While a wheel spins, it is pure potential, a 360-degree universe of possibilities.
They all give tangible form to ineffable fate. Yet in this respect, Spin’s centerpiece is the same as every other game show wheel. The human touch has become a ceremonial affectation. Although the show’s editors work hard to cut around the carefully rehearsed dance of an actual “spin,” it’s still evident that players simply stand with their hand draped on The Wheel, waiting for it to move so they can pretend to give it a push. Shepard also tells players that The Wheel is “activated by your touch,” which is true only in a notional sense. As mentioned in each episode by the host, Dax Shepard (who does a good job within the confines of a cumbersome, over-edited production), the speed and duration of each spin are determined by a random number generator.
In another blow to the credibility of the show’s title, nobody on Spin The Wheel truly spins the wheel. Spin’s wheel does have one especially inhuman wrinkle. Spin The Wheel’s random number generator is explained in the show’s closing credits.
