Post: #76

Obvious a show like this isn't going to attract the same attention that a show like GOT or True Detective, but I honestly think that this might be one of the most masculine friendly shows on TV.

It's educational, it investigates what masculinity is, it prompts questions about society building and what it means to be alive.

I hope it goes on for at least a few more seasons. Culture is improved through the existence of this show.

Post: #77

(08-17-2015 04:43 AM)Suits Wrote:  Obvious a show like this isn't going to attract the same attention that a show like GOT or True Detective, but I honestly think that this might be one of the most masculine friendly shows on TV.

It's educational, it investigates what masculinity is, it prompts questions about society building and what it means to be alive.

I hope it goes on for at least a few more seasons. Culture is improved through the existence of this show.

It's a great show to watch with your girl too.

You get to think about how you would realistically go about preparing for survival in that situation, she gets to freak out about the wolves and isolation. Rationality and emotion/drama within the same programme.


I can see a second run of the show going one of a few ways:
- they completely lose the magic by adding women or only picking people for dramatic purposes rather than survival abilities

- they follow the same winning formula in a different survival situation - either slightly easier (a test of endurance and staying power vs. boredom) or harder (ability to cope with extreme events)

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold

Post: #78

(08-16-2015 11:26 PM)Suits Wrote:  Lucas has serious skills. He was the most creative participant. The boat and the superior shelter proved this.

But emotionally, he wasn't as strong.

Lucas was definitely set up for success. He had the best Shelter, Steady food source, transportation(boat) and entertainment(guitar). He was very creative and great with his hands. It just goes to show you, great skills don't mean a thing if your mindset is not right.

Post: #79

(08-17-2015 04:43 AM)Suits Wrote:  Obvious a show like this isn't going to attract the same attention that a show like GOT or True Detective, but I honestly think that this might be one of the most masculine friendly shows on TV.

It's educational, it investigates what masculinity is, it prompts questions about society building and what it means to be alive.

I hope it goes on for at least a few more seasons. Culture is improved through the existence of this show.

I can't even begin to imagine what primitive man had to go through. The guys on this show did research and got to bring a select amount of items with them and it's still hard as fuck to survive out there. I give mad props to any bare bones survivalist that can successfully live in the wilderness. It takes BALLS.

Post: #80

This has got to be one of the best reality tv shows ever. I love how they decided to not add a lot of the bullshit you see in other reality shows, like a shitty host or narrator, and just let the contestants show their stuff. They don't have excessive cuts, but really extend it out after their monologues to the camera. This really immerses you into the struggle with them. I love the minimal use of music, just slightly eerie sounds that, once again, immerse you. The content is so simple, just guys chopping wood, catching fish, yet they are able to make it work so well.

Alan is such a boss too, he seemed like he strongest out of all of them mentally. Most likely gonna take out the prize.

Post: #81

It's funny, though. I can't even find a Wikipedia page for this show. I wonder what the ratings are like.

Post: #82

Lucas was a major disappointment. I had pegged him to win precisely because for the bulk of the show, he was the one guy who made no mention of missing home or trying to justify his time away from loved ones. Then, seemingly out of the blue, he goes all hipster on me. Moping over nothing, revealing he's a vegetarian, and then wasting time and energy creating a stringed instrument (I've got nothing against music, but in today's American society there is a strong correlation between "being artsy" and being a massive hipster phag). That last scene when he was leaving the island in rapture over how he was going to sprinkle his "compassion" on the world was cringe worthy.

I wonder what happened to the animals? The first three guys all dropped out due to legit wildlife encounters in the space of the first 2 or 3 days. After that though, it seems that the remaining 40+ days off footage and 5+ contestants have not yielded any other interactions with predators.

Post: #83

(08-17-2015 04:37 PM)Fast Eddie Wrote:  I wonder what happened to the animals? The first three guys all dropped out due to legit wildlife encounters in the space of the first 2 or 3 days. After that though, it seems that the remaining 40+ days off footage and 5+ contestants have not yielded any other interactions with predators.

I think the early encounters were due to those guys being unlucky and getting dropped off right in the middle of some animal's territory.

