This episode was delayed by Mother Nature. As soon as BB started, the mother of all storms blew in and took out the power. But I was able to time travel back from the next day and capture it all for you.

In loving memory of Mickey Lee
(1990-2025)

Tonight, a new season of BB begins. From music to fashion to social media trends, there's no denying that nostalgia is everywhere. It seems like everyone has a thirst for the past. And this summer, so does Big Brother. All summer long, a new group of HouseGuests will navigate a time-bending journey, cut-off from the outside world. No cell phones, no social media, no contact with friends or loved ones.

While inside the BB Bubble, these 94 cameras will record their every move, and the 113 microphones will capture their every word. Unless they are whispering so quietly that we can't hear them. But don't worry, we have subtitles!

Who will endure this 87 day battle of social strategy and emerge to claim the $750k prize? Only time will tell. Summer has officially begun.

Welcome to the Season Premiere of Big Brother!

Good evening, I'm Julie Chen Moonves. In just moments, 14 complete strangers will move into the BB House for the journey of a lifetime. Over the next 87 days, they'll experience a Big Brother like never before, as challenges and twists will send them to the past... and the future, in what we call the BB Time Trip. It's going to be historic.

In fact, this summer, Big Brother will reach its 1000th episode, the first prime time series to reach this incredible milestone. But first, you need to meet the HouseGuests. Here are the women.

• Ashley is a 24yr old bartender, who requires multiple takes to introduce herself. She's been watching BB since a little girl, and will win because she has $2 to her name, and needs to fix that. She's outgoing and will be a social threat in the game. She comes off as being an airhead and will use that as an advantage. She can't wait to lie and manipulate.
• La Trice is a 57 year old saleswoman from New Jersey, running a boutique in upper east side Manhattan, treating customers with honesty. She doesn't want you walking out of her store with something that doesn't look good. Her #1 hobby, though, is working out and body building training. She's in the best shape of her life and doesn't look like she has 4 kids. In the House, she will be a fierce competitor, physically and mentally. Hit me with the water, she says, I'm about to steamroll these suckers.
• Lyric is a 25yr old attorney from Honolulu, Hawaii. At night, she works at a Luau dinner show, introducing the dancers and singing songs. She has one million followers on social media. She's a bubbly princess, but she graduated from Notre Dame in only 3 years with a double-major and a minor. The youngest to pass the bar in Hawaii at age 23, she practices eviction law and won't be afraid to do evictions in the BB House. Case closed, you're honor, I won.
• Melody is a 24yr old Corporate Game Show Host in Phoenix, AZ, where she has learned to be quick on her feet and control the house. She had image issues as a child and was bullied, but then got all pretty. She's been watching BB since in her mother's womb, and always rises to the occasion when up against the wall.
• Haley is a 29yr old from Wildwood, MO, who grew up an athlete and was ruthless pitching softball. She says she is intimidating to men, but she also volunteers at a farm, taking care of horses. Super competitive, she thinks her whole life has prepared her for Big Brother.
• Taylor is a 27yr old Elementary School Counselor from Deerfield Beach, FL. She puts out little fires all day, but she sees it as giving back to her community. That said, her strategy will be to pit everyone against each other, like she does with men. She's attracted to goal-oriented men, and thinks Ian was the cutest thing ever. She's a social butterfly, and will make people happy until she takes it all.
• Mallory is a 24yr old Rocket Scientist from the Township of Washington, NJ. Working her way through an Aerospace degree while working at NASA, she's a huge space nerd. She loves themed parties and professes a hidden toughness and athleticism that makes her a big threat in the game. She can't wait to blast off in Big Brother.

Julie Chen Moonves welcomes the 7 women to a social experiment where cutthroat strategy, over-the-top challenges, and the ridiculous all collide. As you can see, there are only women here. It's an All Women's Season, she exults. Yeah, I'm just kidding, she tells the shocked and fooled HouseGuest. We need to add some men to the mix.

