S03.E07: Himalayan Hell

[henripootel]

Finally somebody brings a proper survival tool and constructs a proper debris hut.  Discount Miley Cyrus was a bit irritating, and 10 bucks says she got ill (on like the 2nd day) because of food she ate days before she stripped down.  

[VioletNevermind]

This was probably one of the best episodes of this show so far.  Hakim was absolutely amazing throughout.  He displayed an incredible amount of patience during "discount Miley Cyrus'" (perfect description) meltdown and dysentery-related issues.  He was able to push past all of her drama and not only carry them through, but also spend time comforting her.  Bravo to him.  I still say it's a shame that the better of the two participants doesn't receive some kind of monetary reward.  That would add a great element to the show.

Edited August 18, 2014 by SuzyLee

[LAgator77]

Seriously, 2 completely nutty women in a row? I'm 30 minutes in and the woman who had a breakdown on day 1(!) is bitching about how her partner is selfish? I think they should send Dollar Store Miley and Corrine from the last ep on a 21 day challenge together... Just so I could watch them die in the woods, THAT would be entertainment! Just bring back Alison for all the eps going forward. She was so awesome. 

 

ETA: Hats off to Hakim, he's more of a man than I'll ever be (and I'm not just talking about that huge crotch blur)... Complimentary and supportive to that useless twit right up to the end. 

Edited August 18, 2014 by LAgator77

[jacksgirl]

Discount Miley Cyrus

 

Thank you henripootel. It's my first day back to work to school, and I needed that laugh. Agree! Hakim was the dream and I immediately noticed the bigger than usual crotch blur. Their hut was awesome- he never complained. His PSR should have gone up more. Glad Discount Miley improved, glad she apologized for her awfulness. It was only 4 hours in and she was struggling. I do like this guilty pleasure show.

Edited August 18, 2014 by jacksgirl

[blackwing]

I do think that the guy was great, but I disagreed with him when he was urging her to tap out "for the team".  Then he commented about how she was having diarrhea and leaving it everywhere.  He really could have just said that he wanted her to get better and that he didn't think it was a good idea for her to risk long-term health issues.  The way he said it, to me it sounded like it was really all about him.  "Please tap out, it will be better for 'the team' because I don't want to have to deal with you or your watery poop or take care of you anymore.  You kept saying you were cold last night.  I could have spooned you to keep you warm but if you thought I was going to get anywhere near your diarrhea-laced cornhole, you're crazy!"

[Neurochick]

I do think that the guy was great, but I disagreed with him when he was urging her to tap out "for the team".  Then he commented about how she was having diarrhea and leaving it everywhere.  He really could have just said that he wanted her to get better and that he didn't think it was a good idea for her to risk long-term health issues.  The way he said it, to me it sounded like it was really all about him.  "Please tap out, it will be better for 'the team' because I don't want to have to deal with you or your watery poop or take care of you anymore.  You kept saying you were cold last night.  I could have spooned you to keep you warm but if you thought I was going to get anywhere near your diarrhea-laced cornhole, you're crazy!"

 

I probably would have told Discount Miley Cyrus the same thing.  Ugh, did she do that to her hair because she knew she was going to be on TV.  Miley Cyrus should sue for copyright infringement.

[beagletime]

I was a bit confused when her complaint was "I don't think you care about me at all."  From what we saw Hakim was the main shelter builder. He must have been getting some kind of food for them. He comforted her and helped her out. What more did she want in a primitive situation? I'll cut her a little slack since she was tired, frustrated and sick.  It seems there have been a couple of female contestants who came across expecting Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.  The devil in me wanted to see her huddled under a tree at night in the rain, clutching her fire starter.  Hakim cozy in the shelter with a fire he started with two sticks.

 

His suggesting her to tap out for the good of the team? I took that more in the vein of war or something. "Sarge, I'm hurt. I can't go on. Leave me behind. The rest of the team can make it to safety. Remember me when you plant the flag!"  He was looking at it as wanting someone on the team to make it and represent them.

