S01.E01: This Is Not My Comfort Zone

[peachmangosteen]

Quote

The nine celebrities set up a shelter in the Panama jungle, only to have host Mauro Ranallo divide them into two teams to embark on their first intense, muddy adventure challenge.

Airs March 16th.

[treeofdreams]

So basically this is one long Survivor immunity challenge, and no strategy game which is the most important part of Survivor.

And with a dull as dishwater host.  Who is this guy, anyway?  He certainly doesn't measure up to Amazing Race Phil or Survivor Jeff Probst.

Edited March 17, 2022 by treeofdreams

[LadyChatts]

So they don't even vote anyone off?  They just decide to leave when they want?  Cheesy show but I'll probably keep watching for Jodie Sweetin and Lauren Alaina.  That was funny when they had the donkey as part of a challenge.

[mertensia]

How far away are they from a resort is my question.

[Lamb18]

I wonder who will be the first person to ring the bell. Odds are it's Metta Peace if no one rings because of injury.

I liked Mike Singletary. Actually I liked most people. But not Colton.

[peachmangosteen]

This was SO bad but in the kind of way I enjoy. I was laughing so hard while they were going through the mud.

[treeofdreams]

This seems like a rather desperate scramble to find something to put on the air.  It just seems odd.

One long "immunity challenge" type thing, lanterns instead of torches, a group therapy session at the end of the episode...

Well, there is nothing else to watch after Survivor, so we'll see how it goes.

[HurricaneVal]

3 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

This seems like a rather desperate scramble to find something to put on the air.  It just seems odd.

Yeah....I wasn't all that sure exactly what I was watching.  It seemed scattered and ill defined.  And a wee bit churchy.

You're right.  There's not much to watch after Survivor, so I'll poke at it for a while. 

The host is completely lacking in charisma, which seems strange to me.  Say what you want about Probst, because he is annoying at times, but you can't deny he has a certain presence and he is all-in and engaged.  This host seemed a bit checked out, and kind of a cipher. 

I'm liking Paulina and Singletary.  Metta is OK, but it looks like his schtick will be, once again, "will he or won't he quit today?"  Jody Sweetin is trying too hard for screen time.  The rest?  I don't care.

[eel21788]

1 hour ago, treeofdreams said:

Well, there is nothing else to watch after Survivor, so we'll see how it goes.

That's pretty much how I'm feeling about it right now, too. Not being a sports fan, I don't even know who any of the "celebrities" are, except for Jodie Sweetin.

I'll give it one more week to see if it sucks me in.

My only real interest is what charities they're playing for:

Lauren Alaina: The Next Door

Metta World Peace: Artest University

Paulina Porizkova: ACLU

Ray Lewis: Johns Hopkins Children's Center

Jodie Sweetin: Girls, Inc.

Eboni K. Williams: Safe Horizons

Colton Underwood: Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation

Craig Morgan: Operation Finally Home

Mike Singletary: Changing Our Perspective

 

One other curiosity: are they in the Darien Gap?

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by eel21788

[LadyChatts]

5 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

This was SO bad but in the kind of way I enjoy. I was laughing so hard while they were going through the mud.

My favorite were the slo-mo shots of that.  

 

[Melina22]

3 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

There's not much to watch after Survivor, so I'll poke at it for a while. 

Now there's an enthusiastic endorsement. 😁

I'm not sure if I'll keep watching. I do like that no one gets voted off, so cooperation instead of competition is emphasized. That's a concept we need to see more. To work we'll need to be emotionally invested in the players, which I'm not sure yet if I'll be. 

That mud challenge is my worst nightmare. Well, not my worst since there were no leeches. 

Totally agree that the host is lacking charisma. What a strange choice. Does he dye his hair? 

One pet peeve - the loud, driving rah-rah music underlying almost every minute of the show, even when it's just people sitting and talking. I hate it so much. 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Melina22

[snarts]

5 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

Yeah....I wasn't all that sure exactly what I was watching.  It seemed scattered and ill defined.  And a wee bit churchy.

