S01.E01: Series Premiere (1)

[kikismom]

I admit when the narrator first appeared, I really thought he would remove the eyeglasses, and the nose and moustache would come off with it. Next week, giant red wax lips!

Am I the only one who thinks the producers switched in a dead chicken just to rev up the "Do we eat it? When? How? etc" argument?

They lost me at the part when all the women sit down together ( because god forbid you get left out of the mean girls clique) and this exchange ensues:

"Ooooooh! Look! A mama deer and a baby deer!"

(all together) "GODDESS CIRCLE!" (unanimous giggling).

[reggiejax]

I don't know why the chicken tractor has caused so much merriment. I didn't know what it was so I looked it up, and it is a real thing, and seems to be quite sensible. Though I think Bella was a tad optimistic over how much it could do. I don't think one chicken tractor is equal to the work of twenty men, as she opined. But otherwise, it made a lot of sense, especially for their situation. 

 

Then again, I might be impartial because, god help me, I am really digging Bella. Sure she is quite strident, but that isn't a deal breaker for me. More importantly she floats my boat in the physical sense. I just have a thing for slender, blonde women, particularly those who don't realize how bitchy they come off. Think Gwyneth Paltrow or Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy. Though Bella gives off more of a Joan Allen vibe. Plus she is a year older than me, so I don't feel like a perv finding her attractive as I would the other women, who are young enough to be my daughter.I 

 

In any case, i am hooked on this show. Which is surprising because except for Survivor, I have never enjoyed this type of reality show. And it has been a long time since I enjoyed Survivor. Personally, I think it is best to just completely ignore any idea that this is a legitimate social experiment or attempt to form a utopian society. That type of thing is practically impossible when the people involved are like minded individuals, let alone people of such varying belief systems and obvious mental disorders.

[BusyOctober]

Oh, where to begin?

 

Why do they keep calling her "Huntress Hex"?  It sounds more like "Hunter's Ex" to me.  I guess it would be copyright infringement to call her what she is probably dying to be called -  "Catniss"

 

If there are "no rules", why all the old school morality and mores? Like how the men should act & talk around the "girls"?  I'm not saying the guys have any right to accost anyone else, it just speaks to the idea (in my opinion) that you can't take a group of people who have been entrenched in societal rules for generations and realistically expect that those embedded ideas of right/wrong will be left at the gate. 

 

I equate this show less with a true social experiment & more with a college freshman's experience the first few weeks away from their home town bubble.  No parents or peers or neighbors watching you. You can temporarily break the rules you had to live by and test new boundaries. Woo-hoo! I can drink in the day time!  I can go skinny dipping!  I can wear the mantle of free-loving, tree hugging to impress the cute boy/girl down the hall! 

 

Forgot to add...WTF were those things around their necks?  Shock collars?  Bike locks?

 

I may tune in again to see just how low this crap will go.  And I'm dying to see a chicken tractor in action.

Edited September 8, 2014 by BusyOctober

[Wandering Snark]

I believe the things around their necks are their mics, in lieu of the standard battery pack on your lower back type ones used in say Big Brother.

 

I forgot to mention that I loved the dichotomy of them including not one but two composite crossbows and then the women being all 'oh how cute a baby deer' at the same time. I guess the bows are to be reserved for target practice... but nobody seems to be mentioning that they need food so maybe they didn't show them when they used some of the money to call Papa Johns and have a pizza party.

[ottoDbusdriver]

What was the point of the whole "only stuff in the big crate gets to stay" if after arguing about what goes in the big crate, everyone gets to keep what is in their small crates anyway ?  Team building exercise ?  Did production know that packing was Dave's trigger ?

[GBPackersfan]

Well, that was 2 hours of my life wasted. And it's so horrifically bad that I will continue to watch. I can't look away. All I could think, and maybe one of you know the answer is: if this show tanks in 1 season, do they still have to stay there the whole year?

Where do I start? Chicken tractor. OK, I read your comments. It's a thing. However, in the grand scheme of all the work that needs to be done, is that the highest priority? I wondered why the group didn't sit down and say "this is what I know best, this is my skill sets". It seems the Chef tried to start that, but then it was time to get naked and drink.

Did anyone bring any seeds for planting? Or is the garden already planted?

