‘Big Brother’ legend Rachel Reilly revealed as mystery houseguest on premiere

Grab a life vest, floaters, because look who just resurfaced back in the Big Brother house.

Rachel Reilly (or Rachel Reilly Villegas, if you’re nasty) was revealed on Thursday’s Big Brother season 27 premiere as the mystery houseguest. She entered the house in typical Rachel fashion, announcing “Floaters, grab a life vest. Reality royalty has officially arrived.” She followed that up by warning everyone.  “I hope you’re ready for a summer filled with the Rachel Reilly.” (Note: We are.)

Reilly cemented her reality TV legacy with back-to-back appearances on Big Brother — appearances that were willed with tears, endurance wins, and a signature laugh that viewers either loved or loved to hate.

Rachel not only met her future husband Brendon on the show during season 12 but also won her second season on Big Brother 13. She then parlayed that fame into three seasons on The Amazing Raceas well as The Traitors, Snake in the Grassand Celebrity Fear Factor, But now she’s back where it all began, competing for the $750,000.

However, Rachel returning to the house was not the only twist in store for contestants and viewers alike. Oh, like, no big deal or anything but it appears host Julie Chen Moonves was KIDNAPPED!!! Or at least “kidnapped.” That’s because the lights all went out in the Big Brother house, and when they came back on, the host was gone, with only a knocked over shoe remaining on the stage.

Who was responsible for this dastardly deed? Ainsley? Otev? The Demogorgon? NO! Instead, it was someone in a demented Halloween devil mask called “The Mastermind” who took credit for stealing both Julie and the HOH relic and then proceeded to announce that “Without Julie or the power contained in the relic, the game of Big Brother cannot go on.” (The Mastermind provided no evidence nor reasoning for this.)

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The players were then divided into two teams of eight. The first group competed to find Julie, who awkwardly had to wait behind one of eight doors while they contestants each built a puzzle bridge over a fake floor of lava. Zach was the one to free the Chenbot and won $10,000 for his effort.

Meanwhile, the second group had to find the real HOH relic among a sea of fake ones, and then fall through a trap door if they picked unwisely.  Jimmy eventually located the correct relic, seriously undercutting the Mastermind’s claim of being an evil genius. Jimmy was then able to select the four players who would compete in the first Head of Household competition. He chose himself, Adrian, Ashley, and Vince, with Vince eventually winning the dubious honor of the season’s first HOH. (Shout out to Frenchie!)

Vince’s victory also blew up the Mastermind’s lair, which — judging by the explosion that aired on television and ignoring all laws of time and travel — was somewhere in the South Pacific.

In one final twist, the Mastermind announced that one of the players was actually a Secret Accomplice who did everything the Mastermind ordered in the hopes of entering the game. But if the other contestants figured out the Accomplice’s true identity, the person would not become the 17^th player. How the Mastemrind was doing all this without a lair remains unclear.

But all that paled in comparison to the return of Hurricane Rachel, who was also unleashed by the Mastermind. “I’m here to show these newbies how to play Big Brother,” Rachel said in the Diary Room. And those lessons have already begun.