S10.E08: Infestation

[Quilt Fairy]

Quote

As winter rapidly approaches, the survivalists struggle to keep up with the demands of solitary living. One participant struggles with nocturnal invaders, and another reaches a breaking point.

Air date: July 27, 2023

[SassyCat]

I am thinking it might be Mikey who ends up winning this. He is not doing it for himself, as much as he is doing it for his son that he loves and is dedicated to, so very much. He wants this so bad so that he can give his special needs son a more enriched life and future. This goal and strong love, doing this for his sons sake, gives him a will and strength boost no one else there has as a top priority for sticking it out so relentlessly.

Wyatt is holding up well… If he can keep that wood splinter injury in his arm from getting badly infected, I think he can go the distance, and be neck in neck with Mikey as the last 2.

I was surprised Taz was the next one to tap. His little ukulele had some nice sound to it!Alan looks so much thinner this episode, and Melanie talks way too much about missing her man at home. Even Wyatt is looking a bit thin this week. 

I did like Melanie’s wet birch tree pulpy wood as an insulation filler for cracks in her wood fire wall thing there. Learn something new everyday! That is what I love about these shows. I do hope she has a stove built into her shelter too… I can’t remember her huts interior. If she has to go outside to the 3 walled fire pit to gain her warmth, then she won’t be lasting long once the snow and wet winter wind set in fully. 

Those meese sure are causing a lot of trouble for some of them. It brought me back to thinking about Larry from one of the first seasons, and how the mice drove him absolutely insane. The way he swore about them and wanted to murder every mouse he ever met was funny, but I am sure he was very serious about it. He was literally on a mouse rampage. Entertaining for us, but was affecting him mentally and draining his energy and focus.

[DropTheSoap]

At this point I just want to vote on next to be gone. 

For that, I’m voting Melanie. As much as I want to see a woman win, she seems to be singing those homesick blues. 

[iMonrey]

11 hours ago, SassyCat said:

I am thinking it might be Mikey who ends up winning this.

Agreed. I said it last week, he's turning into the dark horse in this race. Ironic because I had him pegged as first out back in Week 1. 

Out of the five that were left, Taz was the last one I would have guessed would tap out now. He was doing so well, he caught a trout and a pike, that's more food than anyone else. But I thought they weren't allowed to catch the martens - isn't that why Alan let one go? The guitar was clever but it only seemed to play one note.

Does Mikey not know the difference between rats and mice? Or is that a distinction without a difference? Alan knows what they are.

Aw, why does Mikey think online posters will bash him about his son? It's the most endearing and admirable thing about him.

Eww, Wyatt is still squeezing pus out of his arm. Well at least he brushes his teeth.

I wonder why participants aren't allowed to wear diamond rings. And I hadn't heard before that they were provided with "personal flotation devices." What does that mean? Like pool floaties?

[PaperTree]

Sorry to see Taz go.  The ukelele was awesome.  How many kids does he have?  He seemed OK with food, having gotten that marten and those fish, then "Poof!", he's out of food.

They all are looking shaky in their own way.

Mikey may pull it out.  He seems to have the greatest incentive, seems to be getting a lot of food and entertaining himself.

My Dad flew for PanAm and missed all sorts of birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc. when I was growing up.  He got next month's schedule around the middle of the month and we just planned around it.  The more seniority he got, the better he could choose his dates.

It was never a big deal, just the way it was.

I can see Wyatt's wound taking him out.  That looks nasty.

Melanie surprised me turning it around after looking very shaky.

Alan seems to be struggling too.  Nice grouse kill.

"Mouse feast!!!"  LOL

Amazing how much weight these people have lost.

[PaperTree]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

But I thought they weren't allowed to catch the martens

IIRC, it was the "way" you got them.  Seems shooting them with an arrow is OK, snareing them is not.  The ducks may be the same thing, no gill netting, but shooting is fine.  It all turns into a blur after a while.😎

[ReclinerTurnip]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Agreed. I said it last week, he's turning into the dark horse in this race. Ironic because I had him pegged as first out back in Week 1. 

Out of the five that were left, Taz was the last one I would have guessed would tap out now. He was doing so well, he caught a trout and a pike, that's more food than anyone else. But I thought they weren't allowed to catch the martens - isn't that why Alan let one go? The guitar was clever but it only seemed to play one note.

