PUNTA MITA, MEXICO: The exciting 'Too Hot To Handle' series on Netflix has come to a fantastic ending. The show took us on a wild ride of self-discovery and rule-breaking, keeping us hooked until only two finalists remained, both vying for the big prize. One of them was Dre Woodard, who AI host Lana chose as one of the top contenders. Throughout the series, he acted like a detective, trying to catch rule-breakers and solve mysteries.
However, some fans weren't happy with Dre's behavior, labeling him manipulative. They also felt uncomfortable with how he talked about his family, suspecting he might have been doing it all just for the prize money.
Dre opens up about his large family and his financial responsibilities
In 'THTH' Season 5, Lana made a promise that the $100,000 prize fund wouldn't necessarily go to a couple, and she chose Elys Hutchinson and Dre as the final two contestants. Elys, the stunning Scandinavian contestant, disliked commitment and kept her personal life guarded. In the end, she won the journey of self-discovery but surprised everyone by deciding to split the prize money with Dre. Dre had been open about his genuine need for the prize money right from the start.
Throughout the show, he acted like a vigilant detective, trying to protect the fund from rule-breakers. Although he faced his own challenges and even broke a rule with Linzy Luu himself, he courageously admitted his mistake, showing personal growth during his time on the show. Elys understood Dre's struggles, as he had mentioned his large family numerous times, revealing that he had "more siblings than fingers" on one hand, making the financial support even more meaningful. She believed that the money could make a positive impact on his life and on the lives of his loved ones.
'He's manipulative AF'
Fans of the show, however, strongly believed that Dre had been highly manipulative concerning the prize money. On a Reddit thread discussing the winner of the show, One person commented, "Happy for Dre for being a runner up but I think he knew he wasn't going to make it unless he did something, kissing Linzy and then pretending to grow from it was honestly a great move on his part," while another agreed, saying, "Yep ever since the beginning of the show he talked about that money and he knows what this game is. I commend him on at least trying to play the game." Another person, however, called him out, saying, "Dre was the least attractive dude on the show and had no women into him. Not saying he shouldn’t have won but he had it pretty easy until he decided on that weird kiss to someone that wasn’t even his type." Another person shared their perspective, noting, "I didnt like Dre to be honest. Most of the time he on watching others, rather than creating lasting relationships. Then he kissed Linzy and afterwards kind of ghosted her, until the workshop. Plus I found his reactions to be over the top and not genuine. I preferred Elys, or actually most other candidates (except Louis and Isaac, obviously). Kind of love how Hunter was just sweet and chill with Elys moving on for example." Another Redditor also said, "I really liked dre in the beginning but ever since the beginning he talked about needing that money so when he started to cry the last episode I felt it was heavily acted. He laid it on thick." Another fan of the show speculated, "So, uh, we not gonna talk about the fact that after the retreat, Dre's heading right to the strip club." One person also added, "Yeah it gives me the ick. I have to say that all this „I’m gonna help my family, I’ve grown sooo much” talk and him crying didn’t sit right with me and he didn’t look genuine at all." Another avid viewer said, "He's manipulative AF, reminds me of the bullshit he was feeding Linzy," clearly not happy about Dre being runner-up.