Alone (AUS) - General Discussion

[TVbitch]

Ten Australians try to go it alone in the Tasmaian wilderness. 

Wow, this scenery is freaking gorgeous! All the moss covered trees and deadwood sticking out of the water. Eerily beautiful. Very different from anything we've seen in the US seasons. Looks like wasps, wallabys, and, of course, Tasmanian devils will be the creatures menacing these contestants. It appears that quite a few of these people are not exactly survival experts. One states she has never even been.... alone! Another contestant stated that they do not have any food, and the chyron that popped up that said they can choose 10 items specifically left rations out, so maybe they truly don't have anything.  A few do not look long for this world already. We shall see....

[ChristmasJones]

Where is this being shown? 

[TVbitch]

I sent you a PM @ChristmasJones

[Kelda Feegle]

I'm just catching up on this now, interesting to see one in my home country. No big predators at all to worry about.  I've been to tassie a few times myself.  No survival experts is interesting,  initially I said that in Tasmania they could last for many months but the people I've seen so far seem unlikely to do so.

[TVbitch]

First two episodes:

They are dropping like flies! Two of them probably had no business being there. Bummer about the third who got sick. The one guy who only lasted a day was really annoying trying to make it sound like he was actually wiser and more in tune than the others because he was "listening to the land" and the land was telling him that it wasn't the time of year that people should be there. 🙄 I guess he thinks that sounds better than, "This sucks, I quit!" No shame in quitting if you can't hack it, but at least take ownership!  

It is probably pretty miserable being so damp all the time, but the scenery is really enchanting. Gorgeous with a touch of menace. Those noises the devils make would totally keep me up at night! But there are some contenders there. 

[TVbitch]

Through episode 4:

There are a couple real contenders. The woman who lost her daughter broke my heart. Puts the "I miss my wife, Barbara!" sob stories to shame. I really like the guy setting the trap, but I really, really don't want to see one of those tiny kangaroo creatures get caught it. 

[Bushy46]

I would have built a fireplace with a short chimney using rocks and clay.  The fire would bake the clay hard.  It would have been much more weatherproof and less risk of burning down the shelter.

The area with all the tree stumps in the water is crayfish heaven. Fish guts would have worked as bait. 

Yes, I could have predicted which ones would drop out, except for the one with Covid. 

Edited April 20, 2023 by Bushy46

[TVbitch]

Golly, 8 days in and half of them are gone! To be fair, this very moist, nearly foodless environment looks pretty tough. It is still also unclear whether they had any food rations. ...but still! 

[aussieinsydney]

20 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Golly, 8 days in and half of them are gone! To be fair, this very moist, nearly foodless environment looks pretty tough. It is still also unclear whether they had any food rations. ...but still! 

Yeah it seems very tough. I'm not sure why the contestants weren't allowed to take a bow and arrow with them like the American/Canadian contestants have done? I'm sure they'd all have food by now if this was the case.

[Pine]

On 4/3/2023 at 5:36 PM, TVbitch said:

I sent you a PM @ChristmasJones

Please let me know also. Thank You 

[TVbitch]

At this rate, they will have a winner before a month is up!

I really don't think I can bear to see them catch one of those teeny kangroo things! 

[Fake Jan Brady]

A surprisingly emotional finale. Very happy with the winner [who probably could have stayed out there for much longer].

The first eight contenders were all out by Day 30, the final two lasted 64 and 67 days. Big respect to them.

[aussieinsydney]

Huge congrats to the winner. Thoroughly deserved!

[TVbitch]

Finally finished up the series....

The last two did themselves proud. I was bummed by Mike's medical pull. He really did seem to have bad luck with food until the very end there. But thank god I didn't have to see a tiny kangaroo trapped in his net. I wish they would have told him the BP numbers! I have postural hypotension myself and was curious to hear what they were considering dangerous. 

Gina was made for this. She looked positively gorgeous at the end. She kept her stress and frustration in check the whole time, which I'm sure helped give her an edge. They could both give a go against the US contestants. 

[tljgator]

They just ran a commercial during the current season of Alone that they'll start airing this Tasmania version on History on August 10...now we can all join in on snarking about the season! Huzzah -- more in a few weeks!