• Kamu is 32yrs old and was a professional MMA fighter in the UFC before turning to coaching and owning/running the family gym. Half Jamaican and Hawaiian, he's also an painter. He cares about the title of winning BB more than the money.
• Drew is a 22yr old surgical dental assistant from Temecula, CA. It was his teenage periodontal treatments that made him want a career in dentistry. He sounds like a SoCal bum, dude, but graduated college with Summa Cum Laude, whatever that means (it means "highest praise" in Latin). He's been watching BB since he was 8yrs old, and her Mexican mother learned English watching with him. He doesn't plan to throw anything, and won't turn away from a possible showmance. He hopes to be underestimated as not smart or athletic, and never realize he's controlling the game.
• Jason is a 35yr old Drag Queen from Hollywood, CA. Performing professionally as Salina EsTitties, he lost twice on Ru Paul's Drag Race to "jealous bitches". Drag is an athletic sport, he claims, performing in heels. His strategy is to connect with his fellow HouseGuest on a personal level, though there will be lies and deceptions. Salina's had her time in the spotlight - in the BB House, Jason will take the lead.
• Rome is a 28yr old Pickelball Coach from Delray Beach, FL after growing up as the #1 seeded high school senior tennis player in northern MI, but couldn't make it as a pro. Now he teaches ladies who tend to flirt. Whatever it takes to get them to come back for more lessons. He's Midwestern to the core, polite and gentile. He's a big trash talker, and will get into the other HouseGuest's heads before a challenge.
• Barrett is a 27yr old Jumbotron Engineer from Austin, TX, where he climbs high up into the jumbo screens in sports arenas. You never see him, but he's who they send to fix the broken lights. The black sheep of his family, he's more creative than athletic. Being a huge fan of BB would be an understatement, and his favorite HouseGuest are Brittany Haynes and Angela Murray. At 6'6", he's used to people looking up to him, literally, but he doesn't talk down to people. He'll become everyone's BF and get dragged to the Finale.
• Chuk is a 27yr old Supply Chain Analyst from Dallas, TX. He grew up with 4 sisters in a loud Nigerian family, so he has a thick skin. A southern cowboy through and through, he stands out like a sore thumb in Nigerian culture, and will buy a new pickup with the prize money. His social strategy is to talk with all the men and women and win them over.
• Yash is a 24yr old Financial Analyst from New Jersey, and while he's good at it, it's not his ideal career. He lives with his parents, who showed him what it means to create and live a life. He also loves creating chaos, and while his mother doesn't want him to get distracted by the women, he wouldn't mind finding a wife. He's ready for a showmance.

Julie selects Rome, Taylor, Ashley, Jason, and Kamu to enter the BB House first. Let's Go, Rome shouts. The HouseGuest explore the neon lights and grandeur. There are scooters, computers, T-Rex skulls. It's historic, Ashley notes. Rome wanted to be a paleontologist as a kid, but Ashley doesn't know what that is. Rome is excited to find the bunk beds, and claims a top bunk. Ashley is attached to mustached men. Jason thinks there are clues in all the vintage items around the House. Kamu observes the theme for the season is "time". Kamu tells us he's telling the HouseGuest he was a professional fighter, but not in the UFC. He's a lover plus a fighter. Uh, and a thinker. Rome says he did chess competitions as a kid, and offers to teach Kamu. Did he win? No. Not even close.

The next HouseGuest to enter the BB House are La Trice, Mallory, Yash, Barrett, and Lyric. More excitement and introductions between the first 8 HouseGuest. La Trice knows she's the matriarch of the House but is confident she'll be underestimated. Barrett is attracted to Ashley's opposites attract aura. Yash finds the lounge that is designed to look like a hot tub. That's so sick, he says. Mallory wants to be Lyric's BF, but doesn't want her to know they will be going to the end together yet.

The final HouseGuest to enter the BB House are Chuk, Haley, Drew, and Melody. Chuk gravitates to the women to let them know he grew up with all sisters. He tells us he's open to a showmance - all the women have different twangs that need to be explored. Melody says Drew can't not talk - its California Frat Boy Energy, and it's annoying. Drew tells Haley that since there are only 14, two more are coming. He's paranoia-maxing!

Julie Chen Moonves calls the HouseGuest to the Living Room and informs them that nobody currently in the House at that moment will be eligible to become the first HoH, because not everyone competing this summer has moved in. Drew tells us he told us. His mind is always racing, but racing even more now.

Time is a theme in the House, she tells them, as they assemble at the Dining Table. She calls on the President and CEO of Meow Meow Enterprises to fill them in. Enzo comes on the screen, and after talking about some of his failed inventions (the Time Laser from August 2nd, 2023), but that was user error. Then he slipped in the lab, hit his head, and invented time travel. They are sitting at the Dining Table Time Machine(tm). The DTTM activates, and tubes around the Dining Table area light up with sound effects.

Zuck is on the other line, so Enzo tosses back to Julie, who confirms the HouseGuest will be going on BB Time Trips, experiencing time altering twists and turns that will greatly affect their future in the game. While none of them will be the first HoH, they can still earn safety this week. The will be sent to the past in three groups of four, and each group will compete for safety, and bring back a Reality Icon. That means 3 familiar faces will enter the game and compete for the Grand Prize.

