Whoa, ‘Brother’: Why Jordan Won

Producer Allison Grodner is back to dish one last time about CBS’s summertime smash.

In the end, good triumphed over evil.

 

OK, so maybe that’s a bit simplistic. But fans of CBS’s "Big Brother" had to be happy with Tuesday night’s end-of-game, which saw perky blonde Jordan decisively defeat scrappy martial artist Natalie.

 

During most of the season, TV MoJoe has been talking to "Brother" showrunner Allison Grodner about each week’s eviction. She took time for one more conversation, revealing a slew of tidbits about the finale and the season just passed.

 

Big thanks to Grodner and CBS publicity for making these chats happen. And a word about last week’s trivia contest:

 

We asked you to identify which of the annoying house intruders from a recent episode had appeared in a previous season. The answer, according to Grodner?

 

The Mad Hatter, who spouted famous quotes in season eight, was back this year as well– this time as the copycat.

 

The first person to correctly identify this fact was reader Melissa Fowler. Email me at joe@thewrap.com to claim your prize.

 

Thanks for reading "Whoa, Brother" this summer. Keep checking TV MoJoe all season long for more reality news and interviews.

 


So if I had said to you three weeks ago that Jordan was going to win "Big Brother," you probably would have laughed at me.

 

Very possibly. Even last night during the finale, it was the first finale we’ve been through without any idea of who would win. People are very happy with the outcome. Viewers were behind her. People were rooting for the nice person, and the person everyone considers the nice one won.



Clearly Jordan made the right move taking Natalie with her.

 

Kevin was going to win in either scenario (where he was in the final two).



Was it luck that got Jordan to the end?

 

It was an amazing guess. And Kevin admitted later he just had a brain fart and couldn’t figure it out.



If Kevin had won the final HOH….

 

He would’ve taken Jordan. It would have shocked Natalie, but he insisted in all his diary rooms that’s what he would’ve done.



And if he had made it to the final two, do you think he would have won?

 

Yes. Of the three of them (Natalie, Kevin, Jodan), the vote would have overwhelming been for him. He played the social game well and scored in the key competitions.



Some of the final votes were shockers. Like Jessie voting for Jordan.

 

It was surprising. I never would’ve thought he’d choose Jordan over Natalie. Natalie claims something in her goodbye message was nasty to Jessie. But nobody here remembers that. I think something happened in the jury house, maybe with Lydia, to change his mind.



Why did Jessie say "hakuna matata" when voting?

 

We were baffled– as we often were when it comes to Jessie and his use of phrases. Then we started singing the song, which is about having no worries for the rest of your life. So maybe he was telling Jordan she didn’t have to worry?

 

It was funny he chose a song from "The Lion King." Because (production) had felt that Kevin and Natalie were actually like those two characters in that movie, Pumbaa and Timon. They were also sitting around making fun of people behind their backs. It all came full circle!



I was surprised Russell chose Natalie.

 

I think he just respected her game more. He had a hard time agreeing that Jordan played a good game.


So what are you most proud of this season?

I’m proud that we made it through. And that after 11 seasons. the show continues to stand up as a force to be reckoned with, and that the ratings grew. People were just truly addicted to the show this seasons.

 

And the cast was so invested in the game this year. Sometimes toward the end, they check out. But these people cared to the bitter end. It all played out in a way that worked really well.



Any thing you wish you could change?

 

It would’ve been nice to see stronger players stay in, but there’s ultimately there’s nothing we could do to change that. That’s how the game is sometimes. My guess would be that next year the strong players are going to take note and get rid of the floaters early.



What was the best moment of the season for you?

 

I loved the coup d’etat. I love that it got used. It was electric being there in the studio. It really was a terrific moment.



Will it be back?

 

It’s tough to repeat things. Game-changing power is fun, but next year, if we have a power, it will probably be earned. But we’ll continue to find ways for viewers to interact.

 

OK, word association time. Tell me the first thing that pops into your mind when I mention the names of players.

Jordan.

 

Sweetheart.

 

Natalie.

 

Cunning.



Kevin.

 

Hilarious.

 

Jeff.

 

Genuine.

 

Jessie.

 

Eccentric.

 

Michelle.

 

Misunderstood.

 

Russell.

 

Gamer.

 

Chima.

 

Unfortunate.

 

Lydia.

 

Emotional.

 

Ronnie.

 

Overplayed.

Casey.

 

Gone too soon.

 

Laura.

 

Who?

 

Braden.

 

Character.

Any hints about next season?

 

It’s too soon to say. But I do think we’ll continue to use our annex.

 

So it’s possible we’ll see an extra room next year, as with Pandora’s Box.

 

Could be!

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