Pregnant and on this show?? In other words, no check ups, no prenatal monitoring, and giving birth?? That lady is crazy.

Chicken tractor lady (is is Bella?) seems to be bipolar. "I want Drunk Guy to stay, he's a human being. " "I vote for him to go". Then starts pathetically flirting with him? The sad thing is I think she might have a few good ideas to share, she just lacks communication skills.

Red annoyed me so much. I actually ended up liking Probation Drunk Guy at the end.

It seems to me that they are going about this completely wrong. First, decide who does what tasks. (naked yoga isn't one of them) Then, decide how they govern themselves. Then, prioritize the work.

This is such a train wreck of a show. I can't wait until Tuesday. Bad Reality TV is my guilty pleasure.

I forgot to add: the announcer. Oh man does he crack me up! Am I the only one who thinks he looks like he has a monocle?

Edited September 8, 2014 by GBPackersfan

[pakalolo]

Wow, these people..... absolute nut jobs, every single one of them. I am hoping that many of you will continue to watch for a while because this show seems ripe for ridcule, I have no interest in participating in a forum for a show I really like with interesting characters and thoughtful story lines, I prefer reality shows or soaps with horrible people doing dumb things to make fun of.

I must weigh in on the "chicken tractor," isn't it just a matter of it being a moveable pen to take the chickens to the food instead of taking food to the chickens? As far as it being a reasonable way to clear and till enough land to grow food for 15 people, no, I don't think it's possible for the limited amount of chickens and time they have. I live in a town with a disproportionate amount of hippie do gooders that like to claim these things like chicken tractors are going to revolutionize the world and save the planet, it's a neat idea, but just not workable in a large scale, real world situation.

I understand wearing a bikini full time on Survivor, makes sense when you are in the tropics on the beach, but wearing a bikini or underwear while farming seems dangerous, doesn't it?

[kikismom]

I don't know why the chicken tractor has caused so much merriment. I didn't know what it was so I looked it up, and it is a real thing, and seems to be quite sensible. Though I think Bella was a tad optimistic over how much it could do. I don't think one chicken tractor is equal to the work of twenty men, as she opined. But otherwise, it made a lot of sense, especially for their situation. 

 

 

I have to disagree about this making sense for their situation. This is not people having a backyard kitchen garden to supplement groceries. They have to feed 12 people for a year, and the money provided is going to run out, and I don't see them earning more with their less than impressive "work ethic" (snort).

They have to have a lot of land tilled at the same time. That chicken tractor could only, at best, scratch up a couple square feet per day. You can't subsistence-farm like that. They had a choice to use some money to buy machinery; or they can get their asses in gear, but counting on the chicken tractor is a joke.

12 people, especially working men, need 1-3 pounds of food a day. At minimum desperate level, that's 84 pounds a week, 52 weeks...a little group of chickens can't clear enough for you to plant in time to have 60-140 days before harvesting anything besides radishes and lettuce. May I add that the faster they eat those chickens--which I bet they are likely to do pretty fast--the less use the "chicken tractor" (and the less chance of reproducing the flock).

[Kobo Duram]

Why didn't anyone shoot the deer?

[Auntie Anxiety]

Am I the only one who thinks the producers switched in a dead chicken just to rev up the "Do we eat it? When? How? etc" argument?

We've all watched enough "reality" tv shows to know that this kind of thing is completely producer driven.  Hard to believe that one hen simply keeled over and died while the rest of them looked happy and healthy.  The dead chicken was even more noteworthy to me because a long-time resident of my former suburban town just recently got arrested for poisoning his neighbor's chickens because they kept him up all night.  He was being driven mad!  Mad, I say!

I am hoping that many of you will continue to watch for a while because this show seems ripe for ridcule, I have no interest in participating in a forum for a show I really like with interesting characters and thoughtful story lines, I prefer reality shows or soaps with horrible people doing dumb things to make fun of.

 

Pakalolo, you've made an excellent point.  I used to thrive on the hilarious snark about the show "Starting Over" from years ago.  It became must see tv for that very reason.  The ridicule was its only redeeming quality.  Perhaps I'll rethink my decision to cut and run on "Utopia."

