on the show.

Big Brother 27 has felt balanced in terms of highlighting Rachel as a major figure and not ignoring these new important players. It’s giving the newbies a spotlight just as much as it is Rachel. The same can’t always be said in similar seasons with one or a few vets and a bunch of new players.

I Am Not confident Rachel Will Make It Far Or Win

Almost every season of Big Brother and Big Brother Canada that has included returning players has had a returning player in the finale. Every year, the houseguests make the mistake of letting the returning player stay too long and end up being betrayed by them.

They also find themselves more pawns in the vet’s game than actually orchestrating much. This may not exactly be the case this season. Most of the Big Brother 27 houseguests want to keep Rachel around until jury begins, but not to the end.

Rachel also hasn’t been winning competitions yet. Therefore, it seems like she may be at the mercy of other houseguests because she cannot take control with competition wins. Additionally, unlike with previous seasons, these houseguests seem very aware that Rachel is a threat who should not make it to the end.

In week one, Zae also called out Rachel for wanting to be the first two-time Big Brother winner. Because people know how much she wants that title, they may not give it to her out of spite. So even if Rachel makes it to finale night, her win doesn’t seem guaranteed. Rachel already seems like she will have a hard road to victory, which shows this season may not follow the same pattern as past seasons with vets. That makes it more fun to watch.

I Appreciate Her Love For The Game And Show, And It Makes Me Respect Her More

Like most Big Brother fans, I have a love-hate relationship with the series. However, I really am that annoying fan who doesn’t enjoy watching people play who don’t respect and love the game. The Big Brother casting team seems to have shifted its focus from superfans to mainly recruited players. These players often don’t know the history of the show, nor care to learn it. Some just want their 15 minutes of fame. Some even don’t want to win the money. Those players frustrate me.

Rachel is so refreshing to watch on Big Brother 27 because she has experienced the show twice before and loves and respects the game and experience. She may not be the most strategic Big Brother player of all time, but she’s passionate about it. And sometimes that’s enough. It’s enough to just care about the game, want to play it, and make the show entertaining.

Seeing Rachel’s love for the game is a joy to watch, and seeing how it’s inspiring some of the players who were maybe unfamiliar with the show before to find their passion for it.

I am still conflicted on the topic of returning players on Big Brother (except in a limited format), but if they give the series the same energy and entertainment as Rachel, I may gladly welcome them.