SPOILER ALERT: This post contains details on Big Brother Season 27, Episode 29, which aired on Tuesday, September 9.
Some of the most passionate television fans are those who watch Big Brother, and the latest game twist has angered them, creating a backlash on social media.
Viewers who watch the Big Brother live feeds had been cursing out CBS and its producers all weekend, but after the network aired the latest episode where the game show twist plays out, all hell broke loose.
CBS aired the reality competition series on Tuesday night, something host Julie Chen Moonves had teased on last Thursday’s eviction episode.
Following the eviction of Mickey Lee, who became the eighth housemate evicted from the house, the remaining houseguests would all at least make it to Jury House. Those who make up the jury determine the winner of Big Brother on finale night.
At the top of the episode, the houseguests were “treated” to visit the “White Locust,” a neighboring resort and spa, as an alleged prize for making it to the Jury phase of the game.
Houseguests playing the Big Brother game know that any “treat” inside the house is to be taken with a grain of salt because the only thing that’s real on this show is to “expect the unexpected.”
It wasn’t long before the houseguests were interrupted by Master Mind, who revealed the “Month of Mayhem”, teasing that one of them would end their time in the game and become the first jury member.
“You may have checked into the White Locust, but one of you won’t be checking out,” Master Mind told the houseguests.
Big Brother alum Tyler Crispen entered the White Locust to guarantee safety to one of the houseguests in the “Night of Chaos.” After the challenge, it was Ava Pearl who won and would be safe for the night.
Tyler then revealed the next challenge that would be the cause for elimination for one of the houseguests. The contestants would have to finish a puzzle within an allotted time, and if they didn’t complete it, they would be eliminated. The game stops once a houseguest is unable to complete the challenge. However, if the houseguest were successful, each subsequent houseguest picked for the challenge would have a minute less to complete the maze each time.
Ava chose Vince to go first, and after completing the maze, he had the opportunity to select the next houseguest to take up the challenge, picking Lauren to go up next. Lauren chose Morgan to go to the maze, who then chose Rachel to compete in the challenge.
Rachel took on the challenge with 3:30 minutes allotted to finish the maze, saying in her confessional, “This is do or die for me, I have to survive or this is the end of my game.”
With less than a minute left on the time clock, Rachel says, “I’m thinking about Brendan and my two beautiful children at home. I’m here for them. This is so important, and this game could be what determines if my Big Brother life ends tonight. I always pull through when my back is up against the wall. I know there’s still hope. If I just focus, I really think I could do this.”
Unfortunately for Rachel, the clock expired and she was not able to complete the maze in time, ending her time on Big Brother Season 27.
Rachel Reilly loses “White Locust” twist on ‘Big Brother’ Season 27
CBS
The Master Mind informed the houseguests that Rachel hadn’t completed the maze, sending shockwaves across the house.
“I don’t win the competition and I’m out of the game,” Rachel says in her confessional, tearing up. “I’m really disappointed in myself. Big Brother has meant so much to me. I met my husband on the show. I have two beautiful kids because of it. I’m a winner of the game. I’m a legend. I kind of feel like I let everyone down.”
At the beginning of the episode, Rachel was feeling hopeful about her future in the game, saying, “I’m really excited that I’ve made it to the Big Brother jury. I’ve been here twice before, and now it’s time for me to pull out that Rachel Reilly spirit and make it to the end. These kids have no idea what’s about to happen in these next few evictions.”
Rachel, who competed in Season 12 and returned to win Season 13, left with some departing words to her fellow housemates.
“Don’t think I’m going to make your jury table round easy,” she said. “You’re going to have to work to win this game. You are going to have to fight and get blood on your hands because I did, and I’ve done it three times now.”
She continued, “So don’t think that you can show up in those final two chairs and I’m going to let you guys get off easy. Because if you want to be a legend like me, then you have to work for it and earn it.”
The criticism of Rachel’s eviction stems from her being eliminated in a twist, rather than through the formal eviction process. Big Brother legend Janelle Pierzina has been vocal about Rachel’s eviction and has not held back her opinions.
“Well those ratings better grab a life vest. They are gonna need it,” she said in one post on X.
In a post over the weekend, Janelle shared a confirmation that she had canceled her subscription to Paramount+, as she wouldn’t want to continue watching the Big Brother live feeds.
“Not worth watching anymore sorry,” she posted.