[backformore]

They lost me at the part when all the women sit down together ( because god forbid you get left out of the mean girls clique) and this exchange ensues:

"Ooooooh! Look! A mama deer and a baby deer!"

(all together) "GODDESS CIRCLE!" (unanimous giggling).

 

Yeah , I was wondering about all the yoga/meditation/relaxation stuff they were doing, thinking that I would have been talking about planting vegetables and buying bread, or buying a stove.  It's just me, but I'd be more apt to focus on the FARM WORK and feeding people, and  then , LATER, using yoga and drinking to celebrate and de-stress when the tasks are completed.   

I guess I'd also want to be assigning tasks or teams to get things done, and a discussion of everyone contributing to the workload.  

 

Red is clearly in need of some dentures.   I wonder if he had some, but the producers convinced him to leave them at home, so that he could play the hillbilly role better. 

Edited September 8, 2014 by backformore

[clod]

I forgot to add: the announcer. Oh man does he crack me up! Am I the only one who thinks he looks like he has a monocle?

 

 

[riverheightsnancy]

  I used to thrive on the hilarious snark about the show "Starting Over" from years ago.  It became must see tv for that very reason.  The ridicule was its only redeeming quality.  Perhaps I'll rethink my decision to cut and run on "Utopia."

  OMG - then we know each other, as I am a transplant from TWOPs forum from Starting Over (same name here too). Iyanla as the Great M-F---ker, the woman who drank wine and that didn't make her a drunk -it was more high class, all the arts and crafts healing people, tying people to chairs, instigating emotional breakdowns,  and Baby Chloe. I often wonder where those ladies are today. 

 

Anyway, I digress- Here's my question, I don't know anything about chickens, but I see people will real farms let them roam around. Can't they let them do that?  Or create a larger fenced area around the garden? 

[CorgiNarnia]

I forgot to mention that I loved the dichotomy of them including not one but two composite crossbows and then the women being all 'oh how cute a baby deer' at the same time. I guess the bows are to be reserved for target practice... but nobody seems to be mentioning that they need food so maybe they didn't show them when they used some of the money to call Papa Johns and have a pizza party.

I didn't think two crossbows were necessary when there is a pond of fish that are going to be easier to catch. What other land animal is there that can be killed by a crossbow besides a few deer? Also with this group, they don't need something that can be used as a weapon.

 

What was the point of the whole "only stuff in the big crate gets to stay" if after arguing about what goes in the big crate, everyone gets to keep what is in their small crates anyway ?  Team building exercise ?  Did production know that packing was Dave's trigger ?

I got the sense that not all the stuff would fit but most of it did. Someone should have done some math and said, "ok about 1/2 of each person's crate will fit, make some decisions then we'll go from there with the remaining space" or keep going around in a circle with one item at a time until full. It is stupid that Dave didn't just follow what everyone else was doing and waited until the big crate was almost full before his blowup and even putting his first item in.

[Bubbacat]

I used to thrive on the hilarious snark about the show "Starting Over" from years ago.  It became must see tv for that very reason.  The ridicule was its only redeeming quality.  Perhaps I'll rethink my decision to cut and run on "Utopia."

  OMG - then we know each other, as I am a transplant from TWOPs forum from Starting Over (same name here too). Iyanla as the Great M-F---ker, the woman who drank wine and that didn't make her a drunk -it was more high class, all the arts and crafts healing people, tying people to chairs, instigating emotional breakdowns,  and Baby Chloe. I often wonder where those ladies are today.

 

Oh, wow!! Don't tell me that "Utopia" has become the new hangout for the old "Starting Over" crew from TWoP. I was one, too. ("Raaaaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnn!") My people!

 

They really did pull out the reality TV casting checklist for this, didn't they? Angry black man? Check! Black woman with an attitude? Check! Average Joe who thinks he's the hottest thing on the planet? Check! Oversexed pretty people? Check! Born-again Christian who's above it all? Check! They even threw in Survivor-type chickens. Nice.

 

I'll hang in for a little longer just to enjoy the meltdowns. But I doubt seriously that this "experiment" will last an entire year.