This. I turned it off after the seemingly forced group prayer. You're telling me that none of them are agnostic/atheist/something other than christian? That and the annoying announcer I'd never heard of were enough. No thanks.

[Wandering Snark]

The announcer is a wierd combo of a super expresssive and unique voice that at the same time sounds completely detatched. I've not heard anything quite like it. Were I looking for a host I'd have said 'Okay, NEXT!' after his first read-through in interviews. Not engaging/warm just... odd. The other stuff I can overlook for a 'poke at' but I'm not sure if I can handle the hosting.

ETA: Oh, and I've seen this movie about Metta who may quit at any moment before and didn't like it the first time!

Edited March 18, 2022 by Wandering Snark

[Melina22]

1 hour ago, Wandering Snark said:

The announcer is a wierd combo of a super expresssive and unique voice that at the same time sounds completely detatched. I've not heard anything quite like it. 

Didn't they say he was a wrestling announcer, or something similar? Or does he just sound like one? Either way, he's a terrible choice. He'll have to show a lot more personality before we can warm to him at all. 

[LakeGal]

I wanted to like this.  But... I am not sure what to think.  I do not like Colton.  I wish they would at least put more well known people on this.  I didn't care for all the praying either.  Are they at Church camp?

[tinkerbell]

So, they get a mule. Then they leave the mule, paddle a boat, crawl through mud, then their mule is RIGHT THERE!  How?

I agree that the host/announcer is awful. But the show is kind of awful.  

Those spa tubs? Some of the players were in underwear,  some fully clothed. Getting into a tub with muddy clothes, then washing their hair in that muddy tub water. Yuck.

Some of them, Eboni for example,  take this too seriously. Its a camping trip! With scavenger hunts and competitions. Its that not profound. Its not religious.  Its a cheap imitation of Survivor.

[candall]

53 minutes ago, tinkerbell said:

So, they get a mule. Then they leave the mule, paddle a boat, crawl through mud, then their mule is RIGHT THERE!  How?

I agree that the host/announcer is awful. But the show is kind of awful.  

Those spa tubs? Some of the players were in underwear,  some fully clothed. Getting into a tub with muddy clothes, then washing their hair in that muddy tub water. Yuck.

Some of them, Eboni for example,  take this too seriously. Its a camping trip! With scavenger hunts and competitions. Its that not profound. Its not religious.  Its a cheap imitation of Survivor.

I'm with you.  Obviously, they handed off the mules to someone who walked them around the big mud puddle while the contestants had to slither through the goop.  

Okay, that's fine, part of the gig, but please stop acting like you're in mortal danger, Eboni K. Whomever.  (I would have left her behind.) 

 

Paulina Porizkova was one of the most famous 70's sun-kissed supermodels.  People recognized them and knew their names--Paulina Porizkova, Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Tiegs . . .

[Melina22]

I agree that some of the people are taking this too seriously. I think they feel compelled to act like they're having all kinds of epiphanies and life changing revelations... in one day. Which is hard to believe. 

The religious aspect doesn't bother me. A lot of viewers are religious, but it's so rarely reflected on TV. Usually, if someone on a show is praying or reading the Bible it's shorthand for "Serial killer alert!"Or the person turns to be a hateful psycho. So I don't mind this. That's said, it's not for everyone. I can understand people not appreciating this part of it. 

 I don't know if I can get invested in any of these people. I feel like several of them, if not most, just needed the paycheck. I'll probably give it one more try, then decide. 

 

[LadyChatts]

6 hours ago, LakeGal said:

I wanted to like this.  But... I am not sure what to think.  I do not like Colton.  I wish they would at least put more well known people on this.  I didn't care for all the praying either.  Are they at Church camp?

For me, it's the opposite.  I've actually heard of almost everyone.  I didn't know Craig or Eboni, though I rarely ever know Real Houswives.  Wasn't Colton accused of stalking the girl who picked on The Bachelor?  Never liked what I saw of him.

Edited March 19, 2022 by LadyChatts

[Melina22]

14 minutes ago, LadyChatts said:

Wasn't Colton accused of stalking the girl who picked on The Bachelor? 