Does Mikey not know the difference between rats and mice? Or is that a distinction without a difference? Alan knows what they are.

Aw, why does Mikey think online posters will bash him about his son? It's the most endearing and admirable thing about him.

Eww, Wyatt is still squeezing pus out of his arm. Well at least he brushes his teeth.

I wonder why participants aren't allowed to wear diamond rings. And I hadn't heard before that they were provided with "personal flotation devices." What does that mean? Like pool floaties?

I don't think they mean pool floaties. I think it is a full vest type that is rated to keep you from drowning.  I stumbled across this compilation on a web site of extra gear/clothes guidance that they have - seems like it could be accurate and it was interesting: https://elementbushcraft.com/alone-survival-gear-list-and-prohibited-items/

[iMonrey]

2 hours ago, PaperTree said:

Sorry to see Taz go.  The ukelele was awesome.  How many kids does he have?

He said they were about to turn 18. I guess they're twins. And they live in Brazil. His stated reason for doing this show was to move his kids to the States so he could have a closer relationship with them. So it's not like he isn't used to being away from them. Seems like he quit apropos of nothing.

[mlp]

15 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

He said they were about to turn 18. I guess they're twins. And they live in Brazil. His stated reason for doing this show was to move his kids to the States so he could have a closer relationship with them

I am a bit puzzled about his relationship with his kids.  The chyron said he's only 35 y/o so he was a teenager when they were born.  I think he said he's been in the States for 11 years so it sounded to me like he hardly knows them.  I wonder if the kids who are almost adults actually want to leave what they know behind.  Maybe they're dirt poor and they do.  Dunno.

[rmontro]

Alone:  Australia is starting August 10th, so this must have a few episodes left, and then it's on to Australia.  Funny how they run these back to back.

Taz was doing too well to tap out, IMO.  But they all have to make their own decisions.  I don't think whoever wins is going to have a historically long stay.

I don't like seeing Wyatt squeeze the pus out of his wound - besides, I doubt that is the correct thing to do.  Also don't like seeing people brush their teeth on TV, it's annoying, like nails on a chalkboard.

[Blackie]

8 hours ago, iMonrey said:

And I hadn't heard before that they were provided with "personal flotation devices."

 

Those are the small "life jackets " that they wear if out on the water, Technically they are not "life" jackets because they wont roll you over if you are passed out face forward in the water, that is why they call then PFD"s.

8 hours ago, iMonrey said:

wonder why participants aren't allowed to wear diamond rings.

Maybe they don' want to be responsible if the contestant gets so skinny and it slips of their finger and gets lost. Or maybe the don't want the contestant using the ring to drill holes in the rocks LOL!

5 hours ago, ReclinerTurnip said:

I think it is a full vest type

It wasn't quite a full vest, if watch you can see Taz put it on. They make them quite small now I think to encourage fisherman etc to actually WEAR them. They might inflate more if you pull a string I think.

I liked Taz, his shelter, boat and ukelele was amazing. He was carrying a little woven basket as he left that looked great. He had good skills. I think he was a bit out of his league in that climate and environment.

6 hours ago, PaperTree said:

IIRC, it was the "way" you got them

Ya I can't remember if snaring martens is illegal or if Alan just thought it was unethical. I don't think a marten would be very good eating anyways.

I hope Melanie is the next to go.

If Mikey keeps calling mice "rats", I am going to call him Shrek. He doesn't look to me like he has lost much weight compared to others, did he come in the heaviest? He probably has the most desperate need to win, I'm Ok with any of the 3 guys, don't care for Melanie anymore. I guess she didn't care about her "secret" tape being shown when she ended up crying on camera on anyways.

[madmax]

21 hours ago, SassyCat said:

I am thinking it might be Mikey who ends up winning this. He is not doing it for himself, as much as he is doing it for his son that he loves and is dedicated to, so very much. He wants this so bad so that he can give his special needs son a more enriched life and future. This goal and strong love, doing this for his sons sake, gives him a will and strength boost no one else there has as a top priority for sticking it out so relentlessly.