[SassyCat]

Well.. Yay!! I am glad we will be able to see the Aussie Alone show. 🦘

[Yeah No]

Did anyone watch the premiere of this in the US?  I'm wondering what other people thought of it.  I thought the Tasmanian terrain was pretty rough and yucky.  And many of the contestants are not the trained survivalists that we see on the US version.  Although in earlier seasons of the US version there were fewer of them too.  I'll stick with it this time but not sure I would tune in for future seasons.

Edited August 13, 2023 by Yeah No
spelling

[Maybeitsme]

I watched,  I thought it looked interesting. I'm a sucker for all these Alone shows.

[AZChristian]

I'll watch almost anything with Australian accents.  Unless they do a "Bachelor" or "Bachelorette" there.  

[aussieinsydney]

5 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I'll watch almost anything with Australian accents.  Unless they do a "Bachelor" or "Bachelorette" there.  

We do both 😂

[Red Bridey]

Wow, two gone in two days? Defeated by one night of rain! Man, I thought Aussies were hardier souls than that. I do think the terrain is ugly and unpleasant, but good lord, people have lived there for untold generations. I can tell this may be a short season. Sorry for the poor COVID kid. He was easy on the eyes and I'd like to see how competent he would be on his own.

[Quilt Fairy]

Presumably these folks have had the benefit of 9 seasons of the US version, right?  Although I can see that the casting people went for a more varied demographic than just hard core, off the grid survivalists. 

[aussieinsydney]

2 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Presumably these folks have had the benefit of 9 seasons of the US version, right?  Although I can see that the casting people went for a more varied demographic than just hard core, off the grid survivalists. 

That was the 'problem' with this series. Hopefully, if there is a season 2, they'll choose people who don't get homesick or can't stand a cold night or two without tapping out.

[iMonrey]

Wow. Two people tapped out - voluntarily - after one day. Clearly they were never cut out for this but what a waste of space. Felt bad for the kid who got pulled after a positive Covid test but wouldn't they have tested him beforehand? 

I still think this is potentially more interesting than the US versions simply because of the location, but if they're already falling this fast it's going to be a short season.

[cowgirlwen]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Felt bad for the kid who got pulled after a positive Covid test but wouldn't they have tested him beforehand? 

I was curious about the fact that he tested positive on Day #2.  Which means that he would have been contagious prior to being dropped off at his location.  And, although they didn't show it on this series, other seasons of Alone have shown that the contestants are all together at a "base camp" for training, rules, camera lessons, etc. prior to being sent out to their respective locations.  So, wouldn't that have made them worried that the entire cast may have been exposed?  Wonder if they let the other contestants know, or increased their testing/medical checks on the others after his positive test?  Poor kid looked miserable riding in that extraction boat.  I hope he gets another shot if there's another season.  

[iMonrey]

Some of these peoples' professions are things I've never heard of before. Gina is a "rewilding facilitator," Michael is a "bush regenerator," Duane is a "wildlife and environmental officer" (is that the same as a park ranger?), and Rob was a "planning and environmental manager."  Either Australia has professions unique to their country or some of these titles are made up. 

Day 3 and already four of them are gone. To be fair, Peter did blow out his knee, but he's a hunting guide - one of the few professions I've actually heard of. And this did not speak well to his skills.

I'm surprised anything is living in that lake or river they all seem stationed around. It looks rancid with all the dead trees sticking out of it. 

[Pine]

All these people seem way out of their depth, mentally or experienced wise.

Hope that they do better on casting and location, if they do a 2nd season.

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Pine

[humbleopinion]

I am inclined to think that the first guy and first gal wanted to go home during orientation week when they got acutely homesick and couldn't wait to tap out.

They wasted 2 spots that could have gone to other contestants.

The hunter guy was beside himself, no guns, no arrows...he was completely out of his element and seemed angry that the producers set him up for failure.

Night one, he foolishly set his tarp so the rain drained into his sleeping bag and clothes. He doesn't seem the type who has ever camped in his life.

I can't be the only one to suspect he staged a pratfall so he could get back home to have a warm brekky and shoot his weapons.

The robust retching of the botanist as she tried to down the eel has ruined my appetite for unagi.

She says she doesn't like eel or fish...I'll be ready to mute her heaving and barfing mealtimes.

Kayak building underway.

Hopefully, someone will build a pier to make fishing and eel catching snag free.

 

[rmontro]

6 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

The robust retching of the botanist as she tried to down the eel has ruined my appetite for unagi.

