My Ideal Cast for Big Brother 22

Hey everyone, today I'm going to be returning to my blogging roots by talking about one of my favorite reality TV competitions-- Big Brother!

Lately, the Big Brother fandom has been buzzing with the possibility of this summer's Big Brother season finally being the season of All-Stars that we've been begging for every year since BB7. Rumors like this spread pretty much every year, but this is the first time in a while that they've had any level of believability or credibility to them (especially with everything going on in the world right now). So, the hype is real, and it seems like BB All-Stars 2 might actually be in the cards.

Since everyone is speculating on who might be cast or who they want to be cast, I figured it would be fun to throw my own hat into the ring and create my own ideal cast of returning players for this season of Big Brother. 

An important note-- this is my ideal cast. I don't think this is in any way a realistic cast, and I think we'll get maybe three of these players on the season if we're lucky. This post is solely for my hopes and dreams and best-case scenario, all of which will definitely be crushed into tiny pieces when the real cast is released. 

In line with how production usually casts, I've chosen 8 male returnees and 8 female returnees. There are probably people on this list that you personally don't consider "All Stars," but I couldn't care less about that label, and I'm not going to argue over whether or not these players are "All Stars." These are simply the 16 returnees I'd like to see play again in a season together. OK? OK. On to the list. 

The Women

Danielle Reyes

Danielle Reyes is not only one of my favorite BB players of all time, but I also believe that she is one of the best players to never win the game. Danielle for me is the total package. She's a great strategic player, an entertaining character to watch, and gives fantastic DRs. BB3 is one of my favorite seasons of the show almost entirely because of Danielle and her alliance & gameplay with Jason. She's strategy and TV gold, and just having her alone is enough for a fun season.

Britney Godwin (Haynes)

While Britney isn't quite as great a strategist as Danielle, I also think that she's a very well rounded player and character for Big Brother to get back. Her DRs are possibly the best the show has ever seen, and she has a good head for strategy and especially for her social game. On top of all that, she went on the Amazing Race recently and has a really moving story about her daughter. She's in a totally different place in her life now than she was the previous times she played, and I think she'd be a great get for the season.

Vanessa Rousso

Obviously, she just had a baby and has 3 infants at home, so there's a 0% chance we get her back, but like I said, this is my little dream world here! Vanessa is one of the best strategists we've seen in recent seasons, and is a stock pick for many fans as someone they'd like to see back. She nearly won the game her first time, and she could definitely try again and possibly win this time. 

Nicole Anthony

I love Nicole, my mom loves Nicole, everyone who watched season 21 and their neighbor's cousin's cat love Nicole. With all of the frankly gross behavior in the house last season, the fandom rallied around Nicole in a way I personally have never seen before, and I think I speak for a lot of people when I say I'd love to see her get a second chance. She's an extremely likable and rootable character, but on top of that, I think she's actually an underrated player who could do some serious damage, especially in a house this stacked with big, obvious threats. 

Da'Vonne Rogers

Historically, I haven't always been the biggest fan of Da'Vonne, because despite all the hype she's gotten (after being evicted second on her first season), she's not a great Big Brother player. She wants so badly to be a great player, and she plays really hard, but even she will admit that her mouth gets her in trouble. But she's great TV. She gives great DRs, she's really fun to watch, and she calls out people when they need to be called out. I've picked some strategically sound, but not interesting players, so it only makes sense to balance that out with Da'Vonne, who will play a really messy, but entertaining game. It's a thousand times better than someone who's just there to exist inside a house. 

Jun Song

I feel like a broken record at this point, but I think Jun is another that is good across the board. She gives great DRs, she's fun to watch, and she's a strong strategic player, no matter how much people want to complain about her floating strategy. I think it would be especially interesting to see her play now, 16 years after she won. I think she would be able to fly under the radar, especially in this cast, and I think that's when she'll be most dangerous.

 

Helen Kim

As much as I love entertaining and messy players, I'm a sucker for players like Helen, who may seem boring to some people, but provide a calm, rational, strategic voice in all of the chaos. Once again, I think Helen is someone who could be easily overlooked and underestimated and get herself into a good position quickly just by seeming amiable and non-threatening. Then again, I have cast another person who would probably be on to her, and was one of the reasons for her downfall in her original season, but maybe she could get out ahead of him and slit his throat before he could take her out again. 

Kemi Fakunle

Listen, CBS loved Da'Vonne and brought her back the following season despite being evicted second, and I NEED them to maintain that same energy for my girl Kemi. Kemi was my pre-season favorite. I loved her personality, I loved her mind for the game, and I was rooting so hard for her... and then she got screwed by Bella and stuck in a house with people who treated her horribly the entire time she was there. I truly believe that she didn't get a chance to thrive in the Big Brother house, and I think she could do some serious damage if given another chance and put into a less disgusting cast. I'd love to see her play again. PLEASE.

The Men

Dan Gheesling

Dan Gheesling is always #1 on my list for people I want back for any given all stars season. He's my favorite Big Brother player of all time, I think he's the best Big Brother player of all time, and he's already played 2 fantastic games, and in my opinion he should've won the game both times. He has nothing to prove, and he'll probably never return except for an all-winners or all-legends season, but I want him back at any chance I can get. 

