The game master also comments on a surprising emotional exchange between father and son.
Each week, Deal or No Deal Island host, game master, and executive producer Joe Manganiello will speak with Entertainment Weekly about the latest events on Banker’s Island. This week, he discusses the major feud between Parvati and Phillip, strategic decisions made during the excursion, an emotional scene between Dickson and David, and La Shell’s failed business deal.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Phillip slammed Parvati for what he called a “disgusting” move of using “someone’s childhood trauma as a chess piece in the game.” And he didn’t even stick around to discuss it with her. This is one of the fascinating aspects of reality competition: everyone has a different set of rules for what is and is not acceptable. What was your take on the entire interaction.
JOE MANGANIELLO: Yes, exactly. David asks in this episode, “What’s with the emotions in this game?” Winning a game can have a significant impact on one’s life and those around them. However, it also fosters genuine friendships and alliances. However, the strength of those bonds must be multiplied by the constant adrenaline rush of the competition’s highs and lows. This is what makes DONDI so great.
As someone who has been a professional actor since his early twenties, I’ve seen plenty of actors play characters who are experiencing the same emotions that the show’s players do, but what I love most about my job as host is getting a front row seat to real emotion.
Our show explores the visual representation of disappointment. Our show showcases genuine elation. Aside from running the games, I enjoy setting up and highlighting all of the emotional complexities so that viewers at home can pick up on those subtle nuances along the way.
Did Parvati say what she did in order to trick Phillip into helping her get Will killed? Yes. Did Phillip then try to break Parvati’s safety streak by timing his conversation with her just before the excursion? However, it did not go well for him during the challenge.
That’s why I enjoy competitive reality. A situation like this puts everyone at home to the test: what would I be willing to do to win, and is there a line I would not cross for up to $10 million? Are you the Parvati in this situation? A Philip? Or someone else?
Initially, Dickson’s protest against Lete being left behind appeared to be a good social game. Dickson is in a good strategic position because he is firmly committed to his alliance with the Family, and it appeared that Lete would be voted out of the excursion by the other players anyway.
His speaking up in her defense was unlikely to sway the vote, but it might allow him to set up a dual alliance with Lete on the side — and let’s be clear, the man has a crush on her.
However, at the next stop, he votes to eliminate himself, negatively impacting Parvati and David’s voting bloc for the rest of the excursion.
In the end, it appeared that he had a breakdown in his gameplay, which was revealed later on when all of the other players eliminated from the excursion, including Lete, turned on him to save their own necks.
The Family evolved from a cute little alliance to something much more when Dickson told David about his problems with his biological father and how “You’re everything I wanted in a dad.” This scene and the emotion it evoked surprised me. What’s it been like watching Dickson’s story unfold and this new TV relationship develop?
There’s a reason why stories like Frank Herbert’s Dune and George Lucas’ Star Wars appeal to audiences. They’re coming-of-age stories about heroes who discover themselves while battling the odds. Season 2 of DONDI is highly recommended. HA!
During the axe-throwing challenge, I gave Dickson a motivational speech about Bilbo Baggins, a guy from a small town who answers a wizard’s call to adventure, leaves his hometown, and ends up helping a group of dwarves reclaim a mountain of gold from an evil dragon. He then returns to his village, forever changed, with untold riches and stories to share with everyone.
Dickson has dealt with a lot in his life, and I believe I speak for most people when I say you can’t help but root for him. What you are watching with him this season is more than just a game. It’s one of those moments in reality competition that truly transcends the genre and allows you to witness a life-changing transformation.
You asked a question at the Temple that gets to the heart of every player’s Deal or No Deal quandary: Which is more important: safety or money? La Shell went after money and paid the price. What did you think of her decision, which resulted in her being eliminated because she made a bad deal?
During her battle with the Banker at the Temple, I got the impression that La Shell felt her contract was up. There was a sense in me that she knew she had gone as far as she could in the competition and wanted to make as much money as possible for the other competitors before bowing out.
She didn’t want to pick another case and risk losing a million dollars on the offer. That’s what I was hearing behind me: “You really walk the walk.” I’m referring to her altruistic nature. She played an excellent game and exited in heroic style. Then there were six.
