CBS' Winter Gift to Me

This is the best present ever - a winter Big Brother. Even better, this cycle has a good twist. Usually, I have to count down the days to summer to not only stop hating myself for living in Erie but to watch my favorite reality tv.

So, first, the twist - each houseguest has been paired with what BB has determined to be their "soulmate" based upon the extensive interviewing and psychological testing they endured before entering the house. For the duration of their stay, these couples will compete together - win HOH (now "Power Couple") together, nominate or be nominated together, win POV together, and ultimately be evicted or win together. In a classy move that only BB would make, they get to sleep together too.

Of course these pairings caused some drama. First, there's Sheila and Adam, otherwise known as the Cougar and the Dork. Sheila didn't even try to hide her disgust at being paired with Adam, succeeding in bringing everyone down on their very first night. The only way that they'll stay in the game long is if someone else wants to use them for votes, and I don't think that even that will happen. The cruelest pairing, though, is Jacob and Sharon - a couple that recently split after a 12 year relationship. They were together off and on since grade school and he cheated on her. The poor girl almost threw up when he walked into the house and now she's sharing a bed with him. I don't know if their previous relationship will make them a target or if Sharon's absolute hatred of Jacob will make other couples think that they're safe to keep around.

The twist of the twist is that one couple entered the house already a couple - except that they were paired with others for the game. Ryan and Jen are dating, which is a secret from the other HGs, but their "soulmates" as determined by BB are Allison and Parker. Of course they'll want to keep each other safe, but Parker has already expressed a desire to get Ryan out.

Yes, it was wonderful to hear Julie Chen's voice tonight ... I'm a happy panda.