Danielle Reyes and Cody Calafiore Call 'Reindeer Games' "Big Brother on Steroids"

Danielle Reyes (L) and Cody Calafiore (R)

Big Brother Reindeer Games is the gift that keeps on giving. The 9 alumni players and fans alike did not know what to expect when they heard about a holiday-themed competition-based spinoff of the hit summer reality series. And, halfway through the show, we have been treated to a surprisingly intense game of social strategy that had everyone far from holly jolly to close out the week.

That's mainly due to the elimination of Danielle Reyes. The season 3 runner-up was dramatically sent into the Santa Showdown after a challenge of politicking and strategy led to an incredibly tense afternoon of deals, tears, and betrayals. But the other downfalls that came before hers were no slouch either. Just one day before, despite being protected by his fellow season 16 friends, and having an advantage to stack his team for safety, Cody Calafiore's game fell apart like an unbalanced Christmas tree, leading to his first-ever elimination on Big Brother.

Parade.com spoke with Danielle and Cody about their expectations going into Reindeer Games, their respective downfalls in the game, and moments that didn't make the edit. 

Related: Meet the Full Cast of Big Brother Reindeer Games

Hey, Cody and Danielle! How are you doing today?
Cody Calafiore: I'm great. I get to do all these interviews with Danielle Reyes. Danielle doesn't realize. The amount of respect that people hold for Danielle, it's hard for her to even believe. Dude, you are a legend! We were blown away to even be in there. I was like, "Danielle Reyes, what?!" So that was super cool.
Danielle Reyes: It's so funny you say it. I don't feel that way at all. I appreciate it. It took a while for me to understand my impact on the game. Because I'm just like, "Oh, it's Cody!" The man played a flawless Big Brother game. A part of the Hitmen. That's what I see. When I walk in the house, there's all these champions. [Laughs.] 
Cody: Well, you should've been in that category. It was robbed.
Danielle: And then everyone's looking at me, and I'm like, "I'm an old fogie!"

Don't sell yourself short! So, suffice it to say, all of the fandom is surprised at the direction that Reindeer Games has gone since the show was first announced. I'm curious, what were your expectations going into the game, and how did they change?
Danielle: First and foremost, it was hard for me. Because it was a comp-based show. So I have some apprehensions going into a house like that, because I'm not known for competitions. I'm just not known for that. Also, the uncertainty in what to expect. When I played Big Brother the first time, I knew the gist of the game. You try not to get evicted. This, we had no clue. So we're essentially walking into this blind. So I was anxious. My anxiety was a mile high walking into that house. And in my mind, I'm like, "I can't win this game. So let's just see how far this girl can take it."
Cody: So I went into this thing thinking it was a light-hearted holiday special. That it's just all about the competitions, old competitions that you've seen on Big Brother that everybody's gonna enjoy during the holidays. And very quickly, we found out that this is Big Brother on steroids. It's like double evictions on steroids.
Danielle: [Laughs.] The Hunger Games!
Cody: Yeah. [Laughs.] Quite frankly, I want to know part of that going into it. I was like, "I don't want to do that. I don't want to have to lie." I was not happy, ultimately. To find out the first competition when it was like, "Oh, you get an advantage. and you have to hand somebody a disadvantage," I was like, "Oh, here we go. That's what this is gonna be." And I was kind of frustrated. I was pissed. I was like, "Well, this is kind of not what I wanted to get into right now during the holidays. But here we go. Okay, so I'm back in the house."

Let's start with where things ended last night, in your brutal elimination, Danielle. It was clear you were not happy with Britney sending you to that wheel. And, from what's been talked about on social media, it's clear you did not mince words with her after your elimination. Talk to me about what was going through your head during all of that.
Danielle: Devastation. It was one of the best blindsides in reality TV. I was not expecting it. People don't know that Britney and I had a relationship outside of the house before Reindeer Games was even brought to our attention. I respected her and had a true sense of friendship with her. I really, truly believed that she was my friend. I loved her from her original season. I kind of adopted her. Because, in my mind, I thought she was dealt very dirty by the Brigade. That scene where she was crying. I felt like they were kind of gloating, telling her where she had this Brigade, and she was devastated.

And so, in my mind, my number one was Britney. They didn't show it on TV. She was my person. I felt like she was my ride-or-die. And the alliance you guys see with me, Xavier, Taylor, and Josh, I just "Forrest Gumped" into it. It was an alliance just for an alliance. But my main person, more than anything, was Britney. A lot of people didn't know, and some of the producers were shocked to hear that. But she was my girl! So I felt betrayed. And it was tough to swallow. When she announced I was going into the game, it really psychologically affected me. I was so angry and I was so hurt. She just sucked the wind out of me. And when I went out there to play that competition, I was already defeated. Because it was just something I wasn't expecting.