One scene that comes to mind is when a guy explored around his camp on the first day, heard a noise, and looked up to see a bear and her cubs in the trees above him.


Mitch attracted a cougar to his camp when he cooked the fish there, since that point they've always pointed out in the captions that the remaining guys have a separate cooking camp, away from their sleeping location.

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold

Post: #84

I've really enjoyed watching this show progress, and like many others mentioned I hope they continue with the concept. It puts shows like "Survivor" to shame.

I give props to every man who signed up and went through with it regardless of how long they lasted.

Post: #85

Still the animal thing is weird. At first it seemed like the whole island is packed full with cougars, bears and howling wolves. Now it seems there is absolutely no one around and this for a time period 5x as long as when the first dudes gave up.

Don't know what to think of it. Also it's winter now so these animals should have to increase their living area for finding food and should be more attracted to a guy catching fish etc.

Post: #86

The show doesn't tell us how late in the season the action is occurring, so I suppose by day 30+ once it starts snowing the bears could have gone into hibernation. That still doesn't explain what happened during days 3-30, or what happened to the wolves and mountain lions.

It could be one of three things:

1)Sheer chance: either the early guys were very unlucky and the density of wildlife really isn't that high, or the remaining guys are very lucky to be far away from game trails.

2) The prolonged human presence has actually scared the predators off and forced them to seek new territory.

3) Show producers saw that dudes were dropping like flies due to bears literally coming within inches of them during the night, and decided to employ dogs with bells & other methods to scare animals away from the area and protect their investment. Not very likely in my opinion but it's certainly possible.

Post: #87

Watched the final episode just now.

Kinda of an anti-climatic finish.

The episodes started great because these guys were active, but generally got less interesting as there was less activity and more sitting around talking about feelings.

I think it's a show that all men should watch, but somehow I doubt they obtained the ratings necessary for their to be a season 2.

Post: #88

The final episode wasn't that bad, it left you guessing who was going to be the winner at the start of the show. I must say that I was looking forward to the after-show to get more insight on the behind the scenes workings of the show, but I was highly disappointed. Anyone who hasn't seen the after-show, don't waste your time watching it. All they do is show clips from the show you just watched and 3 contestants make comments, It not even the full cast. The contestants are not even interviewed. I loved everything about the show except this.

Post: #89

(08-23-2015 02:33 AM)Suits Wrote:  .....

I think it's a show that all men should watch, but somehow I doubt they obtained the ratings necessary for their to be a season 2.

I don't know about the ratings, but on the other hand the show must be relatively cheap to produce. All the filming work is done by the cast, who I assume are unpaid. The only expenses are the $500,000 reward, the weekly medcheck visits, and misc. production and video editing expenses. Not that much when you get a whole season worth of quality TV out of it. Looks like the ratings aren't that bad:

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/07...th/436090/

I definitely hope they do another season, especially if they decide to switch up the location to give viewers of season 1 some contrast in how long term survival is affected by the geography. For me, that'd be the #1 show I'd anticipate watching next year, ahead of things like GOT or Silicon Valley that cost an order of magnitude or more to produce.

Anyway, good call on this show Suits!

Post: #90

I watched a few of these, they're interesting. I saw the first season and people really weren't prepared for these wild animals.

I have no idea about bear and mountain lion attacks. Would they be likely to attack you while you're sleeping, as so many of these guys feared?

Obviously even if it's not "likely" you'd still be freaked out having bears pawing at your tent and wolves howling a few dozen yards from you.

Post: #91

Very happy to see Alan win, I was rooting for the guy ever since he caught his first slug. He had a bit of luck and showed an incredible knack for hunting/gathering, but most importantly had the strongest mind.

It was hands-down the best survival show I've ever seen. This is how they should be: no women, no bullshit editing, no narration, just men on an epic journey.

Post: #92

(08-24-2015 12:12 AM)Swooper Wrote:  Very happy to see Alan win, I was rooting for the guy ever since he caught his first slug. He had a bit of luck and showed an incredible knack for hunting/gathering, but most importantly had the strongest mind.

