S03.E09: Botswana Breakdown

[henripootel]

Let's add up the bullshit from tonights episode.  Right from the start: elephants are not 'predators', although there are plenty of reasons to be wary of them.

 

Also, I've spent time in the area where these guys filmed, and it is pretty damn dangerous. Hyena at night are not to be fucked with - friend of mine was in a camp once where kid poked his head out of the tent at night to see what was milling about and got grabbed.  Next day all they found was some clothes, blood, and a shoe.  No fucking way those guys were out there solo, or in an un-fenced-in camp.  

 

Even so, I'd bet anything that Ashley's real problem was that she lost her shit.  Being on the ground with large predators let's just say 'focuses your attention', even if you're 10 feet from a guy with a rifle.  I don't doubt that she was getting a bit dehydrated but way before then, she was inching up on a full-blown panic attack.

 

And another 'discarded' (but sound) metal pot materializes when needed.  Huh.  Note to the producers: a discarded old can would look more convincing and work just as well.

 

ETA: oh and Michael is actually Michael Jefferson, ex-Survivor contestant.  Possibly his dead brother was less motivation than wanting to be on tv again.

Edited September 16, 2014 by henripootel

[beagletime]

When he found the pot he said it looked old.  It didn't look to old to me.  I guess we were supposed to believe it had been out there for ages. The way it was dented looked like someone tried to make it look old.  It really looked like a pot someone had recently picked up at Walmart.  

[PityFree]

Weak. This was ridiculous. The girl was ready to tap out the first day? The guy didn't want to hurt his organs? Had those two ever even been camping?

[NJRach]

This looked so over the top it had to be fake. I love how they can call 911 and a medic appeared. Then there was a doctor at the camp nearby. And we also got a peek at the elaborate camp that was set up for the crew. I bet the entire "camp" was in the backyard of some kind of resort with running water, A/c and solid walls. Because there is no way a production crew could last under a tarp tent in 112 degree weather with man-eating animals on the prowl. 

 

I was flipping between this show and the Roosevelts on PBS, so I missed some parts.  Did they really drink that scummy pond water?

[henripootel]

Did they really drink that scummy pond water?

They did, but I really doubt that's what did in Ashley.  Too quick, although untreated surface water there is a major party foul, teaming with shit.  When water returns to the Okavango the place swarms with life and everything walks / shits in it.  Drink it and you will get parasites, and no, the top-most layer of water isn't 'sterilized by UV'. 

 

There's virtually nothing these guys did right, at least at the beginning.  After Ashley tapped out, it seemed to me that Michael suddenly got both some 'luck' (with the pot) and an influx of local info, down to the edibility and medicinal properties of certain plants.  He even constructed a credible-looking boma, a wall of thorny shit you can use to keep the animals off you at night.  Is there even any possibility that he wasn't being coached?  They could at least have edited out the part where he knew the name of the local bush spinach. 

[ari333]

Wow, so this Michael dude wants to be a tv star or model or something? (Survivor show, now this.) He is quite gorgeous. I was shocked. His gf looked none too thrilled when he left.

 

She tapped out (or freaked out) or day 1? I wonder if she had a bladder infection. I'd have been steamed if I gained 7 pounds for nothing. *snort* 

 

Did they have to keep her uncovered as they carried her out on the stretcher?

Edited September 15, 2014 by ari333

[NJRach]

He was probably running to the crew's lodgings at night and googling survival stuff.

[ichbin]

ETA: oh and Michael is actually Michael Jefferson, ex-Survivor contestant.  Possibly his dead brother was less motivation than wanting to be on tv again.

Oh...thank you!  I kept thinking he looked familiar.  I was sure I had seen him on TV before.

 

 

Also, I've spent time in the area where these guys filmed, and it is pretty damn dangerous. Hyena at night are not to be fucked with - friend of mine was in a camp once where kid poked his head out of the tent at night to see what was milling about and got grabbed.  Next day all they found was some clothes, blood, and a shoe.  No fucking way those guys were out there solo, or in an un-fenced-in camp. 

I wondered about that.  No way would some of that wildlife just take a peek at them solely out of curiosity and then walk away.  Those are serious predators and unprotected people would provide a  nice new item on their menu that day.

[henripootel]

No way would some of that wildlife just take a peek at them solely out of curiosity and then walk away.