Not everyone will have the opportunity to compete for safety. Enzo returns to explain there are vials of BBTonium scattered throughout the BB House, but only 12 canisters have numbers that add up to the number found on Enzo's lab coat in a Meow Meow group photo. Only the first 12 HouseGuest to locate and verify their canister will be able to compete. The last two will have no chance for safety this week. Once the 12 vials are identified, the DTTM will be activated and the HouseGuest can travel through time.

The Meow Meow group photo appears on the screen, and most of the HouseGuest see that there is a number 28 on his lab coat. The HouseGuest find their vials, except for Ashley, never saw the number on the lab coat. It's down to her, Yash, and Barrett, but Yash finds the last vial and will get to go on the Time Trip. Whatever, Ashley says, it's up to the BB G-ds.

A date will appear on the DTTM display, and the first 4 of the 12 HouseGuest to sit at the Dining Table will go on the Time Trip. The first date is July 9th, 1988. La Trice reminds us she was the only one around in 1988. She, Rome, Kamu, and Mallory take a seat at the table. After some low-budget visual effects, they are transported to a mall in Long Beach, CA, where their future HouseGuest's 14yr old self is dismissively working. Whatever.

Julie from the future tells the HouseGuest in the past that mall culture has taken over, and they should do what the spunky teenager tells them. The winner will deliver a letter, instructing her to be at the BB House 38 years later. Gag me with a spoon, the teen says, I have this whole display to set up. But wait, as an Assistant Manager, I can get you posers to do it for me. You have to balance 8 pieces of radical merch onto a metal display rack. But they are totally unstable. What a bummer. Get all 8 items balanced and you're done. Psych! You're not done until you press the buzzer and everything stays on for 10 seconds. Duh! Sounds bodacious, right? Are you dweebs ready? Then get to work!

The HouseGuest struggle to figure out how to hang the items on the rack without them slipping off the metal tubes. Mallory gets items on the top tube balanced, but La Trice can't seem to find her footing. Rome's rack comes crashing down. Kamu doesn't have any better luck. This is a major drag, the teen says, bored with the lack of effort. The four make repeated unsuccessful attempts. La Trice tells us she tried to pause, be kind, rewind (kids, ask your parents what a VCR is), to no avail.

Kamu thinks he has it, and presses his button, but with 2 seconds remaining in the countdown, his bottom rack tilts and his items slide off. That's a gnarly wipeout, the teen says. Rome says everyone is starting with the light items on the top and heaviest on the bottom, but he thinks doing it in reverse, with the heaviest on top and the lightest on the bottom, will work. He's right, and his rack holds for 10 seconds after he presses his button, securing him the season's first competition win and safety.

Took you long enough, the teen said, ripping up the letter Rome delivered. I have to get to the food court, she says, I don't have time to read this. Total barf bag. Is that all I get, Rome asks, expecting more? The four HouseGuest return to the present time at the DTTM. I'm the dog, Rome says, champion of the 80's. La Trice says the teen was snotty, with an attitude. Barrett does the math: a 14yr old in 1988 would be 52 now. The doorbell rings, and Angela Murray enters the BB House.

Last seen on BB26, Angela "Crazy Eyes" Murray desperately wants to use lessons learned to win. Barrett is ecstatic. Taylor worries Angela is too unpredictable. La Trice says there's only room for one 50+ HouseGuest this season, and Angela shouldn't let the door hit her where the good lord spit her. There is no time to spare, though, the next target date is July 7th, 2018. This time, Chuk, Taylor, Haley, and Drew take their turn. I was alive then, Drew recalls.

This time, the Time Trip takes them to the island of Fiji (you can see where this is going), and a "water" maze/obstacle course. Julie from the future explains they must use 2 planks planks placed on the stumps in the river one at a time to find a path to the other. Only the first one across will be able to head into the jungle and secretly deliver their letter from the future to the next Reality Icon.

Chuk struggles to balance on the small planks. Haley can't figure out how to get started. La Trice is neck-and-neck with Chuk. Drew is lost, man. His path keeps taking him back to the start. I might end up in a relationship with this comp, he says, because I keep coming back like a bad Ex. Chuk quickly makes his way across and rings in for safety. He heads into the "jungle" to leave his letter. Eight years later, Jeff Probst is sitting at Tribal Council when there is a disturbance, and the letter appears by his side. He opens it, and says yeah, he will be perfect for BB.