It was hands-down the best survival show I've ever seen. This is how they should be: no women, no bullshit editing, no narration, just men on an epic journey.

Definitely the most deserving contestant. He was the only guy who built a shelter using nature to his advantage - all the others made basic triangle tents from their tarpaulin, he used a rock wall and woven pine branches to make a small but cosy home.

I'm certain that having that solid and stable shelter was a big benefit to his situation. Look at how quickly Sam ended up extremely sleep-deprived when the wind was constantly battering his location.


The show was excellently edited. They used the start and end of the self-filmed shots in a great way, and the passage of time was well handled.

The shots where the shelters got removed were a perfect illustration of how little impact they had on nature, even after living there for months. In a couple of weeks it will be like they were never there.

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold

Post: #93

I just started watching this show last night and saw the first two episodes. I really enjoy it because of the simplicity and for the fact that this is something I'd like to do.

Being a southerner, living in the woods down here seems incredibly easy compared to living in those conditions. Having a fire is a HUGE morale boost, and not being able to get one going easily due to moisture/rain/etc. would really suck.

Post: #94

(08-23-2015 03:01 PM)Sonsowey Wrote:  I watched a few of these, they're interesting. I saw the first season and people really weren't prepared for these wild animals.

I have no idea about bear and mountain lion attacks. Would they be likely to attack you while you're sleeping, as so many of these guys feared?

Obviously even if it's not "likely" you'd still be freaked out having bears pawing at your tent and wolves howling a few dozen yards from you.

Yes. Two surveyors from a competitor of ours were out on a job and a black bear came into one guy's tent, chomped down on his head and dragged him out into the woods and killed him.

Story I also remembered a story related to the question of...what if you were one of these guys and lived along in isolation for many years?

One forestry job i worked on, there was an old hermit that lived back in the woods on a lake with a dock with just him and his dog and a pickup truck. His nearest neighbor was 1.5 hours by logging road and the nearest town was 2 hours and had 800 people. He stopped to talk to us one day as we were working back in a logging block near his house. He heard our truck and wanted to ask us some questions.

He hadn't seen any people other than those at the grocery store in about 15 years until they opened up the logging site we were at and widened the trail towards his house so heavy equipment could get down it.

He asked us if we knew the crew of tree planters in the area. (Tree planters in Canada are college aged people 50% guys and girls). He said that the tree planting crew brought an old bus down to his lake dock the other day and asked if they could use it to go swimming....and they went skinny dipping. He said "I haven't seen a pussy in 30 years, let alone 30 at the same time! I had to get my oxygen tank and just sat right out there on my porch and watched. You guys see 'em, let them know they can come back any time"

It was amazing. This guy lived by himself in the woods for 30 years? Thats some kind of mental fortitude..also, I can't imagine seeing nothing but my dog, bears and moose for that long and then one day out of the blue have 30 naked, and in good shape, 20 year old women show up at my house to go swimming.

His eyes were so big talking to us, it was hilarious.

Post: #95

(08-17-2015 05:19 AM)Benoit Wrote:  I can see a second run of the show going one of a few ways:
- they completely lose the magic by adding women or only picking people for dramatic purposes rather than survival abilities

Called it.

http://www.history.ca/alone/

Quote:Season Two Premieres Thursday at 9E/P

The new 13-episode season places ten hardcore survivalists alone on northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The contestants have one mission: to stay alive. There are no camera crews, no teams, and no gimmicks. At stake is a $500,000 cash prize awarded to the person who can last the longest. Season two features ten contestants, including one man originally from Galicia, Spain, who currently resides in Mayo, Yukon Territory.

Equipped only with limited gear, their wilderness experience, and cameras to self-document their journeys, these brave men and women are completely separated from one another in harsh, unforgiving terrain. To survive, they must find food and water, build shelters and fend off predators. They will face extreme isolation, psychological distress, and treacherous environmental conditions as they descend into the unknown.

Only watching will tell whether this ruins it or adds evidence to the "women can't cope" pile.

