Will Austin's Girlfriend Be At The 'BB17' Finale?

There are only three weeks left until the Big Brother 17 finale on Sept. 23, and still a lot of game to play. But a lot of fans are wondering about what's going to happen outside of the BB house, especially when it comes to Austin and Liz and their, uh, delicate showmance situation. One of the big questions fans are asking is, will Austin's girlfriend be at the finale? We've known about Austin's girlfriend, Jen, since the start of the season thanks to comments he made as well as his first HOH letter, and it's sad to think about everything that has happened in just two short months. Although Jen was likely watching BB at the start of Season 17, based on tweets from her alleged sister, there's no way of knowing if she still is, but either way, she definitely knows when the finale is taking place.

There are a few things to consider here, from the perspectives of both Big Brother and Jen herself. Let's a look at the delicate situation, first from the show's side.

Almost everything any production team does is in the name of good TV, so that's the first thing to consider. On the one hand, having Jen and Austin address each other in front of an audience on live television sounds like exactly the kind of drama BB lives for. There would likely be crying and yelling involved, especially with Liz in the mix as well, and a protective twin thrown in for good measure. In some ways, this is perfect!

On the other hand, the Big Brother finale night is usually jam-packed as it is. There's a live competition, the final eviction ceremony, the jurors discussing the season and their thoughts on the final three, the question and answer portion with the final two, and, of course, choosing a winner. One of the biggest fan gripes is that the finale should be two hours to get more time with the houseguests and to see them reunite with their loved ones in more than just a quick shot as confetti swirls.

It seems like a waste for Big Brother to invite Jen for TV purposes, so let's consider what Jen might do.

With any on-air drama probably out of the question, it's possible that Jen might still show up if she wants to make sure she talks to Austin and Liz ASAP. As the kind of guy who "breaks up" with his girlfriend by kissing another woman on TV, Austin doesn't seem like the type who would then go out of his way to visit Jen and bring some closure to that relationship. Maybe Jen knows that and could think this is her only shot at having a discussion.

But Jen has more or less taken herself out of this situation already. For several weeks, any mention of her prompted the live feeds to quickly cut to fish, which generally happens when somebody hasn't signed the release forms or has retracted their approval. It seems unlikely, then, that she would suddenly be down to have her face rubbed in this mess, especially if either Austin or Liz end up in the final two.

I wouldn't spend too much time looking for Jen at the Big Brother finale, but hey, at least we only have to wait three weeks to find out for sure.

For more on this season of Big Brother, check out Bustle's podcast The Diary Room.

Images: Sonja Flemming, Screengrab/CBS; Giphy