 

Either that or he was sick of smelling puke and diarrhea everywhere.

Edited August 18, 2014 by beagletime

[blackwing]

Oh I agree with both of you, I don't blame him for wanting her to quit so he wouldn't have to deal with her and her apparently multiple deposits of diarrhea and vomit.  I just think he could have said it more diplomatically...  he could have said he was concerned about her health and that it'd be better for her to quit.  But he essentially said "it's better for the team" and/or "take one for the team".  I think that's when she got a little offended, because she was all "how is it better for the team if I quit, if I quit, then there's no team, you'd be all alone".

[Tippi]

This was a beautiful environment and no snakes (that I saw.)  I really wish they would just give them a pot to boil water.  I get seriously worried for the people drinking potentially contaminated water.  Hakim was terrific and Phaedra didn't bother me too much.  She was quite young and seemed to have a lot of issues.  Once she got a grip on herself she was all right.  The shelter with a fireplace was great!

[beagletime]

I wonder if Phaedra was given some water by production off camera? It doesn't take long to get very dehydrated, sick as she was.  We weren't shown that she and Hakim were doing a lot of water carrying.  Maybe she was able to get enough from the stream.  

[henripootel]

I wonder if Phaedra was given some water by production off camera? It doesn't take long to get very dehydrated, sick as she was.

This crossed my mind too - dysentery is nothing to mess with, as dehydration can precipitate a real crisis.  It's also easy to deal with if you're willing to give the person a bottle of water to curl up with to keep water going in equal to water going out.  If she was puking and shitting where she lay (which we were given to understand from Hakim) crawling to and from the creek would have been arduous.  Also counterproductive if that's where she got dysentery from in the first place.

 

I still wonder if Discount Miley got sick from drinking bad water in a restaurant before filming began.  If the graphic about where these guys were camped is accurate, there probably wasn't anyone living further upstream from them shitting in the water.  Also, Hakim didn't get sick, and the trick of drinking out of a dirty hole near the stream - not all that effective, from my understanding.

 

ETA: I also laughed at the whole 'you're dragging down the team' thing when it's clear that 'The Team - Discount Miley = Hakim'.  I wondered if this wasn't a bit of production-speak being fed to the contestants, and it wasn't the first time I thought I heard some.

Edited August 19, 2014 by henripootel

[BitchOnWheelz]

Clearance Rack Miley was grossing me out by the end with her snaggle-looking teeth, huge gums, filthy mug and "hair".  It looked like she swept the campsite with her mohawk.

[tv-talk]

Where do they get these women? Just awful, I mean a lot of the men are annoying douchebags but Miley and last week's woman are literally PATHETIC. Like they come on the show to work out various issues they have and immediately get caught up in worrying about not being a "strong" enough woman when dealing with the man while ignoring the fact they are actually being weak when it comes to the surviving part which is supposed to be point of show.

 

I've drank a ton of unfiltered water in that area and do not believe there is any way she got so sick, so quickly from that stream unless there was some sort of grazing area directly above them in which case they'd have been 'surviving' within a stones throw of people who actually live in that forest which would be absurd.

 

Kudos on that shelter! By far best one I've seen on show though for some reason it bothers me when they strip the bark from those big trees which kills them. Seems almost inappropriate to kill a beautiful 100yr tree so 2 people can do a starvation diet which I'm starting to suspect is one motivation for some people to come on show. The Ultimate cleanse!

 

I'm thinking this show isnt going to last, too many episodes consist of people just laying around whining or arguing while they lose 30 pounds. The nudity aspect which is the hook for the series can only take it so far, it would actually be a better show if they had minimal clothing and possibly light sandals but were expected to get out there and do much more trekking rather than built one shelter and wait out 3 weeks.

[henripootel]

...in which case they'd have been 'surviving' within a stones throw of people who actually live in that forest which would be absurd.

