Big Brother: Should The Game Hide The Eviction Vote Total?

It’s the moment every Big Brother houseguest dreads: hearing the outcome of the eviction vote.

Surviving is a wave of relief, but until host Julie Chen-Moonves reveals the results, it’s a big ball of nerves. The tension is thick and anxiety-ridden.

That is, unless it’s a predetermined unanimous house vote.

Even with all the uncertainty, most evictions are predetermined by Thursday.

The alliances put their stakes in the sand, either saving or sending a competitor out. And for those floating in the mix, they’ll play it safe to not be on the wrong side of the vote.

It’s safe and expected. But above all else, it’s dull!

Unanimous house votes, while easy to buy another week, kill tension and momentum for strong gameplay. Why try to flip the vote when everyone knows the house divide by Thursday?

Vote flips are uncommon, but they do happen. Unanimous house votes, on the other hand, are more common than not.

So, we’re posing this question to all the Big Brother fanatics and casuals out there: Should Big Brother hide the vote totals after everyone has cast their vote?

To be clear, we’re not talking about revealing the votes to the audience.

Still continue to hold live eviction nights on Thursdays. Julie Chen-Moonves and the Big Brother audiences can learn who each houseguest voted for during the eviction.

But why do the houseguests need to know how many votes it took to eliminate someone?

Would the game turn out better if this one piece of information was kept a secret? Let’s break down the pros and cons!

Pro: The Protection Of A Good Mystery

Most Big Brother houseguests want to make a big move, but they’re cautious in nature. They don’t want to ruin their games by getting caught.

The spotlight of a blindside puts everything and everyone out in the open.

If they could hide behind the ambiguity, we’d most likely see a lot more people willing to throw a hinky vote. Or in some cases, completely change up their voting plans.

No one could deny they “voted as expected” because the eviction would be based solely on which person walked out that door.

The mystery is enticing, and the ambiguity allows a level of protection for even the most scared and cautious of Coasters. (They could make any move!)

Con: Safe Can Be Too Safe

While the mystery allows for anything to happen, we need to acknowledge that it could have the opposite effect for some.

Certain houseguests get too paranoid, and they’re too obsessed with control. They’ll be hyper-focused on ensuring that the Thursday vote goes their way.

Granted, it could lead to some fun drama, especially if the paranoia rubs others the wrong way.

Though, to avoid being blindsided, some players could be locked in. They won’t want the game to flip, and they’ll be closed off from everything.

Pro: Dramatic Reveals

Who doesn’t love seeing a blindside on Eviction Night? It’s the bread and butter of Big Brother.

For example, Haley’s and Kamu’s shocked faces when Lyric got blindsided during Big Brother Season 28 Week 4. It was so beautiful!

GIFs were created that day, and the world thanked the houseguests.

Eviction Night surprises add a jolt of electricity to the game. Ever since that vote, the Big Brother Season 28 game flipped on its head.

Every player now is scrambling. And in turn, all alliances have shifted, opening up the game for the rest of the season.

The BB Blockbusters helped to keep the players on their toes. They don’t know who will be facing the vote until the challenge is completed.

But nothing is set in stone until someone walks into the Diary Room and makes their official vote.

We could see a world where votes flip more often. Outcomes in which the minority players band together to change the pace.

Or just as possible, a single rogue vote flips the entire outcome of the week.

Con: The Loss Of Hinky Votes

For every big house shift, there’s also the single vote that adds just as much drama.

The unaccounted vote. The rogue vote.

The hinky vote.

With this con, we don’t mean that there won’t ever be a hinky vote. Of course, houseguests will vote how they like–the votes could end up on any nominee.

What we mean is that the paranoia and debate about the singular mysterious vote will now evolve into a group debate.

Think back to past hinky votes, like Eric’s votes as America’s Player on Big Brother Season 8. Or when Paul and his alliance orchestrated random votes on Big Brother Season 19.

Those random, one-off votes were used to spark chaos or sympathy in the house.

Taylor’s vote on Rome during Big Brother Season 28 Week 2 had no ill intent. However, its randomness sparked some distrust among allies.

Sometimes a single vote carries more weight than a grander alliance.

My Outcome: Remove The Result!

Personally, I’d like the numbers kept a mystery. We won’t know how the houseguests react unless they’re faced with the uncertainty.

Based on 26+ years of Big Brother, there’s enough of a pattern to know what’s the exception and what’s a trend.

For instance, the safe, unanimous house votes happen way too often, more than we can count. The houseguests gravitate to this.

On the other hand, the flipped votes are rarer. For every big house implosion (i.e., post-Lyric eviction), there are many more majority house votes, like Ashley’s eviction on Big Brother Season 28 Week 1.

Something needs to change. This one element could be the spark that fixes it.

Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.

Do you agree that the vote total should be hidden? Or should it be shared with the houseguests?

Are there any other updates you’d make to the Big Brother game?

Share your thoughts in the comments below, and invite another Big Brother fan to join the conversation.

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