 

Matt Hoffman

I just re-watched BB12, so Matt was one of the first people I wrote down for this because he was at the forefront of my mind. I already knew quite a bit about Matt before watching his season due to podcasts, and when I finally watched BB12, he actually didn't live up to the hype for me the first time around. Re-watches, however, have cemented him as someone I'd love to see play again, and his recent Sequester game only further confirmed that. He made some really dopey moves in BB12 but he's genuinely a really great strategist, and is also a type of character I tend to gravitate toward, so I'd love to see him back.

Johnny Mac

BB17 was the first season I watched live, and ever since then, Johnny Mac has been the #1 person I think deserves a second chance. He's known for being a character-- he gives really silly DRs, he's really funny, and he's entertaining to watch. But he's also an underrated gamer, and his strategic abilities have kinda been overshadowed and forgotten due to his personality. I think if we ever got him back, he could fly under the radar a bit due to that fact alone-- he's just the goofy DR guy! Forget that he's a superfan, snowed the entire house into believing he was a clueless recruit, and played a solid lowkey game that got him to F4! Nah, nah, nah, he's just goofy Johnny!

Tyler Crispen

Tyler is definitely the guy on everyone's mind when it comes to an All-Stars season, to the point that some people have said it isn't All Stars if they don't get Tyler. While I'm not that aggressive about wanting him back, I do think he has to be one of the first asks for the season. He's fresh on everyone's mind because he played only 2 years ago, and he was the first person to make final 2 and win America's Favorite Player. Once again, I think the majority of the fandom believes he should've won that season, and I agree. I'd love to see him play again and see how he could do on a second try. 

Eric Stein

RHAP did a podcast a few years ago where they ranked the best players to never win the game, and they put Eric at #1 on that list. I haven't made my own list, so I'm not sure whether or not I'd put him in 1st place, but he'd be pretty high up there for me, especially when you consider that he had such a huge handicap of being forced to bend to America's every whim. And yet still he managed to play a great game and get himself to final 5 before getting cut. If for no other reason, I'd just love to see him come back and play his own game this time and see how well he fares. And hey, it's been long enough that maybe people won't know who he is or how dangerous he is!

Andy Herren

I feel like there are two opinions and only two opinions when it comes to Andy Herren. 1- rat floater on a trash season, ew. & 2- a deserving winner who played one of the best games the show has seen.  It seems like almost everyone falls into one of these two camps. Obviously, I think that he played an incredible game in BB15, and I'd love to see him play again, to see if he really is up to the level that I personally think that he is. I've said this for a few people now, but I think that since his game isn't extremely respected, they could see him as a non-threat and he could fly under the radar again.

Ovi Kabir

Like with Kemi, I simply don't think Ovi got a very fair shake last season, and I really want to give him another chance because they were my top 2 pre-season and just got completely screwed over. For Ovi, I have even more reason to want him back, because he played Sequester recently and got himself all the way to Final 4 through a very back-stabby, villainous game, which is not at all how he's perceived by the BB fandom at large. I think bringing him back would give us a great opportunity to see him actually play for real this time, and maybe even see that more villainous side of him come out!

Paul Abrahamian

I know. I hear you groaning already, and I'm with you. If it's that painful, pretend I put BB21 David in this spot instead, because those were the two I was debating between, and I felt like I already had enough BB21 to go around. The only reason Paul ended up here is because I think if he was on a cast this stacked, he couldn't outshine everyone like he did in previous seasons. I really liked him in BB18, and I was still rooting for him in BB19, and I think it would be interesting to see him play in a house of all returnees that won't be stupid enough to bow to his every whim. 

So, that's my ideal cast of 16 returning players for Big Brother 22. Recent rumors claim that the season is officially ON and that a premiere date has been set, so hopefully we'll soon see who's returning for the season. I'm cautiously optimistic for the season, despite rumors circulating about Josh, Paul, and Christmas all being potentially contacted for/ on the season. And many other rumors that just make me sad. Regardless, I just hope that we get a few of these people for the season, or at least just an overall decent cast. Because that's about all we can ask for at this point.

Share some of the returnees you'd like to see back down in the comments! Thanks for reading!

Casting Big Brother with Harry Potter Characters

On this blog, I've made it no secret that I love Harry Potter. I've gone on for hours and hours about how it's one of my absolute favorite things on the planet. However, as summer begins to roll around, another thing that I get really excited about is Big Brother. I'm a fairly recent fan (I started watching during BB17) but I've become super invested. I've gotten really into Rob Has a Podcast & listen to all of their BB coverage. I've gone back and watched a lot of older seasons. I even have the live feeds on in the background fairly regularly. It's something that I've gotten really invested in over the summer. 

While listening to some RHAP coverage and getting really pumped for the new season, I stumbled across a podcast that Jordan Parhar (of the RHAP Rhappy Hour) guested on that got me so excited. He appeared on a podcast called The Real Weird Sisters, a Harry Potter podcast. I was so excited about this idea that I have yet to listen to any of their other podcasts, but I definitely intend to. They appear to be going through the Harry Potter series, talking about it chapter by chapter (much like I do on my other blog, Specialis Revelio). I'm super excited to listen to their coverage, but first, I wanted to throw in my two cents on this great idea that they had. 