[candall]

1.  ACK!   I just hit the part where Bella says that one chicken will "literally!" accomplish the same amount of work per day as one man when it comes to tilling up a garden.  I rewound it, watched it again with CC, then scampered here to share my incredulity.  Oh, sweet, this is going to be the best snark show ever!

 

2.   I can hardly get my mind around the idea that Red's bitching because no one else is rushing to pluck, cook and serve him that questionable chicken, but what else could it be?  He seems to have a solid grasp on the concept that no one has the right to stop him.  STFU and bon appetit, buddy.

 

3.  Jon is the most moderate and reasonable Pentacostal preacher I've ever seen, which is no doubt a huge disappointment to the producers.  I'm sure they were hoping for some good old fashioned fire, brimstone and damning to hell of the godless fornicators.  I sensed production teeth gnashing when he agreed:  "I'll listen to your message and you listen to mine."

 

4.  I agree with the posters who wish they hadn't cast such extremes--the raw veganarian got booted early, the Hasidim and Amish don't have TV's.  (Wait 'til you see the affiliation of the first substitute, heh.)  But maybe the wingnuts will burn out early.  Meanwhile, the daily feed thread is lots of fun.

[ProfCrash]

From the live feeds, Red said that hunting season didn't open for three days so they couldn't shoot the deer. So they can call in medical assistance and have to follow local law. And they can call 911. Yup, totaly building their own society.

[Auntie Anxiety]

 

Oh, wow!! Don't tell me that "Utopia" has become the new hangout for the old "Starting Over" crew from TWoP. I was one, too. ("Raaaaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnn!") My people!

Guess that seals the deal for me.  Count me in until I can't stand the stoopidity anymore.  

And I simply don't have the patience to watch the live feeds, unless something interesting is about to happen.

[riverheightsnancy]

Bubbacat & Auntie Anxiety, I totally forgot about RAAAIIINNN!  I will be here for the duration or when it gets to Hotel Hell awful. 

[kikismom]

If you have that many people, wouldn't you make chicken soup? Because you sure aren't going to divide it fairly with that many people.

If anyone's taking bets on how fast they burn through the 5 thousand dollars, I'm thinking the first thirty days.

The chickens I bet will all be eaten or killed in a stupid accident in 3 weeks.

[Auntie Anxiety]

Maybe the chickens will go on strike and refuse to be put into the chicken tractor.  Then the group will get together and vote to either keep the chickens or kill them off, at which point Bella tries to teach the chickens to fly away, to no avail.

[panthergirl13]

It's about time. It's about space. It's about time to slap their faces.  

Obscure '60s TV references like this absolutely make my day. 

[babs1226]

I just finished watching it, and it was a little jarring, but I liked it.  I think I may have seen the whole 3 episodes of the premier, so that could be the reason.  These 14 strangers were thrown into a situation where they have limited food at the beginning, and no creature comforts.  They come from all walks of life, and they are having to adjust to the stress of the situation and all these personalities.  This is not Big Brother.  There are no rules, except for the ones they decide together to have.  So far I'm interested in seeing what happens.

[backformore]

It's about time. It's about space. It's about time to slap their faces.

PANTHERGIRL13, ON 08 SEPT 2014 - 7:26 PM, SAID:

Obscure '60s TV references like this absolutely make my day.

I know, right?  I actually squeed when I saw that reference. I thought I was the only one in living memory who would remember that theme song.

 

Not the only one, not by a long shot.  I can't recall the specifics, but I remember the song, both the original and the version that ends up with slapping someone. 

[HurricaneVal]

Where are these daily live feed recaps of which you speak?

I'm in on this hot mess of a show. I predict wholesale disaster and cancellation, but before that happens, the meltdowns and opportunities for snarking will be epic.

Edited because my autocorrect changed "snarking" to "snarling", and I very nearly left that in because it also fit.

Edited September 9, 2014 by HurricaneVal

[La Tortuga]

I tried to think of a truthful title card for this show, but all I could think of was Insufferable People Who Love the Sounds of Their Own Voices. Accurate, but not succinct enough for a title card.

[Gregg247]

I'm a huge Big Brother fan.  I've seen every episode of every season of Big Brother.  Utopia.....is no Big Brother.