So The Bachelor stalked one of the girls, and then came out as gay? That's very weird. I can see why people have very mixed feelings about him. I don't imagine that The Bachelor people are exactly thrilled. 

If he was accused of stalking, how could he get on this show? 

[DEL901]

5 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

For me, it's the opposite.  I've actually heard of almost everyone.  I didn't know Craig or Eboni, though I rarely ever know Real Houswives.  Wasn't Colton accused of stalking the girl who picked on The Bachelor?  Never liked what I saw of him.

5 hours ago, Melina22 said:

So The Bachelor stalked one of the girls, and then came out as gay? That's very weird. I can see why people have very mixed feelings about him. I don't imagine that The Bachelor people are exactly thrilled. 

If he was accused of stalking, how could he get on this show? 

He was highly closeted…hence going on the Bachelorette and then being the Bachelor.   He was billed hpas the virgin Bachelor.  He fixated on Cassie and sent the other two finalists home at final 3.   She quit the show but eventually agreed to date him after the Show.  He had become fixated on the idea he could be straight with her.   Of course it didn’t work.  Hence the desperate stalking (this doesn’t justify what he did, but does explain it).   Now he is out and engaged.

[Wandering Snark]

21 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Didn't they say he was a wrestling announcer, or something similar?

Similiar yes, I guess he's a mixed martial arts announcer. Most wrestling announcers have a 'character' and/or side with the good or bad guys so they tend to be more umm expressive? I dunno about MMA announcers I guess they have to sound excited? I just don't buy this guy though... like if you r voice goes 1 to 100 he always starts at 80 and goes up from there and it annoys me.

They are doing it for charity money (which is Metta's excuse to stay on this show so far...) and yes they are in 0% peril but fear they may be killed at any moment. *eye roll* Good night good work, we'll most likely kill you in the morning.

[Lamb18]

On 3/17/2022 at 11:20 AM, HurricaneVal said:

Yeah....I wasn't all that sure exactly what I was watching.  It seemed scattered and ill defined.  And a wee bit churchy.

You're right.  There's not much to watch after Survivor, so I'll poke at it for a while. 

The host is completely lacking in charisma, which seems strange to me.  Say what you want about Probst, because he is annoying at times, but you can't deny he has a certain presence and he is all-in and engaged.  This host seemed a bit checked out, and kind of a cipher. 

I'm liking Paulina and Singletary.  Metta is OK, but it looks like his schtick will be, once again, "will he or won't he quit today?"  Jody Sweetin is trying too hard for screen time.  The rest?  I don't care.

I copied this for the comment about Jody wanting screen time. She definitely does because her next gig is Worst Chefs in America, Celebrity Edition. It's coming up soon.

I like Paulina the best. I really liked her on America's.Next Top Model.

[Melina22]

1 hour ago, Wandering Snark said:

 I just don't buy this guy though... like if you r voice goes 1 to 100 he always starts at 80 and goes up from there and it annoys me.

Good description. Perfect for the ring, not so much for the jungle. 

I know they're doing this for charity, at least the prize money is for charity. But I'm sure they're all also getting a nice salary to show up and crawl through the mud. 

As for Metta, I only know him from Celebrity BB, where his claim to fame was threatening to quit every single day. So I was surprised to see him show up here. 

 

[Melina22]

7 minutes ago, Lamb18 said:

I like Paulina the best. I really liked her on America's.Next Top Model.

Is she the one whose famous husband just died and left her penniless, or am I confusing my celebrity models? Because then she would need to appear on stuff like this to pay the rent. Either way, in my experience ex-supermodels and pageant queens are as tough as they come, and usually excel on shows like this. 

Edited March 19, 2022 by Melina22

[LadyChatts]

1 hour ago, Lamb18 said:

I copied this for the comment about Jody wanting screen time. She definitely does because her next gig is Worst Chefs in America, Celebrity Edition. It's coming up soon.

I like Paulina the best. I really liked her on America's.Next Top Model.

