Joe Exotic’s husband, Dillon Passage, is passing the time during the Tiger King subject's incarceration by partying it up with one of the stars of another Netflix series. So who was Passage hanging out with? None other than Too Hot to Handle’s Bryce Hirschberg. Considering both are stars of highly popular Netflix shows, it does make some sense that their paths could cross.
How exactly this crossover come to fruition definitely isn't as much of a mystery as some of the questions sparked by Tiger King. In the case of Dillon Passage's hang-out with Too Hot to Handle’s Bryce Hirschberg, a birthday party is what brought the pair together. According to TMZ, Joe Exotic’s husband reached out to Hirschberg to share how big of a fan he was of Too Hot to Handle. So, when Hirshberg sent out his birthday invitations, Passage got one, and he obviously took advantage of it.
This is one Netflix ending that viewers can probably get behind, even if the same cannot be said for Too Hot to Handle’s controversial conclusion. Some endings are still being written or at least being wished to be re-written, as Bryce Hirschberg reportedly used one of his birthday wishes for Joe Exotic’s days in prison to come to an end, and for Exotic to be set free. (Not that one is supposed to share that sort of thing.)
Does this mean that Too Hot to Handle’s Bryce Hirschberg does not see Joe Exotic as Tiger King’s most prominent villain, the way that some viewers did? Apparently not. Either way, Hirschberg and Dillon apparently had a good time together celebrating the former's 30th birthday. Let’s face it. There was no shortage of things for the new friends to talk about during the party, which was also joined by other Too Hot To Handle stars such as Harry Jowsey and Matthew Stephen Smith.
For instance, I wonder if the recent casting of Nicolas Case as Joe Exotic came up in the Netflix stars’ conversation. Or if the most recent allegations against Carole Baskin got discussed at all. Probably not, considering the party atmosphere, but the Tiger King and Too Hot to Handle stars likely didn't suffer any conversational voids during their time together.
On the surface, Tiger King and Too Hot to Handle could not be any more different. Tiger King is a docuseries that follows former zoo operator Joe Exotic and his feud with arch-nemesis, Carole Baskin, whose husband has been missing for years and presumed dead. In a sign of how explosive the basis for Tiger King is, there are even more startling facts that did not make the actual show.
On the other hand, Too Hot to Handle is a reality show/romance competition in which Bryce Hirschberg and other contestants were forced to abstain from sexual activity in a bid to build genuine connections with prospective love interests. The show was also pretty explosive in a far different way, and likely provided more alcohol-friendly discussion topics to dig into.
The Tiger King and Too Hot to Handle stars appear to have much in common, though, including overnight celebrity status by way of a Netflix series. Dillon Passage figured into later episodes of Tiger King as Joe Exotic’s marriage to John Finlay deteriorated, while Joe’s marriage with second husband Travis Maldonado ended tragically, with Maldonado accidentally dying in an accident involving his gun. As shown in Tiger King, Joe Exotic and Dillon Passage got married two months later, and they have remained that way despite Exotic’s incarceration.
That said, Dillon Passage was not one of the guests for Tiger King’s follow-up episode, which featured Joel McHale chatting with various participants from the docuseries. Tiger King wasn't the only one to get a new chapter, either. Too Hot to Handle also got another episode, because the more, the merrier.
Tiger King and Too Hot to Handle are both streaming on Netflix as two of its 2020 premieres. If you need more to watch, check out this summer’s new content.
