Alaska: The Last Frontier - General Discussion

[Rhondinella]

A place to discuss particular episodes (that do not have specific episode threads), arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[walnutqueen]

I really enjoyed the Father's Day special.  It was  just scenes (some extended, I think) we've seen before, but with a lot of THs about the Dads.  Eve is full of praise for the knowledge that Otto is passing to Eiven, and how great a Dad Eiven will be.  Jane is full of praise for how "poetic" Atz Lee is, and how he's a great Dad who leaves her with all the discipline, but she loves him anyways.  heh.  Charlotte is full of praise and admiration for everything about Otto and his Dad, Yuel (sp?), and she has so many delightful little anecdotes.  My fave was the motion sensor Eiven rigged up to a recording in the outhouse, that gave an evil troll cackle and said "Give me more treasure" whenever anything went down the hole.  She was cracking up with the telling, and so was I.

[MissT]

I can't wait for the new season.  I love this show.  Does anyone have any idea if they are returning for another season?

[Ipse Dixit]

Pretty sure they be back. There isn't much about this show that I don't absolutely love.

[peaceknit]

October, that's when the new season starts. I don't know what it is about these Alaska shows (all of them!), but I'm hooked! (pun not intended, lol)

[Ipse Dixit]

I hear you, peace knit. It's just Alaska! I spent a mere week there and it changed me forever for the better. Bring on the shows. - especially the Kilchers'!!!

[Ipse Dixit]

Wow-whee, Atz Lee!!' Drag queen - no wonder he was late getting sufficient food for the fam. He had a gig!

http://homertribune.com/2009/08/in-a-cave-…-in-the-rain/

I know this is from '09 and the recent epi was shot in '13. Just never figured AL could clean up *thst* pretty!

[jb0495]

They're marathoning the show today because the 4th season premieres tonight. I'm excited its back!

[Maharincess]

Damn I love this show! I wish this forum was more active. Did anybody watch?

[walnutqueen]

I am still watching, and still loving this show, Maharincess. 

 

Moving outhouses and cleaning chicken coops are shitty jobs, aren't they? 

 

I'll bet Charlotte and Jane have hellacious knots in their hair wearing it loose like that with all the hoods & hats & collars.  Unless nice thick hair behaves differently than my baby fine long hair did back when I wore winter garb and worked on the farm.  I notice Eve always has hers tied back or up somehow ...

[Maharincess]

I didn't know this show existed until a couple of months ago. I was laying in bed one day hurting and was changing channels and came upon this show and I've been obsessed ever since.

I've managed to catch all of season two and I think most of season one. I've also been watching anything online I possibly can about the family.

It's really rare for me to watch a show and like everybody on it. If I had to pick one I like the least, I'd have to go with Jane. Her complaining gets a little annoying sometimes.

I think Atz is sexy as hell and I love Eivan and Eve. My favorite would have to be Otto. He makes me laugh every time I watch.

The only member of the Kilcher family I can't stand and I'm so happy she's never on the show is Jewell. I've hated her for years.

[walnutqueen]

I have been watching since Day One, Maharincess; while I admit to an obsession with almost all things Alaska and Northwesty, this show really is captivating.  Otto is my favorite, too, but I don't really dislike any of them.  I adore Eivan & Eve, and Charlotte is such a sweet person; I love seeing her with the animals.  There's just something about these people that I like - despite the fact that they're on reality tv.

[Maharincess]

I don't really consider this to be reality TV. When I hear the words "reality TV", I tend to think of fake shit and this show is the real deal.

I think this is more documentary than a reality TV show.

Otto is the best! I can relate to his weird sense of humor. I love a man that can make me laugh.

[Ipse Dixit]

Totally agree with this being more the documentary than anything else, and I love it so. The only time I wondered if it was veering into "reality" territory was when Jane and Atz Lee spent 36 hours to get, what?, 6 pounds of octopus brain, which if I remember correctly, they ate on the spot. That seemed a little contrived, but what do I know? Like others here (although I've never been) I just love the thought of Alaska. Maybe that sort of thing is a tradition with some of the homesteaders and others!

For my part, I find Eivin significantly cuter than Atz Lee, but having found a photo of Atz Lee portraying Hedwig, I must say his private life must be pretty intriguing! And show runners? – – That does not in any way shape or form mean I want to know about it! Keep the show as it is, please! Unvarnished life in the last frontier.

[tinderbox]

I love this show and have turned my husband into a fan, as well. I didn't begin watching until mid way through Season Two but bought the DVD and took it all in. Considering how often they air reruns, I'm pretty sure my husband has caught up.

