Jankie left a big mark on Big Brother 26. The jolly robot first trapped the houseguests in Jankie World, forcing them to sing, dance, and eat junk food for a week while living outside. The bot was a menace to the houseguests and Live Feed watchers who had to watch that hell week. Then Ainsley made everything darker by brutally murdering Jankie.
Some were happy to see the little robot demolished, but his sudden and unexpected death saddened many. Then Big Brother 26 decided to bring him back on finale night. The broadcast ended with Jankie’s resurrection.
This strange twist seemed like another weird Big Brother move, but it might actually be a sign of the future of the reality series. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Big Brother producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan hinted that Jankie may make a return in future seasons.
Oh, great.
According to Meehan and Grodner, they weren’t expecting Jankie to become so popular. This led to the creation of official Jankie merchandise (available on the site) and the decision to bring him back to life on the finale. Meehan and Grodner told Entertainment Weekly they didn’t have plans for Jankie yet.
However, the article mentions Zingbot and how Jankie could become a similar staple to the series. Additionally, Grodner said “It’s hard to say goodbye to him. There’s got to be another way of using him.”
Therefore, future houseguests may not have to worry about enduring Jankie World again but they might see the robot appear at some point. I wasn’t a Jankie fan and would gladly never see him again.
Nevertheless, many fans were upset by his death and likely would enjoy seeing him again, especially if CBS and Paramount find innovative ways to add him to the series. We could see a Jankie-themed competition next year.
We already know the AI Arena is almost guaranteed to return next season, just with a different name. Now that Ainsley is dead, maybe Jankie can get the ultimate revenge and turn it into Jankie’s Arena.
Hopefully, whatever way Big Brother decides to use Jankie in the future, it’s not as stressful as his original run on the series. Keep Jankie World in the past.
Also, hopefully, Jankie finds a way to stay around that’s exciting and not overused to the point of becoming even more annoying.
Do you want Jankie to return in Big Brother 27? Let us know in the comment section.