I felt bad for her trying to get that eel down.  She was the first one to catch some protein and then it gagged her to try to eat it.  I don't know about eel, but I love fish.  I know a lot of people who don't like fish, and I just don't understand it.

[AZChristian]

Honest question from a person who doesn't do "outdoorsy" stuff:

If she had tried to cook that eel differently (like thoroughly over an open fire), would it have taken away some of the oiliness?  It still looked rubbery while she was trying to eat it.  Maybe if it had been cooked to a crispy state it would have been easier?

[SassyCat]

17 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

I can't be the only one to suspect he staged a pratfall so he could get back home to have a warm brekky and shoot his weapons.

No, you are not the only one.

8 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Honest question from a person who doesn't do "outdoorsy" stuff:

If she had tried to cook that eel differently (like thoroughly over an open fire), would it have taken away some of the oiliness?  It still looked rubbery while she was trying to eat it.  Maybe if it had been cooked to a crispy state it would have been easier?

I was thinking the exact same thing. Roast some of that fat out of it over the fire.

[Red Bridey]

Good lord, could these people be more incompetent? I really thought hunters and wildlife types would be able to handle rain! Peter, the Great White Hunter, can't even walk in mud. Does he get sent to preserves to shoot captive animals? I'm now just watching to see what silly excuse the next person uses to go home.

[iMonrey]

Good grief, what a tragic story Gina has about her daughter. I'm really rooting for her. Her into package said she lives "off grid" in a shack with no electricity or running water. If anyone is cut out for this, she is.

This is the first episode to feature Michael and Kate. I noticed in the re-introduction of Michael he said he's 44. In his original intro package in Episode 1 it said he was 43. I noticed this a lot on the most recent season of American Alone too. The captions showing their name, age and occupation often have the age off by one year compared to what it originally said in their intro package. In some cases maybe they had a birthday in between but sometimes it's a year lower than the original number. Strange.

How is Duane an Aboriginal man? It must be by a tiny, tiny percent. Kind of like me claiming to be Native American because I have an ancestor who was about six generations ago.

I don't see how Mike can go four days without eating anything and last much longer. In fact I don't know how much longer any of them are going to last. Food seems even more scarce here than it was in Saskatchewan. This might be the first time someone wins Alone just by surviving a couple of weeks.

[Quilt Fairy]

7 hours ago, iMonrey said:

How is Duane an Aboriginal man? It must be by a tiny, tiny percent

I was wondering that, too, but then later he mentioned it was through his great-grandmother. I think.  He could've said great-great-grandmother as I'm having a hellava time with the accents and I don't want to turn on the close-captioning because it overlays the tidbits the show puts in there. 

[SassyCat]

10 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Good grief, what a tragic story Gina has about her daughter. I'm really rooting for her. Her into package said she lives "off grid" in a shack with no electricity or running water. If anyone is cut out for this, she is.

Absolutely heartbreaking. I wept with her. I hope she wins and has something wonderful happen in her life.

[iMonrey]

On 9/1/2023 at 6:18 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

I'm having a hellava time with the accents and I don't want to turn on the close-captioning because it overlays the tidbits the show puts in there. 

Sometimes the close captioning is no help because they don't understand them any better than we do, and the captioning is gibberish! Or else done by AI that's sort of guessing what they're saying.

[Yeah No]

On 8/26/2023 at 9:31 AM, AZChristian said:

Honest question from a person who doesn't do "outdoorsy" stuff:

If she had tried to cook that eel differently (like thoroughly over an open fire), would it have taken away some of the oiliness?  It still looked rubbery while she was trying to eat it.  Maybe if it had been cooked to a crispy state it would have been easier?

The short answer is "yes".  I grew up eating eel and watched my grandma cook it from a young age.  As soon as that woman put that thing in the pot I was like that commercial where everyone goes "noooooooooo"!!!  In her situation grilling it over an open flame in the whole state would have been MUCH better.

On 8/26/2023 at 8:22 PM, Red Bridey said:

Good lord, could these people be more incompetent? I really thought hunters and wildlife types would be able to handle rain! Peter, the Great White Hunter, can't even walk in mud. Does he get sent to preserves to shoot captive animals? I'm now just watching to see what silly excuse the next person uses to go home.

