The Roy Family of Succession Ranked from Least to Most Immoral

     

     Over the course of the past week, I started to watch the critically-acclaimed HBO show Succession. The show tells the story of a billionaire entertainment company and the corruption and mishaps that surround it. The family the show centers on are completely despicable human beings who have no problem doing anything to get ahead in the business world. Although they are all terrible human beings, they are endearing at the same time, which makes the show so addicting to watch. I am going to rank the seven members of the main family members from least immoral to most immoral. I want to give a shout out to TVLine for giving the idea to me. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on each of the characters! Let's get to it...


7. Greg Hirsch 

     The only person from the family that is more of a good person than bad is Cousin Greg. He suffers the torment and verbal abuse of Tom, and the rest of his family sees him as someone who is unimportant to the company. He always wants what is best for every one most of the time, so his heart is usually in the right place. Though he follows Tom's wishes of destroying evidence documenting the company's cruising scandals, he feels guilty about it, and he finds it morally wrong. He requests a transfer from the department to disassociate himself from the scandal should it leak.  He manages to save a few of the documents that he was told to shred because of his guilt, and if you watched the season two finale, he finally uses them against Logan and the company. Greg comes in as the most moral Roy family member.


6. Marcia Roy

     Though Marcia is a very complex character, it is no secret that she represents the old-school traditional woman who has to listen to her husband and obey him even though he may be wrong. She is the third wife of the company's patriarch, Logan Roy. As I mentioned previously, she almost always takes his side, and she mostly serves as the barrier between Logan and his children. Though sometimes she is kept in the dark of things, she seems to have her say in some of Logan's personal matters. She almost never speaks up if she finds what her husband is doing is unethical, but she spoke up recently about her unhappiness in the marriage, but it was because it affected her and no one else. Though she herself has never covered up anything or done unethical deeds, Marcia is a very unlikable character who shows no care for anyone but herself and her husband.

5. Kendall Roy
     Kendall has had a very bumpy ride throughout the two seasons of the show. He is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict in season one until he relapses. The thing about Kendall is that he has a conscience and knows that what his father does is wrong, but he chooses to help his father out anyways, even if it does kill him that he has to do those things. Before he relapses, Kendall tries several times to take the business out of his father's hands after his father lies to him about handing the business over to him, but to no avail. After he relapses, he kills a waiter in a car accident where he tries to walk away from the scene, but his father knows about the accident and blackmails him to quit his persecution of him. In season two, he brutally guts a company without flinching or even showing remorse because "his dad told him to." In the finale of season two, after proving to be a loyal soldier, Kendall finally exposes his father after his father told him to take the fall for the cruise department scandal. It seems Kendall could be behind Marcia if he does right in season three. We shall see.

4. Siobhan "Shiv" Roy

     The only daughter to Logan Roy, Shiv is probably the favorite of all the children even though she definitely gets screwed by her father constantly. Shiv is manipulative, cunning, and persuasive in how she handles others. She is unfaithful to her husband, and she takes advantage of it by saying she wants an "open marriage" after her infidelity. She constantly manipulates her husband to get information out of him that involves the day to day operations of the company. When she wants to work for a Democratic presidential nominee, her father scolds her and attacks the nominee, Gil, but Shiv blackmails her father by threatening to bring up the cruising department scandal. In the penultimate episode of season two, Shiv gets the key witness in the scandal to drop her testimony saying that the trial will ruin her life with people threatening her. In the finale, Shiv manipulates her father into not firing Tom, but her brother instead. With that being said, Shiv, like Kendall, sometimes does seem to want to do right, and I think that she would be a great successor to her father. She would not be as corrupt and would do what she wants and not the dirty work of her father.


3. Roman Roy

     Roman is such an intriguing character. He is definitely the most crass and vulgar character on the show, and he demonstrates that in the pilot episode where he teases a poor Mexican family by telling them he'll give them a million dollars if the boy can hit a home run. The boy fails and Roman rips the check up right in front of the kid's face. Roman is genuinely a terrible person who has no problem tormenting and hassling someone who is in his way. He betrays his brother by not voting his unstable father out of the CEO position, making Kendall the only one to get his hands dirty. He cheated on his wife and when she divorced him, he did not flinch and instead smirked as she walked out of the door. Though he has never spearheaded any corrupt decisions, he is always in the know of what is going on and has no issues following through with orders unless it affects him in a negative way. At some points, you can see a tiny, minuscule drop of humanity in his heart, but it is never enough to redeem him.


2. Connor Roy

     Connor is probably one of the worst and most annoying characters on television right now. Every time he comes on my screen, I want to just put my hands through the screen and strangle him. He is not a character you love to hate; he is a character you hate to hate. Apart from being micro aggressive and rude to anyone that does not have the same political views as him, he is just a complete joke. He has an outburst at a company dinner party towards the cooks where he treats them terribly and fires them because some of the food is a bit cold. This really only began my hate for him. He wants to run for president and genuinely believes he can win when he is a misogynist and does not want to pay taxes. I loved on the season two finale when his father tells him that they all think he is a joke and that his presidential campaign is a joke. It was glorious. Honestly, there are no redeeming qualities about Connor, so let's just move on to our number one slot.

1. Logan Roy

     The most immoral Roy family member is none other than Logan Roy, himself. The man is just a complete slime ball and a dishonest person all around. The whole show revolves around him and the decisions he makes. He is the puppet master of all the scandals surrounding his business, and he is the one who made his children and family the way they are. He scolds his children by telling them they are worthless particularly Kendall when he says he is not a "killer" and is unfit to be the new CEO. He lies whenever he sees it to be necessary such as during the cruising department scandal where he says he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing, yet he signed off on the papers for the victims to keep quiet. He causes his son to start using, and he blackmails him that if he does not lay off, he will rat his son out for murder and as a result makes his son do his dirty work. Not only that, but when he wants to see his son's victim's family, he prays on Kendall's heartstrings by making him feel bad for his wrongdoing knowing that he is already depressed and sorry for his wrongdoing. He berates and mentally abuses the people he thinks tipped off Pierce by making them kneel on the floor and humiliate themselves. On the finale, after being manipulated by Shiv to not fire Tom, he fires his own son and tells him to take the blame for the scandal since he is the "face" of the investigation. Logan definitely rivals the other despicable TV show villains for one of if not the most ruthless and dishonorable men in TV history. 