Happy the new season has begun. This family is to be admired for their ingenuity, knowledge, and many talents with regard to living on an Alaskan homestead.

[bjork]

My favorite episode so far is the one when Finley is born. Everybody just loves that little boy.

[Maharincess]

That was a great episode. Otto, once again had the best line.."a parents worst nightmare, me for a granddad" followed by his laugh.

Otto is the best.

[Curious5]

Can't believe that Otto has been throwing feed on the ground all these years.  This just didn't make any sense at all.  Anyone in Alaska knows of Spring Breakup and that does not just refer to ice flows.  Tons of mud each Spring.

[Ilovemylabs]

I enjoyed this program more until I found out how wealthy this family is.  I appreciate that they want to homestead and live off the land.  But they are somewhat ingenuous.  They live not very far from Homer, Alaska and really are never in danger of starvation, although they manage to give that impression.  When they say that if they don't  get this deer or catch these many fish for the freezer they won't be able to feed their family, I think that is somewhat of an exaggeration.  I think some of the hyperbole is to make the show more exciting and is perhaps the idea of the producers.  That being said, they are certainly colorful characters and very ingenious and creative in their lifestyles.  Just my opinion.

[ncsusan]

I enjoy watching this show but my husband and I always laugh because Homer is only 10 miles away. There's a huge Safeway there --- plenty of meat & fish to get you through the winter!

[Curious5]

The lines like I have to feed my family is so overused by all the shows.  Yukon Men, Wicked Tuna, etc.  I wish they would drop it -  NCsusan - we laughed too!  When Atz-Lee or Eiven came out with the line last night we busted out laughing and said  "just get in the car and go to the store."

 

The money thing doesn't bother me.  The land must be included and the money from the music businesses they have been involved with over the years.  I have no problem with rich people.  They're not the ones eating steaks with my tax dollars. 

 

The scene with the cow and calf out in the woods I think was a setup but that's ok.  There is no cussing and they treat each other with respect.  This is entertainment so we just sit back and enjoy it.

[Ilovemylabs]

The lines like I have to feed my family is so overused by all the shows.  Yukon Men, Wicked Tuna, etc.  I wish they would drop it -  NCsusan - we laughed too!  When Atz-Lee or Eiven came out with the line last night we busted out laughing and said  "just get in the car and go to the store."

 

The money thing doesn't bother me.  The land must be included and the money from the music businesses they have been involved with over the years.  I have no problem with rich people.  They're not the ones eating steaks with my tax dollars. 

 

The scene with the cow and calf out in the woods I think was a setup but that's ok.  There is no cussing and they treat each other with respect.  This is entertainment so we just sit back and enjoy it.

I do enjoy the show.  It's just that I thought they were barely scraping by, so I was somewhat disappointed to learn that they have money.  But that's fine if that's the type of life they wish to live.  More power to them!  I read somewhere that Eve's family is quite wealthy.

[Ipse Dixit]

Ilovemylabs , do you recall if article reported that Eve's mom Is a gardening expert living in Hawaii?

I seem to remember reading that Jane's family are marine biologists. And if I remember correctly, both Otto and older Atz moved away from Alaska for a time. I love that these appear to be educated people who have figured out how to live in their way, and make money, without having to do the whole 9-to-5 thing. I wasn't able to be that clever, so it's encouraging to see that it still does happen!!

[Ilovemylabs]

Ilovemylabs , do you recall if article reported that Eve's mom Is a gardening expert living in Hawaii?

I seem to remember reading that Jane's family are marine biologists. And if I remember correctly, both Otto and older Atz moved away from Alaska for a time. I love that these appear to be educated people who have figured out how to live in their way, and make money, without having to do the whole 9-to-5 thing. I wasn't able to be that clever, so it's encouraging to see that it still does happen!!

I'm not sure where I read that they (Eve's family) are wealthy in their own right.  I know that she has occassionally spoken about not being raised as a homesteader.  She indicated she had a privilieged life.  As for Jane, I'm not sure that her family are marine biologists but she was definitely raised on the water.  She loves to fish.  She has stated that fishing is more of her contribution to their food supply than working the homestead.

[Ipse Dixit]

Thanks! I recall reading that Jane was a professional fisher on a commercial vessel before she married Atz Lee. Hutches so I rewrote in which she laments that all the Kilcher men get seasick, even on quiet waters. She definitely has a valuable place within the family. ;-)

[Maharincess]

That's strange to hear that Eve comes from money. I swear I remember Eivan saying, when he was building their new out house that Eve grew up with an out house too.

They said its strange that people actually go to the bathroom in their house.

