Liveblogging Big Brother 9: Til Death Do You Part Premiere Edition

Welcome to the Liveblog for Big Brother 9: Til Death Do You Part Premiere Edition! If you're scratching your heading wondering why there's still a snowman outside your window that looks like a Billy doll and the skeletal remains of a tinsel strewn pine in your back yard while the premiere of Big Brother is on, then welcome to CBS programming courtesy of the WGA Strike.

If you're a die hard Big Brother fan then you're certainly not complaining about having your guilty summer pleasure around to warm your winter nights so sit back, grab your companion of choice and watch as 16 strangers are paired with their "soul mates" to battle it out couples style as BB9 gets underway.

8 teams of 2 will live together, play together and be evicted together so I'm sure there are many surprises in store as we meet each contestant tonight. Will the two openly gay house guests, Joshuah Welch (25, from Dallas, TX) and Neil Garcia (29, from Los Angeles) hit it off like CBS hopes or will they be looking to make alliances outside their coupling that could take them to the end of the game?

Find out tonight on the premiere of Big Brother 9!

10:00PM EST: Wow, this episode is about to wrap and I can't believe it went by so fast. There was too much action and I don't feel like I got to really know any of the contestants.

Neil and Joshuah were almost non-existent but from what we did see, it looks like they are getting along. I think it's optimistic at best to expect anything other than a good friendship to come out of this coupling. You never know though. Showmances are most prevalent on Big Brother so I guess we should expect the unexpected. That phrase got old 5 seasons ago and I wish they would retire it.

What did you guys think of Neil and Joshuah? Is there a chance at a love connection? Are you pleased that a show finally put two single and attractive men in the pressure cooker together? Who's the most annoying couple and more importantly... who's going home first?

Come back tomorrow night as we liveblog the first Big Brother 9 Couples Eviction and please leave some comments below!

9:55PM EST: Before the show comes back on, how much am I loving the Dexter ads? I love the show and it's so fun watching Michael C. Hall be something other than David from Six Feet Under. Watch the show if you've never seen it when it premieres later this month!

And we're back. Jen and Parker were the first couple to successfully grab their heart pillow which is kind of funny because her real life boyfriend just dropped his new partner. Matt and Nat are working out a deal with Parker and Jen. Matt and Nat drop leaving Parker and Jen as the first Power Couple. They win $10,000 and get to choose who goes home first.

Sheila and Adam are obviously on the chopping block but it's cracking me up to hear that Parker wants Jen's boyfriend Ryan to go home because he's one of the biggest guys and biggest threats in the game. That's not gonna fly. Another commercial break...

9:50PM EST: It's the first competition and they were just told that some couple is being sent home in a couple hours (we'll find out tomorrow night). It sucks for them and I'm a little bummed too.

Seriously, Sheila is annoying and I wouldn't mind if her old bones went home first. I'm just saying!

So the game is basically a reason to grope each other and the last team standing wins the first ever POWER COUPLE! I can't wait to see if Neil or Joshuah is the bottom in this new coupling. Neil is! Ding Ding Ding!

Each couple is raised into the air and it looks like a new version of Caligula up in the BB9 house. Sheila and Adam are the first couple out. NO! Neil and Joshuah were second to drop. What's that all about? Neil alone is bigger/more muscular than every other guy so I cannot believe they were the 2nd couple out. That doesn't make me confident that we'll be following this budding relationship for the long run. Must. Stay. Positive.

Am I the only one that thinks Matt kinda looks like CT (MTV's The Real World) when we first met CT years back before he turned into a rageaholic ragamuffin?

As we go to commercial, the girls are danging from the men's necks and you know someone in the development department at CBS is happy for the visual. Be back in a few...

9:35PM EST: We're back and Joshuah is in the diary room... he's so not my type but the boy is fine to look at. Julie's about to tell everyone who their new "soul mate" is.

The Couples:
- Alex and Amanda - Alex is good looking. Based on looks, I don't see a match.
- James and Chelsia - I like James. I'm dying to see that tattoo peeking out from his neckline.
- Natalie and Matt - Her boobs are OOC. Matt's teeth are OOC with the whitener.
- Jen and Parker - Oh my word they did split up the actual couple. Scan-Dal!
- Joshuah and Neil - No way... I kid.
- Jacob and Sharon - The exes are forced to work together. Jacob and Sharon are already at each others throats and she's getting all ghetto in the confessional. Delish!
- Ryan and Allison - Sleeping bags for these two non-lovebirds. Ouch.
- Sheila and Adam - Sheila just about had a heart attack because Adam just called her "Mamma" and she's ripping Adam apart right to his face. She's bitter and annoyed and won't stop complaining. She's the new BUSTO!