   

Big Brother Winners Ranked

     

So another (sub-par) season of Big Brother has come and gone recently, and we have a new champion. Where did this champion rank among all the other winners? We'll find out soon enough, but first we have to decide where to place the winners of the other 20 seasons. For this blog, I am going to rank the 20 winners of the U.S. version of Big Brother. This will not include the 1st season, Over the Top, or both celeb seasons. Let's get to the rankings...

20. Josh Martinez- Big Brother 19 Winner

     

     It should be no surprise that I feel Josh is the worst winner of the worst season. While it was extremely satisfying to watch Paul lose for a second time, it does not make Josh a good winner or even an average winner at all. Josh rode Paul's coattails all season long while never making a move of his own. When Paul told him to fight with people, he fought with people. When Paul told him not to talk, he didn't talk. He was just a non-entity the whole game, and I can't even give him credit for his goodbye messages to the jurors since it wasn't his idea in the first place. One winner has to be the last and for me it's Josh like many other BB fans.

19. Jordan Lloyd- Big Brother 11 Winner

     I have gone back and forth on whether or not Josh or Jordan is the worse winner, but at least Jordan had to win competitions on her own to get to the end. Other than that, like Josh, Jordan was a non-entity in her winning season. She simply slipped on a banana peel and landed in the final two. Plain and simple. She let the other side of the house control her side for weeks without trying to infiltrate it. The Coup det tat that her showmance got, saved her side from being bulldozed, so that docks points from her as well. There was never any strategy from her, and she would avoid talking game and not think things through before playing the game. Although somewhat likable (I was never a fan of hers), if I were on the jury, I probably would have voted for Natalie since she actually was passionate about winning the game.

18. Steve Moses- Big Brother 17 Winner

     When you think of Big Brother 17, you think of Vanessa. Steve who? Vanessa completely owned that season. Steve is probably the most cringe winner due to how awkward he was. He was just a terrible winner as well. The only pro I can give him is that he maneuvered through the game somewhat decently, but that could have been sheer luck due to no one wanting to waste an HOH on him. People like to point out that he used Vanessa as a shield pretty well, but at a certain point you have to get rid of that shield. Steve waited until 3rd place to get rid of her; she was one competition away from winning the game. Steve is just a forgettable winner who had a very undeserved win. Vanessa, come back and play again, please!

17. Rachel Reilly- Big Brother 13 Winner

     Ok. This is hard for me because I really like Rachel outside of the show, but on the season she won I did not like her at all. I think she was way too emotional while playing the game, and she did have one of the worst social games of any winner. I will give her credit for winning key competitions and making sure she stayed over Lawon when he volunteered himself to go home. She gets flack from the duo veto that saved her and Jordan when one of them was going home. If she came back nowadays, I could see her being a lot more strategic and aware of her positioning than she was on Big Brother 13. I would like to see her play again, and see what she learned from her two other times playing.

16. Nicole Franzel- Big Brother 18 Winner

     Paul should have won this season hands down even though I can't stand him now. I will give credit to Nicole where it's due in that she positioned herself quite well a lot this season, but that is all I can give her. Production really did push her through the game a lot with the team twist, safety falling from the sky, "mom and dad" (production) telling James and Natalie to work with her and Corey, Corey automatically finding the correct piece in the MacGyver comp, etc. I just don't think Nicole started playing until day 58 after Paulie was booted. I want to forget her as a winner, but she had more respect from the jury than Paul did, so I guess you can't fault her for that.

15. Adam Jasinski- Big Brother 9 Winner

     Every body ranks Adam low because of his drug ring that he started after the show when in all reality, Adam played a decent game of Big Brother. Yes. His season sucked on so many levels, but Adam played a great coaster/under the radar game. Most of his game was behind the scenes, but he did make moves on his own. He made sure that Natalie knew he didn't vote her out, and he reeled in his "partner" Sheila. He played dumb very well, and he also had excellent jury management. That sounds like a respectable Big Brother game to me. The only gripe I have with him was him not willing to have the guts to put up James on the block because he wanted to give him a chance at the veto. That was a dumb move, but it was really the only wrong call he made. He's not the most likable winner, but I think he did just enough to be a high lower-tier winner.

14. Ian Terry- Big Brother 14 Winner

     Every body remembers Big Brother 14 as the season that Dan was robbed. I, too think he was robbed, but Ian was undoubtedly the second best player in that season (there's really no competition to be honest). He won four head of household comps and two veto competitions. Some say that he was unaware a lot of the game, which I agree to an extent, but he had a strategy before he walked into the house, and he basically executed it perfectly. He also got Boogie out of the house, his own "coach" which doesn't get talked about enough. The main issue with him was that, like I said, he was sometimes clueless in the game, and he was manipulated by Dan a number of times, but he had the better jury management, so you have to hand it to him.

13. Drew Daniel- Big Brother 5 Winner

     Drew is probably the most boring and uninspiring winner of every Big Brother winner, but his game play was actually pretty good. He only had one "bad" move in the game in that he took out one of his "add-on" alliance members, but that really set him up well in the game. His showmance with Diane allowed him to be in the know of what her alliance was thinking and doing in the game. His endgame allowed him to be the leader of the decision-making such as the evictions of Karen and Nakomis. On top of that, he made one of the most cutthroat game moves of all time in evicting his showmance from making the final two. It was a spectacular and underappreciated move that allowed him to win the game. Despite being very vanilla, Drew played a good game of Big Brother, and people seem to undermine his abilities.

12. Lisa Donohue- Big Brother 3 Winner

     So many people believe that Danielle should have won this season, and I agree with them; however, Lisa is still a deserving winner. She is probably one of the best social winners of all time, and she used it as a strategy unlike Jordan. Lisa was very good at maneuvering through the game after her and her showmance were targeted. There was a house vote to give a previously evicted houseguest the chance to get back in the game - one of them was her showmance. Lisa famously decided against bringing her showmance back in the game in order to avoid getting a target on her back. It was a brilliant game move and as a result she was able to get to the final two due to the rest of the final three "wanting" her to be there because "they liked her." Overall, Lisa is a very underrated winner.