Can't speak to this location but I can assure you that the one shot in Namibia had to be careful to not include roads and fence lines in their shots.  I'm not entirely sure where they shot but I could make a pretty good guess, and all of Namibia (with very few exceptions) is fenced into large 'farms' (really ranches), many of which serve as formal or informal game farms and hunting lodges.  Big as Namibia is, easy money they were only a couple of miles from the nearest house, which they were of course forbidden to raid. 

 

This location was pretty cool but these guys seem to have spent precious little time foraging, or so we are led to believe.  Somehow I'da thought a good fossick around would yield a fair amount of food.  Is this so, tv-talk?

[tv-talk]

There are dozens of edible plants all over the lower Himalayas where they were. The most obvious which was likely in that area are ferns and I'd assume both of them knew about those. My guess is they were eating lots of plants as participants know where they are being sent and can research the area beforehand. I'm not sure why producers sometimes show people eating more and at other times try to make it seem they've had nothing for weeks.

 

Marijuana also seems to grow wild everywhere which could have made for an interesting turn in the episode!  

[ari333]

This show has potential and we do watch it, but sometimes we quit before the eppy is over. It's like it's missing something, but IDK what. This dude seemed hot (superficial me) and sweet. I don't get what she was bitching about.

[tv-talk]

I'd say it's missing enough challenges. Most of the recent episodes are spent with 2 people laying around bitching at each other which is really, REALLY boring. I mean when you compare a previous season episode in the Amazon where they had to endure a horrifying about of mosquitoes and of course rain, then construct a raft and sail it down river for extraction....THAT was something. Now it's more like sit around whining for 20days then walk 2 miles.  

[blackwing]

Yes, I agree, this show is often boring.  It's absolutely not fun to watch people sitting around doing nothing but talk about how tired, cold, sick, and/or hungry they are.  I want to see them DO stuff.  Each location should have a set of five or so tasks that they have to complete, and the tasks should be unique.

 

So far, every episode is the same thing but with different butts and different levels of animosity.  Meet.  Walk.  Build shelter.  Build fire.  Get water.  Look for food.  Fail.  Look again.  Sit around.  Grouse and whine and bitch.  Oh finally, Day 21!

[beagletime]

I've watched the show since the first episode and it is getting boring.  I find myself watching it to see if the censors will forget to blur something. Cheap thrills, I know.

It would be interesting if they were required to build a workable living situation. A decent shelter like the one Hakim built.  A reliable source of water and ability to boil it. Reliable food source, gathering in addition to hunting.  Even though they are only on site for 21 days they would build a camp that would work for months. The producers could supply them with basic flip flops and a small amount of cloth to fashion clothing as they like. It would still be a challenge to carve a home out of the wilderness.

 

As the show stands my personal strategy would be to build a basic shelter and start a fire. The get some water, grubs and fish then lie around saving my energy for extraction day.  Except for the survival score what is the incentive to do more?

[Straycat80]

I've watched some of the episodes and agree with everything everyone has posted. What puzzles me is why some of these people don't make themselves some type of clothing out of the natural materials in the environment they are in. Especially the people who have to endure cold weather.

I noticed noticed Hakim and Miley didn't make any body coverings until the last day they were there, which was extraction day. Before that Miley bitched constantly about being cold.

Some of these people build great shelters but can't fashion some type of clothing for warmth and to protect themselves from bug bites?

Just a thought.

[fib]

Before that Miley bitched constantly about being cold.

 

I figured the chilly weather was exacerbated by her being sick.  Dysentery can cause a fever, and when you have a fever you often 'feel cold' even thought your body is hot. Plus, if she had made clothes earlier, she would have gotten diarrhea all over them. 

