As the Big Brother 25 Final 3 take a look back at the season and start battling it out in the three-part Final Head of Household, we break down who has the best shot at winning and rank all 17 Houseguests this season.
This is it, the final chance to analyze and break down what's going on with Big Brother 25 before a winner is crowned during Thursday's two-hour live finale.
Just as the Final 3 spent much of the night reminiscing and looking back at the first 96 days of this record-breaking 100-day season, we're looking back across all those days, too. We've got a breakdown of the Final 3 and who stands the best chance of winning the season.
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View StoryThen, we're bringing back all 17 of this season's Houseguests to break down who was playing the best game. In a season where the strongest competitors and some of the best players were targeted and eliminated early and often, it's not necessarily the order they went out!
The first part of this year's Final thee-part Head of Household competition was a combination from all four universes that wreaked havoc this season (Comic-verse, Humili-verse, Scary-verse, Scramble-verse). The goal was simple, though. Just hang on!
The Houseguests had to sit on a small disc above a comic balloon and hang on as they were alternately slammed into a haunted house wall, dipped into scrambled egg mix, and pelted with various things. Getting to sit suggests it could go a while, but it definitely won't be comfortable.
As expected in this penultimate episode, we got absolutely zero closure. The hour ended with the Houseguests getting slammed into the wall, covered in goo and everything else. This one was just getting started.
But as the Houseguests settled in for Round One, we started speculating what might happen and thinking about all the different scenarios. The winner of this round advances automatically to Part 3, which happens live on Thursday.
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View StoryThe two losers battle it out in Part 2, which happens before Thursday's broadcast. That winner takes on the Part 1 winner while the overall loser has zero control over their fate. Then, the winner of Part 3 becomes the final Head of Household and makes the final eviction live during finale night.
Based purely on statistics, odds are that Jag will pull out one of these first two wins, followed by Matt. Jag has already tied for the most competition wins by a single player in a single season at nine. If he wins any part of this final HOH, he'll become the single-season record holder.
Matt hasn't achieved those lofty goals, but his six wins ties him with Cameron (who admittedly did it in much less time) for the season, while Bowie didn't start to rise until later in the game, picking up three Head of Household competitions (which were mostly mental).
This one is clearly physical, so it's probably going to come down to Matt or Jag. Then, the next one will probably also have a physical element, so we figure the other one will win that. That would put the boys battling it out on finale night.
There, the edge would probably again go to Jag, as he's performed more consistently at mental competitions. He's not infallible, though, so there is a chance. Either way, though, Jag is looking to be in a good position.
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View StoryBy saving Matt this week, he solidified their Minutemen alliance -- at least so far as Matt is concerned. He also solidified a Final 2 with Bowie, so he's set. No matter who wins, they're most likely going to bring him to the Final 2.
If Jag wins, though, it's less certain what he would do. He's said all along he wants the best shot at winning, and most of his moves have been to set up just that. That streak ended, though, when he saved Matt. Now, it's a matter of whether his heart will take over his head.
If he takes Matt, he'll have a fight on his hands. Matt or Jag beat Bowie Jane, hands down, with this jury. She might pick up a stray vote here or there -- depending on the strength of her final argument -- but she won't win. Between the boys, though, it's a toss-up.
Jag had a stronger competitive game and won more competitions, but a lot of that had to do with this season's tactic of eliminating all competition threats at the earliest opportunity. It was certainly easier to beat Cirie and Felicia than Cameron or Hisam.
Matt has competition win numbers that are rock solid, as well, and has one of the best social games of the season. He burned no one and even when he did, they loved him for it.
Both guys are also fighting to break new ground for a BB winner, with Matt representing the deaf community and Jag the Sikh community. Either win is a huge statement for representation and diversity. We know they've both considered taking shots at one another, but solidified moreso this past week. Will that hold to the end? It remains to be seen.