Nope.  If I'm right about where they were (somewhere north of Maun), they can expect nightly visitors.  Lions thankfully seem to think of tents as solid objects (although it's unsettling when the only thing between you is a thin sheet of plastic), and hyena are persistent, dangerous, and rarely alone.  Another buddy of mine had to cower in his tent for an hour while an elephant tried to push over the tree he'd camped under (to get to some fruit).  I'd bet anything that their camp was actually well-fenced and guarded, else the production company would have been looking at ruin when somebody got et.  

 

At least they had the sense to keep the folks away from deep water spots - they had shots of hippos but none including this week's idiots.  Good thing - crocks and hippos kill more people than lions.  

Did they have to keep her uncovered as they carried her out on the stretcher?

 

 

I'm always amused that they maintain the 'naked' thing even during evacs.  I was half expecting the shot of Michael flying home to pull back and reveal him still naked, albeit clean.

 

ETA: Oh, and Michael?  Predators are not warned off by all piss, just that of other predators.  You pissing where you sleep is less of a deterrent and more of dinner bell.  

Edited September 15, 2014 by henripootel

[panthergirl13]

So glad everyone else thinks there's NO way they were actually unprotected out there. Honestly, even in a game reserve in South Africa I was terrified in the open jeep with the guy with the gun. When I called home I said to my kids "IT'S NOT THE ZOO." (a lion walked right past our vehicle so closely that I could have touched it. I thought I was going to piss myself. If I were Michael I *would* have, just to "mark my territory". haha)

[NJRach]

I might have to watch this one again on On Demand to see if I can spot the big fence and guys with guns that must have surrounded the "camp."  

[fib]

Its so disappointing that this episode turned out to be such a dud!  Botswana had so much potential, and there were glimpses of brilliance, but its frustrating when one contestant taps out on day 3.  These two were just frustrating to watch for their early incompetence. 

 

i agree with everyone who thinks the appearance of the pot was total BS.  When will survivors learn: In the jungle you NEED a fire starter, your bow drill just won't work on soaked, rotten wood in the rainforest. In the desert you NEED a pot.  You may find water, but there is no certainty it will be clean enough to drink, and you're going to need a lot of water.  Good survival skills should make it feasible to make fire with the dry wood in a hot desert. 

 

Does anyone know why the female contestant quit so early? She was sick before she drank any of the water - was it heat stroke, or an infection she brought into the show with her? 

[Auntie Anxiety]

 

Does anyone know why the female contestant quit so early? She was sick before she drank any of the water - was it heat stroke, or an infection she brought into the show with her?

At first I thought she might have urinary tract infection; I doubt that even a panic attack could make her shiver all night long because those kinds of shakes are usually the result of a fever and boy, those shakes just suck.  And they sap you of any strength you have.  You cannot control your body.  But, tapping out so early was ridiculous.  She should never have been there in the first place.  I'm pissed that she took away a Naked and Afraid spot from someone more deserving.

 

And I also thought I recognized Michael.  He seemed a little too full of himself for my tastes.  Where do they find these contestants?  These two were almost as bad as the young woman in the episode with two teams who didn't know shit about survival but talked a good game. 

 

A miraculous pot sighting!  How amazingly fortuitous.  And completely producer driven.  

[Spooneroonie]

When will survivors learn: In the jungle you NEED a fire starter, your bow drill just won't work on soaked, rotten wood in the rainforest. In the desert you NEED a pot.

 

Exactly. I mean, it's not like they have no idea where they're going. It involves international travel! (Well, most of the time.)

 

Was this the first episode where both people tapped out?

[jacksgirl]

Silly question time. Why not eat the frog? I have watched these people eat far less weird things then frogs. I am guessing a frog has a lot of protein. Is it possible that they are running out of real survivialists? These two weren't even close- especially Ashley.

[Spooneroonie]

Why not eat the frog?

 

 

 

Well, he did say something about how his mom loves frogs and they show up in his life and the bestest moments evar! so maybe he elevated the frog into a idolized position in his mind and refused to eat it.

 

Or, he couldn't catch it and gave up. I suspect that was a more likely scenario.

[fib]

Was this the first episode where both people tapped out?

 

Nope!

The first one I saw where both tapped out was in the Amazon, where EJ and Laura stepped in and finished 21 days in the same location.  Sabrina and Vincent in Bolivia lasted much longer - she made it to day 20, but they both tapped out from severe illness. In  the Borneo episode, the male survivalist Puma tapped out relatively early and his partner lasted about a week without him, but she seemed pretty doomed by loneliness. 

[Spooneroonie]

The first one I saw where both tapped out was in the Amazon, where EJ and Laura stepped in and finished 21 days in the same location.