I think we got used to the real survivalists we see on the US version.  These people are obviously nowhere near being in that league.  I think some of them may have embellished their accomplishments and/or the show was looking for the most reality show drama they could find in picking people that were not really up to the task.  I also think it's a combination of that and putting them in an especially hard environment.  They probably thought that would be "entertaining" but it seems to be backfiring because it is most definitely NOT, in fact it's hard to watch!

12 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Sometimes the close captioning is no help because they don't understand them any better than we do, and the captioning is gibberish! Or else done by AI that's sort of guessing what they're saying.

I know, I've noticed and thought the same things!  Sometimes what the CC thinks they're saying is very out of context to the situation and comical!

[Quilt Fairy]

19 hours ago, Yeah No said:

and putting them in an especially hard environment.  They probably thought that would be "entertaining" but it seems to be backfiring because it is most definitely NOT, in fact it's hard to watch!

Yes, it's turned into a really ugly locale what with all the mud and the snags.  And there doesn't seem to be any variation in the individual sites.  Everyone has about 10 yards of muddy banks and then the thick woods that no one even wants to walk in. 

On 8/26/2023 at 8:31 AM, AZChristian said:

If she had tried to cook that eel differently (like thoroughly over an open fire), would it have taken away some of the oiliness?

That's what I always think when they make fish soup instead of frying it on Alone, but I guess it's most important to capture every possible calorie and nutrient. 

[rmontro]

Duane tapped out in episode five.  He says "I just need social interaction.  I can't be alone".  He did realize that the name of the show is literally "Alone", right?

[iMonrey]

Five down, five to go. And after only 9 or 10 days. Four of them in the first three days (although one was pulled for Covid). They sure did a lousy job casting this. Granted, I wouldn't last more than an hour, but then I would never try to do it in the first place because I make no claim to be outdoorsy like a hunting guide or a "wildlife and environmental officer." And Duane had just caught a trout (and eaten it raw - eww!) and his part of the river (lake?) didn't look nearly as bad as some of the other sites. 

Also ranking high on the "eww" scale is Chris ripping the eggs out of that fish and shoving them right down his gullet. 

[humbleopinion]

Very interactive season... home viewers adding their own  loud retching gagging soundtrack as they watch this season.

Chris ping pongs all over the emotional map.

He asked for a sign to stay and landed a trout...that was good teevee.

Even though he sucked down the roe as a snack he was unable to get a fire started ate the trout sashimi style.

Bet he was glad he didn't catch an eel. Raw eel....🤢

Duane is yet another builder who after finishing their shelter loses interest in staying.

And the prize money is not worth the feelings of loneliness, yadda yadda yadda.

Duane's family may not feel the same as Duane who threw away a 1 out of 6 chance for a good chunk of money.

Agree, he had the best stretch of waterfront property. The water looked clear and lacked the tangle of roots to snag fishing hooks.

Chris' water is brackish, dark from tannins, perhaps?

If I had been an Aussie Alone applicant and got rejected, I would be pissed watching these quitters.

I can't be the only one who finds Michael unlikeable.

He looks like the poor man's Adam Driver but still off putting.

Post your guess what animal carcass Gina is ripping the meat from in the opening.

Edited September 8, 2023 by humbleopinion

[Quilt Fairy]

1 hour ago, humbleopinion said:

Post your guess what animal carcass Gina is ripping the meat from in the opening.

I have no guess, but it's probably something we Americans will find incredibly cute.  It is, however, the ultimate Alone meme. 

[humbleopinion]

Can't be the platypus....protected

Pademelons weigh up to 14 pounds for males, 10 pounds for females....

Tasmanian devils can reach 30 inches in length and up to 26 pounds.

Wallabys get up to 40 pounds and 6 feet long including their tail. Taste like beef.

Common wombat get 39 inches long and up to 57 pounds. Good wombat tastes like rich aromatic pork, bad wombat meat tastes metallic.

Her blasé face as she rips off a hunk of meat from the back reminds me of Tom Hanks in Castaway eating lobsters.

Edited September 9, 2023 by humbleopinion

[rmontro]

8 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Five down, five to go. And after only 9 or 10 days. Four of them in the first three days (although one was pulled for Covid). They sure did a lousy job casting this.

I think it's a combination of bad casting and a really difficult environment.  The terrain is novel to look out after seeing all the North American versions of Alone, but they don't seem to be much good for supporting people trying to survive.  Like the one guy said an episode or two ago, he hadn't even seen anything alive the whole time he'd been there.  And the fishing seems less than ideal.  