Edited August 21, 2014 by fib

[tv-talk]

I dont think the producers want them to make clothes every single week, the real point of the show is opposite sex strangers being naked together. There is another naked survival show with this British guy who is actually alone, no producers or film crew, and he always manages to fashion some sort of skirt, hat, etc as needed. Also basically every single "deserted" island or beach on the planet has clothes and footwear washed up on it nowadays, there is no way you would go 3 weeks next to the ocean without finding things to make some protection with.

Edited August 21, 2014 by tv-talk

[henripootel]

Also basically every single "deserted" island or beach on the planet has clothes and footwear washed up on it nowadays, there is no way you would go 3 weeks next to the ocean without finding things to make some protection with.

Crossed my mind too, especially since we've now had a few episodes and nobody has (to the best of my knowledge) found anything.  That strikes me as unlikely.  More likely that production doesn't want them wearing an old pair of boxers that just turned up so they don't let them keep 'em.  

[greyhorse]

Yes, I agree, this show is often boring.  It's absolutely not fun to watch people sitting around doing nothing but talk about how tired, cold, sick, and/or hungry they are.  I want to see them DO stuff.  Each location should have a set of five or so tasks that they have to complete, and the tasks should be unique.

 

So far, every episode is the same thing but with different butts and different levels of animosity.  Meet.  Walk.  Build shelter.  Build fire.  Get water.  Look for food.  Fail.  Look again.  Sit around.  Grouse and whine and bitch.  Oh finally, Day 21!

 

Completely agree.  This episode has actually caused me to think I might be deleting my Season Pass.  Every show has them struggling to build a shelter.  Not eating for days.  Getting some kind of protein meal one time (in this case, twice with the tiny crab and then the dead bird), sitting around again, and then walking out.

 

There are really no tasks to do other than build a shelter, build a fire, drink water, find food, and then walk out.  I suppose in a real life survival situation, that's what you would do.  But it makes for really boring tv.  At least a few of this season's episodes had some attractive women on the show.  Yes, call me shallow.  But let's admit, many of us watch for the titillation factor of them being naked, otherwise, why watch at all?  99 cent Miley just didn't do it for me. 

 

I was impressed by their very sturdy shelter and the fireplace, which we've never seen.  But I wonder how adequate the ventilation of the fire was.  We saw them hunkered down for three days and nights (probably around day 16-19), and when they emerged, it was so hilarious.  99 cent Miley came out covered in soot with her hair all scary and bird's nesty.  I can't think that was very healthy to be breathing all that smoke.

 

How did they have enough dry firewood to keep the fire going for three days?  Where did they store it?  Certainly not in the shelter, it seemed too small.

 

Hakim kept calling himself a ninja.  Is there such a thing in modern day America?  Obviously there were ninja spies in feudal Japan.  But now?  Does he just fancy himself a athletic guy who can use sticks for weapons and uphold some honor code that only he holds himself to?  Is he a card holding member of some Ninja society that he has to qualify for and they have annual meetings?  I just thought it was pretentious.

[henripootel]

Is he a card holding member of some Ninja society that he has to qualify for and they have annual meetings?  I just thought it was pretentious.

Schools of 'ninjitsu' have popped up over the last couple of decades but they're mostly BS with a bit of Aiki.  Their claim to legitimacy is only slightly better than Rex-kwondo.

Edited August 23, 2014 by henripootel

[ari333]

As mentioned above, each eppy -- same show... different butts. So true. :)

[JackKnife]

Finally somebody brings a proper survival tool and constructs a proper debris hut.  Discount Miley Cyrus was a bit irritating, and 10 bucks says she got ill (on like the 2nd day) because of food she ate days before she stripped down.  

 

Yeah. I read an interview she gave where apparently she got food poisoning from the hotel in the village the day before shooting was meant to start and the producers didn't wait until she was given the all-clear from the medic before starting the challenge.  Which seems likely given how she got much better as a survivalist once she wasn't puking her guts out. 

[Dantes]

Two things.  She is a pain in the ass.  Suburban housewife with no life. 

 

He is a douche.  Ninja?  What a joke.