[MissT]

It was Jane who stated she came from a upper middle-class family.   She stated in one of the earlier seasons while she was at a cabin with Atz Lee that she grew up in a house that had 4 bathrooms and that she was used to shopping at Nordstroms -- but she said that she would not trade the life she had now and that she was very happy

[Ipse Dixit]

Thanks, Miss T. I had remembered that Eve's mom was a marine biologist, and her mom was on an episode during Eve's pregnancy, at which time they both seem very comfortable clambering around over rocks near a beach. Is nordstroms expensive, like, Barney's of the Midwest? Or is it like Macy's? I've never been in one. I like Jane immensely, she seems like the kind of chick gal it would be easy to pass a good time with, very down-to-earth. However, it always tickles me to no end that she has applied her mascara. Being a homesteader doesn't automatically mean leaving all of one's glamour behind, I guess! LOL

Edited October 17, 2014 by Ipse Dixit

[MissT]

Norstrom's is a high-end department store.  II live in PA, so I'm not sure how it compares to Barney's.  But it's a bit more expensive then Macy's.  If you go to Jane's face book page you can read about her and her family. 

Edited October 18, 2014 by MissT

[walnutqueen]

More info on the Kilcher family and their homestead (which includes a tourist attraction) :

 

http://www.alaska.org/detail/kilcher-family-homestead

 

http://kilcheralaskacabins.com/KILCHER_HOMESTEAD_LIVING_MUSEUM/KILCHER_HOMESTEAD_HOMEPAGE.html

Edited October 19, 2014 by walnutqueen

[bjork]

I rewatched the episode where they had to lance an infection on a calf. Wow, there was so much pus and it kept gushing out! This was also the one where Otto prepared a duck for eating. It was goofy to see him save the throat so that he'd make duck calls.

[Curious5]

Guess we are having a big discussion here with Jane's scoping incident.  I thought she had switched from the right shoulder shooting position to the left shoulder.  Why else would she had screwed up like that.  DH said it was a fake because just having a  for the left side of the barrel verses the right should not have made a difference.

[Ipse Dixit]

Curious, I wondered the same thing myself. She was an experienced shooter, she should have known about the recoil on the rifle. They did a good job of acting, if indeed it was acting, and I hate to think that they are faux reality like so many other shows, but this one really did seem sketchy.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Ipse Dixit

[walnutqueen]

Aww - I know what's fakety fake fake, but Jane's chagrin at not instantly recognizing the significance of the gun was pure truthiness.  I've been there, done that (minus the animal killing, of course* see story below), and we are wimmen who like to shoot; spare us the tedious boy details of make, model and ballistics - just hand us the cleaned and loaded darned thing and let us obliterate the bullseye!!!  (It is like the car thing, ladies - guys can tell you every little detail about it, and you just want to get behind the wheel and drive, if it is clean and pretty!).   :-)    I am glad Jane did not get the opportunity to wound a bear - I know she wants to Kill, Kill, Kill, but I think her strength rides the ocean waves.  (300 - 600 pounds of fish every year for her family = born fisherwoman).

 

 

* my ex was a gun nut, and I was a "natural born shooter", so deadly weapons as gifts were a given.  Unfortunately, he eventually wanted to hunt, and I was a conscientious objector.  It all came to a head when he had to work a triple shift before his hunting expedition, and I reluctantly packed his clothes.  Every t-shirt and jacket was of the neon safety color ilk, which fucked his color blind ass six ways from Sunday (he was supposed to be camouflaged).   :-D

Edited October 21, 2014 by walnutqueen

[MissFortune]

Has it been said why Eivan and Eve's son Findlay wears that necklace? It just seems so unsafe and uncomfortable for the little guy.

[Fosca]

It's amber; there's a superstition that amber helps teething pain.  About the only way that's true is if the amber is long enough for the kids to chew on it (it's not as hard as it looks but it's hard enough that the kid couldn't gnaw pieces off), but Findlay's necklace is too short for that.

[Ipse Dixit]

I think Eve used to wear that necklace.

[Curious5]

I was surprised at Otto during the cattle drive.  It did show a dif

[Curious5]

I was surprised at Otto during the cattle drive.  It did show a dif

[MissT]

I would like to know more about Shane.  It's sad that his wife was diagnosed with MS.  I wonder if they have children.  He seems like a nice well-spoken guy. 

Edited October 28, 2014 by MissT

[Ipse Dixit]

Yeah, we hadn't seen Otto lose his cool before, but Seeing the film of Otto as a young man kind of made it less surprising. He looked like the kind of guy who cous give a person trouble!! :-)

[Curious5]

My computer had flaked out ring previous post... here it is.

