Big Brother: Reindeer Games is underway on CBS, and I (like many others probably are) am shocked by how much I'm enjoying it. Apparently, it was silly of me to be skeptical of the holiday spinoff following the Season 25 finale and, as it turns out, seeing a bunch of legendary Houseguests compete in ugly Christmas sweaters is just what I've needed this holiday season. A lot of fans seem to agree, though they appear to be confused about some of the finer details of the game. For example, some are unsure whether or not the Houseguests are actually staying in the redecorated BB house or have other arrangements.
One of the biggest elements that sets the CBS reality series apart from its peers is that Big Brother contestants live in the house and are isolated from others. But is that what is going on in Reindeer Games? CinemaBlend did some digging and pulled a definitive answer for readers that may be curious to know more. We'll also talk out what might be the reasoning for the arrangement.
Living Arrangements For Big Brother: Reindeer Games Contestants Differ From The Original Series
In Big Brother, Houseguests are confined to the ground of the house in order to remain isolated from the Internet and people who may spoil events they were unaware of, as well as for those who watch their every movement on the live feeds using a Paramount+ subscription. With that said, Reindeer Games is operating a bit differently, as all participants are staying offsite and not in the BB house.
That information was revealed as part of original announcement (via Variety) and would explain why, for example, there isn't a bed in the Head of Household room. It also appears that the access to the other bedrooms and storage is closed off from the Houseguests, as they haven't been featured in the episodes as of yet. I would guess the production team didn't update the design of those rooms for the spinoff. And with no one sleeping in the rooms, it's easier to confine everyone to limited spaces while filming.
Why It's Not Important For Reindeer Games Competitors To Live In The Big Brother House
The news that Houseguests are staying offsite in between filming Big Brother: Reindeer Games might be concerning to viewers who are afraid of how that will impact the game. However, they should have nothing to fear. To start, the spinoff was filmed before it began airing, so the typical spoilers that would taint a regular season of BB aren't going to be floating around online. For instance, CBS hasn't had to worry about fan interference exposing Nicole Franzel's game, which was a problem the last time she played.
Viewers might point out that allowing Houseguests to spend time away from cameras could allow for secret strategies outside of the game. Paulie Calafiore stirred up some controversy when he alleged a while back that Season 22 had lots of former Houseguests that tried to pregame ahead of that season. So it wouldn't be wild to suspect it to happen during Reindeer Games.
With that said, one would suspect that contact between Houseguests when not filming is strongly discouraged. Even if it weren't, the format of the spinoff is so heavily rooted in competition that it would be very hard to strategize with others and predict who will win challenges, who will get a disadvantage, and who will be selected in the elimination competition. Personally, I think any strategizing that might've happened off-camera was harmless, if not entirely pointless. But I say all of this to say that if you're a fan, you definitely should let the fact that the guests aren't actually living in the house get you down. You should still be in for a fun competition.
Big Brother: Reindeer Games airs on CBS on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET and on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. As mentioned, I've found the game to be highly enjoyable so far, and a great treat to round out the year as we await the start of the 2024 TV schedule.
