Why Celebrity Big Brother might actually be worth checking out for BB superfans

Even though the houseguests have familiar faces, that doesn’t mean we should stop expecting the unexpected. Celebrity Big Brother has all of the backstabbing and scheming superfans crave.

If you’re a Big Brother superfan and were immediately skeptical of the first celebrity edition to air in the United States, you’re not alone. From the moment Julie Chen announced Celebrity Big Brother during last season’s finale, I think every fan had the same collective thought: This could either be so bad it’s good or just plain bad. Thankfully, it’s the former.

Yes, the cast announcement threw us a handful of curveballs. An American Pie star? A member of the forgettable Nickelodeon boyband Big Time Rush? Omarosa?! These weren’t exactly the famous faces we anticipated for Celebrity Big Brother, but as Julie always warns us, expect the unexpected. And in spirit with the official motto of Big Brother, superfans will be pleasantly surprised to find that they will be obsessed with the game like it’s summertime.

When the celebrities (and, not to be rude or anything, we should most definitely use that term loosely here) first entered the house, the vibe could only be described as awkward. Of course, there were the stray superfans — Shannon Elizabeth and Ross Mathews — who knew how the first day goes down, but the rest (surely in the house thanks to their agents) were deer in the headlights, waiting for their cue and closeup.

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But when the drama started flowing after the first pop of the champagne, Celebrity Big Brother showed its true colors. This is any other season of Big Brother, only we’re dealing with people who probably (hopefully!) have a better understanding of what’s at stake when you’re on camera 24/7. Still, Brandi Glanville and James Maslow tangled, and although it’s mere child’s play, it’s a look at the fireworks that are brewing in the house.

Every season for the past, I don’t know, five years has featured a bold woman attempting to form a women’s alliance, only to be foiled by the incessant bulldozing of men. This season, Shannon Elizabeth and Marissa Jaret Winokur took the first steps to bring the women together. By the looks of it, the women will be a force to be reckoned with, especially after Shannon’s HOH win. They have numbers and power, granted they hang onto both after that twist.

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Here’s why Big Brother superfans will want to check out Celebrity Big Brother: The twists still shake up the game in surprising and inventive ways. The latest “HOH recasting” twist could either flip the power to the men or hand it over to another woman. Finger’s crossed for the latter. Overall, the jury remains in deliberation on whether to vote for or veto the first US celebrity edition, but if production stops with the Paul appearances and keeps igniting drama, superfans could be in business.

What did you think of the Celebrity Big Brother premiere? Will you be tuning in or waiting until the new summer season starts? What was your first impression of the cast and new format? Who are you rooting for to win this season? Let us know what you think in the comments, and keep the conversation going on Twitter!

Celebrity Big Brother airs Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 8/7c through February on CBS.