As you can tell from the title, on that podcast, they used the typical Big Brother casting stereotypes to cast a season of BB using characters from within the Harry Potter universe. I thought they did a great job and you can check out their podcast here, but I found myself creating my own cast, which didn't always match up with theirs. I'll be using the same casting types as theirs (potentially with one of my own thrown in), and I'll explain each type as I go along, as well as my reasoning for choosing each person. Also, after the official cast, there are some predictions as to how everyone will do, which I'll also get into. I've rambled long enough here. Let's jump into the list!

Sorority girl with nerd glasses

The "nerdy superfan" is a tried and true casting stereotype that we see every season. It's usually a guy, but if it does happen to be a girl, it's usually a girl who's pretty and not actually very nerdy; she just happens to wear glasses. A good example is Nicole from BB16 & 18. Not a knock on the players who fall under this category-- more a knock on the way that casting apparently refuses to cast legitimate female nerds. (Sorry Hermione...)

Anyway, the person who I thought was definitely the clear choice for this category is the one and only Cho Chang. 

They chose Cho on the podcast as well, and I wholeheartedly agree. She may not literally have glasses, but she fits the stereotype. She's clearly smart, because she's a Ravenclaw, but the only reason we're really aware of her intelligence is because we're essentially told "Hey, she's smart!" rather than due to any of her actions. Plus, she's definitely the "pretty girl" in school, which is along the lines of a sorority girl. It just fits really well. Important note: I considered Ginny Weasley and Romilda Vane here, because they were Harry Potter superfans, so they would fit in that sense, but I thought that Cho fit a bit better. Also, we'll see one of those two again later...

Male Nerdy Superfan

Like I mentioned, we get this type every single season, especially since we saw Ian in season 14. These guys are always incredibly awkward and huge fans of the show. Think about a stereotypical nerd, and you've got the guy that they usually stick into this spot. And once again, I thought that they absolutely killed it on the podcast: Colin Creevey

I mean, is there any better person to cast here? He's a total Harry Potter fanboy, on top of the fact that he's incredibly over-enthusiastic and over the top. He would make some really interesting TV, because he'd be bouncing around and being silly the entire time. However, I do think he'd be a bit different than the "typical" superfan, because most superfans are very shy and self-conscious, but he's really outgoing and loud. I think it would be a really cool twist on the typical stereotype, but would rub people the wrong way just as much as the typical superfan.  

The Old Guy

I found this one incredibly difficult, because literally the only indicators are an age and gender. We've seen so many different iterations of the old guy over the years that it's hard to zone in on just one person. We've had the BB16 Donny type, who's just super sweet and lovable, but we've also had people like BB10's Jerry who was super loud and antagonistic. In the end, I went with someone a little off the beaten path: Kingsley Shacklebolt. 

I think pretty much every older guy that they cast for Big Brother has some sort of interesting backstory. Donny was this groundskeeper, but everyone thought he was in the army. Glenn, our most recent old guy, was a police officer and a dog groomer. I went through several different options (Remus Lupin- not old enough? Mad Eye- Interesting, but not my fave. Xenophilius- quirky but probably a bit too quirky for this role). But eventually, I landed on Kingsley. I think that he would be a really interesting, strong strategic player. I think that he fits the mold of the older man really well, but with a slight twist. Most "older guys" are not strong strategic forces. I think Kingsley would be.

Sassy Narrator

For this one, I went back and forth between a couple people, but eventually decided to go with Lee Jordan.

I mean, this was basically his job at Hogwarts. He was the commentator at the quidditch games, and he was fantastic at it. He was unabashedly biased and hilariously sassy. His commentary on the games was one of the best aspects of the first book. The quidditch matches were already pretty fun, but he made them even more exciting . He would give some hilariously snarky DRs and the viewers would absolutely love him. Plus, Big Brother likes to get diversity in their cast, and Lee Jordan would be a really interesting player that would also check that box. 

Religious Fanatic

There were a lot of options of directions I could go for this one. Obviously, there's not really "religion" in Harry Potter, but there are things like Death Eaters and their near-religious following of Voldemort. However, it's still difficult to choose something like this, because these people would have to pass psychological examination, and I don't think many Death Eaters would pass that. Instead, I ended up going with Percy Weasley.

I was going to choose a girl for this spot to even out the guy/girl ratio, but I'll deal with that when we get to the recruits. When Percy popped into my mind, it was too good to pass up. He might not be a literal religious fanatic, but he fits the mold very well. He's definitely the "goody two-shoes" type, and is quick to try to tell other people that they're not doing what they're supposed to. I mean, he basically separates himself from his entire family because, in his eyes, they're not following the ministry as they should. We also see him give servant-esque respect toward his superiors. He fits this role to a T, and I think that he would certainly be really interesting as the antagonistic, holier than thou version of this stereotype (as opposed to someone like Jocasta).

The Meathead

This stereotype was the impetus for deciding to create this list, because this person immediately came to mind, and they didn't talk about him. They made a really great choice, but I thought it would be an absolute shame not to have this guy in the house, because he is the epitome of the type of bros you get in the BB house every single summer: Cormac McLaggen.

If you don't quite remember him, he first pops up in HBP, pining after Hermione in the most douche-bro way possible. Not only does he have the personality of the typical meathead, but he's super athletic as well. I feel like there are so many guys every single season that are very much like McLaggen, and since I've lost a recruit spot (due to putting guys in both of the gender non-specific casting spots), I think that he fits in very nicely here. 