So on the note of betrayals, Cody, you end up being on the cast with Nicole, who you betrayed right at the end of Big Brother 22. And I heard you say on social media that, once you saw she was in the cast, you vowed you would not betray her again. What was it like to navigate that relationship?
Cody: That was one of the things that I think really just shocked my system. I did her dirty on All-Stars. And it was worth it, obviously. I win the game. But the hurt that came from that to somebody that I genuinely cared about like her. She feels like a younger sister to me. Our relationship was so strong. And then it was so unfortunate to have to cut her and then see, for three years, we didn't speak. This was the first time we had spoke in three years, which is wild to me. When I think back to the relationship that we had, other than Enzo, she was the person that I was riding with no matter what it was. It was like, "I'm not going near Nicole until the Final Three." Then it was just like, "What's the right choice to make? I'm not making the emotional choice like I did on 16. And I'm making the logical, smart choice. I want to win."

And so hurting her like that, I was like, "I'm done. I'm not hurting her anymore. Enough is enough." I did it on 16. Then we came back on All-Stars, and I was like, "I won't do that to you again." And then I did it to her again. I wanted to show her that I'm actually here to protect you the best that I can. Even though I knew going into it, she's going to come for me because she's going to want revenge. She may have forgiven, but she's never going to forget. And so I was like, "It's gonna be a battle for me to earn her trust. But I can't have her coming after me as well. I need somebody other than Frankie."

Frankie was the only person that I knew that I had. And Xavier, but I always knew there was a lot behind how Xavier would make decisions, how Xavier would play the game. There was a lot of different things that would go along with an alliance with Xavier. And so it was tough for me to fully be like, "Xavier is gonna have my back 100%.". And so going into it I was like, "I need to break down the barrier with Nicole." When I picked her [for my team], that was one thing I said to Danielle. I was like, "I'm done. I'm not putting her on the other team and making her feel like she needs to battle me as well. I'm taking that element out." Because I truly, truly adore Nicole. And I'm so happy that we've reconnected and that we're friends now. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, very happy.

Reindeer Games is unique from other Big Brother products in that we don't have access to live feeds. What's one thing you wish we got to see from your time in the game?
Danielle: Well, I don't think it really focused on Britney and me, our relationship in the house. They didn't show it. It kind of pushed me into the alliance with Josh, Taylor, and Xavier. But they didn't really capture the essence of our relationship. I think if you guys would have saw it, you would have been like, "Oh my god!" [Laughs.] The blindside was so huge, you guys, for me. I wish people would have seen that more than anything.
Cody: I wish people could have seen how truly close the entire group was. Because it was so fast paced, the feeds are not on. And so any second that stuff kind of settled down, we all bonded. And that's what made the entire aspect of this show even harder on everybody there. They don't really show how much we bonded and how we all saw each other. We're like, "Whoa, this is amazing that we're all in house together. What huge names." And we don't really speak to each other. We see each other on social media, but we don't form bonds. I think that was truly special.

And people need to see that kind of stuff, because that's why there was a lot of respect in everything that was happening in there. Even when people had to give disadvantages or, in my situation, pick [teams], they knew my situation. In the second episode, they were like, "We understand and we respect you." And nobody probably really understands where that came from. It's because we really were immediately thrown into something. Our whole system was shut, and we really bonded. And I  think not getting to see that is, it's tough, because it was really an amazing experience to get to know everybody. I got so close to Danielle on a five-day period, and you don't see any of it. And so that's unfortunate.
Danielle: I think fans need to understand. When we walked in and saw each other, we respected each other's game. Compared to when you saw All-Stars 2, when some of them, when they walked in a house, not everybody had mutual respect for one another. So this is why this cast was so unique and bonded so well, because we had so much respect for one another. And that's why this show was so amazing.
Cody: Oh, absolutely. I just got the chills from that, Danielle. 100%

Well, for what it's worth, while I know the game was incredibly stressful and anxiety-inducing for all of you in there, I'm glad you were able to find moments of holiday spirit and bonding. And we are absolutely loving the cutthroat gameplay out here!
Danielle: It is so good! [Laughs.] It's so good.
Cody: I'm having so much fun watching it through. I'm cracking up. Christina, my fiance, and I are dying watching it. My family watches it. It truly is showing fun, but we didn't experience that much fun. [Laughs.]
Danielle: [Laughs.] Oh my god. That's so true.

Next, check out everything to know about this season of Survivor 45.