 

 

Ah, I do remember. I think I had blocked that one out because they were replaced. Wouldn't that have been an interesting twist for Michael---he conveniently finds a pot for water all by himself and they bring in a new gal that he has to share it with..... 

[henripootel]

In the Borneo episode, the male survivalist Puma tapped out relatively early and his partner lasted about a week without him, but she seemed pretty doomed by loneliness.

Yeah, but see, that's the thing - I'm not sure these guys are ever really alone.  I know they're supposed to be at night and maybe sometimes they are, but they also know that rescue is but a PA away.   So why is this important.

 

First, I've been out actually alone in wilderness, no cell coverage and hope of rescue only after I'm a couple of days overdue.  Since I'd planned on a week or two, so there was plenty of time to die should I do something stupid.  The experience is unlike being out there when you know help is nearby; you're mindful of little things, watch where you step, and don't take chances on bad water.  This has a real effect on one's thinking, as apparently the greatest danger in actual emergencies is that people lose their shit and just give up.  This show removes that, perhaps necessarily so, but let's not confuse actual peril with fake peril.  These guys may suffer a lot but it's not the same as wondering if you're gonna die before somebody thinks to look for you.

 

Second, I think this might make the show more dangerous in some ways.  I don't know about the other locations but the hospital care in Botswana, well, let's just say it's highly variable.  When I'm there I pay for a service that, should I get hurt (and survive long enough to call out), they send a plane for my ass like pronto, and fly me to one of their own facilities.  This is nice but it doesn't take my mind off the fact that being out there means I'm actually in danger, and again, I'm mindful.  I kinda wonder if the folks on this show take it for granted that medical care is close to hand and do stupid shit they might not otherwise do.  Self-medicating with a local root you know has strong pharmaceutical effects?  That's the kinda stupid shit that kills you faster than they can fetch you out.

 

My guess: just a matter of time before this show and the I-know-I'm-on-a-show effect gets somebody killed.  And it won't be a lion or something cool, it'll be a cut that goes septic or bad water.  

[Granny58]

"Or, he couldn't catch it and gave up. I suspect that was a more likely scenario."

 

I have yet to see any contestant actually catch an animal other than a lizard,snake, bugs, or find a bird head.  Has anybody seen successful hunting?

 

Also, I'm really unbearably naive about too many things but even I thought the found pot was fishy.  

Edited September 17, 2014 by Granny58

[Kelda Feegle]

henripootel you make some excellent points - Michael was very much saying "I expect to get sick at some point" with the sub-text of "they will save me/not let me get too sick/medics are close by" while it is all well and good to take that chance (and I am only talking sick not attacked by an animal) I remember a contestant who was still recovering from a serious infection(?) months after her experience and I wouldn't be setting myself up for that so nonchalantly.

[henripootel]

I remember a contestant who was still recovering from a serious infection(?) months after her experience and I wouldn't be setting myself up for that so nonchalantly.

 

I wouldn't trust the producers to protect my life in any way.  Besides putting contestants in positions where they simply cannot avoid infection and parasites, they are absolutely subjecting them to dire risk.  There is simply no protecting folks completely when there are predators about. 

Edited September 18, 2014 by henripootel

[blackwing]

So after he overdosed on the devil root, the medic said he was ok and cleared him to continue. But then he said he didn't want to hurt his organs and quit. The medic again said he was perfectly fine. He just didn't want to continue.

Seems to me that this is probably the only guy on all the seasons that qualified as the male model type. He's been on reality tv before, his survival skills were questionable, and he gave up way too early. Apparently perhaps he thought, hey, I'll be naked, look at my body, and hope that it leads to more exposure and tv/entertainment opportunities.

He was gifted a pot and couldn't tough it out. Even after they fed him all that information about the edible plants and their medicinal properties. Embarrassing.

[AZChristian]

And if he'd been THAT bad off, he'd have made frog soup. 

[KidHorn]

Some frogs are poisonous. Although I think the poisonous ones tend to be very colorful.

 

If I knew I was going into an arid environment with 110F heat, I would bring a pot. My main concern, by far, would be being able to boil water in short time. I would make sure I had potable water before breaking camp.

 

One smart thing the contestants did was smear mud on themselves to protect from the sun.

[Granny58]

"I'll be naked, look at my body,"

 

I did enjoy that.  

[blackwing]

Some frogs are poisonous. Although I think the poisonous ones tend to be very colorful.

He was spouting some mumbojumbo about how his mom always sends him a sign with a frog and it means that every lil ting gonna be awright, and something about how his dead brother loved frogs, or he IS the frog, or something.  I did feel bad for the guy as he was talking about the magical frog sign, it was clear he was two cents short of full on bawling.  He's alone in Africa (with some camera people, and producers a few minutes away) and he felt like the frog was a sign that his mother and brother were with him.