The "Offbeat" Girl

Admittedly, there's only one acceptable option for me here. On the podcast, they chose Tonks, and I definitely get it. But I just can't choose her. I don't hate her or anything, but I'm not a fan. And I think that these days, even the "offbeat" girl looks pretty much just like any of the other girls. So I had to go with Luna Lovegood.

I'm trying to avoid the most prominent characters in the series unless they fit really, really well, but this is definitely the only one that fits for me. When I thought of this stereotype, the first person who really came to mind was Christine from BB16. She might've had some piercings and tattoos, but she did look pretty geeky and didn't look too out-there. And I think that'll be Luna's place. She won't look really wacky, but she has a very offbeat personality and would definitely be a very quirky character, maybe along the lines of a Bronte. Plus, Big Brother tends to cast younger people, so I think Luna would be cast before Tonks. 

The "Single Mom" Type

I tried to pick someone that they didn't pick on the podcast, but she was the only person who fit: Lavender Brown.

Obviously, she doesn't actually have a kid. But her personality definitely fits the mold of the single mom that they would cast. Even if they aren't in a showmance, they still definitely want a showmance, and get a little bit too invested in having one. That's Lavender to a T. We see her a lot throughout the series, but we don't really get any inkling of her having a crush on Ron until they're suddenly together 24/7 when they start dating in HBP. She was seemingly pretty down for romance regardless of any other factors, and that's kinda the stereotype with the "single mom." I also considered Ginny for this spot, because she's constantly going from relationship to relationship within the series, but I think that she's much stronger than the typical "single mom" types, who are pretty bland. Movie Ginny, on the other hand...

Token Old Lady

Usually, the Token old lady is pretty quirky. Like Renny from BB10. I thought about a few options, but I just couldn't say no to Minerva McGonagall.

Look, Minerva would be BOMB in the DR. Yeah, she's quite a bit older than people that they generally cast now, but think back to how great Jerry was back in BB10. She would be a likable version of Jerry. She would be smart, sassy, and snarky. I thought about going with a less mainstream character, but then I pictured Minerva in the DR and I couldn't help myself. I'm not sure she would necessarily want to go on Big Brother, but hey, I don't have the luxury of asking for her opinion. So, into the BB house she goes.

"Offbeat" Guy

I feel like this could go in many different directions. Someone like Johnny Mac from BB17 fits this really well, but I would also say that someone like Zach Rance from BB16 would also fit, because he was the "loose cannon" of that season. Other guys who would fit this are Paul from BB18, McCrae from BB15 and Frank from BB14. They're all completely different people and are considered "offbeat" for a variety of reasons. However, in the end, I couldn't help but throw in my favorite characters of all time: Fred and George Weasley.

I almost put these two as the sassy narrator. In fact, I did put them there, and then moved them. They fit both roles, but I think that they're best suited here, and I'll explain why. First off, there aren't too many people who would fit this role from the series. And those who would fit are on the older end of the spectrum-- people who would only be cast in "old people" roles. And the "offbeat" guy is often the one giving funny DRs or just generally being silly or weird. And that's definitely Fred and George. They would give amazing DRs, and they would be actually funny rather than just jumping out at people in the dark and playing other "pranks" that no one likes. They're so likable, but on top of that, they're really clever. They're smart. They could pull off a twin twist much better than the most recent twins on Big Brother, and they would do it while being legitimately likable. There isn't really anyone who dislikes Fred and George. Even Hermione, who gets sick of confiscating their items, still really likes them. I could definitely see them being people who are well-liked both inside and outside of the house.

The "Obvious Recruits" (2-3 apiece)

I'm going to be going with 4 female recruits and 2 male recruits to even out the players a bit here.

Fleur Delacour. Fleur is basically the obvious first choice when picking recruits. The female recruits are always really pretty, and that was definitely Fleur's thing. However, I think her personality also really fits. She clearly has a bit of a fame-bug, because she decided to enter the Tri-Wizard Tournament. And if not, then she certainly did it for the competition, and if she's competitive, that's also a plus on Big Brother. She could definitely use her veela charms to make people do what she wants, and I think that she would be pretty decent at manipulating people. She'd also probably be really underestimated. I think she'd be a really interesting player.

Angelina Johnson. Although it's not a solid "type," it's really common for there to be at least one female recruit who's the sporty one. And that's definitely Angelina. She's not an incredibly prominent character throughout the Harry Potter series, but she's a constant presence and has shown herself to be a capable and intelligent leader, while also being athletic. I think that she could definitely be a really interesting recruit who picks up on the game quickly and could potentially do really well. 

Romilda Vane. Look, I hate the girl. But it's so much fun to have a hateable character. And given that she fawns over Harry just because he's famous, she's clearly a bit of an attention-seeker, so she would be down to be on Big Brother. Plus, she's shown that she can be manipulative. I think that she would be a super interesting villain for the season. I get more and more excited about the idea just talking about it.

Pansy Parkinson. I think I'm using these recruit spots to get some sort of antagonists into this cast. I feel like a lot of the people who fit into the defined "types" are pretty rootable characters, but without some obnoxious people in the mix, it wouldn't be a very fun season. So throw in a couple good antagonists and you've got yourself a good show. I think Pansy could've possibly fit into the sassy narrator role, except she's completely unlikable. So she finds herself here, among the recruits, and I'd hope for a really snarky few weeks before everyone gets sick of her and evicts her.