The HouseGuest return to the present, the doorbell rings, and Survivor's Rick Devins sticks his head through the front door. Mr. Coin Flip himself, Drew describes. Devins explains he was on Survivor 38 Edge of Extinction, and Survivor 50 In the Hands of the Fans, and didn't win either time. He's a two-time Survivor Loser. Angela is speechless, confessing she's a huge Devins fan. Devins says the air conditioned BB House should be a breeze compared to roughing it on an island. Jason whispers to Lyric that Devins can't be trusted. Noted, she replies.

With only four time travelers left to compete, they are going to June 27th, 2010. Drew explains what is happening to Devins. Jason, Melody, Yash, and Lyric take their seat at the DTTM, and are transported to a bar in Las Vegas. The HouseGuest are in booths with light-up signs that say "Bahama Mama", "Fuzzy Navel", and "Purple Hooter". Julie from the future explains that they will overhear conversations between sloshed patrons and have to pick out how many times each drink is mentioned, and answer questions on which is mentioned the most, the least, or in between. If you are incorrect, or are the last correct guess to buzz in, you are eliminated. The winner leaves their letter to the future in the VIP section for the cocktail waitress.

In the first conversation, the HouseGuest have to determine which drink was mentioned the least. The conversation mentions all three drinks repeatedly, but Purple Hooter is mentioned the least. Everyone guesses correctly, but Melody is the last to buzz in and is slimed with red paint that knocks her safety goggles off her face. In the second conversation, the remaining are looking for the drink name mentioned the 2nd most number of times. The correct answer is Bahama Mama, and Yash is doused with blue paint. It is down to Lyric and Jason. In the last conversation, they are looking for the drink name mentioned the most. Jason locks in with Bahama Mama first, and Lyric is eliminated with purple paint. Jason wins safety and delivers his letter. I'm already doing better than on Drag Race, he gushes. After the HouseGuest return to the present, a pair of legs and long, red hair picks up the letter.

The doorbell rings, and Rachel Reilly, Season 12, Season 27, and Season 13 winner announces the return of the Queen. In typical Rachel bluster, she allows the newbies HouseGuest to bow. She's ready to get that double-crown, and floaters better grab a life vest. Angela is clearly worried. Julie brings them to Living Room, and can't believe she's already saying welcome back to Rachel. Rome, Chuk, and Jason have secured their safety, but they still need to crown the first HoH of the summer. Angela, Devins, and Rachel will compete for HoH. Julie also announces that the BB Blockbuster is back this season.

All 17 Houseguests head back to 175 Million BC. It's extremely dangerous, so they dress in animal skins to blend in. The Backyard has been transformed into the Jurassic period. There are wooden pedestals, and volcano pits, with a large erupting volcano in the back, lava flowing down the side. Rachel wishes everyone lock because they are going to need it, and if you take a shot at the Queen, you better not miss. She might have left last summer during the White Locus, she continues, but nothing is coming between her and her BB double crown...

Rachel's rant is interrupted by a Velociraptor coming out of the jungle. It looks over the Houseguests, and then fixates on Rachel. She tries to push it off, as it growls and drives her up the side of the volcano. Rachel, whose acting has not improved since her stint on The Bold and the Beautiful, makes a last plea to Julie of the Future, before falling into the volcano. I'm an icon, she screams, as she perishes before her time has come.

Julie confirms to the remaining 16 HouseGuests that Rachel has met her untimely demise, and is out of the game. Angela is overjoyed. First the White Locus, Julie says, and now this. Rachel can't catch a break. But the game goes on, and she has an idea - she will find someone to take her place. Devins says this is nothing like Survivor: Expect the unexpected!

Big Brother Unlocked premieres Friday night at 8pm ET, where the replacement HouseGuest will be revealed, and the HoH competition begins. Plus, learn how America can impact the first six weeks of the gain. The first HoH will be crowned on Sunday at 8pm ET, and the first three Houseguests will be nominated. On Wednesday, it is the first Veto competition of the summer. Will it be used on any of the nominees? And then next Thursday, the first live eviction of the season, where one HouseGuest will be leaving the Big Brother House. Plus, Live Feeds start at 9pm ET immediately following BB Unlocked.

Julie announces she has a solution to their BB Reality Icon problem, and while the HG are still in 175 million BC, sneaks into the house and sits at the DTTM. She sets the destination target to December 20th, 2023, and vanishes into the past. Returning, she announces that the problem is solved.

From inside the BB House, I'm Julie Chen Moonves. Love one another.

The last we see as the credits roll is the corpse of Rachel Reilly dissolving in the volcano lava pit.

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Recap by: Fuskie