Big Brother 22: Which all-stars should the first Head of Household nominate?

Big Brother 22 crowned the first HOH, but who will be the first all-stars on the block?

Against all odds, Big Brother 22 premiered with its highly anticipated, long awaited, fan demanded all-stars edition amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Sixteen veteran players ranging from as early as the first all-stars season to last summer’s Big Brother 21 entered the house, and the game began immediately with a high-stakes race to the coveted first Head of Household competition.

In four pods of four players, separated by sex — four women and four men per pod — found themselves bound by the game the second the door swung open. Each player had to maneuver a ball through a maze puzzle, matching an item to the room it appears in the Big Brother house.

Up to two winners per pod advanced to the HOH competition. So, who won? Who should be nominated? And what do we make of this mix of all-stars?

Warning: This post contains spoilers from the premiere episode of Big Brother 22 but not from the live feeds. Floaters, grab a life vest!

Of course, Cody from BB16 won the first HOH competition after facing off against Memphis (BB10), Kevin (BB11), Ian (BB14), Christmas (BB19), and Nicole A. (BB21). Cody bested the group’s time on a course of wobbly pedestals and was one of the only two houseguests, along with Memphis, to make it across the course. Although Cody could have an instant-ally in fellow BB16 houseguest (and BB18 winner) Nicole F., it’s unclear where his and the rest of the all-stars’ loyalties lie.

Big Brother All-Stars first impressions

Thankfully, there isn’t a ton of overlap between seasons, making for an interesting mix of houseguests from Big Brother’s two-decade run. Winners, runners-up, and strong players dealt a sour hand are all intermingling, bringing in both old school and new school strategy. Dani (BB8, BB13), Janelle (BB6, BB7, BB14), and Kaysar (BB6, BB7) are a few personal favorite legends, as well as underrated players Keesha (BB10), Kevin (BB11), and Da’Vonne (BB17, BB18).

It’s always impossible to know which direction the houseguests will go on the first night since no one knows each other. But this group arguably knows each other, whether they have played together before, met as friends outside of the house, or watched their gameplay unfold onscreen. Although the live move-in felt a little awkward for various reasons (consider the heightened behind-the-scenes concerns), the dust should settle and reveal the all-stars’ strategies.

Who should be Big Brother 22’s first-week nominees?

Cody takes on the tough role as the first HOH, an equally coveted and avoided power that casts a long show on the season. He could play it safe and nominate houseguests because “he doesn’t know them” or some other cop-out reason, or he could light the match and take out strong players. Naturally, he could be drawn to nominating pairs, such as Janelle and Kaysar, who have a noted history in the Sovereign Six in the first all-stars season.

There’s also a case to be made for putting on the block the only two winners in the house, Nicole F. and Ian, which would make sense in a nomination speech. But an obvious nomination option should be Christmas, who won $5,000 and was the sole winner in her pod. Memphis could be another strong player option given his performance in the HOH competition, unless Cody opts to pull him in as an ally. Regardless, Cody has to consider the impending twist of the Safety Suite and how it could impact his nominations.

Who do you think Cody should nominate? Who do you want and/or think should start an alliance? Who’s your favorite all-star? Sound off in the comments!

Big Brother 22 reveals the HOH’s nominations on Sunday at 10/9c on CBS.