Cedric Diggory. I mean, he's the epitome of a Big Brother recruit, right? He's good-looking, athletic, and probably not the sharpest tool in the shed. And like with typical good-looking recruits, he seems like a decent guy and has a pretty vanilla personality. He's not necessarily an alpha bro, but he could definitely fall in with the brolliance.

Draco Malfoy. I originally had Oliver Wood in this spot, but I couldn't help but put Draco Malfoy here. While we certainly have some unlikable people in this cast so far, we don't have any true villains, and Draco would fit that spot perfectly. First of all, he's a young, good-looking guy. Those get cast a lot. Plus, he's just unabashedly willing to sneer at people, call them out, and just generally berate people. If you take the Death Eater/Voldemort aspect out, he's such a great antagonist for a season of Big Brother.


Our cast is now complete, so here's a quick recap of the players before we jump into my predictions.

Females: Cho Chang, Luna Lovegood, Lavender Brown, Minerva McGonagall, Fleur Delacour, Angelina Johnson, Romilda Vane, & Pansy Parkinson.

Males: Colin Creevy, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Lee Jordan, Percy Weasley, Cormac McLaggen, Fred & George Weasley, Draco Malfoy, & Cedric Diggory.

Most likely to be first out

Trying to logic this out is a bit difficult, because I'm trying to figure out which of these players would be at the crossroads of "doesn't fit in with the other players" and "most likely to annoy everyone." While people like Kingsley and McGonagall are clear outliers, I think that they would be able to be likable and personable enough to at least make it to week 2. So I think that in this spot, I have to go with Luna Lovegood.

Honestly, I think people would just be a bit weirded out by her. Looking through the cast, I struggle to find a good landing spot for her. She could potentially work with Colin, but other than that, I think that no one else would be down to be in an alliance with her. Percy Weasley would also be at risk for this position, but he has Fred & George there. While they would probably not want to work with him, I think they would recognize the inherent leg up they would have on the competition in that case. So I think Luna would have to be the first boot. 

Person who tries to hide their profession

I mean, that has to be Kingsley Shacklebolt, right? He's an auror, which is one of the most highly regarded positions in the wizarding world. We know from Harry's schooling that the classes are difficult and it's hard to even get into the classes you need, so clearly Kingsley is very smart, and he also clearly seems to be very skilled at his job. Telling everyone he's an auror right off the bat would be like Derrick telling everyone he's an undercover cop-- not a good idea. He'd certainly be a game player in BB and he would definitely have the instinct to cover up his true profession. 

Most likely to go on a POV streak

POV comps can be so varied, so you typically have to be both a mental and physical force to be able to go on a POV streak. I think the best fit for that would have to be Angelina Johnson. She's certainly a physical threat because she is one of the more athletic players, but I think she's also proven to be someone with a cool head who's intelligent and can think under pressure. I see her definitely being capable of going on a POV run. 

Showmance?

Well, we have a few already set pairs in the house: Pansy & Draco, Fred/George & Angelina (because if you remember, George marries her but Fred was the one who dated her at Hogwarts so that could be interesting to watch), and Cho & Cedric. I think Pansy & Draco would be the dramatic one- Draco would probably stab her in the back pretty early. The twins and Angelina would probably be the "actually skilled" showmance, potentially downplaying that aspect and being able to use it to their advantage. And then Cho & Cedric would be the cute showmance who end up throwing away their games for each other. 

However, I think that people like Lavender Brown and Romilda Vane will absolutely be looking to showmance, and I could see them just honestly bouncing around and picking up whoever they can. I don't think they really have any choices left, but I could see either one of them trying to vie for Cedric or Cormac at the beginning. I could easily see Cormac playing one of them like a fiddle and ousting them quickly. 

Biggest blindside?

Definitely one of the twins, most likely Fred. I think that the twins will be super likable in the house. Yes, they're really goofy and play pranks, but unlike a certain BB17&18 player, they're clever and would know if they were getting annoying. But, given that they're twins and potentially have a showmance, I think that they would be on everyone's radar as someone to split up. So I could see it getting down to the second double eviction of the season & someone taking that opportunity to knock out one of the twins. And it would probably be Fred, because he's usually the dominant one of the pair.

Screwed by a twist

It would probably have to be a strategic player whose game gets completely derailed by something dumb. I'm beginning to realize that I don't have a ton of strategic powerhouses in this, so I think someone like Kingsley Shacklebolt will have to fit here. He's likely to be one of the most strategic players in the house, but I think that he's also likely to be one of the more obvious strategic players in the house. And I'm not sure how good he would be at adapting to a twist thrown his way. So I have to think that he would be the one screwed over in that situation. 

Villain of the season

I mean, it has to be the Pansy/Draco showmance, right? With Draco as the clear villain of the two? I mean, viewers will hate them because we'll have another Aaryn/Gina Marie moment with them calling everyone derogatory slurs. But on top of that, if Draco cuts Pansy at some point, I think he would be seen as even more of a villain.

Biggest meltdown/freak out

I think the person who's clearly the most likely to have some sort of freak out is Lavender Brown. She'd get turned down by a guy that she wanted to showmance and it would be so upsetting to her that she would lose it and either end up yelling at someone or sobbing to one of her alliance partners. 