 

Utopia is like Survivor on a farm with no strategic maneuvering, no competitions, no alliances, and no sane contestants.  Why were all the women immediately jumping in the pond swimming naked?  Shouldn't they work on building an outhouse, divvying up chores, planting seeds, etc. rather than swimming and drinking?  The men were at least digging that trench to bring some electricity to the compound.  (Although electricity wouldn't be one of my top priorities either.) 

 

They have eggs, a chicken every once in a while, fish, milk, flour, and anything else they can grow.  I would have enjoyed seeing them get together and figure out how to maximize their food.  Who wants to figure out how to bake bread from the flour?  Who's working the fields for growing crops?  Who's digging the latrine?  Maybe the Producers assumed these mundane items would bore viewers, but I think that would be fascinating.  In terms of food, all we saw was the pregnant woman insist that she's getting 3 meals a day (I assume she means to force the chef guy to prepare her 3 meals for her.).

 

Sure, everyone defaults to voting on big issues, as you'd expect a group of Americans would do (even crazy ones), but I think it would be funny as all get out if somebody there just took complete control of the experiment and set up a dictatorship.  LOL

[areca]

The cast of Kid Nation were more mature than most of these people.

 

 

Sophiaaaaaa...!  I loved that girl.  And little curly headed guy that was her buddy.

 

Also...if you have to plow with critters, I think you need pigs?  Plowing with chickens is a ridiculous concept.   I have always wanted to try intensive short prep rotations of very small plots with: pigs, goats, chickens, crops, ducks in that order.  

Edited September 9, 2014 by areca

[reggiejax]

I have to disagree about this making sense for their situation. This is not people having a backyard kitchen garden to supplement groceries.

 

 

When I said it made sense for their situation, it was something like a small vegetable garden that I was thinking of. As I said, Bella was being outrageously optimistic (or as a professional might say, looney tunes) about a chicken tractor taking the place of 20 human workers. 

 

But for a small group like this, a chicken tractor would have some use, if only as a way to accomplish one chore (tilling a small plot of land) while doing another (feeding and tending the chickens). 

 

Obviously they are going to have to utilize traditional methods to farm a larger crop, but what is so wrong about taking care of smaller patches of land while doing another mandatory chore? When your resources are limited, every little extra bit helps.

[ghoulina]

Chicken tractor.

That's all I have to say.
Chicken tractor.

 

I don't know what I love more, the fact that kikismom is watching this too, or the fact that this was the first thing you commented on.

 

My husband and I are both watching it, but he was laid up sick and watched it before I did. So I' m out here catching up now and yelling into the bedroom, "did she just say chicken tractor?"

 

 

The narrator - what character is he playing?

 

Mumford & Sons groupie?

 

can' wait till she goes into labor and Red gets in there to be the mid-wife.

 

Did I hear wrong, or did the yoga chick say she was a doctor as well? I really want to know more about the pregnant woman's intentions. Surely she is going to leave before she has the baby?

[Wandering Snark]

If you have that many people, wouldn't you make chicken soup? Because you sure aren't going to divide it fairly with that many people.

 

Well, Red seemed to pretty easily be able to lop off one fiftienth of the dead chicken for himself, maybe he could have divvied up the rest.

 

But seriously the problem here is that these people are still living the high life, wait until they'd kill someone for their 1/15 of a chicken...

 

Plowing with chickens is a ridiculous concept.

 

Mainly because the hate being fastened in those tiny yokes not to mention that a chicken-sized plow doesn't dig in very far. Even a broken oxen would get them further.

[ghoulina]

Chicken tractor lady (is is Bella?) seems to be bipolar. "I want Drunk Guy to stay, he's a human being. " "I vote for him to go". Then starts pathetically flirting with him? The sad thing is I think she might have a few good ideas to share, she just lacks communication skills.

 

Oh my gosh, thank you! I wanted to like her, but she doesn't know if she's coming or going and I just can't with her.

 

Utopia is like Survivor on a farm with no strategic maneuvering, no competitions, no alliances, and no sane contestants.  Why were all the women immediately jumping in the pond swimming naked?  Shouldn't they work on building an outhouse, divvying up chores, planting seeds, etc. rather than swimming and drinking?

 

It's almost like they think it IS Survivor, and they're scared to step and start making plans because they'll get voted off for being "bossy". But there's no prize money at stake, so get down to business and quit wasting time.