11. Kaycee Clark- Big Brother 20 Winner

     Speaking of underrated, here we have Kaycee. Now, I do believe Tyler should have won even though I liked Kaycee more than Tyler, but Kaycee was still a good player. She is tied for most power of veto wins, and though I do not think much of competition wins, you cannot deny the girl's challenge prowess. Also, I think Kaycee, like Lisa, is one of the best social players ever. In case Haleigh won HoH, Kaycee did not want to go up, so she kissed up to her and made her feel like she was on her side. Also, Kaycee had a hand in the decisions in her alliance. Maybe she never orchestrated anything on her own, but she was always involved in the decision-making. I do not think Kaycee gets the credit she deserves for her game, but I can somewhat understand why.

10. Jackson Michie- Big Brother 21 Winner

     This is probably the most universally hated winner on the list, but Jackson did play an overall decent game. After his game was blown up by his alliance, Jackson managed to bring in the "floaters/outsiders" and dominate from the final nine on. His social game was not that great, but his strategic game was pretty solid. He also told one of the best lies the game has ever seen in order to keep his showmance in the game. Though his despicable behavior, including microaggressive comments and misogynistic remarks, will forever be remembered (and not for the better), Jackson is a good winner and definitely deserved his win.

9. Andy Herren- Big Brother 15 Winner

     Andy was a part of the worst final three on one of the worst seasons ever. Big Racist 15. Yes, you read that correctly. Though Andy never said any racial remarks, his gameplay was despised by the viewers. He played a rat, floater game where he carried information to everyone in the house, so that they would go after others and not him. Is that type of gameplay annoying? Yes. Is it effective and a good strategy, though? Yes. Though I think his game is overrated by many superfans in that I think Amanda did a lot of the work that season, Andy is a respectable winner, who may be unlikable, but his strategy is respected by most.

8. Mike "Boogie" Malin- Big Brother 7: All Stars Winner

     Like Andy, I feel as if there was player on this season that did most of the heavy lifting, and that is Will; however, Will's second in command played a very good game on this season. He rode coattails when he needed to and he manipulated people when it was necessary. His best move was getting George to target Howie instead of Will by threatening that someone could use the power that was unleashed in the house against him. His fake showmance with Erika allowed him to get through the game and to the end because the jury saw her as worthless, which is how you should look at the game. Though I feel Boogie is overrated as a player overall, his all star game was very effective and very respectable.

7. "Evel" Dick Donato- Big Brother 8 Winner

     Now, I know this is a controversial ranking, especially to the superfans out there who "hate" him, but Dick is a severely underappreciated winner. Yes, many say he was helped by production, but can we not remember Eric being saved by production in order to keep their twist in the game? Dick was very good at making deals last minute so production could not interfere. He controlled most of the pre-jury strategy for his alliance, and after Eric was failed to be taken out, Dick was put on the block where many say he should have gone home. But, if Eric was not America's player, Dick would have not been on the block that week, so the twist actually did not fully benefit him that week. After that, Dick took control of the game again, and though his social game is one of the worst ever, he managed to get him and his daughter to the final two in one of the best arcs of the show. I would recommend others really dive deep into Dick's win rather than writing it off as "production interference."

6. Jun Song- Big Brother 4 Winner

     The queen of floating takes her place as the overall sixth best winner. As I mentioned, Jun perfected the floating strategy where she would play up that taking her out was a waste of an HoH. She played the sides of the house against each other and sat back and watched the chaos around her. She was only really targeted once, and she was not even the main target that week. Also, her ex- boyfriend, Jee, was in the house with him, and she played him like a fiddle, and after she didn't need him anymore, so she got him out on her HoH reign. Her and her final two partner Alison, absolutely loathed each other, but they needed each other to have an equal chance of winning. Jun was scolded for her social game due to mocking other houseguests, but her strategy was well respected, and she won the game in a 6-1 vote.

5. Hayden Moss- Big Brother 12 Winner

     I often consider Hayden to be the leader of the Brigade alliance even though people have conflicting opinions. I always say that Enzo was the one who created the alliance. No, not Matt. He was a moron. It was Enzo; however, Hayden perfected the strategy. He won the competitions for his alliance, and he came up with a lot of the moves in order to ensure the three members got to the final three. He made sure he had the votes when him and his showmance were on the block together due to his perfected strategy. Hayden was a somewhat boring winner, but his dominating gameplay will always be remembered. I think it should have been a landslide vote for him to win over Lane, who did absolutely nothing all season, but nonetheless, he did win.

4. Maggie Ausburn- Big Brother 6 Winner

     Really only superfans have Maggie this high. Many say Janelle should have won this season, and as much as I wanted that to happen, it did not. Maggie was the best player of the season by far. Was she despised? Absolutely, but Maggie took control over her side of the house at the final twelve and completely mind-f**ked them to do her dirty work. Also, she completely changed the game by telling Howie, an opposing alliance member, that one of his own people was coming after him and as a result, nominated the person, giving Maggie and her alliance the rest of the game. Maggie's cult-leader status has been commented on in the Big Brother community, and many have commended her excellent tactics. There is not much more I can say other than Maggie is an excellent player and amazing winner despite her lack of likability.

3. Derrick Levasseur- Big Brother 16 Winner

     As most of you know, I absolutely hate this season. I hate mainly everyone with the exception of Donny. Derrick is no exception; however, his gameplay has been acclaimed by fans of the show, and I can agree with them. Did he have any adversity to shut down his dominating win? No, but that is not his fault. He controlled every single decision in the house, and he got his final two partner to take him to the end rather than one of the most worthless players ever, Victoria. There really is not much more to say about Derrick only because I hate talking about this season. It just makes me feel icky when I bring it up. You just have to know that he is an amazing winner. So moving on.

2. Dan Gheesling- Big Brother 10 Winner

     Many people have Dan as there number one and I don't fault them for that at all. I can see why they do. Dan is an excellent winner and definitely in contention to be the best player of all time as that is apparent in his season fourteen game. In season ten, his whole alliance was wiped out pre-jury and then he lied and manipulated to make his way into the leadership position of one side of the house. The other side did not target him due to him making himself look weak and out of the loop. He lied to Ollie and told him he would nominate who he wanted to nominate if he gave him HoH, but he just ended up putting his best friend on the block and sending her home. He made others target each other by planting seeds of doubt, and then he made a final two with Memphis and they controlled the rest of the game from the final seven on. Dan is a universally loved winner and player as he should be. Maybe his third time on the show will come soon?