 

I was surprised at Otto during the cattle drive.  It did show a different side as he was cranky about Jane's challenge with Snowflake.  The comment about women handling  horses with the same authority as they get their way with  their husband was a bit odd.  I did truly enjoy Jane's reaction of enjoying the payback.

 

The question of why the other family members weren't there to help didn't quite make sense.  Az Lee  going up to his cabin for one last time to close up but it seemed he could have done that three days earilier or later.  Eiven and the cousin having to work on the cabin could have been done earlier.  They show Atz at home showing a son possible homestead sites.  Please!!!! That could have been done any time.  The brother not being there looked like a total deliberate move.  Remember Otto screwed it up every year being slow and late on the beginning of each year maybe had something too do with it.

Ummm....

[Diane M]

Just watched last week's episode last night, and I was about to post about how staged that episode looked.  I couldn't see any good reason why any of those men couldn't have helped with the cattle drive, as important as it is.  I think the director just wanted to show some drama.....Jane having problems with the horse and Otto losing his cool.  Love the show, though.  And I think Eivin is going to be the best daddy ever.

[GrouviTamansa]

I love this show too, I always take Alaska: The Last Frontier with my pop corn. :D

[tinderbox]

Just watched last week's episode last night, and I was about to post about how staged that episode looked.  I couldn't see any good reason why any of those men couldn't have helped with the cattle drive, as important as it is.  I think the director just wanted to show some drama.....Jane having problems with the horse and Otto losing his cool.  Love the show, though.  And I think Eivin is going to be the best daddy ever.

I don't think the cattle drive/closing down the cabin/looking for a homestead site/ were happening at the same time on the same day.

Yes. It was unusual for Otto to have so few and inexperienced people helping him out with the cattle drive. There are probably several reasons why other members of his family couldn't help him out. My guess is that, because Otto seems like a rather stubborn guy....he wanted to take those cows on.that.day. and at.that.time. His family members could have said they would help him another day because they were busy etc. BUT Otto stood his ground and, then, paid the price. This is only a guess on my part but I believe this scenario makes more sense than a total set up, for the sake of drama, by the producers of the show.

My husband and I love this show. Yes, we've known for quite a while that the Kilchers live within ten miles of civilization BUT truly admire their resolve to try to do as much as possible, to survive, on their own.

Edited November 15, 2014 by tinderbox

[Ilovemylabs]

That's strange to hear that Eve comes from money. I swear I remember Eivan saying, when he was building their new out house that Eve grew up with an out house too.

They said its strange that people actually go to the bathroom in their house.

Well, the Kilchers themselves are wealthy and use outhouses!  I just can't imagine using one in the dead of winter...or in the dark!  The moving the outhouse episode grossed me out.

[bjork]

They're going to have another Thanksgiving special. I really enjoyed the last one.

[Curious5]

The show was well done with the necessary butchering the cow and how you could make soap.  Now all I need is a cow for the fat!  Ha!

 

I get a kick out of Jane with her side comment about Atz Lee gardening.  Wasn't he the one who got sick during the first year of filming because they weren't eating veggies?  I am really beginning to dislike him.  He does these little lectures to the camera like we re dopes and don't know how to garden , hunt, handle guns.

[Diane M]

Making soap?  I thought that was a bit ridiculous.  My grandmother made soap 60 years ago, but I bet she wouldn't go to all that trouble today.   I think the products that are available today are a lot kinder to sheets and towels.

[RemoteControlFreak]

It's amber; there's a superstition that amber helps teething pain.  About the only way that's true is if the amber is long enough for the kids to chew on it (it's not as hard as it looks but it's hard enough that the kid couldn't gnaw pieces off), but Findlay's necklace is too short for that.

The amber is a current trend among new parents.  I don't know if superstition is the right word.  Maybe medical quackery?  If amber is strong enough to be an analgesic then you'd think the parents would worry about sticking it around a kid's neck.

 

Also, with regard to Eve's mother.... according to the Discovery Channel website, Eve "was raised on a piece of land not far from the Kilcher Homestead."  So what's up with traveling the hundreds of miles to where grandma now lives?  Did grandma move further out into the bush after Eve had left the nest?  A little Googling results in Finley's birth announcement (coincidentally, today is his birthday) which shows that Eve's parents are Craig Matkin and Dena Matkin.  Further Googling shows that Dena Matkin is  a naturalist at Glacier Bay National Park ... "http://www.whalesalaska.org/team.htm   

 

Does anyone else think Dena appeared drunk or drugged during last night's episode?

Edited November 24, 2014 by remotecontrolfreak