Netflix released the eighth episode of their blockbuster docu-series Tiger King, an aftershow titled The Tiger King and I, on Sunday, which included new some revelations from the motley crew of Joe Exotic’s big cat park featured on the show.
Due to the current self-isolating measures, host Joel McHale conducted remote interviews with Tiger King cast members John Reinke, Joshua Dial, John Finlay, Saff, Erik Cowie, Rick Kirkman, and Jeff and Lauren Lowe.
Each interviewee shared their thoughts on the success of the series and their newfound celebrity, with many stunned by the notoriety considering they just consider themselves regular working people who just so happened to be in a documentary. (Saff, for example, recounted being stopped by fans while on a late night run to Walmart, while Reinke said he’s had fans violate self-isolation rules to shake his hand while he’s on walks.)
Most of the revelations were about the series’ main subject, the now-incarcerated Joe Exotic (aka Joseph Maldonado-Passage), with the cast members reiterating their animosity toward him.
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Here are the six biggest takeaways from The Tiger King and I (and SPOILERS ahead for the Netflix series):
Joe Exotic Killed a Horse and Fed it to Tigers
TV producer Rick Kirkham, who now lives in Norway, provided the aftershow’s most dramatic revelation. After accepting an elderly horse from its teary-eyed owner and assuring them the horse would live out its final days in good care, Joe waited until the owner left before shooting the horse dead in front of Kirkham.
“I don’t take care of nobody’s animals. Now they’re tiger meat,” Exotic told Kirkham before having the carcass chopped up and fed to his tigers.
Joe Exotic Is Actually Scared of Tigers
For a man dubbed “The Tiger King,” it turns out Joe Exotic is deathly afraid of big cats. Kirkham says that when Joe infamously posed for photos with tigers, the cats were harmless because one was blind and the other tranquilized.
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Tiger Attack on Saff Used in Safety Video
Saff recalled that while Joe didn’t provide any financial assistance for the incident that cost Saff most of his left arm, footage of the mauling was used by Joe in a safety video shown to zoo employees.
Travis Maldonado’s Death
The most shocking and tragic moment on the show was when Joe’s husband Travis Maldonado accidentally shot and killed himself in front of Joe’s campaign manager, Joshua Dial, whose reaction was caught on a surveillance camera. Dial recalled the heart-wrenching seconds after Travis shot himself in the head and the fear and disbelief that he saw on Travis’ face before he died.
While Dial did not seek professional counseling — he hopes to soon — after witnessing the tragedy, neither did Joe. According to Dial, Joe instead sought out a shaman for help, but Dial claims Joe’s behavior only deteriorated after that.
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“Jeff Lowe Nanny”
Jeff and Lauren Lowe, who have an open marriage, were asked about their attractive nanny, which is a top search result when people google Jeff Lowe. (They said things are going well with Masha.)
But Jeff spent most of his time in the interview with McHale hoping to set the record straight about a few things presented on the show. Jeff bristled at being depicted as the show’s villain, claiming that those, like Joe, he helps out eventually turn on him.
Jeff, who revealed he owns roughly 60-70 Affliction t-shirts, said he knows the real reason why his former pal and business partner James Garretson became an FBI informant — and that it wasn’t because he illegally owned a lemur. Lowe, however, wouldn’t disclose what that other reason was.
Neither of the Lowes also knew why their pal and would-be hitman, Allen Glover, was interviewed in a bathtub at one point.
Should Joe Exotic Be in Prison?
“Good riddance,” said big cat handler Erik Cowie when asked about Exotic’s 22-year prison sentence. Cowie’s disdain for Joe Exotic was echoed by nearly every interviewee, all of whom recounted Joe’s ego, volatility, and overall nastiness. Only Saff showed any measure of sympathy, saying Joe did some good things for the less fortunate and that he hopes he doesn’t die in prison.
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What did you think of The Tiger King and I? Did it leave you with any lingering questions about the show or its characters? Let us know in the comments.
For more on Tiger King, check out our review of the series, the new SNL skit about Carole Baskin, and get the details on the scripted show Rob Lowe and Ryan Murphy are making about Joe Exotic as well as a new series set to explore the murder rumors surrounding Carole Baskin.
Source: IGN.com The Tiger King and I: The 6 Biggest Takeaways From the Aftershow