[kaygeeret]

Even a broken oxen would get them further

 

 

Ah, flashbacks to my favorite Amazing Race reference - Jonathon screaming : "My ox is broken"

 

Makes me smile every time....

[Canada]

My first thought when I was Red was "meth is bad"!  And after his tantrums... the guy is detoxing!

[candall]

Where are these daily live feed recaps of which you speak?

I'm in on this hot mess of a show. I predict wholesale disaster and cancellation, but before that happens, the meltdowns and opportunities for snarking will be epic.

There are threads on this very board for the individual castmem. . .pioneers and a thread devoted to the 24-hour live feed.  Do not pass go do not collect $200--it's hilarious!

[kikismom]

When I said it made sense for their situation, it was something like a small vegetable garden that I was thinking of. As I said, Bella was being outrageously optimistic (or as a professional might say, looney tunes) about a chicken tractor taking the place of 20 human workers. 

 

But for a small group like this, a chicken tractor would have some use, if only as a way to accomplish one chore (tilling a small plot of land) while doing another (feeding and tending the chickens). 

 

Obviously they are going to have to utilize traditional methods to farm a larger crop, but what is so wrong about taking care of smaller patches of land while doing another mandatory chore? When your resources are limited, every little extra bit helps.

You'd make sense...with people like us! people who would all be busy and any extra assistance--even from a chicken-- might help a sliver.

But there are enough people that a man or woman with a shovel could do that small piece of land per day with garden tools since so many of those people seem otherwise unoccupied!

They need a lot of food started, like 5 minutes ago, so this stuff must be planted now, not a little bit one week, some next week etc. I agree it would be interesting if you were alone to see what the chickens could do...but every little extra bit can't help this many people.(actually nothing can help these nutjobs. Maybe that pregnant woman should read Cormac McCarthy's The Road and realize why she better help with the crops or start running fast while she can.)

 

 

When I was a kid it was "It's about time, it's about space, it's about your ugly face!" Add me to the people who thought they were the only one to remember it!

 

It's almost like they think it IS Survivor, and they're scared to step and start making plans because they'll get voted off for being "bossy". But there's no prize money at stake, so get down to business and quit wasting time.

These shows with noble sounding goals like Utopian society or the One True Hero (Quest) seem to have the contestants confused about strategy.  I doubt either one will last long enough for the first Richard Hatch type to show the way.

I think both would be better with 2 groups attempting to be better than the other. Maybe it would give the viewers more fun in comparing efforts and results.

 

Any fans of Frontier House and Colonial House and Texas Ranch House (on PBS)? Those were ultimate snark feasts; but you also saw what happens when people are just supposed to vie for some lofty ideal and don't really have a personal stake in succeeding.

[BusyOctober]

I re-watched and found a few more WTF's...

 

First the host -  Leon Redbone is pissed 'cos bitch stole his look:

 

 

I thought this was a "starting with nothing" kind of show where the people would have limited resources, no?

 

* There was a shot of several hair dryers, electric razors, etc. hanging on the wall at one point.  So when they had to decide what "must haves" needed to go into the big crate, there was room for personal grooming devices for 15 people?  What was the big debate over what to keep about then?

* I also saw a big bottle of Tide or some other orange bottle brand of laundry detergent in the background.  Do they have a washing machine? 

* When bi-polar Bella was squatting in what must be her corner of the barn, the floor was littered with medications (which, OK, she's the last person I'd want off her meds), but also a bunch of cosmetics, lotions, moisturizers.  So there was room in the big box for everyone's stash of Mary Kay too?

* Is there an endless supply of alcohol in the barn?  I know Red brought a bottle of whiskey, but between Josh, Hex and several others, they must have drained that bottle on Night 1. Yet, the bottle doesn't seem to ever empty.

* Why does everyone keep referring to "MY Utopia"?  Isn't a Utopia supposed to be about the group vs. the individual, the betterment of society based on mutual agreement?

* The promos made it sound like as a group they'd need to decide if their new world would have guns, have religion, be a democracy or a dictatorship and so on. There didn't seem to be any discussion on any of this.  "MEtopia" is apparently about letting ME do whatever the hell I want - drink, smoke, run around naked, bring my guns, eat dead chickens....