However:

Quote:
Nicole Apelian

Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Age: 45

Nicole grew up in Massachusetts and through the influence and mentorship of her stepfather she connected with nature at an early age. After receiving her Master’s Degree in biology, Nicole became a game warden with the U.S. Peace Corps and began tracking and researching lions in southern Africa. Later, while working as a field biologist in Botswana, she got her first real exposure to true wilderness living. It was in Africa, working with the Bushmen and completing her doctorate, where she was able to learn many of the primitive skills that she practices and teaches today. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000, she now resides in the Pacific Northwest and relies on the local plants as part of her healthy living strategy. The MS diagnosis changed her lifestyle and eating habits but did not deter her from becoming one of the founders and primary guides of her own tracking and wildlife safari company, Eco Tours International. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor at Prescott College. There she is able to bring her passion for nature connection, indigenous knowledge, and research to her students. She also continues her work with the Bushmen to help them find strategies to preserve their traditions and is currently cataloging indigenous plant uses with a community of Naro Bushmen who regard her as family.

Quote:
Mary Kate Green

Hometown: Homer, Alaska
Age: 36

Mary Kate was born in South Side Chicago and moved to North Western Montana with her family when she was two years old. She spent the next 12 years living off the grid with her parents and three sisters on Government Mountain. As a kid, she spent countless hours gathering firewood, picking wild huckleberries, cleaning chicken coops, riding horses, building forts and simply getting lost in the mountains. Years later, she took these skills and became a firefighter for the Tahoe National Forest. It was there that she learned, no matter how physically demanding a challenge might be, her mental toughness can always help her complete a job. Mary Kate currently resides in Homer, Alaska, where she is fitness trainer at the Alaska Training Room and a mother to two beautiful girls, Boden Kate and Greta Tuff.

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold

Post: #96

(04-21-2016 09:52 AM)Benoit Wrote:  The new 13-episode season places ten hardcore survivalists alone on northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Vancouver Island again?
That is far more annoying than the two women participating.
Everyone of the contestants saw season 1, they know what to expect by now.
What gear to bring, what's useful and what's not, what to watch out for and pay attention to, what works best, what mistakes to avoid, etc.
I can't imagine it being as interesting as dropping them into some environment they could hardly prepare for upfront and where they cannot live off the experiences made by others in the exact same situation before them.
Why not do a season in a tropical rainforest, a savannah, a desert, the arctic circle, an alpine landscape, or wetlands/swampland/marshland?

Given that the participants most likely will be well prepared, and yet there's still 13 episodes, I'd guess that there will be less survival skills and challenges on display, but instead more artificially generated drama and classic reality tv elements.

Post: #97

Huge tax incentives in BC, they probably couldn't do it without it.

I'll watch though, I expect the girls to wash out fast.

Post: #98

Fuck! I missed one. Thought it was just a fat man. But it's a fat female with a mannish face.

Quote:Tracy Wilson

Hometown: Aiken, South Carolina
Age: 44

Tracy was born into a military family stationed overseas and grew up in many different locations in the United States due to her family's military commitment. Never in any one place for very long, she found solace in the great outdoors. She was taught survival and bush crafting skills by her father and other family members, and developed a deep love and respect for nature. Tracy later entered the military and law enforcement, like her family before her, but she never lost her love for the land. As an adult, she’s continued to learn and hone her skills and has even begun passing lessons onto her children and to anyone willing to learn.

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold

Post: #99

(04-21-2016 12:13 PM)Benoit Wrote:  Fuck! I missed one. Thought it was just a fat man. But it's a fat female with a mannish face.

Quote:Tracy Wilson

Hometown: Aiken, South Carolina
Age: 44

Tracy was born into a military family stationed overseas and grew up in many different locations in the United States due to her family's military commitment. Never in any one place for very long, she found solace in the great outdoors. She was taught survival and bush crafting skills by her father and other family members, and developed a deep love and respect for nature. Tracy later entered the military and law enforcement, like her family before her, but she never lost her love for the land. As an adult, she’s continued to learn and hone her skills and has even begun passing lessons onto her children and to anyone willing to learn.

I bet she is doing it just to lose weight.

Post: #100

Personally I'm watching Bear Grylls The Island nowadays. Pretty funny survival show IMO.