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View StoryHouseguest Report Cards
Jag Bains (25, truck company owner) still holds the best shot of winning because we really believe he might pull the trigger and cut Matt if he wins the final Head of Household. He's positioned better to be carried there, too. On top of that, he's a great speaker who we believe will be able to best articulate the effectiveness of his game, earning the respect of most of the jury. He definitely played the game the hardest, steering every move that's gone on in this back half of the game, including Matt. [Grade: A]
Matthew Klotz (27, deaflympics gold medalist) might just have to win his way to the end, as we're not sold on Jag taking him -- and we're certain Bowie would not. Once there, he's got a likelihood of winning against Bowie and a fight on his hands if he has to go up against Jag. Matt will have to explain himself better than he ever has in the house. We know playing dumb and saying little was his strategy, but he'll have to wake up and blow everyone away. He is loved by the jury, so if he can own that he was as much a mover and shaker as Jag was (he wasn't), he could pull out a win. [Grade: B]
Bowie Jane Ball (46, barrister/DJ) would need a miracle to win this game, though a compelling final argument could do it. After floundering most of the season, she tied her fate with the strongest duo of the house and worked with them to get to the end. Jag made most of the decisions, but she certainly did her part to bring them strong to the end. If she can lean into her barrister background and really sell herself, she's got an outside chance, but it's very outside. She does, however, have a good chance of making it there if The Minutemen decide to be disloyal. That's a toss-up right now. [Grade: D]
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View StoryFinal Houseguest Rankings
- Cameron Hardin (34, stay-at-home dad) was hands-down the best overall player of this season. The problem is that he became seen as a threat and an enemy and then absolutely no one would trust or play with him. His perception of the game matched with his humor, affability and impressive competition prowess makes him the perfect triple-threat, and someone who should definitely get a shot to come back. [Voted Out 11th Place, Resurrected, Voted Out 9th place]
- Cirie Fields (53, nurse) was actually a lot stronger than people anticipated. She just lost steam, and her game suffered greatly because of the presence of Jared, who played a terrible game. Had she never had to clean up after his messes, she'd have had stronger alliances, more trust with Felicia and several others. She controlled the first phase of this game even with that crutch and still made it almost to the end on her social game and lowered threat-level. [Voted Out 5th Place]
- Reilly Smedley (24, bartender) didn't really get a chance to show what she was capable of, but seemed to have all the tools to really make a mark in the game. She wasn't afraid to get out there and compete, and she was a beast of a competitor. On top of that, she was extremely likeable and had a great sense of what was going on in the house. She was the first indication that this season was about getting rid of threats early rather than working with them, making for a chaotic and unpredictable season. [Voted Out 15th Place]
- Hisam Goueli (45, geriatric physician) was almost a runaway beast in this competition, if he could have toned down his aggression and ego just a bit. He was aligned with the people running the house and he was stomping all over the competitions. One humbling was all it took for him to check himself -- and it was needed -- but he wasn't given a second chance. We see him as someone who could really dominate in an all-star season. [Voted Out 14th Place]
- Matthew Klotz (27, deaflympics gold medalist) was not nominated until Final 4, a testament to his incredible social game. Add to this the fact that he's proven a capable competitive force and his biggest weakness is that it's unclear how effective he is strategically. He wasn't able to save Cirie and he's let Jag lead their Minutemen alliance. That said, though, he was involved in a lot of dirty moves and everyone still loves him, which is like a superpower. [Final 3]
- Jag Bains (25, truck company owner) would rank higher, but he got himself voted out unanimously very early in this game. After returning, it was his alliance with Matt that changed his fate, and the dismantling of Cirie's power structure. From there, he's played a nearly flawless game, proving what he's capable of. His social game is great, his ruthlessness and strategy were extremely effective and he is a competition threat, no matter who's in the house. [Voted Out 13th Place, Invincibility, Final 3]
- Izzy Gleicher (32, professional flutist) was an unexpected and huge threat in this game for a long time, until they recognized just how savvy her game was. She was the upfront enforcer for Cirie and managed to infiltrate all over the house. She had a very strong social game and fell victim to being seen as a big threat by people not playing as strong of a game. [Voted Out 12th Place]
- Red Utley (37, sales) had one of the keenest minds in the house, and was a bona fide competition threat. He didn't get a chance to really play because he fell victim to damage control by Cirie, trying to clean up after her son. Jared's messy game cost a lot of people the way the game worked. Red's downfall was also because he allowed himself to play emotoinally and let his pride stop him from clarifying with Cameron the lie Jared told. If he could get his emotions in check, he could have been a real force in the game. [Voted Out 13th Place]
- Cory Wurtenberger (21, college student) was one of those lesser competition players who needed to get out big threats. He was effective in doing so, but played way too aggressively and got way too cocky, with a showmance at his side. He wasn't nearly as dangerous a competition threat as people thought he was, so what he had going for him was his willingness to lie and manipulate everyone, which he did do effectively. He just failed to keep them from figuring out what he was doing. [Voted Out 8th Place]