Make jury and have mean jury speech

Definitely Percy. Need I say more? He's incredibly willing to speak his mind very candidly and has a bit of a mean streak, even toward family. I could definitely see him falling into this slot easily.  

Final 2- winner & goat or potential ally next to them

I'm probably a bit biased here, but I really see George making his way to the final 2. Like I said earlier, I really think that Fred, as the dominant twin, would be the one targeted and potentially taken out in a double eviction near the end of the season. But I think that George would be able to make his way to the F2 even without Fred. However, I think the clearest path for him to make it to F2 is with Angelina because I think that she's the one who's best at comps. I can't really see him being able to make it there with a goat. Yes, it's a showmance and I have a lot of reservations saying that a showmance could make it to the end, but I think that George will be likable but clever, while Angelina is the comp threat of the two, which will push them to the end. Because of this, I think the vote will be really close but I have to think that George would be the eventual winner because likability usually wins out when it's close. 

America's Favorite Player

This usually goes to the sassy narrator, so I think that Lee Jordan has a real shot at this, but I could also see viewers really loving someone like McGonagall. Also, given that I think Cho and Cedric will be the cute showmance of the season, I could see one of them getting it. IDK, I'm a bit torn on this one. I think the top 3 will be Cedric, Lee Jordan, and McGonagall, with Lee Jordan pulling out a win. I think he'll have really funny DRs, and I can't really see anyone being very put off by him. 

So, that's it for my Big Brother cast made up of Harry Potter characters! Let me know down in the comments if there's anyone you thought should have been included on this list and what Harry Potter character you think would have a good shot at winning a season of Big Brother.

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A Definitive Ranking of the Cycles of America's Next Top Model

In conjunction with a video posted on my YouTube channel today, I'm going to be ranking the first 22 cycles of America's Next Top Model. I'll embed the video down below if you'd prefer to hear me explain my rankings, but I definitely go a bit more in depth into my feelings in this post.

My rankings are based on several different factors, which will be described as I talk about each cycle, but the main points are personal enjoyment, quality of the models, quality of the photoshoots, and quality of the drama (AKA fun & interesting vs mean drama).

Per usual, these are just my personal opinions. I'm aware of the fan favorite seasons & I honestly couldn't care less about which ones people love and which ones people don't. These are just my personal opinions- you have yours, I have mine, and we can all get along without yelling at each other or berating each other for disagreeing.

22) Cycle 20

I think most people were pretty excited about getting a season with both male and female models, but then we got... cycle 20. There were very few likable people this cycle. I personally liked Nina, and I think that the entirety of the fandom loved Cory, but other than that we had.... Mike? For the eye candy? But seriously though, because it was the first mixed-gender season, there was such an emphasis on showmances, and the people in them were utterly unbearable. Marvin was painful. I personally kinda liked Phil (I like the rocker guys) but pretty much all the guys on this season were unbearable. And so were the girls. Also, Cory didn't win. So just a fail all around.

21) Cycle 2

I know that there are people who really like this season, but this season has always been pretty forgettable for me. There are certainly standout moments, but every season has those. That being said, we do get the iconic moment of Shandi's phone call with her boyfriend as well as Camille's famous "This is my signature walk, and this is is the walk that's going to make me famous" quote. I mean, I guess it kinda rang true. We also got a pretty strong winner in Yoanna. But apart from those things... what??? Nothing more than the petty drama we see every other season.

20) Cycle 19

Ugh. This was the cycle where the horrid scoring system was introduced. We'll get to the fatal flaw of the scoring system a bit further down the line, but I think that we all agree that it was awful. On top of this, the judges panel wasn't so great this season. My 3 favorite people on the show (Mr. Jay, Miss J, and Nigel Barker) got the axe for some unknown reason...? Maybe they were too reasonable for Tyra or something. I actually kinda like Kelly, but I wasn't a huge fan of Bryanboy or Rob Evans. Some of the contestants were also pretty unbearable as well. The best part of the season was Victoria and her quirks, but even then she was one of those love/hate characters. It was just a messy season all around.

19) Cycle 3

I know that cycle 3 is a fan-favorite, but I don't like it quite so much and it's not very memorable for me. I think it was that I found most of the models pretty unlikable. Yaya was a strong model, Toccara was great, and Norelle was fun, but otherwise I disliked most of the cast. The only real standout moments for me were the brownie mutilation and fact that Amanda was going blind.

18) Cycle 22

This season was... alright. The scoring system... ugh. The best part about the season was some of the models. Nyle and Lacey were super likable. I personally really liked Devin, and Mikey was entertaining to watch despite some of his shortcomings in the personality department. And then there were entertaining characters like Bello. But other than that, not much really stands out to me about this season. The only real standout moment is the music video challenge, which was simultaneously the most ridiculous and the most fun thing ANTM has ever done. While working on this post and the accompanying video, I re-looked up the video and it's still so silly and the song got stuck in my head despite the fact that it's pretty crap. I guess you win, Tyra.