I'm curious about the lady in the intro who is chewing on the ribcage of... some animal.  I wonder what it is, and how she got it.  Answers forthcoming, hopefully.

[Pine]

What a waste of everything put into this show, ALONE AUS.   I don't understand how this wretched place was even chosen, with all the places they probably could have chosen.   The only way to watch it, is don't, or put it on fast forward #3.   Sorry, if they are going to get such wussy survivors, and cruddy places, the viewers are going to be very bored.

[Quilt Fairy]

22 hours ago, rmontro said:

The terrain is novel to look out after seeing all the North American versions of Alone, but they don't seem to be much good for supporting people trying to survive.  Like the one guy said an episode or two ago, he hadn't even seen anything alive the whole time he'd been there.  And the fishing seems less than ideal.  

In all the locations for Alone it's proven to be surprisingly (to me) hard to find enough food to survive.  Guys have been forced to survive on mice and slugs, if you'll recall the first couple of seasons.  That being said, they have been put under an enormous amount of restrictions here in the Australian version on what they can catch and how they can catch it.  No bow hunting, for example, not that there's been anything to shoot at from what I've seen.  And also they have to watch their fishing lines at all times, which means time taken away that they could have spent in other productive activities like building their shelters. 

I think the disclaimer about "These are trained survival experts" might not be needed for this show. 

On 9/7/2023 at 10:05 PM, rmontro said:

Duane tapped out in episode five.  He says "I just need social interaction.  I can't be alone".  He did realize that the name of the show is literally "Alone", right?

I kind of respect him for coming to that realization and stating it so clearly.  Unless you're seriously off-grid by yourself, how are you going to know if that's going to be an issue?   I think a lot of previous competitors have tapped for the same reason but just never said it.  

 

I didn't know anything about Tasmania when this show started so I did a few minutes quick Googling.  I find it ironic that they now pay so much homage to the indigenous people and respect to the native animals when 200 years ago British colonizers did their best to annihilate both. 

[rmontro]

On 9/8/2023 at 4:04 PM, humbleopinion said:

Post your guess what animal carcass Gina is ripping the meat from in the opening.

I think it's the infamous missing wolf from the season 2 intro (I think it was season 2).  There was footage of a wolf charging the camera, but it never showed up during the season.  There was a fair amount of discussion about it.

[Yeah No]

On 9/8/2023 at 4:04 PM, humbleopinion said:

Post your guess what animal carcass Gina is ripping the meat from in the opening.

I know this is probably not it, but I just watched a "ribs battle" episode of "Iron Chef" and thought the ribs from some large fish looked just like it.  But like I said, I really doubt that's it as we haven't seen any fish that large much less can I see her catching one.  Although I really can't see her catching anything else that big either, but obviously she did.

I related to her thigh issue - I once had something similar happen during a very hot summer when my house's air conditioning unit was on its last legs.  It didn't matter how often I showered either.  Fortunately it cleared up as soon as we had the air conditioning fixed.  Nothing like that ever happened to me when I was younger!

For some totally irrational reason she reminds me of the "Alone" version of Patsy from "Absolutely Fabulous", LOL.

 

[SassyCat]

I liked Ginas wall weaving method and apparatus she made for making the reed door she whipped together. Ingenious! You could make a whole shelter out of reeds that way if there was enough raw materials around, and string/cord to use for it. As long as it isn’t too windy, or some wolf comes by and huffs and puffs and blows her house down.

One thing I am pretty sure of is, that Gina isn’t feasting on raw Tasmanian tiger. At first I thought it was a large bird of some sort, but I really have no clue.

[rmontro]

18 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

In all the locations for Alone it's proven to be surprisingly (to me) hard to find enough food to survive.  Guys have been forced to survive on mice and slugs, if you'll recall the first couple of seasons. 

Yeah, but usually by that time the cold winter has set in.  It's still fairly early in the Australia version, and there is like nothing.

 

13 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I know this is probably not it, but I just watched a "ribs battle" episode of "Iron Chef" and thought the ribs from some large fish looked just like it. 

We have guesses for mammal, fish, and bird already.  No way that's a fish, I'm thinking, but she is eating it raw, so maybe she's having sushi.