What I liked about Paulina was she told a very real reality that women face in the entertainment industry when they get "old" (which pretty much means 35 and up).  There was an actress once, I think it might have been Geena Davis, who said that it was a crazy double standard that men who were 60 and 70 would be put in romance movies and be paired with a love interest young enough to be their granddaughter, because the idea of pairing them with someone closer to their age apparently didn't sell in Hollywood.  But women who were that age often got roles that were the matriarch of the families whose views were outdated or who were cranky or who couldn't find love and happiness.

[MerBearHou]

2 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Is she the one whose famous husband just died and left her penniless, or am I confusing my celebrity models? Because then she would need to appear on stuff like this to pay the rent. Either way, in my experience ex-supermodels and pageant queens are as tough as they come, and usually excel on shows like this. 

She is.  She was married to Ric Ocasek of The Cars.  I've always liked Paulina and when she was a supermodel, she was one of my favorites.

[lh25]

On 3/18/2022 at 9:23 PM, Melina22 said:

I agree that some of the people are taking this too seriously. I think they feel compelled to act like they're having all kinds of epiphanies and life changing revelations... in one day. Which is hard to believe. 

Exactly.  It's been ONE DAY.  They haven't even spent a night sleeping out there IIRC.

For me, they need to tone down the dramatic slo-mo shots.  A few are fine, but they lose their impact when it is so many of them.

[tinkerbell]

Do these people think they are on Survivor?   I bet they are not given a bag of rice and made to forage and fish for food.   Even the one woman who acted like she was being pulled down in quicksand - she flailed around  like she was going to DIE!  and then seconds later she was in mud only up to her ankles.  They are talking like this was the hardest thing they have ever had to endure, when, as @lh25 said - it's been ONE DAY.   I didn't like Mike S talking about god, and acting like this was an opportunity to find some deeper meaning in life.  And then they have to sleep in "the jungle", as if this isn't a tv show with cameras and crew making sure everyone is safe.  

I felt some second-hand embarrassment for everyone involved.   Oh, except for Colton.   I hate that he is  on any show, that he's getting attention, that criticizing him is going to be perceived by some as homophobic.  he's horrible.   After Cassie broke up with him, he bombarded her and her friends with texts, accused her of not being able to love, and put a tracker on her car - she had to file an order of protection to make him stop. He wanted to marry her, thinking that would "cure"  him of being gay.  She ends up scared and anxious, Colton got a Netflix series about him coming out. I have no empathy for him, I wish he would just live his life and stay out of the public eye.  

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, tinkerbell said:

I bet they are not given a bag of rice and made to forage and fish for food.   

There was a shot in the ep of some food they were given. I only remember seeing bananas but I'm sure there was other stuff there.

[Emmeline]

On 3/19/2022 at 3:41 PM, MerBearHou said:

She is.  She was married to Ric Ocasek of The Cars.  I've always liked Paulina and when she was a supermodel, she was one of my favorites.

That was a terrible thing for Ric Ocasek to do.  I believe Paulina was the person who went to check on him after a surgery and he was dead.  Nice legacy to leave Ric, your a tool.  I’m rooting for her.  Can’t stand Eboni K Williams.

Edited March 22, 2022 by Emmeline

[DEL901]

1 hour ago, Emmeline said:

That was a terrible thing for Ric Ocasek to do.  I believe Paulina was the person who went to check on him after a surgery and he was dead.  Nice legacy to leave Ric, your a tool.  I’m rooting for her.  Can’t stand Eboni K Williams.

Weren’t they divorced when he died?

[MerBearHou]

9 hours ago, DEL901 said:

Weren’t they divorced when he died?

No, they were still legally married.  They had separated but when he became ill, they still lived together and she looked after him.  He had changed his will when they separated but the divorce was never finalized.  

[cmahorror]

It was even worse than that, he also disinherited his oldest two children and said Paulina had "abandoned" him. Keep in mind, she was caring for him during his medical issues, driving him around and coming to the house to check on him. I would hardly call that abandonment.  I always loved The Cars but that was an extremely dickish thing to do to the woman you were married to for decades and your children. She won her court battle and, according to her, received what she was owed as his spouse according to the New York State law.

I am watching for Jodie, Paulina, and Lauren. I think they are going to do well.