1. Will Kirby- Big Brother 2 Winner

     In my opinion, Dr. Will has played the best winning game of any season. His journey is somewhat similar to Dan's in that he alliance was wiped out very early, and then he was on his own. He stayed alive by lying, manipulating, and charming his fellow houseguests. He made fake deals with power couple Nicole and Hardy, where he threw competitions to make himself a smaller target. He let everyone around him blow up to where people started pointing fingers at each other rather than at him. He also planted seeds of doubt in others heads rather than full out telling someone who was targeting them. He threw the final four HoH to Monica so she would do his dirty work, and he would have the choice of who to evict in that there was no Power of Veto, yet. Nicole was the player who really dominated the game where she manipulated people, but Will was manipulating her all along by making fake deals with her and telling her he would do what she told him to do. The jury hated Nicole, but saw that Will was just messing with her the whole time, so they respected him for that where he became the first "official" winner. I believe that subtlety is the best form of gameplay. Not competition wins or "big moves." The best players are the ones who can manipulate people without making themselves seem like a threat. That is Will, and he only solidified himself as arguably the best player ever when he returned in season seven, where he made the final four. Will Kirby takes the number one spot as my personal best winner ever.


Thank you reading my Big Brother Winner Rankings. Stay tuned for more reviews and rankings! Have a great rest of your day!

    

The Walking Dead Season 10 Premiere Review

          If you were to ask me ten years ago if The Walking Dead was still on air, I would say you’re crazy, but here we are ten years later. I have been watching this show since season one episode one all the way back in 2010. I am so happy this show has been a part of my life for the past ten years. Yes, there have been some rocky moments through the years, but all in all, there have been mainly highs. Tonight, the first episode of season ten premiered, and all in all, it was a fairly decent episode. Was it one of the best, most groundbreaking episodes of the show? No. But it sets up interesting storylines that will be seen in this season. I am going to review my thoughts on this episode of The Walking Dead. 



            So, as well all know, this is Danai Gurira’s (Michonne’s) last season of the show. Michonne is one of my all-time favorite television characters. Ever since she made her debut in season three, I was fully invested in her character, so I am very disappointed that she is leaving. Tonight, the show focused a little bit on the relationship between Michonne and her children particularly when Judith was telling the story of Rick’s “death” to RJ. It’s going to be painful watching these kids lose their mother in some capacity whether she dies or simply leaves the show. We also saw her giving advice and wisdom to Aaron about being smart, but it being okay to be scared. I see that the writers are trying to leave the group as well as the audience with memories of Michonne being a leader and being the glue that holds everyone together, so I can appreciate what they are doing.


            The whole episode focused on the different point of views of the communities reacting to the Soviet Union satellite exploding after a whisperer skin mask was found in the children’s shell bucket and where everyone was at the time. During this time, we saw Carol and Daryl being reunited and debating if they should run away where they don’t have to fight anymore. It was a very fascinating topic because we really haven’t seen the people on the show say they are tired of fighting for a while. I know Carol is not leaving the show anytime soon, but it was interesting to see just how scared yet mad she is at Alpha. We finally see at the end of the episode how much wrath she has towards Alpha when she sees her at the bottom of the cliff, both staring each other down. It will be intriguing to see how this battle will end.


            Another scene I really like and have been waiting years for the show to do was Sadiq’s PTSD storyline. I really wished the show had a mental disorder storyline seasons ago because these are still real people, and things like this would still exist in a zombie apocalypse. I’m excited to see how this plays out for him because I can only imagine how terrifying that was for him to see all of his friends die. Maybe it wasn’t as terrifying, though as having an interaction with that doctor. Talk about cringe. The doctor, Dante, is probably that character of the season who is there to die as a “big” character death, but we shall see. Maybe he’ll get some good character development. 


            Negan is back to his old tricks of manipulating people and planting seeds of doubt to cause chaos. Why anyone would listen or believe him is beyond me. I do think he is becoming a better person, but there is still evil left in him, and I am sure it will be put into effect one way or another this season. The way he had Gabriel’s brain turning and thinking foreshadows the group probably taking advice from him at some point, and him planting seeds of doubt in Lydia’s brain shows that he can never fully be trusted no matter how much he admires Judith. 


            The second half of the episode, when the forest fire breaks out from the satellite explosion, was very fun to watch. Seeing all of these people come together and working all night really makes me love this show. Yes, we have lost so many fan-favorite characters, but I really see these new characters stepping up to the plate to fill the shoes of them, and this scene really showed it. It was a scary scene because we didn’t know if there were whisperers in the horde that was attracted to the fire. That is what is so scary about the whisperers. You never know when they’re going to come. Michonne especially is cautious when she is trying to rush everyone out of the woods after the fire is put out considering they are in Alpha’s territory which would always make me pee my wants if I was her. She is terrified as she should be. I feel like the whisperers are going to attack when no one is expecting them to. I think they’re just going to be at a random place where the survivors are caught off guard and not worrying about the whisperers being around. I actually do think that is how Michonne is going to die. Alpha is going to kill her. I really do not see her joining the spinoff movies with Rick and honestly, I don’t want her to. 




            Overall, this episode was very well written. So far, I have heard good things about this season, so fingers crossed the reviews are correct. I loved season nine, so I hope the good-season streak can continue after seven and eight were complete garbage and should be forgotten as a whole. I am praying for Michonne’s storyline to come to a proper close. Maybe she will sacrifice herself to save her children or perhaps Alpha will kill her, cementing her as the series’ most feared and terrifying villains.


Thank you for reading my thoughts on the 10th season premiere of The Walking Dead. Stay tuned for my reviews and rankings! Have a great day everyone!

*Updated Ranking the Seasons of Big Brother

     Are you a big fan of Big Brother? Big Brother is one of my absolute favorite television shows of all time. I love the strategy and mostly the cast. Though Big Brother has seen some unbearable seasons (recently for the most part), many of the seasons have been amazing. So, what are my opinions on every season? Let's get to them by ranking the 21 main seasons (minus Big Brother 1, Big Brother: Over the Top, and Celebrity Big Brother 1 & 2) from worst to best. Spoilers ahead!!!

20. Big Brother 19: Winner- Josh Martinez 

     Honestly I don't want to even waste my breath over this season. If you have seen this season and actually liked it, I question you as a fan of the show. We had to watch a game of follow the leader all season which was just absolutely awful. The only good thing about this season was seeing Paul lose...again (deservingly) for being an ass the whole season even after production gave him 6,500 advantages. This season was so bad that many former Big Brother players quit watching because of it. I can't even stomach talking about it anymore, so onto the next one. 

