7 twists we want to see return to Big Brother

Whether they go exactly to plan or go terribly wrong, Big Brother twists make the game so much more entertaining and give us a feeling of suspense that simply can't be replaced. So much so that it's become the norm to implement a twist every season so that both fans and houseguests never get complacent for a single moment.

Big Brother's best game-changing twists

Every season, fans are desperate for a twist that will change the game in a way that has seldom been done before. Be it altering the Head of Household's power or making it so that nominees have a little more of a fighting chance before they are sent out of the house forever, twists are an essential part of Big Brother. Even so, some twists are just far, far better than others.

AI Arena (or Second Chance Challenge)

Over the years, Big Brother has become a pretty linear game. No matter the twists or turns, three things stayed the same — Head of Household power, Veto ceremony, and eviction. With these three major events being certain, it almost felt like houseguests were just sitting ducks waiting for the day that they would get sent home. However, with the AI Arena (or Second Chance Challenge), this didn't have to be the norm.

Season 26 gave nominated houseguests a fighting chance to ensure that their games weren't over in the blink of an eye. After the Golden Power of Veto did or didn't go their way, the nominated houseguests had the chance to compete in one last competition to dictate their fate. Should they fail or win the additional competition was beyond the point; the fact that they could go out swinging was the point.

Another nice aspect of the AI Arena is that the Head of Household didn't have complete power. After all, their nominations could change at any moment, forcing them to reveal their cards or even accidentally send home one of their allies. Because of this, we can truly say AI Arena is the only twist that shouldn't even be considered a twist. Instead, it should be a staple for season 26 onward!

America's Care Package

Leaving any vote for America to decide can be daunting, especially if there's a discrepancy between what casual watchers want versus what live-feeders want. Nevertheless, we think casuals and live-feeders can both agree that the America's Care Package twist was a nice exception to this rule because, no matter who received the package, the game would see some lasting changes.

As the name implies, America's Care Package gave America the freedom to give the houseguest of their chance an advantage that could help their game going forward.

Season 18, the season where the twist was introduced, allowed this twist to be used multiple times, which meant that if fans didn't see their favorite houseguest receive a care package, they could hold on to the hope that the next week would be different. Even if fans did see their favorite houseguest receive the care package, they would still be entertained by the thought of a game-changing advantage being introduced.

Giving America the power to change the Big Brother game doesn't always go as planned. But with America's Care Package, we could always count on that something, no matter how small, would change.

Battle Back

Every single season, there's a player that gets sent home before their time. Say, a houseguest that was wildly entertaining or a houseguest that simply never had their chance to shine. Either way, seeing them go was always devastating, leaving fans (and sometimes even houseguests) begging for a way for the player to return.

Thus, came the introduction of the Battle Back Competitions!

The Battle Back Competition allows for pre-jury houseguests to compete for a chance to get back in the house for a second time and, hopefully, do everything that they couldn't do before their eviction. The twist did not come without risk since there was always a chance that the wrong player would be granted the opportunity to return. However, when it was done right (like in season 19 with Victor Arroyo), fans can't help but want it back to steer a season back on track.

A Battle Back twist definitely would've been nice to see during season 26, especially when players like Cedric Hodges and Tucker Des Lauriers went home way too early. Maybe season 26 having such beloved players will inspire Big Brother to try the twist out one last time or even make it a staple!

Coup d'Etat

Coup d'Etat has been a fan-favorite twist for some time now, as it's a twist that is not only super entertaining to see play out but is something that changes the system of the house for weeks.

The Coup d'Etat allows a houseguest to remove both nominees from the eviction block and replace them with any other houseguests of their choice. This left the Head of Household out of power since they can't control who goes home that week nor can they participate in voting. Rendering the Head of Household powerless occasionally is necessary each season since it strips this idea of the Head of Household being overpowered and completely untouchable while also allowing players to play more proactively since their games could be in jeopardy at any moment.

This twist doesn't come without its controversies since some players feel that there's no point in having a Head of Household competition. Nevertheless, fans practically pray for this twist every season because there is truly none like it.

Diamond Power of Veto

The Diamond Power of Veto was first introduced in season 4. This power enabled whoever won the Veto competition to change the Head of Household's nominees if desired. So, rather than the Head of Household name the replacement, the Veto holder would instead.

A Diamond Power of Veto makes it so that there is another houseguest who has great power in the game, enabling other houseguests outside of the Head of Household to make more daring plays. It also has the ability to potentially make it so that the Head of Household doesn't play passively, and, instead, has to deeply consider who they put up on the nomination block. All in all, it's a great way to shake up the game.

Other forms of Veto do exist. Even so, after 26 seasons, it may be time to return one of the most dynamic versions of the Veto!

Pandora's Box

Pandora's Box is one of the most controversial twists ever (if not, the most controversial twist ever) for the simple fact that this twist gives the Head of Household even more power; something that has been shown time and time again to not be a good thing.

Every so often, the Head of Household would see a door with a golden question mark. Behind that door was usually a benefit given to the Head of Household as well as a "punishment" given to the rest of the house. (Sometimes, the benefits were given to the house, while the punishment was given to the Head of Household.) This twist was often a fun one since there were seldom any lasting effects on the game from it. However, there were times when the benefits received seemed a little sketchy.

Since Pandora's Box wasn't granted to the Head of Household via a voting system and was rather up to producers, some fans argued that the twist could be rigged for or against a houseguest. Because of this, the twist was done away with. But, should Pandora's Box ever return, one change that can be done to make Pandora's Box fair is that America votes for it or the Head of Household spins a wheel to let fate decide.

Rewind Button

Sometimes, there are weeks in Big Brother that seem like everything that could go wrong goes so terribly wrong. Fortunately, for season 16, houseguests could rewind the clock and have it so that everything that transpired that week basically didn't happen. The Head of Household competition, the Veto, and nomination ceremonies that took place that certain week were null and void, allowing the possibility for different houseguests to either win the aforementioned powers or be on the block.

If the Rewind Button twist ever came back, we would like to see it return as something that can be used for a total of three times per season. (Or for the pressing of the button to mean different things each time.) This way, if the house wanted to use it again for different reasons, they can with or without consequences that can alter the game forever.

Even though there's a chance that we may never see some of these twists ever again, Big Brother does like to recycle twists and bring them back in a different way. We can never say never!