Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Big Brother Season 23 finale. Read at your own risk!
Big Brother Season 23 made history this year and crowned its first Black winner in the American version of the game since it first started in 2000. Xavier Prather beat out Derek Frazier and will go down in history as one of the few unanimously-voted winners of one of television's most difficult game shows. His legacy as a winner will be decided in years to come, but for now, I have to say that Season 23 was a much-needed redemption season for the long-running franchise.
Sure, it wasn't exactly a shock that Xavier Prather won, and some people (cough) even thought he'd win from the beginning. But this was the first time in quite a while that Big Brother didn't have to publicly address racist statements by Houseguests, offensive comments, or a house divided by a game that turned all too personal. Sure, tensions ran high at times, but overall, the Houseguests kept it about the game more often than not.
Big Brother Season 23 showed that the game can still be fun without that and that there's just as much drama in trying to maintain an alliance as there is in petty feuds between Houseguests. I say that knowing full well there are fans and even some Big Brother legends who disagree with their whole hearts about that statement, but I stand by that. It was such a pleasant feeling watching tonight's finale and actually being just as sad that players lost as I was happy Xavier won.
Big Brother 23 didn't shake out the way many fans wanted because if the online community had their way, Tiffany Mitchell would be the winner. At the end of the day (I always wanted to say that), though, Big Brother rarely works out how the fans want, and that's okay. Plus, Tiffany got America's Favorite Houseguest, and while I can't predict the future, she does seem like a shoo-in to return to the franchise as a competitor in another season.
Big Brother Season 23 gave us a glimpse at what the future of the franchise could be. It can be more diverse, it can be strategy heavy, it can be tense without always being problematic. My only hope is that Season 24 (and Big Brother: Celebrity Edition this February) can continue that trend rather than revert to the past. I have a love for a lot of those seasons and their winners, but the last thing I want is another Season 21 or 22. It's time for a new era of Big Brother, and Season 23 showed that the future could be bright.
Big Brother Season 23 has concluded at CBS, but casting is already underway for Season 24. Stick with CinemaBlend for interviews with Xavier Prather and the remaining runner-up Houseguests for their thoughts on the final stages of the game.
