Warning! The following contains spoilers from Episode 3 of Big Brother: Reindeer Games. Read at your own risk!
Once again, I've been left shocked by Big Brother: Reindeer Games being so damn good, with the third episode delivering another nail-biter ending, along with the debut of an a-maze-ing elimination challenge that made it all possible. I enjoyed the tension so much that I'm now hoping it makes a return in Season 26, with some presumed modifications that would fit the logistics.
Thankfully, with the gap between episodes of Big Brother: Reindeer Games, which are available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription alongside their CBS airings, we have the time to talk about that hamster wheel maze, and how the challenge could feasibly make it into Season 26 of the flagship game. Let's dive into what made it so incredible, and then talk out how a traditional Big Brother season could utilize it.
How Did The Maze Wheel Challenge Work?
Big Brother: Reindeer Games contestants selected for the challenge stepped inside of a giant hamster wheel, and were tasked with navigating a disc through a maze (via their own movement) and to its end goal within the center of the puzzle. Once that connection was made, players then retrieved the token before hitting a button to stop the clock before time expired.
Whoever completed the challenge before time ran out then selected the next competitor, who not only had to beat the original time, but had to do it at least one minute faster. Failing the maze meant that competitor was eliminated and sent home from Big Brother: Reindeer Games. Hard to knock those stakes.
The contestants did pretty well, thankfully, and after Frankie Grande, Xavier Prather, and Britney Haynes made it through, it was Danielle Reyes who failed to make it through in time. I was a bit bummed to see her go so soon, as I've been hoping for Danielle's long-overdue return to BB to follow up on her role in the Season 25 twist, but thems the breaks, I suppose. We'll never know if Taylor Hale dodged a bullet by not getting picked before her, or if Danielle going ahead of her just sped up the eventual result.
The beauty of this challenge is that there's an internal struggle with the Houseguests as their peers compete. Being picked for the maze early meant having more time to complete it, but there was the risk for any competitors to slip up and fail to make it through.
Some houseguests felt that not competing and banking on someone to be eliminated before they played was the better move. After watching the run, I can't say which strategy was the best, but I loved the drama either way.
How The Maze Wheel Challenge Could Be Incorporated In Big Brother
I would love to see the hamster wheel maze challenge used in the upcoming season of Big Brother, but implementing it is easier said than done. Houseguests aren't evicted after failing challenges in Big Brother, so the main hurdle would be finding a way to incorporate it and not compromise the traditional vote-to-evict format.
After Big Brother Season 25's zombie week consisted of challenges tied to returning to the house, I think the maze wheel could become key in some sort of Battleback Challenge. Imagine if a returning Houseguest had the chance to return and eliminate another player simultaneously.
It sounds wild, but bringing the hamster wheel maze in as a battleback follow-up challenge for a recently returned Houseguest could be a real game-changer. Big Brother fans typically complain that battle backs are often useless because the majority of Houseguests usually collectively agree to unite to send the person who just returned back out of the house.
With the maze challenge, the most logical thing to do would be to give the returnee as little time as possible, but that would require every other person to complete it before them. We could see someone choke and get sent home before the target played, or a Houseguest could go rogue and pull the returnee early to give them guaranteed safety after being chosen once. Imagine watching all this drama play out on a live show, and how incredible that would be!
It's further evidence that being unsure about Big Brother: Reindeer Games was a foolish move on my part. Sure, CBS might've earned the scorn of legendary Houseguests by ghosting them for the spinoff, but everything else has been on point. Here's hoping it'll continue to amaze and even inspire Big Brother Season 26.
Big Brother: Reindeer Games airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET and on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. There are only a few episodes remaining, so be sure to catch up and tune in to see who wins the $100,000 at the end of this exciting competition.
