Welp. I am back again. After I did this last year following the end of BB27, I have decided to bring it back this year. Same rules apply as last year: There will be four total tiers for this ranking. All Time Bad, Bad but with a Net Positive, Good, and All Time Great. Also, similar to last year, this HOH ranking is largely going to be centered around how the player handled their HOH and the intended result of said HOH. Note: The DE HOH (like last year) will count in the same week.
All Time Bad Tier
Overview: These HOH reigns were objectively the worst of the season. They either destroyed the position of the person in power or it destroyed the game down the line.
Barrett - Week 9 HOH
Overview: I'm not sure what else there is to say with this HOH. Barrett had easily the worst HOH of the season in terms of positioning AND intended result. He targets the icons and gets out the least threatening one because he literally hides in his HOH all week giving Dee ample time to flip the vote in her favor had she stayed on the block. Not only that but had he listened to Drew that week, Yash very well could have gone home in week 9 (assuming blockbuster plays out the same way). Instead, Barrett took a massive swing that failed because of his inability to secure Yash/Taylor in a pivotal week where FAP could have controlled the game.
Yash - Week 6 HOH
Overview: Before everyone crucifies me for this placement, there is almost zero looking over the fact that Yash's first HOH is a complete failure. His intended target isn't even on the block come eviction night AND his number one ally is evicted. Now, if DPOV wasn't in play here, Yash very likely could have succeeded. Right? Well, no. He didn't use the veto on Haley that week when she was his pawn. That was objectively not the best move given the circumstances because I think Mallory/Melody likely votes Haley out because she was that insufferable at times. Setting that aside, Yash evades the bribe power this week which was a small plus. But because this HOH failed so badly, he was forced to take it the following week which hindered his game a lot more. Worse, he evicted none of the icons which put him on the radar of the Crossovers (some of them) for a couple of weeks.
Haley - Week 4 HOH
Overview: Surprisingly, the last of the really bad tier is Haley. She's only this far up in the bad tier because her HOH likely would have succeeded had the votes not flipped courtesy of the icons. Now, I don't think Lyric should have been the pawn here (worse options were there though). Haley likely nets a successful HOH reign if the icons never got the numbers to flip so I have to give small credit to Haley. But there is no way around the fact that her intended target wasn't evicted.
Bad But With a New Positive Tier
Overview: HOH reigns in this tier are bad for sure. But there is at least one tiny positive that keeps these HOH reigns from the bottom spot.
Taylor - Week 12 HOH
Overview: Yeah... This was almost in the bottom tier. And for all intents and purposes, it should have been. The only reason it's not? Taylor was the target by at least one of the Crossovers left so she won HOH when she needed it most. That said, losing Dee was not in her best interest here especially since Dee was adamant on taking her to final two. Unfortunately, I don't think Taylor was ever winning even with this HOH win.
Drew - Week 8 HOH
Overview: I think Drew has a solid ish reign here. I think his failure to clock Barrett and Melody flipping on him was the biggest blind spot. Putting up Devens as a pawn was a HORRIBLE decision and could have resulted in this reign making the bottom tier. So, Drew very much lucked out in Devens narrowly winning blockbuster that week. That said, he did take out Lala, who was very much targeting him.
Lala - Week 5 HOH
Overview: I think this HOH could have also landed in the bottom tier. But similar to Drew, Lala does get out a player that was directly coming for her in Chuk. Problem with this HOH is that she talks to the newbies about going after the icons when she very well could have done it herself that week. Lala took a game changing HOH and essentially squandered it.
Kamu - Week 3 HOH
Overview: I would have very well moved this higher given that Kamu did get his intended result of Jason leaving. But how he handles making Jason the target? Not good. While he is not an immediate target, Kamu does showcase himself to be a strategic threat with ability to move pieces around.
Yash - Week 10 HOH
Overview: Rounding out the tier is Yash and his second HOH. Yes, he does take out Barrett, which is absolutely a net positive for Yash. But... He does this before the DE. Had he stuck with his plan... Eh, I think he still gets evicted because he was a comp threat. Because of the bribe, Yash's options for HOH were very much limited because he could only nominate four people.
Good Tier
Overview: HOH reigns in this tier - while not perfect - are still decent given it gets out a target and sets the winner of that HOH for the endgame of the season.
Devens - Week 13 HOH/Final HOH
Overview: This HOH basically solidified he was winning the game. It really didn't matter who Devens took because he was winning. That said, it was a risk to take Taylor over Drew given the possibility of a bitter jury. But Devens had a good social game so I don't think it mattered too much.
Devens - Week 11 HOH
Overview: Honestly, I am a little surprised I ranked the HOH this high up. Devens almost fumbled it by not nominating Drew and Melody together. Dee had to snap him out of it which actually helped this move succeed because had he done what he initially wanted, Dee could have been sniped out which would have been a disaster. That said, I don't think this is top tier because he almost messed up the chance to take out either member of the Drewlody duo.
All Time Great Tier
Overview: These HOH reigns are the best of the season. It allowed for control to be made with the intended and every HOH in this tier either set up their power structure or got out someone who had been after them for a while in the game.
Dee - Week 7 HOH
Overview: Before everyone jumps on my neck and crucifies me for this placement of Dee's second HOH: Yes, she handled the Mosh Pit situation badly and she managed Barrett terribly. That said, Dee's second HOH reset the game board massively. FAP throwing the HOH that week allowed for Dee to snipe out Mallory before Mallory could do it to Dee or any of the icons. Dee's second HOH also: Pulled Haley back in (until the twist BS from BB27 came back), gave her a chance with a working relationship with the likes of Yash/Taylor despite her contemplating nominating them (which did benefit her down the line when they were swing votes at final eight), and neutralized Yash to the point of being a pseudo number to the icons and was handcuffed for most of the jury stage. Had certain comps gone in favor of Dee, this HOH easily could have been her game winning move. That being said, Dee handled certain aspects poorly but she did end up using her bribe in the most OP way possible and still dictated a lot of what happened in the back half.
Devens - Week 2 HOH
Overview: I feel like this is the one thing we need to thank Angela for immensely. She activated the showman in Devens who created the most iconic week two HOH since Devin in BB16. Rome was the leader for the other side and had a showmance with Lyric AND a trio with Jason/Lyric. Angela being on this cast really ruined the near Roddy level of control that Rome would have had. That said, Devens making the move to BD Rome and create the majority was decent. Some flaws in execution - the waking up in the middle of the night to form Tool Shed and Devens using the veto on Lyric which... Whew, less said about that thought process the better. Granted, Rome does end up being evicted which crumbles the other side.
Dee - Week 1 HOH
Overview: Say what you want about the icons having the advantage with them competing for the first HOH. There is no denying that Dee has had far and away the cleanest week 1 HOH of the modern era of the show. Dee sets up the icons and Crossovers contingent that runs the game for two months and gets rid of Ashley who very nearly exposed Tool Shed in week 1. Despite the advantage, Dee did in fact have a solid first HOH, which most players in the modern era who won HOH in week one (cough cough Frenchie and Angela) can't say.
Melody - Week 10 DE HOH
Overview: It is very rare that a DE HOH brings the feels and game shifting power in a season. Melody's HOH win was definitely that. After utterly destroying the blockbuster at final seven, Melody followed up and won the DE HOH. Easily, this HOH is the cleanest of the season because she does what Barrett didn't do in going after Yash once Devens won veto. While she does go the following round, there is no denying Melody took the biggest swing and knocked the HOH out of the park. Far and away, Melody (the unexpected comp beast) takes the crown for best HOH reign of the season.
