Dropout’s ‘Game Changer’ finale: Sam Reich reveals the secrets of ‘Last Talent Standing’

Game Changer Season 8 ended with — not a bang — but buzzers!

In “Last Talent Standing,” Dropout collided a talent show competition with Squid Game, where each axed contender means prize money is added to a hovering piggy bank. Host (and Mashable 101 honoree) Sam Reich not only welcomed 23 contestants on stage to compete, but also three celebrity judges, made up of celebrated stand-up comedians Gianmarco Soresi, Kumail Nanjiani, and Maria Bamford.

The results were a wildly entertaining and incredibly stressful finale, in which beloved Dropout contributors did everything from performing magic tricks and improvising a Disney musical number to feats of strength and celebrity impersonations, to taking some big, unpredictable swings.

How did this all come together? Was Soresi cast to play the heel? What mini-games got cut before cameras rolled? And when can fans purchase their own Sam Reich beach towel on the Dropout store?

Mashable Entertainment Editor, Kristy Puchko, sat down with Sam over a video call to dig into the secrets of “Last Talent Standing.”

Here’s what we learned:

Gianmarco Soresi was originally cast as a contestant.

In the “Last Talent Standing,” Reich jokes that the comedian who’s previously crushed on “Crowd Control” was intentional in the “Simon Cowell seat,” alluding to the American Idol judge’s reputation for being tough on contestants.

Speaking with Puchko, Reich explained, “[Soresi] was going to be a contestant in the episode and had no idea what the creative was. After we had booked Kumail and Maria, I realized that they were both very nice, and that I had almost like a creative problem I needed to solve for. Insofar as I needed someone there with a little bit more edge. And I knew that Gianmarco had what it took. So, he got upgraded from player to judge.”

What mini-games were cut from “Last Talent Standing?”

As alluded to throughout the finale, this talent show took a lot of time to shoot. So, some ideas for the game were cut before the cameras rolled.

“The original game design here was that, in between every round, there was a mini-game where they all competed in the same talent,” Reich told Mashable. “I think we had like a jazz scat off. We had best Scottish accent. So, producers were doing math in the days leading up to the shoot, and everyone was telling me this episode was going to be too long.”

So, when two of the 25 intended contestants dropped out, it was decided not to replace them and to kill the mini-games.

What if the contestants found the boxes’ contents before round 2?

Reich and Game Changer‘s team had planned for that.

“We were fully prepared for that to happen,” Reich said of the boxes breaking, “And in fact, if it had been a natural discovery, we would have just allowed for them to start hauling things out of boxes earlier. Our cast, despite their chaotic tendencies, are so rooting for the show to be successful that many of them did break that paper in advance, not realizing that they were supposed to. And they were like sidebar-ing with our production designer Chloe [Badner], in between takes, being like, ‘I’m so sorry, I hate to say this. Like, I I tore the paper. Is that okay?’ And Chloe had to be like, ‘Fine! It’s fine.'”

Puchko asked if the design of the judges’ podiums, which looked like boxes but were torn open, was meant as a clue to the contestants. Reich confirmed it was, adding, “That was like a little visual clue I was putting there for the cast in case they would take it as a clue.”

Will Dropout sell the teased Sam Reich beach towel?

Game Changer production assistant-turned-contender Kaylin Mahoney revealed she’s also worked as Sam’s assistant. In that role, she revealed to the judges that she had once been tasked with making beach towels of the Dropout CEO.

Puchko asked what these beach towels looked like. Reich clarified the towels depict him “full head to toe, me and my suit,” but noted, This is so important, and I’m so glad you bring this up. I did not have beach towels made with my image on them. Elaine [Caroll, Reich’s wife and Game Changer writer/producer] had beach towels made with my image on them for my birthday. And I was not aware of this [in advance].”

As to whether this birthday bit will result in official Dropout merch, Reich responded, “I think if demand as a result of this episode and this conversation is enough, you can rest assured.”

How to watch: Game Changer is now streaming on Dropout.