 

He didn't say that he thought they actually WERE the frog, right?  I would have thought his mother the Voodoo Priestess of Frogs or whatever she is would have sent them that frog so he didn't starve.  Yes, some frogs are poisonous, but I think those tend to be the small colourful jungle frogs.  Not these mud frogs of Africa.  He could have gotten a lot of protein from the frog legs, or the entire thing if he was that hungry.  If he was willing to take a chance on drinking water that almost certainly was tainted by animal feces and knowing that it would probably make him sick, why wouldn't he chance eating the frog?  Obviously if there had been an issue, medical would have come right away to treat him, and he knew that.

 

I guess it doesn't surprise me that he tapped out.  He wasn't doing this for the love of being a survivalist.   He was doing this to book his next acting/modelling gig.  Perhaps he saw Ashley crying and honking and generally looking absolutely pathetic and getting carried out naked on a stretcher.  He expressed a fear or concern that he would be carried out on a stretcher too.  And I guess that wouldn't have helped his image.  Nobody would want him for "Dating Naked" if their last image of him was of him crying and moaning and whining about pain.

 

Producers should have done a better job with the screening.  Make sure these people have some actual qualifications and that they are doing it to test themselves and for love of it all.  Not for a modelling contract.

 

I still can't get over it.  A POT.  That just happens to be supposedly in the middle of nowhere in Africa.  Where hyenas and lions and hippos and elephants just wander around freely.  This isn't exactly like the beach/water episodes, where supposedly the currents and tide or Katrina just happens to dump used clothing and items.  It was Botswana.   But yet somebody had come through before him and oops they lost their pot and didn't know it!!!  And even with the pot, he fails.  With the pot, he could boil water and stay hydrated.  He could make a broth using the leaves of plants pointed out to him by producers.  He could make soup with eggs and insects and whatever else he could be able to catch/find.  He had it way easier than any of the other previous contestants, and he just gives up.

[peaceknit]

Some frogs are poisonous. Although I think the poisonous ones tend to be very colorful.

 

If I knew I was going into an arid environment with 110F heat, I would bring a pot. My main concern, by far, would be being able to boil water in short time. I would make sure I had potable water before breaking camp.

 

One smart thing the contestants did was smear mud on themselves to protect from the sun.

I dunno, it seemed like when they were "applying" the mud, they were getting a little too close to those mucous membranes, especially Ashley. I wouldn't be surprised if that fecal mud made her sick. I sure wouldn't want to be anywhere close to a multi-animal watering hole!

 

These two just bugged me. The show just seems to be attracting fame whores now, and I do not want to see anyone that's been on another reality show! 

 

On another note, does anyone think that Michael sort of resembles Ryan Serhant (from MDL-NY?)

[henripootel]

I dunno, it seemed like when they were "applying" the mud, they were getting a little too close to those mucous membranes, especially Ashley.

Fair point.  Part of the advice I give my research assistants there is 'get out of the habit of touching your face'.   That and 'don't stand in stagnant water', and if you're wondering why, google 'schistosomes'.  Oh, and while I'm here - congratulations, Michael, you now have schistosomes.  Have fun with that.

I still can't get over it.  A POT.  That just happens to be supposedly in the middle of nowhere in Africa.

It's not wholly unbelievable that people pass through the area where they were camping.  True, that area is one of the few places I know where, if you go out at night, you actually stand a decent chance of being killed.  But we're not talking Africa in the 17th century here.  But a pot in reasonably good nick, right when and where Michael need to find one?  Uh, yeah - no.

[JackKnife]

 

Does anyone know why the female contestant quit so early? She was sick before she drank any of the water - was it heat stroke, or an infection she brought into the show with her? 

 

From what I read in an interview after the fact, apparently it was something she brought into the show with her.  As with the Miley lookalike in the India episode, apparently the producers weren't doing medical screenings immediately before the challenge started.  So Ashley had some kind of food/water poisoning from something she ate before the challenge started.

[Rainbows]

On 9/15/2014 at 7:55 AM, PityFree said:

Weak. This was ridiculous. The girl was ready to tap out the first day? The guy didn't want to hurt his organs? Had those two ever even been camping?

I honestly believe she was not faking it. She was sick before she arrived. Certain things she said stood out to me before she had a breakdown. She definitely had an infection before she arrived, I strongly believe she had a Uti that was turning septic. She could have died, it's a good thing she left.