19. Big Brother 16: Winner- Derrick Levasseur

     When I think of Big Brother 16, I think of famewhores. Frankie. Caleb. Zach. The list goes on and on. We had people more concerned about getting Instagram followers than playing for $500,000. Week after week it was Derrick getting his way without any opposition. I mean, good for him, but it made for such boring television. The only person I enjoyed in this season was Donny and that's because he actually had a brain and wanted to target Derrick. Then, we have brainless Cody take Derrick to the end instead of Victoria, the lamp of the season. This proved that Cody was there to make friends rather than win the game to where I will say that this is the worst move in the history of the show. Please stay home if that is what you plan to do. Skip this season and the number 19 slot as well.

18. Big Brother 9: Winner- Adam Jasinski

     This season and Big Brother 15 are known as the "forgotten seasons". This season was known as "The season of love". It aired in the wintertime due to the financial crisis in the U.S. at the time. Honestly, I don't know anyone that has watched this season and actually liked it. I think you'll only like this season if you're addicted to porn. Yeah...that's the season in a nutshell. Although this season was not good, the people did play the game, maybe not well, but hey at least they were playing unlike BB19 and BB16. Also, Adam is a very underrated winner who played an excellent under the radar game, and he also played up the "stupid guy" role which benefitted him perfectly. I would take a hard pass at watching this season again, though.

17. Big Brother 18: Winner- Nicole Franzel

     Ugh...another not so hot season. This season saw the return of 4 bizarre choices of returnees that consisted of Nicole, James, Frank, and Da'Vonne. Why did they choose these four? I have no idea. The cast of new people was so lame. You had Zakiyah, who did nothing the whole game, Michelle who cried every episode and Paulie who has to be the biggest douche to ever play the game (maybe besides Paul). I did not like the care package and team twist. It was only to protect the returnees. I did; however, love the downfall of Paulie. That has to be one of the best weeks in BB history. That moment probably saves this season from being lower to be honest. When I watched the season, I did not feel Nicole deserved to win. I still don't, but jury management is part of the game and because of that, Paul lost for the first time. If only he would have won, then we wouldn't have been stuck with the crapfest that was BB19. People like to praise Nicole's game, but that girl had no clue where her position in the game was half the time, so I cannot give her full credit for playing a decent game. I would watch this season if only if you have watched the rest of the seasons that are better than this one.

16. Big Brother 13: Winner- Rachel Reilly

     Like BB18, this season saw the return of three pairs of veterans that consisted of Dick and Daniele, Brendon and Rachel, and Jeff and Jordan. This season starts off promising, but falls a bit flat when Dick is forced to leave the game after receiving news that he had contacted HIV. The production influence this season was awful. Rachel was given so many advantages to further her game that her win almost feels too tainted in a way. Despite all the flaws this season has, it has the single best double eviction in the show's history. Both the leaders of the two opposing alliances are wiped out in a matter of minutes, and it was so glorious to watch. Like I said with Rachel's win already, it was a very flawed game that she played and the only reason she won the season is because her fiancé bribed another jury member to vote for her. I do like Rachel in real life, though. I would recommend this season for those who like drama.

15. *Big Brother 21: Winner- Jackson Michie

     Here it is. Our most recent season of Big Brother. After a terrible jury phase which included micro aggressive behavior, misogyny, and unlikable people, we had an interesting jury phase. I did not say it was a good jury phase, but it was interesting. While this season had many terrible features such as botched casting, terrible game moves, and production interference on a whole other level, it had funny moments including Nicole's diary rooms, Jessica falling off the wall, and Taco Tuesday. However, this cast was so unlikable. From people like Jackson, Jack, Nick, Christie, Bella, Cliff, Jessica, etc. There was no one to root for other than Nicole, who is up there with one of the most popular BB players ever. Jackson (No. Not Michie) played a good game, winning competitions and lying when he needed to in order to get to the end, but he was so unlikable. The product this season gave us is everything wrong with modern BB: casting, twists, the production company, etc. I don't see this season moving down, but I can see it moving up either.

     

14. Big Brother 11: Winner- Jordan Lloyd

     I consider this season to be the very first season where production became a player in the game, which just should not happen. The alliance America hated was in power week after week and was wiping out the alliance that America loved. America's favorite, Jeff, won a special power that could change the course of the game. Jeff was designed to win by production, but he fumbled at the 1 yard line and his showmance slipped on a banana peel and ended up winning the game. That is the season in a nutshell. Despite the season not being the best, I believe it had the last great cast for a while (until BB20 came around). Also, the fights are probably some of the best fights in reality television history. Jordan is an awful winner. She had no real strategy and rode on Jeff's coattails the whole game. She won because she was next to someone who EVERYONE hated. Like BB13, watch this season if you like drama.

13. Big Brother 15: Winner- Andy Herren

     This season has been dubbed the "racist and homophobic season" by fans and critics alike. At least 75% of the cast was caught saying racist and bigoted remarks, which is just not a good thing. The twist this season saw so many potentially decent players go home pre-jury just so BB13 winner Rachel's sister, Elissa could go further in the game. This season also gave us the worst final 3 in the history of the show with Andy, GinaMarie, and Spencer- the three most WTF players to ever make it to the end. While I do think Andy played a decent game, I think people tend to overpraise his floater game. Maybe it's just because I don't like Andy in real life. This season did have many gameplayers and fights, though. We had the villainous Amanda, who I desperately think we need to see again. The fact that that girl never won any competitions and still managed to manipulate her way into getting her targets out, speaks volumes to her as a player. I think this season would have been higher up if there had not been so much racism and homophobia in it. Watch this season, so you can see not what to say on National TV.

12. Big Brother 12: Winner- Hayden Moss

     BB12 is perhaps the most average season of Big Brother. It's not great, but it's not terrible either. The season was ran by the most dominant alliance to ever play the game (in my opinion), The Brigade. Three out of its four members made it to the final 3, and the only reason why the fourth did not make it to the end is because the other three cut him. They outplayed everyone, which honestly made for a pretty boring season if you ask me. The season; however, had memorable characters in Brendon, Rachel, and Britney. Hayden was a great winner. He was great socially, strategically, and competitively. If you want a season that is not too complicated to understand, I would recommend this one.

