I know, I know, right how based on the title of this article you are all screaming “Liss have you lost what is left of your ever living mind??” And to that I say, people I lost my mind a long time ago. Yes, I really believe that the 4 Horsemen are good for big brother. And before anyone calls the men with the white coats and a net or sends me piles of hate mail, hear me out.



Step this way please and enter the Way Back Machine. Hop on in and let’s take a trip back five years to Big Brother 1. I know you all remember Big Brother 1. The season before Arnold Shapiro and Alison Grodner took over production, the season when we were allowed to vote houseguests off. And we naturally managed to vote off the most interesting and controversial people first leaving us with mostly bland and boring houseguests to watch. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I was bored out of my mind during that last week or two of BB1.



If you’ll hop into the Way Back Machine we’ll now travel to Big Brother 2. This is possibly my most favorite season. And it was my favorite due to the drama that went on in the house from the moment it started until the votes were counted. During BB2 we all hated Chilltown. However, Chilltown kept things stirred up while they were there and the “evil” Dr. Will Kirby kept things interesting with his lying to everyone. Jason was removed from the house and drunken escapades abounded until the end.



Moving on in the Way Back Machine to season 3, things were again interesting until close to the end. Marcellas amused us with his frolics. Chiara and Amy’s battles went on and on and just when we thought it was over they put Amy back in the house. And Danielle manipulated everything. However with the tension out of the house, things became boring (well for me at least) as the season wound to a close.



We return to the Way Back Machine and travel on to season 4. As an audience we hated the “stooges” and their hangers on. As I remember back to the boards last year, people ‘hated’ Dana, Jun & Allison for various reasons. And because Jun and Allison, a pair of houseguests viewers had various issues with went to the final two – the tension – and therefore the interest went on to the end.



The Way Back Machine returns us to 2004 and season 5 where we have Holly and the 4 Horsemen. Can you imagine how boring this house would be if we didn’t have these four to six (if you include Marvin in on this analysis) to hate. Hate is a powerful emotion. Yes there are people on the show that I just love. I love Adria and Will. And, admittedly there are people in the house that drive me crazy when I watch. And okay so on an individual basis; I have issues with Jase and Scott. And, yes, I want to shake Cowboy until his teeth rattle and he comes to his senses.



But despite those feelings, I honestly think that the Horsemen are good for the show. Friday night is a perfect example of why I think that the Horsemen are needed for Big Brother 5 to succeed. Drew had made his nominations and his buddies Jase and Scott were not happy about the selection made. Trash talking filled the house. A confrontation occurred. More trash talking went on. And I loitered in chat while people rushed in and posted on the board and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to watch the fallout. This is why the Horsemen are needed. Annabanna said it best in chat last night. “Seriously. I've tried to watch feeds where everyone is talking about recipes and hair products. That's what makes me totally insane. This, this is the stuff that's entertaining.”



She’s right. I don’t want to see sleeping houseguests. I don’t want to watch people apply makeup, or play endless games of solitaire or backgammon. I don’t want to watch them exchange recipes. The best part of Big Brother is the scheming and the plotting and the fighting. When things blow up – Big Brother is at its best. And as this season looms on and the 4 Horsemen remain in the house I wait in eager anticipation of the 4 Horsemen imploding. And that alliance, like all reality show alliances, will have to turn on itself at some point. When that happens, I imagine it will be some of the best viewing of the season if not the history of the show.