Showmances are an essential part of Big Brother. What's a summer without a little romance, huh? While these relationships provide entertainment for fans, it also forces the houseguests to adapt their strategies based on who becomes inseparable. In BB17, Shelli and Clay's biggest downfall was becoming Clelli, which instantly put a target on both of their backs. The BB18 cast all seem to be aware of the risks, but just haven't been able to resist, resulting in three different showmances this season. While each has its own merits, there's no denying that the best showmance on Big Brother 18 is Paulie and Zakiyah.
The showmances of Nicole/Corey and James/Natalie certainly have their merits, but they don't hold a candle to the chemistry that Paulie and Zakiyah share. Nicole and Corey are sweet, but may be too passive for their own good. James and Natalie are two of the nicest people to ever step foot in the Big Brother house, and while their showmance is adorable, it doesn't seem to be affecting gameplay. Paulie and Zakiyah, meanwhile, have put a huge target on their backs by aligning so publicly, but these two have also managed to get a lot of their targets out of their house. Let us count the ways in which Paulie and Zakiyah are the ultimate power couple.
Their Strategies Compliment Each Other
There are many ways to play Big Brother. You can be aggressive and try to win as many comps as possible to stay in power, or you can ease back and keep an ear to the ground with a strong social game. Paulie has been in power two weeks so far this summer thanks to winning competitions, and managed to get some pretty big targets out. While Paulie is making a target of himself, Zakiyah has been playing a strong social game and building ties between Paulie, herself, and the other houseguests to ensure that these two stay in the house's good favor. These two aren't just cute, they're also smart. That being said...
They're So Cute
Sometimes people are just so absurdly good-looking that they're destined to get together. Physical appearance isn't everything in relationships or the Big Brother house, but it's hard not to root for two people who are running the house and look great doing it.
They Take Care Of Each Other
Zakiyah and Paulie are looking out for each other, and not just in the game. With no access to quality hair care in the game, Zakiyah took it upon herself to style Paulie's hair for him, making it look great — until Paul went and cut most of it off, that is.
They're So Sweet
Is there really any other word that can describe the image of Zakiyah sitting on Paulie's lap while holding a giraffe?
Paulie and Zakiyah are dominating this season so far, despite being the least prominently featured relationship on the show so far. If they can keep this up and make sure that there's always a bigger target, it's possible that this showmance could even make it all the way to the final two. Even if they do get evicted, Zaulie is sure to go down in BB history as one of the all-time great showmances.
Image: CBS