11. Big Brother 5: Winner- Drew Daniel

     I loved this season's twist. It was Project DNA where twins would switch in and out of the house. (This later happened in BB17, but BB5's twin twist was far superior). Also, an estranged brother and sister played the game together. I would say that the twist carries the season. Like BB12, the season was just average. There were boring weeks, but decent weeks at the same time. Also, the brother evicted his sister from the house, and the winner of the season evicted his showmance. It was so cutthroat, and I lived for those blindsides! Scott and Jase were two jackasses, but they go out fairly quick, which in a way makes the season halt to a slow stop. Drew is a decent winner who knew when to be out in the open and fly under the radar when he needed to. I still think Diane was the best player that season, who managed to plant seeds between alliances, so she was always in the middle. I would watch this season if you want to see a great twist.

10. Big Brother 4: Winner- Jun Song

     Big Brother 4 brought us one of the best twists of the show's history: bringing ex -boyfriends and girlfriends into the house to compete against each other. That being said, the cast was pretty dull aside from Jun, Alison, and Erika, but they all played the game, so I can't complain that much. Jun is one of the most underrated winners the show has ever seen. She pioneered the floating strategy, the shifting of alliances based on where the power was held. Her Final 2 competitor, Alison, also played an amazing game. She lied and told people what they wanted to hear to get her way. This is probably the most evenly matched Final 2. I would love to see Jun come back for another season, but I don't see that happening since her and Julie Chen DESPISE each other. Do not skip this season!

9. Big Brother 17: Winner- Steve Moses

     Big Brother 17 was a refreshing season since we came out of two of the worst seasons ever. This season holds a special place in my heart because it was the first season I watched when it aired. Seeing Vanessa play like a crazy person week after week was so tiring to watch, but I respected her for it. This season probably would have been better if she had won. The twist this season ended after a couple of weeks, which made for a cutthroat season full of backstabs and betrayal. The best part of this season was Vanessa evicting Austin without any shoes on! It was damn hilarious! The Final 2 of Steve and Liz made for a disappointing Final 2. People love to overrate Steve's game, but was he really that good? I believe if he were so good he would have gotten rid of Vanessa earlier. This is a great modern season to watch! I would not skip it!

8. Big Brother 14: Winner- Ian Terry

     This season saw the return of the Janelle, Dan, "Boogie", and Britney as coaches. I really liked the concept of the twist; however, that was destroyed because they were allowed into the game as players a month into the game. I hated that. I really did like this season though. We got to see Dan Gheesling make his second coming at the game. Dan's funeral was brilliant and is one of the best moves of the show's history. You might be wondering why I ranked this season so low, and it's really only because the cast of newbies were some of the worst casting decisions I have ever seen. Ashley. Shane. Joe. Jenn. Danielle. The list goes on. Ian is a fine winner. I would have preferred Dan, but once again jury management is part of the game. This is a season where fans of the show will point out to you, so don't miss this one!

7. Big Brother 20: Winner- Kaycee Clark

     After a series of shitty seasons with shitty winners, this season gave life to a franchise I thought was dead. The season saw the battle between the Hive and Level 6. I think Level 6 is one of the best alliances of the show's history. They had complete trust in each other, and they outplayed the other side week after week with an array of blindsides, defeats, and betrayal. We had a great cast of interesting characters in Brett, Rockstar, Haleigh, Faysal, etc. I also believe that the Final 3 was the best Final 3 since BB3 back in 2002! All of them had an argument to win the game. The only negative about this season was that the Hive got picked off week after week, which made for a dull three weeks, but the season once again picked right back up. While I think Tyler played a better game than Kaycee, I believe Kaycee to be a great winner and maybe the best social player of all time. Yes, I said it. This season brought a breath of fresh air into the BB community, so you NEED to watch this season! "It's real cute"-Rockstar

6. Big Brother 2: Winner- Will Kirby

    The very first real season of the show, BB2 brought to us a game we had never seen before. The game was a social experiment at its best. The season saw the formation of the infamous "Chilltown" alliance as well as the first time the houseguests were informed of something that happened on the outside world. Monica, who finished third, lost her cousin in 9/11. This scene is probably the most raw scene in the show's history. It really showed that these were real people, playing a game for $500,000. Everyone came to play this season. It was so enjoyable to watch after the mess that Season 1 was. Runner-up Nicole played a great cutthroat game, but she was no match for Dr. Will Kirby. Will played puppet master the whole season, lying about his loyalties and votes which got him to the Final 2 in one of if not the best winning games the show has ever seen. Though the season is VERY outdated, you should still watch it. It was the birth of an amazing show!

5. Big Brother 10: Winner- Dan Gheesling

     Big Brother 10 is an iconic season. For the first time we had a houseguest over 70 play the game, and we had a cast of people that came to play. This season is also known as the season of "back to basics" meaning there were no twists implemented into the game (except for America's player during Week 4). The season saw many memorable fights including "Keesha's birthday". We also had Renny, the older woman who was not afraid to speak her mind. Dan Gheesling made his debut as the charming Catholic school teacher, who would immediately stab you in the back in one of the best games the show has ever seen. Do not skip BB10. It was the last great season of the show until BB20 aired!

4. Big Brother 8: Winner- Dick Donato

     I love this season so much. Me and my siblings always quote it around the house. The season saw three sets of enemies enter the game including an estranged father and daughter. The twist this season was America's player where a houseguest named Eric had to vote out the person America wanted out, which caused so much chaos and fights in the house. We had so many great moments including Amber's modeling dream, Amber's crying montage, and Dick tormenting the houseguests to no end! Dick and his daughter, Daniele both made it to the final 2 after Dick endured an 8 hour HOH competition. Dick is a very controversial winner, who many people say was protected by America, but there was so much diary room manipulation that season, I don't think anyone's games were unaffected. I think Dick and Daniele both played great games, and I believe that they both deserved to win. I also follow Dick on Twitter because he is so hilarious and so relatable! You have to watch Big Brother 8 considering it's part of the "Golden Age" of the show!