 

Silly me for expecting Fox to run a legit show...the more I watched the more it reminded my of last summer's NBC debacle Siberia. Totally scripted. Totally a waste of time.

 

 

 

[dogfish]

As is the case with most of these "reality" shows, I often wonder about the legitimacy of the participants' backgrounds.  

• How did Red, while stirrin' mash in the hollers of Kentucky, find out that there was a casting call for a potential show about Utopians?  Did he read it in a trade magazine in his dentist's waiting room?  
• Why would a Pentecostal preacher have any interest in reality tv?
• Could they have found flakier women...oh yeah, it's Cali.
• Racial profiling - angry black ex-con yelling "I ain't jackin' that!'  Jackin'...is that hood?  
• Pregnant single mother (wow...bad decision here) who apparently has no concern for prenatal care.  “I’m pregnant, but not powerless,” says Amanda, who plans to keep the baby a secret as long as she can in Utopia.  Well that secret lasted about 2/3 of the way through Episode 1.  Calling BS on a cast member asking if she is pregnant...no sane man would EVER ask a woman that unless it was undeniably obvious.
• As mentioned previously, that whiskey bottle sure did get a lot of folks drunk!  And it refills itself too...sweet!
• What is going to happen the first time Huntress Hex tries to bring down a deer with her bow?  Not sure that will be so well received.  I guess it depends on how hungry they get.
• The narrator - seriously, this guy got a job on network television?  Leon Redbone indeed.

 

Favorite scene not yet mentioned - I'm sure this was a trick of editing, but during Red and Aaron's very vocal and borderline violent confrontation, Josh and Mike are seen calmly clipping their nails and discussing pedicures!

Edited September 9, 2014 by dogfish

[Auntie Anxiety]

 

As mentioned previously, that whiskey bottle sure did get a lot of folks drunk!  And it refills itself too...sweet!

Is anyone old enough to remember those toy baby bottles that would refill themselves when they were put upright?

As we all know, alcohol is always the first order of business on reality shows.

 

I admit to being a dinosaur who doesn't feel the need to tweet out my every thought or spend countless hours on Facebook with people I don't give a shit about, but I am always surprised when contestants, I mean, pioneers, don't care what their behaviors look like to the viewing public.  Their future employers/spouses/children/neighbors might not think that alcohol-fueled date rape is adorable.  Yeah, I don't get it.

[DeLurker]

When Red was going through the stock on hand he found some jugs of wine so in addition to what he brought there was that.  But, I'm betting there's a magical always full jug o'something at Utopia.

 

 

I mean, pioneers, don't care what their behaviors look like to the viewing public.  Their future employers/spouses/children/neighbors might not think that alcohol-fueled date rape is adorable.

Pretty sure they said Josh has a daughter - maybe it was Hex who told him to treat the women as he would want his daughter to be treated?

[dogfish]

Pretty sure they said Josh has a daughter - maybe it was Hex who told him to treat the women as he would want his daughter to be treated?

Yes, he has a daughter and I PRAY that she was not the women that he was "modeling" his banana hammock for in his intro piece!

[ghoulina]

Favorite scene not yet mentioned - I'm sure this was a trick of editing, but during Red and Aaron's very vocal and borderline violent confrontation, Josh and Mike are seen calmly clipping their nails and discussing pedicures!

 

Hah! That was too funny. Mike seemed particularly distressed about the dirt under his fingernails.

[HurricaneVal]

I think when Hex had that conversation with Josh about treating women the way he's like others to treat his daughter, he really did have an epiphany.  You could actually see it in his eyes, and he looked even more ashamed than his already remorseful expression.  I hope that is a lesson that stuck.

 

I had a friend who had to move away from his family for work.  About this same time, he found internet porn, and started forwarding video clips around to his friends in his enthusiasm of his discoveries.  At the time, Mr. HV and I shared a home email address, which I pointed out to my friend.  Hey, whatever floats your boat, I'm not going to judge.  Except, I kind of was.  My friend asked me what I thought of the videos, and I said that the young blonde girls reminded me of his daughter.  You could actually hear his mental brakes screeching to a halt in his head, and his face fell.  We never got another porn clip email again, and he thanked me later for reminding him that those women  were someone's daughters.