9:30PM EST: Gathering in the living room, each of the house guests introduce themselves. James (Pinky Tuscadero) tells everyone that he's biking around the world on $100. Go for it kid.

Matt from Boston of course has a seriously hardcore Townie accent and he's loving the ladies and has a sexist comment for each of them. He's showboating and an exhibitionist... It's so stereotypical Boston reality contestant and I love it!

Joshuah is finally speaking and Amanda claims that her gaydar went off right away. Ya think? For some reason when Parker is talking there are about 20 shots of Neil slamming down drinks and stuffing his face. Poor Neil, that's the first impression CBS decided to give us. The man's got an oral fixation obviously, what's wrong with that?

Julie just revealed the Til Death Do You Part twist and the reactions are varied. Some shocks, some awes... let's hope this turns out better than the last shock and awe we experienced. Right?

Here's a question: Would Big Brother split up Jen and Ryan? Would they make them sleep in different beds with different people and possibly ruining the relationship? That would be dirty... I'M ALL ABOUT IT! God I'm such an evil BB Watcher.

9:15PM EST: The Chenbot is in the hizzy but what is that thing crawling up her lapel? Is that a dagger? We're roaming through the house which this season looks like a winter cabin and I'm really digging the lumberjack chic vibe the place is giving off.

Big Brother is giving up the rules but he just said that they'd vote each other off one at a time. What's that all about? It's the opposite of what we've been told all along. I'm so confused.

Alex is a DJ who lost his father on 9/11. Sheila's a hipster Mom. Natalie is a bikini barista and I'm thrown by that. What happens when the pitchen foams over and sprays boiling milk all over her plastic bossom? Neil is the first gay we've seen and he's ready to "close the deal"... Joshuah is right behind him (uh-hum) and that smile is adorable. Was one of the girls a Hooters chick? Wow! There's a bible thumper and some annoying other girls...

Don't you all love how much Julie pimps the big twist each season? It never plays out like they think but darnit she'll push that match making angle.

The girls are first to go in and they're all sizing each other up... or atleast Natalie's boob size. HELLO!

Typical screaming and scrambling as the girls try to take over the house. I love that every room is locked except two bedrooms. There are quotes all over the house, I'm happy to see that each of them can read.

BIG TWISTS ABOUND! Sharon just broke up with Jacob after a 12 year relationship and BOTH are in the house. Ugh, I cannot wait to see how this one plays out. J cheated on S and neither have talked since the end of the relationship.

Jen and Ryan are a real life couple who are playing the game together but need to keep their existing relationship a secret from the rest of the house (if possible).

The Men are next! A few of them are allowed to enter (including Joshuah) and surprise... More SCREAMING! The remaining contestants enter and as far as I'm concerned its time for the games to begin!

Oh snap, Jacob and Sharon just saw each other! I'm having Season 4 (The X Factor) flashbacks! Awkward much?

Found This South Park Mock Up of the BB9 Cast

8:45PM EST: Before we get started I wanted to chat about the logistics of the winter edition. Traditionally we get 13 weeks of household drama, house guest hilarity, showmance savagery hosted by the always divine if not sometimes chilly Chenbot (Julie Chen) but so far CBS has not given us an end date to these winter games.

I've seen some sites reference May (which would be fabulous) but I can't help wonder how quickly we'll be left in the cold now that the writers strike is ending and CBS pushes their regularly scheduled prime-time shows back into production. I wouldn't be surprised if the show is gone before April rolls into town.

Do the math... 8 teams of 2 are introduced tonight. Tomorrow night one couple is supposedly being sent home which leaves us with 7 teams to duke it out to what will probably be the Final 2 Teams in the finale leaving us with approx. 7 weeks of action on our hands. That's not nearly enough Big Brother to make me happy! I'm hoping I'm wrong so don't crucify me yet! Let's see how Julie explains it all tonight. It's almost time!