Big Brother: All Stars finale: How the show barely redeemed itself after a very boring season

Every season of “Big Brother” is terrible in its own way. It’s one of the reasons it’s hard to look away from the long-running CBS reality show, whether you watch it for entertainment value or in horror. But this season, “Big Brother” had one of the worst flaws you can have on reality TV: It was deeply boring.

Case in point: To the surprise of no one, Cody Calafiore, a 29-year-old soccer coach, was named the winner of the $500,000 prize in Wednesday night’s finale by a 9-0 vote from a jury of his fellow contestants. He’s only the second unanimous winner in the show’s 22-season history. Cody ruled the game from the first day, winning the inaugural Head of Household competition (his first of many victories) and taking control of the house. This enabled him to quickly build solid alliances with the other competitors; as a result, he was never nominated for eviction the entire season.

Once he made it to the final two, the conclusion was obvious. Even runner-up Enzo Palumbo, a 42-year-old insurance adjuster, knew he was doomed. As host Julie Chen Moonves started tallying the votes, he mumbled, “They’re going to shut me out.” And they did.

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However, two things happened during the finale that managed to redeem the season. Barely.

“Big Brother,” which debuted in 2000, is billed as a “social experiment”: Stick 16 people in a house with cameras and microphones everywhere and have them vote each other out, one by one. Paranoia seeps in and usually leads to pure chaos — especially when multiple alliances form and battle for control through ridiculous (and often degrading) physical and mental competitions. Sometimes producers introduce special “powers” that can throw a wrench into things.

This year was “Big Brother: All Stars,” theoretically meaning the most legendary players in “Big Brother” history would return to compete. However, given that we are in the middle of a global pandemic, the logistics were complicated. The show followed safety protocols and required contestants to quarantine before entering the house. Then, shortly before the August premiere, three potential competitors tested positive for the coronavirus and weren’t eligible to play.

CBS didn’t reveal who would have been in the cast, but many contestants did not live up to the level of “all star” strategy and gameplay that fiercely loyal “Big Brother” viewers were expecting. Instead, one alliance ran the house the whole time; it was dubbed “The Committee,” with Cody, Christmas Abbott, Memphis Garrett, Tyler Crispen, Dani Briones and Nicole Franzel. From the first week, members of that alliance (and Enzo, secretly aligned with Cody) won the majority of competitions. The rest of the house didn’t stand a chance.

Fan favorites from early seasons, such as Janelle Pierzina and Kaysar Ridha, were targeted and evicted in the first few weeks. Even the “twists” largely fizzled, as special powers could save non-Committee members for only so long. The six on the Committee plus Enzo picked off the rest of the house, like a well-oiled machine, until they were they only ones remaining. Methodical, yes, but a complete snooze fest.

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That’s why it was mildly thrilling during the finale when there was actual drama. Cody won Head of Household over Enzo and Nicole, meaning he could decide whom to take to the final two — a situation made more awkward by the fact that he had promised both of them he would remain loyal to the end. Enzo, the inferior player, obviously expected Cody to choose Nicole. And Nicole looked like she anticipated the same decision.

But Cody, who came in second place in Season 16 when he stayed loyal to a better player, wasn’t about to make that mistake again — especially because Nicole already won Season 18. “It was such a blessing to have the both of you in the final two. This is horrible to do this to one of you guys. Nicole, I’m so sorry,” he said, in tears.

Enzo was stunned. Nicole, who previously appeared so confident that cameras caught her rehearsing victory scenarios out loud, was especially shocked. She broke down and could barely keep it together during her post-eviction interview. “I can’t look at you right now,” she told Cody moments later, when she joined the nine-person jury to determine the winner.

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According to social media, this moment was a pure shot of schadenfreude to fans watching at home, many of whom felt Nicole frequently played the victim after criticizing her castmates. There were unconfirmed rumors she and Cody talked strategy before the show started, which is strictly taboo. In one live-feed moment that did not air on the edited-for-TV broadcast, she was seen laughing as Memphis mocked houseguest Ian Terry, who is autistic, and also agreed with Dani, who said Ian’s “constant movement stresses me out.” (Franzel, a social media influencer, reportedly lost several sponsors after that.)

The finale’s other redeeming factor was the fan-voted “America’s Favorite Player” award, otherwise known as $25,000. The prize went to Da’Vonne Rogers, who immediately started to cry. This win was especially validating to many viewers, as Da’Vonne has become adored by fans over the years, especially for her priceless reactions in response to the madness of the “Big Brother” house. (You might have seen these GIFs approximately 1 million times.)

Da’Vonne also had one of the most powerful moments of the season when she was evicted in Week 7. “Big Brother” has had a long, ugly history of houseguests making racist comments, as well as a lack of diversity: A Black contestant has never won the show. This season only added to the problem, as all the people of color were voted out by the eighth week.

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Producers have clearly heard the criticism; they featured several scenes this year of contestants talking about the Black Lives Matter movement and racial injustice. But Da’Vonne, who paid tribute to Breonna Taylor multiple times over the season, made sure to bring up the issue directly before she left the house.

“Twenty-one seasons of winners and not one of those faces look like mine. … Not seeing a face that looks like mine is very discouraging. It’s hurtful, and it does make me feel like maybe it’s impossible. But I’m wrong about that, because it’s definitely possible. We can do it, it just hasn’t been done yet,” she said. “I want to acknowledge every African American who has walked through those doors with the same desire to be that face that I have. I see you, I salute you and I appreciate you.”

Read more:

What gets edited out of ‘Big Brother’? How sharp-eyed online viewers are leading a backlash.

These reality TV newcomers thought they were ready for fame. Then social media turned vicious.

How the best ‘Big Brother’ player of the season managed to tank his own game

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