- Felicia Cannon (63, real estate agent) has one of the strongest social games the BB house has ever seen. She was also absolutely fearless in speaking her mind and going straight to the source to try and figure out what was going on. Her problem was that she would get emotional, she was erratic, she was not loyal to pretty much anyone. She was honest to a fault, but didn't always get her stories straight. She was a messy player, but beloved. [Voted Out 4th Place]
- Bowie Jane Ball (45, barrister/DJ) didn't even play this game for most of the season. She hardly even interacted with people, having no close friendships even by the midway point. She latched onto Cameron and ultimately betrayed him before finally being truly true to Jag and Matt. While she's done her part, she's been a third wheel and now a potentially easy person to win against. None of that is a testament to her own game, which was almost non-existent. [Final 3]
- Mecole Hayes (30, political consultant) was a little too direct for her own good. She was so smart in the game, seeing what was going on everywhere around her. She had a great read on the whole house and played deep in the background, with just a few relationships to count on. The problem was that she didn't otherwise do all that much. We don't know how she was in competitions as she didn't really try to win. We think the house was intimidated by her intelligence and savvy, but she wouldn't commit to anyone or any group long enough to save herself. [Voted Out 10th Place]
- Blue Kim (25, brand strategist) was almost a competition beast so many times. The problem is that it was always almost. On top of that, she had zero strategy in the game aside from aligning herself with one of the most erratic players and then blindly believing people (Jag) who were working against her, even when told what was happening. She was far too busy looking at herself and worrying about her brand. [Voted Out 7th Place]
- Jared Fields (25, exterminator) was such a messy player, he'd have been voted out much sooner were it not for Cirie doing what he could to protect her game. He was emotionally all over the place and his own strategy of bullying people senselessly was pointless and mean. He was a detriment to his mother's game, and unpleasant to watch in the house. [Voted Out 10th Place, Zombie, Lost Resurrection Comp 11th Place]
- America Lopez (27, medical receptionist) was an incredibly smart person but an incredible dumb Big Brother player. Even in the Jury House, she has a terrible read on what's going on in the house. Cory carried her as far as she did make it because she was completely ineffective in every way. She had no social game to speak of, she had no competition prowess. He only skill was lying aggressively, and rather pointlessly. [Voted Out 6th Place]
- Kirsten Elwin (25, molecular biologist) barely got to play the game, but proved she absolutely could not read the temperature of the house or the other Houseguests. She was playing a Week 11 game in Week 1 and everyone saw right through it. She needed to calm down and work on building relationships before going into strategy mode. [Voted Out 16th Place]
- Luke Valentine (30, illustrator) dropped the n-word in casual conversation before the game had hardly begun. It was definitely not an intentionally racist moment, but casual racism is still hugely problematic. He was a little too impressed with himself and seemed kind of dopey in what time we did get to spend with him. He seemed to have no strategy and the other Houseguests were put off by his aggressive bro-ness. [Removed 17th Place]
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View StoryHouse Chatter
- "I definitely owe Matt so much in this game. We've stuck together, we've protected each other. It feels like everything that I've worked hard for is coming to fruition." --Jag (in DR)
- "This is like the kind of meal Felicia would have asked Mr. B for." --Jag (at Final 3 dinner)
- "Who's got time to go to the Diary Room, we ain't got time for all that 'cause I know you see me." --Felicia (in DR, why she makes requests from everywhere)
- "She cut it out of a fish that was still moving. It was still alive. She was like boink!" --Red (talking about the only sushi he's eaten)
- "I found a commune, I lived without clothes for three weeks to a month." --Red (telling a story about getting robbed in Hawai'i)
- "Big Brother for me is like a never-ending adult summer camp. On Survivor, you can easily separate. There's a whole entire island for you to explore. For you to fish. There is no escape in the Big Brother house." --Cirie (comparing)
- "By about six, seven o'clock, my fake-o-meter is in the red." --Cirie (about trying to stay on)
- "Is there such a thing as leave-me-alone-verse?" --Cirie (to Matt asking what universe she'd create for BB)
- "I'm a superhero and I can't save myself from these idiots." --Cirie (in DR)
- "Speaking of showmances, I miss Reilly." --Matt (to Bowie and Jag)
- "Wait, I thought I was your showmance, bro." --Jag
- "We're a bromance, not a showmance." --Matt
- "Who. Ate. My. Steak. This is some bulls--t, this is some bulls--t!" --Mecole (creating a dance about steak-gate)
- "I think it was a Top 10 best quesadilla I've had of all time." --Matt (made Meme's steak quesadillas with Jag)
- "This s--t is out of hand. If one more person cries that is over 30 years old, I am going to lose it." --Mecole (during crying DR montage)
- "Being compared to one of the prettiest faces in the world, what a compliment. Denzel [Washington], they saying you look like me, so come on, boo. I know you feel good about that because I know I'm cute." --Felicia (in DR)
- "I've never met him or seen him in person." --Felicia (to Cameron)
- "I'm glad we cleared that up, and I still don't believe you." --Cameron
Big Brother concludes with a live two-hour finale on Thursday at 8pm ET on CBS.