17) Cycle 1

Ah, the cycle that started it all. Competition-wise, this is definitely the weakest season. The format was still really finding its footing. The judging always seemed a bit wonky, the call-outs weren't quite streamlined yet, and they were still trying to figure out what needed to be included in the show and what didn't. I see this as a fun quirk to the first season, but it also gives it a slightly unpolished feel. Like, we regularly saw the contestants with a personal trainer, and for some reason, loved ones were able to just come over and visit? That was the weirdest thing to me-- I guess they hadn't fully nailed down the isolation thing yet. There were some really interesting controversies like the Christians vs Ebony and Elyse and the nude photoshoot, and I like the season a lot better than some of the earlier seasons but entertainment-wise, I don't think it quite stacks up to some of the later seasons.

16) Cycle 21

This is definitely my favorite iteration of the guys and girls cycles. The contestants this season were the most memorable guys/girls cast and oh boy do I love Will a whole lot, and he was the instigator for some really important discussions about gender between the contestants. That being said, I still absolutely hate the scoring system, and I think that this season has the perfect example for why it's so terrible. One episode, Tyra decides to give Lenox a score of a 1, simply because she was disappointed, and Lennox would've been eliminated without Tyra deciding to do a non-elim. Perfect example of how flawed this system is. Any judge can completely tank any contestant at any time for any reason. Not cool.

15) Cycle 15

This was a perfectly fine season of ANTM. I enjoyed that it was the high fashion season, and I thought that as it got closer to the end, we ended up with some really strong models. But, if anyone said that they were even vaguely unsure of who would win from like episode 3, I'd be shocked. There were some fun moments along the way, and some really awesome photoshoots like the one where they models had to pose as designers, but the outcome was obvious from the beginning.

14) Cycle 4

The infamous season where Tyra screamed at Tiffany. Obviously, that's the most famous moment in the history of Top Model. This was also the season of the horrifying flesh eating disease, the one where a model fainted in the middle of judging, and where Kahlen did a photoshoot in a coffin immediately after her friend's death. And there were some really strong models, namely Kahlen and Naima. Plus some strong personalities, like Tiffany and Brandy. That being said, I think that I personally didn't connect with this season as much as with other seasons. There's certainly nothing wrong with this season, I just like a lot of cycles much better.

13) Cycle 13

There are a lot of things that I enjoyed about this season. I absolutely loved Erin. She was both a fun character and a really great model. In fact, I really liked a lot of the models. Nicole, Laura, Jennifer, Sundai, Brittany, and Rae were all people who I enjoyed. And I thought that Bianca was also a really fun character when she was on. But this season was pretty marred by the cattiness of people like Ashley and Lulu, and apart from that there weren't really any stand-out moments that make the season distinct. I can remember a lot of the photoshoots, but the only moments that I remember that weren't directly challenge-related were people getting mad at Erin about the race & general cattiness but no specific moments. Sometimes the themes that Tyra does can be a bit forced, and that's how I feel about the petite theme. She just drove it into the freakin' ground and that got a bit tiring.

12) Cycle 14

This is one of the cycles where I re-watch the beginning frequently, but have only seen the end of the season once because there are a lot of great aspects of the season, but the negatives tend to get in the way. There are a lot of interesting, dynamic things happening at the beginning of the cycle, but once it gets to the middle, there are just so many mean, catty people fighting that it can bring the mood down quite a lot. It was almost like Big Brother- two different sides of the house developed, and they just kept lashing out at each other. Raina is definitely one of my favorite models in the history of the show, but apart from her there was just a lot of negativity on the cycle.

11) Cycle 6

OK, hear me out. I know that this is a major fan-favorite cycle. But this was one of the last cycles I watched, and because of that it's not quite as memorable for me. I think that there were some really awesome models on cycle 6. The final 2 of Danielle and Joanie was incredibly strong. There were also some really stand-out moments, like the high heels challenge, the racism controversy, and everything dealing with Jade and Furonda.  We're at the point here where I don't really have a problem with any of these cycles, I just personally liked some of them more than others. That being said, Gina drove me absolutely crazy. If I had to put up with her for a single episode longer, I might've screamed.

10) Cycle 9

This was one of the first cycles that I watched, and there were a lot of really dynamic things about the cycle that I loved, and I found myself watching the entire marathon all day long. Ebony quitting was one of the major moments, and Bianca was just such a major character, as was Heather. I personally really liked Jenah and Chantal and wish that one of them would've won over Saleisha. Speaking of Saleisha, her win was super controversial because on top of the fact that she already knew Tyra, she was technically breaking one of the competition's rules by having prior national modeling experience. That being said, I don't think that her win ruins a cycle that was otherwise really interesting with some really great models and dramatic events.

9) Cycle 16

This was the first cycle that I watched as it was airing. I absolutely love the top four of this cycle. I thought that the best four models definitely made it to the end of the cycle. Brittani and Molly were total stand-outs for me throughout the season, so I was really glad to see them as the final two. I thought that some of the concepts for the photoshoots this season were really cool and I really enjoyed Alexandria as a villain. This season produced several models that I thought were really strong, but there were also a handful that I definitely wasn't impressed by, like Monique.

7) Cycle 12

Ah, the cycle that Allison lost. Which is basically all that anyone cares about in this cycle. Cycle 12 holds a special place in my heart as the first cycle that I ever watched. I found a marathon of the cycle on one day and ended up sitting down and watching it almost the entire day. Allison, Fo, and Celia are still two of my absolute favorite models in the history of the show. It might not be the most dynamic season of the competition, but it's one of the most memorable for me. The moment with Celia in judging is a big standout moment, as well as all of the drama caused by both Sandra and Natalie. Overall, it's a season that I personally really enjoy, despite my firm belief that although Teyona was great, Allison absolutely deserved the win.

