Twist and Shout

Big Brother seems to get off on "game altering" twists. Personally, I think the game is fine in its base form--each new cast keeps things fresh and different--but in deference to executive producers Alison and Arnold, here are the top five BB twists. It'll be interesting to see how the eighth season's twists will compare.

#5: Project DNA (part one): The BB casting department had to be on cloud nine when they discovered Nakomis and Cowboy were half-brother and -sister. Long-lost siblings, that's what rating dreams are made of! But from a ethical standpoint, it seemed way too personal. I mean, put yourself in Nakomis' position -- finding out you have a brother on television in front of the Four Horsemen? That's cruel, even for BB.

#4: America Votes for a Player to Return: C'mon! This shouldn't even qualify as a twist, this was BB's desperate attempt to get a mystifyingly popular contestant back in the house. Of course it all proved for naught, Kaysar got booted for the second time only one week later.

#3: The X Factor: My only complaint about the exes in the house is that not every houseguest had the misfortune of being reunited with an former flame (Nathan, Jack, and man-troll Dana). Ultimately this didn't have a major impact on the outcome of season 4, but I think the twists should affect each player equally.

#2: Secret Partners: Unlike the above example, each season 6-er had partner, so everyone started on equal footing. And who'd have guessed the longest lasting pair would be Yvette and Beau?

#1: Project DNA (part two): While far from fair, the Twin Twist made for exciting television. The Diary Room switcheroos? the disappearing (and reappearing) scar? the big reveal? Great stuff. Ultimately I think having a twin in the house was a major disservice to Adria and Natalie (they both went home shortly after they could play simultaneously) , but it is my favorite twist to date.