3. Big Brother 6: Winner- Maggie Ausburn

     We're coming down to my top 3 favorite seasons, and BB6 will start them off. BB6 saw the house split in half between the likable Sovereign Six Alliance and the despised Friendship Alliance. Week after week the power shifted back and forth between the sides knocking off a player from each until only a few on each side remained. The season saw the introduction of Janelle, the original competition threat, who was adored by America. Memorable moments included a fourteen hour endurance competition where Jennifer betrayed the trust of the other side and evicted their leader, Janelle winning HOH and evicting Jennifer, and the realization that everyone in the house had a secret partner. Maggie is such an amazing winner, who got the opposing alliance to nominate their own numbers. She also was the leader of her alliance, where she shielded herself with them in order not to be targeted. Even though I wanted Janelle to take the season, I was so happy to see Maggie beat Ivette, who is one of my least favorite houseguests ever. This season is almost near perfect, so this is a season you cannot skip.

2. Big Brother 7 All-Stars: Winner- Mike "Boogie" Malin

     Unlike Survivor: All Stars, BB7 is simply amazing. The season saw the return of fourteen of the "best" BB players ever battle it out for another chance to win. The players literally started playing the second they walked in the house (literally the second they walked in). The season saw the return of most of the Sovereign Six alliance from BB6, Danielle Reyes from BB3, and Chilltown from BB2, who manipulated their way into the Final 4 together. Janelle broke the record with most competition wins in a season with nine! Dr. Will, who had already won, outplayed everyone in the season without even sweating, even though he was caught in lying in the Final 4 and was evicted because of it. Boogie is a pretty good winner. He rode coattails when he needed to, and he took leadership when he needed to, but Will really did run the entire season. If you want to see a season with incredible and fast gameplay, then this is the season for you!

1. Big Brother 3: Winner- Lisa Donohue

     This is hands down my favorite season of Big Brother. This is when gameplay really took off and started the game we all know and love. I wish BB had an Emmy category because I would have nominated this season. I consider this season to be the season of egos. Amy wanted to be the southern belle. Josh wanted to be the funny guy of the season. Gerry wanted to be the self-righteous old man of the season and Marcellas wanted to be the "star" of the season. Though none of them make it to the end and win, they get their "fame" at the end of the season. A great moment in the season was Marcellas not using the veto on himself and as a result, he was immediately evicted in what is considered one of the worst moves in the show's history. Danielle and Jason are the best duo to ever play the game. What they did was genius. They each took a side of the house and compared notes with each other in order to keep the target off of their backs. Both of them made it to the Final 3 never once touching the block. The fact that no one else has never emulated this strategy baffles me. This season (in my opinion) has the strongest Final 3 in the history of the show with each of the three playing the best games of the season. Now I do believe Danielle should have won this season, but Lisa also played an amazing game. She coasted when she had to, she made friends with everyone, and she made important moves such as not voting back in her showmance since it would put a target on her back. After this season, the jury was cut down significantly, and they were sequestered without any diary room footage to base their jury votes off of. This season is pure excellence; it's storytelling at its best, and it influenced many decisions in the show's future. 10/10 in my book.

Thank you for reading my season rankings of Big Brother. Let me know what your favorite season of the show is and why, but please don't say BB19! Onto Big Brother 22 next summer! 

American Horror Story: 1984 Premiere Review

   
     Well. Um...That was definitely...an episode of American Horror Story. That's really the only positive thing I can say about the premiere of American Horror Story: 1984. This is the first season to not feature Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters, and it was quite noticeable. When Jessica Lange left, it was a huge blow to the show, but I knew the show would go on somehow. After these other two left, I don't know if I can say that anymore. This whole premiere was just a mess. Maybe it's because I was so excited coming into this season since we are finally going back in time. I think it's the first season that is primarily set in a past decade since Freak Show. That was season four! It's a shame that this premiere did not meet my expectations in the slightest.

     The opening scene was probably the best part in the whole episode...perhaps maybe the only good part. It starts off with a bang, and the camera work is excellent during these opening murders. I really was feeling like this looked promising, but it all went down hill from there. The opening names when the teens are working out was so corny and unnecessary. I don't know what it is about the modern AHS seasons where they have to split the comedy and horror 50/50. Did Asylum have campy moments? Yes, but they were far and between, which makes Asylum my favorite season. The "funny" moments and corny jokes need to be gone yesterday. I really just get distracted and end up rolling my eyes when they're shoved down my throats.

     The characters presented to us were so...to put it modestly: uninspiring. I really can't think of one character so far that I like. Billie Lourd as Montana has a decent performance, but her character sucks. It really does. After a breathtaking performance as Michael Langdon, Cody Fern plays someone so stereotypical and unlikable that is so inferior to his character last season. Gus Kenworthy was there. I still don't know why. Maybe he'll be the breakout star this season, but his personality so far is...yikes. Angelica Ross from Pose is on this season which I was ecstatic about because I really adored her on that show. I thought I would be rooting for her the second she got on my screen, but it was the complete opposite. She seems to be a character that is there for right now, so I hope she can get a story arc or some personality down the road this season. There seems to be no character development from any of these characters all in all so far because you know "corny jokes." I really hope that we see some growth and great acting from these people so they can fill in these astounding actors that have left us recently.

     It seems like Richard Ramirez will be a side plot this season with Brooke (Emma Roberts), which by the way, I think Emma Roberts should stick with her bitchy roles. She does them ten times better than these serious roles she is given. I like how AHS sprinkles in a dash of real-life to their plots; I just hope this storyline isn't filler, and it can go somewhere because these murders are very fascinating even to this day.

     A character I actually did not mind was Margaret (Leslie Grossman). Was she excellent? Pfft. Not in the slightest. Again, there is some camp in her because Ryan Murphy loves to give campy roles to Leslie Grossman. I just hope she can move out of her comfort zone this season and really give a humanized role of her character. Her surviving the Camp Redwood massacre in 1970, is actually an interesting storyline that has the potential to push the narrative of this season ahead. I do know that I am going to get tired of her beliefs of Jesus and always praying to him. That can go.

     The Mr. Jingles killer plot is fun, but I want it to be more sinister and more dark and twisted than what we saw tonight. The cutting off of his victims ears is fascinating, but I want more (I know that sounds f-ed up, but this is American Horror Story. There have been worse). I hope this storyline continues for the rest of the season because it could be fun to watch what happens to these unlikable counselors. I hope we get a backstory on him rather than the counselors just telling us what happened around a campfire (which by the way, the acting in that scene was horrid). John Carroll Lynch is a great actor, and I hope his talents are not wasted this season since he only joins the AHS universe ever so often.