[APSimpson]

My expectations were low for this, so I wasn't surprised and it pretty much went the way I figured it would with people who are opposite all butting heads with each other. The personalities are over the top to such a degree that it's hard to take anyone seriously. It's like the Jerry Springer show. The behavior is so outrageous it's comical, but not any less offensive. I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with it or not. It doesn't seem to me to be something worth investing too much more time into, but I will watch the next episode just to see how it goes.

 

Some observations:

 

Red was acting ridiculous but I don't think he deserved to be threatened by Aaron like that. Aaron is physically bigger than Red and could have done some serious damage to him. Aaron needs to control himself as Red is not a threat to anyone. I'm glad they seemingly "worked it out" but I lost respect for Aaron.

 

Josh is a troll who seems to have reformed a bit. We'll see if it lasts. He's obviously useful due to his contractor skills, so it will be interesting to see if his use outweighs any future transgressions. I was completely disgusted with him, though. He seems like a control freak who resorts to being rude and puerile as a way to be in charge. 

 

Rob is annoying. His petulant outburst at Bella and over the deliberation about Josh was unwarranted. The group had a right to discuss what to do with troublemakers.

 

Speaking of Bella, I have no problem with her. She's a bit on the ditzy side, but seems nice enough and harmless.

 

Mike the lawyer seemed rather milquetoast at first but I was impressed with him as the show progressed. His understanding that they need to establish a government makes obvious sense, and he seems to be mentally sharp if a bit soft.

 

Jonathan the pastor seems way in over his head. He seems like a sweet man, and I like him, but he needs to toughen up a bit.

 

Bri and Chris - I don't really have much to say about them other than they seem like people who have to have that immediate attachment with someone. Their relationship seems harmless enough, though, so that doesn't bother me. Bri seems to have some scruples, so I like that. Wasn't at all impressed with Chris in any way.

 

Amanda, Dedeker and Nikki - no problem with them, but they seem like non-entities so far. Dedeker is a bit too loose for my standards, but she seems reasonable enough and doesn't seem like a problem.

 

Hex is interesting. I felt bad for her when she was sick. I like that she made peace with the pastor, and she seems fair and reasonable, but also someone who will compromise instead of draw lines. I don't like her views necessarily, but am open-minded about her.

 

Fox has been promoting this show during NFL Sunday, so being a football fan they got me to watch... for now. I'll watch the next episode at least.

[Dust Bunny]

 

Chicken tractor lady (is is Bella?) seems to be bipolar.

 

I don't throw that term around loosely. I don't think any diagnosis (whether cancer, schizophrenia, etc.) should be used as a metaphor or adjective. But I think you might be right. She showed moments of both mania and depression (talking really fast and later crying), and that's what I thought too. An experience like this would not be conducive to stability and holistic health, which may be the sad point. It made me wonder, especially with a show this (allegedly) long, if participants have access to prescriptions, whatever they might need (even birth control). Most insurance companies wouldn't allow refills for a period as long as a year (unlike a month or even three month season experience). I wonder what the show's policy/approach is for that. Or even if they have such a thing.

[clod]

 

First the host -  Leon Redbone .....

 

 

I thought he looked like the dude on the monopoly game box

 

Hah! That was too funny. Mike seemed particularly distressed about the dirt under his fingernails.

 

how did it get there?    did he do some work?

Edited September 9, 2014 by clod

[DeLurker]

 

Red is not a threat to anyone.

I think those are fightin' words to Red!

 

 

Amanda, Dedeker and Nikki

Just realized each of these names uses only 1 vowel multiple times. A startling observation, huh?

[Wandering Snark]

Well, Red is certainly not a threat to bite anyone...

[kib]

In the interest of full disclosure, the program really should have been named DSM Illustrated.

[Kris117]

Yes, he has a daughter and I PRAY that she was not the women that he was "modeling" his banana hammock for in his intro piece!

 

I think she was his mother, which is also enough to make me shudder. The woman looked older than Josh, so not his daughter, thankfully. 

 

Here's the theme song from "It's About Time." The show was only on for a year, but the first line of the theme song has lived on for almost fifty years.