8) Cycle 11

This cycle was a really strong group of models. There were certainly some unlikable or weak people at the beginning of the cycle, like Clark or Hannah, but even the entirety of the final 8 were all really strong. Not only was it a really strong group of models, but they were also really interesting personalities and backstories. Almost all of them had something really unique going on. It just made for a season with interesting personalities and really great modelling. And of course, those personalities also often clashed which caused really interesting drama. This was just a super strong season all around, and I have a lot of favorites from the cycle.

6) Cycle 17

I feel like most people have a slightly lower opinion on All-Stars, but I enjoyed the season overall. I liked seeing the interactions between some of my favorite (or least favorite) models from seasons past and seeing how well all of these incredibly strong models did when compared to some of the best models in the history of the show. The ending of this season was super weird, and I think we're all still really disappointed that we have never gotten an Allison win. The music video challenge is one that still stands out to me, as well as the Michael Jackson photoshoot. Overall, I just really enjoyed this season despite the fact that the worst phrase on the planet, "pot ledom" was coined this season. Seriously, burn the phrase and bury the ashes.

5) Cycle 10

While the winner of this season is one of the worst, most disappointing winners, this is a season that really stands out to me. To start it off, Lauren is one of my favorite models in the history of the show, and I also absolutely loved Anya. This season, we get some moments that really stand out to me-- everything surrounding Allison is incredibly memorable. Plus, there's also Kimberly's quit. I really enjoyed the music-themed photoshoot and the paint photoshoot, and the commercial abroad is another standout (mostly because of how horrible everyone did). Plus, the makeovers were really great this cycle. Just overall, there were some really great models and some really cool photoshoots. It's just really unfortunate that Whitney was the eventual winner, because at the very least, Anya deserved it more.

4) Cycle 5

OK, now we're getting down to the nitty gritty. These top four are far and away above the other cycles, and we're starting at number 4 with cycle 5. This cycle has it all-- great models with interesting personalities, and drama, drama, drama. Cassandra and her hair debacle has become one of the most infamous moments in the history of the show, as is everything to do with Kim and her relationship with Sarah. Plus, there was the Red Bull/Granola bar controversy near the end of the cycle. And the models were so good too! The final two were both super strong models. Lisa ended up coming back and winning All-Stars. And then of course, there's Kim, who's one of my all-time favorites on the show. This was just overall a really stacked cycle.

3) Cycle 8

Once again, this is a cycle that ticks the box in every category. I think the biggest standouts for me are the models themselves. Not only was it a really entertaining group of models, but they were, on the whole, really strong as well. Jaslene was amazing right out of the gate, killing it pretty much the entire season. Jael was another stand-out for me, because her personality really popped. There were some really major moments this cycle, such as Jael getting pushed into the pool by 50 Cent, Brittany's meltdown after go-sees, Natasha's weird phone call with her husband, the death of Jael's friend, and many more. There was just a lot of stuff that went down this cycle. And on top of that, the photoshoots were, for me, some of the best in Top Model history. Starting with the first photoshoot after casting, those first 8ish photoshoots are some of my favorites in the history of the show. My personal favorite is probably the gender-swap because Raven (a drag queen from RuPaul's Drag Race) was in the photoshoot, but the crime scene photoshoot is another one that was really awesome. Overall, this cycle was just the total package.

2) Cycle 18

Part of me thinks that I'm just biased because I love all things British, but this cycle is a real standout. First off, I love the makeovers this season. I think that Tyra got a little too hokey with the USA theme, but she went for funky colors like Sophie's pink hair, gave Laura the always-flawless ice blonde hair, shaved Alisha on one side, and gave Catherine some absolutely phenomenal magenta hair. And that's just a few of them. They were all fantastic. And there were some really great models this cycle. Azmarie is still one of my absolute favorite contestants, and I'm still mad at her idiotic elimination. Apart from Azmarie, we also had people like Laura and Sophie who were my other two favorites. But people like Alisha, Annaliese, Catherine, and Eboni were also really fantastic. There were also great challenges, the stand-out being the music video, where the British girls absolutely destroyed the Americans. And we got the now-infamous moment of Louise storming out of judging because she was mad at Kelly Cutrone. This was just a really stacked season, and it's definitely up there as one of my favorites.

1) Cycle 7

And here it is, my favorite cycle. Cycle 7. It's just a really awesome, iconic cycle. The models this season are some of the most memorable. Caridee and Melrose make up one of the strongest final 2 pairings in the history of the show. We also got really stand-out people like Anchal and the twins Michelle and Amanda. Monique was one of the weirdest, most out-there villains in the history of the show. And she gave us some great moments, like hogging the phone for hours and messing with Melrose. It was just really weird. And we also got some really cool photoshoots this season. The circus characters and celebrity impersonation photoshoots are still two of my absolute favorites. Overall, this is just definitely one of the most memorable cycles for me, and I've watched it over and over and over again at this point and it never gets old.


So, those are my rankings of cycles 1-22 of America's Next Top Model! As you can tell, I have way too much free time. I also really love reality TV and listing/ranking things, so peruse my blog for some other reality TV rankings, like my Project Runway designer rankings and my rankings of everything related to The Genius. More reality TV rankings to come, I promise!

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