                             

     Overall, guys this was not the best start for an American Horror Story season. Like I said, I think the producers have to tone down the camp and focus on the psychological horror that the show was so successful with in its first couple of seasons. It really doesn't even feel like the same show anymore. I pray that this season finds its purpose and runs with it because if it doesn't, it's gonna be a long and pointless season. The premiere itself will receive a 4/10 for me, the lowest rated score I have given since I started my blog last year. It needs to pick up, and it needs to get better as soon as possible.

Thank you for reading my AHS: 1984 premiere review. More blogs will be coming soon! Have a great rest of your day!

The Deuce Season 3 Premiere Review

From left to right: Alston, Candy, Vincent, Abby, Paul, and Lori

     

     To be totally honest, I had no idea that The Deuce was premiering tonight. I had an idea that it was premiering in September, but maybe it's because all of the other shows I watch start in late September, so I just assumed it did , too, but I'm really pumped that this show is back on. I finished watching the first two seasons about a month ago, and it's definitely a hidden gem of a show with great characters and interesting plotlines. I wrote down notes for tonight's episode because this show has so many characters and storylines in it, which is crazy because a lot of the characters' storylines ended last season and in season one. I really enjoyed this episode, and I loved how we got a time jump to the 80s. I'm going to write my initial thoughts of the episode and what the characters have been up to.

     Let's start with Vincent and Abby. Honestly, who cares about them? I always felt they were the weakest characters in the story. I'll give it to Abby for fixing her hair after that bird nest disaster she had in '77. It looks like the two broke up, but still have feelings for each other. Vincent walks her home in this episode since the 80s have brought about a more dangerous city with muggings and beatings, but as he and Abby point out, the real estate is turning for the better with higher property prices and new apartment buildings being built, but Vincent doesn't think the Deuce will be affected. It shall be interesting to see if that affects their relationship, but still I think they are a snooze, especially Abby.

     I was shocked to see Lori come back this season since she got a very satisfying ending in the season two finale; however, her story really is far from over, now. She is introduced as getting out of rehab for the fifth time, which makes total sense. She was always doing blow last season at least once every episode, so I knew that that could be her storyline in the future if she came. At the end of the episode, she relapses in a very disturbing manner where she is literally shoving cocaine up her nose and down her throat. It's very upsetting to watch something so relevant in society be shown like that, but it just shows how far gone she is. She also doesn't seem to be happy to still be in the porn business, either. Her boyfriend/husband is pushing her to stay, but she wants to "rest." It's very obvious that she is getting flashbacks of C.C. controlling her and not giving her breaks from prostituting. I really do think Lori is going to die this season. I can just see her overdosing or maybe even her boyfriend/husband getting violent with her and killing her. Her story would come full circle if that happened, so it makes total sense.

     Paul's storyline was very obvious especially since it is now the 80s. It's the peak of the AIDS epidemic where the fatal disease is prominent in the gay community. Paul is advocating for safer sex on the streets. His boyfriend is revealed to have legions on his face. Like Lori's cocaine addiction, it's very disturbing to watch this time period where the gay community was really being wiped out from that horrible disease, and no one really cared except their own people. The guy on the street that Paul talks to clearly has it, and he's outcasted. We see him again in the bar not celebrating the new year because to him, it isn't that exciting knowing that he is most likely not going to survive the disease. It was very sad to watch since this happened to the LGBT community everywhere. We'll see how Paul deals with this disease within his community. I think he will catch it, or he may have already contracted it. Bobby also is worried that he may have AIDS, but he thinks it is airborne from the gay community. I'm glad the show touched on this issue that just because you were straight didn't mean you weren't protected from the disease. Bobby is such a sleazebag that he is "advised" to stop cheating on his wife, so he won't catch the disease, but he cannot help it. Shocker. I think his test results are going to come back positive. The dynamics of his friends and coworkers should be interesting if it is revealed he is positive since they probably have the stigma that only gay men can have it.

     Frankie now has a family, and he is directing porn with Irene. He also has this business arrangement with Tommy to where Tommy doesn't want Rudy to know that he is going behind his back. I'm not sure where this storyline is headed, but I think Frankie and Tommy are not going to come out alive from this. Rudy is part of the mob for God's sake; he isn't messing around. Frankie was another character I couldn't care about. He really has had no character development other than tricking people into giving him money, so whatever.

     Detective Alston teams up with Herc from The Wire (My Wire people noticed him immediately). They are trying to stop the gang violence on the street. They combine their forces and catch two muggers at the subway in a brilliant set-up. I mean, I would have never guessed all those people were cops. I'm actually interested in what Alston will do this season. He's really the only character that hasn't had any sort of resolution to his arc. I think he'll most likely expose the corruption of the police towards the end of the season. He always seemed like a good guy, so I hope everything works out for him at the end.

     Now. Let's get to one of my top five favorite tv characters of all time, Candy/Eileen. I just love how good she is in the show. She is powerful, relatable, and just likable. Maggie Gyllenhaal needs an Emmy nomination for this performance. Candy seems to be in a rut with her porn directing. New technology is changing the pornography industry, and Candy doesn't seem to be understanding why. She sees a newer porn movie where the women are treated like fools; she always portrays the men and women as equals, sometimes even having the women be the dominant characters in her films. Harvey wants her to change with the times, but she feels like she isn't sticking true with her vision. A good thing that went on over the years, though was that it seems like she somewhat made up with her family since they locked her out of her home in the 70s for appearing on a talk show to talk about the porn industry, where her son was beat up because of it. That seems to be the best of the news for her, though because her mother is dying and she hasn't talked to her son, Adam, in a while, but she doesn't seem to want to talk about him. I'm really looking forward to seeing how she goes about handling her estranged relationship with her son. It seems like her luck may turn with her directing visions since she meets the guy at the bar, and it seems he wants to help her out. I am praying that she survives this show because she really is the heart and soul of it. Go Candy!

     So, yeah, that about wraps things up. I know there are other character storylines floating around, but to me they are either not interesting or just not major enough right now, but that could change. I am happy this show got a third and final season because it deserves a proper ending. If you haven't seen this show, go watch it! It is much more than a dirty-sounding, pornographic show. It has depth and characters you will love and love to hate. There also are not that many episodes to catch up with, so it is a short watch! I guarantee you'll enjoy it!

Thank you for reading my review of The Deuce premiere! I will be writing more reviews in the upcoming weeks once my shows come back on, so be on the lookout!