The dust has settled on Big Brother 24, and the season finale saw Taylor Hale bring home the win over Monte Taylor, in a truly electrifying fashion. She is a stylist and former pageant winner from Detroit, Michigan, who began the game as the house pariah. Taylor was ostracized, mocked, and belittled by her fellow houseguests, and was in danger of being evicted early. She managed to persevere and turn her game around, forming strong social bonds that carried her to the end of the game.
Taylor made it to the Final Two when Monte won the last Head of Household, and elected to evict his alliance partner, Matt "Turner" Turner, rather than Taylor. This move will forever be remembered as being among the worst moves in Big Brother history. Monte miscalculated his chances of beating Taylor in the jury vote. Ultimately, Taylor won in an 8-1 vote, becoming the first Black woman to ever win a regular season of Big Brother, and the first winner to ever be chosen as America's Favorite Houseguest.
In terms of the fan reception to her win, Taylor is, without question, the most popular winner of all time. She had a more satisfying story than any of Big Brother's previous winners, an almost too-unlikely-to-believe underdog triumph. Taylor went from being an outcast for the first several weeks, to winning the game over a player who was the victor in several competitions, and was responsible for the season's biggest moves, including the eviction of competition record-holder, Michael Bruner. Throughout the season, she showed so much fortitude in the face of adversity, a quality she highlighted in her impassioned plea to the jury during her Final Two speech. Her speech alone is destined to be remembered as one of the greatest Big Brother moments ever, and is definitely the strongest of any Final Two speech in the series' history.
Evaluating Big Brother Alum Taylor Hale's Strategic Game
Ranking similarly to more socially inclined winners like Lisa Donahue, she's unlikely to be mentioned alongside Dr. Will Kirby, Dan Gheesling, or Big Brother Canada's Kevin Jacobs, during discussions of all-time great strategists. With regard to overall strategic control and dominance in the game, Taylor doesn't rank particularly highly among former winners, and she has admitted that the strategic element of her game wasn't her strongest asset.
For instance, her first HOH reign displayed a few of the weaknesses in her game, when she overplayed much of the week. However, Taylor is perhaps the most resilient Big Brother contestant to ever grace the house, and she made the most of nearly every opportunity that came her way in the game. She rebounded from her initial isolation and eventually, through her charm, grace, empathy, and persistence, was able to convert some of her biggest detractors into vocal advocates of her game.
Overall, Taylor is undoubtedly a Big Brother legend, who has captivated the show's fan base in an unprecedented way. She marks the beginning of an exciting new era of the show, and her impact will likely be felt for many seasons to come. Her win, based almost exclusively on social bonds, interrupts a long stretch of wins by physically competitive and strategically dominant male winners. This could lead to an evolution in gameplay in future seasons. Additionally, Taylor's iconic BB victory seems to be just the beginning of her journey, as she has achieved mainstream celebrity status, and will probably have many more exciting opportunities outside the Big Brother house.