I still think he's talking a bit too much about family and won't be able to make it.  I've been wrong every season, tho. 😄

11 hours ago, DropTheSoap said:

For that, I’m voting Melanie. As much as I want to see a woman win, she seems to be singing those homesick blues. 

She's next to go.  She's passed up Mikey in talking about family.

10 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Out of the five that were left, Taz was the last one I would have guessed would tap out now. He was doing so well, he caught a trout and a pike, that's more food than anyone else.

I asked Mr. Max, what happened to all the food he caught?  He had a ton of fish smoking, did he just say screw it and eat it all at once?

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

He said they were about to turn 18. I guess they're twins. And they live in Brazil. His stated reason for doing this show was to move his kids to the States so he could have a closer relationship with them. So it's not like he isn't used to being away from them. Seems like he quit apropos of nothing.

I'm guessing he just didn't even want to chance any long-term damage.  First sign of fatigue, he tapped.  

[Yeah No]

I had the same thought as some here about Mikey looking like he could go the distance just based on sheer desire to win.  He also doesn't strike me as the sharpest tool in the shed, which can actually be an advantage in situations like this.  He doesn't have enough introspection going on to kill his desire to stick it out.  It's when they start getting all rational and philosophical that they tend to see the writing on the wall and tap out to prevent themselves from wasting away and causing themselves permanent physical damage (like Taz just did).  Mikey seems like the type to keep going until he gets pulled or wins, whichever comes first.

I'm also seeing Melanie as starting that internal "pan scale analysis" and probably has some kind of deal breaker in mind after which she will say she's had enough.  She seems overly dependent on berries for sustenance so I'm figuring as soon as it snows she won't see any way to get enough food and won't last much longer.  Although she has found a way to reinvent herself out there before so I won't say for sure yet what she'll do.  It would be nice to see a woman win for once on this show.

I like Alan and hope he can stick it out.  I'd rather see him win than Mikey.

[DrewPaul2010]

A woman did win the frozen contest. A short version where contestants are dropped off well into the cold season. Some people can take the worst situation possible and somehow still be optimistic.

[Skooma]

On 7/27/2023 at 11:29 PM, SassyCat said:

I am thinking it might be Mikey who ends up winning this. He is not doing it for himself, as much as he is doing it for his son that he loves and is dedicated to, so very much. He wants this so bad so that he can give his special needs son a more enriched life and future. This goal and strong love, doing this for his sons sake, gives him a will and strength boost no one else there has as a top priority for sticking it out so relentlessly.

Yeah he may miss his son but that just inspires him to fight the harder to get him the money to help his son.

And what does that say about American health insurance or lack there of that a hard working guy feels he has to go out and half freeze to death and eat "rat" brains on a TV show just to try and get enough money to help his special needs little boy.  Sad.

I don't think they keep showing Wyatt's wound almost endlessly unless it will lead to his demise.

And yes I too was really surprised Taz was the next out.

Edited July 30, 2023 by Skooma

[Yeah No]

8 hours ago, DrewPaul2010 said:

A woman did win the frozen contest. A short version where contestants are dropped off well into the cold season. Some people can take the worst situation possible and somehow still be optimistic.

Yeah I didn't include her because after that season it irked me to see comments online from men that pointed out that she won on only 50 days out there, the shortest time of any winner (Alan Kay lasted 56 days in Season 1).  Never mind that she won under the WORST conditions ever on this show, of course that wasn't considered.  And I think Callie actually holds the record for lasting the 2nd most days out there, next to Roland.  Of course that is never considered by some either.  🙄

I just want to see a woman win a "regular" season of this show for once and for all.

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Yeah No
It was Callie, not Carleigh, lol.

[Yeah No]

25 minutes ago, Skooma said:

And yes I was really surprised Taz was the next out.

For some reason I wasn't surprised.  He somehow struck me as being the next to go.  I even announced my suspicion that the boat was coming for him at the beginning of this episode.  I don't remember specifically what made me feel that way.  I think it might have been an impression I got from him in the previous episode or at the beginning of this one.

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, Skooma said:

And what does that say about American health insurance or lack there of that a hard working guy feels he has to go out and half freeze to death and eat "rat" brains on a TV show just to try and get enough money to help his special needs little boy.  Sad.

There's always "Go Fund Me" which is a lot easier, but I truly get your point.